Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk #2

Consider helping keep the site ad free by using our Affiliate Link!

Return to Darkhawk Infinity Countdown.

This issue of Darkhawk opens with Chris Powell’s current girlfriend, Miranda Cruz getting a text from Chris that he needs to meet with her to talk.  He texts her that he needs to meet her at an old Church before they tear it down. Miranda, thinking back on the differences between her and Chris, knows that something is up; and at the top of the Church, she sees clearly what it is – Chris Powell, in the form of Darkhawk in ankle and wrist shackles.

He assures her that it’s not as bad as it looks. He explains that he just needs to see her one more time before he leaves. She demands that he take off the shackles, and just then, Death’s Head make an appearance, telling her that the shackles do not come off. Darkhawk tells him to give them a moment, and he does – right up until he’s had enough listening to them talk, and teleports himself and Darkhawk aboard his ship – much to the frustration of Darkhawk.

Death’s Head explains that he was somewhat disturbed to discover that inside the Darkhawk armor was an actual person; and explains how his body was designed for a mammal to take over, but he had managed to retain his own sentience. Chris nods off and has a dream – a vision – that dips into the memories of how the Darkhawk armor came to be his; and how everything he had known before was a lie – the human mind, trying to compensate for what the Datasong of the Raptors was doing to him.

He is jaunted awake when the ship gets attacked by Raptors. Chris changes into Darkhawk and begins fighting them; but finds they’re not as weak as the ones he’d fought on Earth. He plummets to the planet nearby with the other Raptors and is captured and held captive in front of Gyre, one of the other Raptors. Robbie Rider (brother of Rich Rider – the man known as Nova!) runs up and says that they should study the amulet.

Gyre explains that everything has something to fear; something that hunts it – and even the Phoenix Force, one of the greatest forces in the universe had something that hunted it down, and it was Ratha’Kon (probably a play on words of Wrath of Khan) who had achieved the level of becoming a Starhawk. (It’s unclear if this is a reference to the same Starhawk being we know from the distant future in Guardians of the Galaxy, but it would sure be a nice tie in). Gyre then – not only rips the amulet from Darkhawk’s chest, but also punches a hole through his chest. He then gives the amulet to Robbie Rider, also known as Talonar – this transforms Robbie into the Dark Starhawk.