Bloodshot (comics)
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Bloodshot is the title character of the popular comic book series published by Valiant Comics. Bloodshot was re-launched (with the majority of the other Valiant Universe characters) under the banner of Acclaim Comics in 1996 (video game company Acclaim Entertainment purchased Valiant Comics for $65 million in June 1994). Valiant Entertainment, Inc. is the owner of the Valiant catalog (including Bloodshot).
Bloodshot #1 sold approximately one million copies.[citation needed]The original series was written by Kevin VanHook and drawn by Don Perlin. The premiere issue featured the first, "Chromium" comic book cover, which greatly enhanced its collectibility.
The second series was heavily praised by critics as an "intelligent and bloody, action story with strong sci-fi themes". It was among the most popular books in the Acclaim comics re-launch.
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[edit] Story Synopsis
Volume one and volume two of Bloodshot keep the same core story elements with different settings and plots.
[edit] Volume One
Mobster Angelo Mortalli was framed by the Carboni crime family, forcing him to become a witness for the state. While under Federal protection, Mortalli was betrayed by his protectors and sold to Hideyoshi Iwatsu to become a test subject for Project Rising Spirit. Mortalli's 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" escaped from the secret labs of Project Rising Spirit with the aid of Geomancer Geoff McHenry, completely unaware of his former identity.
A triumph of bio-engineering, 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,and they are defeated when he takes over their nanites and makes them bleed so much that their brains explode.(This happened in Issue 1.) Not even the bionically-armored Harbinger Ax,who can talk to computers like Bloodshot, can prevail against Bloodshot's ferocity. Even so, the Blood of Heroes is too attractive a prize for Ax to stay away for long.(This happened in Issue 2.) 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.
Acclaim Entertainment was developing a video game based on the character but the game was abandoned when Acclaim filed for bankruptcy in 2004.
[edit] Volume Two
Project Lazarus, codenamed BLOODSHOT is brought back from the dead using nanities. He exceeds all expectations, however, his memory replacement failed leaving him with a mix of downloaded memories and real ones from before his death. He knows one thing, he isn't the Col. Raymond Garrison that they want him to believe he is. Bloodshot escapes the government experiment that gave him back his life to find out who he is.
Bloodshot begins his quest by following the few memories he believes are true. They tell him that he was connected to the mob, a hitman possibly, and that his name was Angelo Mortalli. He wages a one man war in his quest for answers, taking on the mob, the police and his covert government creators. Lucky for him that the nanities in his blood (the ones that gave him life and regard him as their god and universe) also enable him to control every part of his body - his heart rate, breathing and even adrenaline levels to maximize his physical state. He can use these to make himself stronger, run faster and longer. He also finds that the nanities can repair tissue and heal wounds but that they need material to work with. Angelo can repair himself using tissue from another human, meat from a freezer or even a stray cat. He has become a living, breathing Frankenstein’s monster...and so much more.
[edit] Connections between Bloodshot and other Valiant characters
Generally speaking, the Valiant Universe is very coherent, and the characters from one book will often appear in another book, or references to other characters will be made. This is a regular occurrence even outside of crossover events.
For example, there is a very definite connection between Rai and Bloodshot. Bloodshot's silicon based, nanite powered blood flows through Takao Konishi's veins (The last Rai). It grants him some of Bloodshot's memories and all of Bloodshot's powers. More importantly, the entire line of warriors who were known as Rai were created by Grandmother in the image of Bloodshot to honor his heroism.
[edit] Trivia
In the initial planning stages, Bloodshot was dubbed Rising Spirit to reinforce his link to Rai (whose name is a pun on Rising Spirit). This was reflected by the initial solicitations. By the time Rai #1 debuted, the name was changed to Bloodshot.
Bloodshot #1 is one of the best selling comic books of all time. It has a print run of 900,000.
Bloodshot #1 was released on the same day as the Death of Superman (Superman #75). On that day comic stores around the world experienced so much demand that there were lines outside the stores. In some cases (such as New York City) two separate lines were formed. One one line for Superman and one for Bloodshot.
Bloodshot Vol. 2 #1 was released the same week that Superman split into two (A red and a blue version). This book was the biggest seller since his return from the dead. The advent of the internet (in particular eBay) and the change in the industry meant that there were no lines for either Bloodshot #1 or Superman though both books sold very well.
