Jack Hawksmoor (comics)
Encyclopedia
Jack Hawksmoor is a fictional character
, a superhero
and member of The Authority in the Wildstorm
Universe
and of Stormwatch in the DC Universe. He first appears in Stormwatch
#37 and was created by Warren Ellis
.
: The Secret History of The Authority #3)
Jack Hawksmoor began quietly fighting crime in the city, later moving to strike higher, at politicians and corporations. He caught the attention of Stormwatch's Henry Bendix
, who offered him a place in Stormwatch Black
, the covert operations team of Stormwatch, alongside Jenny Sparks
and Swift
. Hawksmoor helped remove power-mad, super-powered cops, stop biological warfare in a small American city, solve the murder of ex-Stormwatch member Undertow and he personally fought and killed the insane, murderous, illegitimate son of a revered American President.
Jack had a tough time with Stormwatch, as the organization's flying fortress was simply not large enough in order to support his unique biological systems. Medical assistance was not very helpful.
Hawksmoor was part of the mission against the Changers
, a super-powered group out to change the world. During this mission, he was forced to kill fellow teammate Rose Tattoo in order to stop her from murdering. The action failed, as all the Changers ended up murdered or dead.
After Stormwatch was destroyed by alien life-forms, Hawksmoor went into hiding with Jenny Sparks and Swift. There they recruited Apollo, Midnighter, the Engineer and the Doctor, the latter two being spiritual successors of two of the members of the Changers.
This team later became The Authority, who formed after a devastating supervillain attack on Moscow. This was where Jack learned his powers had increased, bonding him to cities much faster than usual. For example, Moscow let him know she was hurting through a painful nosebleed.
The Authority operated on a ship called The Carrier
, which was large enough to qualify as a city, thus keeping Jack healthy.
After helping in various invasions, such as from Sliding Albion and God's own worms, Jack was there when Jenny's unique life came to an end. He inherited leadership of the team, leading it through many more dimension-crossing misadventures. He helped assert the team's independence, even once threatening Bill Clinton. For a while, when the team was replaced by evil forces, he lived brain-damaged and homeless, unable to convince anyone who he was. He was rescued by his teammates and restored to his normal self.
The team broke up in 2005 and was restored in 2008 by Jenny Quantum
. Jack still completely subscribes to the team ideology to fight for a finer world, no matter what it takes.
Despite his deformed genitals (which had made a Secret Service agent vomit), Jack is a womanizer, and he has an open on/off relationship with the Engineer
.
It is noteworthy that Jack used to consider killing a last resort. When he was fighting the bastard child of an American President mentioned above, he said "Damn you for making me do this, you filthy bastard" just before hanging him. With tears welling in his eyes, he asks Stormwatch control to teleport him out of the place.
, reliant on a depowered Engineer for care.
In another, Jack was female and pregnant. Jack Hawksmoor actually met this version during an evacuation while the earth was in peril.
for long; however, when he is within an urban environment, he has vast, vaguely-defined superpowers
linked to the city, such as superhuman
agility
and strength
, and telepathic control, such as animation and possession, of infrastructure
and architecture
, and allowing him to experience precognition
and psychometry as if he and the city were one being. In some instances, he has transformed an entire city into a humanoid battlesuit and used it to fight. Jack treats individual cities as if each were their own being. Jack does not need to eat, as he can convert air pollution
into nourishment. He can also transport between cities, originally inside a womb-like construct, though this may have changed. Also, he doesn't always estimate the time for womb-transport correctly.
Jack tends to use the artificial transporter mechanisms of his team's headquarters to facilitate transport from city to city. Wildstorm Summer Special.
His powers and weaknesses are entirely symbiotic; the larger or more populous the city, the greater his abilities; and, conversely, if the city is damaged, he becomes less effective or develops an injury. Jack has been shown commanding cities to literally swallow people whole, sometimes Jack has caused parts of the city to erupt, damaging enemies. He also has showed to be able to fix damages and renew cities parts.
He is named after Spring Heeled Jack
and the baroque
architect
Nicholas Hawksmoor
.
Jack Hawksmoor is one of the superheroes without costumes, although he is usually dressed in a stylish black suit with a white shirt. His clothing and haircut are similar to that of Johnny Bates from Miracleman
.
es usually operate in a city - possibly because large buildings such as skyscraper
s provide a sense of scale to the actions of superheroes such as flying or fighting large monster
s. Some of his powers (superhuman agility and the apparent ability to stick to walls) are based on the classic urban superhero Spider-Man
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
and member of The Authority in the Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
Universe
Wildstorm Universe
The Wildstorm Universe is a fictional shared universe where the comic books published by Wildstorm take place. It represents an alternate history of the real world where ideas such as interstellar travel and superhuman abilities are commonplace...
and of Stormwatch in the DC Universe. He first appears in Stormwatch
Stormwatch (comics)
Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that originated in the Wildstorm Universe and has since been revived as part of the DC Universe. The original version of Stormwatch first appeared in Stormwatch Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that...
