Darkhawk
Encyclopedia
Darkhawk is a fictional comic book
superhero
who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1 (March 1991). He was created by writer and then Marvel editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco
, and artist Mike Manley.
from March 1991 to March 1995, and included three standalone annuals. Although created by DeFalco, most issues of the series (including the very first) credit Danny Fingeroth
as writer.
After his own series ended, Darkhawk co-starred or cameoed in other titles over the following years, such as New Warriors, Avengers/JLA, and Iron Man, eventually resurfacing in Runaways Vol.2 #1-6, followed by Marvel Team Up Vol.3 #15 and the short-lived Loners series.
Darkhawk appeared within the Secret Invasion
tie-in issues of Nova (#17-18)
and was the focus of the two-issue mini-series War of Kings
: Darkhawk, written by C. B. Cebulski
, Dan Abnett
and Andy Lanning
. War Of Kings: Darkhawk brought closure to Chris Powell's earthbound human relationships with his family and fellow Loners team members, and serves to establish a clean slate for the sequel series, War Of Kings: Ascension, written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.
. This amulet allowed him to switch places with a powerful android that his mind controlled. Powell vowed to use the amulet as "an edge against crime." In this role, he worked with other superheroes and battled a number of costumed villains.
Darkhawk soon encountered his first supervillain, the Hobgoblin
, and battled him alongside Spider-Man
. He next fought Savage Steel
, and then Portal
. He next battled the U-Foes
alongside Captain America
. He battled the villain Lodestone
, who attempted to remove his amulet. He battled Savage Steel again, this time alongside the Punisher
. Darkhawk battled the cyborg Midnight
, Thunderball
, and the Secret Empire
alongside Spider-Man, the Punisher, Night Thrasher
, Nova
, and Moon Knight
. Darkhawk then battled assassins from the Foreigner
's 1400 Club. He battled Tombstone
, who successfully removed his amulet from his chest.
Darkhawk occasionally worked with the New Warriors
and was a provisional member of the West Coast Avengers
. Darkhawk also battled a number of costumed villains, including the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
.
Powell discovered that the armor was stored and repaired aboard a starship in a dimension called Null Space. When he used the amulet to access the armor, his human body switched places with the armor. The Darkhawk amulet and armor were one of several commissioned by an alien crime lord named Dargin Bokk
. The scientists who created the technology eventually used it to assault Bokk. After Bokk's defeat, the Darkhawk amulet was sent to Earth for safekeeping.
However, the events of the recent War of Kings: Ascension storyline cast doubts on how much of this—even the existence of Bokk himself—was real.
Later, Powell and Darkhawk were split into two separate beings, each with Powell's memories. The Darkhawk body was then transformed into a new shape when it accidentally downloaded data from the ship, later re-merging so that Powell could change back and forth between the two without teleporting to Null Space.
). Members of this group included Phil Urich
(a former Green Goblin), Turbo
from the New Warriors
, Lightspeed
from Power Pack
, and Ricochet
from the Slingers
. The group was hired by a mysterious benefactor - later revealed to be former Avengers sidekick and Captain Marvel
and Hulk
partner Rick Jones
- to track down the Runaways
in Los Angeles.
Powell displayed trouble controlling his anger in his Darkhawk persona, leading to a short skirmish with Turbo. Dismayed with himself, Powell admits to his teammates that he suffered a nervous breakdown. Powell decided to never turn into Darkhawk again, but this decision did not last long, as shortly thereafter the group battled the notorious Avengers
villain, Ultron
. Darkhawk delivered the final blow, using a darkforce blast at point blank range to blow Ultron to pieces. Following the battle and the revelation of Jones' involvement, Excelsior opted to remain together and act as a more traditional superhero team.
Excelsior eventually change their minds about being superheroes and instead become a 'superhero support group' due to the events of the superhuman Civil War
rendering moot their original purpose to dissuade and/or help young superheroes cope with their powers/superhuman identities, as this role was now being officially fulfilled by the U.S. government (though Excelsior's new group mission was also fulfilled by the U.S. government). However, a new addition to the group, Mattie Franklin
convinces Powell to use his powers in order to help her take down the MGH dealers that moved to Los Angeles. Powell inconsistently displays his rage issues during this time, mostly acting as a peacemaker between Mattie and Ricochet
after the three team up to battle crime.
