There is something innately intriguing about an anti-hero, something that draws admirers closer to such characters! We presumably enjoy watching their shortcomings and vulnerabilities because it makes them more sympathetic. While we are on the subject of dark anti-hero figures, let us visit Dark Horse Comics’ ominous shelves and look for X, the nameless vigilante!
He is one of those characters who is often misconstrued since, while he is a superhero, he is not the type we are used to seeing. His victims are terrified of him, just as they are of death. He takes down the corrupt, and his techniques have a semblance of insanity to them – a mirror of his terrible history. He could be compared to a Batman clone, although he lacks Batman’s moral compass. Let us have a look at the film and see how X, the vigilante, reacts to the rule that regulates him.
The tragic and dark origin
Before getting into the story, let us talk about the vortex. The Vortex was created near Cinnabar Flats, a region of Nevada. It was formed due to an atomic explosion that accidentally destroyed an underground alien machine in 1947. This produces a black hole-like formation that releases unknown and unexplained energies that trigger unexpected mutations in the people who come too close to it.
A number of military personnel were involved in the investigation of the vortex. But due to the exposure, many of them were significantly changed in unusual ways. One such case was of a military general who had just had his arm infected. So, in order to save himself, he got it removed for scientists to study the effects of the Vortex in that arm. It turns out that one scientist, whose name we do not know, was able to figure out how the mutation of the blood worked in that arm.
So, obviously, he stole it. When the military came looking for him in his house, he injected the blood into his son’s arm. They torched the place, and both the scientist and his son were assumed dead by the military. And that is when the most interesting thing happened. The boy somehow healed from the damage and survived. Even though he was covered in scars and burn marks.
The kid then ended up wandering the streets of the city of Arcadia. He realized he had partial amnesia. Sure, he remembered all of the knowledge that his education and personal experience had provided him. But the actual facts of his personal life were now forgotten. Who he was, where he came from, and even how did he end up where he is now? He had no answers, nor could he ask anybody.
The only things he had were his clothes and a wooden cube with the letter “X” on it. So, as a result, he spent most of his childhood as a state ward and was given the name John Smith 24. It’s as if he consciously had to build a new life, knowing that he must have had a past but having no means to figure it out. As John Smith got older, he found it more difficult to manage and suppress his aggressive violent urges, which prompted him to see a psychiatrist.
But, the two became pretty close over time, and it led to a love affair between the doctor and her patient. However, happiness does not come that easily, right? It turns out that the Doctor was actually in a relationship with a mob boss named Carmine Tango. Afraid that Tango would harm John if he found out about her affair, she rejected him as harshly as a person possibly could.
This definitely caused some serious emotional and psychological trauma for John. As a result, when he found out the actual reason for the rejection, John broke into Tango’s house. But, given that he is a mob boss, rather than being offended, he was impressed by John’s audacity and killer instincts. He saw potential in the kid and thought that he would most definitely come in handy for him, so he recruited John.
Soon after, John became Tango’s most trusted ally, and he even gave him the nickname “Johnny.” He climbed the ladder of the crime scene along with Tango, who soon became Arcadia’s top crime lord, and John, his top lieutenant. Now, Tango is a person who greatly believes in astrology. He discovered a prophecy that said keeping Johnny alive would result in his own death.
This left Tango in quite a dilemma, but he was still forced to instruct his top enforcer, Coffin, to murder Johnny. The ruthless Coffin slashed up his face and smashed one of his eyes before throwing Johnny off the bridge into the bay. But remember how he was able to survive the fire that destroyed his house as a child? Well, Tango had no idea that Johnny’s healing abilities would once again save his life.
Only this time, he came back from the dead as a serial killer named X. And the purpose of his new life was to target criminals and corrupt politicians in order to achieve his goal of taking over Arcadia for himself. Tango’s betrayal deeply affected him and he no longer wished to be an ally of the criminals. And this is how the journey of X becoming a vigilante anti-hero begins.
The first comic book appearance
X made his first comic book appearance as a part of the Dark Horse Comics 1990s line of Comics Greatest World. His character debuted in Dark Horse Comics Volume 1 issue #8 with a cover date of February 1994. And he was created by Mike Richardson, the founder of Dark Horse Comics, and Chris Warner.
The issue begins at a newspaper building in Arcadia. A furious man named Sauer storms into the building with his bodyguards. He questions the editor, Leon, about a red cross mark on his picture in the newspaper under the headline “Sauer cleared on all counts.” It probably has to be some kind of printing mistake. So, they go to the press man named Llyod, who is equally surprised to see the mark.
The poor guy is unable to say anything, especially when Sauer starts threatening him. Just then, the lights in the room go off and we see X for the first time. Although not his face since it is all covered up with a mask, except his right eye which is visible. He shoots Sauer’s bodyguards and then looks Sauer in the eye and kills him with a single shot to the head.
Although Sauer’s crimes are quite unclear, assuming that X only ever kills criminals and people who defy his rules, I would say he must have done something pretty nasty to get on the bad side of the vigilante. The next day, a lawyer named Larry Briggs, who has gotten himself into the political business is seen in his limousine.
