Bloodshot

Valiant Universe (VH1) – Pre-Unity

Origin

A former mobster framed by a rival mob, he was sold to the Japanese as a test subject, injected him with the Rai “Blood of Heroes”, nanites circulating in his blood, later becoming a fighting machine against evil.

Please note: The “Blood of Heroes” nanites would be infused into the hero known as Takao Konishi in the 43rd century.

Major Story Arcs

Mobster Angelo Mortalli was sold out by the Carboni crime family, and he was forced to become a test subject. His memories of his former life were erased when his bloodstream was infused with microscopic computers called nanites. The empirically-enhanced man, now code-named “Bloodshot” escapes from the secret labs of Project Rising Spirit, completely unaware of his former identity. Now a killing machine, a lethal engine of destruction, he struggles emotionally to accept what he has become. A triumph of bioengineering, his nanite blood gives him superhuman speed, agility, and healing powers. Bloodshot can also control electrical devices and access computers through physical contact. Unable to successfully recreate the “Blood of Heroes” (the nanite formula), founder of Rising Spirit, Hideyoshi Iwatsu, sends his “Speedshot” warriors to retrieve it by defeating Bloodshot and taking his blood.

Their inferior nanite-spawned abilities, however, are no match for Bloodshot’s. Not even the bionically-armored Harbinger, Ax, can prevail against Bloodshot’s ferocity. Even so, the Blood of Heroes is too attractive a prize for Ax to stay away for long. Bloodshot seeks out Mafia Don Benito Carboni to learn the truth about his own criminal past.

Later, with the help of the Eternal Warrior, Gilad Anni-Padda, Mortalli becomes involved with the British Secret Service and becomes one of its Secret Weapons, under the guidance of Neville Alcott. During that time Mortalli met Neville’s daughter Jillian (who had formerly been enamoured of Gilad). Jillian transferred her desires to Bloodshot, and was able to win his affection. They had two children, but in the process Jillian herself became infected with the nanites.

According to Rai #0 (Bloodshot’s first appearance), Bloodshot, along with many other of Earth’s heroes, would mourn the loss of the hero Shadowman, who would die ridding the world of the Darque power in the year 1999.

According to Rai #0, Bloodshot would die on the moon in the year 2028 while saving an earth colony from renegade Harbinger Ax.

Valiant Entertainment (2012 Relaunch)

Origin

In the new Valiant series Bloodshot, the title character is an operative of a group called Project Rising Spirit. This group has used him as an operative to eliminate a variety of terrorist threats around the world. Bloodshot has recently discovered that his mind has been implanted with hundreds of fake memories. These memory implants include many different versions of family, loved ones and comrades that he believes he’s been sent to rescue.

Re-Creation

For the 2012 Valiant relaunch, Bloodshot was re-introduced by writer Duane Swierczynski and artists Arturo Lozzi and Manuel Garcia. He first appeared in the story “Bloodshot Part 1: Dunk Tank” in Bloodshot #1 (Jul. 2012).

Reading Order

• Bloodshot #1-13, 0 (Issues 10-13 are part of the Harbinger Wars event.)
• Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #14-19, 0, 20-23 (Issues 20-21 crossover with Archer and Armstrong #18-19 for the Mission: Improbable story arc.)
• Bloodshot #24-25
• The Valiant #1-4 (Marks the beginning of the “Reborn” cycle, however, the story is a continuation of the previous series.)
• FCBD 2015: Valiant 25?? Anniversary Special – “Bloodshot Reborn: The Dream”
• Bloodshot Reborn #1-18
• Bloodshot U.S.A. #1-4
• Bloodshot Reborn #0
• Valiant: X-O Manowar 2017 FCBD Special #1 – “Bloodshot Salvation Prologue”
• Bloodshot Salvation (Ongoing, September 27, 2017)

Additional one-shots and mini-series:

• Armor Hunters: Bloodshot #1-3 (Part of the Armor Hunters event. Released between Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #23 and Bloodshot #24.)
• Book of Death: Fall of Bloodshot #1 – Redacted (A glimpse into Bloodshot’s future. Released between Bloodshot Reborn #4 and 5.)
• Bloodshot Reborn Annual 2016 #1 (Featuring fun stories that don’t tie-in to the main Bloodshot Reborn storyline but are some of hundreds of black-ops missions that had taken place long before Bloodshot was REBORN. Released between Bloodshot Reborn #11 and 12.)
• 4001 A.D.: Bloodshot #1 (A glimpse into the far far future of Bloodshot and the Valiant Universe, respectively. The story is also a continuation of sorts of Book of Death: The Fall of Bloodshot. Released between Bloodshot Reborn #13 and 14.)
• Divinity III: Komandar Bloodshot #1 (A story that takes place in a “Russified” version and fake reality of the Valiant Universe; see Stalinverse.)
• Bloodshot’s Day Off #1 (Out of the pages of Bloodshot Reborn and Bloodshot U.S.A. this special one-shot focuses on Tank Man and Viet Man returning to their civilian lives; to be released July 5, 2017) [based on Kevin VanHook’s story of the same title in Bloodshot #12 from 1994]

Note: For the event one-shots to Book of Death and 4001 A.D. it is not essential to read the actual event books.