. During the Skrull
invasion
, he teams up with his old team-mate Nova
for two issues of that character's own title, but is also seen in the background of several issues thereafter.
and Andy Lanning
called War Of Kings: Ascension. With the Loners series ending with low sales and unlikely to be followed with a sequel series, series writer CB Cebulski was assigned to write a two-issue War of Kings: Darkhawk series, with Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning co-scripting the second issue to ensure it tied into their own 'Ascension' series.
A second Darkhawk armor appears near the Powell family home, and the unknown occupant of the armor forces Powell to transform to his own armored form shortly before an explosion rocks the immediate area.
Powell's family survives the blast, but his mother is critically injured. The new Darkhawk introduces himself as "Talon" and claims to be part of "The Fraternity of Raptors", an order created as "the curators of history, and the custodians of the future," of which he and Powell are the last two members. He also explains that Powell's anger issues are a direct result of the amulet not being designed to work with humans. Talon offers to assist Powell with the amulet, and after some deliberation he opts to do so; the two then retreat to the Negative Zone.
The story picks up in War of Kings: Ascension. Powell and Talon are fighting a group of Chitinauts, bug troops that serve Catastrophus, a lieutenant of Annihilus
, where Talon's brutal techniques horrify Powell. Later, Powell reveals that he wanted to be just like his friend Nova. Talon explains to him that the Nova Corps are nothing compared to the Fraternity of Raptors, referring to themselves as "architects of fate". Eventually, after being tricked by Talon into fighting just as lethally, Powell manages to connect to the Datasong of the Null Source, which gives him visions of the true past of the Fraternity—a history of kidnappings and assassinations which lead Powell to conclude that the Fraternity are "the bad guys." At this point, Talon attacks him, purging Powell's consciousness from the armor, which manifests a new persona: Razor.
Talon and Razor then recover the Cosmic Control Rod from Catastrophus, Talon stopping briefly to implant a suggestion in the gestating Annihilus, and proceed onward. Powell's personality is revealed not to have been wholly destroyed yet, and a vision of his father tells him that much of what he believed about the armor was false; the prior history, even Evilhawk
himself, was a lie made up by his own mind, the other armor a second configuration that took control to cover earlier anger issues. Horrified, Powell's psyche breaks free of the prison it was locked in, only for Powell to find himself on a great tree adorned with thousands of amulets like his own, where he encounters gargoyle-like creatures that urge him to return to the one which he has just emerged from. Meanwhile, in the Negative Zone, Talon and Razor offer Blastaar
the Cosmic Control Rod, in exchange for his assistance influencing the outcome of the War of Kings.
Powell encounters a Skrull on the tree mentioned earlier, who has a relationship with Talon much as Razor has with him. However, the Skrull also confides that humanity, as a newer race, cannot be wholly accounted for or controlled by the Raptors, and that Powell's own outbursts of rage have been growing pains in his own control. With this understanding, Powell is able to reassert control over the Darkhawk armor, but not before Razor shoots several Shi'ar and kills Lilandra
.
Powell later confronts Talon, and while he is able to force the other raptor to release the Skrull temporarily, he is quick to begin asserting control again. The Skrull commits suicide to prevent Talon from manifesting, but not before he charges Powell with destroying the rest of the Raptor amulets before they can bring the Fraternity of Raptors back.
Darkhawk finds himself saved, alongside Nova, by Nova's old enemy the Sphinx, who seems unaware of Darkhawk's presence. Together, the two heroes join past versions of Reed Richards, Black Bolt, and Namorita in helping the Sphinx combat his younger self. The young Sphinx draws his own warriors, including Gyre, into the battle, and Darkhawk faces and defeats Gyre in single combat, exorcising him from the Kree archaeologist he had possessed. During the fight, Gyre reveals that many more Raptors are re-awakening. Ultimately, the elder Sphinx defeats his counterpart, and mentally controls Darkhawk into giving him his younger self's Ka Stone. Nevertheless, the heroes are able to defeat the double-powered Sphinx and return to their proper places in time (except Namorita, who is pulled into Darkhawk and Nova's time).
