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HARMONY WHYTE

Real Name: Harmony Whyte

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: TV news reporter

Group Membership: West-TV

Affiliations: Arnie Berman, Carl Braden, Human Fly (Rick Rojatt), Blaze Kendall, Ted Locke, Alex Marks (loose), Willie Silver (loose)

Enemies: Cyrus Barker, David Dreir, Mike Flynn, Malik

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in the USA, occasionally Canada

First Appearance: Human Fly I#1 (September, 1977)

Powers/Abilities: Harmony Whyte is an able and unflinching television news reporter capable of measured analysis and live news production. She is always seen with green-colored eye lenses (see comments).

Height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 140 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Blond

History:

(Human Fly I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Noted West-TV reporter was assigned to do a smear piece on costumed stuntman the Human Fly and unmask him.

(Human Fly I#1 (fb)) - During an interview before a plane stunt, Harmony Whyte suggested the Human Fly sought glory, ignoring the Human Fly's charity work and desire for anonymity, but this earned the ire of the Fly's support team, Arnie Berman, Blaze Kendall and Ted Locke.

(Human Fly I#1) - Whyte reported on the Mercenary's hijacking of the press plane and the Human Fly's death-defying efforts to stop him and save lives, although she skewed it with a negative perspective. When the stuntman was back on the ground, she doubted his sincerity and resolved to expose him.

(Human Fly I#2 (fb)) - Whyte checked on the background story of the Human Fly to determine his true identity, discovering five men hospitalized in similar conditions.

(Human Fly I#2) - Whyte derided the Human Fly's flame stunt in Nevada, set a day before a car race, and quietly refuted his claims to charity. Believing racer Alex Marks to be the stuntman, she confronted him in his trailer, but was disappointed. The next day, still suspicious, she told her camera operator to focus on Marks. As the race descended into deadly chaos due to the machinations of corrupt organizer Cyrus Barker, Whyte followed a hunch and followed Barker just as he was about to steal the prize money. She accepted Marks was not the Human Fly and remained resolute to reveal the stuntman's real identity.

(Human Fly I#3 (fb)) - Whyte followed the Human Fly's shark stunt, where he met the deceitful David Dreir, who claimed rival arms manufacturer Marion Martinet had kidnapped his daughter, Alexandra. Dreir requested the Fly's help in rescuing her, but Whyte stepped in and pushed her agenda that the Fly was a fraud. The stuntman nevertheless agreed to investigate.

(Human Fly I#4) - Dreir had Whyte and Berman escorted to his palatial home to secretly act as hostages to secure the Fly's further aid. Whyte and Berman deduced Dreir's plan and resisted, but were tied up and placed in a military tank. They eventually escaped and joined the Human Fly, Locke and Kendall at Martinet's fortress once Alexandra had been rescued.

(Human Fly I#5 (fb)) - Whyte asked for a few words from the Human Fly before he began his tightrope stunt between two Quebec skyscrapers. She was impressed that the disabled children watching were inspired by his efforts.

(Human Fly I#5) - Whyte was one of the people held hostage by disgruntled former stuntman Malik atop a burning skyscraper. After Malik was overpowered, she helped the Human Fly's rescue effort freeing the disabled children.

(Human Fly I#6) - Whyte was called back to see her boss Carl Braden in his Los Angeles office, where he berated her for not yet filing a story showing the Human Fly to be a fraud. Whyte admitted she no longer saw the stuntman as a charlatan, but Braden threatened she would be fired if she didn't deliver.

(Human Fly I#7) - Whyte encountered the Human Fly at his Vermont snowmobile stunt and apologized for her bad press coverage of him. She later stood by his support crew and watched as he changed his routine to rescue two people imperiled by a bear. She followed the troupe on borrowed skis and comforted the rescued blind boy, Andy Evans.

(Human Fly I#8) - Whyte documented the Human Fly's jet-powered skateboard stunt at the New York museum hosted by Margarita Mercado. The Human Fly acknowledged Whyte's more recent friendlier coverage, but yielding to her boss' demands, she then suggested the stuntman was seeking only glory. Violent actions by the criminal Copperhead then saw attendants scatter for safety.

