X

X
Real Name	Johnny (last name unknown)
First Appearance	Dark Horse Comics #8 (March, 1993)
Creators	Mike Richardson, Chris Warner, Jerry Prosser
Team Affliation	None
Aliases	John Doe, John Smith 24, Jack, The X-Killer, Lord Alamout
Base of Operations	Arcadia
Powers	Regenerative Healing Factor
Skills and Abilities	Expert swordsman and marksman, Skilled hand-to-hand combatant
Tools and Weapons	Guns

X is an antihero in the Dark Horse Universe with a mysterious plan for the city of Arcadia.

Origin

The man known was X was once a child (whose name was lost to history) experimented on with mutated DNA and studied until he seemingly died in a fire. He awoke later with amnesia and grew up to be a violent teenager with enhanced strength and intelligence. After being murdered by a mobster (for having an affair with the mobster's wife), the man re-emerges as a serial killer named X who decides to target criminals and corrupt politicians to further his own mysterious agenda.

Biography

Child of the Vortex

When a vortex opened up in Cinnabar Flats, it was investigated by a number of military personnel, all of whom were changed in strange ways. One such person was a military general who only had his arm infected and had it amputated to save him. A scientist (name unknown) who was researching the effects the Vortex on it stole the arm and as he was confronted by the military in his home, he injected it to his son Johnny (last name unknown). The conflict ended with both Johnny and his father being declared dead by the military.

Johnny lived (though was covered in scars and burn marks) and ended up in a shopping plaza in the city of Arcadia. The boy found that he now had partial amnesia: he contained all the knowledge that was given to him by his education and personal experience but the actual details of his life were now lost. Now called John Smith 24, he remained a ward of the state for much of his childhood.

As John Smith grew older, he found his violent impulses harder to control, leading him to him visiting a psychiatrist. However, the two eventually grew closer, resulting in a love affair between the doctor and her patient, who she nicknamed 'Jack'. However, the Doctor was also in a relationship with a mob boss and rejected Jack for his own safety.  John Smith, for reasons unknown, learned that the mob boss was Carmine Tango and invaded his home.  John was caught but Tango saw potential in the kid and took John in (impressed with John's audacity and seeing his killer instinct), becoming Tango's closest ally as he rose to the ranks of top crime lord.  John Smith rose too, becoming Tango's top lieutenant.  However, Tango was a deep believer in astrology and found a prediction that keeping Johnny alive would mean his own death.  Reluctantly, Tango ordered his top enforcer, Coffin, kill Johnny and Coffin did his best, seemingly killing him by throwing him off a bridge after brutalizing him.