BLACKWING

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

Real Name: Barnell Bohusk
Aliases: Barry, Beak
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Student
Citizenship: American Citizen With No Known Criminal Record, formerly Netherlands
Place of Birth: Cleveland, Maryland
Known Relatives: Charles Bohusk (Father), Kathy Bohusk (Mother), Angel Salvadore (Wife), Tito (Son), Axel (Son), Kara (Daughter) and Three other  “Offspring”
Group Affiliation: New Mutants (formerly), Exiles, Brotherhood of Mutants (formerly), New Warriors (Currently)
First Appearance: New X-Men #117 (as Beak), New Warriors (v4) #3 (as Blackwing)
History: For Barnell Bohusk life would become extremely difficult when the “gift” of his mutant powers manifested themselves. His mutant power would cause Barnell to become horribly disfigured, and become what appeared to be a hybrid of a human and a vulture. Barnell was brought to Xavier’s School for the Gifted, and here – Barnell buried himself deep into his studies, and rarely ventured outward, perhaps ashamed of his disfigured appearance.

He found a friend in Hank McCoy, the X-Man known as Beast, thanks to their common link of a physical mutation. Barnell found himself constantly being mocked by his peers for having a seemingly useless mutation. This lead to Barnell entering a special class in Xavier’s School for the Gifted, that centered around young mutants with “less abilities.” It was here that the other students in this class began to look to Barnell as a leader, as he seemed to prove that he really had the drive to do something more than just being a “useless mutant with useless powers.”

This is also where he would eventually met Angel Salvadore, a young woman who like Barnell, was a mutant – but hers was more of a hybrid between a human and a fly; including veined wings, the need to vomit to use its acidic liquid to devour her food; and more importantly, laid eggs rather than bore children.

This last thing would greatly affect Barnell, as the two of them became close; and soon after, Angel Salvadore revealed her pregnancy to Barnell. Within five days, she had given birth to a number of children, who bore a resemblance crossed between Barnell and Angel Salvadore.

After a brief encounter with Xorn/Magneto, Barnell and Angel Salvadore, along with their children, took up residence on the Xavier’s School for Gifted Children. But their home life would be disrupted when the Exiles arrived at Xavier’s Institute and Barnell was forced to join them. He left Angel Salvadore and his children behind, unable to say goodbye to them; Angel Salvadore had assumed that Barnell had abandoned them.

Angel Salvadore went on to lead the life of a successful (and childless!) life of a plus size model, unaware of Barnell’s existence, thanks to the effects of Scarlet Witch’s “reality altering spell” that would later become known as “M-Day.”

After a number of exciting adventures with the time/reality traveling group, the Exiles, Barnell was returned to Earth and reunited with Angel Salvadore. Thanks to Scarlet Witch’s altering spell – Angel Salvadore, Barnell, and all their children (except for Tito, it seemed) had all become powerless.

Events would happen that would lead Barnell to leave Xavier’s Institute once again, and join the newly formed New Warriors. Barnell would later, after a month of observing Sophia, be the one to recruit a fellow mutant who had also lost her powers – the former New Mutant known as Wind Dancer.

Early in this newly formed team of “New Warriors” the team suffers a casualty when Longstrike, Phaser’s sister is killed. Night Thrasher is hard on the New Warriors and tells them that this is a war, and there will be casualties.

Sometime later, at the Appalachian Safehouse, Night Thrasher finds that the entire area is undisturbed. He had hoped that if Dwayne were still alive he would be hiding here. He does however, managed to snag some of Dwayne’s DNA for testing. As he exits the house however, he discovers he’s not alone and is confronted by Counter Force which consists of: Justice, Rage, Debrii, Slapstick and two of the Scarlet Spiders.

Both Rage and Justice try to talk to Night Thrasher but he refuses to discuss it with them and a fight breaks out – and just when it seems like Night Thrasher’s been captured – the arrival of the New Warriors tips the balance once more.

Throughout the fight Night Thrasher is thinking about how Justice and the rest of Counter Force think he’s a Skrull – while he’s wondering if it was Skrull who perished at Stamford, not his own half-brother. As the fight processes, Night Thrasher realizes that this has to end quickly.

He decides to stop the fight and unveil who he is. He explains his actions about looking for the truth about Dwayne – and whether he would ever take part of some reality television show as a part of the “New Warriors.” Justice steps up and informs Donyell that he can help – because he knows the location of Dwayne’s body.

