SAM BUCHANAN
Real Name: Samson Buchanan (see comments)
Identity/Class: Human occult associate;
citizen of Canada
Occupation: Former agent of Interpol
Group Membership: Darkhold Redeemers;
the Nine (Blade, John Blaze, Frank Drake, Ghost Rider/Dan Ketch/Noble Kale,
Louise Hastings, Hannibal King, Victoria Montesi, Morbius);
Paranormal Law Enforcement Team (Michael Badilino, Rebecca Taylor, Uno)
Affiliations: Blood, Agatha Harkness,
Vittorio Montesi, Punisher (Frank Castle), Sabretooth, Scarlet Witch;
DeGuzman (former superior)
Enemies: Big Game Posse, Chthon, Mike
Clemson, Darkholders (DeGuzman), Diabolique, Dwarf, Fallen, General Mark Hamilton,
Mr. Hayward, Lilith, Mercy, N'Garai demons,
Paralyzer, Psiphon, Revengers, Spider-X, Reverend Styge,
Switchblade, Morton Thurnton, Troids, Donald J. Walsh, War Machine,
Zarathos, Zzzax,
the Lilin (Bad Timing, Blackout, Bloodthirst, Dark Legion, Doc,
Fang, Girth, Infinks, Meatmarket, Nakota, Outcast, Parasite,
Pilgrim, Pixil, Short Circuit, Sister Nil, Skinner, Skitter,
Spitfire),
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Bucky-Boy (nickname from Sabretooth)
Base of Operations: Currently unknown; formerly Louise Hasting's mansion, New Hope, Connecticut;
First Appearance: (Seen in Prophecy) Ghost Rider III#28 (August, 1992), Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#1 (October, 1992)
Powers: None. Sam is trained in various forms of armed and unarmed combat, and is a skilled marksman. He sometimes wore a bulletproof vest. He trained himself relentlessly in automated training sessions, utilizing live ammo against himself.
Initially, Buchanan was single-mindedly
resistant to believing in the existence of the occult. Despite
witnessing and participating in numerous adventures involving
magic, demons, etc., he continued to rationalize things as having
some mundane explanation. Eventually, even he was forced to see
the light, and accept the existence of the occult. But that
doesn't mean he had to like it.
Sam also was quite attracted to Victoria Montesi. Eventually, he
learned that she just didn't swing his way, although he never
quite accepted it.
Buchanan later obtained a version of the Exorcist gun, derived from Frank Drake's weapon, Linda (named for Linda Blair). This weapon released blasts of energy that specifically attacked the structure of magical beings.
History: Sam Buchanan established a solid career as a Special Agent for Interpol, the International Police.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#3-4 (fb) - BTS) - At some unknown point in the past, Sam encountered Sabretooth (possibly as the government agent Creed). Sam apparently worked beside him in some mission in the Falklands. Sabretooth "compromised the team" and Sam did something that made Creed not very happy with him.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#1) - During the events of
the storyline referred to as the "Rise of the
Midnight Sons", the demon-queen Lilith and her
children, the Lilin, were released from a long period of
imprisonment. In the chaos that ensued, a number of groups and
individuals gathered together to combat these demons. At the same
time, the Dwarf and the Other began actively manipulating people
to use pages from the Darkhold, in order to gain power for their
lord, the Elder God Chthon.
Victoria Montesi, whose powers activated due to the increased
Darkhold activity, became a target of the Darkholders, a cult
worshipper the Darkhold and Chthon. At the request of the
Vatican, who had ties to the Montesi family, Interpol assigned an
agent to watch over and protect Vicki. Buchanan slew a band of
ninja sent by the Darkholders to kill Victoria. Following her
connection to the Darkhold, Vicki led Sam to the site of a
recently accessed Darkhold Spell--the Chameleon Worms. Buchanan
and Vicki were joined by occult investigator Louise Hastings, and
then by John Blaze and the Ghost Rider/Dan Ketch in defeating the
user of the spell, Donald Walsh. This battle culminated in a
brief confrontation with the demonqueen Lilith and some of her
Lilin. After learning that Vicki could track the Darkhold, Louise
joined with she and Sam, to continue the investigations.
(Ghost Rider III#31) - Vicki, Sam, and Louise again encountered the Lilin, alongside the rest of the Midnight Sons.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#2)
- The "Darkhold Redeemers" fought off some hitmen sent
by the Darkholders and then encountered Mark Hamilton and Morton
Thurnton, who were using a Darkhold "Spell of Finding."
