comicbooks.com Join Free
Home › Antonio Rodriguez
Antonio Rodriguez
Antonio RodriguezAntonio RodriguezAntonio Rodriguez

Antonio Rodriguez

47 appearances · Bronze Age · 1985–2026 · 1 key issues
Who is Antonio Rodriguez?

Antonio Rodriguez became Armadillo after desperate circumstances led him to Dr. Karl Malus, who subjected him to illegal genetic experiments that gave him a massive armored hide and superhuman strength — transforming him into a hulking, armadillo-like brawler for hire.

Debuting in the pages of Captain America #308 in 1985, Antonio Rodriguez is a Bronze Age Marvel creation from the sharp minds of Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary — a character whose story has quietly persisted across an impressive four decades of publishing. With 47 catalog appearances spanning from his mid-eighties introduction all the way to 2026, he's proven himself a durable presence in the Marvel universe, popping up in titles like Captain America, Jessica Jones, and Captain America: Steve Rogers. He keeps genuinely marquee company — sharing pages with Captain America himself, Spider-Man, and their civilian counterparts Steve Rogers and Peter Parker — which speaks to the caliber of storytelling he's been woven into. Collectors take note: one of his appearances carries key-issue status, making Antonio Rodriguez a rewarding figure to track down for anyone digging into the deeper corners of Marvel's Bronze Age legacy.

Identity

Real name. Antonio Rodriguez

Powers. Skilled Combatant: Armadillo has been trained as a professional wrestler. He has moves including the "Roadkill Slammer", wherein he rolls himself into a ball with only his shell exposed and barrels down his opponents.

Affiliations. Hood's criminal army Formerly: ; Masters of Animal Evil ; Army of Evil ; Hydra ; High Sect ; Sinister Sixteen; Rangers (Texas Initiative) ; Vil-Anon; and the ; former minion of Dr. Karl Malus

★ First appearance
Captain America #308
Aug 1985

Top series

Covers through the years — 1985–2024

Captain America #308 1985
Captain America #308
Captain America #340 1988
Captain America #340
Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault #[nn] 1991
Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault #[nn]
Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning #[nn] 2001
Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning #[nn]
She-Hulk #9 2005
She-Hulk #9
New Warriors: Reality Check #[nn] 2006
New Warriors: Reality Check #[nn]
Dark Reign: The Cabal #1 2009
Dark Reign: The Cabal #1
Infinity: Heist #1 2013
Infinity: Heist #1
Civil War: Punisher War Journal [Second Edition] #[nn] 2016
Civil War: Punisher War Journal [Second Edition] #[nn]
Jessica Jones #18 2018
Jessica Jones #18
Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1 2022
Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1
Spider-Woman #1 2024
Spider-Woman #1

Appearances

Captain America (1968)
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (1985)
#1
Avengers Spotlight (1989)
#26
Fantastic Four (1961)
Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault (1991)
Venom: Deathtrap: The Vault (1993)
Thunderbolts '97 (1997)
Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning (2001)
Thunderbolts: How to Lose (2003)
#1
New Avengers (2005)
New Avengers Director's Cut (2005)
#1
She-Hulk (2004)
#9
New Warriors (2005)
#3
New Warriors: Reality Check (2006)
Civil War (2006)
#7
Avengers: The Initiative (2007)
#2
Civil War Chronicles (2007)
#10
Dark Reign: The Cabal (2009)
#1
Civil War: Punisher War Journal (2009)
Dark Reign: The Hood (2009)
Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot (2010)
#3
Thunderbolts Classic (2011)
#1
Infinity: Heist (2013)
#1
Civil War: Punisher War Journal [Second Edition] (2016)
All-New, All-Different Avengers (2016)
#2
Avengers: The Initiative - The Complete Collection (2017)
#1
Guardians of the Galaxy (2015)
Captain America: Steve Rogers (2016)
Occupy Avengers (2017)
Invincible Iron Man (2017)
#6
Jessica Jones (2016)
Avengers Epic Collection (2013)
#21
Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond (2022)
#1
Amazing Spider-Man: Beyond (2021)
#3
Spider-Woman (2024)
#1
Jackpot (2024)
#1
Venom (2025)