Issue(s): Darkhawk #6
Cover Date: Aug 91
Title: "Triad"
Credits:
Danny Fingeroth - Writer
Mike Manley - Penciler
Ricardo Villagran, Bob Wiacek, Bud LaRosa - Inker
Nel Yomtov - Editor

Review/plot:
Danny Fingeroth continues to build off of the fill-in story he wrote for Avengers #304. Last issue re-introduced Charles Little Sky, aka Portal, from that story. This issue brings back the U-Foes, who have found out that Portal has returned to Earth and are interested in using Portal to get at something they saw while they were trapped in another dimension before Portal accidentally freed them.

But first, Chris Powell, reacting to the fact that an assassin was sent after his mom last issue, decides to go after Phillippe Bazin as Darkhawk at his home.

We meet the whole Bazin family, and uh-oh, he's got a daughter that looks about Chris' age!

Realizing that Bazin has a family makes him doubt his decision to kill Bazin, and Darkhawk winds up leaving. Chris even starts thinking about retiring, especially after he realizes how much his family relies on him now that his father is gone.

After Darkhawk leaves, Bazin calls someone and tells them to accelerate Project Lodestone; a set-up for next issue.

Ok, now on to the Portal story. Portal has recovered enough that he is being transferred from a regular hospital to the Vault. Captain America is there as well, hoping that he'll be able to reason with Charles the way he couldn't in Charles' first appearance.

But then the U-Foes show up.

Chris is also on the scene, since he was hoping to ask Portal about the fact that his armor is similar to Darkhawk's, so he is able to transform and help Cap.

And Daredevil happens to be around, so he joins in too.

The U-Foes are Hulk villains and analogues of the Fantastic Four. So even though Darkhawk has help from Cap and Daredevil, it seems like an unbalanced fight. So no wonder that Captain America drops a "Thank heavens!" about teaming up with some guy that he doesn't even know.

And not only are they powerful, but the U-Foes are nefarious baby-kidnapping ne'er-do-wells.

Daredevil becomes "so enraged" that he makes a dumb move...

...and Darkhawk also reacts without caution.

The good news is that Daredevil can apparently dissipate Vapor by spinning his billy club around.

And Cap is able to distract the other U-Foes while Darkhawk rescues the hostages. The heroes are then able to knock out the U-Foes.

Note that Darkhawk is getting some flack for his impulsive move even though Daredevil admitted to himself that what he did was dumb too.

Portal's powers are weak, but after the fight he's able to summon the strength to teleport away.

I thought maybe Darkhawk would get a full dressing down from Cap over his actions during the hostage situation, but it doesn't go quite like that. Darkhawk apologizes for losing his head, and then asks Cap and DD how they are able to "risk everything, despite the fact that there are people who love you, count on you being there -- alive?". Daredevil jumps away saying, "You do it for the ones you love. And because it's right." Darkhawk responds, "Easy for perfect heroes like you guys to say,", but Cap responds that they're not perfect.

I think that the U-Foes are defeated a little too easily. And if the idea was to position Darkhawk as a rookie hero next to Cap and Daredevil, it doesn't come across all that clearly. Similarly if the idea was to let those heroes give him a pep talk, it comes across as a bit rushed. But i'm still finding this series to be more fun than i expected.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Enough time has passed for Chris' bullet wound to have healed after last issue and for Portal to be "finally" well enough to be transferred to the Vault. The MCP places this story before the Last Rites arc begins in Daredevil #297. As fragsel notes in the comments, Daredevil is referred to as a "lawyer head[ing] for a court appointment". But given the publication timing of this issue (almost half a year before Daredevil is formally restored as a lawyer in issue #300), i assume that Danny Fingeroth made a minor mistake with that description rather than was deliberately placing this appearance after Last Rites. I'm therefore interpreting "lawyer" in a casual sense. Matt Murdock was working with Foggy Nelson at this point to get his status restored. So maybe the court appearance related to that, or maybe it was for one of the cases he's been working in a non-official legal capacity at his clinic. So i'll stick with the MCP's placement.

References:

• Darkhawk found out that his dad was taking payoffs from Bazin in Darkhawk #1.
  
• Portal first appeared and accidentally freed the U-Foes in Avengers #304.
  
• The U-Foes saw some energy crystals while they were trapped in the Crossroads circa Hulk #304-305, and they want to use Portal to get back to them.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Note that Vapor is unable to poison Darkhawk because he doesn't need to breathe- another clue as to what's really happening when Chris "transforms".
Matt senses their "hearts pounding"- should any of the U-Foes have hearts? Vapor, yes, when she's in human form and Vector, maybe, but Ironclad and X-Ray?
Agreed that the U-Foes went down too easily- in New Warriors 14, Darkhawk seems evenly matched when fighting Namorita. And now we're supposed to believe he can survive going up against Vector and knock out Ironclad? Even a Namorita that just got out of the water is far less powerful than Ironclad and Vector.

I guess this is where the U-foes "Jump the Tiger Shark" so to speak, losing to foes they shouldn't lose to. It happens to every villain or villain team as they descend down the hero power totem pole. Up to this point, they were a good challenge for the Hulk and then teams of Avengers. Here, they lose to a rookie and two non-powered heroes.

I only just realized that Charles Little Sky is the same Portal from Marvel Zombies 3! That makes a lot of sense now that I think about it, since his powers are very suited for A.R.M.O.R. I always just assumed he was an original character when first reading that, what a pleasant surprise.

And whoah, I'm no expert in baby clothing, but that doesn't look like the recommended baby holding technique. Guess there's a reason there's no U-Foe equivliant of Franklin Richards.

I don't agree that Daredevil is context free here...

Based on the fact that Matt Murdock "a lawyer heads for a court appointment" I would say this definitelly takes place AFTER Daredevil 300

Thanks for pointing that out, fragsel. I still think it's a minor slip on Fingeroth's point - Matt Murdock was working in a legal capacity during this period although not officially as a lawyer - and i think the MCP's placement can still work. I've made some notes in the Considerations.