Darkhawk returns to Earth and Project Pegasus to help Nova fight the evil Quasar from the Cancerverse on the other side of the Fault. The evil Quasar damages Darkhawk so badly that his suit shuts down, leaving him alive but unable to accompany Nova as he goes to warn the universe about the threat posed by the Fault. Nova leaves Darkhawk in the care of Pegasus' medical team.
Darkhawk can project energy from the amulet in his chest as a focal point, either as concussive force blasts, or as a circular energy shield; (Chris referred to his force blasts as "darkforce blasts," until he encountered the actual Darkforce
Dimension in New Warriors
). Darkhawk also has telescopic and infra-red vision, and a grappling hook claw-cable on his right arm shaped like a claw.
In his human form, Chris Powell has no superhuman abilities, though he has taken some karate
and kendo
classes.
For a time, Darkhawk was upgraded to a new body design, which gave him greatly enhanced powers. His amulet could project force bubbles in various shapes and he could combine his force fields and force blasts into a giant, hawk-shaped construct around his body. He could fire heat beams from his eyes, be healed by generating an energy pod around his body, and had a single extendable claw on each wrist. He could also mentally communicate with the Darkhawk ship, and could teleport weapons from the ship when he was on Earth. At one point, he was outfitted with additional body armor on top of his android body.
In this body, he was separated from Chris Powell, and also retained Chris' memories. The two were later merged into one being in the final issue of the Darkhawk series, so that Chris could turn into Darkhawk on command. The Darkhawk android body no longer existed and the two separate entities became one.
At some point after the cancellation of his own series, Darkhawk reverted to his original form under unrevealed circumstances, although he can still summon his second armored form.
His appearance in War of Kings is somewhat more reminiscent of his second costume, and he demonstrates a heretofore unrealized ability to reconfigure the armor into a second form equipped with heavier artillery, and with bulkier body armor.
's damaged body is placed inside the Darkhawk program in order to keep him alive.
's Marvel Team-Up
(vol. 3), featuring a group of C-list heroes dubbed "The League of Losers". A group of heroes including Darkhawk, Dagger
, Araña
, Gravity
, X-23
, Speedball, Sleepwalker
and Terror
(although Araña dies along the way) go to the future to prevent the villain Chronok from stealing Reed Richards' time machine, Chronok having come to the present and already having killed all of Marvel's major heroes.
It's revealed that Chronok is from the same time period as Kirkman's Mutant 2099
; the group stays with him and his mentor Reed Richards to wait for Chronok. The team defeats Chronok, but at the end of the story, Richards reveals they can't go back to their present, due to time-travel and alternate timelines. The group decides to stay in the future, satisfied with the impact they made, however unnoticed. Mutant 2099 suggests reforming the Avengers
or the "Fantastic Nine". Effectively trapped in the future, Chris begins a romantic relationship with Dagger. This team makes a cameo in Deadpool/GLI Summer Fun Spectacular (2007) at the end of the issue.
Note that due to the Marvel Universe
's method for resolving time travel paradoxes, this story occurred in an alternate universe.
Over the course of this adventure, Chris acts as the core of the "League", serving as their leader and training the mostly novice heroes for their encounter with Chronok. Reed Richards remarks that while he had never thought of Darkhawk as leader material in the past, he is impressed by Chris' efforts.
During the various battles with Chronok and his army, Chris did not appear prone to irrational violence or uncontrollable anger while in his Darkhawk form, as he had during Excelsior's encounter with the Runaways
.
cartoon. In the episode, "To Battle the Living Planet" he is seen with other New Warriors helping civilians. In "Doomsday" he is shown flying with Justice.
video game, Spider-Man can be heard mocking the Human Torch
during one of their races, stating "Darkhawk is faster than you!" Despite the reference to Darkhawk in the game, the character himself has yet to appear in any of the Ultimate Marvel comics line.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1 (March 1991). He was created by writer and then Marvel editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
, and artist Mike Manley.
