- Cardinal (comics)
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This article is about the comic book character. For the British comics publisher, see Harrier Comics.
Cardinal 
Thunderbolts #67 (August 2002). Art by Patrick ZircherPublication information Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance New Warriors #28 (October 1992)
As Harrier: Thunderbolts #67 (August 2002)Created by Fabian Nicieza
Darick RobertsonIn-story information Alter ego Donald Joshua Clendenon Team affiliations Thunderbolts
Masters of Evil
United States Air ForceNotable aliases Harrier Abilities Powered armor grants:
Superhuman strength and physical resistance,
Flight,
Various offensive weaponryCardinal (also known as Harrier) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is African American. Cardinal was created by Fabian Nicieza and Darick Robertson in New Warriors #28 (October 1992).
Contents
Publication history
Cardinal has appeared in the pages of New Warriors, Night Thrasher, and Thunderbolts.
Fictional character biography
Air Force
Donald Joshua Clendenon is a Vietnam War veteran. While on a mission in Rhodesia, he conceives a child named Valerie Barnhardt with fellow mercenary buddy Sprocket (Amelia Barnhardt). At some point, Clendenon is outfitted with a powered suit of armor and took the name Cardinal. Cardinal first appeared as a bodyguard for arms smuggler Jeremy Swimming-Bear (aka "Sea Urchin"). The plot was foiled by the New Warriors.[1] Broken out of prison by his allies, the Air Force, he and the team went after the New Warriors, but were defeated and sent back to prison.[2]
Some time later, Air Force was dispatched to attack Dwayne Taylor and a group of high-powered corporate officials on a jet bringing humanitarian aid to the people of Bosnia-Herzogovina. Taylor, secretly Night Thrasher, defeated Air Force and blackmailed them into assisting in relief efforts in middle Africa.[3]
In Africa, Air Force were moved by the humanitarian disaster and began to earnestly help transport food and other aid to the starving peoples of the region. Protocol and his Soldiers of Misfortune attempted to interfere with the rescue missions and decimated Air Force, killing two of their members. Cardinal was badly injured in the battle.[4] With the destruction of Air Force and frustrated with his attempt to do good, Clendenon repaired the Cardinal armor and vowed to continue to work on his own as a mercenary-for-hire.[5]
Masters of Evil
Cardinal joined the Crimson Cowl's version of the Masters of Evil.[6] The Thunderbolts defeated the Masters of Evil and destroyed the Crimson Cowl's weather machine which threatened the whole world. Cardinal was again incarcerated in Seagate Prison.[7]
Thunderbolts
To clear her criminal record, Cardinal's daughter Valerie becomes a member of the government Redeemers program and is given the name Meteorite along with a special fighting suit. She is murdered along with several of her teammates during a battle with the villain Graviton. Josh didn't know he had a daughter until after her death and a paternity test is done after her corpse is retrieved from space by S.H.I.E.L.D. Hawkeye and the Thunderbolts' connection to the Redeemers is what the Crimson Cowl uses to get Cardinal to rejoin her Masters of Evil.[8] Hawkeye tracks the Masters of Evil down and convinces them that most of them were infected by a deadly biotoxin with which the Crimson Cowl sought to control them. Hawkeye makes a deal with them for the four Masters of Evil to join him, Songbird, and Plant-Man to stop the Crimson Cowl. They accept and form a new team of Thunderbolts.[9] Cardinal takes the new name of Harrier.[10] The team defeats Crimson Cowl and the rest of her Masters of Evil. They are able to neutralize the biotoxin.[11]
Soon after, Citizen V contacts the team explaining that the engines of the Vanguard, the V-Battalion's airship, had created a white hole. This threatens to fuse the whole Northern Hemisphere into glass within two hours time. He explains he needs the Thunderbolts' muscle to fill the white hole with as much material as necessary.[12] Surprisingly, the core Thunderbolts team, who had been missing on Counter-Earth, emerge from the void. The two teams close down the anomaly void and flee the V-Battalion. The Thunderbolts reorganize and Harrier voluntarily returns to prison.[13]
Powers and abilities
Clendenon has no superhuman powers. As Cardinal he wears a suit of powered armor that gives increased strength, body armor, flight and the ability to function underwater. The suit incorporates a number of offensive weapons including energy blasters, grenade launcher and tar gun.
In other media
Television
- Cardinal appeared in the The Avengers: United They Stand episode "Command Decision" voiced by Peter Wildman. He is seen as a member of Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil.
Bibliography
List of titles
- New Warriors #28, 35, 54-56
- Night Thrasher #4-5
- Thunderbolts #24-25, 64-65, 67, 69, 71, 73-75
- Thunderbolts: Life Sentences #1
Significant stories
- New Warriors #28 (October 1992); "Heavy Turbulence" - Cardinal, bodyguard for Sea Urchin, battles the New Warriors.
- New Warriors #35 (May 1993); "Hawks and Doves" - Cardinal and the Air Force battle the New Warriors.
- Night Thrasher #4-5 (November 1993-December 1993) - The Air Force fight Night Thrasher.
- New Warriors #54-56 (December 1994-February 1995) - The Air Force are decimated in a fight with Protocol and his Soldiers of Fortune. Cardinal is severely injured.
- Thunderbolts #24-25 (March 1999-April 1999) - Cardinal joins the Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil and are defeated by the Thunderbolts.
- Thunderbolts #65 (June 2002); "Becoming Heroes, Part 1: Moving Targets" - Cardinal joins Hawkeye's team of Thunderbolts.
- Thunderbolts #67 (August 2002); "Becoming Heroes, Part 2: Trust in Fear" - Cardinal takes the identity of Harrier.
- Thunderbolts #75 (February 2003); "Didn't See That Coming" - Harrier leaves the Thunderbolts and returns to prison.
References
External links
- Cardinal at Marvel.com
Categories:- Comics characters introduced in 1992
- Fictional African-American people
- Fictional Vietnam War veterans
- Marvel Comics supervillains
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