HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Darkhawk (Christopher Powell) is a
fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, ...
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Darkhawk'' #1 (March 1991), and was created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Mike Manley. The character appeared in a series of self-titled comics from 1991-1995, then recurred in several limited-run series and multi-title events in the years since. The character's origin is based on a link between a human character and an android from another dimension known as Null Space. The character has also appeared in non-speaking roles on television and video games.


Publication history

Darkhawk appeared in a self-titled monthly series for 50 issues that was published by Marvel Comics from March 1991 to March 1995, and included three standalone annuals. Although created by DeFalco and Manley, DeFalco was never credited as a writer of the series. The original writer was Danny Fingeroth. 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 A loner is a person who does not seek out, or may actively avoid, interaction with other people. There are many potential reasons for their solitude. Intentional reasons include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, religion, or personal consi ...
'' series. ''The New Warriors'' writer Fabian Nicieza said in 1992 that "People keep coming up to me and asking, 'Is Darkhawk a member of the New Warriors or not?' Well, yes and no. The New Warriors isn't an official group with a rule book and charter and the like. They're more of a club for super-powered teens. So if Darkhawk wants to hang out on a Friday evening and talk about his powers, then he'll stop by the New Warriors' crash pad." Darkhawk appeared within the Secret Invasion tie-in issues of ''Nova'' (vol. 4) (#17–18) and was the focus of the two-issue mini-series '' War of Kings: Darkhawk'', written by
C. B. Cebulski Chester B. Cebulski is an American writer and editor for Marvel Comics, known for his work on titles such as '' Marvel Fairy Tales''. As of November 2017, he holds the position of editor-in-chief. Early life Chester B. Cebulski is of Polish desc ...
, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. ''War of Kings: Darkhawk'' brought closure to Chris Powell's earthbound human relationships with his family and fellow
Loners A loner is a person who does not seek out, or may actively avoid, interaction with other people. There are many potential reasons for their solitude. Intentional reasons include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, religion, or personal consi ...
team members, and serves to establish a clean slate for the sequel series, ''War of Kings: Ascension'', written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Darkhawk appeared in '' Avengers Arena'', a 2012–13 series by Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker.


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
amulet An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects ...
. 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'' #1. Marvel Comics. Darkhawk soon encountered his first supervillain, the Hobgoblin, and battled him alongside
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
. He next fought Savage Steel,''Darkhawk'' #4. Marvel Comics. and then Portal.''Darkhawk'' #5. Marvel Comics. He next battled the U-Foes alongside
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
.''Darkhawk'' #6. Marvel Comics. He battled the villain Lodestone, who attempted to remove his amulet.''Darkhawk'' #8. Marvel Comics. He battled Savage Steel again, this time alongside the Punisher. Darkhawk battled the cyborg
Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...
, Thunderball, and the Secret Empire alongside Spider-Man, the Punisher, Night Thrasher,
Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
, and
Moon Knight Moon Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, the character first appeared in ''Werewolf by Night'' #32 (August 1975). The son of a rabb ...
. Darkhawk then battled assassins from the Foreigner's 1400 Club. He battled Tombstone, who successfully removed his amulet from his chest.''Darkhawk'' #11. Marvel Comics. 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 Mutants. Powell discovered that the android was stored and repaired aboard a starship in a dimension called Null Space. When he used the amulet to access the android body, his human body switched places with it. Five Darkhawk amulets were commissioned by an alien crime lord named Dargin Bokk. The scientists who created the technology eventually used them to assault Bokk. After Bokk destroyed the other scientists two of the scientists beamed their minds to Earth and merged with two Earth scientists there. Byron/Ned Dobbs and Mondu/John Trane created a sixth amulet which is the one that turned Christopher Powell into Darkhawk.''Darkhawk'' #25. Marvel Comics. However, the events of ''War of Kings: Ascension'' cast doubt 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-emerging so that Powell could change back and forth between the two without teleporting to Null Space.


Excelsior (the Loners)

Powell later joined a group of former teenage superheroes who were struggling with their current lot in life called the
Loners A loner is a person who does not seek out, or may actively avoid, interaction with other people. There are many potential reasons for their solitude. Intentional reasons include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, religion, or personal consi ...
(formerly known as Excelsior). Members of this group included Phil Urich (a former Green Goblin), Turbo from the New Warriors,
Lightspeed The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted , is a universal physical constant that is important in many areas of physics. The speed of light is exactly equal to ). According to the special theory of relativity, is the upper limit fo ...
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 The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
partner Rick Jones – to track down the
Runaways Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...
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 Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
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 Spider-Woman (Martha "Mattie" Franklin) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is the third character to be called Spider-Woman. Publication history The character first appeared in ''Spectacula ...
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.