Major Story Arcs

Setting the World on Fire

Ray’s former military commander Hutch tells him that Apanewicz, an old war buddy of Ray’s – has gone missing in action Afghanistan. Although Ray is now retired, he’s the only one qualified enough to infiltrate the enemy camp and find out if Apanewicz is still alive. Ray reluctantly accepts the job and promises his tearful wife it’s only a recon mission and he won’t be in danger. In a military chopper over Afghan territory, ray parachutes out to begin his mission but his struck in mid-air by a missile.

Ray’s body is burnt to a crisp and his corpse recovered by Afghan guerrilla’s. While lying in a cell, the nanites in Bloodshot’s body to heal “Ray” and he completes his mission by killing all the guerrilla’s in the base before infiltrating a safe room. Immediately he is shot in the head and captured by Dr. Kureitich who downloads all the info Bloodshot contained in his mind and shows him that PRS had implanted fake memories in his brain to motivate him to their bidding.

Bloodshot escapes the base but is eventually captured by PRS and taken back to America. He escapes his captors again and now finds himself on the run from his former masters. Determined to discover the truth behind his real identity, Bloodshot enlists the help of paramedic and former army medic Kara Murphy, another former PRS captive Pulse and Dr. Kuretitch to take down Project Rising Spirit.

The Rise and Fall

Bloodshot, Kara Murphy and Pulse infiltrate a P.R.S. base with the help of Dr. Keuretich so Bloodshot can finally find out who he really is. However Kara and Pulse are soon captured and it’s up to Bloodshot to rescue them. Within the base Bloodshot faces numerous armed guards as well as P.R.S.’S superhuman strike team Chainsaw. After taking a vicious beating, Bloodshot eventually defeats Chainsaw only to discover The Nursery – a secret underground prison for young super powered children. The children recognise Bloodshot as “The Boogeyman” and are terrified of him but when he ends up freeing them from P.R.S., many of them decide to follow him. During the rescue Bloodshot also came across the caretaker of The Nursery, Gamma.

During a fight with Gamma Pulse lost her life but Bloodshot managed to again defeat his foe. Realising Dr. K had misled him about the mission, Bloodshot and Kara leave with the children under their care.

Harbinger Wars

After escaping The Nursery with a group of psiot children, Bloodshot and Kara start making their way to Las Vegas to gather Generation Zero – the other group of escaped kids. On the way they are attacked by Toyo Harada and his Eggbreakers who want to take the kids into their own custody. Bloodshot’s military strategies combined with the unlocking of hidden powers allowed Bloodshot to defeat Harada and reach Las Vegas.

Once there Bloodshot and his kids faced off against Peter Stanchek and his Renegades who believed Bloodshot “The Psiot Killer” was here to kill or kidnap Generation Zero. Meanwhile Project Rising Spirit unleashed H.A.R.D. Corps upon Generation Zero to bring them back to P.R.S. After a bloody, brutal and fatal four way battle, it was Harada who came up on top as he captured Bloodshot, the Renegades and Generation Zero.

The H.A.R.D. Way

Despite the loss of half the team in their first mission back, P.R.S. kept the team operational and appointed Gunslingers as their leader. New members were recruited and Carol Jardine was made Director of the Lifeline department that is responsible for transmitting the team members their powers. The first crop of new members were Superstar, Granite and Disciple – two of whom where complete rookies to combat. The new teams first mission was to infiltrate Harada Global Conglomerates and recapture the rogue P.R.S. asset Bloodshot who was captured during the Harbinger Wars.

The mission was successful but Maniac and Superstar, the only new recruit with combat experience, were killed in action. This left Gunslinger as the only original member of H.A.R.D. Corps still alive. Faced with more vacancies in the team, PRS CEO Morris Kozol offered Bloodshot the position of team leader in exchange for the one thing he desired most – the truths about his identity and past. Bloodshot took up the offer and Gunslinger was relegated to second in command.

Get Some!

While on a business trip to Nigeria, Morris Kozol was kidnapped by ex-P.R.S. Director Simon Oreck and his personal team of super powered psiots The Specialists. Oreck and his team were attempting to ransom Kozol back to P.R.S. and capture a working H.A.R.D. Corps implant in the process. However they were defeated by Bloodshot’s team… but not before Oreck managed to escape.

