Night Man

Night Man
Night Man title card
Also known as	NightMan
Genre	Action/Adventure/Sci-fi
Created by	Glen A. Larson
Written by	Steven Kriozere James Korris D.G. Larson Stephen A. Miller
Directed by	Nick Daniel Allan Eastman Glen A. Larson Robert Munic Rex Piano David Price David Winning
Starring	Matt McColm Derek Webster Felecia M. Bell Earl Holliman Michael Woods Derwin Jordan Jayne Heitmeyer
Theme music composer	Marc Bonilla Glen A. Larson
Composer(s)	Marc Bonilla
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	44
Production
Executive producer(s)	Karen Corbin Glen A. Larson Gary Gittelsohn Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
Producer(s)	Janet Curtis-Larson Scott Thomas Keri Young
Running time	45–48 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Syndication
Original run	September 19, 1997 (1997-09-19) – May 17, 1999 (1999-05-17)

Night Man is an American action/adventure/sci-fi series that aired in syndication from September 15, 1997 to May 17, 1999. The series is loosely based on a comic book published by Malibu Comics and was created by Steve Englehart (the original comic title was The Night Man) and developed for television by Glen A. Larson.

It stars Matt McColm as the title character, a superhero whose real name was Johnny Domino, a saxophonist. Englehart would write three episodes of the series. Night Man is also one of the few series to cross over with characters from Larson's previous series: in the episode "Manimal", Johnny allies with Professor Jonathan Chase, the star of the short-lived 1980s' series Manimal.

Plot summary

Johnny Domino is a well-known San Franciscan jazz musician who is accidentally struck by a lightning bolt in a freak cable-car accident. The strike allows him to telepathically recognize evil but robs him the ability to sleep. Although Night Man has no other superhuman powers on his own, he owns a special bulletproof bodysuit that gives him several abilities, including flight, holographic camouflage-style invisibility and advanced sight functions through the round red lens over his left eye including the ability to see in the dark and fire a laser beam. Although he often fights new enemies in each episode as the series progresses, his arch nemesis is computer technologies billionaire Kieran Keyes (Kim Coates), who would slay Johnny's father, Frank Domino, in the premiere of the second and final season.

Comics version

Published by Malibu Comics for its Ultraverse line, the comic book Night Man gained his powers from an accident. A piece of shrapnel that embeds itself in his head after his vehicle was struck by a cable car that had been hit by a burst of energy known as a "jumpstart". The energy is later found to originate from The Entity, an alien starship which had crashed on the Moon. Night Man jumpstarted but the passengers of the cable car were, some of which went on to form The Strangers. This version of Johnny Domino, while not unconditionally telepathic, could hear evil thoughts, could see in the dark and did not require sleep. His costume and equipment were merely makeshift items from hardware stores and the like, plus a kevlar vest his father lent him. His father was a former police officer turned security guard at a San Francisco Coney Island-type amusement park called "Playland", based upon the real-life Playland (San Francisco).

He used both a gun and a taser to fight crime, though the gun was only used as a last resort and even then, never used to kill. This version did not fly, but he used a grappling hook and rope to swing about the city, in addition to a used motorcycle he bought in the first issue as a means to transport himself quickly. A final difference, though minor, pertains to Johnny Domino's legal name. In the comic book, his name is Johnny Domingo (shortened to Domino as a catchy name to capitalize on his career as a saxophone musician) and his father's name was Edward Domingo (as opposed to the name his father was given on the television series).

During the series, Nightman meets and befriends the Freex, a group of super-powered teenagers on the run. In addition to dealing with his own problems, Nightman promises to watch out for them. Unfortunately he must deal with the death of one of the team, Plug, murdered by the Ultra-killer Rafferty.

Two Night Men?

In October 1994, Malibu Comics was purchased by Marvel Comics. In a drastic attempt to gain new readers, the Ultraverse was given edicts from their new owner, and various Marvel elements began popping up in the monthly Ultraverse titles.