Publication history
Darkhawk appeared in a self-titled monthly series for 50 issues that was published by Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
from March 1991 to March 1995, and included three standalone annuals. Although created by DeFalco, most issues of the series (including the very first) credit Danny Fingeroth
Danny Fingeroth
Daniel "Danny" Fingeroth is an American comic book writer and editor, better known for a long stint as group editor of the Spider-Man books at Marvel Comics.-Career:...
as writer.
After his own series ended, Darkhawk co-starred or cameoed in other titles over the following years, such as New Warriors, Avengers/JLA, and Iron Man, eventually resurfacing in Runaways Vol.2 #1-6, followed by Marvel Team Up Vol.3 #15 and the short-lived Loners series.
Darkhawk appeared within the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
tie-in issues of Nova (#17-18)
and was the focus of the two-issue mini-series War of Kings
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six issue limited series was published between March and August, 2009....
: Darkhawk, written by C. B. Cebulski
C. B. Cebulski
C.B. Cebulski is an American writer and editor for Marvel Comics, known for his work on titles such as Marvel Fairy Tales. As of 2011, he holds the position of Senior Vice President of Creative & Creator Development.-Career:...
, Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
. War Of Kings: Darkhawk brought closure to Chris Powell's earthbound human relationships with his family and fellow Loners team members, and serves to establish a clean slate for the sequel series, War Of Kings: Ascension, written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.
Fictional character biography
Christopher Powell was born in Queens, New York. While witnessing his policeman father accept a bribe from a crime boss at an abandoned amusement park, teenager Chris Powell discovered a mysterious amuletAmulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
. This amulet allowed him to switch places with a powerful android that his mind controlled. Powell vowed to use the amulet as "an edge against crime." In this role, he worked with other superheroes and battled a number of costumed villains.
Darkhawk soon encountered his first supervillain, the Hobgoblin
Jason Macendale
Jason Philip Macendale, Jr. is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Machine Man #19 , and was created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Steve Ditko....
, and battled him alongside Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. He next fought Savage Steel
Savage Steel
Savage Steel is an identity used by several fictional characters in the Marvel Universe, most notably Jimmy Zafar.-Fictional character biography:...
, and then Portal
Portal (comics)
Portal is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared as Charles Little Sky in Avengers #304 and as Portal in Darkhawk #5 ....
. He next battled the U-Foes
U-Foes
U-Foes are a fictional comic book supervillain team appearing in various series published by Marvel Comics. The group first appeared in Incredible Hulk #254...
alongside Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. He battled the villain Lodestone
Lodestone (comics)
Lodestone is a Marvel Comics supervillain, who first appears in Darkhawk #7.-Fictional character biography:Her last name wasn't revealed, but Andrea was hired by crime lord Phillipe Bazin to participate in Project: Lodestone. Phillipe used scientific experiments on Andrea turning her into his...
, who attempted to remove his amulet. He battled Savage Steel again, this time alongside the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
. Darkhawk battled the cyborg Midnight
Midnight (Jeff Wilde)
Jeff Wilde is a comic book character in Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:He is the son of Midnight Man. After Moon Knight encountered Black Cat and Wilde, Wilde partnered with Moon Knight and took the name Midnight. While training his new sidekick, Moon Knight was targeted by the Secret...
, Thunderball
Thunderball (comics)
Thunderball is a Marvel Comics supervillain and a frequent enemy of Thor and a somewhat reluctant ally of the Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew. The character was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Defenders #17 .-Fictional character biography:Dr. Eliot Franklin was born in...
, and the Secret Empire
Secret Empire
-Fictional organization history:This subversive organization has been headed by a number of different leaders, always known as “Number One,” with each iteration's goals following the desires of its current leader. The Secret Empire was originally founded by a scientist who felt like an anonymous...
alongside Spider-Man, the Punisher, Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher is a fictional character, a superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Thor #411 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.-Publication history:...
, Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
, and Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
. Darkhawk then battled assassins from the Foreigner
Foreigner (comics)
The Foreigner is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Peter David, and first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #15 The Foreigner is a mercenary and assassin...
