Forerunner (comics)

Forerunner
Jason Todd and Forerunner from Countdown #46. Art by Ed Benes
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Countdown #46 (August 2007)
Created by	Paul Dini (writer) Jimmy Palmiotti (writer) Justin Gray (writer) Jesus Saiz (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Viza Aziv
Species	Forerunner
Place of origin	War World
Partnerships	Monarch (Nathaniel Adam)
Notable aliases	Harbinger
Abilities	Superhuman speed and strength, flight, near-invulnerability, mild telepathy, momentary invisibility, other undisclosed inherited traits

Forerunner is a fictional character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Countdown #46 (August 2007), and was created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Jesus Saiz.

Viza Aziv's origin story, as well as the history of her race, is depicted in Countdown to Adventure #1. The Forerunners' planet is the Earth of an alternate universe, ravaged by years of destructive war. The other "Nine Houses" (planets and dwarf planets) of the Solar System declared the planet a War World in which they would battle for occupancy. Survivors of the wars - the strongest and fittest - remained on the planet and interbred, unknowingly guided to do so by the Monitors. The process produced the Forerunners, a species possessing traits of the beings from other planets such as Green Martians and Saturnians. When the Nine Houses decided that the Forerunners were a threat that had to be eliminated, the Monitors intervened and formed a pact with the Nine Houses: the Monitors would keep the Forerunners from moving against the Nine Houses. For their own purposes, the Monitors would appoint one Forerunner as their Instrument of Righteous Death whom they also called Harbinger.

Viza is a member of a genetically engineered race of warriors tasked with serving the Monitors, and was assigned by a Monitor to kill anomalous beings inhabiting the Multiverse. In her first appearance, she battled Jason Todd and Donna Troy during their investigation of the death of Duela Dent. After failing to eliminate the two, she was denounced by one of the Monitors and suffered a crisis of confidence. Vowing to stay on Earth until she regained the trust of the Monitors, Forerunner was later contacted by Captain Atom (now called Monarch) who recruited her to aid him in his plans. He accused the Monitors of deploying a Harbinger, Dark Angel, to wipe out the Forerunner race. Monarch granted Forerunner an entire Bleed-based armada with which to wage war against the Monitors.