Crossfire

William Cross joined the CIA with the intent to learn the secrets of the trade and to make contacts which might one day prove useful to him. He intended to use CIA training and knowledge to obtain a profit for himself.

Specializing in information gathering and extraction, Cross worked with scientists within the organization to develop an extremely effective method of brainwashing people using ultrasonics. There he became romantically involved with Rozalyn Backus. He also met fellow CIA agent Marc Spector.

Quitting the CIA soon after, Cross used his skills and resources to begin a number of highly profitable criminal operations including drug trafficking, extortion, and assassinations. Assuming the codename Crossfire, he diverted a portion of his profits to hire a small army of mercenaries to serve as his enforcers. Crossfire's goal became to foment disorder and subversion within society in order to make a profit.

At one point in his career, some of his enemies booby-trapped his headquarters. The ensuing explosion robbed him of his left eye and ear, plus 85% of his hearing. He replaced his losses with cybernetic equipment. Crossfire eventually located the men who had injured him, and eliminated them personally. William Cross (Earth-616) ADourAdded by ADour

Crossfire eventually decided that the existence of superhumanly powerful crime-fighters posed a threat to his operations. He poured his monetary resources into the refinement of his ultrasonic brainwashing device, with which he hoped to brainwash all superhumans into battling one another to the death. To test the effectiveness of his machine, he arranged to abduct the Thing. Coincidentally, the Thing's plight was witnessed by Moon Knight, who was secretly fellow ex-CIA Marc Spector. The Moon Knight recognized Crossfire and went to help the Thing to defeat Crossfire's private army. Together, the Thing and Moon Knight managed to destroy the mind-control machine. Crossfire himself, however, escaped.

Despite this set-back, Crossfire began work on the construction of a new, advanced model of his ultrasonic brainwashing device. He arranged to have certain components constructed at Cross Technologies, a firm founded by his cousin, Darren Cross. Learning that the Avenger Hawkeye was employed as a security guard at CTE, Crossfire devised a plan to use Hawkeye, whom he believed to be the weakest of the costumed crimefighters, as bait to lure other superhumans into his clutches where he could subject them to his brain-washing machine. To capture Hawkeye, Crossfire hired a trio of costumed criminals: the Silencer, Oddball, and Bombshell.

Crossfire's minions managed to take Hawkeye and his companion Mockingbird captive, and Crossfire used his ultrasonic weapon to make them fight each other. During this fight, Hawkeye suffered permanent hearing damage. However, Hawkeye eventually escaped and defeated Crossfire and his henchmen. The second machine was destroyed, and Crossfire was arrested and sentenced to prison. His subordinates were rescued by Oddball's brother Tenpin.

From prison, Crossfire discovered that Oddball and Bombshell belonged to a criminal team called the Death-Throws, a troupe of costumed criminal jugglers. Crossfire contacted and hired them to release him in exchange for a sum of money, which he would pay after being freed. Crossfire had no money at that point; his devices had been confiscated by the police, and he had lost any link to Cross Technologies.

The Death-Throws staged an attack on the prison and kidnapped the prisoner Crossfire. Once they had taken him to their HQ, they discovered that Cross had no money. They considered killing him in revenge, but they eventually decided to use the "fugitive" as a bait to attract Hawkeye and Captain America to a trap. However, Hawkeye and Captain America defeated the Death-Throws and sent Crossfire back to prison.

Television History
William Cross is a mob boss who helped Scott Lang to get money for his daugher medical treatment. After Lang's daughet got well, William thought Lang kept some of his money and wanted it back. Lang had to stole Hank Pym's Ant-Man suit in order to get the money, but Cross forced him to keep robbing to him using his Ant-Man powers. When Heroes for Hire and Hank Pym arrived to help Lang and save his daughter, Cross was finally defeated.