's 1400 Club. He battled Tombstone
Tombstone (comics)
Tombstone is a supervillain in the fictional Marvel universe. The character was created by Gerry Conway and Alex Saviuk and first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #36 .-Fictional character biography:...
, who successfully removed his amulet from his chest.
Darkhawk occasionally worked with the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
and was a provisional member of the West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
. Darkhawk also battled a number of costumed villains, including the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
.
Evilhawk
Evilhawk is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Evilhawk is a reptilian alien from the planet Luq with an android body. He is an enemy of Darkhawk.-Fictional character biography:...
. The scientists who created the technology eventually used it to assault Bokk. After Bokk's defeat, the Darkhawk amulet was sent to Earth for safekeeping.
However, the events of the recent War of Kings: Ascension storyline cast doubts on how much of this—even the existence of Bokk himself—was real.
Later, Powell and Darkhawk were split into two separate beings, each with Powell's memories. The Darkhawk body was then transformed into a new shape when it accidentally downloaded data from the ship, later re-merging so that Powell could change back and forth between the two without teleporting to Null Space.
Excelsior/Loners
Powell later joined a group of former teenage superheroes who were struggling with their current lot in life called the Loners (formerly known as ExcelsiorExcelsior (comics)
Loners is a spin-off mini-series of comic books from Marvel Comics, first appearing in the pages of Runaways. It consists of a Los Angeles-based support group for former teenage superheroes from New York, founded by Turbo of the New Warriors, and Phil Urich, the heroic former Green Goblin...
). Members of this group included Phil Urich
Phil Urich
Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is a Marvel Comics character whose first appearance was in Web of Spider-Man #125. He once was the second person to use the Green Goblin identity as a superhero instead of a supervillain...
(a former Green Goblin), Turbo
Turbo (comics)
Turbo is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe. One a comic book superheroine, the other a superhero. Michiko "Mickey" Musashi debuted in New Warriors #28 and her ally Michael "Mike" Jeffries in New Warriors #33.-Torpedo Armor:The Torpedo armor was a creation of the...
from the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, Lightspeed
Julie Power
Julie Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:...
from Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
, and Ricochet
Ricochet (comics)
Ricochet was an alternate identity used by the fictional superhero Spider-Man, and later adopted by college student Johnny Gallo, who appeared in the Marvel Comics series, Slingers.-Ricochet :...
from the Slingers
Slingers
The Slingers are a group of fictional superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. They starred in their own eponymous short-lived comic book.-History:...
. The group was hired by a mysterious benefactor - later revealed to be former Avengers sidekick and Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics)
Captain Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most of these versions exist in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.- Publication history :...
and Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
partner Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
- to track down the Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
in Los Angeles.
Powell displayed trouble controlling his anger in his Darkhawk persona, leading to a short skirmish with Turbo. Dismayed with himself, Powell admits to his teammates that he suffered a nervous breakdown. Powell decided to never turn into Darkhawk again, but this decision did not last long, as shortly thereafter the group battled the notorious Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
villain, Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
. Darkhawk delivered the final blow, using a darkforce blast at point blank range to blow Ultron to pieces. Following the battle and the revelation of Jones' involvement, Excelsior opted to remain together and act as a more traditional superhero team.
Excelsior eventually change their minds about being superheroes and instead become a 'superhero support group' due to the events of the superhuman Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
rendering moot their original purpose to dissuade and/or help young superheroes cope with their powers/superhuman identities, as this role was now being officially fulfilled by the U.S. government (though Excelsior's new group mission was also fulfilled by the U.S. government). However, a new addition to the group, Mattie Franklin
Spider-Woman (Mattie Franklin)
Spider-Woman is a fictional character who is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the third character to be called Spider-Woman and the second to receive her own ongoing series.-Publication history:...
convinces Powell to use his powers in order to help her take down the MGH dealers that moved to Los Angeles. Powell inconsistently displays his rage issues during this time, mostly acting as a peacemaker between Mattie and Ricochet
Ricochet (comics)
Ricochet was an alternate identity used by the fictional superhero Spider-Man, and later adopted by college student Johnny Gallo, who appeared in the Marvel Comics series, Slingers.-Ricochet :...
after the three team up to battle crime.
