SKINWALKER

Real Name: John Nighthunter

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-88194 (Shadowline)) human variant (shadow);
   
Native American (Navajo)

Occupation: Pilot, adventurer

Group Membership: Night Flyer Airlines (owner and sole proprietor);

Affiliations: Father Barnabbas, Gordon Castle, Michael Devlin, Dr. Zero, Gregor Gerasimov, Louise, John Neushuk, Order of St. George, Powerline (Lenore Castle, Victor Guillermos), Patty Richardson, Tomas and the rest of his Nicaraguan village, Ripley Weaver;
    formerly Sharkey;
    loose former alliance with Dirk Ravenscore

EnemiesProfessor Henry Clerk, Contras, Merchants, Nickels, Sandinistas, Sharkey and his agents, Shreck

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Night Flyer Airlines, 1 Old Gator Drive, Florida City, Florida;
    mobile across
Earth-Shadowline

First Appearance: St. George#6 (April, 1989)

 

 

 

 

Powers/Abilities: Nighthunter can imbue pieces of human bone with power that enables him to control anyone within whose skin they are imbedded; the bone can also be used to kill its victim. His victims are typically mindless and will blindly follow a single order, though on occasion another person has stuck someone else with a piece of one of these bones and controlled that person. He typically uses a blow gun to shoot the bone fragments from a distance, though they can be poked into someone directly.
    Nighthunter tries to avoid using his power, as it has an addictive quality on him -- the more he uses it, the more he wants to use it, and he fears its corrupting influence on him.
    Nighthunter is a skilled pilot (with helicopters and planes) and hunter.

 

 

 

History:
(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) <Hundreds of years ago> - The Skinwalker was a Hataalii, a shaman of the Dinee (the Navajo people). He struggled with his desire, the dark part of himself,  to use his power, while the Dinee hated and feared him but used him nonetheless. One night he left the tribe, never to return.
    The Skinwalker apparently went on to take the identity of John Nighthunter.

(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) - John Nighthunter worked as an enforcer for mobsters such as Sharkey. He eventually left this behind and became a pilot, attempting to turn over a new leaf in life.

(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) - Nighthunter had some past experiences with the Knights and Order of St. George.

(St. George#6 (fb) - BTS) - Sharkey approached Nighthunter with his muscle man, Nickels. Anticipating trouble, Nighthunter secretly shot Nickels with a small bone fragment.

(St. George#6) - Nighthunter refused to help Sharkey muscle back against wiseguys trying to cut in on his business. When Sharkey tried to use Nickels to pressure Nighthunter, John took control of Nickels and made him punch Sharkey. Nighthunter stopped Nickels from beating Sharkey further, but told Sharkey that he needed to leave him alone. He pulled the bone fragment from Nickels, and the two fled.
    Patty Richardson and Michael Devlin, a knight of the Order of St. George, then arrived to hire Nighthunter to take them to Venezuela. After they had expressed their urgency, he agreed to help them and allowed them to stay in his building until his plane was ready. While they relaxed, Nighthunter went through their car, to learn more about them. That night he talked to Devlin, sharing the legend of the Skinwalker.
    The next day, Nighthunter spoke to his plane, asking her if she would get them to their destination. As they prepared to depart, Sharkey returned with a group of his agents intending to capture Nighthunter and force his compliance. Devlin donned his armor and attacked the criminals, but Sharkey caught up to Nighthunter and held him at gunpoint. Using his hand behind his back, Nighthunter loaded his blowgun and then suddenly shot a bone fragment at Nickels. Sharkey shot Nighthunter in the shoulder and the bone fragment missed Nickels, imbedding instead in the wall. Nighthunter took off running, and Patty helped him fend off attackers. As Nighthunter, Patty, and Devlin got into the plane, Sharkey ordered Nickels to take Nighthunter. When Nickels refused, frightened of Nighthunter's power, Sharkey grabbed the bone fragment from the wall and stuck it into Nickel's wrist and then commanded him to get Nighthunter and not let anything get in his way. Not letting anything get in his way, Nickels grabbed Sharkey and snapped his neck then continued towards the plane. Nickels climbed into the plane, but Devlin knocked him back out again. As they took off, Nickels grabbed the plane and held on. As Nighthunter tried to figure what was making the plane unsteady, Nickels leapt through their front windshield as they flew. Devlin and Nickels struggled, and eventually Devlin pulled the bone chip from Nickels, distracting him and causing him to fall from the plane.
    Unfortunately, the battle had damaged the plane and they were forced to land in Nicaragua. Nighthunter paid a local, Louise, to fix his plane while he accompanied Devlin and Patty, intending to fulfill his promise of getting them to Venezuela.

(St. George#7) - As they traipsed through the jungles of Nicaragua, Nighthunter recognized that Devlin had past experience there and that a side of his life he'd wished to leave behind was coming back to the surface. He slew a deer for them to eat that night. They eventually made it to a village that Devlin had encountered years before and obtained a truck, but as they left Devlin realized something was wrong (there were no children around), and he made them turn around. They turned just as the Contras had departed, taking Devlins' old ally Tomas (and his daughter) with them, and Devlin had Nighthunter use a smaller boat to take him to them. Devlin rescued Tomas and his daughter and then blew a hole in the boat, after which Nighthunter returned them to the shore. The Sandinistas then arrived, and Devlin attacked them as well. As Devlin nearly overloaded his own power, Nighthunter shot several bone darts into the Sandinistas, commanding them to kill each other while he commandeered their helicopter, with which he flew Devlin and Patty to safety.

(Critical Mass#1) - As they refueled, Nighthunter cautioned Patty against using her camera, as the people in the area would be nervous of having their picture taken. He further told her that in order to recoup his losses he would have to make a pick-up from the Ravenscores, which they were forced to accept in order to get where they were going.

