Hellstrike
| Hellstrike | |
|---|---|
Hellstrike
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | WildStorm |
| First appearance | Stormwatch #1 |
| Created by | Jim Lee & Brandon Choi |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Nigel Keane |
| Team affiliations |
Stormwatch Scotland Yard |
| Abilities | Project explosive bolts of plasma, flight |
Nigel Keane, also known as Hellstrike, is a fictional comic book superhero in the Stormwatch series, first appearing in Stormwatch #1. He possesses the ability to project plasma as destructive bolts or as an energy stream to allow himself to fly. As of Issue #12, he also has to live inside a containment suit similar to Fuji's.
Nigel is born Irish in Belfast. He serves in the British police constabulary in Belfast for some years before moving to London. There, he falls in love with Anne, his partner while investigating the IRA. Their relationship lasts until an Irish terrorist/mercenary by the name of Seamus O'Brien, kills her in front of him. In the ensuing fight, Keane is mortally wounded. But before dying, his powers manifest, saving his life and making him Hellstrike. O'Brien later became the villain Deathtrap, leader of the MERCs, a mercenary unit of super powered beings. Hellstrike bears a long grudge against Deathtrap for both this and Anne's murder.
Nigel joined StormWatch One, the main team of superheroes serving the UN. In the Wildstorm universe, the UN is secretly a menacing worldwide conspiracy led by gun-toting, paranoid "Secret Masters". While they are heroes, the operatives of StormWatch are quite ruthless and do not hesitate to violate the rights of a country in order to advance the agenda of the UN.
After a battle against Deathtrap, Hellstrike was severely injured, falls into coma and his neural circuitry began to fall apart. His body starts to lose cohesion and breaks into pure energy in a tremendous explosion that ruined Skywatch's sickbay. At this time, Nigel decides to give up his life. Then, Fuji contacted him in his comatose state and persuaded him that his life was still worth something, with Fuji using himself as an example. With the help of StormWatch engineering genius Link, Nigel received a tailor made containment suit, much like Fuji's, except that Fuji's gives him the control of his own density and avoids radioactive gas leaks, while Hellstrike's acts as a force field preventing him from exploding.
He can manipulate it at will, such as when he learned he could grow genitalia, something he offered to show his teammates. They refused. Unfortunately, others can manipulate it, such as when the High grabs his chest and immobilized him.
When Bendix reshapes StormWatch, Hellstrike was attached to StormWatch Prime under Winter's command. StormWatch Prime was the unit devoted to deal with superhuman threats in hotwar situations.
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Wikipedia