DAHNTU
DAHNTU
Real Name: Charles Luc Phan
Identity/Class: Magic-based mutate
Occupation: See comments
Group Membership: Anti-Registration Underground (All-Out/Unarmed Training Automaton Attacker/Richard Taine, Awe-Striker (Cecily Johnson), Basic Black (Norman Gentry, Battlestar/Lemar Hoskins, Brain Spasm/Dennis Hoxie, Canasta/Henry Cavanaugh, Captain Kinship/Edward Randlebuck, Freeware (Kurt Duryea), Gladiatrix/Robin Braxton, Green Guardswoman/Natalie Bell, Harbormaster/Sean Beckett, Haunter/Mark Runnemyer, Human Haze/Steve Cochrane, Iguanid/Tom Boldstep, Johnny Justice/Jonadab Megyscol, Kruzado/Dorothy Cardoza, the Lawman/Leon Frankfurt, Leather Angel/Andrew Mussawyr, Masked Rose/Josie Tyler, Natural/Beru Addison, Network/Valerie Martin, Orange Crusher/Andy Gardner, Panthrax/Alex Mitchell, Peace-Lover/Barry Kanczeski, Qiblah/Jared Nelson, Saint Hildegard/Sonya van Jagt, Scorecard/Bill Merrick, Skybolt/Zack Zimmerman, Solo/James Bourne, Spaceheat/Charles Yaméogo, Staten Island Star/Russell Feldman, Stone-Tough/Ted Pendleton, Tosser/Ferris Hartke, Typeface/Gordon Thomas, U.S. Annie/Harriet Best, Warbug/Bernard Van Buren, Winter Woman/Angela Stover, Xantippe/Mandy Atkinson, Zapster/Langley Saint-Margaret, others); see comments
Affiliations: See comments
Enemies:
(At least formerly)
S.H.I.E.L.D.
and its "Cape-Killers"
see comments
Known Relatives: See comments
Aliases: See comments
Base of Operations:
Unrevealed;
previously an unidentified Anti-Registration
Underground safehouse in Manhattan, New York
see comments
First Appearance:
(Unidentified) Civil War: Front Line#4 (2006);
(identified) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A
to Z hardcover#14 (2010)
Powers/Abilities: See comments
Height:
Unrevealed (see comments)
Weight: Unrevealed (see comments)
Eyes: Unrevealed
(likely brown; see comments)
Hair: Black
History: See comments.
(Civil War: Front Line#4 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14: Anti-Registration Underground (fb) - BTS) - Following the Stamford disaster, where hundreds had perished during a battle between New Warriors and four Raft escapees, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) and others worked with US officials to develop the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA), outlawing any crimefighting activities by unregistered super heroes.
Vigilante Typeface, although his identity was already known, resolved to fight a perceived assault on freedom, and he organized an Anti-Registration Underground, beginning with ex-government operative Battlestar and anti-terrorist Solo, to support super heroes who continued fighting crime without SHRA approval. Their ranks were soon supplemented by mystic-armored Freeware; bodysuit-enhanced the Green Guardswoman; the Masked Rose, leader of super-team T,J,A.W. (Truth, Justice, and the American Way), empowered by accidental mutant blood exposure; exoskeleton-empowered Network; and cyborg Skybolt. Via a covert interview with Alternative reporter Sally Floyd, ARU members publicized their perspective, and several other anti-registration heroes joined, including Dahntu.
(Civil War: Front Line#4) - Dahntu was present with the ARU when S.H.I.E.L.D. raided the ARU's safehouse and arrested most of its members.
As the
ARU members debated whether to seek and join Captain America (Steve
Rogers)'s Secret Avengers, a better organized and equipped anti-SHRA
unit, or to remain independent, armored S.H.I.E.L.D.
Cape-Killers, accompanied by Iron Man, Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers),
Wonder Man (Simon Williams) and at least ten unidentified flying
heroes, raided the base. Caught by surprise, few ARU members managed
to effectively fight back against their more powerful and organized
opponents. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. captured over 40 members, Dahntu evaded capture, as
did the Awe-Striker, the Harbormaster, Canasta, the Green Guardswoman
and the Tosser. The Masked Rose, who had been absent seeking new
recruits, and Skybolt, who had been on a pizza-and-drinks run,
also remained uncaptured.
(Civil War#6 - BTS) - The Secret Avengers and the Superhuman Registration Act resistance arrived at Prison 42 to free the prisoners.
(Civil War#7 - BTS / Amazing Spider-Man I#538 / Civil War: Front Line#10-11 - BTS) - The Secret Avengers penetrated Prison 42, freeing many prisoners. When the combined anti-registration forces were confronted by Iron Man's pro-registration forces, Secret Avenger Cloak (Tyrone Johnson) teleported both groups to Manhattan. Freed ARU prisoners took part in the battle between the pro and anti-registration heroes, spanning from the Negative Zone prison to the streets of New York. In the ensuing battle, which caused severe damage, the Thunderbolts' Venom (Mac Gargan) apparently killed Typeface. Other fatalities may also have occurred. Following Captain America's surrender to forestall further civilian risk, Battlestar and possibly others avoided recapture.
