Darkhawk
(Chris Powell) (Early)
Context
Darkhawk was one of the early 1990s new Marvel characters, with his own title being launched in 1991.
He wasn’t one of the successful ones, but he held his ground for 50 issues. And he has since continued to pop up with some regularity, occasionally in a semi-important role.
These are older technical notes about Darkhawk as he existed during his earliest years, rather than a full profile. Still, they’re useful if you want to feature him in a game, and will be useful when we revisit the material.
Background
- Real Name: Chris Powell.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Grace Powell (mother), Michael Powell (father), Jason, Jonathan (brothers).
- Group Affiliation: Reservist in both the Avengers and the New Warriors.
- Base Of Operations: New York City.
- Height: 5’9” as Chris, 6’1” as Darkhawk. Weight: 150 lbs. as Chris, 180lbs as Darkhawk.
- Eyes: Brown as Chris. Hair: Brown as Chris.
Advertisement
Powers and Abilities
Darkhawk’s abilities seem to have been randomly rolled on a MSH table ;). Whenever he touches his alien amulet, Chris is teleported to the starship in nullspace, and the Darkhawk android body takes his place. This body has enhanced strength, durability and agility, as well as some vision powers.
He also has a costume with a claw-cable on his right hand and retractable glider wings under his arms, with an ominous looking helmet.
Chris is an excellent student of kendo and unarmed martial arts. Thus, he has proven able to successfully defend himself against four young toughs at once.
History
Dargin Bokk was an intergalactic crime lord. He sought to improve his agents so they would become expandable, yet able to come back. He thus went on a quest for independent scientists, whose inventions could be combined to create such resurrection-capable super-agents. Among these :
- One scientist had a mean to store consciousness.
- Another a teleportational system which could substitute a being for another.
- A Terran built sophisticated androids.
- Another scientist worked on telepathy.
- Another on the techno-virus .
- And the last one had managed to access a pocket dimension called null-space.
Five androids were designed, each with an amulet allowing to telepathically control it. However, most of the scientists had been coerced by Bokk, and they rebelled using the Darkhawk bodies. Bokk killed one of the Darkhawk and took over it, becoming Evilhawk. One of the ’hawks fused with Bokk’s starship, and another had his body stolen by Portal.
The two remaining ones projected their consciousness on Earth, and became mysterious Darkhawk supporting characters.
One of the amulets ended up in the hands of Chris Powell, a young New Yorker. He became a vigilante after he discovered his father, a cop, was on the take from a local crime lord, and made himself powerful enemies.
Description
As Darkhawk, he’s 6’1” and athletic, and clad in a night-blue costume with metallic soles, collar and belt, and a metallic apparel on his right forearm with a three-pronged claw-like grapnel above his hand. He has black triangular shoulder plates, and a forward jutting helmet that looks a bit like a TIE pilot’s in Star Wars.
The Darkhawk body uses a vocoder with a hollow, inhuman voice. It bleeds a bright green fluid when wounded.
The second Darkhawk android body and armour, not currently covered by this writeup, looked like this:
Personality
Darkhawk is just a brave kid thrust into a volatile situation. He’s in that teenage phase where you rebel against authority (OTOH, his father is a cop on the take), and thus became a vigilante.
He seems to have been heavily influenced by Batman comics, and sometimes consider himself as justice incarnate.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Darkhawk
| Dex: 04 | Str: 07 | Bod: 09 | Motivation: Seeking Justice |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 05 | Min: 04 | Occupation: Adventurer |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 06 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 010 | HP: 060 |
Powers:
Energy blast: 07, Force shield: 05, Invulnerability: 18, Regeneration: 12, Sealed systems*: 07, Telescopic vision: 06, Thermal vision: 12
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Invulnerability and Regeneration only kick in when the Darkhawk is shunted off (i.e., Chris reverts to human form), and disappear when he’s back at his full BODY (-2).
- Energy Blast and Force Shield cannot both be used during the same phase (-1).
Skills:
Acrobatics: 04, Acrobatics (Evasion): 07
Advantages:
Insta-Change.
Connections:
Spider Man (Low), New Warriors (Low).
Drawbacks:
Alter-ego, Minor Rage, Secret ID, Strange Appearance (no effect as long as he keeps the helmet, and can be easily bypassed using alter-ego (7 pts)).
Equipment:
COSTUME [BODY 08, Weaponry (claw cable): 10, Gliding: 04, Stretching: 04, Limitations: STR using Stretching is Diminishing (-1), Stretching has no defensive component (-1), Stretching does not allow for fine manipulation (-2)].
Chris Powell
| Dex: 04 | Str: 02 | Bod: 03 | Motivation: Seeking Justice |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 05 | Min: 04 | Occupation: School kid |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 012 | HP: half |
Skills:
Martial artist*: 04
Advantages:
Insta-Change.
Drawbacks:
Age (young), Alter-ego, Secret ID.
Source of Character: Darkhawk comics (Marvel Universe).