SKINWALKER
SKINWALKER
Real Name: John Nighthunter
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-88194
(Shadowline)) human variant (shadow);
Native
American (Navajo)
Occupation: Pilot, adventurer
Group Membership: Night Flyer Airlines (owner and sole proprietor);
Affiliations:
Father
Barnabbas, Gordon Castle,
Michael Devlin,
Dr. Zero, Gregor
Gerasimov, Louise, John Neushuk,
Order of St. George,
Powerline (Lenore Castle, Victor Guillermos), Patty
Richardson, Tomas and the rest of his Nicaraguan village,
Ripley Weaver;
formerly Sharkey;
loose former alliance with
Dirk Ravenscore
Enemies: Professor Henry Clerk, Contras, Merchants, Nickels, Sandinistas, Sharkey and his agents, Shreck
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Night Flyer Airlines, 1 Old
Gator Drive, Florida City, Florida;
mobile across Earth-Shadowline
First Appearance: St. George#6 (April, 1989)
Powers/Abilities: Nighthunter can imbue pieces of human
bone with power that enables him to control anyone within whose skin they are
imbedded; the bone can also be used to kill its victim. His victims are
typically mindless and will blindly follow a single order, though on occasion
another person has stuck someone else with a piece of one of these bones and
controlled that person. He typically uses a blow gun to shoot the bone fragments
from a distance, though they can be poked into someone directly.
Nighthunter tries to avoid using his power, as it has an
addictive quality on him -- the more he uses it, the more he wants to use it,
and he fears its corrupting influence on him.
Nighthunter is a skilled pilot (with helicopters and planes)
and hunter.
History:
(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) <Hundreds of years ago> - The Skinwalker was a
Hataalii, a shaman of the Dinee (the Navajo people). He struggled with his
desire, the dark part of himself, to use his power, while the Dinee hated
and feared him but used him nonetheless. One night he left the tribe, never to
return.
The Skinwalker apparently went on to take the identity of
John Nighthunter.
(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) - John Nighthunter worked as an enforcer for mobsters such as Sharkey. He eventually left this behind and became a pilot, attempting to turn over a new leaf in life.
(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) - Nighthunter had some past experiences with the Knights and Order of St. George.
(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) - Sharkey approached Nighthunter with his muscle man, Nickels. Anticipating trouble, Nighthunter secretly shot Nickels with a small bone fragment.
(St. George#6) - Nighthunter refused to help Sharkey muscle
back against wiseguys trying to cut in on his business. When Sharkey tried to
use Nickels to pressure Nighthunter, John took control of Nickels and made him
punch Sharkey. Nighthunter stopped Nickels from beating Sharkey further, but
told Sharkey that he needed to leave him alone. He pulled the bone fragment from
Nickels, and the two fled.
Patty Richardson and Michael Devlin, a knight of the Order of
St. George, then arrived to hire Nighthunter to take them to Venezuela. After
they had expressed their urgency, he agreed to help them and allowed them to
stay in his building until his plane was ready. While they relaxed, Nighthunter
went through their car, to learn more about them. That night he talked to
Devlin, sharing the legend of the Skinwalker.
The next day, Nighthunter spoke to his plane, asking her if
she would get them to their destination. As they prepared to depart, Sharkey
returned with a group of his agents intending to capture Nighthunter and force
his compliance. Devlin donned his armor and attacked the criminals, but Sharkey
caught up to Nighthunter and held him at gunpoint. Using his hand behind his
back, Nighthunter loaded his blowgun and then suddenly shot a bone fragment at
Nickels. Sharkey shot Nighthunter in the shoulder and the bone fragment missed
Nickels, imbedding instead in the wall. Nighthunter took off running, and Patty
helped him fend off attackers. As Nighthunter, Patty, and Devlin got into the
plane, Sharkey ordered Nickels to take Nighthunter. When Nickels refused,
frightened of Nighthunter's power, Sharkey grabbed the bone fragment from the
wall and stuck it into Nickel's wrist and then commanded him to get Nighthunter
and not let anything get in his way. Not letting anything get in his way,
Nickels grabbed Sharkey and snapped his neck then continued towards the plane.
