GIDEON HARKINS

Real Name: Gideon Harkins

Identity/Class: Human Werewolf, 16th Century

Occupation: unrevealed

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Solomon Kane, Silver One

Known Relatives: parents (deceased), grandmother (deceased); The Silver One posed as his sister, but he actually had no siblings

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: mobile across the countryside of England;
a village outside of Torkertown, England (?), 16th Century

First Appearance: Savage Sword of Conan#14/4 (September, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: Harkins had the standard powers of a werewolf. Under the light of the moon, he transformed into a wolfman. As such, he possessed enhanced human strength, speed, reflexes, stamina, durability, and senses (hearing, smell, and infra-red vision). His claws were strong enough to rend substances as strong as wood or soft metal.
In werewolf form, he lost control of his normal mental acuity and became a savage, predatory creature. His werewolf curse could be spread to another victim of his claws or bite. He was highly resistant and nearly immune to most forms of injury, with the major exception of silver, which could cause mortal wounds.

History:
(SSoC#14/4 (fb)) <mid 16th Century> - At the age of one, Gideon Harkins' parents were attacked by a werewolf known as the Silver One. His grandmother was forced to kill them with silver stakes before they could become werewolves.

(SSoC#14/4 (fb)) <12 years later> - Harkins' grandmother told him the truth about his parents, and then she died soon after. He grew to adulthood, wandering from village to village, in search of the Silver One, to gain vengeance.

(SSoC#14/4 (fb)) <8 years later> - Harkins located the village of the Silver One and her fellow creatures of the night. However, she got the jump on him, carving him up with her claws.

(SSoC#14/4) - A few days later, Harkins wrote down his life history, knowing he would soon become a werewolf himself, and hoping that he would slay the Silver One, rather than an innocent victim. After his transformation, however, he was overcome by bloodlust and hunger and slaughtered an innocent passerby. Regaining some fragment of his memory and mission, he began tracking down the Silver One, who was posing as an innocent woman seeking protection from a werewolf in a nearby town. Harkins confronted her, but was fought by Solomon Kane, who had trailed him from his last murder. Harkins shrugged off numerous otherwise fatal wounds from Kane, but the Silver One threw Kane a silver knife, which he used to slay Harkins.
Soon after, however, Kane read Harkins' journal and slew the Silver One, obtaining Harkins' vengeance for him.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Mike Zeck.

This story had a slight variation on the werewolf theme, with the victims of werewolves dying, and then rising three days later, more like the change for a vampire. I think it's usually only survivors of werewolf attacks that become vampires, while those killed more stay dead. Artistic license, variation associated with the Silver One, or just bad memory on Harkins' part? You be the judge.

Of all of the Howard characters, I like Solomon Kane the best. However, Conan could whup him, I'm fairly certain.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

The Harkins family

 

Gideons parents were attacked and/or slain by the Silver One, in their sleep, when Gideon was only a year old. Gideons grandmother slew them with silver stakes before they could transform into werewolves. When Gideon was twelve years old, his grandmother shared his parents' true fate with him, and she died soon after.

 

--SSoC#14/4 (14/4(fb)

 

First Posted: 10/25/2002
Last updated: 10/25/2002

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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