Secret Invasion
Deciding to register with the government, Darkhawk is assigned to the position of Security Chief at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One...
. During the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, he teams up with his old team-mate Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
for two issues of that character's own title, but is also seen in the background of several issues thereafter.
War of Kings
Darkhawk is involved with the War of Kings Event in a four-issue series written by Dan AbnettDan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
called War Of Kings: Ascension. With the Loners series ending with low sales and unlikely to be followed with a sequel series, series writer CB Cebulski was assigned to write a two-issue War of Kings: Darkhawk series, with Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning co-scripting the second issue to ensure it tied into their own 'Ascension' series.
A second Darkhawk armor appears near the Powell family home, and the unknown occupant of the armor forces Powell to transform to his own armored form shortly before an explosion rocks the immediate area.
Powell's family survives the blast, but his mother is critically injured. The new Darkhawk introduces himself as "Talon" and claims to be part of "The Fraternity of Raptors", an order created as "the curators of history, and the custodians of the future," of which he and Powell are the last two members. He also explains that Powell's anger issues are a direct result of the amulet not being designed to work with humans. Talon offers to assist Powell with the amulet, and after some deliberation he opts to do so; the two then retreat to the Negative Zone.
The story picks up in War of Kings: Ascension. Powell and Talon are fighting a group of Chitinauts, bug troops that serve Catastrophus, a lieutenant of Annihilus
Annihilus
Annihilus is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. In 2009, Annihilus was ranked as IGN's 94th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
, where Talon's brutal techniques horrify Powell. Later, Powell reveals that he wanted to be just like his friend Nova. Talon explains to him that the Nova Corps are nothing compared to the Fraternity of Raptors, referring to themselves as "architects of fate". Eventually, after being tricked by Talon into fighting just as lethally, Powell manages to connect to the Datasong of the Null Source, which gives him visions of the true past of the Fraternity—a history of kidnappings and assassinations which lead Powell to conclude that the Fraternity are "the bad guys." At this point, Talon attacks him, purging Powell's consciousness from the armor, which manifests a new persona: Razor.
Talon and Razor then recover the Cosmic Control Rod from Catastrophus, Talon stopping briefly to implant a suggestion in the gestating Annihilus, and proceed onward. Powell's personality is revealed not to have been wholly destroyed yet, and a vision of his father tells him that much of what he believed about the armor was false; the prior history, even Evilhawk
Evilhawk
Evilhawk is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Evilhawk is a reptilian alien from the planet Luq with an android body. He is an enemy of Darkhawk.-Fictional character biography:...
himself, was a lie made up by his own mind, the other armor a second configuration that took control to cover earlier anger issues. Horrified, Powell's psyche breaks free of the prison it was locked in, only for Powell to find himself on a great tree adorned with thousands of amulets like his own, where he encounters gargoyle-like creatures that urge him to return to the one which he has just emerged from. Meanwhile, in the Negative Zone, Talon and Razor offer Blastaar
Blastaar
Blastaar, sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone...
the Cosmic Control Rod, in exchange for his assistance influencing the outcome of the War of Kings.
Powell encounters a Skrull on the tree mentioned earlier, who has a relationship with Talon much as Razor has with him. However, the Skrull also confides that humanity, as a newer race, cannot be wholly accounted for or controlled by the Raptors, and that Powell's own outbursts of rage have been growing pains in his own control. With this understanding, Powell is able to reassert control over the Darkhawk armor, but not before Razor shoots several Shi'ar and kills Lilandra
Lilandra Neramani
Lilandra Neramani is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. She is the Empress of the Shi'ar Empire and shares a lifelong bond with the leader of the X-Men, Charles Xavier. She and Xavier were married but their marriage was annulled after the Cassandra Nova incident. She first...
.
Powell later confronts Talon, and while he is able to force the other raptor to release the Skrull temporarily, he is quick to begin asserting control again. The Skrull commits suicide to prevent Talon from manifesting, but not before he charges Powell with destroying the rest of the Raptor amulets before they can bring the Fraternity of Raptors back.