(Human Fly I#11 (fb)) - Whyte joined the press before the Human Fly's bus-jumping attempt. When the Fly's motorbike's faulty engine caused the stunt's failure, Whyte became very regretful of her harsh press of him.

(Human Fly I#11) - Whyte later attended the Human Fly's next stunt in St. Louis, where she was once more confronted by Braden. Seeing the stuntman try again despite the prior spectacular failure inspired her to stand up to her bullying boss and she resigned to his face. She saw the singer Willie Silver get electrocuted and suspected foul play on the part of the musician's manager, Mike Flynn. She punched Flynn down as he tried to escape.

(Human Fly I#12) - Stating she was there as a friend, Whyte wished the Human Fly luck for his railroad stunt and later joined Arnie Berman in the train's dining car. Berman shared how he had been inspired by the Fly and Whyte confided that she hoped to likewise regain her confidence and job. The stuntman, Kendall and Locke overheard and agreed to help.

(Human Fly I#13) - Whyte joined the Human Fly's entourage, documenting all that was going on concerning stunts. She had a nightmare about the Fly failing his next stunt to be the first to ski America's tallest mountain, Mt. Whitney, but the stuntman dismissed it. She focused on her task and ignored her ex-boss Braden, who was nearby filming the Fly's movements trying to generate negative press. She helped guide the Fly's troupe's climb and stunt, but was aghast at the near mishap with the careless Braden. The Human Fly and his troupe, including Whyte, visited Braden as he recovered in hospital. Impressed with Whyte's production efforts for the Fly, Braden offered to take Whyte back without editorial interference.

(Human Fly I#14) - Whyte reported live on the Human Fly's stunt at the First International Airship Race across America, which involved walking a tightrope between a piloted and a drone blimp. However, two mute children had secretly hidden in the drone and unwittingly sabotaged the stunt, placing the Human Fly in serious danger. Whyte continued reporting, adding to the dramatic coverage.

(Human Fly I#18) - Whyte typed a report she would soon present regarding the Human Fly's appearance at the Hopi reservation near Las Cruces, New Mexico, noting his sympathetic interaction with the Native Americans Cha'tima and Nakwach (although Whyte had not personally attended the event).

(Human Fly I#19) - Whyte completed her report on the Human Fly's stunt activity at the Hopi reservation, revealing the murder attempt initiated by the exploitative Frank Sturgis.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo (writer) and Lee Elias (pencils & inks).

Her colored eye lenses suggest the need to compensate for visual or neurological deficiency. It clearly did not detract from her ability to perform her job.

She likely worked at times with West-TV's noted camera operator Raf Abrams, but they're never clearly shown together.

It would be great to have this character drop in again somewhere, or reveal if she wrote a biography of a certain stuntman by having it appear on a bookshelf.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Harmony Whyte has no known connections to:


images: (without ads)
Human Fly I#2, p4, pan4 (main image)
Human Fly I#13, p10, pan1 (headshot with earpiece)
Human Fly I#14, p12, pan4 (headshot with microphone)
Human Fly I#19, p17, pan2 (seated at typewriter)


Appearances:
Human Fly I#1 (September, 1977) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils & inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#2 (October,1977) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Carmine Infantino (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#3 (November, 1977) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils), Don Perlin (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#4 (December, 1977) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils), Rod Santiago (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#5 (January, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Frank Robbins (pencils), Rod Santiago (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#6 (February, 1977) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Frank Robbins (pencils), Rod A. Santiago (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#7 (March, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#8 (April, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Frank Robbins (pencils), New York Tribe (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#11 (July, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Human Fly I#12 (August, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils), F. Springer (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Human Fly I#13 (September, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Frank Robbins (pencils), F. Springer (inks), Bob Hall (editor)
Human Fly I#14 (October, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Frank Robbins (pencils), Steve Leialoha (inks), Bob Hall (editor)
Human Fly I#18 (February, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils), Ricardo Villamonte (inks), M.J. Duffy (editor)
Human Fly I#19 (March, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Lee Elias (pencils), Ricardo Villamonte (inks), Allen Milgrom (editor)


First Posted: 10/19/2017
Last updated: 10/19/2017

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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