DARKHAWK (Conner Young)

Real Name: Conner Young
Aliases: None
Identity: Secret
Occupation: High School Graduate
Citizenship: American Citizen, with no known criminal record.
Place of Birth: Woodlawn Heights, New York
Known Relatives: Harris Young (Father)
Group Affiliation: None
First Appearance: Darkhawk #1 (2021)
History: Conner played for his high school basketball team called The Banshees and shown to be an excellent athlete. He’d earn a scholarship to ESU and had hoped to go professional.

After one of the games, Conner experienced a dizzy spell while he was in the locker, and his best friend Derek Lu checked on him, and Conner explained it happens sometimes. On the way back home, they see that a shop has been robbed and comment how the neighborhood has been going down. As they cut through an alley, they run into Shawn Trella, who had formerly played with the Banshees as well. When Conner gets home he shares how he had a headache and his father expressed concern, but Conner shrugs him off. The following day, while running – Conner experiences another dizzy spell and collapses, smashing his forehead against the concrete and rendering himself unconscious.

After awakening at the hospital, he learns that he has multiple sclerosis. Back at home, Conner notes that once word gets out, his scholarship with ESU is going to undoubtedly get pulled and any hope as a professional is now gone. After one of the following games, Conner heads out to the pier where the Darkhawk amulet crashes into a building – Conner rushes over to help some dockworkers when his multiple sclerosis kicks in again and he collapses – this time, near the Darkhawk amulet – which he grabs and transform into Darkhawk!

Darkhawk fights three masked robbers with futuristic like guns, and drives all three away. All three return to none other than Shawn Trella and one of the three robbers is revealed to be none other than Conner’s best friend, Derek Lu.

Back at home, Conner’s father has the medical treatments required for multiple sclerosis; and when Conner applies them, he discovers how painful it is. The following morning, Derek arrives at Conner’s house about getting exclusive PVRMO shoes. While standing in line, Derek uses Conner’s name (and local fame) to get him in the store, which gets him cuts in front of Miles Morales (the other Spider-Man). When several thugs steal their PVRMO shoes, Derek gives chase and Conner jumps to the side and changes into Darkhawk. As Darkhawk he defeats the thugs, but is surprised when Derek turn on “Darkhawk” and demands the armor. Conner reveals he is Darkhawk, just as none other than Miles Morales (as Spider-Man) shows up.

Later, Derek is seen with Shawn Trella again – and explains he can’t get the armor. It’s revealed they work for a man named Mr. Colt who appears and shoots and kills Derek for not doing everything it takes. Coach Pavlich shows up at Conner’s home after Derek’s body is found, to deliver the news of Derek’s murder. Conner tracks down Shawn Trella, knowing he’s behind it – or tied to it – and confronts him as Darkhawk. He confesses after nearly being dropped to his death that it was a man known only as “Mr. Colt.”

Darkhawk tracks Mr. Colt down to a warehouse, where Darkhawk is confronted by several beings who have been modified by technology to have super powers. One of the beings blasts Darkhawk, sending him crashing into the water near the pier, where he’s rescued by Spider-Man (Miles Morales). Conner reveals his identity to Miles Morales, and reveals how his severed arm (lost during the battle with Mr. Colt’s minions) returned and that he’s taller outside of the armor. The two head for The Coffee Shop where Miles is known (never revealing who he is). While they’re there, Miles texts none other than Captain America who also shows up at The Coffee Shop. The three take off – and Conner learns that Mr. Colt is involved in or runs “Project Deathlok” – an idea of cyborg enhancement. The three track down an A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Machines) facility and take it down to gather information on Project Deathlok.

Elsewhere, Shawn Trella is seen getting enhanced by Mr. Colt. Shawn, adding insult to injury, shows up at Derek Lu’s funeral and Conner and Shawn tussle outside, where Conner changes into Darkhawk – and Shawn reveals his own cybernetic enhancements. Spider-Man (Miles Morales) helps ensure the victory.

Conner returns to the basketball team and reveals his diagnosis, but the team refuses to let him go. Conner’s father takes a job as a mover, because of the good insurance, that will help pay for Conner’s future medical treatment.

Elsewhere in space, Conner’s version of the Darkhawk armor is seen in the healing vat, and standing outside is the Chris Powell armor and a voice whispers from within, “Don’t worry, Conner. Everything changes.”

Height: 6’5 (6’2 as Darkhawk)
Weight:135 lbs (210 lbs as Darkhawk)
Eyes: Black (None as Darkhawk/Red Visor)
Hair:Black (None as Darkhawk)

Powers: Unlike the original Darkhawk, when Conner took possession of the Darkhawk amulet, it seemed to be closer to what Chris was able to do when he’d learned so much from the Raptors. Conner was able to create energy wings, create weapons from his armor, had incredible endurance, could heal wounds by switching back and forth from Conner to Darkhawk (such as healing a severed limb).

Accessories: Darkhawk Amulet (which transforms him to Darkhawk). Without the amulet, Conner Young is unable to turn into Darkhawk.