As the Crusader, he is a master swordsman and jouster. Blackwood has earned a master's degree, though his studies towards Doctorate of Divinity remain uncompleted. Z'Reg Z'Reg is a Skrull operative who was sent to spy on the Avengers after his training. However, he arrives on Earth shortly after the Avengers disbanded. Falling in love with the planet's customs and superheroes under the civilian identity of Aubrey Thompson, Z'Reg decides to become a superhero and calls himself the Crusader (a name he chose specifically because it gives no clue as to his abilities). He soon became the mentor of Freedom Ring. After Freedom Ring is killed by Iron Maniac, Crusader takes the boy's reality-altering ring for himself as a way to honor his fallen comrade. Rather than using the ring to continue his superhero career, Crusader seems to have retired to a life of leisure using it to create fake Skrull women. When Titannus attacked the US, Crusader helped other superheroes to defeat the monster. Crusader is later seen on board a bus of new recruits arriving at Camp Hammond to join the Fifty State Initiative, along with Ant-Man, Melee, Geldoff, Dragon Lord, Geiger, Red Nine, and Diamondback. The clone of MVP known as "KIA" attacked Crusader and the other new trainees, and severed Crusader's hand in the battle. His hand was surgically reattached by the Camp's doctor, Physique. Fearing a medical examination would reveal his true form, Crusader used the fragments of the Cosmic Cube in his ring to make himself appear human to the doctor's medical tests (in fact, an overly average human, so much so that the doctor comments on how generic his readings are). During the Secret Invasion storyline, Crusader suspects that camp director Yellowjacket is actually a Skrull impostor named Criti Noll. It turns out they both enjoyed the taste of pickles and strawberries which tastes like a Skrull delicacy. He almost tells the camp's counselor Trauma, but changes his mind. When 3-D Man arrives in Camp Hammond to announce to everyone assembled that the Initiative has been infiltrated by Skrulls, Crusader fears that he will be exposed as a Skrull despite his good intentions. Crusader uses the ring to reverse the goggles' power so that they cause 3-D Man to see Crusader as human and all humans as Skrulls. Realizing the ramifications of this act, Crusader manages to get Delroy to move out of