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. During the Skrull invasion, he teams up with his old team-mate
Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
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 Abnett 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, but Talon's brutal techniques horrify Powell. Later, Powell reveals that he wanted to be just like his friend
Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
. 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 Blastaar (, ), sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone. He is also a ...
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.''War of Kings: Ascension'' #4. Marvel Comics.


''Realm of Kings''

In ''
Realm of Kings "Realm of Kings" is a crossover comic book storyline published in 2010 by Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, it is a follow-up to the 2009 storyline "War of Kings" and introduced the setting known as the Cancerverse. Publicat ...
'', 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 A quasar is an extremely Luminosity, luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is pronounced , and sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. This emission from a galaxy nucleus is powered by a supermassive black hole with a m ...
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 Project: Pegasus's medical team.


''Avengers Arena''

Darkhawk appears in '' Avengers Arena'' as part of the '' Marvel NOW!'' event. He is among the young superheroes that are abducted by Arcade and sent to Murderworld despite not being a teenager himself. Arcade expects his captives to fight to the death. Darkhawk is later attacked by an unidentified cybernetic creature, which tears his transformation amulet from his chest. The amulet is found by Chase Stein, who transforms into the new Darkhawk. The attacker was later revealed to be Death Locket (who was in turn controlled by Apex). When Death Locket stumbled into an underground facility, she comes across a room where Christopher Powell's body is alongside the others who have died in battle. A few days later, when Death Locket and Apex raid the place, it is revealed Darkhawk is alive and Death Locket releases him. He then attacks and knocks out Arcade. Arcade soon talks Apex into letting the war play out, and she controls Death Locket into shooting Darkhawk in the shoulder. Once the series ended, Darkhawk was taken away to parts unknown, injured but reunited with his amulet.


''Infinity Countdown''

After the events of ''Avengers Arena'' as seen during the " Infinity Countdown" storyline, Powell is shown to have joined the
New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
and is engaged to a woman named Miranda, with whom he has shared his history as Darkhawk. He experiences frequent visions of the Tree of Shadows in Null Space despite the Darkhawk amulet being damaged and no longer allowing him to change form. One day, he is sent out to the Wonderland Amusement Park, the place where he first became Darkhawk, to investigate a disturbance. There, he is accosted by two dirty cops and almost attacked when he refuses their offer to take bribes. The group is soon attacked by two members of the Shi'ar Fraternity of Raptors, with one able to take Powell's amulet and use it to change into a heavily damaged Razor. The Razor personality asserts control, defeats the other Shi'ar, and teleports Powell to the Datasong in a place it calls "The Perch," where all of the android's memories of its time with Powell are stored. Razor, now calling itself Darkhawk, tells Powell that his compassion and dedication to justice have imprinted upon it, with it wants to rejoin with him in order to stop the Shi'ar Raptors from releasing the true Fraternity of Raptor androids from Null Space. Powell accepts and becomes Darkhawk once more, merging in both body and mind with the Darkhawk android and gaining a new, more powerful form. Seeking a means to get to space, Darkhawk soon encounters Death's Head, who is on Earth to collect a bounty for Darkhawk's armor. After a brief scuffle, Darkhawk realizes that Death's Head would have a spaceship and moves to strike a deal.''Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk'' #1. Marvel Comics. Before he goes, Powell says one last goodbye to Miranda, but upon arriving, the Raptors attack Death's Head and swarm Darkhawk to a secret Shi'ar outpost, easily overpowering him in his Darkhawk armor. The Raptors' leader Gyre (who escaped the Null Space along with his fellow Raptors) goes on to reveal to Powell that the amulet is really the key to unleashing the Ratha'kon or Dark Starhawk, which the Shi'ar intended to be a "predator" to the Phoenix Force. However, to bring it to life, two tributes were required, one who's willing and one who's forced. Gyre wanted Powell's amulet because of how special it was, since Powell actually convinced his amulet's persona, Razor, to break free from the Fraternity's stronghold, thus developing sentience. Gyre punches through Powell's chest, leaving him for dead, and then uses his amulet as the forced tribute to fuse with the willing tribute, who turns out to be none other than Robbie Rider, thus allowing Ratha'kon to possess the latter's body. Gyre then takes the Dark Starhawk and the Raptors to Earth — a place where the Phoenix loves to go — for a mysterious mission. As Powell dragged himself across the ground, he encountered his other half Razor who revealed to him the origins of the Tree of Shadows, a creation of the Gardner and of the first Raptor who was of primitive Shi'ar/Skrull descent. After some coaxing from Razor, Powell tapped into his hidden strength and emerged with a new Darkhawk body after fully fusing his mind with the armor. Powell then flew after the Raptors to stop them.''Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk'' #3. Marvel Comics. Powell battled the Raptors with help from Death's Head and Nova Prime. Nova made it difficult to fight Dark Darkhawk as he preferred to reason with his brother Robbie than fight him. Dark Darkhawk then shockingly turned on Gyre and destroyed him while stating that he would bring order to the universe, not Gyre. The Raptors were eventually stopped when Death's Head rigged the power core of the Kree ship the Raptors stole to explode. Only Dark Starhawk survived the explosion, though stunned, allowing Powell to reclaim his Darkhawk Amulet. Dark Starhawk then disappeared in a flash of light after striking his Nega-Bands together. Grieving over the loss of Robbie, Nova angrily told Powell to stay on Earth or he would have him locked up. After Powell returned to Earth, he decided stay out of space for a while. Later that night, he was met by Sleepwalker while he dreamed, telling him that the influence of the Infinity Stones threatened the Mindscape and that the only way he could protect it was to become a Sleepwalker.