The government offered amnesty in return for registration. Although Gladiatrix rejected the offer, Network registered under the 50 States Initiative, while Solo also registered but pursued independent interests. Presumably additional ARU members followed Gladiatrix's example, others followed Network's or Solo's, and still more remained at large.
Comments: Created by Created by Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs.
Codename, real name, and nature provided by Ronald
Byrd
During
the
production of the Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) writer Paul
Jenkins provided Ronald with authorization to provide identities, real
names for the various background Anti-Registration Underground
characters, and to flesh them out as much as he wanted. Ronald
provided identities and real names for the Anti-Registration
Underground entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A
to Z hardcover#14 (2010). There wasn't room to provide much more than
that in that entry. However, Ronald had backgrounds and histories in
mind for these characters when he provided their names. Ronald only
had his initial notes on Dahntu and had not yet completed a full
profile at the time of his untimely demise.
While the
information is unofficial until it sees print, here is
the full story behind Dahntu:
REAL NAME: Charles Luc Phan
ALIASES:
None known
IDENTITY: Known to US authorities
OCCUPATION: Unrevealed
CITIZENSHIP: Presumably USA
PLACE OF BIRTH: Unrevealed
KNOWN RELATIVES: None
known
GROUP AFFILIATION: Anti-Registration Underground
EDUCATION: Unrevealed
SHRA
CLASSIFICATION: Magic-based mutate
FIRST APPEARANCE: Civil War: Front Line#4 (2006)
HISTORY:
Young Sing-Congese-Vietnamese-American Charles Luc Phan received, due to
an act of unselfishness during an unspecified magical crisis, the power
to utilize the magic energies of any principality without need of mystic
study.
He declined
to register via the Superhuman Registration Act because he knew (or
suspected) that his powers would not work if used in government service
instead of in selfless acts. When S.H.I.E.L.D. and other
pro-Registration the
He lost powers when attempting to attack S.H.I.E.L.D. agents ("secular justice"). He seeks to regain them through another unselfish act but is seemingly doomed to fail because his desire to regain his powers would "contaminate" any such instance with self-interest.
HEIGHT: Unrevealed
WEIGHT:
Unrevealed
EYES:
Brown
HAIR: Black
ABILITIES/ACCESSORIES: Dahntu
could utilize the magic energies of the mystic principalities (such as
Agamotto, Cyttorak, Ikonn, etc.) without any mystic train. However, he
could only access these energies when acting selflessly. Utilizing these
energies to harm others would sever his connection to the
principalities.
According to a
superficial internet search Dahntu is a name that symbolizes a
free-spirited, adaptable, and resourceful personality, with a strong
emphasis on independence, curiosity, and personal growth.
I would suspect that Dahntu may be a little
shorter, like 5'6" to 5'8", and perhaps 130-140 lbs.
--Snood
Profile by Ronald Byrd, Snood, and Multi-Tasking Mike Fichera.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dahntu
should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
Civil
War: Front Line#4/1, pg. 6, panel 4 (best face, arm);
pg. 10, panel 2 (smaller, full
face);
Appearances:
Civil War: Front Line#3/1 (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker), Cory Sedlmeier (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#4/1 (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#4/3 (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Sean Chen (penciler), Rick Magyar (inker), Molly Lazer, Aubrey
Sitterson (assistant editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#5/2 (October, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Steve Lieber (artist), Molly Lazer, Aubrey Sitterson (assistant
editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War#6 (December, 2006) - Mark Millar (writer), Steve McNiven
(pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War#7 (January, 2007) - Mark Millar (writer), Steve McNiven
(pencils), Dexter Vines, John Dell & Tim Townsend (inks), Tom
Brevoort (editor)
Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14 (June, 2010) -
Jeff Christiansen & Mike Fichera (head writers/coordinators),
Markus Raymond & Mike O'Sullivan (coordination assistants),
Stuart Vandal, Sean McQuaid, Michael Hoskin, Ronald Byrd, Markus
Raymond, Mike O'Sullivan, Madison Carter, Kevin Garcia, Gabriel
Shechter, Jacob Rougemont, Rob London, Rich Green, Chris Biggs,
David Wiltfong, Jeph York, Mark O'English, & Mike Gagnon
(writers), John Denning (associate editor), Alex Starbuck (assistant
editor), Theodore Kutt (copy editor), Mark D. Beazley (editor,
special projects), Jeff Youngquist & Jennifer
Grunwald (editor)
First posted:
10/29/2026
Last updated:
10/29/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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