Christopher PowellDarkhawk

When teenager Christopher Powell finds a mysterious amulet, he transforms into the shadowy avian android known as Darkhawk, and commits his life to stopping career criminals. He joins the New Warriors and the Avengers and goes up against some of the biggest and baddest criminal elements of them all!

Alien Amulets and Androids   

When the extraterrestrial crime lord Dargin Bokk, AKA Evilhawk, seeks the means to create an army of expendable agents, he plans to sell them to the highest bidder. He gathers six of the most knowledgeable scientists in the known universe to work on his project. Through coercion, he recruits: Mondu, inventor of technology that could transfer a humanoid’s consciousness into a storage facility; Mandeja, inventor of teleportation technology that could replace one being with another; Byron, human inventor of androids with built-in weapons; Graczia, inventor of telepathic devices; Kig, who had mastered a techno-virus; and Ocsh, discoverer of a dimension dubbed “Null Space.”

Sent to Null Space aboard Bokk’s vessel to begin their work, the scientists fashion powerful android bodies, which a humanoid mind could inhabit without risking their real self, exchanging places via an amulet. Though the scientists rebel against Bokk before their work could wreak havoc on the universe, and inhabit the androids to overthrow Bokk’s crew. During the fight, Bokk damages Mandeja’s android, forcing her to return to her real body to initiate repairs; he then murders Mandeja and claims her amulet. Bokk continues to attack the scientists and the resulting battle causes massive damage to the ship, nearly scuttling it. Almost everyone aboard is slain, including the bodies kept in stasis. As Bokk flees the vessel, Ocsh attempts to return to his normal form, but is killed in transit; his consciousness merging with the vessel, and he finds his mind was in complete control of the ship, his amulet held within the ship’s circuitry. While Ocsh tries to save the vessel, Byron and Mondu rig equipment to transfer their consciousnesses to Earth, Byron’s homeworld.

On Earth, scientists Ned Dobbs and John Trane perform an experiment on extrasensory perception. As such, their bodies are taken over by Byron (in Trane) and Mondu (in Dobbs), and the energies unleashed in the transfer give Mondu/Dobbs’ face a hawk-shaped scar. The two men create a new amulet in the hopes of creating an android body to investigate the remains of the Null Space vessel, but the strain of two minds in a single body wore upon them. They attempt to warn the Fantastic Four of the threat posed by Bokk, but are dismissed as drunken lunatics. The two men take to wandering about the Wonderland amusement park in New York, Mondu/Dobbs known as “Predecessor” and Byron/Trane as “St. Johnny.” They keep the amulet in the park, barely able to remember its significance, but give their android form the name “Darkhawk” after Predecessor’s scar.

From Teenager to Android Warrior

As a teenager, Chris Powell idolizes his district attorney mother Grace, and policeman father, Michael. Unknown to Chris, his father is a member of the Cabal, a clandestine group of former and current police officers, who turn to vigilantism to wage war on crime. The Cabal finances a powerful suit of armor—which Stane International builds and names it Savage Steel—by taking bribes from crime lords such as Philippe Bazin. When Michael realizes that the Cabal intends to execute criminals, he prepares to turn the rest of the Cabal over to the police. When Michael goes to collect his last payoff from Bazin at Wonderland, Chris spies on him, who assumes that his father is a criminal. Detected by Bazin’s men, Chris stumbles across the amulet, which transforms him into the android warrior. Chris defeats Bazin’s men, and decides to use the amulet to wage war against men like Bazin. He considers the alias “Edge-Man,” but when he overhears St. Johnny refer to “Darkhawk,” he chooses that codename instead.

Darkhawk Amulet

By concentrating on the amulet he carries, Chris Powell can exchange places with his android Darkhawk form from Null Space. While active as Darkhawk, Chris’ own body is kept in stasis within Null Space as his consciousness inhabits Darkhawk. When Chris reverses the exchange, any damage done to the Darkhawk body is automatically repaired. 

The Darkhawk form possesses superhuman strength and durability, can survive in space for extended periods, and possesses a claw-cable on his right hand that can be propelled as a grappling hook, and retractable glider wings that enable him to glide on wind currents for short distances. The amulet located on Darkhawk’s chest can generate energy blasts (formerly called “Darkforce blasts,” but unrelated to the Darkforce dimension) and personal force shields. Darkhawk’s helmet has telescopic and infrared vision. The face under the helmet is reportedly horrific, and has been employed to startle opponents in battle.

Darkhawk’s second (usually inactive) android body has increased powers including formation of larger force shields (often shaped like a giant hawk), projection of the amulet’s energy as a tractor beam, sustained flight, energy blasts from the helmet’s eyes, a stealth mode that renders it invisible to sensors, and various weapons which can be teleported from the Null Space vessel. Instead of the claw-cable it has a single claw on each wrist.

Criminal Elements

In Chris’ early endeavors to stop the corrupt, he first fights crime lord Philippe Bazin. Darkhawk repeatedly fights Bazin and his minion Andrea, AKA Lodestone, but Bazin is ultimately rendered comatose after a gunfight with Chris’ father. Bazin’s children Broderick and Allegra also torment the Powell family, but both are eventually defeated.