''Guardians of the Galaxy''

Chris would later turn up again at a meeting of great and powerful cosmic players set up by Starfox, brother to the Mad Titan Thanos. While going over the deceased cosmic brigand's last will and testament, this great congruence was attacked by the Cull Obsidian; The Black Order. Contracted by the death goddess Hela, to retrieve what was left of her former consort from their court. All while leaving the galaxian enclave to be sucked into an artificial black hole in order to cover their tracks. Powell would later find himself stranded in the middle of deep space while being brought into the clutches of the
Universal Church of Truth The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...
. They had him in a mental simulation where he believed himself to have been separated from Razor, run through and across time and space; seeing past, present and future iterations of himself while in the black hole, only to finally find release in the care of a ship piloted by the Kree, Shi'ar and Skrulls. Three races whom are known to be the bitterest enemies in the universe, his final hallucination stems to finding himself a child again while adorning his Raptor body. Something, he confirms to his shock and horror when he takes off his helmet only to see his child-like visage staring back at him in the mirror.


Powers and abilities

Darkhawk's body is a Raptor, a techno-organic construct that possesses enhanced physical abilities, including strength, agility and reflexes, powered by the extraterrestrial amulet embedded in the chest, a seed from the Tree of Shadows in Null Space. The retractable glider wings under his arms initially only allow him to glide on air currents, but Chris later discovers the ability to outright fly at variable speeds that let him soar from New York to California in a matter of hours. Later still, he has the ability to breach planetary orbit and traverse between planets within seconds. 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 within Null Space, where it can be repaired almost instantly. This process does not work for his human body, however. In actuality, the Darkhawk ship does not really exist. Instead, the body currently not inhabited rests at the Tree of Shadows in Null Space. Because of Chris' incompatible human physiology, he is able to transform back and forth at will and assume control over the Raptor body when the Raptor's own consciousness, known as Razor, should have taken control, though the information overload originally affects Chris' mind in ways such as creating a fantasy regarding the body's origins and true nature.''War of Kings: Ascension'' #1-4. Marvel Comics. After becoming Darkhawk again during the events of ''Infinity Countdown,'' Chris and Razor become one. Chris discovers that now, whenever he changes into Darkhawk and vice versa, the amulet actually completely deconstructs and rebuilds his body from stored data. 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 Dimension in New Warriors, but still occasionally uses the term. Darkhawk also has telescopic and infra-red vision, and a grappling hook cable/claw weapon on his right arm, which in later forms manifests on both arms. 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 variable beams of energy 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. 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. These abilities, as well as the Darkhawk body's new form, are later revealed to actually be a component of the Raptor's reconfiguration abilities. His appearance in ''War of Kings'' is somewhat more reminiscent of his second costume, and he demonstrates the ability to freely reconfigure the armor into a multitude of forms with abilities that can cope with the current situation. His new forms include Strike Suit mode, featuring heavier armor and weaponry, Warflight mode, which allows for more aerial maneuverability, and Rescue mode, featuring enhanced sensors and the ability to ferry passengers. Since fully merging with Razor, Chris' Darkhawk form is far stronger and more versatile, able to more freely shift and reconfigure his armor, such as demonstrating the ability to assume a giant mecha-like form that is capable of housing passengers. A Raptor is techno-mystical in nature, being versed in some forms of arcanum and magic. They can also create their own Stargates to shorten universal distances as well as access other dimensions like the Negative Zone. The Raptor android body's most prolific abilities exist within a hive mind dubbed "The Datasong," a form of radio-telepathic infonet shared between all Raptors which enables vast clairvoyant and techno-psionic abilities, allowing for the absorption, processing, projection, sharing and manipulation of information and memory that is digitized then broadcast directly between their collective cyberminds as well as the mindscape of organic beings. Darkhawk can potentially use this function to control the minds of others as well as divine the myriad of possible future outcomes based upon differing actions. Powell often weaponized this function in order to drive out the normally parasitic android intelligence subverting an amulet hosts mind as the supplicant takes their place within their pod on the Tree of Shadows. A special place within the Datasong acts as a memory storage space called The Perch, a place where both the android A.I. and the mind of an amulet holder pool their shared experiences and mental engrams together like a backup drive. Every bit of data is conjoin coded bit by bit into one another, splicing the foreign personalities together whenever they change from robot body to pilot and back. Darkhawk's ability to reconfigure is actually revealed to be conscious self-adaptation rather than an inborn mechanical function. The very first Raptor android showed a spontaneous self-adaptive polymorphous ability gleaned from viewing its surroundings. The avian traits and natural ferocity were gained by imprinting on the early ancestors of the Shi'ar species. The shape-shifting capabilities were inherited by observing the primordial Skrull race. In his human form, Chris Powell has no superhuman abilities, though he has taken some
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
and
kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...
classes.


