Celebrating Black History Month – #BHM – Midnight’s Fire

Real Name: Aaron Chord
Aliases: “Mirror Brother”
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Mercenary, Street Gang, Folding Circle
Citizenship: American Citizen, with a criminal record.
Place of Birth: New York, New York
Known Relatives: Andrew Chord (Father), Miyami Chord (Mother, Deceased), Silhouette Chord (Sister), Tai (Grandmother, Deceased)
Group Affiliation: Concrete Dragons, Folding Circle
First Appearance: New Warriors #2 (V1)
History: The origin of Midnight’s Fire truly begins with the Vietnam War. His father, Andrew Chord, who served with a military unit known as the “Half-Fulls”, had stumbled upon an ancient Asian Cult of the Dragon’s Breadth, who were guardians of the Well of All Things; an inter-dimensional Well that was bursting with an array of untapped mystical energy. The Cult of the Dragon’s Breadth had been breeding children who would eventually be capable of accessing the Well’s energies better than any other ever had.

Tai, who would be directly responsible for the creation of the New Warriors, was one of the adults who knew that she would be giving birth to the ones that would bear the children of ‘The Pact.’ She had given birth to her daughter, Miyami; and the other mothers followed suit. Tai, however, killed all that would oppose her, except for the children who would bear the offspring of ‘The Pact’ thus leaving Tai as the sole beneficiary of the Well’s powers when the time was right.

Tai arranged for Andrew Chord to marry and mate with her own daughter, Miyami. Andrew Chord married her and brought her to the United States, where soon after, she would bare twins; Aaron and Silhouette. However, fearful of Tai’s plans, Miyami faked their death and went into hiding. She had left her children in New York’s Chinatown, where they learned to survive. It was during this time that their mutate powers developed. Aaron adopted the name Midnight’s Fire, and with his power he was at the peak of human possibility with enhanced speed, strength, agility, and sensory perception on par with Captain America. He is also an unparalleled martial artist.

Midnight’s Fire and Silhouette joined a gang by the name of the Concrete Dragons, who were later wiped out by a rival gang named Poisoned Memories. Having endured this loss, Midnight’s Fire and Silhouette turned their attention to battling gangs, and during this time met Night Thrasher. Together, the three of them had formed an alliance. Night Thrasher and Silhouette developed a love interest with one another during this time.

In a later bust, Night Thrasher prevented Midnight’s Fire from attacking an interfering police officer, whose stray bullets left Silhouette paralyzed. Midnight’s Fire swore vengeance against Night Thrasher and left a scar on his left cheek. Midnight’s Fire then rebuilt the Concrete Dragon gang, this time arming them with AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) technology and sparked a violent altercation with police, that left three officers dead, in an attempt to draw out Night Thrasher. Night Thrasher, as well as the rest of the New Warriors, arrived to put an end to it. During the battle, Night Thrasher successfully defeated Midnight’s Fire, and returned the favor by leaving a scar on his left cheek as well. Silhouette disowned her brother, claiming he had no honor.

Midnight’s Fire was later freed and recruited by The Left Hand, who promised him to reveal the truth about himself, with a promise of more power as well. Midnight’s Fire remained with The Left Hand as he formed “The Folding Circle” – a team composed of all the children of ‘The Pact.’ Together, they had gone to harvest the power of the Well of All Things. However, the New Warriors arrived as well; and during the battle, they were betrayed by Tai, who planned to sacrifice the New Warriors and use the members of the Folding Circle as her Avatars on the World, during her quest for domination. The Folding Circle and the New Warriors teamed up to stop Tai, and successfully managed to do so; only when Night Thrasher shot her, at point blank range, with a machine gun (after she had been weakened). The result, however, was Tai, Night Thrasher and The Left Hand falling into the Well of All Things; but Nova managed to rescue Night Thrasher before it was too late. Barely escaping, the Well of All Things collapsed unto itself, sealing it, seemingly forever.

During their escape, the Folding Circle, under the new leadership of Midnight’s Fire, stole the Avengers Quinjet that the New Warriors had originally taken from the Avengers. However, they did not get far as they crashed the jet in Madripoor. It was there, that Midnight’s Fire encouraged the other members of the Folding Circle that they could take a piece of the drug money that was flowing through Madripoor. Aligning themselves with Tyger Tiger, the Folding Circle went after Aardwolf, only to be thwarted by Night Thrasher and Silhouette.

After the events of Civil War, in which several members of the New Warriors perished (Night Thrasher, Namorita, and Debrii), Donyell Taylor (formerly Bandit) adopted the Night Thrasher guise. Midnight’s Fire would appear again, this time working for a shadowed figure (unrevealed to be Lady Sphinx) and agrees to help Donyell get a number of items needed to create a time machine that would allow him to travel back in time and prevent Dwayne Taylor’s death. The ultimate purpose for Midnight’s Fire assisting Donyell remains unknown, as the attempt to travel back in time and prevent Dwayne Taylor’s death is unsuccessful.

Midnight Fire’s current whereabouts remain unknown.

Height: 6’3″
Weight: 220 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

Powers: Like all members of The Folding Circle; Midnight’s Fire is a mystically powered mutates who derived his power from the ancient Well of All Things. His mutated power grants him the peak of human possibility with enhanced speed, strength, agility, and sensory perception on par with Captain America. He is also an unparalleled martial artist.

Accessories: Midnight’s Fire carries an assortment of spikes, which he uses with lethal effectiveness.