Nighthawk (Marvel Comics)

Nighthawk is a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, and a member of the Squadron Supreme. There are actually several different Marvel incarnations of Nighthawk, one of whom was briefly a supervillain, but quickly became a hero. Nighthawk was created by Roy Thomas as part of an homage to the Justice League. All incarnations are essentially based on the DC Comics character Batman (although Nighthawk II strayed considerably from that template). Editors at DC were so impressed with Squadron Supreme that Thomas actually got to write stories for the Justice League comicbook later on.

There are five versions of Nighthawk from four different versions of the Marvel Universe.

In Avengers #85-86 (March-April 1971), Thomas created the Squadron Supreme, a group of heroes from a parallel world who were a more direct homage of the Justice League than their Squadron Sinister predecessors. These heroes lived on Earth-712, or Earth-S, as opposed to the main Marvel universe which was designated Earth-616. This group included Nighthawk, secretly a human named Kyle Richmond. The first version of the character was a close analogue to his original inspiration, Batman. He did not, however, lose his parents to crime; they died of natural causes. Nevertheless, Richmond vowed to use his money and skills to fight evil. He became friends with his earth's champion, Hyperion, and the two of them were among the Squadron's founders.

When the Squadron (including Nighthawk) were brainwashed by the Over-Mind, Kyle Richmond became the President of the United States at the Over-Mind's behest. After the Defenders defeated the Over-Mind and freed the Squadron and their world, the Squadron began the Utopia Program, intending to become the leaders of the reconstructed Earth. Although Nighthawk was not alone among the Squadron members in his opposition to the plan, he was the only one to quit the team over it. He briefly considered shooting Hyperion with a bullet that he had carved from Argonite (analogous to Kryptonite), but couldn't make himself do it.

Nighthawk then formed a group called the Redeemers from unknown superhumans and former supervillains. Hyperion's nemesis Master Menace (a Lex Luthor analogue) supplied the Redeemers with a way to reverse the brainwashing technology that the Squadron had used on its captured foes, who had been allowed to join the Squadron after their brainwashing. The formerly brainwashed Squadron members remained in the Squadron as double agents until the Redeemers confronted the Squadron, at which point a battle broke out that resulted in the deaths of most of the Redeemers and several Squadron members. Nighthawk was one of the last to die, killed when Squadron infiltrator Foxfire used his powers to rot Nighthawk's heart. His death prompted Hyperion to surrender and formally disband the Squadron Supreme.

When the Grandmaster needed a team to fight the Avengers, he transformed several humans on Earth-616 into new versions of the Squadron Supreme, whom he had observed in their own reality, and created the Squadron Sinister. Among these were the Earth-616 version of Kyle Richmond, an egotistical and wealthy playboy who, unlike comics' archetypical playboy Batman, frequently drank and womanized whose father had to pay hush money to protect his son's name after a drunk-driving accident that injured a woman. While he began as a supervillain, he reformed after losing a battle with Daredevil and joined the super-team The Defenders.

He was killed in an explosion in Defenders (vol.1) #106. He came back to life later in the late 1990s during his own comic book series, with an explanation that he was in a deep coma. He appeared to gain ESP powers that allowed him to prevent crimes but this turned out to be a trick by Mephisto. He later founded a new incarnation of the Defenders, when the mind-controlled original team tried to take over the planet as The Order. Despite his unusual powers and his leadership role in the Defenders, Nighthawk never found widespread popularity with comics readers. However, this version of Nighthawk had more character development than others due to his integration into the mainstream Marvel continuity.

Unlike Nighthawk of the Squadron Supreme, the Earth-616 version of Nighthawk actually had superhuman powers. He was also not as disciplined or intelligent as his alternate reality counterparts. Nighthawk II's main superhuman ability was enhanced strength, being able to lift between 900 pounds and 2 tons, with the uncommon limitation that this strength remains only from sundown to sunup. During the daylight hours he had the strength of a normal man. His strength was derived from a potion he discovered in a book on alchemy. His enhanced strenth was only an accidental side effect, however; the potion was meant to cure his weak heart. He flew with the use of a jetpack concealed under artificial wings, and usually used some kind of projectile weapon in combat.

For a brief time both Nighthawks I and II switched worlds and Nighthawk I was briefly a member of the Defenders.

Some time later, the new Nighthawk, Neil Richmond, was introduced. This Nighthawk was the adopted son of the original Nighthawk who had gone underground and assumed his father's identity after the death of the original. Neil Richmond was actually the biological son of Nighthawk's old nemesis, The Huckster. He joined the Squadron to fight the "New World Order" that had taken over following the dissolution of the Utopia Program. There can be arguments made either he was a copy of Dick Grayson Nightwing or Jason Todd Robin.

At last note, Nighthawk III and a reformed Squadron were fighting to free their world from a global dictatorship which had taken it over while the team was stranded in the main Marvel Universe.

Neither incarnations of Nighthawk from the Squadron Supreme reality had superhuman abilities. Both Kyle and Neil Richmond were all around olympic level athletes, and were masters of many forms of martial arts. Both men were highly intelligent, specializing in forensic science and various forms of applied technological science. The original Nighthawk was a genius and his successor may have been as well. Both characters wore costumes that incorporated various hi-tech weaponry similar to that used by the DC character Batman.

Main article: Nighthawk (Supreme Power)

In August 2003, Marvel's mature-readers imprint, MAX Comics started Supreme Power by J. Michael Straczynski, ostensibly chronicling a rebooted version of the Squadron Supreme. In this version, Nighthawk is Kyle Richmond, an African American entrepreneur who, having lost both his parents in a hate crime at a young age, takes revenge on criminals as Nighthawk. He follows principles of militant activist Malcolm X. Like Batman (upon which he is based), Nighthawk uses a combination of high-tech weaponry, stealth and fighting prowess to overcome his foes.

In Ultimate Marvel continuity, specifically The Ultimates, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch redesigned the Defenders as a group of hero poseurs which the depressed Giant Man joins. None of the members have super powers or are particularly good fighters. Nighthawk, the leader of this group who at best a fit human being , lies about the team's roster in an attempt to keep Giant Man with the group in order to garner publicity for the team. His only attempt at heroics involved leaping from the shadows at a group of criminals, only to break his ankle and be severely beaten.

• Revolving Door of Death 13 - The Peculiar Resurrection of Nighthawk
• Nighthawk III at The Unofficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe