H.A.R.D. Corps
Encyclopedia
H.A.R.D. Corps was a Valiant Comics
title which ran from 1992 - 1996. The acronym stands for Harbinger Active Resistance Division. The title's focus was a corporate strike team (representing Omen Enterprises) dealing with Toyo Harada
, a character from the Harbinger
title, and his goal of controlling all Harbingers. The characters were normal humans who were comatose and revived with an experimental brain implant that also enabled them to access an assortment of artificial Harbinger super-abilities via an operator named 'Softcore.' Capture or death causes the implants to explode, killing the Corps member if he or she was still alive.
First appearance: Harbinger #10
Gunslinger - The H.A.R.D. Corps leader, Charlie Palmer is often referred to as Major by the others, which was his military rank.
Shakespeare - Aaron Brillstein is a Vietnam vet with a tendency to quote literature.
Maniac - Jan Chahosky is a reckless warrior who seldom waits for orders. He died in H.A.R.D. Corps #1. He is later replaced by Flatline.
Hammerhead - Marion Virgil Peeves loves to fight and is overly proud of the scars he accumulates on his bald head. He also hates his first name.
).
Hotshot - (1st App: H.A.R.D. Corps #7) Christine Eastman is both the first female member of the Corps and the first member of the reserves to make the grade. The former leader of the reserve squadron, her leadership abilities and dedication to completing a mission reflect her military training.
Wipeout - A California surfer type, his unwillingness to kill in combat situations often places him at risk. Wipeout will usually employ his kickboxing training or a nonlethal power to fight, though experience made him more willing to use deadly force.
Grasshopper - Especially trained in martial arts and infiltration, Grasshopper is an espionage agent who is sent on solo missions.
Ironhead - A former boxer, drugged into a coma to fix a big match. He is allowed to die seeking revenge when his access to Harbinger powers is cut off.
Towards the end of the series, other recruits were drafted to form a second Corps team with Perp, Grasshopper, and Wipeout. These included: Football, Brainsmash, Satin Doll, Payback, and Disco.
Sigmund Heydrich - The Director of the H.A.R.D Corps operation, he determines how to deploy the team. An expensive operation (Softcore remarks that training and equipping a single operative runs into eight figures), he frequently had to justify expenditures to Omen Enterprises.
Midnight - Also known as Earl, a teenaged scientist working for Harada, he scrambles the Corps's transmissions when they attack a lab he's in, enabling them to be captured. Hotshot disillusions him on the Harbinger Foundation, and he allows the Corps to escape without opposition from his devices. He later appears to aid the strike team.
at a time. To switch powers, an operative had to radio Softcore and request she make the switch while at headquarters. They are often seen using a defensive power and firearms for offense, but switching powers is a quick enough process to be accomplished in combat. Needing to communicate to switch their powers sometimes becomes a weakness: Corps operatives who lose their headset cannot switch powers, and sometimes their opponents will jam or disrupt communications with their base, knowing that "microbeams" are used to alter the mimicked powers.
The powers the H.A.R.D. Corps demonstrate include:
Occasionally H.A.R.D. Corps will capture new Harbingers to analyze their powers. If a previously unknown power is discovered, a record is made in order to enable replication of the power.
title, H.A.R.D. Corps was the parent of Psi Lords
, which was set in the 41st century and dealt with the descendants of the Corps.
Series Creative Staff Information: The following is a list of those who contributed to the creation of the series. When repeated, only last names will be used.
1: David Michelinie
, writer/David Lapham
, pencils/Bob Layton
, inks/Jim Lee
& Layton, cover.
2: Michelinie, writer/Mike Leeke, pencils/Layton, inks/Leeke & Layton, cover.
3: Michelinie, writer/Leeke, pencils/Katherine Bollinger & Layton, inks/Leeke & Barry Windsor-Smith
, cover.
4: Michelinie, writer/Leeke, pencils/Tom Ryder
, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
5: Michelinie & Layton, writers/Bernard Chang
, pencils/Rdyer, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
6: Michelinie & Layton, writers/Leeke, pencils/Ryder, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
7-8: Michelinie & Layton, writers/Leeke, pencils/Paul Autio, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
9: Michelinie, writer/Andrew Wendel, pencils/Autio, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
10: Michelinie, writer/Ted Halstead
, pencils/Autio, inks/Leeke & Autio, cover.
11-16: Michelinie, writer/Yves Guichet, pencils/Rodney Ramos, inks/Guichet & Ramos, cover.
17: Layton, writer/Rik Levins
, pencils/John Dixon
, inks/Guichet & Ramos, cover.
18: Jorge Gonzalez
, writer/Levins, pencils/dixon, inks/Levins & Dixon, cover.
19-20: Maurice Fontenot, writer/Levins, pencils/dixon, inks/Levins & Dixon, cover.
21-22: Dan Abnett
& Andy Lanning
, writers/Jordi Ensign, pencils/Dixon, inks/Levins & Dixon, cover.
23: Fontenot & Gonzalez, writers/Ensign, pencils/Frank McLaughlin & Jenifer Marrus, inks/Levins & Layton, cover.
24: John F. Kelly
, writer/Ralph Reese, art/Levins & Dixon, cover.
25: Mike Baron, writer/Steve Ellis, pencils/Richard Space, inks.
26: Baron, writer/Ellis, pencils/Rudy Nebres, inks/DR, cover.
27-29: Baron, writer/John Calimee, pencils/Ramos, inks/Val Mayerik
, cover.
30: Baron, writer/Leeke, pencils/Mike DeCarlo
, inks/Grey
, cover.
Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is a comic book imprint published by various publishers since its inception with Voyager Communications, Inc. in 1989, later Acclaim Comics, Inc. Its assets were purchased from the bankruptcy of the Acclaim Entertaintment by Valiant Entertainment, Inc. in 2007.-Voyager...
title which ran from 1992 - 1996. The acronym stands for Harbinger Active Resistance Division. The title's focus was a corporate strike team (representing Omen Enterprises) dealing with Toyo Harada
Toyo Harada
Toyo Harada is a comic book character, who has appeared in various series published by Valiant Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter.-Fictional character biography:He is the most powerful psionic on Earth...
, a character from the Harbinger
Harbinger (comics)
Harbinger was a comic book series published by Valiant Comics about a group of teenage super-powered outcasts known as Harbingers. Harbinger initially featured writing and art by Jim Shooter and David Lapham...
title, and his goal of controlling all Harbingers. The characters were normal humans who were comatose and revived with an experimental brain implant that also enabled them to access an assortment of artificial Harbinger super-abilities via an operator named 'Softcore.' Capture or death causes the implants to explode, killing the Corps member if he or she was still alive.
First appearance: Harbinger #10
Characters
The original team was composed of former fighter pilots and went by call signs in the field, starting a Corps tradition of using codenames.Original Team
The original team were all Vietnam War veterans who served together in the same unit.Gunslinger - The H.A.R.D. Corps leader, Charlie Palmer is often referred to as Major by the others, which was his military rank.
Shakespeare - Aaron Brillstein is a Vietnam vet with a tendency to quote literature.
Maniac - Jan Chahosky is a reckless warrior who seldom waits for orders. He died in H.A.R.D. Corps #1. He is later replaced by Flatline.
Hammerhead - Marion Virgil Peeves loves to fight and is overly proud of the scars he accumulates on his bald head. He also hates his first name.
Other Members
Superstar - A former movie star, Rick Silver is not one of the original members of the project, but he is with the team as of their first appearance. He dies covering the group's escape when the implants that make him invulnerable fail. This failure was a deliberate malfunction caused by the CEO of Omen due to his feeling that Superstar's behavior was becoming more and more erratic. He is replaced by Hotshot.Later Additions
Flatline - (1st App: H.A.R.D. Corps #1) Sam Yoom Kim was once a cop in his native Korea, but while in an L.A. riot he was injured trying to help others and fell into a coma. He replaced Maniac. Sam's clever thinking made the team see his merit, and he was the first member to question the morality of some missions the Corps undertook (such as capturing BloodshotBloodshot (comics)
Bloodshot is the title character of the American comic book series published by Valiant Comics.-Publication history:Bloodshot was launched in the mid 1990s on the back of a wave of popularity for the Valiant Universe. Bloodshot became an immediate hit with readers, as the first issue has sold...
).
Hotshot - (1st App: H.A.R.D. Corps #7) Christine Eastman is both the first female member of the Corps and the first member of the reserves to make the grade. The former leader of the reserve squadron, her leadership abilities and dedication to completing a mission reflect her military training.
Reserves
Perp - Former gang member, he adapted easily to H.A.R.D Corps style shootouts, but he lacks the strategic abilities of the first string members.Wipeout - A California surfer type, his unwillingness to kill in combat situations often places him at risk. Wipeout will usually employ his kickboxing training or a nonlethal power to fight, though experience made him more willing to use deadly force.
Grasshopper - Especially trained in martial arts and infiltration, Grasshopper is an espionage agent who is sent on solo missions.
Ironhead - A former boxer, drugged into a coma to fix a big match. He is allowed to die seeking revenge when his access to Harbinger powers is cut off.
Towards the end of the series, other recruits were drafted to form a second Corps team with Perp, Grasshopper, and Wipeout. These included: Football, Brainsmash, Satin Doll, Payback, and Disco.
Support Staff
Softcore, Lifeline, Safeguard - The operators who maintain contact with field agents and manage their powers. Softcore is usually the operator for most missions.Sigmund Heydrich - The Director of the H.A.R.D Corps operation, he determines how to deploy the team. An expensive operation (Softcore remarks that training and equipping a single operative runs into eight figures), he frequently had to justify expenditures to Omen Enterprises.
Midnight - Also known as Earl, a teenaged scientist working for Harada, he scrambles the Corps's transmissions when they attack a lab he's in, enabling them to be captured. Hotshot disillusions him on the Harbinger Foundation, and he allows the Corps to escape without opposition from his devices. He later appears to aid the strike team.
Powers and abilities
Each member of the H.A.R.D. Corps could utilize one Harbinger powerHarbingers (comics)
Harbingers are fictional characters with superhuman powers who appeared in every Valiant Comics title. Two different groups of Harbingers appeared in the comic book series Harbinger.- History :...
at a time. To switch powers, an operative had to radio Softcore and request she make the switch while at headquarters. They are often seen using a defensive power and firearms for offense, but switching powers is a quick enough process to be accomplished in combat. Needing to communicate to switch their powers sometimes becomes a weakness: Corps operatives who lose their headset cannot switch powers, and sometimes their opponents will jam or disrupt communications with their base, knowing that "microbeams" are used to alter the mimicked powers.
The powers the H.A.R.D. Corps demonstrate include:
- Ghost Mode - Also known as intangibility
- Airborne - Flight
- Detonation Mode - User is able to cause explosions via hand contact
- Invulnerability - User is unable to be damaged, but can still be knocked out
- Shield Mode - Ability to form an energy shield in one direction
- Ultra-Mass - Greatly increases user's density
- Neural Spike - Ability to throw "spikes" which disrupt the nervous system in order to incapacitate targets
- Sunburst - Ability to fire blasts of flame from hands
- Strobe Burst - Generation of a blinding flash of light
- Arc Charge - Projection of electrical energy
- Stun Ram - Projection of a ray of concussive force
- Tsetse - Touch range sleep attack
- Strength Mode - Grants superhuman strength
- Grenade Mode - Ability to generate and throw explosive "grenades" of energy
- Static Mode - Disrupts communications and transmissions
- Decoy Mode - Creation of illusions, such as holograms
- Jolt Mode - Administers an adrenaline surge upon touch, used to counteract soporifics
- Invisibility - Turns user invisible
- Forcefield - Completely encases user in a protective aura
Occasionally H.A.R.D. Corps will capture new Harbingers to analyze their powers. If a previously unknown power is discovered, a record is made in order to enable replication of the power.
Continuity
Themselves a spinoff from the HarbingerHarbinger (comics)
Harbinger was a comic book series published by Valiant Comics about a group of teenage super-powered outcasts known as Harbingers. Harbinger initially featured writing and art by Jim Shooter and David Lapham...
title, H.A.R.D. Corps was the parent of Psi Lords
Psi Lords
The PSI-Lords are a fictional team of superbeings from the Valiant Comics universe. The characters first appearing in Rai and the Future Force #21 after a cameo in Magnus #36 and was featured in a short-lived, eponymous series of ten issues between 1994 and 1995...
, which was set in the 41st century and dealt with the descendants of the Corps.
Series Creative Staff Information: The following is a list of those who contributed to the creation of the series. When repeated, only last names will be used.
1: David Michelinie
David Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
, writer/David Lapham
David Lapham
David Lapham is an Eisner Award winning American comic book writer, artist, and cartoonist, best known for his work on his groundbreaking independent comic book Stray Bullets.-Biography:...
, pencils/Bob Layton
Bob Layton
Bob Layton is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor, who has worked for Marvel Comics, Valiant Comics, DC Comics, Future Comics, and other publishers.-Early life:...
, inks/Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
& Layton, cover.
2: Michelinie, writer/Mike Leeke, pencils/Layton, inks/Leeke & Layton, cover.
3: Michelinie, writer/Leeke, pencils/Katherine Bollinger & Layton, inks/Leeke & Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
, cover.
4: Michelinie, writer/Leeke, pencils/Tom Ryder
Tom Ryder
Thomas P. "Tom" Ryder is a rugby union footballer who plays at lock for Glasgow Warriors after signing from Saracens in the Summer of 2011...
, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
5: Michelinie & Layton, writers/Bernard Chang
Bernard Chang
Bernard Chang is an Asian American artist/designer best known for his work in the comic book industry and entertainment design.-Career:...
, pencils/Rdyer, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
6: Michelinie & Layton, writers/Leeke, pencils/Ryder, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
7-8: Michelinie & Layton, writers/Leeke, pencils/Paul Autio, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
9: Michelinie, writer/Andrew Wendel, pencils/Autio, inks/Leeke & Ryder, cover.
10: Michelinie, writer/Ted Halstead
Ted Halstead
Ted Halstead is a Think Tank executive as well as an author. His areas of specialty are environment, economics and energy and he has authored several articles and books on these subjects.-Education:...
, pencils/Autio, inks/Leeke & Autio, cover.
11-16: Michelinie, writer/Yves Guichet, pencils/Rodney Ramos, inks/Guichet & Ramos, cover.
17: Layton, writer/Rik Levins
Rik Levins
Rik Levins was an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America, where he worked with writer Mark Gruenwald for over three years ....
, pencils/John Dixon
John Dixon (cartoonist)
John Dixon is an Australian comic book artist and writer, best known for his creation, Air Hawk and the Flying Doctors.-Biography:John Dangar Dixon was born in Newcastle on 20 February 1929, the son of a school principal. After completing his education at Cook Hill Intermediate High he became a...
, inks/Guichet & Ramos, cover.
18: Jorge Gonzalez
Jorge González
Jorge González may refer to:* Jorge González , Puerto Rican marathon runner* Jorge González , Puerto Rican beach volleyball player* Jorge "Negro" González , Argentine jazz bassist...
, writer/Levins, pencils/dixon, inks/Levins & Dixon, cover.
19-20: Maurice Fontenot, writer/Levins, pencils/dixon, inks/Levins & Dixon, cover.
21-22: Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
& Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
, writers/Jordi Ensign, pencils/Dixon, inks/Levins & Dixon, cover.
23: Fontenot & Gonzalez, writers/Ensign, pencils/Frank McLaughlin & Jenifer Marrus, inks/Levins & Layton, cover.
24: John F. Kelly
John F. Kelly
Lieutenant General John F. Kelly, United States Marine Corps, was the Commanding General of the Multi-National Force—West in Iraq from February 2008 to February 2009. He was promoted to LtGen assumed command of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North in -Biography:John F. Kelly was born...
, writer/Ralph Reese, art/Levins & Dixon, cover.
25: Mike Baron, writer/Steve Ellis, pencils/Richard Space, inks.
26: Baron, writer/Ellis, pencils/Rudy Nebres, inks/DR, cover.
27-29: Baron, writer/John Calimee, pencils/Ramos, inks/Val Mayerik
Val Mayerik
Val Mayerik is an American comic-book and commercial artist, best known as co-creator of Marvel Comics' satiric character Howard the Duck.-Early life and career:...
, cover.
30: Baron, writer/Leeke, pencils/Mike DeCarlo
Mike DeCarlo
Mike DeCarlo is an American comic book artist.He has worked on such diverse titles as Batman, Cartoon Network Block Party, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Fantastic Four, Simpsons Comics, and adaptations of the Warner Brothers stable of cartoons .-External links:...
, inks/Grey
Grey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...
, cover.