Enemies

The following are the enemies of Darkhawk: * Evilhawk - Dargin Bokk is an alien crime lord. * Hobgoblin - A goblin-themed villain. * Lodestone - A magnetic-manipulating supervillain. * Phillipe Bazin - A crime lord who clashed with Darkhawk. * Portal - A villain who can do dimensional teleportation. * Savage Steel - A villain in powered battle armor. * Tombstone - A super-strong albino criminal. * U-Foes - A group of four supervillains. ** Ironclad - A metal-skinned member of the U-Foes. ** X-Ray - A member of the U-Foes who was permanently transformed into a living energy field. ** Vapor - A member of the U-Foes who can alter her form into any known gas. ** Vector - The telekinetic leader of the U-Foes.


Other versions


House of M

Darkhawk appears as a member of Wolfpack.


''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 Stark'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 dozens of heroes who survive the initial outbreak zombie plague. They all work to evacuate civilians to another dimension but this plan falls apart.


''Marvel Team-Up: League of Losers''

Darkhawk features in an arc of
Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter and television producer. He is best known ...
'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 Anya Sofia Corazon is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, writer Fiona Avery, and artist Mark Brooks, and made her first appearan ...
, Gravity, X-23, Speedball, Sleepwalker and
Terror Terror(s) or The Terror may refer to: Politics * Reign of Terror, commonly known as The Terror, a period of violence (1793–1794) after the onset of the French Revolution * Terror (politics), a policy of political repression and violence Emoti ...
(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 M-11 Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first appearance in '' Menace'' #11 from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. ...
; 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 Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
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 The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
'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 Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...
.


Collected editions


In other media


Television

* Darkhawk made non-voiced cameo appearances in the ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' animated series. In the episode "To Battle the Living Planet", he was seen with the New Warriors helping civilians. In the episode "Doomsday", Darkhawk was shown flying with Justice. * Robotic versions of Darkhawk appeared in the '' Guardians of the Galaxy'' animated series.


Video games

*Darkhawk's Blast is a power disc in ''
Disney Infinity 3.0 ''Disney Infinity 3.0'' (also known as ''Disney Infinity: Star Wars'') is an action-adventure sandbox video game published by Disney Interactive Studios (the last game to be published by the company before their closure) for Microsoft Windows, Pl ...
.'' When the power disc is used, Darkhawk will shoot at enemies. *Darkhawk appears as a playable character in ''
Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure game, action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xb ...
.'' * Darkhawk was introduced into the mobile game '' Marvel: Contest of Champions'' as a playable character. * Darkhawk is a playable character in '' Marvel: Future Fight''.


References


External links


Darkhawk
at Marvel.com * {{Marvel Cosmic Avengers (comics) characters Characters created by Tom DeFalco Comics characters introduced in 1991 Fictional characters from Queens, New York Fictional karateka Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics martial artists Marvel Comics titles