#37 and was created by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
.
Character history
Hawksmoor was described in The Authority #1 as the "God of Cities", though a 2008 solo series called him the "King of Cities" by contrast with a future race of city-empathic figures who were Gods of Cities. As a child, he was repeatedly abducted and surgically modified by humans from the 70th century, the result of which is he is linked to whatever city he finds himself in. These future humans modified Hawksmoor to provide him with the ability to combat a threat from the distant future, a gestalt being that was the entire city of Kansas City from the 70th century. Hawksmoor defeated the being by merging with—and transforming—the city of Tokyo into a giant humanoid being, battling and destroying the invader. (Jenny SparksJenny Sparks
Jenny Sparks, also known as "The Spirit of the 20th century", is a fictional character in the Wildstorm comic book universe created by Warren Ellis during his 1997 revamp of the dwindling Stormwatch series...
: The Secret History of The Authority #3)
Jack Hawksmoor began quietly fighting crime in the city, later moving to strike higher, at politicians and corporations. He caught the attention of Stormwatch's Henry Bendix
Henry Bendix
Henry Bendix, also known as Weatherman, is a fictional character in the Wildstorm universe. He first appeared in the Stormwatch series.-Early life:...
, who offered him a place in Stormwatch Black
Stormwatch (comics)
Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that originated in the Wildstorm Universe and has since been revived as part of the DC Universe. The original version of Stormwatch first appeared in Stormwatch Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that...
, the covert operations team of Stormwatch, alongside Jenny Sparks
Jenny Sparks
Jenny Sparks, also known as "The Spirit of the 20th century", is a fictional character in the Wildstorm comic book universe created by Warren Ellis during his 1997 revamp of the dwindling Stormwatch series...
and Swift
Swift (comics)
Swift is a fictional comic book superhero in the Wildstorm universe, published by DC Comics. Swift first appeared in Stormwatch #28 and was created by Jeff Mariotte and Ron Lim...
. Hawksmoor helped remove power-mad, super-powered cops, stop biological warfare in a small American city, solve the murder of ex-Stormwatch member Undertow and he personally fought and killed the insane, murderous, illegitimate son of a revered American President.
Jack had a tough time with Stormwatch, as the organization's flying fortress was simply not large enough in order to support his unique biological systems. Medical assistance was not very helpful.
Hawksmoor was part of the mission against the Changers
Changers
The Changers are a group of super-heroes published by Wildstorm an imprint of DC Comics. The team first appears in Stormwatch #48 , and was created by Warren Ellis and Tom Raney.-Publication history:...
, a super-powered group out to change the world. During this mission, he was forced to kill fellow teammate Rose Tattoo in order to stop her from murdering. The action failed, as all the Changers ended up murdered or dead.
After Stormwatch was destroyed by alien life-forms, Hawksmoor went into hiding with Jenny Sparks and Swift. There they recruited Apollo, Midnighter, the Engineer and the Doctor, the latter two being spiritual successors of two of the members of the Changers.
This team later became The Authority, who formed after a devastating supervillain attack on Moscow. This was where Jack learned his powers had increased, bonding him to cities much faster than usual. For example, Moscow let him know she was hurting through a painful nosebleed.
The Authority operated on a ship called The Carrier
The Carrier
The Carrier is the fictional base of operations of The Authority, a Wildstorm Comics superteam. It is a shiftship, a ship capable of moving through the Bleed, the red space which separates alternate universes in the Wildstorm multiverse. It is long, high and two miles wide. It is powered by a...
, which was large enough to qualify as a city, thus keeping Jack healthy.
After helping in various invasions, such as from Sliding Albion and God's own worms, Jack was there when Jenny's unique life came to an end. He inherited leadership of the team, leading it through many more dimension-crossing misadventures. He helped assert the team's independence, even once threatening Bill Clinton. For a while, when the team was replaced by evil forces, he lived brain-damaged and homeless, unable to convince anyone who he was. He was rescued by his teammates and restored to his normal self.
The team broke up in 2005 and was restored in 2008 by Jenny Quantum
Jenny Quantum
Jenny Quantum is a fictional comic book superhero in the Wildstorm Universe published by DC Comics. She first appeared as a child in The Authority #13 , and was created by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely...
. Jack still completely subscribes to the team ideology to fight for a finer world, no matter what it takes.
Despite his deformed genitals (which had made a Secret Service agent vomit), Jack is a womanizer, and he has an open on/off relationship with the Engineer
Engineer (comics)
The Engineer is the name of two fictional characters in the . The current Engineer, Angela Spica, is a member of the Authority, first appears in The Authority #1 and was created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch.-The First Engineer:...
.
It is noteworthy that Jack used to consider killing a last resort. When he was fighting the bastard child of an American President mentioned above, he said "Damn you for making me do this, you filthy bastard" just before hanging him. With tears welling in his eyes, he asks Stormwatch control to teleport him out of the place.
World's End
The 2008 Number of the Beast Wildstorm miniseries described the devastation of Earth, and set the scene for a new Authority ongoing series, World's End, by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. In this series Jack is confined to the ruins of the crashed Carrier. Like the ship and the ruins of London into which it crashed, Jack is left wrecked and disfigured, crippled and hooked to IV dripsIntravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...
, reliant on a depowered Engineer for care.
Alternative versions
In an alternate reality, Jack became Stormwatch's Weatherman. Even though this alternate Jack was slowly having his alien parts removed, he still had many powers, such as being able to detect the atoms-wide dimensional breach the regular Stormwatch was using to spy on him.In another, Jack was female and pregnant. Jack Hawksmoor actually met this version during an evacuation while the earth was in peril.
Powers and Abilities
He is physically unable to survive outside of an urban environmentUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
for long; however, when he is within an urban environment, he has vast, vaguely-defined superpowers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
linked to the city, such as superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
agility
Agility
* Agility is a physical trait of an animal or person, and a component of physical fitness. It is the ability to change the body's position and direction with speed and precision.Agility may also refer to:In Sport:...
and strength
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
, and telepathic control, such as animation and possession, of infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
and architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and allowing him to experience precognition
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
and psychometry as if he and the city were one being. In some instances, he has transformed an entire city into a humanoid battlesuit and used it to fight. Jack treats individual cities as if each were their own being. Jack does not need to eat, as he can convert air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
into nourishment. He can also transport between cities, originally inside a womb-like construct, though this may have changed. Also, he doesn't always estimate the time for womb-transport correctly.
Jack tends to use the artificial transporter mechanisms of his team's headquarters to facilitate transport from city to city. Wildstorm Summer Special.
His powers and weaknesses are entirely symbiotic; the larger or more populous the city, the greater his abilities; and, conversely, if the city is damaged, he becomes less effective or develops an injury. Jack has been shown commanding cities to literally swallow people whole, sometimes Jack has caused parts of the city to erupt, damaging enemies. He also has showed to be able to fix damages and renew cities parts.
Appearance
Even though there is almost nothing left inside him that could be considered human, he is visibly distinguished only by his red pupils and ribbed/metallic (depending on the artist) soles of his feet (the latter has the deliberate result that he does not need to wear shoes, hence he can go barefoot and always be in contact with the city's streets and sidewalks). In his original appearance in Stormwatch, a government agent vomited at the sight of Jack naked, implying that his genitals were horrifically deformed. However, Hawksmoor has had multiple sexual relationships throughout his subsequent appearances, and such an issue has never been depicted.He is named after Spring Heeled Jack
Spring Heeled Jack
Spring-heeled Jack is a character in English folklore of the Victorian era who was known for his startling jumps. The first claimed sighting of Spring-heeled Jack was in 1837. Later sightings were reported all over England and were especially prevalent in suburban London, the Midlands and...
and the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
.
Jack Hawksmoor is one of the superheroes without costumes, although he is usually dressed in a stylish black suit with a white shirt. His clothing and haircut are similar to that of Johnny Bates from Miracleman
Miracleman
Marvelman, also known as Miracleman for trademark reasons in his American reprints and story continuation, is a fictional comic book superhero created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & Son. Originally intended as a United Kingdom home-grown substitute for the American...
.
Genesis
The concept of Jack Hawksmoor came from the observation that almost all superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es usually operate in a city - possibly because large buildings such as skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s provide a sense of scale to the actions of superheroes such as flying or fighting large monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s. Some of his powers (superhuman agility and the apparent ability to stick to walls) are based on the classic urban superhero Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
.
External links
- Secret History of the Authority: Jack Hawksmoor #2 and #3, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...