Details[]
Real Name: John H. Braddock
Ethnicity: Irish American
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 5'11
Weight: 190lbs
Birthplace: Gotham City
Affiliations: Justice League of America, Gotham Police Department, WayneTech
John H. Braddock, AKA: Black Harrier is a costumed crime-fighter working the streets of Gotham City alongside Batman and Robin. He once worked as a Security Guard at Wayne Tower, a job he hated until the Exobyte incident which improved his body and mind but gave him no superpowers. Batman and Green Arrow trained him in both Martial Arts and Archery and he has become a feared name among Gotham's underworld.
Life Before the Exobytes[]
Born John Harold Braddock to working-class parents in Gotham's East End district. When he was eleven, he contracted Type 1 Diabetes and had to inject himself with insulin on a daily basis, this led to his parents being a lot more protective of him. John managed the condition well throughout his teens, he enjoyed Rollerblading and Archery, but had no aspirations in his future. After graduation he spent a year drifting between jobs before getting a job at Wayne Tower as a security guard. At first he liked the job as it gave him some sense of importance, but over the years he grew tired of the same day-in-day-out duties. Although he disliked the job, he was good at it. He also met Bruce Wayne a couple of times.
The Exobyte Incident[]
Whilst travelling home from a very long, very boring nightshift, he felt something like an insect bite in the back of his neck, thinking it was a Mosquito he slapped the back of his neck to kill it, he walked a few more yards and then the pain hit him. The pain was so intense, like his body was twisting itself. Two minutes later, he fell unconscious.
He woke a few days later in Gotham General Hospital, to find Powergirl watching over him, at first he thought that he was dead and that Powergirl was an angel, but she told him that Robin had found him on the street and brought him to hospital. Leslie Tompkins arrived with Batman and they gave him the news that the Exobytes that had infected him had cured his Type 1 diabetes, increased his muscle mass by 20 percent, had sharpened his reflexes and had implanted the knowledge of six different Martial Arts. Batman, recognizing John from Wayne Tower offered him a way out of his mundane lifestyle, to take to the streets as a Costumed hero and help him and the other Justice League heroes fight Brainiac.
John took the opportunity full on and began training with Batman, not that he needed much but it allowed Batman to evaluate his skill. One area he failed on was using a grapple hook and gliding around the city, he couldn't fly or run at super speeds so Robin suggested Skimming, a new way of flying, with his Roller Blading skills, John excelled at Skimming so added a pair of Skimmer Boots to his costume. Robin helped John design his costume, going for a dark motif. On choosing his name, John wanted 'Nighthawk' but that was already taken by another Exobyte infected hero, Robin then found the following on Wikipedia
"A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds. The young of the species are sometimes referred to as ring-tail harriers."
And
"The black harrier (Circus maurus) is a medium-sized (up to 46 cm long) African harrier of South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia."
John chose Black Harrier as his hero name.
Escaping Brainiac[]
Work in Progress
Powers and Abilities[]
"BUSTED!" Black Harrier makes Scarecrow his first major arrest
Black Harrier has no superpowers, before the Exobyte infection, his body was in bad shape due to his Type 1 Diabetes, he was underweight and had problems with his control due to his lifestyle and career. The Exobytes cured him of his condition and instantly transformed his body into one in peak physical condition. The infection also gave him heightened reflexes, higher pain threshold and the knowledge of six different martial arts. Nightwing stated that the Exobyte data transferred into John H. Braddock may have come from Batman himself.
His hand-to-hand combat skill almost matches those of Batman, with knowledge of six different martial art forms he is capable of engaging multiple opponents and opponents of superior strength. He is also trained (by Batman) in the use of field gadgetry, such as taser wires, fear gas sprays and sticky bombs.
He is also a keen Archer, something he loved as a boy, and occasionally uses a bow and arrows when needed, the Exobytes enhanced his archery skill, and he continues to train under Green Arrow.
"It's like Rollerblading through the skies!" Black Harrier on Skimming
As a child, John loved to rollerblade. After a failed attempt to learn to patrol the city using a grapnel gun and gliding cape, Robin suggested Skimming, an alternative form of flying that involves attaching advanced polarized repulsor generators ('confiscated' tech from Lexcorp) to the soles of boots, allowing someone to 'rollerblade the skies'. Finding this more familiar and easier, John took to skimming much quicker than he would have if he carried on training in acrobatics.
Weapons and Equipment[]
Black Harrier uses a wide range of weapons and equipment in his crime fighting. These include custom-forged Shurikens, throw-launched tazer, spray that contains a modified form of Scarecrow's fear gas and smoke pellets and sticky bombs. He can also call down airstrikes from an AI controlled UV drone that can be launched from a secret location near Gotham city.
He sometimes uses a custom made Compound Bow that is collapsible and can clip to the back of his belt when using this he replaces his cape with a quiver that can load explosive arrow tips to an arrow with a push of a button.
Relationships[]
Work in Progress
Trivia[]
Work in Progress