My favorite superheroes from both Marvel and DC Comics often aren’t the main eventers. Sure, I like Superman, Batman, Captain America, the Avengers, Spider-Man, and so-on but the characters in comic books I spend the most time with are often the second-stringers or the B (and lower) level characters. I already know all I really need to know about Iron Man and Batman. Tell me more instead about characters like Moon Knight and Blade the Vampire Hunter. Better yet, let’s dive even deeper.
A favorite from my childhood was The Defenders by Marvel Comics. As a young kid, I had to earn my allowance money which I then had to divide up between action figures and comic books. So, when it came to comics, I often gravitated toward the team books like Justice League of America, The Avengers, and The Defenders. I got more superheroes for my dollar that way. I loved The Defenders in the 1970s and one of the mainstays on that team was Nighthawk.
Turns out, Nighthawk is a very complicated comic book character. A little too complicated. I like him as basically a Dollar Store version of Batman in the Marvel Universe, but Nighthawk’s canonical back story is a little hard to follow.
Nighthawk is the name of several different characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. There have been no less than six versions of the character: a supervillain-turned-superhero from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, Kyle Richmond, who belonged to the Squadron Sinister team; and five from alternate universes, who belonged to various incarnations of the team Squadron Supreme.
Nighthawk as he appeared in The Defenders issue 13 from Marvel Comics.
Kyle Richmond, the “mainstream” Nighthawk or the one I grew up with in The Defenders, debuted as a supervillain in the final panel of The Avengers issue 69 published in October 1969. This was part of a three-issue story arc by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The story introduced the supervillain team the Squadron Sinister, with members loosely based on DC Comics' Justice League of America characters including Nighthawk based on Batman.
Nighthawk in his new (classic) costume in The Defenders issue 15
Following this arc, Nighthawk appeared in Daredevil issue 62 in March 1970 before setting up shop in the pages of The Defenders beginning with issue 13 in May 1974 and joins The Defenders in the following issue.
Nighthawk appeared on a regular basis in The Defenders including a story arc beginning in 1979 which saw Nighthawk under criminal investigation. Writer Ed Hannigan stated he planned to end this story arc with Nighthawk being put in prison but his run on the series ended before he could bring this to fruition.
Nighthawk meets The Thing of Marvel’s Fantastic Four comic book in The Defenders issue 20.
Nighthawk apparently sacrifices his life in The Defenders issue 106 from April 1982. In the following years Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe, Nighthawk appeared in the “Dead and Inactive” issues as “deceased.”
In the three-issue miniseries Nighthawk (1998), Kyle Richmond is revealed to be alive, but in a coma and brain dead. Through supernatural means, he is revived and resumes his crime-fighting career. He co-starred in the 12-issue run of The Defenders vol. 2 (2002) and the miniseries The Order (2002). Nighthawk formed a short-lived version of the Defenders, with the long time X-Men member Colossus, the Blazing Skull, and She-Hulk, as part of the miniseries The Last Defenders (2008).
Nighthawk in The Defenders issue 60 by Marvel Comics.
Nighthawk is a superb athlete who, courtesy of an alchemical potion, possesses enhanced strength and increased agility and durability from dusk till dawn (thus Night-hawk). He has a jet-powered artificial wing system, artificial claw tips, lasers, and projectile weapons.
That is the “main” version of Nighthawk. The various multi-dimensional Squadron Supreme’s each have an alternative version of Nighthawk in their comic books. Nighthawk has had both a Marvel Universe 4 inch action figure, as well as, a 6 inch Marvel Legends action figure, both feature his classic Defenders costume.
Nighthawk gets a costume modification in The Defenders issue 80.
Nighthawk has made only very limited appearances in animation and live-action Marvel offerings, with Scoot McNairy portraying the Jackson Norriss Squadron Supreme Nighthawk character in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) short film All Hail the King. Nighthawk (the classic Kyle Richmond version) appeared in the Marvel animated series Marvel Super-Hero Squad which presently streams on Disney Plus streaming app.
Nighthawk following his return from death in the Nighthawk marvel comics mini-series in 1998.
Marvel Legends 6 inch Nighthawk action figure.
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