Creation
Chalk was created by Steve Englehart and Kyle Hotz for Malibu Comics. While he is listed as appearing in the first issue of The Strangers in June 1993, he didn’t officially appear until issue #10 on July 1, 1994 for The Night Man comic series. On November 3, 1994, Marvel bought Malibu comics, Chalk, along with every Malibu character, is owned by Marvel.
History
Chalk
Tom Kwan was one of several people on the tram in San Francisco that was hit by a blue lightning – the jumpstart, which gave all passengers on the bus ultra powers. Like most of the passengers, Kwan didn’t realize he had powers at all; however, he was shaken by the event, and decided that he should go straight and leave his life as a Silver Daggers gang member behind him.
However he ran afoul of his gang, which ended up murdering him at a amusement park where his fiancée, Gale Yee, watched him died. The police arrived on the scenes, took photos, drew the outline of the corpse and started asking questions, but the people in the neighborhood were too afraid of the Silver Daggers.
However, at one point, the outline of the corpse back in the amusement park animated itself and disappeared. The Night Man, whose base was in the park, confronted it but was outfought; however he pieced together the origin of that strange creature, and went to Gale’s apartment. The Silver Daggers see him and went in to kill Gale after he had left, but he heard their murderous thoughts and went back in just in time to stop them. There, he fought along with the corpse outline to defend the young woman. Feeling a kinship with the mute, animated corpse outline, Night Man had Tom Kwan’s murderer come back to the amusement park, where he told him Kwan would have his revenge. The outline then attacked and killed the murderer, leaving the Night Man to ponder whether he had made the right choice.
Encounters in a Crowded Alley!
The Night Man encountered Chalk again when he began dating Gale Yee in his civilian identity. Gale Yee bore a strong hatred of metas, and Chalk attacked the Night Man, since his fiancée hated him. During the fight, the Night Man discovered Chalk’s outline burned like real chalk, and Chalk retreated. He was apparently destroyed by Loki during this retreat.
Characteristics
- Real Name: Tommy Kwan
- Born: Unknown
- Height: 5’9”
- Weight: Unknown
- Eyes: Unknown
- Hair: None (formerly black)
- Marital Status: N.A.
- Known Relatives: Gale Yee (fiancée)
- Group Affiliation: None
- Base Of Operations: Playland, San Francisco
Powers and Abilities
Tommy Kwan is a flat ghost, he can only be hit when he’s facing an opponent. He can slip through tiny cracks in walls, disappear and his chalk-like outline is stretchable and malleable. Chalk was able to fight Night Man, who said that it hits like a mule, Night Man also admitted that it had the advantage.