The New Warriors, along with Counter Force, arrive at the Helicarrier only to find it under attack by Skrulls. The New Warriors and Counter Force get out of the plane as Night Thrasher crashes it into one of the Skrull ships. After that, they follow Justice onto the Helicarrier and begin helping the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents against the Skrulls.

As the New Warriors and Counter Force battle the Skrulls, Night Thrasher grabs Justice and enables “ghost mode” – allowing them to phrase through the floor. The others continue to battle the Skrulls – and just when it seems like they might be doing all right – the arrival of a Super Skrull, looking a lot like Nova, appears and tilts the odds back in favor of the Skrulls.

Meanhile Justice leads Night Thrasher to the bodies of what appears to be Dwayne and Microbe, with Nita’s ashes in a jar. Night Thrasher takes a sample from Dwayne’s body and begins the DNA comparison. All three turn out to be positive identifications – proving that the Dwayne, Namorita and Microbe did indeed die at Stamford. Night Thrasher turns to Justice and explains, he’s taking the remains with him. Justice, after a brief pause, agrees to help. They bury the New Warriors and create a memorial plaque for Dwayne, Namorita and Zachary.

Later, the New Warriors burst in through the roof and the Dread Dealers are subjected to Pym Particles and reduced in size.

Their victory is short lived however, with the sudden appearance of Sykes, Givens and the New Warriors Task Force. The New Warriors make a break for it – but Blackwing, who is carrying Night Thrasher gets tagged and the two crash to the ground. Panicking, Tempest screams out and doesn’t see the net shot at her – Wondra tries to push her out of the way but gets snagged.

One of the New Warriors Task Force members fires a shot – but Ripcord kicks him at the last moment. The shot hits the flame tank of another New Warriors Task Force member – and Ripcord stops to try and help him. Skybolt seeing that the tank is about to explode tries to get to Ripcord – he manages to grab her and start flying away – but the tank explodes, causing a blinding flash. Night Thrasher gets the other New Warriors together, and they quickly make their escape – unsure of the fate of both Skybolt and Ripcord. They later learn that both perished in the fire.

The New Warriors are later teleported to an alternate reality, in which Dwayne Taylor has become Iron Man, and Tony Stark has become Night Thrasher. Dwayne has become an evil corporate leader, and while Donyell struggles to not betray his brother, in the end he knows he has to stop him. After a long fight, the New Warriors defeat Dwayne, and return to their own time.

Donyell tells them to keep their tech equipment regardless, because they had definitely deserved it. As everyone exits the room, Wondra approaches Night Thrasher and the two seem to be ready to say something – instead, Wondra kisses Night Thrasher on the cheek then follows the others out of the room, leaving Donyell there to sit and think about all that he had done – and what he was going to do next.

Later, when Havok (formerly of the X-Men), Emma Frost (formerly of the Hellfire Club), Miss Sinister, and Bastion (former mutant hunting Sentinel) unleash something called the Mothervine; it triggers mutations within people; and one of the ones seen impacted is Barnell Bohusk – wearing his Blackwing outfit, falling to the ground, screaming he was just getting used to being human, as his “beak-form” begins to reshape his body (beak for a nose, talons like a vulture).

Barnell and his wife, Angel, along with their kids would go on to move out in the country with Barnell’s parents, when several bandits wanting to cash in on the medicines being provided by the island Krakoa (the new home of the mutant community) attack them, critically wounding Barnell who is rushed to Krakoa.

Height: 6’2″ (Depowered), 5’9″ (Beak)
Weight: 220 lbs. (Depowered), 140 lbs (Beak)
Eyes: Black (as Beak), Blue (as Barnell)
Hair: White (as Beak), Blond (as Barnell)
Powers: None currently. Before the events of “M-Day” as Beak, his bones were light and hollow. His eventually grew feathers, which fully formed, may have allowed him to fly. In the meantime, he had managed to learn how to glide and fly, for short distances with practice and vast amounts of effort and strain to his body and endurance. He had also developed an incredible eye sight, and talons on his hands and feet.

Accessories: As Blackwing, he wore a suit that had retractable wings that allowed him to fly. The mesh of the wings was strong enough to deflect blasters with no impact to him. He was also able to discharge a concussive blast from his fists.