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#3-4) - Sam and the others were joined by Sabretooth in the town of Perfection, South Carolina, where Aurora Poule used a Darkhold Spell--summoning the N'Garai to slaughter the residents of the town.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#5) - Alongside the Punisher, Sam and the others battled the zombies of Rev. Styge, who was using a Darkhold spell of resurrection.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#6-7) - Louise and the others traveled to Hawaii, where they opposed the Darkhold "Memory Spell" of Mr. Haywood, which sought to repeat the events of the Pearl Harbor attack. They also encountered Dr. Strange, Agatha Harkness, and the Scarlet Witch, as well as Modred the Mystic, during this struggle.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#8-10) - Aboard an airplane, Sam and the others fought the effects of a Darkhold "Wish Spell". These events joined them with Jinx, Louise's grandson. Meanwhile, Sam, who had never believed in magic, thought all of their encounters had involved high-tech tricks. He also believed that the reason Victoria knew about the use of the Darkhold pages was because she was secretly in league with the Darkholders. Working with his superior in the CIA, DeGuzman, he ambushed Victoria and the others, knocked out Louise, and then turned Victoria in. However, DeGuzman was the leader of a sect of the Darkholders, and attempted to have Victoria killed. Buchanan realized his mistake before it was too late, and rescued Vicki. DeGuzman and his Darkholders, meanwhile, were slain by the demon-child Diabolique.
(Midnight Sons Unlimited#1/2) - Sam, Vicki, and Louise encountered Mercy, a criminal using another page of the Darkhold.
(Midnight Sons Unlimited#2/2) - Sam, Vicki, and Louise encountered Frank West who had utilized a Darkhold spell and became a victim of the Troids.
(Midnight Sons Unlimited#3) - Sam, Vicki, and Louise, alongside the rest of the Midnight Sons, encountered Spider X, Zzzax, and the Paralyzer.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#11, Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#13) - Blade
used the Demogorge page of the Darkhold to gain great power in an
effort to wipe out all forces of magic. Vicki was one of his
first victims, and was killed by him in his new Switchblade
persona.
Louise led the others to Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum where
she sacrificed a portion of her own soul by using the Darkhold
itself to put an end to the Demogorge spell. Blade was reverted
back to his original form, and Vicki and all others slain by
Switchblade were conveniently resurrected.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#12) - Sam tried futilely to bring Louise out of her depression--a result of using a page of the Darkhold.
(Morbius: The Living Vampire I#13) - Sam was present as Victoria sensed the use of the Darkhold Page of Resurrection.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#13-14) - Jinx was nearly killed
when he walked into one of Sam's lethal threat training sessions.
Sam attempted to express his feelings to Vicki, but was
devastated to learn that she was a lesbian. Sam correctly deduced
the path of the Monstrosity, recognizing it as retracing Vicki's
steps. He was nearly killed by the Monstrosity, but Jinx tried to
save him and was wounded instead.
Later, Sam attempted to stop Jinx from becoming Modred's
apprentice. The Dwarf confronted Sam, furious that he continued
to resist the temptations to use the magic of the Darkhold pages
for himself. Sam again encountered the Monstrosity and was again
nearly killed by it, before Vicki turned her back on the
"Healing" spell that had created it, and it vanished.
(Nightstalker#14) - Sam, Vicki, Louise, and Jinx were summoned to Cypress Hills Cemetery for a meeting of "the nine" to investigate the existence of Lilith.
(Ghost Rider III#44) - Sam and the others were present as Lilith and the Lilin broke through the portal back to Earth.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#15) - Sam and the rest of the Nine fought against the Lilin. After the battle, he noticed that Vicki was having signs like morning sickness--although that couldn't be, could it?
(Morbius: The Living Vampire I#16) - Sam and Vicki met with the others at Dr. Strange's sanctum, and fought against the Lilin (and Lilith and Zarathos) that broke in.
(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#60) - Sam felt the effects of magic himself when he tried to use Frank Drake's gun, Linda (aka the Exorcist), against one of the Lilin, Scatter. He again faced the Lilin, when Strange blew up his own sanctum.
(Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#17) - Sam and the others fled to the Nightclub via a portal created by Caretaker.
(Nightstalkers#15) - Sam was present, but unable to do anything, as the Fallen abducted Caretaker.
(Ghost Rider III#45) - Sam was in the backgrounds at the Nightclub, as the others discussed recruiting the Blood before the Fallen could do so.
(Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#16) - Sam, Vicki, Jinx, and Modred traveled to the South American Jungle to recruit Truthsayer, but failed. The group split up, and Modred, lacking the ability to access the Nightclub, sent Sam and Vicki to the remains of Strange's sanctum.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#145/4) - When Vicki learned she was carrying the child of Chthon, she tried to shoot herself in the head. Correctly suspecting a problem, Sam broke into the room, but was too late to stop her. Fortunately, she pulled the gun at the last second, receiving only a glancing blow. She told Sam the truth about the Malachi Prophecy and begged him to kill her. Sam wouldn't hear a word of the "Mullarkey Prophecies", but did know enough to fight off the N'Garai demons that attacked--trying to capture her to prevent her from killing herself and their unborn brethren. The two were nearly overwhelmed until being saved by Dr. Strange.
(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#61) - Sam unwisely suspected that Strange was hurting Vicki when she felt a wave of pain form her demon-fetus, but his threats were disrupted by the arrival of Salomé, who attacked Strange.
(Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#18) - Sam accompanied the others in searching for Caretaker. They found him, but fell into a trap, where Zarathos attacked and seemingly killed Ghost Rider/Ketch.
(Midnight Sons Unlimited#4) - Finally realizing he was way, way over his head, Sam sat out the final battle against Zarathos and the Fallen. He had dinner with Stacy Dolan, and the two compared notes on their experiences as a normal person caught up in supernatural struggles.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#153/3 (fb) - BTS) - Sam neither understood nor believed the
truth when Victoria vanished, taken into the care of Dr. Strange
to try to prevent her from giving birth to the spawn of Chthon.
Instead, he blamed the occult and anyone involved with it for
taking his would-be love away from him
Sometime after the apparent demise of the Nightstalkers, Sam
obtained the Exorcist Gun.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#153/3, [154/3], 155/3) - Knowing that they had captured the superhero Annex, Sam supplied the Big Game Posse with the Exorcist gun, intending for them to access Annex's technology to replicate the Exorcist and use it to exterminate Vengeance. They succeeded in replicating the gun, and they attacked Vengeance, but all except the leader were killed in the attack. Sam killed the leader (the group had previously nearly killed a police officer, Rebecca Taylor) and took back the Exorcist.
(Morbius: The Living Vampire I#29) - Buchanan attended the seeming funeral of Morbius and was furious when it turned out to be a farce.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#164-166) - Seeking to destroy Vengeance, Sam sunk into desperation, and released the being Psiphon against him. As Vengeance fought Psiphon, Buchanan peppered him with blasts from the Exorcist gun, further weakening him. Rebecca Taylor managed to convince Sam that he was becoming everything he had been fighting against, and he teamed up with Vengeance to defeat Psiphon.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#167-169) - Now part of the Paranormal Law Enforcement Team, Buchanan fought alongside Badalino (Vengeance) and others against the gangs the Revengers and the War Machines. The battled escalated into a struggle between Vengeance and War Machine (Jim Rhodes), but Sam and Rebecca unmasked one of the Revengers, revealing them to be drug-addled pawns of another. The PLET took out the Revengers with a knockout gas cued to their metabolism, and Vengeance and War Machine went their separate ways.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#174, 175/2) - After Vengeance seemingly went rogue, Sam confronted Doc Samson, attempting to force him at gunpoint to reveal everything he knew about Badalino/Vengeance, whom he had counciled. Together they figured out that the Vengeance that had been running rampant across the USA was not Vengeance himself, but several duplicates of him created by energy drained from him by Mike Clemson. Buchanan found Badalino, virtually comatose and hooked up to Clemson's machines, and was able to reach his buried mind and bring him back to reality. When Badalino broke free, the Vengeance duplicates vanished.
Comments: Created by Christopher Cooper and Richard Case.
Up until doing this profile, I have spelled his last name incorrectly as Buchanon. It is definitely Buchanan, and I'll correct the errors as I find them.
Sam Buchanan's full first name is Samson, per Louise Hastings in Darkhold#9, p10.
