NIGHTHAWK

Real Name: Joaquin C. Pennysworth

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Adventurer;
    formerly SHIELD agent

Group Membership: Defenders (Son of Satan, Krang, She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters))
    formerly SHIELD

Affiliations: Agent Fritch, Deathlok (Larry Young), In-Betweener, Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond), Stevens, Teen Brigade (Barnell Bohusk, Miss America Chavez, Angel Salvadore, Ultimate Nullifier), Thompson, Larry Young/Jack Truman

Enemies: Braak’nhud, Dr. Doom (Kristoff Vernard), Gargantus, Norman Osborn,  Sons of the Serpent, Young Masters (Egghead, Executioner (Danny Dubois), Radioactive Kid),

Known Relatives: J.C. Pennysworth (father)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile internationally

First Appearance: Last Defenders#1 (May, 2008)

Powers/Abilities: A trained SHIELD agent, Joaquin Pennysworth seems specially trained in combat and explosives. He was later outfitted with an updated version of the Nighthawk armor.

History:

(Last Defenders#4 (fb) - BTS) - Ashamed of his father's past as a member of the Sons of the Serpent, Joaquin wanted to make things right. Kyle Richmond sponsored him for SHIELD membership.

(Last Defenders#2 (fb) - BTS) - Hearing that the Sons of the Serpent had developed a new Mad Bomb to drive the country to war, SHIELD created whistles to counter the sonics of the bomb. They also neurologically immunized several SHIELD agents, including Pennysworth, to the Bomb's effects.

(Last Defenders#1) - Pennysworth led SHIELD operation Peanut Dumpling to investigate the Sons of the Serpents' activities. They were covert, meaning upper-echelon agents did not know where they were. Pennysworth had Stevens use the security scanner on a park ranger station and he discovered weapon systems nearby. With their whistles prepared, they moved in, but the entire team, including Stevens and Thompson, were taken down by enemy fire. Pennysworth, the only one alive, was hit, but remained alive and was taken captive.

(Last Defenders#2 (fb) - BTS) - After being questioned for a time at the Serpents' base in West Virginia, Pennysworth managed to escape and he spent the following weeks laying low and planting bombs around the base.

(Last Defenders#2) - Nighthawk and She-Hulk found the Serpents' base in West Virginia and fought off several Serpents before finding Joaquin. She-Hulk knocked aside the rest of the Serpents, then Joaquin explained how he'd survived. She-Hulk and Nighthawk began fighting unexpectedly, influenced by the Serpents' sonics, but Joaquin freed them with a whistle he'd prepared. A screen showing the Supreme Serpent and Cheer Chadwick, who were behind the development of the Mad Bomb, appeared and the heroes were threatened.

(Last Defenders#3) - Nighthawk, She-Hulk, and Pennysworth rounded up the rest of the Serpents and Nighthawk was horrified when Pennysworth gunned them down, killing many of them. Pennysworth then triggered his explosives, destroying the bomb as Nighthawk flew them free. Pennysworth collapsed before getting medical treatment at the Helicarrier.

(Last Defenders#4) - Pennysworth was laid up in the Hellicarrier hospital when Richmond came to visit, discussing the past. Pennysworth told Richmond that he was out of SHIELD for his failure and likely at a desk job now, expressing animosity towards Richmond.

(Last Defenders#6) - Richmond found Pennysworth training at a SHIELD facility and convinced him to quit his job and take up the role of Nighthawk. Pennysworth was reluctant, but agreed to do it on his own merit. Richmond purchased the formers Defenders HQ and greeted the new team he'd recruited, including Son of Satan, She-Hulk, and Krang, and encouraged them to begin working together.

(OHotMU A-Z HC#8 - Nighthawk (Richmond)) - Stark gave Kyle's Defenders some leeway, but when Norman Osborn took control over the Initiative the unsanctioned Defenders were quickly shut down by him.

(Vengeance I#1) – Set up by Pennysworth, Richmond met with former SHIELD agent Fritch and discovered another former agent (Larry Young, whose mind had been replaced by Jack Truman) had been leaking valuable information. The Defenders defeated Gargantus. 

(Vengeance I#2) – At his riding academy, Richmond briefed the Defenders on the intel they were tracking, and Son of Satan warned them of an impending evil. 

(Vengeance I#3) – Tracking down Son of Satan’s premonition, the Defenders (Krang, She-Hulk, Son of Satan) arrived in the dimension, battled back the Braak’nhud, and the Teen Brigade rushed away. Richmond watched as Nighthawk apprehended Agent Young, and revealed he knew him as Truman. 

(Vengeance I#4) – Richmond and Pennysworth questioned Truman, who referenced his history, letting them know the Deathlok from the Extechop program was now in a refuse pile somewhere. They toasted to saving the world. 

(Vengeance I#5) – Pennysworth and Richmond watched Truman leave. 

(Vengeance I#6) – Truman notified Richmond and Pennysworth about a plot to kill Dr. Doom (Vernard) in Latveria. They, with Krang, faced off against the Young Masters with the Teen Brigade and Truman. As Ultimate Nullifier, Nighthawk, Executioner, and Egghead had a stand-off around Vernard, the In-Betweener reappeared and the Braak’nhud attacked. Krang slashed open Radioactive Kid’s suit, so Nighthawk rushed him off site to contain him in lead wrapping. They were soon joined by Son of Satan, She-Hulk, and Ms. America. As they were nearly overwhelmed, UN fired two bullets into the two sides of the In-Betweener and waves of chaos and order spilled off of him, absorbing the Braak’nhud into him before he disappeared. Vernard allowed the others to depart peacefully.

Comments: Created by Joe Casey, Jim Muniz & Cam Smith.

In Last Defenders#5-6, a future incarnation of the Defenders saves Richmond from the Omegatron. Pennysworth operated as Nighthawk in this future.

Either Yandroth was wrong about this destined, perfect incarnation of the Defenders or they will be back together at some point. Only time can tell.
--Markus Raymond
And they came back in Vengeance!
--Grendel Prime

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Joaquin Pennysworth has no known connections to

Stevens and Thompson

(Last Defenders#1) - Pennysworth led SHIELD operation Peanut Dumpling to investigate the Sons of the Serpents' activities. They were covert, meaning upper-echelon agents did not know where they were. Pennysworth had Stevens use the security scanner on a park ranger station and he discovered weapon systems nearby. With their whistles prepared, they moved in, but the entire team, including Stevens and Thompson, were taken down by enemy fire. Pennysworth, the only one alive, was hit, but remained alive and was taken captive.

--Last Defenders#1







images: (without ads)
Last Defenders#6, p3, pan1 (Nighthawk uniform - future glimpse)
Last Defenders#6, p18, pan1 (jumping SHIELD agent)
Last Defenders#1, p1, pan3 (Stevens)
Last Defenders#1, p2, pan4 (Thompson)

Appearances:
Last Defenders#1-6 (May-October, 2008) - Joe Casey (writer), Jim Muniz (penciler), Cam Smith (inker), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Vengeance I#1-6 (September, 2011-February, 2012) – Joe Casey (writer), Nick Dragotta (penciler/inker), Tom Brennan (editor)

Last updated: 01/06/12

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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