Digitek (comics)
Encyclopedia
Digitek is a fictional character
appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics
. He first appeared in Digitek #1 (Dec. 1992
), the first issue of a limited series
published by Marvel UK
. The strip was also published in Marvel UK's weekly anthology title Overkill.
The character was created by writers John Tomlinson
& Andy Lanning
and artist Dermot Power
.
At the time, this was a standard publication method for Marvel UK, with the intention that Overkill would be better suited to the UK market, whereas the 'standard' Marvel format would be better suited to comic shops in other countries. As with most of the other Marvel UK titles, Digitek also attempted to attract existing Marvel Comics fans by including a prominent Marvel character in the initial storyline - the cyborg Deathlok
.
After the initial limited series, Digitek made no further appearances in Marvel UK comics (and within a couple of years, the Marvel UK line of comics had ceased publication) - the character made no other actual appearances until 2009, though he was mentioned by Robbie Baldwin during the Civil War
event and in referred to by a character in Captain Britain and MI13. He also received an entry in the most recent Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
.
The final issue of Captain Britain and MI13 included a cameo appearance by Digitek, confirming that he is working as a reserve agent for MI:13.
organization. Kether Troop
, a team of Mys-Tech mercenaries tasked with recovering alien technology from alternate dimensions
, managed to retrieve a product called Protosilicon from an unknown source and installed it on an item known as Jump 61. Technological analysis of the item followed, and Jonathan Byrant was assigned as its Project Leader. However his supervisor, Mr. Grant, sabotaged the project and subsequently caused the creation of the being known as "Digitek".
At a certain moment, Jonathan gained a vision of someone trying to put a virus
into the Digitek project. He rushed back toward the facility, even ignoring a call from his estranged wife Samantha. When at the company, the building exploded and everyone believed Jonathan to be dead. But, he survived and the suit had bonded with him. Choosing to use his powers for good, Jonathan also decided to call himself after the project: Digitek.
His first opponents were the villains known as Bacillicons., three mercenaries who had been similarly transformed, but warped by the virus.
When Psi-Key was attacked by the virus, she broadcast a worldwide distress signal, which locked onto the cyborg hero Deathlok
. Against his will, and without Digitek's conscious knowledge, Deathlok was then transported to the UK. Together the two heroes defeated the Bacillicons, parting as friends.
. Once apprehended by S.H.I.E.L.D.
, Digitek seemingly committed suicide by transforming his arm into an M-110 particle shotgun and shooting himself. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. considered Digitek's suicide to be a possible hoax to allow the vigilante to escape from the Negative Zone Prison, as his CPU did not suffer terminal damage.
Digitek later appeared, alive and unharmed, as one of British intelligence agency MI:13
's reserve agents, battling against an army of vampires on the moon. The caption accompanying his reintroduction stated that he was "back from intelligence gathering in the USA".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel 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...
. He first appeared in Digitek #1 (Dec. 1992
1992 in comics
-Year overall:* Image Comics explodes onto the scene, releasing eight ongoing and limited series, starting with Youngblood in April; followed by Spawn in May; Savage Dragon in July; and Brigade, Shadowhawk, and WildC.A.T.S. in August....
), the first issue of a limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Marvel UK
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...
. The strip was also published in Marvel UK's weekly anthology title Overkill.
The character was created by writers John Tomlinson
John Tomlinson (comics)
John Tomlinson is a British comic book writer known for his work on various 2000 AD strips.-Biography:Tomlinson worked at Marvel UK in the early 1990s and helped nurture various talents, including Matthew Bingham and John Freeman. He has co-written strips with Nick Abadzis.He was editor of 2000 AD...
& 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...
and artist Dermot Power
Dermot Power
Dermot Power, originally from County Waterford, Ireland, is a movie concept artist who started his career as a comic book artist working for British anthology comic 2000 AD.-Biography:...
.
