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''This article is about the VALIANT comic book; for the DC Comics character, see Harbinger (DC Comics) .'' OVERVIEW The series is a super-powered team book (see Harbingers (comics) ) that re-energized not only the genre but readership in the comics industry when the collector mentality was dominant. Jim Shooter & David Lapham avoided tired super-team conventions while creating a new evolved genre that sparked with readers. CHARACTERS Not a complete list. TOYO HARADA - The most powerful psionic on Earth, Toyo Harada is living proof that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. One of two known Harbingers to possess the "Omega Power", Harada commands the full spectrum of psionic abilities, including telepathy, telekinesis, mind-control, and many other deadly talents. Fearing that humanity may eventually destroy itself, Harada decided early in his life to preserve the planet by clandestinely conquering it. To this end, he established the Harbinger Foundation to recruit others with paranormal abilities, whom Harada refers to as "Harbingers of the next step in human evolution". He seldom confronts his enemies directly, preferring to leave such dirty-work to his elite Harbinger warriors, the "Eggbreakers" (as in the saying, to make an omelette...). With tremendous economic and political clout, Harada seems close to achieving his goals, and is ready to destroy anyone who stands in his way. The great irony is that Harada truly feels he was born to save the human race. But, in his haste to eliminate any opposition to his grand scheme, Toyo Harada has lost his own humanity. PETER STANCHEK ("Sting") Sting is a psionic of extraordinary power and potential. Once a student of Toyo Harada, he decided to break away when Harada arranged the murder of Pete's best friend. Together with Kris, Zephyr, Flamingo and Torque, Sting tries to thwart the plans of Harada and his Harbinger Foundation. KRIS HATHAWAY - Although not possessing super powers of her own, Kris is still an important member of Sting's renegades. Her level head and intelligence keeps the team together and in focus of their goal. FAITH HERBERT ("Zephyr") Fun loving Zephyr, known as Zepplin to her friends, has the ability to fly. Zep is living her dreams of being a super hero. Her enthusiasm and imagination make her a joy to be around. CHARLENE DUPRE ("Flamingo") Sting encounters Flamingo in a Harbinger Foundation office and convinced her to join his group of renegades. Flamingo has the power to generate and control flames. As different from each other as Yin and Yang, they go together as naturally as beer and pretzels. JOHN TORKELSON ("Torque") Torque was a mechanic in Georgia before Sting released his powers of enormous strength and durability. In the beginning, Torque seemed very hostile and distant, but he has proven himself a loyal and valuable member of the group. WHAT IS A HARBINGER? Harbingers are a largely unaffliated group of fictional characters that, at one point or another, appeared in all Valiant Comics titles. Two different groups of Harbingers appeared in the title Harbinger. They were considered Valiant Universe's equivalent of Marvel Universe 's Mutants by comic book fandom. HISTORY OF HARBINGERS When Solar recreated a world that became known as Valiant Universe, a number of super-powered beings emerged. The most notable of those were Harbingers, human beings with a wide range of psionic powers. Throughout history, their powers tended to lie dormant, emerging in occasional bursts that were usually brought on by stress. That changed when Toyo Harada, a Japanese-born Harbinger, established the Harbinger Foundation. He hoped to study the Harbingers and the full extent of their powers. He discovered that he was what he dubbed an Omega Harbinger, a Harbinger who possessed a full range of psionic potential. Harada decided to use his powers and resources to change the world for the better, no matter the cost. He began recruiting other Harbingers and creating programs to teach them how to better use their powers. The most skilled recruits became Eggbreakers, Harada's elite enforcers charged with containing renegade Harbingers, among with other things. In the early 1990s, Harbinger Foundation discovered the existence of Pete Stanchek, the only other Omega Harbinger that existed at the time. Harada hoped that he would become a valuable ally. However, Pete discovered the truth behind Harada's ultimate plan after his close friend, who was outspoken against the Harbinger Foundation and their methods, was murdered by Harada's assassins and an attempt was made to kill Pete Stanchek as well. Stanchek fled the Foundation, taking his girlfriend with him, and decided to stop Harbinger Foundation from reaching its