“I have this weird feeling of deja vu.
Darkhawk #15
Marvel (May, 1992)
“Heart Of The Hawk” finale “The Return” WRITER: Danny Fingeroth PENCILER: Mike Manley INKER: Ricardo Villagran COLORIST: Joe Rosas LETTERER: Bill Oakley EDITOR: Nel Yomtov
Darkhawk awakens to find the local authorities have already snagged everyone and claim that Bazin and Mike’s bodies were washed away. Getting away from said authorities, our hero snags a plane ride (and happens to find someone happy Darkhawk took out those drug dealers in his neighborhood as the pilot) back to New York. Tombstone brings the amulet to a psychic who senses the amulet is calling for it’s true owner, namely Darkhawk, who reclaims the amulet and defeats Tombstone. But it isn’t over for Chris as he can’t change back even after restoring the amulet and he learns his mom has gone missing. Going to rescue her, he finds that she talked one of the Cabal (not to be confused with the Cabal from I-Bots, these were cops who were only on the take to build the Savage Steel armor and become an edge against crime, but Mike and Harry both thought they went too far) into realizing they were overboard and help her escape. While reading the rest of his father’s notebook he finds that he didn’t let the woman die and about he and Harry working to get Mike out of the Cabal so he could fight his own way. As Chris relaxes he finds himself human again, meets up with his family, and decides to be that edge against crime his father wanted, not as the murderous Savage Steel but as the mysterious Darkhawk!
What they got right: This was a good end to the Bazin storyline as well as Mike Powell’s character. (SPOILER: Both will return a long ways from now.) It also helps Chris/Darkhawk finally decide who he is and what he wants to be. While there are still more mysteries ahead as to the origin of the Darkhawk form, this is what Chris needed to fully accept his new role as Darkhawk.
What they got wrong: Best I can come up with is the convenient meeting of a pilot from one of the neighborhood Darkhawk took out some drug dealers in. Were was that plane headed anyway?
Recommendation: “Heart Of The Hawk” was exactly what Darkhawk needed and a great starting point for the series. Start with issue #10 and give it a read.
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