Nickels climbed into the plane, but Devlin knocked him back out again. As they
took off, Nickels grabbed the plane and held on. As Nighthunter tried to figure
what was making the plane unsteady, Nickels leapt through their front windshield
as they flew. Devlin and Nickels struggled, and eventually Devlin pulled the
bone chip from Nickels, distracting him and causing him to fall from the plane.
Unfortunately, the battle had damaged the plane and they were
forced to land in Nicaragua. Nighthunter paid a local, Louise, to fix his plane
while he accompanied Devlin and Patty, intending to fulfill his promise of
getting them to Venezuela.
(St. George#7) - As they traipsed through the jungles of Nicaragua, Nighthunter recognized that Devlin had past experience there and that a side of his life he'd wished to leave behind was coming back to the surface. He slew a deer for them to eat that night. They eventually made it to a village that Devlin had encountered years before and obtained a truck, but as they left Devlin realized something was wrong (there were no children around), and he made them turn around. They turned just as the Contras had departed, taking Devlins' old ally Tomas (and his daughter) with them, and Devlin had Nighthunter use a smaller boat to take him to them. Devlin rescued Tomas and his daughter and then blew a hole in the boat, after which Nighthunter returned them to the shore. The Sandinistas then arrived, and Devlin attacked them as well. As Devlin nearly overloaded his own power, Nighthunter shot several bone darts into the Sandinistas, commanding them to kill each other while he commandeered their helicopter, with which he flew Devlin and Patty to safety.
(Critical Mass#1) - As they refueled, Nighthunter cautioned Patty against using her camera, as the people in the area would be nervous of having their picture taken. He further told her that in order to recoup his losses he would have to make a pick-up from the Ravenscores, which they were forced to accept in order to get where they were going.
(Critical Mass#2) - The trio arrived at the Ravenscore's mansion only to find it burned to the ground. Nighthunter noted that someone of power had to have done this, and he guided Devlin and Patty to a village south of there to find answers. While Devlin met up with Barnabbas (of the Order of St. George), Nighthunter went into a bar and met Ripley Weaver, mentor to the Power Line youths who were also meeting with Barnabbas. Sharing his past involvement with the Order, Ripley convinced Nighthunter they were allies. After Barnabbas revealed the death of Kara Janisery -- the previous Knight that Devlin had been seeking, Devlin tried and failed to remove his armor at great pain to himself. Nighthunter grabbed Barnabbas, threatening to use his bone fragments to make him reveal what he had done to Devin by giving him the armor, but Devlin stopped him, telling him he had done it to himself.
(Critical Mass#3) - In Venezuela, Nighthunter tried to help
Devlin remove his armor, to no avail. Nighthunter assured Devlin that he would
not be alone in his further struggles.
Later, at a bar Nighthunter again threatened to use his bone
fragments to force Barnabbas to tell them the secrets of the armor. This was
interrupted as Shreck introduced himself, and Nighthunter drew his blowgun and
shot a bone fragment into Shreck's arm. Shreck ripped off that arm to free
himself from Nighthunter's influence and then tore a new arm from the bartender.
Devlin fired a blast that caused the building to collapse on Shreck, and he and
his allies fled, but Shreck caught up soon after. Nighthunter teamed with
Barnabbas to delay Shreck, and he shot Shreck with a bone dart in the eye, but
Shreck nonetheless swiftly overpowered the pair and went on to defeat and
capture Devlin.
(Critical Mass#4) - Nighthunter made it back to the village alongside Patty and Barnabbas, and they met up with John Neushuk (Janisery's former boyfriend), who had become involved with their quest. Nighthunter made it clear that with Devlin lost in the jungle with Shreck, his fate was not theirs to control.
