‘Ironheart’: Who is The Hood (Parker Robbins)

Parker Robbins/The Hood makes his live-action debut in Ironheart (the entity known as The Hood also appeared in Season 3, Episode 6 of What If…?). Parker Robbins is played by Anthony Ramos, best known for his roles as Usnavi in In the Heights and Noah Diaz in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Parker Robbins / The Hood in ‘Ironheart’

Parker is first introduced after the crew escapes their heist. During a conversation with his cousin John, he urges him to fire Stuart but find a replacement first. At that moment, they encounter Riri flying in her suit, their new hire is then in sight. Parker sends John to recruit her, when Riri accepts, she’s faced with escaping an elevator rigged with poisonous gas within 3 minutes. She’s successful, and Parker congratulates her.

Parker tries his best to convince Riri to join his crew, mentioning that she’ll get everything she deserves. While she initially declines, Parker convinces her by showing her the amount of money she can earn. Riri questions his job, whether it’s legal or not, he responds by saying he has his reasons. He seals the deal by promising Riri that she’ll be able to carry out her vision ASAP.

We later continue with Parker when he’s finalising the TNNL heist, John is preparing ink to give Parker some more tattoos to cover him some scars on his back. While John is doing his tattoos, Parker feels a lot of pain. He hangs up his suit in a vault, an ominous presence is felt.

Parker invites Riri to a meeting for the TNNL heist and then introduces each member and their backstories. Parker describes Riri’s role as the mechanic and tech specialist. After every member does their part in the TNNL heist, Parker reveals that he was in the car with Sheila the entire time. He urges her to sign a contract or else there will be consequences.

When Riri is in trouble we see another one of The Hood’s powers, being able to curve the direction of bullets which he uses to stop a security guard. At the hideout, Parker congratulates everyone on a successful heist. The Hood seems to talk to Parker, he feels a sense of pain and the scales continue to grow on his back. John expresses his concern, which Parker dismisses.

In episode 3, after John stops Clown and Riri from inspecting the Hood, Parker comes in and asks Slug to give the rundown on the next heist, Heirlum owned by Hunter Mason. After the mission briefing, Parker encourages everyone to relax and have a cool head for the heist later. When Riri asks to speak to Parker in private, he explains how the Hood makes him feel unstoppable and that it’s magic. Parker is doing Yoga while listening to the news. John casts his doubts on this heist but Parker assures him that everything is handled. John mentions that Parker has a personal vendetta.

During the heist, Parker is in Hunter’s office waiting to confront him. Hunter rejects the contract and Parker asks his crew to burn the crops. When the plan goes south, voices whisper to Parker and he kills Hunter Mason, followed by a number of guards. While the crew is readying to escape, Parker asks Riri to look for John, she tells him he’s in one of the greenhouses and isn’t moving. 

An angered Parker returns to the hideout, asking the person behind the Hood why John had to die. Declaring that he’s done. The entity repeats John’s final moments and a shadow of Riri’s suit is shown to him. 

Parker Robbins / The Hood in the Comics

Parker Robbins / The Hood first appears in Hood #1 (May, 2002) written by Brian K. Vaughan. He was created by Brian K. Vaughan and Kyle Hotz.

As a child, Parker was always enticed by the life of a super-villain, with one of his biggest inspirations being Electro. When his mother was in need of urgent medical care, he dropped out of high school and pursued a life of crime to pay the bills, often lying to his mother about the source of income.

These lies would continue throughout his life where his girlfriend Sara was led to believe that he was a security guard, among other jobs. During a heist with his cousin, John King, at a warehouse, the two stumble upon a mystical séance upon leaving they are attacked by a demon wearing a cloak. Parker shot the demon and stole its cloak and boots.

When Parker wore the stolen boots he realised he had the ability to walk on air, later at John’s apartment, he would learn that the cloak also had powers, such as invisibility once he held his breath. As a now super-villain, Parker worked for criminal enterprises, stealing ammunition and weapons.

Little did he know, the cloak turned him into a host for Dormammu, lord of the dark dimension. During an encounter with hired costume villains Constrictor, Jack O’Lantern, and the Shocker, Parker shot a police officer named Eric Bondi. When he and King were arrested, Parker was given the name The Hood by the media.

Parker Robbins / The Hood Powers And Abilities

Parker Robbins is capable of mysticism and has vast occult knowledge he is also a criminal mastermind and skilled in marksmanship. He also has basic training in hand-to-hand combat.

Additionally, he wields a pistol that shoots magical bullets capable of killing superhumans and mystics.

In Ironheart, we see he’s capable of turning invisible when he holds his breath and he’s able to curve the direction of his bullets.

Ironheart is created by Chinaka Hodge and stars Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart, Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins / The Hood and more. The series premieres on Disney+ on June 24th.
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