Human Target

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The Human Target is an American comic book character created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino: a unique private detective and bodyguard named Christopher Chance who operates by impersonating his clients in order to eliminate threats to his principal, hence the idea of becoming a Human Target. Chance's early appearances came in back-up stories in Action Comics, a title much better known for featuring Superman tales published by DC Comics.

For instance, in one such case, Chance impersonated a Pastor and imitated him well enough to adequately lead his principal's church services. However, when assailants snucked into the church and opened fire on the supposed Pastor, Chance calmly surprised them by producing twin semi-automatic pistols and returning fire with deadly accuracy.

In later stories, a key element is that Chance is so good at impersonations that his own sense of personal identity is threatened in favor of his roles.

The character was adapted in a short lived television series starring Rick Springfield in 1992.

Christopher Chance recently starred in an ongoing Human Target series written by Peter Milligan and published under DC's Vertigo imprint. Prior to this series, Milligan wrote a couple of stand-alone Human Target graphic novels:

Human Target (ISBN 1-56389-693-1), illustrated by the late Edvin Biukovic: Christopher Chance's protege Tom McFadden is struggling with keeping his identity while his wife watches helplessly, a female assassin is trying to kill Chance, and a black preacher is going head to head with the drug dealers in his neighborhood.

Human Target: Final Cut (ISBN 1-56389-904-3), illustrated by Javier Pulido

The series included:

Human Target: Strike Zones, illustrated by Javier Pulido: Chance assumes the identities of an aging Hollywood producer, a man who faked his own death on 9/11, and a Major League baseball player in the midst of a drug scandal.

Human Target: Living in Amerika, illustrated by Cliff Chiang