Mission Improbable

After the team were reunited with Kozol, their next mission was to capture the leader of The Sect, Obadiah Archer and his immortal bodyguard Armstrong. The team managed to capture Archer but holding him was a different matter entirely. Archer proceeded to take out the members of H.A.R.D. Corps single handedly while Armstrong launched a rescue mission.

On arriving at P.R.S.’s Nevada base Armstrong was met by Bloodshot who proposed a team-up. Armstrong swiftly punched Bloodshot in the mouth and after a lengthy and vicious brawl, the two agreed terms. Bloodshot negotiated Archer’s release and covertly provided him information to take down P.R.S. These actions did not go unnoticed by Gunslinger and Carol Jardine. Meanwhile in the aftermath of the mission, H.A.R.D. Corp member Granite admitted her love for Kozol.

Armor Hunters

On the day when extraterrestrial zealots known as the Armor Hunters descended upon the Earth. Unity charter member Livewire was sent in search of the nanoactive hero by her commanding officer from MI6. Finding him at a basin in the amazon after he’d chosen to distance himself from civilization and it’s chronic war effort.

She would bring Ray out from the cold and enlist his aid against the genocidal warriors. He was initially assigned to guarding they’re prisoner whom was once they’re affiliate, but came under infection by the X-O Armor virus slating him for cleansing.

When Lilt, one of the hunters stormed a M.E.R.O base withholding his quarry. Bloodshot was the only active Unity operative available to dispatch the current threat. But after the prisoner escaped his assailants custody, Bloodshot was left fighting this new war on two fronts.

Battling both the hunter while recapturing his escaped convict.

The Valiant

While an age old adversary of the immortal protector Gilad Anni Padda was stalking the latest geomancer in his care.

Powers & Abilities

Bloodshot is a highly trained soldier gifted in hand to hand combat and the usage of military ordinance weapons. His primary weapons are the nanites that inhabit his bloodstream. They give him the ability to regenerate from all injuries from gunshot wounds, immolation, a missile strike, surviving with a lack of air, sub zero temperatures and even total incineration.

He has also demonstrated a sonic screech that is painful to the human ear, causing massive head aches and disorientation.

BloodShot also has the ability to change is skin pigmentation to his surroundings, rendering him invisible to the human eye. He has also displayed that he can also disguise himself to look like other people. Ray also has something called a neural synaptic discharge.

It is a neural energy wave burst akin to an EMP, it’s main use is for disrupting a psiots concentration and mental capability preventing them from using their inherent abilities.

General Information

Once Bloodshot becomes aware of himself in Bloodshot #2, the nanites start talking to Bloodshot through the personalities of his memory implants. The personalities refer to the nanite machines as ‘Goldies’. The nanites take on these personalities to give Bloodshot status updates of Bloodshot’s health and surroundings. Nanites can become hungry and require protein to operate properly.

Basic Information

A nanite is a robot the size of a nanometer or smaller. Bloodshot has billions of these microscopic machines in his bloodstream. Biomolecular nanotech motors enhance strength, speed and reaction time beyond the limits of a normal human. Due to a nanites ability to create, manipulate and destroy matter on a subatomic level, the true limits of Nanites are unknown.

Medical Applications

Nanites possess the ability to reconnect torn skin, arteries, muscle tissue and nerve fibers; rebuild bone; and repair and reconstruct damaged organs to allow for rapid and complete recovery from extreme traumatic injury.

Military Applications

Nanite implants expand the range of sensory function, extending hearing into the ultrasonic and sight into the infrared and ultraviolet ranges.

Possible Dangers

Although it is highly unlikely, hostile forces with their own nanotechnology could theoretically hack and reprogram the nanites. Or use a high level EMP to shut down the nanites making him vulnerable to anything.

Memory Implants

Project Rising Spirit (PRS) has implanted several fictional wives, children, and friends to create every possible scenario. They basically create a ‘false’ life for Bloodshot that will motivate him to the fullest to complete the mission. He will kill anyone they if it means protecting his love ones.

Many of these memories were created by ex-PRS scientist, Dr. Kuretich. After Dr. Kuretich released Bloodshot’s mind from PRS control, Bloodshot now has all of these personalities floating around in his head. Here are the known memory implants that are in Bloodshot’s head:

• Ray – Bloodshot’s alternate reality

Families

• Ashley and John – Wife and Son
• Lisa and the twins – Wife and Kids
• Rose and the toddler
• Jennifer – Wife

Friends and colleagues

• Apanewicz – old war buddy
• Callins
• Hutch – Ray’s old military commanding officer