Realm of Kings
The Shi'ar Imperium declares Darkhawk the "Galaxy's Most Wanted," making Powell an intergalactic fugitive. His old friend Nova, not willing to believe Powell could be a murderer, tracks him to the planet Shard, which is in danger of falling into a rift in space known as the Fault. Nova offers to help Powell clear his name, but they are interrupted by an attacking biomass from the Fault, and by the awakening of another Raptor, named Gyre. All three are trapped on the planet as it is disintegrated by the Fault.Darkhawk finds himself saved, alongside Nova, by Nova's old enemy the Sphinx, who seems unaware of Darkhawk's presence. Together, the two heroes join past versions of Reed Richards, Black Bolt, and Namorita in helping the Sphinx combat his younger self. The young Sphinx draws his own warriors, including Gyre, into the battle, and Darkhawk faces and defeats Gyre in single combat, exorcising him from the Kree archaeologist he had possessed. During the fight, Gyre reveals that many more Raptors are re-awakening. Ultimately, the elder Sphinx defeats his counterpart, and mentally controls Darkhawk into giving him his younger self's Ka Stone. Nevertheless, the heroes are able to defeat the double-powered Sphinx and return to their proper places in time (except Namorita, who is pulled into Darkhawk and Nova's time).
Darkhawk returns to Earth and Project Pegasus to help Nova fight the evil Quasar from the Cancerverse on the other side of the Fault. The evil Quasar damages Darkhawk so badly that his suit shuts down, leaving him alive but unable to accompany Nova as he goes to warn the universe about the threat posed by the Fault. Nova leaves Darkhawk in the care of Pegasus' medical team.
Powers and abilities
The Darkhawk body has enhanced physical abilities, including strength, agility and reflexes, powered by the extraterrestrial amulet he wears. The retractable glider wings under his arms allow him to glide on air currents, and he can also fly at speeds that let him fly from New York to California in only a matter of hours. Even major injuries to his Darkhawk body can be repaired by switching back to his human form; his Darkhawk body teleports back to its holding space on the Darkhawk ship in Null Space, where it can be repaired almost instantly. As the Darkhawk body is no longer separate from Chris and does not teleport to Null Space when not in use, it is questionable whether it can be repaired as quickly as it once was.Darkhawk can project energy from the amulet in his chest as a focal point, either as concussive force blasts, or as a circular energy shield; (Chris referred to his force blasts as "darkforce blasts," until he encountered the actual Darkforce
Darkforce
-Description:It is a powerful, extra-dimensional energy that can be manipulated in slightly different ways by a handful of beings that are attuned to it. There are slight yet inconclusive hints that it may be a corruptive influence of some kind and perhaps even sentient...
Dimension in New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
). Darkhawk also has telescopic and infra-red vision, and a grappling hook claw-cable on his right arm shaped like a claw.
In his human form, Chris Powell has no superhuman abilities, though he has taken some karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
classes.
For a time, Darkhawk was upgraded to a new body design, which gave him greatly enhanced powers. His amulet could project force bubbles in various shapes and he could combine his force fields and force blasts into a giant, hawk-shaped construct around his body. He could fire heat beams from his eyes, be healed by generating an energy pod around his body, and had a single extendable claw on each wrist. He could also mentally communicate with the Darkhawk ship, and could teleport weapons from the ship when he was on Earth. At one point, he was outfitted with additional body armor on top of his android body.
In this body, he was separated from Chris Powell, and also retained Chris' memories. The two were later merged into one being in the final issue of the Darkhawk series, so that Chris could turn into Darkhawk on command. The Darkhawk android body no longer existed and the two separate entities became one.
At some point after the cancellation of his own series, Darkhawk reverted to his original form under unrevealed circumstances, although he can still summon his second armored form.
His appearance in War of Kings is somewhat more reminiscent of his second costume, and he demonstrates a heretofore unrealized ability to reconfigure the armor into a second form equipped with heavier artillery, and with bulkier body armor.
