A self-made mass of muscle, Wilson Fisk knows no equal. Using his immense size and strength, he reached the pinnacle of his chosen profession by relying on just one person: himself. The infamous Kingpin of Crime rules the East Coast underworld with an iron hand -- and zero tolerance for failure!

Real name: Wilson Fisk
Occupation: Criminal organizer and mastermind, president and owner of legitimate businesses
Group affiliation: Leader of a coalition of East Coast, non-Maggia criminal organizations; former manager of Hydra's Las Vegas faction
Base of operations: New York City
First appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #50 (1967)

Height: 6'7"
Weight: 450 lbs.
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Bald

Powers: Thanks to years of training and discipline, the Kingpin is an extraordinary hand-to-hand combatant. These fighting skills, coupled with unusual agility for a man his size, compensate for his lack of superhuman strength when engaged in unarmed combat with heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil.

Weapons: None

History: Origin: Little is known about the Kingpin's life before he took command of the East Coast mobs. Wilson Fisk has described himself as "an unpopular, blubbery child." Impoverished as a youngster, he committed his first murder when he was 12 years old. From the start, Fisk was determined to be the best at whatever he did. Because he believed physical strength would help him amass power in the underworld, he fanatically trained himself in various methods of bodybuilding and personal combat -- finally concentrating on the Japanese art of sumo. His sumo training likely led to an interest in East Asian culture, which would manifest itself in other ways.

Fisk educated himself by stealing books from stores and libraries, taking a particular interest in political science. He determined that another key to his success would be the use of such techniques to organize and direct groups of criminals. Fisk's gang grew rapidly in size, influence, power and wealth. However, he was careful to invest his ill-gotten gains in legitimate businesses. The first company he owned dealt spices in the Far East.

After about a decade as a criminal leader, Fisk had achieved enough success in legitimate business to become a prominent member of New York society. He met and soon married Vanessa, a beautiful woman not yet 20 years old. Her love granted him the peace he sought after his constant struggle for power.

Fisk had become one of the most powerful criminal leaders in New York and Las Vegas after about two decades, and had won the respect of numerous other bosses. When the wisecracking, web-slinging super hero known as Spider-Man appeared to have retired, the Kingpin seized the opportunity to fulfill his master plan. Fisk proposed the unification of New York's gangs under his leadership, meeting with nearly unanimous acceptance. The Kingpin directed a major crime wave in Manhattan that came to an end following his first confrontation with Spider-Man. Moreover, the Kingpin's attempt to silence Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson backfired when the web-slinger rescued the newspaperman, who then publicly exposed Fisk as the Kingpin. The crime coalition crumbled.

Vanessa, sickened by the Kingpin's lifestyle, eventually demanded that Fisk abandon his criminal tendencies -- or else she would leave him. He accepted her ultimatum, and the two retired to Japan. Vanessa even persuaded Fisk to surrender his files on the activities of the other bosses to the authorities. To prevent this, the new leaders of the Kingpin's crime syndicate kidnapped Vanessa. She apparently was slain by a Kingpin aide who saw her as the only obstacle preventing Fisk from returning to crime. Not only did the enraged Kingpin resume leadership of his former organization, he turned over his files to the law through his costumed archenemy, the blind adventurer called Daredevil. The Kingpin's plan to rid himself of his rivals proved successful, as the evidence in the documents he had provided led to the conviction of countless criminal leaders. The Kingpin assumed control of the majority of gangs dealing in conventional crimes, making his organization the most powerful on the East Coast.

Fisk then turned his attention to politics, and it appeared for a short time as if he had scored his greatest coup: His puppet candidate, Randolph Winston Cherryh, won New York's mayoral election. But the mayor-elect never took office. Daredevil discovered Vanessa alive, though suffering from severe mental problems, and told Kingpin he would release her to his custody only if Fisk ordered Cherryh to decline the post. Grudgingly, an infuriated Kingpin acquiesced.

Soon, Fisk would find himself on even ground with his masked opponent. When Daredevil's former lover -- Karen Page, a heroin addict -- sold the hero's secret identity as attorney Matt Murdock to a drug dealer, the information eventually came into the Kingpin's possession. This was merely the initial move in what would develop into a deadly, years-long chess match between the two adversaries.

During one of their games of cat and mouse, Fisk led the femme fatale known as Echo to believe that Daredevil had killed her father. Meanwhile, she began to date Murdock in her civilian identity as Maya Lopez, unaware he was Daredevil. Fisk's two pawns battled across the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen until Echo learned the truth behind her father's murder. The Kingpin's illegal doings finally caught up to him when he was shot several times by the young woman he had so callously manipulated. Fisk survived the shooting, but now -- like his foe, Daredevil -- is completely blind.

The Kingpin takes pleasure in physical combat with his enemies, but knows he can never allow himself to be connected to his crimes. Consequently, Fisk has never been convicted of any wrongdoing. Today, even though Fisk has built a vast, legitimate business empire in various fields, he still professes to be merely a "humble dealer in spices."