THE ASSASSIN

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Professional killer

Affiliations: worked for Mr.Big

Enemies: Captain Doyle; Detective Nolan; Night Raven

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: The City, possibly New York or Chicago, circa the 1930s.

First Appearance: Hulk Comic#7/6 (April 18th 1979)

Powers/Abilities: Highly skilled marksman, extremely accurate knife thrower, and deadly hand-to-hand fighter. Athletic and very agile. Able to create extremely convincing false face masks.

History: (Hulk Comic#7/6) In a secret shooting-alley deep under the city, gang-leader Mr.Big watches as a gunman fires at a target shaped like the vigilante Night Raven, striking it three times between the eyes with three rapid shots. The audition is over, and Mr.Big is impressed, but points out that the true test will not be against a dummy, but the real thing. The shooter assures him "The Assassin never fails!"

Later that night two thugs mug an elderly drunk, only for Night Raven to intervene. Having soundly beaten the crooks, he hands the old man his wallet back, warning him not to carry so much money about. Reaching inside his jacket, the mugging victim replies that the money isn't much, merely a down payment. As he pulls out a pistol, he continues to state that he will get the rest once he has killed his rescuer...and pulls of his mask to reveal that he is the Assassin in disguise.

(Hulk Comic#8/6) The Assassin has the drop on his target, but at the crucial moment, police Detective Nolan chances across the scene. He calls out, distracting the Assassin for just a second, and Night Raven takes the opportunity to stun his assailant with a well-placed blow. The killer is momentarily stunned, and recovers a few seconds later to see Nolan try to arrest Night Raven. The Assassin cocks his gun, intending to shoot the vigilante in the back, but the masked man hears the noise and dives to one side as the shot is fired, striking Nolan instead. Night Raven kicks the pistol from the Assassin's hand, and the hitman in turn punches the crime-fighter in the face, then knocks him off his feet by using a nearby fire-escape to swing feet first into him. Perhaps deciding the odds are temporarily unfavourable, the Assassin then flees up the fire escape. Night Raven pursues, using his grapple gun to allow him to climb swiftly after his opponent, but the athletic killer leaps to an adjacent fire escape, then draws a knife and skillfully throws it, severing the vigilante's line and causing him to plummet to the pavement far below.

(Hulk Comic#9/6) Spotting that his target has managed to survive the fall by hooking a line over a large wooden jib jutting out from the building, the Assassin jumps down onto the jib to confront Night Raven again.

(Hulk Comic#10/6) Night Raven throws his trenchcoat over the Assassin's head, temporarily blinding him, then sweeps the hitman's legs out from under him. Falling from the jib, the Assassin manages to grab the edge of the beam, and uses his momentum to swing right round under it, coming back up to deliver a resounding kick in the back to the vigilante. This knocks Night Raven off his perch and sends him falling rapidly groundwards again. The masked man grabs at a sign attached to the building, and swings round, smashing through a window into the speakeasy within, ironically one owned by Mr.Big himself. Fighting his way out and taking Mr.Big hostage en route, Night Raven is tackled from behind by the Assassin as he exits the building.

(Hulk Comic#11/6) The Assassin has Night Raven in a deadly choke hold, but the vigilante manages to throw him over his shoulder. The Assassin comes back at him, grabbing a nearby plank of wood with nails imbedded in it, and swinging it at his foe. Night Raven ducks under the attack, delivers a solid blow to his enemy's jaw, and then strikes him across the forehead with the palm of his hand, burning his Raven brand into the killer's face. Inside the speakeasy the recently arrived police pursue some of Mr.Big's fleeing gunmen. Hearing a noise from a door behind them, the cops turn and fire in unison...and the Assassin staggers out, mortally wounded by the volley. He collapses at the feet of Captain Doyle, who notes the brand and also a note pinned to the dead man's chest - the calling cards of Night Raven.

Comments: Created by Steve Parkhouse and David Lloyd.

CLARIFICATIONS: The Assassin has no known connection to and should not be confused with

by Loki

Last updated: 12/05/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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