Publication history
Digitek was initially published in two different formats - as a four issue limited series, using the standard Marvel Comics format, and as one of the strips in the UK anthology Overkill (published in a format similar to that of 2000 AD. The inside front covers of the limited series featured 'in-universe' text pieces (such as memos from the fictional Nakasoni Corporation) that established links between Digitek and the other Marvel UK titles (such as Warheads and Genetix) - these documents were not reprinted in the Overkill anthology.At the time, this was a standard publication method for Marvel UK, with the intention that Overkill would be better suited to the UK market, whereas the 'standard' Marvel format would be better suited to comic shops in other countries. As with most of the other Marvel UK titles, Digitek also attempted to attract existing Marvel Comics fans by including a prominent Marvel character in the initial storyline - the cyborg Deathlok
Deathlok
Deathlok is a fictional cyborg published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Astonishing Tales #25 , and was created by Rich Buckler and Doug Moench...
.
After the initial limited series, Digitek made no further appearances in Marvel UK comics (and within a couple of years, the Marvel UK line of comics had ceased publication) - the character made no other actual appearances until 2009, though he was mentioned by Robbie Baldwin during the 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...
event and in referred to by a character in Captain Britain and MI13. He also received an entry in the most recent Official Handbook of 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...
.
The final issue of Captain Britain and MI13 included a cameo appearance by Digitek, confirming that he is working as a reserve agent for MI:13.
Fictional character biography
The story of Digitek began at the Mys-TechMys-Tech
Mys-Tech were a shadowy Faustian organisation who acted as the main villains in a range of, initially successful but short-lived comics, launched in the US by Marvel UK in the 1990s...
organization. Kether Troop
Warheads (comics)
Warheads was a Marvel UK comic book series which ran for 14 issues in the early 1990s and was followed by the two-issue mini-series Warheads: Black Dawn. The stories contained in the comic were also serialised in the UK comics anthology Overkill...
, a team of Mys-Tech mercenaries tasked with recovering alien technology from alternate dimensions
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, managed to retrieve a product called Protosilicon from an unknown source and installed it on an item known as Jump 61. Technological analysis of the item followed, and Jonathan Byrant was assigned as its Project Leader. However his supervisor, Mr. Grant, sabotaged the project and subsequently caused the creation of the being known as "Digitek".
At a certain moment, Jonathan gained a vision of someone trying to put a virus
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
into the Digitek project. He rushed back toward the facility, even ignoring a call from his estranged wife Samantha. When at the company, the building exploded and everyone believed Jonathan to be dead. But, he survived and the suit had bonded with him. Choosing to use his powers for good, Jonathan also decided to call himself after the project: Digitek.
His first opponents were the villains known as Bacillicons., three mercenaries who had been similarly transformed, but warped by the virus.
When Psi-Key was attacked by the virus, she broadcast a worldwide distress signal, which locked onto the cyborg hero Deathlok
Deathlok
Deathlok is a fictional cyborg published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Astonishing Tales #25 , and was created by Rich Buckler and Doug Moench...
. Against his will, and without Digitek's conscious knowledge, Deathlok was then transported to the UK. Together the two heroes defeated the Bacillicons, parting as friends.
Civil War and MI:13
Digitek was later mentioned as having joined the heroes opposing the Super Hero Registration Act during the Superhuman Civil WarCivil 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...
. Once apprehended by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
, Digitek seemingly committed suicide by transforming his arm into an M-110 particle shotgun and shooting himself. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. considered Digitek's suicide to be a possible hoax to allow the vigilante to escape from the Negative Zone Prison, as his CPU did not suffer terminal damage.
Digitek later appeared, alive and unharmed, as one of British intelligence agency MI:13
MI-13 (comics)
MI-13, sometimes written MI13 or MI: 13, is a fictional British intelligence agency in the Marvel Comics universe, operating out of Portwell House in Whitehall. It was introduced in Excalibur vol...
's reserve agents, battling against an army of vampires on the moon. The caption accompanying his reintroduction stated that he was "back from intelligence gathering in the USA".