Digitek (comics)

Digitek
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Digitek #1 (December 1992)
Created by	John Tomlinson & Andy Lanning (writers) Dermot Power (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Jonathan Bryant
Team affiliations	Psi-Key Nakasoni Corporation
Notable aliases	The Singularity
Abilities	Energy analogue; can create armor and a vast amount of weapons, establish psi-links with others, travel through phone lines, create holograms.

Digitek (Jonathan Bryant) is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Digitek #1 (Dec. 1992), the first issue of a limited series published by Marvel UK. The strip was also published in Marvel UK's weekly anthology title Overkill.

The character was created by writers John Tomlinson & Andy Lanning and artist Dermot Power.

Publication history

Digitek was initially published in two different formats - as a four issue limited series, using the standard Marvel Comics format, and as one of the strips in the UK anthology Overkill (published in a format similar to that of 2000 AD. The inside front covers of the limited series featured 'in-universe' text pieces (such as memos from the fictional Nakasoni Corporation) that established links between Digitek and the other Marvel UK titles (such as Warheads and Genetix) - these documents were not reprinted in the Overkill anthology.

At the time, this was a standard publication method for Marvel UK, with the intention that Overkill would be better suited to the UK market, whereas the 'standard' Marvel format would be better suited to comic shops in other countries. As with most of the other Marvel UK titles, Digitek also attempted to attract existing Marvel Comics fans by including a prominent Marvel character in the initial storyline - the cyborg Deathlok.

After the initial limited series, Digitek made no further appearances in Marvel UK comics (and within a couple of years, the Marvel UK line of comics had ceased publication) - the character made no other actual appearances until 2009, though he was mentioned by Robbie Baldwin during the Civil War event and in referred to by a character in Captain Britain and MI13. He also received an entry in the most recent Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

The final issue of Captain Britain and MI13 included a cameo appearance by Digitek, confirming that he is working as a reserve agent for MI:13.

Fictional character biography

The story of Digitek began at the Mys-Tech organization. Kether Troop, a team of Mys-Tech mercenaries tasked with recovering alien technology from alternate dimensions, managed to retrieve a product called Protosilicon from an unknown source and installed it on an item known as Jump 61. Technological analysis of the item followed, and Jonathan Byrant was assigned as its Project Leader. However his supervisor, Mr. Grant, sabotaged the project and subsequently caused the creation of the being known as "Digitek".

At a certain moment, Jonathan gained a vision of someone trying to put a virus into the Digitek project. He rushed back toward the facility, even ignoring a call from his estranged wife Samantha. When at the company, the building exploded and everyone believed Jonathan to be dead. But, he survived and the suit had bonded with him. Choosing to use his powers for good, Jonathan also decided to call himself after the project: Digitek.

His first opponents were the villains known as Bacillicons.^[1], three mercenaries who had been similarly transformed, but warped by the virus.

When Psi-Key was attacked by the virus, she broadcast a worldwide distress signal, which locked onto the cyborg hero Deathlok. Against his will, and without Digitek's conscious knowledge, Deathlok was then transported to the UK. Together the two heroes defeated the Bacillicons, parting as friends.

Civil War and MI:13

Digitek was later mentioned as having joined the heroes opposing the Super Hero Registration Act during the Superhuman Civil War. Once apprehended by S.H.I.E.L.D.^[2], Digitek seemingly committed suicide by transforming his arm into an M-110 particle shotgun and shooting himself. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. considered Digitek's suicide to be a possible hoax to allow the vigilante to escape from the Negative Zone Prison, as his CPU did not suffer terminal damage^[3].

Digitek later appeared, alive and unharmed, as one of British intelligence agency MI:13's reserve agents, battling against an army of vampires on the moon. The caption accompanying his reintroduction stated that he was "back from intelligence gathering in the USA"^[4].

Bibliography

• Digitek #1-4
• Civil War Battle Damage Report
• Civil War: Frontline #6
• Captain Britain and MI13 #15

Notes

1. ^ Bacillicons at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
2. ^ Civil War: Frontline #6
3. ^ Civil War: Battle Damage Report
4. ^ Captain Britain and MI13 #15 (September 2009)

References

• Digitek at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Digitek at the Grand Comics Database
• Digitek at the Comic Book DB
• Digitek at the Big Comic Book DataBase