Apart from this, Night Man becomes involved in corporate espionage, being caught between several opposing sides. He encounters the superhero team 'The Solution' and the haunted suit of super-armor, Teknight.^[1]

One Marvel storyline centered around mainstay Marvel Universe villain Loki (brother of Thor) searching for the Infinity Gems which had been stolen (and lost) by the ancient intergalactic vampire known as Rune. One such gem, the Reality Gem was discovered by the Night Man who, through trickery from Loki, began creating various other Night Men, each one the result of a simple choice he made while wielding the gem. Eventually, what appeared to be the original Night Man used the gem to eliminate all of the doppelgangers, leaving only himself and one additional Night Man. When asked by Loki if they'd reached a decision upon surrendering the gem to him, the initial version surrendered his gem, while the double vowed to stop Loki and charged towards him... only to be destroyed (alongside the duplicated Reality Gem) by the God of Mischief. Loki then left in search of other Infinity Gems to collect, and the surviving Night Man went off on his own way (eventually taking time for himself as Johnny Domino).^[2]

However, as the God Of Mischief, Loki resurrected the Night Man he'd killed, whom began to continue where the original left off. The double (not knowing he was not the original) found out that an "imposter" was living his life. Tracking the real Johnny Domino down (who was playing the saxophone at a nightclub), they engaged in a fight that was only stopped by the sudden reappearance of an old foe, Rhiannon. She offered power to both men, more specifically magick. Johnny Domino refused, but the other Night Man accepted Rhiannon's offer. Johnny tried to stop his double but was knocked out by Rhiannon. The pair made their escape to Stonehenge to prepare for the rituals that would grant this Night Man magick, while the original, recovered from being knocked out found himself in hot pursuit. The rituals were completed and the double did indeed gain the powers promised to him, but at a cost that Rhiannon had fueled her own life with: gaining and maintaining magick through cannibalism... a choice the double made willingly if it would help him defeat evil, and using the argument that "The Night Man has ALWAYS evolved when it comes to threats against the innocents".^[3] His costume also transformed as a result, becoming more Celtic in style. The long hair was now worn in matching locks, and instead of a mask, he now sported a crescent-shaped tattoo on the left side of his face, along with a floating eyepiece similar to the original look of the Night Man, and his other eye was now red. The original Night Man arrived and tackled his now-magick-enhanced double, but due to the instantaneous reality-changing events unfolding elsewhere in the Ultraverse known as Black September, a portal opened up at Stonehenge, swallowing the original Night Man and transporting him to the Marvel Universe while the double resumed the original's life as both Johnny Domino and the Night Man. The original Night Man was stuck in the Marvel Universe, where he presumably continues today.

As a side-note, Steve Englehart has stated on his official website that he'd pitched the idea of writing TWO monthly Night Man comics, one centering on the magick Night Man taking place in the Ultraverse, with the other book taking place in the Marvel Universe and centering around the original Night Man as he tries to make his way in a world that's unfamiliar to him. Unfortunately, the higher-ups at Marvel were not interested and that was one of the deciding factors which led Englehart to leave what was left of Malibu Comics.

Cast

• Matt McColm as Johnny Domino/NightMan, a saxophonist who is struck by a lightning while playing inside a cable-car. As a result, his brain gains radio-like properties, able to "pick up" certain frequencies. He is now tuned on the "frequency of evil", which enables him to "hear" evil thoughts and doers wherever he goes. He wears a bulletproof bodysuit, as well as an anti-gravity belt that enables him to fly, a cape with holographic camouflage-style invisibility properties and a mask with a round red lens over his left eye, which includes the ability to see/aim in the dark and fire a laser beam.
• Earl Holliman as Frank Domino, Johnny's father and former police detective. As a result of production being moved to Vancouver, Canada for Season 2, he is killed by villain Kieran Keyes in the premiere of Season 2.
• Derek Webster (Season 1) and Derwin Jordan (Season 2) as Raleigh Jordan, Johnny's friend and confident, as well as the developer of NightMan's armor. Usually backs Johnny up when needed.
• Felecia M. Bell (credited as Felecia Bell) as Jessica Rodgers, owner of the House of Soul, the club where Johnny performs. Her character was axed in Season 2 after production moved to Vancouver.
• Michael Woods as Lieutenant Charlie Dann, Frank's former partner and apprentice. His character was axed in Season 2 after production moved to Vancouver, with Lieutenant Briony Branca taking over the police role.
• Jayne Heitmeyer as Lieutenant Briony Branca, a detective who investigates criminal actions in Season 2.