U.S. War Machine
In the mini-series U.S. War Machine, set in an alternate universe, Darkhawk was a psychopathic android, which could only be controlled by running a virtual reality program. The program, a "fiction" within that universe, played out the events where Darkhawk had been a member of the West Coast Avengers within normal Marvel continuity. The program itself also appeared in the final pages of US War Machine 2.0 in which Tony StarkIron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
's damaged body is placed inside the Darkhawk program in order to keep him alive.
Marvel Zombies
In Marvel Zombies Dead Days, Darkhawk is seen in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier as one of the heroes who survived the zombie plague.Marvel Team-Up: League of Losers
Darkhawk features in an arc of Robert KirkmanRobert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead and Invincible for Image Comics, and Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt...
's Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
(vol. 3), featuring a group of C-list heroes dubbed "The League of Losers". A group of heroes including Darkhawk, Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
, Araña
Anya Corazon
Anya Sofia Corazon is a fictional half Mexican and half Puerto Rican superheroine in the . She formerly went by the codename Araña, but is currently known as Spider-Girl.-Publication history:...
, Gravity
Gravity (comics)
Gravity is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Gravity #1 and was created by Sean McKeever and Mike Norton.-Publication history:...
, X-23
X-23
X-23 is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the X-Men. X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine.-Publication history:...
, Speedball, Sleepwalker
Sleepwalker (comics)
Sleepwalker is a Marvel Comics character created by Bob Budiansky. He is named after his race, and is the star of a self-titled comic book which ran for 33 issues from June 1991 to February 1994, with one Holiday Special. All but two of the issues were written by Budiansky, with Tom Brevoort and...
and Terror
Terror Inc.
Terror Inc. was an American comic-book horror series from Marvel Comics starring the antihero Terror. Terror is an eternal entity that absorbs the talents of others through their dismembered limbs. He was created by writers Dan Chichester and Margaret Clark and artist Klaus Janson as the villain...
(although Araña dies along the way) go to the future to prevent the villain Chronok from stealing Reed Richards' time machine, Chronok having come to the present and already having killed all of Marvel's major heroes.
It's revealed that Chronok is from the same time period as Kirkman's Mutant 2099
Mutant 2099
Mutant is a fictional character in the Marvel Knights 2099 universe, published by Marvel Comics, and created by Robert Kirkman.-Publication history:...
; the group stays with him and his mentor Reed Richards to wait for Chronok. The team defeats Chronok, but at the end of the story, Richards reveals they can't go back to their present, due to time-travel and alternate timelines. The group decides to stay in the future, satisfied with the impact they made, however unnoticed. Mutant 2099 suggests reforming the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
or the "Fantastic Nine". Effectively trapped in the future, Chris begins a romantic relationship with Dagger. This team makes a cameo in Deadpool/GLI Summer Fun Spectacular (2007) at the end of the issue.
Note that due to the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
's method for resolving time travel paradoxes, this story occurred in an alternate universe.
Over the course of this adventure, Chris acts as the core of the "League", serving as their leader and training the mostly novice heroes for their encounter with Chronok. Reed Richards remarks that while he had never thought of Darkhawk as leader material in the past, he is impressed by Chris' efforts.
During the various battles with Chronok and his army, Chris did not appear prone to irrational violence or uncontrollable anger while in his Darkhawk form, as he had during Excelsior's encounter with the Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
.
Television
Darkhawk made two brief cameos in the Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)
Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
cartoon. In the episode, "To Battle the Living Planet" he is seen with other New Warriors helping civilians. In "Doomsday" he is shown flying with Justice.
Video games
In the Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man (video game)
Ultimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The game was released for most sixth generation consoles, including PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows, as well as a mobile phone...
video game, Spider-Man can be heard mocking the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
during one of their races, stating "Darkhawk is faster than you!" Despite the reference to Darkhawk in the game, the character himself has yet to appear in any of the Ultimate Marvel comics line.
External links
- Darkhawk at the Marvel Universe
- Darkhawk Zone is a fansite devoted to Darkhawk.
- Comprehensive Darkhawk Timeline is an ongoing attempt to document the history of Chris Powell/Darkhawk.