Issue(s): Darkhawk #9
Cover Date: Nov 91
Title: "Honor among psychotics"
Credits:
Danny Fingeroth - Writer
Mike Manley - Penciler
Mike Manley & Ricardo Villagran - Inker
Nel Yomtov - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue features a guest appearance by the Punisher, and it starts off trying to trick us into thinking that we're with the Punisher already, as a vigilante character writing entries in a journal targets some goons that are guarding a shipment of stolen AIM weapons.

But things get a little weird when the character shoots energy beams, and then we see the actual Punisher come into view.

So this character is really Savage Steel, who we did hear say in the previous arc that Punisher was on his list.

A three way fight between the Punisher, Savage Steel, and the goons with AIM weapons makes its way to a mall near the hospital where Chris Powell (aka Darkhawk) was visiting his friend Headset, who was injured thanks (partially) due to Darkhawk's carelessness in the last arc. Chris and his girlfriend Cheryl had gone from the hospital to the store, and Chris nearly told Cheryl his secret identity. What's holding him back? Hilariously, it's the fact that crimelord Phillippe Bazin's daughter gave him a sultry look recently.

     

Too soon to commit to Cheryl! Let's see how things play out with Allegra first!

Anyway, that's when the Punisher fight intrudes. Chris sends Chery out of the store, telling her that he knows a special SWAT team phone number since his dad was a cop (even though, as she points out and the police later confirm, it's not exactly a secret that the mall is getting shot up). Chris then transforms into Darkhawk and offers to help the Punisher, even while wondering if that means he's going to be doing any killing.

This almost feels like a turning point for Darkhawk, who has been agonizing over the question of using lethal force since his series began, but of course he's fighting alongside a guy with no such compunctions.

The AIM weapons turn out to be more than the Punisher and Darkhawk can handle, and so Punisher is forced into a temporary alliance with Savage Steel, even though he knows that Steel will turn on him the moment it's over.

Note that Punisher was given a chance to work with Steel's organization.

Darkhawk, already bleeding green blood from the AIM weapons, tries to help the Punisher and gets his hand blasted off by Savage Steel.

But that's not a problem. An instant recovery is just two transformations away.

The Punisher, meanwhile, is regretting agreeing to guest-appear in this book, since he's forced to deliver such dialogue as "What does it take to stop you, Steel?!". Punisher agreed to help out Darkhawk's sales, not to bolster the rep of some two-bit villain.

But Punisher manages to get his hands on one of the AIM weapons and blast Steel to the ground. Darkhawk jumps in the way before the Punisher can deliver a second, killing, blow.

Punisher tries to get a shot in anyway but ends up hitting Darkhawk. Steel then flees when the police show up. In the end, Punisher tells Darkhawk to stay pure, Ponyboy.

Punisher gets away before the police show up, and the police let Darkhawk leave, with one cop saying, "I've just got a feeling... that -- somehow -- the Darkhawk's on our side".

Chris says at the end that he's going to tell Cheryl the truth.

There are also scenes focusing on Chris' mom working with the private detective Harry Lennox to locate her missing husband. But as we saw last issue, someone else is secretly working with the detective that says that she needs to be eliminated, and we find out that it's her husband.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Not too long from this, PAD will tell an awesome Hulk/Punisher team-up that shows how the Punisher would team-up with a super that isn't directly opposing or trying to turn him in.

This story isn't that.