Guest appearances

• Patrick Macnee as Dr. Walton, Johnny's psychiatrist. Usually advices him on how to use his newfound abilities.
• Taylor Dayne as Carla Day, a singer who is Johnny's love interest. Although she only appeared in the pilot episode, she is mentioned a few more times during the series' run.
• Fabiana Udenio as Rachel Lang, an alien villainess who approaches and hypnotizes Johnny (turning him into a hedonistic and selfish person) in order to discover NightMan's secrets and use his powers for her own will.
• Shane Brolly as Joran/Chrome, a supervillain who uses telekinetic powers, granted to him through the same lightning bolt that struck Johnny. He seeks to take over Bay City and destroy NightMan, but is overpowered and defeated by him. He later reappears and joins forces with Rachel Lang to destroy Johnny and discover NightMan's secrets. In the end, both are defeated for good.
• Jacinda Barrett as Lucy Devlin/Selene, a monstrous witch/sorcerer who assumes a female human form. She is hired by Jessica as a magician entertainer at the House of Soul anniversary party, but she inadvertently uses black magic techniques to send Charlie, Frank and Raleigh to another dimension. After NightMan saves them and travels to his own dimension (where he reunites with his deceased mother), he is able to overcome her tricks and defeat her. However, by the end of the episode, it is unclear if the whole thing was reality or just one of Johnny's dreams.
• Ric Young as Chang, a Chinese diplomat whose goal is to cause a third World War using a high-technology neutron cannon weapon.
• Simon MacCorkindale as Jonathan Chase, the titular hero in the Manimal crossover episode.

In addition, Little Richard and Donald Trump make special appearances as themselves in "Whole Lotta Shakin'" and "Face to Face", respectively.

Episodes

Season 1

Episode #	Production Code	Episode Title	Airdate	Plot
1	101a	"World Premiere (Part 1)"	September 19, 1997	In the series opener, musician Johnny Domino (Matt McColm) develops superpowers after being struck by lightning, and must battle gun thieves.
2	101b	"World Premiere (Part 2)"	September 19, 1997	In the series opener, musician Johnny Domino (Matt McColm) develops superpowers after being struck by lightning, and must battle gun thieves.
3	102	"Whole Lotta Shakin'..."	October 6, 1997	Bay City is evacuated after a massive earthquake is predicted, leaving the town vulnerable to the robbery plans of international terrorists.
4	103	"I Left My Heart in San Francisco"	October 13, 1997	A dying drug lord (Henry Darrow) takes party-goers hostage when he finds that the entertainer - Johnny - has the one thing he needs to keep living: a healthy heart.
5	104	"Still of the Night"	October 20, 1997	NightMan is infected with a mysterious and deadly virus after he has a run-in with a beast from another dimension. Now he must find the cure and send the beast back to where it came.
6	105	"Face to Face"	October 27, 1997	A plastic surgeon helps a vengeful ex-con save face by helping him alter his features at will, causing trouble for his past captors, including Charlie and Frank.
7	106	"Chrome"	November 3, 1997	Bay City is targeted by a supervillain known as Chrome, who received his predatory powers from the same lightning bolt that changed Johnny into NightMan.
8	107	"Takin' it to the Streets"	November 10, 1997	Johnny jumps through hoops to save a basketball hopeful from falling in with a crime boss (Evan Lionel). However, NightMan may have a better shot at saving the kid's career.
9	108	"Lady In Red"	November 17, 1997	Johnny gets some bad vibrations from a woman (Natasha Pavlovich), only to learn of her past as a KGB assassin, and of her future as a pawn for the Russian mafia.
10	109	"That Ol' Gang of Mine"	November 24, 1997
11	110	"Bad Moon Rising"	January 11, 1998	Johnny, Frank and Charlie hunt down the syndicate responsible for smuggling a shipment of tainted heroin into Bay City.
12	111	"Constant Craving"	January 18, 1998	NightMan makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his father from two vampires who are fighting for control of the man's soul.
13	112	"You are Too Beautiful"	January 25, 1998	NightMan steps into the ring as a mysterious, masked gladiator, to clear a wrestler (Brian McGovern) who's being framed by his murderous manager.
14	113	"Do You Believe in Magic?"	February 1, 1998	NightMan's powers are tested when he battles a sorceress (Jacinda Barrett), who uses her wicked ways to uncover the secrets of Johnny and his loved ones.
15	114	"The House of Soul"	February 8, 1998
16	115	"Nightwoman"	February 15, 1998	A cop (Jennifer Campbell) is turned into NightMan's female counterpart by her scientist father after she is left for dead following an attack by the mob. But her new powers may lead her into an even deadlier situation.
17	116	"Chrome II"	February 22, 1998	NightMan must once again battle the revitalized Joran/Chrome, who has joined a telepathic woman to put in practice his devious plan to control the thoughts of Bay City.
18	117	"Bad to the Bone"	March 1, 1998	An old foe (Cyril O'Reilly) with the ability to alter his appearance turns Bay City against Johnny by assuming the musician's identity and going on a killing spree.
19	118	"Hitchhiker"	April 26, 1998	NightMan infiltrates a mysterious crash site outside Bay City, where he finds the wreckage of a UFO and a trail of dead military men left by a rampaging alien.
20	119	"Devil in Disguise"	May 3, 1998	The evil diplomat Chang, who played a part in Johnny's transformation into NightMan, returns to Bay City with a deadly plan to do away with the high-flying superhero.
21	120	"Double Vision"	May 10, 1998	After running over the star athlete of a local college, Johnny discovers that the victim's amazing recovery may be thanks to a scientist's work in the field of cloning.
22	121	"Amazing Grace"	May 17, 1998	After a saxophonist friend is shot and killed during a gas station robbery, Johnny feels he is not doing anything effective to protect Bay City as NightMan. However, when he is killed in a car accident and goes to heaven,will an angel touch will be able to send him back to Earth to carry on as NightMan?