goals. To that end, they recruited other Harbingers. and continued to undermine Harada's plans in any way they could. PLOT Toyo Harada is the first Harbinger, and unlike subsequent Harbingers he was able to make his powers manifest at will, or activate the powers of others. Other Harbingers exhibit powers only rarely and this activation is always brought on by severe stress. Harada is an Omega Harbinger: he commands the full spectrum of psionic abilities, including telepathy, telekinesis, mind-control, and many other talents. He uses these powers to create a multinational corporation and amass a large fortune. Fearing the world is on a course to destroy itself, he plans to take it over and mold it to his specifications. To this end he creates the Harbinger Foundation, which actively searches for potential Harbingers (whose powers Harada triggers with his psionic abilities). Pete Stanchek is a normal teenager until he develops Harbinger abilities. After seeing an advertisement he contacts the Harbinger Foundation. Harada is intrigued by Pete, who is the only other Harbinger to have triggered his own powers and who exhibits multiple abilities. Harada is no longer the only Omega Harbinger. Harada tries to persuade Pete to join the Harbinger Foundation and become Harada's right hand man, but when Pete's best friend, who had been vocal about his distrust for Harada, is murdered by the Foundation Pete realizes the truth. Pete, along with Kris (a high school cheerleader who, he later realizes, he had been unconsciously mentally controlling so that she would go out with him) become renegades. They decide to recruit Harbinger's themselves, activate their abilities and form an army capable of challenging Harada. QUOTES "Nothing beats a bud" - Torque "ARE YOU DIFFERENT? Do strange things happen to you, or around you? Do you feel abnormal? There's no need to be afraid. Our organization has helped many outstanding people like yourself. Non-profit, no religious affiliation. For more information write to: The HARBINGER FOUNDATION P.O. Box 1878 Richmond, VA 10021-0019" - Harbinger Foundation Advertisement "Her name -- ZEPHYR! Her powers -- EXTRAORDINARY! Her googles -- ADVANTAGEOUS! She swoops low over the glorious battleground where, um...us guys won our first great victory over the evil forces of Harbinger!" - Faith Herbert (Zepher) talking to herself. EARLY SOLICITATION INFORMATION Valiant produced a number of early previews of Harbinger. The one on the right contains panels that were never appeared in the comics and an early look at Pete. The text reads: SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T FIT IN... Like Torque. And Flamingo. And Sting. And especially Zepplin. But the New Dawn of Man is upon us - and the world needs the awesome power of four seventeen-year-olds on the road to hell...or heroism! TRIVIA Harbinger #1 was in Wizard Magazine's (industry's leading publication) "Top Ten Comics of the Month" list for eight consecutive months. It was eventually dethroned by another VALIANT book (Rai #0). Harbinger #1 was named "hottest book of the year” by Wizard Magazine in 1993. Harbinger #1 was named "the collectible of the decade” by Wizard Magazine. Harbinger #1 was named "most important comic book of the decade" by Your Comics Online. Harbinger #0-25 was named one of the best runs in comics over the last 15 years by Eventually Clever. "''Harbinger #0-25--Peter Stanchek leads a team of misfit mutants are on the run from Harbinger, a corporation headed by the most powerful mutant on Earth. Peter is the second most powerful, and the whole tone of the series changes once you read issue #0''." The Harbinger trade was rumoured to have been ranked #7 in Wizards list of the top 100 greatest trades but was taken off the list completely at the last minute for unknown reasons. Harbinger #0 has a pink cover variant that was available only by sending in coupons from Harbinger #1 through #6. The pink cover variant routinely sold for $150-200 in the 1990s and has now cooled to approximately $60-90 on eBay. At one point in the 1990s Harbinger #1 was routinely selling for $125-150 depending on the coast (Harbinger #1 was reportedly more scarce on the east coast). According to writer, Jim Shooter, the character of Pete Stanchek was meant to have been gay. An alternative cover to Harbinger #1 exists. It was used as an 'unseen art' chase card for the VALIANT ERA One card set. Marv from FRANK MILLER's SIN CITY appears on the cover of Harbinger #8 (part of the UNITY crossover). Miller drew the cover to this issue. The cover for Harbinger #13 by David Lapham is a homage to the Dark Knight Returns. PP Comics produced a parody of Harbinger entitled Headbanger. COMIC-BOOK COVER GALLERY |
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