Deathlok #1 Review: The Deepest Cover Ever

Deathlok is one of those characters who’s simply too cool, both conceptually and visually, for Marvel to leave on the shelf for very long. He’s similar to Ghost Rider in that regard, though the Spirit of Vengeance is a bit better known than Marvel’s cyborg warrior. Thanks Nic Cage (or not)!

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The new Deathlok #1 sees a new man underneath the metal, one who was introduced during Original Sin. Unlike previous Deathloks Luther Manning and Michael Collins, there’s one important difference with Henry Hayes: he’s still alive, or at least that’s what we’re led to believe. The other two men were only posthumously converted into cyborgs.

Playing off some of the ideas introduced in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the big idea in this book is that Hayes doesn’t know he’s Deathlok. He works for Medics Without Borders, providing the cover for his covert ops, and he functions normally until his handlers activate him with subliminal messages. He then turns into the ultimate killing machine until his mind is wiped and he is released, kind of like the Winter Solider used to be but without going into stasis in-between jobs. Hayes is also drawn to look a lot like Mike Peterson, the TV Deathlok, which can’t be an accident.

Like any good first issue, this one sets up several questions that will presumably propel the series going forward. The biggest one is who is controlling Deathlok; it’s obviously not S.H.I.E.L.D., as we saw him kill one of that organization’s agents during his first appearance, and Maria Hill has set someone on Hayes’ path. Also in play is a more complicated version of the RoboCop conundrum. Namely, how much of Hayes is a man who is simply being brainwashed to carry out his actions, and how much is machine that can be controlled without question? There’s also a hint that the Collins Deathlok might play into all of this.

Writer Nathan Edmondson does an acceptable job putting all of the pieces in place, though whether or not fans care enough about a brand new character to see them all through remains to be seen. He also gives artist Mike Perkins a good mix of adrenaline-filled action sequences and quieter moments, which is appropriate considering Hayes is like the deepest cover agent ever. Also worth noting: possibly the shortest battle against a supervillain in comic book history, though the final panel on the second-to-last page suggests it might not quite go down the way it first appears.

With that, we’ll get to the details …

SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

Hayes gets his prosthetic leg checked out by a technician from Biotek when he’s suddenly called into action. His mission involves recovering a file from a target on a moving train, and not only does Deathlok carry it out successfully, he makes sure to leave no loose ends. Not even cell phone pictures.

We get a short scene of home life with Hayes and his teen daughter Aria, who he’s raising alone. She doesn’t seem too thrilled with her dad’s globetrotting ways.

Another person who isn’t too pleased is Hill, who is willing to give Andrea Hope a promotion to field agent to look into the death of the agent Hayes killed during Original Sin. The folder Hope receives is filled with information on Collins. Hmm …

Hayes is soon in the air again, ostensibly to help people wounded during protests in Venezuela but actually to eliminate a more violent faction of the same group. The rebels have hired Black Tarantula to help them fight, but Deathlok dispatches him with a headshot from a distance, and the ensuing battle is pretty much a slaughter in favor of the cyborg. Hayes clearly retains some of his natural personality, remarking to his handler that the area might be nice to visit under different circumstances. And Black Tarantula definitely looks like he’s still alive as Deathlok walks away to be extracted.

Finally, we see JJ, Deathlok’s handler, getting complimented by her superior, who stays hidden in the shadows. She’s told to keep making sure no one knows about Deathlok, especially him.

Favorite moment: Hill commenting to Hope about her own past within S.H.I.E.L.D.: “I know how it feels to be passed over for a promotion that you deserve.” Especially when it goes to Tony Stark instead, eh Maria?

Final thought: Hopefully Edmondson and Perkins pit Deathlok against some enemies who can give him a challenge, because while it’s great to establish he’s a badass, seeing him gun down helpless normal troops will get old fast. Also, can someone please explain to me why this book is part of Avengers NOW? It’s hard to imagine Deathlok as an Avenger under any circumstance.

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