(Critical Mass#5) - Nighthunter was in the village when Michael returned after overcoming Shreck, and he arranged a jeep for Devlin and Patty to depart, though Nighthunter stayed with Barnabbas. Nighthunter commented that Barnabbas had lost his knight, but Barnabbas noted that Devlin had taken the armor with him.
(Critical Mass#6) - Nighthunter attended a meeting of the Order of St. George, challenging Gustav that he would remain unless Gustav wished to try to remove him himself. Ultimately it was decided that they must achieve an alliance with Dr. Zero to stop the mad genius Henry Clerk from destroying the Earth. In order to do so, they must humble Zero to get his attention, and that they could only do so with the aid of the Powerline kids and Devlin, though Nighthunter cautioned them that Devlin would only put the armor back on if it were his choice to do so. As Zero arrived to attack the Order, Nighthunter forced Neushuk to stay back, because he would be instantly slain by Zero's power. Devlin eventually accepted an enhanced set of armor and confronted Zero. Nighthunter tried to nail Zero with a bone fragment, but Ripley crushed his blowgun, telling him that it was Devlin's battle alone. Devlun ultimately succeeded in incapacitating Zero, after which he listened to them about Clerk and agreed to help stop him.
(Critical Mass#7) - Nighthunter worked with Zero's ally Gregor
Gerasimov, bone-darting an army sergeant so that they could obtain a helicopter
from a local military base. He then flew Gregor, Zero, Devlin, and the Powerline
kids towards Colorado's Ft. Vrean nuclear plant to confront Clerk.
Devlin and Nighthunter (along with
Zero's ally Gregor Gerasimov) helped to save the people of the nearby town.
Nighthunter used his power to control some of the MERCHANTS (Military
Response and Covert Techniques Team) to help evacuate the town and base.
When Zero and Clerk continued to fight as the nuclear plant
prepared to meltdown, Devlin knocked them both out and pulled them to the safety
of a helicopter. When Gordon Castle (via the forced aid of Dirk Ravenscore)
transported the military base into space to explode harmlessly, Zero cast Clerk
into the base. Vacuum from the massive teleportation affected the helicopter,
causing them to crash, but Nighthunter made it a landing they could all walk
away from.
Comments: Created by D.G. Chichester, Margaret Clark, and Klaus Janson.
Cool power...don't see the Shadowline so much anymore though, sadly...
Properties of Earth-Shadowline
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to
images: (without ads)
St. George#7 cover (main)
p5, panel 4 (bone fragment)
p25, panel 1 (full body)
Appearances:
St. George#6 (April, 1989) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers),
Klaus Janson (art), Steve Buccellato (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor
in chief)
St. George#7 (June, 1989) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Dan
Spiegle (art), Steve Buccellato (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in
chief)
cover by Gray Morrow
Critical Mass#1 (January, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers),
Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz, Kevin O'Neill, Gray Morrow (art), Marc McLaurin
(managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#2 (February, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark
(writers), Kevin O'Neill, Kyle Baker, Mark Texiera, Mike Manley (art), Marc
McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#3 (March, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers),
Ron Randall, Stan Drake, Gray Morrow, John Ridgway, Denys Cowan, Kent Williams
(art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#4 (April, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers),
Jim Lee, Mike Manley, Dan Spiegle, Grey Morrow (art), Marc McLaurin (managing
editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#5 (May, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers),
Brett Blevins, Jorge Zaffino, John Ridgway, Mike Manley (art), Marc McLaurin
(managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#6 (June, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers),
Grey Morrow, John Ridgway, Jorge Zaffino, Dan Lawlis, Al Williamson, James
Sherman (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#7 (July, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers),
Kevin O'Neill, Kyle Baker, Mark Texiera, Mike Manley (art), Marc McLaurin
(managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
First Posted: 11/18/2006
Last updated: 11/18/2006
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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