Origin
Dominic Fortune was a hero for hire in the late 1930’s. He was first somewhat of a charmer and took everything lightly. But soon as he found out the many problems and racial discrimination against Jews took place, even in America, he became dragged into the war himself, as a soldier fighting for the good. He fought alongside the Allies against Germany and the Nazi’s, mostly spies. He was romantically involved with a woman and fighting partner of his named Sabbath Raven. After the war, Dominic and Sabbath got separated and did not see each other again.
Creation
Dominic Fortune was created by Howard Chaykin and first appeared in the black and white magazine Marvel Preview issue 2 (1975). In his first few appearances, Dominic was a young man in the 1930’s, ’40’s and ’50’s but he has since been portrayed as an eldar but fiecy man in the present. He regained his youth for some time in the present, but has since returned to his older self.
Mayor Story Arcs
Joining the first Avengers; 1950’s style
After the war, Dominic soon teamed up with a band of ‘heroes’ (including Sabretooth, Namora, Kraven the Hunter and Bloodstone) whom started to call themselves the Avengers. He also started looking for his old romantic love interest, Sabbath. His searches came up with nothing, and even though he had a son he raised well, Dominic started growing older and became bitter.
Dominic in later years
In recent times, an elder David Fortunov met Spider-man when Peter Parker (Spider-man’s real identity) visited a home for the elderly where Dominic remained. Here Peter, his Aunt May and Aunt May’s love interest at the time where singing songs. David could not appreciate it and started shouting at his fellow residents for being weak old people. Peter, fascinated by the outburst of the man, started to investigate who David was. He found out about his secret identity and his life as an adventurer. Peter confronted him with this information and David started telling him his story. About how he had searched for his former love Sabbath Raven and how he could not stop thinking about her. During this time, a crazy villain named Turner D. Century started causing trouble. It was a man whom wanted to change everything back to as it was in the 1920’s. Dominic at first fell sympathy for the guy and wanted to see what he was all about, but as soon as he found out he had evil intentions, Dominic and Spider-man fought and defeated Turner D. Century. His short revival as a devil-may-care hero did shake Dominic up in coming out of retirement and returning to his heroic alter-ego.
Some months later, Dominic’s search for Sabbath got him into conflict with Simon Steele, an old enemy of both Dominic and Sabbath. It turned out that Steele had kidnapped Sabbath. While investigating, Dominic is also captured by Steele and presumed dead. It is then that a younger version of “Dominic Fortune” suddenly appeared whom met up with Iron Man. This turned out to be David’s son Jerry Fortunov. He and his son came close to unraveling the mystery of what happened to Sabbath, even spotting her once more. Unfortunaly, during this time, David’s son was killed in action by an old advisory named Simon Steele. His son died while saving another person’s life. David was stricken with grief, but started wearing his old Dominic Fortune costume again, in honor of his fallen son.
Quest for Sabbath
Dominic soon teamed-up with Spider-man once more when they met during Dominic’s search for Sabbath and the truth behind her disappearance. Fortune tells Spider-man that he is a marked man and shows Pete his son’s grave. He tells him that Simon Steele murdered him and asks Pete for help by helping him get access to the Bugle’s files to trace Steele. Spider-man does help him, and after that he makes way to infiltrate the organization that is led by Steele. He, Spider-man and Silver Sable all attack Steele’s base, in witch Steele, his men, and to Dominic’s grief, also Sabbath is located. Sabbath apparently married Steele right after the war. A fight erupts, in witch Dominic and the his superhero partners save the day.
Sabbath finally tells Dominic her story, about how she was captured by Steele during the end of the war, how she could not let anyone know where she was or something would have happened to the people she loved. Both had become old and fragile, but nearly 30 years after their last encounter, the two where finally back together again.
Young and Old Again
In recent years, a young person started using the Dominic Fortune alter ego and teamed up with Silver Sable. He ultimately proved to be the original Dominic made young again by the side effects of some flawed Super Soldier serum he had taken, made by the Avenger Mockingbird. The serum had however caused him to lose his memory for some time. Dominic then joined the covert agency Vanguard for a time, before later going on to work with Hawkeye and Mockingbird. During this time, the effects of the serum faded away and Dominic started to age rapidly again, though he stayed younger then he had been before he took the serum.
With S.H.I.E.L.D.
A few months after those events, Dominic enlisted the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson. He told Phil that, some time ago, his lover Sabbath Raven had died of old age and had left him her casino-boat, the Mississippi Queen. Seeing this as her legacy to him, Dominic made sure the casino remained a beautifull place, even having the annual ‘1937’ charity event. Dominic woke up one day with a hangover while he knew he had nothing to drink the night before. He was told that he had seemingly lost the casino-boat in a gamble against a former employee and a person Dominic thought to be a Hydra-agent. Feeling suspicous, Dominic asked Phil Coulson to help investigate. While the two where on the casino boat, they found evidence of the unrightfull take-over and even a plot to assassinate a group of wealthy bussinessman on the casino-boat. With the help of SHIELD, Dominic regained the boat and honored Sabbath with a toast.
Powers and abilities
It was recently revealed that Dominic is older than most realize as a result of an (unstable) imitation Super Soldier Serum. The serum he drank briefly de-aged him and temporarily drove him insane.
Other Versions
Dominic MAX
Dominic Fortune had his very own MAX comic in which Dominic was a bit more extravagant than normal.
He was still fighting Nazi’s and had a few relationships with beautiful woman.
TELEVISION
It has been confirmed that actor Delroy Lindo will play Dominic Fortune in Marvel’s Most Wanted, an upcoming TV show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He will assist Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter who are on the run for reasons unknown.