--Markus Raymond
Profile by Snood, correction by Markus Raymond
CLARIFICATIONS:
Modred the Mystic should not be confused with:
The Other, should not be confused with:
Switchblade better known as Blade, has no known connection with:
Appearances:
Ghost Rider III#28 (August, 1992) - Howard Mackie (writer), Andy Kubert (pencils), Joe Kubert (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#1 (October, 1992) - Chris Cooper (writer), Richard Case (pencils), Mark McKenna (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Ghost Rider III#31 (November, 1992) - Howard Mackie (writer), Andy Kubert (pencils), Joe Kubert (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#2 (November, 1992) - Chris Cooper (writer), Richard Case (pencils), Mark McKenna (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#3 (December, 1992) - Chris Cooper (writer), Tony Harris (pencils), Jimmy Palmiotti (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#4 (January, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Norman Felchle (pencils), Mark McKenna & Andrew Pepoy (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#5 (February, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Richard Case & Al Bigley (pencils), Mark McKenna & Ariane (inks), Hildy Mesnik & Bobbie Chase (editors)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#6 (March, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Richard Case & Al Bigley (pencils), Stan Woch & Ariane (inks), Hildy Mesnik & Bobbie Chase (editors)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#7-8 (April-May, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Bud LaRosa (inks), Hildy Mesnik & Bobbie Chase (editors)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#9-10 (June-July, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Bob Downs (inks), Hildy Mesnik & Bobbie Chase (editors)
Midnight Sons Unlimited#1 (April, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Joe Quesada (pencils), Jimmy Palmiotti (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editor)
Midnight Sons Unlimited#2 (July, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Dan Lawlis (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editor)
Midnight Sons Unlimited#3 (October, 1993) - Mort Todd (writer), Ken Meyer Jr. (Story 3), Doug Braithwaite & Vince Giarrano (both Story 4) (pencils), Ken Meyer Jr. (Story 3), Cam Smith & Vince Giarrano (both Story 4), Hildy Mesnik (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#11 (August, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Bob Downs (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editor)
Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#13 (August, 1993) - Howard Mackie (writer), Adam Kubert (pencils), Joe Kubert, Dan Green, Klaus Janson & Frank Spinks (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#12 (September, 1993) - Chris Cooper (wrter), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Bob Downs (inks), Hildy Mesnik & Bobbie Chase (editors)
Morbius: The Living Vampire I#13 (September, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Ron Wagner & Henry Martinez (pencils), Andrew Pepoy & Sam de la Rosa (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#13-14 (October-November, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Bob Downs (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editors)
Nightstalkers#14 (December, 1993) - Steven Grant (writer), Andrew Wildman (pencils), Frank Turner (inks), Chris Cooper (editor)
Ghost Rider III#44 (December, 1993) - Howard Mackie (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Chris Ivy (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#15 (December, 1993) - Chris Cooper (writer), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Bob Downs (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editor)
Morbius: The Living Vampire I#16 (December, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Isaac Cordova (pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#60 (December, 1993) - David Quinn (writer), Melvin Rubi (pencils), Fred Harper (inks), Evan Skolnick (editor)
Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#17 (December, 1993) - Howard Mackie (writer),
Henry Martinez (pencils), Keith Williams (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Nightstalkers#15 (January, 1994) - Steven Grant (writer), Andrew Wildman (pencils), Frank Turner (inks), Chris Cooper (editor)
Ghost Rider III#45 (January, 1994) - Howard Mackie (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Chris Ivy (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Darkhold: Tales from the Book of Sins#16 (January, 1994) - Chris Cooper (writer), Rurik Tyler (pencils), Bob Downs & Malcolm Jones III (inks), Hildy Mesnik (editors)
Marvel Comics Presents I#145 (early January, 1994) - Chris Cooper (writer), Reggie Jones (pencils), Rey Garcia (inks), Richard Ashford (editor)
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#61 (January, 1994) - David Quinn (writer), Melvin Rubi (pencils), Fred Harper (inks), Evan Skolnick (editor)
Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance#18 (January, 1994) - Howard Mackie (writer), Henry Martinez (pencils), Bud LaRosa (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Midnight Sons Unlimited#4 (January, 1994) - D.G. Chichester (writer), John Hixson & John Bridges (pencils), Bill Anderson, Rich Rankin & Scott Koblish (inks), Evan Skolnick (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#153-155 (May, 1994) - Chris Cooper (writer), Reggie Jones (pencils), Fred Harper (inks), Richard Ashford (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#164-166 (October, 1994) - Chris Cooper (writer), Reggie Jones (pencils), Fred Harper (inks), Richard Ashford (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#167-169 (early November - early December, 1994) - Chris Cooper (writer), Reggie Jones (pencils), Fred Harper (inks), Richard Ashford (editor)
Morbius: The Living Vampire I#29 (January, 1995) - Lisa Trusiani (writer), Craig Gilmore (pencils), Mike Witherby (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#174 (late February, 1995) - Chris Cooper (writer), Fred Harper (artist), Richard Ashford (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#175 (March, 1995) - Chris Cooper (writer), Fred Harper (pencils), Reggie Jones (inks), Richard Ashford (editor)
First Posted: 08/03/2002
Last updated: 10/04/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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