Season 2

Episode #	Production Code	Episode Title	Airdate
23	201	"The Ultraweb"	October 11, 1998	In the season opener, NightMan gains a new nemesis in the form of Kieran Keyes (Kim Coates), a sociopathic billionaire who uses his invention, the virtual reality based Ultraweb, to take over Johnny's father.
24	202	"The Black Knight"	October 18, 1998	A mysterious new crimefighter called the Black Knight declares war on a local crime organization. Can NightMan and this enigmatic fellow vigilante work together to achieve their common goal?
25	203	"It Came from Out of the Sky"	October 25, 1998	An alien hunter comes to Earth to put a stop to an alien cult leader from placing the youth of Bay City under her control. This episode also hints that the lightning bolt that gave Johnny his power was not a random accident, but the workings of a higher power
26	204	"Book of the Dead"	November 1, 1998	NightMan must stop an evil professor from using a book of spells to unleash an ultimate form of evil.
27	205	"Fear City"	November 8, 1998	Kieran Keyes returns, this time using the Ultraweb to abduct the players of his company's video game, Fear City.
28	206	"Manimal"	November 15, 1998	Crossover with Glen Larson's Manimal. NightMan works with the shapeshifting Dr. Jonathan Chase and his daughter to put an end to the homicidal rampage of a time travelling Jack the Ripper.
29	207	"Knight Life"	November 22, 1998	NightMan and the Black Knight team up again to stop a genetically engineered assassin named Slade, whose orders come from the last people either hero would suspect.
30	208	"The People's Choice"	November 29, 1998
31	209	"Ring of Fire"	January 10, 1999
32	210	"Sixty Minute Man"	January 17, 1999
33	211	"Blader"	January 24, 1999
34	212	"Love and Death"	January 31, 1999
35	213	"Burning Love"	February 7, 1999
36	214	"Scent of a Woman"	February 14, 1999
37	215	"Dust"	February 21, 1999
38	216	"Spellbound"	February 28, 1999
39	217	"Double Double"	March 7, 1999
40	218	"The Enemy Within"	April 25, 1999
41	219	"Gore"	May 2, 1999
42	220	"Revelations"	May 9, 1999
43	221	"Nightwoman Returns"	May 16, 1999
44	222	"Keyes to the Kingdom of Hell"	May 17, 1999

Awards

Year	Award	Result	Category	Recipient	Episode
1999	Leo Awards	Winner	Best Musical Score in a Dramatic Series	Graeme Coleman	"Dust"

References

1. ^ The Solution #13 (Oct. 1, 1994)
2. ^ Night Man #22 (July 1995)
3. ^ "Night Man" 1 Vol. 2 (October 1995)

External links

• Night Man at the Internet Movie Database
• Night Man at TV.com
• Engleharts' website, includes coverage of his Nightman episodes