He is discussing Sauer’s assassination when he notices the same red cross on his picture on a billboard that says Briggs for Senate. As it turns out, X had also killed a guy named Johnson before Sauer, in quite the same fashion. Naturally, Briggs is terrified by this discovery. He then goes to his law office on the top floor and restricts anyone from coming there.
He contacts Tom Anderson, the police commissioner of Arcadia to tell him about the X situation. While this is happening, X is silently keeping an eye on Larry Briggs from the rooftop of the opposite building. It is later discovered in the next two issues that X holds on to his pattern of killing and does not like it when someone meddles with his part of the town. That is precisely what eventually gets Larry Briggs killed by him.
X 2013 Re-launch
After the character’s own self-titled series ended with issue #25 in 1996, Dark Horse relaunched X with issue #0 in April 2013. This time, the creative team consists of Duane Swierczynski and Eric Nguyen. Duane and Eric’s take on X does carry forward the wrath of the original vigilante. However, along with that, this relaunch also demonstrates much more brutality from X and we get to see him in a corruption battle.
In issue #0 we see three crime lords who work together. They are known as the pigs and have just received photographs with the red X on them as a warning from the X killer. At this point, X is just known as the mysterious, ruthless killer in the mask. So, one of the guys named Duroc plans to deceive X by sending his lookalike out on the streets. X catches them, but to his surprise, they have sharpshooters surrounding the place.
They land critical hits on X, leaving him injured and forcing him to escape. But it is not long before X discovers the location of the real criminal. And he is all the more willing to torture Duroc. He cuts off one of his arms and allows him to go to the place where the other criminals are. X does this so that Duroc can lead him to them. Upon arriving, X slaughters the lot of them, killing each and every criminal in that warehouse.
But Duroc, and X’s second target Hereford, both try to escape in their armor plated car. X was not going to let them go that easily. So, he proposes a deal. He asks them to give him what he wants, and he will kill them instantly, or they can choose to die painfully. Well, X is clearly not one who shows mercy. When they start giving X a hard time, he blows them up with a prick attack so that their bodies are covered in nails.
Yeah, that’s how brutal he is. They finally give X the information he wants, which is the location of their third partner. Pietrain has locked himself up inside a supposedly impenetrable panic room. But X does not back down, even after being drenched with acid or slashed by several knives. He manages to break through the panic room with nothing but a postage stamp and kills the last pig.
It is quite evident that X is not exactly the typical superhero. In fact, he is known for being the psychotic killer who literally everyone fears, even the cops of the town. Well, it is not like he goes on a rampage and murders innocent people, but over time, he has instilled such fear among the people that if they were to disobey the rules he has set, they would certainly meet their death. Sooner than they would like!
His rule book is rather simple to follow. That is of course if you are not a freak who is actually looking for some trouble like the three pigs. The Rule of X describes X’s method of operation. It basically means that anyone who violates X’s rule in Arcadia by committing crimes would be punished. Anything that causes severe harm to another person is a violation of the Rule of X.
And like most serial killers, even X has a signature of his own. A system he uses for all his killings. Those who incite X’s wrath are initially marked with a red slash across their face, which represents the first half of an X. The mark is usually drawn on a picture or billboard showing the person whom X has targeted. Similar to the ones we encountered in his first comic appearance.
Since this mark is like an early warning before the arrival of the storm, the target can still gather their things and escape from Arcadia as quickly as they can. But should the target choose to ignore the warning and continue to defy X’s rule, X completes the slash that has now become a red cross mark, and the other shoe drops! The criminal can no longer escape X, and he kills the culprit with whatever form of torment and violence he sees fit.
What makes him such an effective superhero?
X is an exceptional fighter. He is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Even his strength, agility, and reflexes are perfected to peak human levels. Since X is known for marking his targets, what helps him the most is his extraordinary intelligence about the criminals as well as his investigation skills. All the time he spent working under Carmine Tango certainly paid off!
However, the factor that makes him an even more effective superhero is his regenerative ability. He can still be wounded, but his magical regenerative ability allows him to heal eventually. It’s as if his blood has a memory of its own, and the next time he suffers a similar injury, he is able to recover faster.
He might not remember how he got this power because of his amnesia, but indirectly the vortex is responsible for it—even his father since he was the one who injected the mutated blood into his body. Of course, his regenerative ability is no match for Wolverine’s, but it still helps him stay alive and deal with severe wounds.
X’s purpose for all of his life has been to create a kind of order in the city of Arcadia. He probably felt some sort of order when he was a part of Tango’s mob team. But his betrayal pushed him towards madness. So, he built a path of uncanny violence in order to achieve what he considered peace for the city. His methods are pretty unconventional, but he still manages to save people from the unending corruption and dangers that come along with it.
Well, guys, that is all for today; we have come to the end of another origin video with Marvelous Videos. We hope you enjoyed watching it as much as we enjoyed making it for you. Make sure to drop a like and hit that subscribe button on your way out so that you never miss out on more such videos. Also, comment down below and tell us what you liked most about this character. Until then, everyone, stay safe, take care, and see you in the next video. We hope you have a fantastic day!