He also faces Super Villains like Jason Macendale, AKA Hobgoblin alongside Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man as well as Lonnie Lincoln, AKA Tombstone, but barely survives the brutal encounter. 

Darkhawk battles well-known criminals, such as the U-Foes, the Secret Empire, Eddie Brock, AKA Venom, and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. He also participates in the catastrophic events surrounding the Infinity Gauntlet, Adam Warlock, AKA Magus’ creation of evil doppelgängers of Earth’s heroes, and the Goddess’ attempt to purify the universe. He even encounters and destroys Ultron.

He also battles the extraterrestrial crime lord Dargin Bokk, AKA Evilhawk, who Chris thought was the alien crime lord that started the creation of the androids in combination with the amulets. Chris comes to find out that Evilhawk ends up being a configuration of his Darkhawk armor that runs amok when Chris loses control of it.

Non-Android Allies

In addition to working with Super Heroes like Spider-Man, Darkhawk befriends the New Warriors and eventually joins their ranks, becoming a reservist after aiding them against the Folding Circle. He also becomes known within the Super Hero community, teaming-up with the heroic Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, the protector of Hell’s Kitchen Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil, the embodiment of the Spirit of Vengeance, Daniel Ketch, AKA Ghost Rider, lunar legionnaire Marc Spector, Moon Knight, and crimefighter Rick Sheridan, AKA Sleepwalker. 

Work-Life Balance

Chris struggled to balance his career as a novice hero with his personal life. His father had vanished, and his mother was under considerable strain trying to manage the family alone. As Darkhawk, Chris fought Hobgoblin, alongside Spider-Man, but was distressed when Spider-Man berated him for being a vigilante like the Frank Castle, AKA Punisher. Spider-Man later apologized, realizing Darkhawk was still young, and occasionally mentored him. Darkhawk did not fully appreciate Spider-Man’s criticism until he met the ruthless Punisher in person, and realized that he could never be like him. In battle with Arthur Vale, AKA Savage Steel, for the first time, Darkhawk lost his helmet and Savage Steel was horrified by his appearance. When Chris examined the face under Darkhawk’s helmet, he too was horrified, though the reason is not revealed for many years.

Chris was intrigued when he encountered Charles Little Sky, AKA Portal, a young mutant teleporter whose travels had brought him into conflict with Kistur, of the extraterrestrial Mahari. Kistur had found one of the amulets lost during the battle with Dargin Bokk in Null Space. Kistur used the amulet’s power for conquest, but was finally killed by Portal, who took components of Kistur’s android armor to wear for himself. Darkhawk suspected that Portal knew the secrets of his armor, but they were as much a mystery to Portal as to him. Darkhawk befriended the New Warriors after thinking that on in their party, Namorita, was a thief.

Darkhawk briefly lost his amulet when the criminal Lonnie Lincoln, AKA Tombstone, tore it from his chest, hoping to analyze its power for his personal use. Unable to resume his identity as Chris and suffering a major chest wound, Darkhawk eventually pursued Tombstone and retrieved the amulet. Darkhawk then joins the New Warriors as a reservist member and aides them against the Folding Circle.

Chris had questioned the source of his powers and St. Johnny’s link to the amulet, and finally gained answers when Dargin Bokk came to Earth, calling himself Evilhawk. In battle with Evilhawk, Darkhawk’s android body was completely destroyed, with only the amulet remaining. In Null Space, Ocsh awoke Chris from his stasis field and revealed the origins of the Darkhawk armors to him. Evilhawk returned to Null Space and attempted to claim Chris’ amulet for himself, but while trying to draw its power into him, Chris became Darkhawk again and destroyed Evilhawk. Ocsh prevented Bokk’s consciousness from activating a new android body, and returned Chris to Earth.

Darkhawk continued in his exploits, even serving as a reserve member of the West Coast Avengers roster despite living on the East Coast. He also served as an early recruit in Dr. Stephen Strange, AKA Doctor Strange’s informal Secret Defenders. The Cabal was eventually brought down by infighting, and the Savage Steel identity was claimed by Jim Zafar, a friend of the Powell family, who became Darkhawk’s ally. Chris’ father eventually returned home, cleared of the charges placed against him. Shortly afterward, Darkhawk was summoned back to Null Space by St. Johnny on behalf of Ocsh, who requested his aid in recovering the other amulets so that their power could be protected. Because the quest for the amulets would take a considerable amount of time, Ocsh split Chris and Darkhawk into two individuals, with the android still retaining Chris’ consciousness. The normal Chris was returned to Earth while Darkhawk was outfitted with a new android body possessing greater power. Darkhawk brought all of the amulets to Ocsh, only to discover that Ocsh wanted to destroy the amulets, including Darkhawk’s own. On Earth, Predecessor alerted Chris to the danger to his own life should Darkhawk die, and they traveled to Null Space. Darkhawk allowed Dargin Bokk to re-emerge as Evilhawk in order to stop Ocsh, and in the resulting battle, Evilhawk, Ocsh and St. Johnny all perished, and all but Darkhawk’s amulets were destroyed. Predecessor took command of the Null Space vessel, and revealed that Chris and Darkhawk could continue to operate independently with no ill effects.

