Valiant Comics has a roster of iconic heroes to rival Marvel and DC. There are the superpowered teenage renegades from the Harbinger Foundation. Prince Auric, the armored alien warrior better known as X-O Manowar. The Eternal Warrior, a being who has spent millennia defending the Earth. But the most prominent would be the nanite enhanced assassin known as Bloodshot. Bloodshot is set to make his feature film debut this week, with Vin Diesel in the title role; here’s everything you need to know about him. Note: There have been three versions of Bloodshot; for the sake of simplicity, this article will refer to the third incarnation that has appeared in the Valiant Comics universe since 2012.
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His Origin
Bloodshot is the pride and joy of Project: Rising Spirit, who attempted to create the ultimate soldier. Their efforts bore fruit with the “Bloodshot” program, which injected a stream of nanites into the subject. The latest incarnation of Bloodshot has had multiple false memories implanted into his mind, but the only one that stuck was Ray Garrison, a dedicated soldier. After several successful missions, Bloodshot was kidnapped by a rogue scientist named Kuretich, who reprogrammed his nanites to reveal his false memories. After aiding the Harbinger Foundation and become a member of the H.A.R.D Corps, Garrison struck out on his own.
Bloodshot would later work for MI-6 and end up as the world’s only hope for salvation when he discovered a weapon that could kill the being known as Immortal Enemy. This also brought him closer to Kay McHenry, a woman known as the Geomancer who could manipulate Earth. The Immortal Enemy was defeated, but not before killing Kay. With her dying breath, she flushed the nanites from Bloodshot’s system, allowing him to live a normal life as Ray Garrison.
This turned out to be impossible, as Project: Rising Spirit was once again conducting their experiments. Garrison reinjected himself with nanites, battling several of Rising Spirit’s experiments including a virus that transformed the population of New York into beings similar to him. He has tried to settle down with his girlfriend Magic and their daughter Jessie, but trouble almost always seems to find him.
His Powers
All of Garrison’s powers stem from the nanites coursing through his bloodstream. These nanites allow him to regenerate from virtually any wound and enhance his endurance, strength, and speed to superhuman levels. The nanites also allow Bloodshot to interface with any form of machinery, enabling him to hack computers and download data. As a side effect of his technopathy, Bloodshot has mastered multiple forms of weaponry and hand to hand combat. He is also a master marksman.
Appearances In Other Media
Bloodshot has actually appeared on screen before his feature film. He was portrayed by Jason David Frank of Power Rangers fame in the original web series Ninjak VS The Valiant Universe. This series saw the master spy and martial artist Ninjak on the run after being exploited by his greatest enemy Roku. Ninjak would fight several other characters in the Valiant Universe on his journey, including Bloodshot. The two would engage in a high-pitched swordfight, with Ninjak gaining the upper hand by injecting Bloodshot with a cryogenic agent.
Bloodshot remains one of Valiant Comics’s most popular characters, with the first issue of his 2012 series being awarded “Best Comic” by Diamond Comic Distributors, the leading distributor in the comic industry. It remains to be seen if his film will propel him into the limelight, but he will continue to endure.
Bloodshot will premiere in theaters this Friday. You can get your tickets using our Fandango affiliate link.
