History
The Night Man (Comic) V1
The Night Man is also known as Johnny Domino, a gifted San Francisco saxophonist. When A San Francisco cable car, out of control, crashes into Johny’s car a fragment of shrapnel is embedded in his brain. Miraculously Johny lives and he acquires the ability to hear evil thoughts of those around him. In addition his eyes are permanently dilated, allowing Johny incredible night vision. Finally the “sleep center” in Johny’s brain has been forever altered, another after effect of his accident, allowing for prolonged insomnia that is often self induced as The Night Man adjusts to the night and his new surroundings.
He existed in a ‘San Francisco of the mind’ -San Francisco the way it would be if the cool things from all its past, like Playland-at-the-Beach, still existed today. It’s the SF that held the Maltese Falcon, and the one with the Transamerica Pyramid.
Through the first twelve issues (and beyond really) The Night Man was written with a ‘Year One’ approach that has garnered much popularity since the 1980s. Each time Johny Domino went out into the night as The Night Man he learned something about why he was doing what he did and was often able to adapt that knowledge into how he continued his mission.
Johny became a carpenter when it became clear he’d need to do a little remodeling in his home to hide his costume and gear. He became a machinist when it became clear he’d need to hide a duplicate costume inside his sports car somewhere and decided to open up a portion of the floor board and install a panel behind the wheel well. The Night Man began broadcasting ‘pirate radio’ most nights in order to help build up the mythos of The Night Man and allow Johny to vent when needed.He’d often adapt and change his costume and gear as needed depending on where he was going, what he’d be doing, and how his gear performed the last mission out.
Johny Domino was on a quest to ‘rule the night’ and be it’s champion. He was taken a back by little that he found lurking in the shadows, often waiting for him in particular, and took the night head on.
The Night Man (Comic) V2/3
The Night Man came out the other side of Black September as two distinct people.On the one hand, he was the new, more magical guy seen in Volume 2, issues 1-4 in what really wasn’t a bad story under the circumstances and at the same time, he was the original guy, now lost in the Marvel Universe, where he fought Wolverine. Both were real. Johny was now living two separate lives in two separate universes. He had developed as one being until Black September, but now that one being was facing two separate sets of circumstance, and each would develop differently thereafter.
This Johny Domino was a bit different.Relying more on magic and Celtic mysticism than high tech gear and gadgets this Night Man didn’t become the night’s champion, he surrendered to it and became one of it’s creatures.As this version of The Night Man progressed Johny found him self giving into the wants and desires of other creatures he shared the night with to become more like them.At one point he finds him self actually needing to feast on others in order to sustain him self.
This version of The Night Man, eventually intermingling with the Marvel Universe, never really looked at him self differently than the first version of The Night Man, simply a man in a different time and place withe different opportunities offered to him, taking him down different paths in a new life from that of his past life.
Other Media
Television
The Nightman
A low-budget television series was created, supposedly based on Night Man, although it bore little resemblance to the comic character. This Nightman (one word) developed telepathy after a lightning strike, then took possession of an armored battle-suit that allowed him to fly and see in the dark. A battle suit that had been stolen from a DOD contractor, moonlighting as an illegal arms dealer, by the sole surviving member of a quintet of pacifistic scientists!
He also had Manimal as a guest star.
Animation
The Nightman
Night Man guest starred in an episode of the Ultraforce animated series.