Darkhawk spent a long period on adventures in outer space, discovering extraterrestrial crystals that wound up on Earth, empowering the heroic Metahumes. Darkhawk ultimately clashed with the Mahari, who had vowed vengeance for the death of Kistur, their member slain by Portal. The Mahari conquered the Null Space vessel and reanimated Kistur’s remains using the ship’s technology, transforming him into Overhawk. The Mahari brought the Null Space ship to Earth to destroy it, and Darkhawk, Portal and Predecessor helped prepare Earth against a Mahari invasion, aided by Richard Rider, AKA Nova, Savage Steel, Robert Baldwin, AKA Speedball, Spider-Man, and the time-traveler Damek. As Darkhawk fought Overhawk, Overhawk was flung into the ship’s weapons and destroyed. Darkhawk and Chris worked to shut down the ship before it could explode, and in the process remerged themselves into a single entity again. Predecessor returned the ship to Null Space.

Since then, Darkhawk has resumed using his original android body, sacrificing the additional powers the second body had granted him. He assisted the Avengers against the reality-altering threat of Morgan le Fay, but declined to remain as a regular member. When the New Warriors were disbanded, Speedball took it upon himself to rebuild the team, but Darkhawk turned down Speedball’s offer of membership.

Darkhawk was later part of a group summoned to Battleworld by the Stranger (posing as the Beyonder) to fight to the death that he might understand how humanity might be defeated in the future. Ultimately Michael Collins, AKA Deathlok, brokered a deal with the “Beyonder” that allowed them all to return to Earth while he stayed on Battleworld. Darkhawk subsequently responded to an Avengers emergency when Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlet Witch’s powers went haywire, and witnessing the strife left him deeply disturbed. 

Moving to Los Angeles, he was encouraged to retire from super heroics by Phil Urich (formerly the Green Goblin) and Michiko Musashi, AKA Turbo, who had organized the Excelsior support group for others like him, called The Loners. The group were inspired to take action in the hopes of reaching the Runaways, a new group of teenage crimefighters. But Chris lost control of his Darkhawk self during a clash with the Runaways and he removed himself from the mission, but returned when the pursuit of the Runaways led to an encounter with the malevolent Ultron. Chris was able to destroy Ultron in battle. After this, the support group was introduced to their benefactor, none other than the most famous teen sidekick of all, Rick Jones.

After this, Chris became romantically involved with Michiko, but still found himself compelled to become Darkhawk, secretly encouraged by new group member Martha “Mattie” Franklin, AKA Spider-Woman. Thanks in part to Mattie's influence, the Loners twice battled the villainess Nekra Sinclair, AKA Nekra. Insanely jealous of Musashi's romance with Chris, Phil later attacked Chris and stole his amulet, transforming into Darkhawk, but Chris touched the amulet and also transformed, inhabiting the long-dormant second Darkhawk android body. Chris defeated Phil and reclaimed his amulet with the aid of the other Loners, who have remained together minus Phil and Mattie.

During the extraterrestrial reptilian Skrull's Secret Invasion of Earth Darkhawk was assigned to Project PEGASUS and appointed Security Chief. While performing his duties he came into conflict with Richard Rider, AKA Nova, whom he thought was a Skrull in disguise. After a very brief scrimmage and swift intervention by Robert Rider, Nova's identity was confirmed. Not long after a quick explanation of what was going on the Skrulls attacked Project PEGASUS only to be defeated by Darkhawk, Nova, and a reborn Wendell Vaughn, AKA Quasar.

When Chris experienced increased anger issues that his armor aggravated, he met Shir Ydrn Talonis, AKA Talon, a stranger in a similar suit of armor who crash-landed on Earth, and expressed a desire to help him. Talon explained that their armor made them members of The Fraternity of Raptors, and Chris’ rages were due to his mind’s inability to bond with Raptor technology. Chris followed Talon into the Negative Zone but faced a terrible truth: The Fraternity was evil, searching for the scattered amulets to reinvigorate their group, and Talon only wanted his armor for another of his brood, Razor. He cast Chris’ mind out of his armor and made way for Razor to take his place. Meanwhile, Chris was removed from reality and learns another terrible truth: everything he knew about his suit’s origin was false—the crime lord Dargin Bokk who started the android technology and who later visited Earth as Evilhawk, was a configuration of the Darkhawk armor, and the story Chris thought he knew was something his mind created. He learned that he could focus his anger and take back control of the armor from Razor, but in so doing, he found himself on Chandilar in the midst of a a battle with the Starjammers where he/Razor had just murdered Lilandra Neramani, The Shi’ar Empress. He battled the Starjammers and denied killing Lilandra, and finally Talon attacked him. But Chris realized he could expel Talon as he expelled Raptor and destroyed him. Chris escaped the Starjammers and became the galaxy’s most wanted and vowed to find the scattered amulets to prevent the Fraternity of Raptors from being reborn.