Almost every avid comic book fan will tell you all about their favorite yet highly underrated superhero. Typically, this underrated character receives far less attention than they deserve, either getting relegated to background status or worse. For me, that unsung hero is Christopher Powell, aka Darkhawk. This character first hit Marvel Comics in 1991, introducing a different type of Marvel hero. Unfortunately, Chris hasn’t appeared in Marvel comics since 2021, which isn’t likely to change anytime soon. There are a few reasons for this, which we’ll dig into, but none of that helps soothe the pain of missing a beloved character.
Darkhawk is a classic early 90s hero, complete with a full suit of armor and deep ties to the wider Marvel universe. Readers fell in love with his story because he tackled events and enemies largely left unexplored (or likewise underrated). Also, let’s be real – he looked cool! The Darkhawk armor enabled Powell to completely customize his body, and while it brought some complications into his life, it was also deeply fascinating to learn about. The best comparison would be that Darkhawk is a weird blend of Power Ranger, Iron Man, and Spider-Man. But that doesn’t really grasp Chris Powell as a character.
The core of Chris Powell’s early story will resonate with many readers, as it hits on familiar notes of young superhero life. Essentially, Powell struggled to find a balance between superhero and normal life, not to mention control of his armor. Before he became a hero, Chris Powell lived a relatively ordinary life. He was the son of a cop who accidentally stumbled across something terribly powerful and ancient. This was the moment Chris found the Darkhawk Amulet. Contrary to what it seems on the outside, the Amulet transferred Chris’ consciousness into the Darkhawk armor, swapping out his body whenever he summoned it.
With time, Christopher learned how to control these shifts (mostly), letting the armor come and go as needed. Unsurprisingly, Christopher decided to use his newfound powers for good, so that part of the story is also familiar. As a young hero, Darkhawk wasn’t afraid to seek out alliances with other heroes. He worked alongside Spider-Man a time or two and occasionally worked with superhero teams like the New Warriors, Loners, Guardians of the Galaxy, and even Avengers West Coast (as a reserve member). Darkhawk also worked a lot with Nova, setting up for a time when he would take to the stars to fight against threats unknown.
Some of Darkhawk’s most compelling stories are also the most complicated, and that’s okay. Darkhawk’s stories touched upon lesser-known elements, from the Darkhawk’s Datasong to the Shi’ar Empire and their methods of taking over the universe. It’d be impossible to summarize every event while doing his story justice.
Unlike some underrated heroes, Darkhawk was lucky enough to be involved in many major Marvel events. Admittedly, sometimes as a background or filler character. He registered during the First Civil War, making his side of the line clear. Likewise, he worked with Nova during the Skrull Invasion. From there, he sort of bounced around. He got more attention during the War of Kings event and was present on Murderworld (thankfully, as one of the survivors!).
It’s safe to say that the longer Chris Powell was a hero, the more complicated his life became. He would later learn of the Fraternity of Raptors and his ties to them. This opened the door to a new side of Darkhawk, as a persona called Razor sought to take over. It nearly won, resulting in a few terrible actions while Chris struggled to regain control (War of Kings). This moment was arguably Darkhawk’s biggest event, tying him to many characters and events in the Marvel universe. While he appeared in other events, it never quite hit this scale.
All of this brings us to Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk. The story tried something new. Timed with the 30th anniversary of Darkhawk’s introduction, it’s a few stories in one. Chris’ story begins with our beloved character witnessing some sort of breach in the middle of space. While he’s not given much time to decide how to handle the breach, Chris does the only thing he can do – temporarily sealing it with his ship. Chris then bundles all his memories about his life, this breach, and insight into the “Shadow War” into his Darkhawk Amulet and sends it back to Earth. Translation: Powell just rammed his spaceship into an unknown breach in space and then sent away his access to his Darkhawk armor. It is understandable for fans to assume our hero didn’t survive what happened next.
There’s no denying that Chris Powell’s actions were honorable. Does that help the loss of a favorite character? Maybe a bit, but it still stings. It’s almost worse that we don’t know whether Chris is alive or not. That pathetic lingering hope hurts. Then there’s the “Shadow War” event, seemingly not yet wrapped up.
While Marvel does have a revolving door of death, it feels like Powell’s goodbye is closer to permanent. First, he doesn’t have the same following as many popular characters, so it’s harder to justify a solo series to bring him back. Second, the mantle has officially been handed over to Connor Young, a new hero on Earth. His adventures in 2021 were fun, but even his character has largely been left untouched after his introduction. In other words, if Marvel isn’t interacting with Connor Young much, it feels even less likely that we’ll be seeing Christopher Powell anytime soon.
Almost every avid comic book fan will tell you all about their favorite yet highly underrated superhero. Typically, this underrated character receives far less attention than they deserve, either getting relegated to background status or worse. For me, that unsung hero is Christopher Powell, aka Darkhawk. This character first hit Marvel Comics in 1991, introducing Read More