JOHN BARNES

Real Name: John Barnes

Identity/Class: Normal human (Counter-Earth (Franklin))

Occupation: Neo-Nazi.

Group Membership: The World Party (Counter-Earth (Franklin))

Affiliations: (all Counter-Earth (Franklin)) Gus, Master Man, Red Skull

Enemies: (all Counter-Earth (Franklin)) Bucky (Rikki Barnes), Captain America (Steve Rogers)

Known Relatives: (all Counter-Earth (Franklin)) Unidentified parents (both deceased), Richard Barnes (grandfather), Peggy Barnes (grandmother), Rebecca "Rikki" Barnes (sister), John Barnes (main Earth counterpart, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Philadelphia, PA, USA, Counter-Earth (Franklin)

 

First Appearance: Heroes Reborn#1/2 (September 1996)

Powers/Abilities: None. He carried a gun while working for the World Party, but displayed no evidence of being any good at using it, and neither did he show any fighting skill; Rikki was a capable fighter and would have beaten him regardless, but even so she took him down with ridiculous ease.

 

Height: 5'4" (by approximation)
Weight: 130 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Green (dyed? See comments), shaved bald; black eyebrows

 

History:
(Heroes Reborn#1/2) - Uatu the Watcher foresaw that John Barnes would twist his sister Rikki's dreams into nightmares.

(Captain America II#1) - John, accompanied by his friend Gus, taunted Rikki Barnes about how she didn't get into Julliard, before the two men left to go a meeting of the World Party. At that rally, John heard and eagerly agreed with Master Man's speech. 

(Captain America II#2) - John, now with a shaved head, was taking his things out of his house, before he awoke his sister. He bragged about how he was going to "save the world", before jumping out the window and going to the World Party Compound.

(Captain America II#4) - John and Gus caught Rikki sneaking in to the World Party's warehouse. They held her at gunpoint, until she ran away, running into the Red Skull. They guarded Rikki as she was tied to a nuclear warhead.

(Captain America II#5) - Rikki tried to talk John out of doing the whole Neo-Nazi thing and nuking Los Angeles, but John was unswayed. Eventually, Captain America came in and rescued Rikki from the nuke, and she used her dancing skills to knock John and Gus out.

(Heroes Reborn: Young Allies I#1 (fb) - BTS) - John Barnes died fighting for the World Party.

Comments: Created by Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb

    Okay, but why was his hair green? Explain yourself, Brian Haberlin! I figure he'd dyed it that color, especially since he's not a mutant or other species who could have naturally green hair, and since he's got black eyebrows. Additionally, in Captain America II#2 Rikki comments about his "stupid green hair" which definitely makes it sound like i was an affectation. - Loki

   Even prior to actually joining the World Party both John and Gus wore leather jackets with red skulls on the back, skulls very similar to their uniform patches once dressed in World Party uniforms. I guess wearing the red skull logo was a thing among those being swayed by Master Man's rhetoric even before enlisting in the actual organization, perhaps a way of showing support for their cause. - Loki

   This profile was completed on 05/12/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary's celebratory event to represent Nomad (Rikki Barnes).   

Profile by WaddleDeo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
John Barnes is the Counter-Earth II counterpart to

but has no known connections to

Gus

Gus was a big hulking behemoth of a man, and the best friend of John Barnes. They joined the World Party together, and both helped guard John's sister Rikki while she was tied to a nuke. (Gus seemed somewhat more receptive to Rikki's pleas, but nothing came of it.)

-Captain America II#1, 4-5

images: (without ads)
Captain America II#4, p4, pan2 (main, in World Part uniform)
Captain America II#1, p17, pan2 (green haired headshot)
Captain America II#1, p17, pan5 (full body with green hair)
 Captain America II#2, p17, pan2 (without hair)
Captain America II#1, p16, pan1 (Gus, side)
Captain America II#1, p17, pan5 (Gus, front)

Appearances:
Heroes Reborn I#1/2 (September, 1996) - Rob Liefeld (plot & pencils & editor), Jeph Loeb (script), Mario Alquiza (inks)
Captain America II#1 (November, 1996) - Rob Liefeld (plot & pencils & editor), Jeph Loeb (script), Jon Sibal (inks)
Captain America II#2 (December, 1996) - Rob Liefeld (plot & pencils & editor), Jeph Loeb (script), Jon Sibal (inks)
Captain America II#4 (February, 1997) - Rob Liefeld (plot & pencils), Jeph Loeb (script), Jon Sibal & Larry Stucker (inks), Eric Stephenson (editor)
Captain America II#5 (March, 1997) - Rob Liefeld (plot & pencils), Jeph Loeb (script), Jon Sibal (inks), Eric Stephenson (editor)
Heroes Reborn: Young Allies I#1 (January, 2000) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First Posted: 09/15/2026
Last updated: 05/16/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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