(Critical Mass#2) - The trio arrived at the Ravenscore's mansion only to find it burned to the ground. Nighthunter noted that someone of power had to have done this, and he guided Devlin and Patty to a village south of there to find answers. While Devlin met up with Barnabbas (of the Order of St. George), Nighthunter went into a bar and met Ripley Weaver, mentor to the Power Line youths who were also meeting with Barnabbas. Sharing his past involvement with the Order, Ripley convinced Nighthunter they were allies. After Barnabbas revealed the death of Kara Janisery -- the previous Knight that Devlin had been seeking, Devlin tried and failed to remove his armor at great pain to himself. Nighthunter grabbed Barnabbas, threatening to use his bone fragments to make him reveal what he had done to Devin by giving him the armor, but Devlin stopped him, telling him he had done it to himself.

(Critical Mass#3) - In Venezuela, Nighthunter tried to help Devlin remove his armor, to no avail. Nighthunter assured Devlin that he would not be alone in his further struggles.
    Later, at a bar Nighthunter again threatened to use his bone fragments to force Barnabbas to tell them the secrets of the armor. This was interrupted as Shreck introduced himself, and Nighthunter drew his blowgun and shot a bone fragment into Shreck's arm. Shreck ripped off that arm to free himself from Nighthunter's influence and then tore a new arm from the bartender. Devlin fired a blast that caused the building to collapse on Shreck, and he and his allies fled, but Shreck caught up soon after. Nighthunter teamed with Barnabbas to delay Shreck, and he shot Shreck with a bone dart in the eye, but Shreck nonetheless swiftly overpowered the pair and went on to defeat and capture Devlin.

(Critical Mass#4) - Nighthunter made it back to the village alongside Patty and Barnabbas, and they met up with John Neushuk (Janisery's former boyfriend), who had become involved with their quest. Nighthunter made it clear that with Devlin lost in the jungle with Shreck, his fate was not theirs to control.

(Critical Mass#5) - Nighthunter was in the village when Michael returned after overcoming Shreck, and he arranged a jeep for Devlin  and Patty to depart, though Nighthunter stayed with Barnabbas. Nighthunter commented that Barnabbas had lost his knight, but Barnabbas noted that Devlin had taken the armor with him.

(Critical Mass#6) - Nighthunter attended a meeting of the Order of St. George, challenging Gustav that he would remain unless Gustav wished to try to remove him himself. Ultimately it was decided that they must achieve an alliance with Dr. Zero to stop the mad genius Henry Clerk from destroying the Earth. In order to do so, they must humble Zero to get his attention, and that they could only do so with the aid of the Powerline kids and Devlin, though Nighthunter cautioned them that Devlin would only put the armor back on if it were his choice to do so. As Zero arrived to attack the Order, Nighthunter forced Neushuk to stay back, because he would be instantly slain by Zero's power. Devlin eventually accepted an enhanced set of armor and confronted Zero. Nighthunter tried to nail Zero with a bone fragment, but Ripley crushed his blowgun, telling him that it was Devlin's battle alone. Devlun ultimately succeeded in incapacitating Zero, after which he listened to them about Clerk and agreed to help stop him.

(Critical Mass#7) - Nighthunter worked with Zero's ally Gregor Gerasimov, bone-darting an army sergeant so that they could obtain a helicopter from a local military base. He then flew Gregor, Zero, Devlin, and the Powerline kids towards Colorado's Ft. Vrean nuclear plant to confront Clerk. Devlin and Nighthunter (along with Zero's ally Gregor Gerasimov) helped to save the people of the nearby town. Nighthunter used his power to control some of the MERCHANTS (Military Response and Covert Techniques Team) to help evacuate the town and base.
    When Zero and Clerk continued to fight as the nuclear plant prepared to meltdown, Devlin knocked them both out and pulled them to the safety of a helicopter. When Gordon Castle (via the forced aid of Dirk Ravenscore) transported the military base into space to explode harmlessly, Zero cast Clerk into the base. Vacuum from the massive teleportation affected the helicopter, causing them to crash, but Nighthunter made it a landing they could all walk away from.

Comments: Created by D.G. Chichester, Margaret Clark, and Klaus Janson.

Cool power...don't see the Shadowline so much anymore though, sadly...

Properties of Earth-Shadowline

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to


images: (without ads)
St. George#7 cover (main)
        p5, panel 4 (bone fragment)
        p25, panel 1 (full body)


Appearances:
St. George#6 (April, 1989) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Klaus Janson (art), Steve Buccellato (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
St. George#7 (June, 1989) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Dan Spiegle (art), Steve Buccellato (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
    cover by Gray Morrow
Critical Mass#1 (January, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz, Kevin O'Neill, Gray Morrow (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#2 (February, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Kevin O'Neill, Kyle Baker, Mark Texiera, Mike Manley (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#3 (March, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Ron Randall, Stan Drake, Gray Morrow, John Ridgway, Denys Cowan, Kent Williams (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#4 (April, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Jim Lee, Mike Manley, Dan Spiegle, Grey Morrow (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#5 (May, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Brett Blevins, Jorge Zaffino, John Ridgway, Mike Manley (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#6 (June, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Grey Morrow, John Ridgway, Jorge Zaffino, Dan Lawlis, Al Williamson, James Sherman (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)
Critical Mass#7 (July, 1990) - by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark (writers), Kevin O'Neill, Kyle Baker, Mark Texiera, Mike Manley (art), Marc McLaurin (managing editor), Archie Goodwin (editor in chief)


First Posted: 11/18/2006
Last updated: 11/18/2006

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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