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Spartan was born Yohn Kohl, a flesh and blood Kherubim and member of the Pantheon class on Khera. Yohn was trained as a warrior from birth. He was respected as a war lord and warrior that to honor him the Kherubim created the Spartan Guards, using his likeness as the template.

Stranded on Earth

Over more then a thousand years ago Yohn was on the Kherubim ship that crash landed on Earth, after fighting with a Daemonite warship. The war between the Kherubim and Daemonites continued on Earth, both sides eventually blending in with the population. They continued their secret war still without anyone taking notice.

John Colt

In the 1930s Yohn took up the name John Colt and became a American Hero and Adventurer. His Kherubim physiology didn't gift him with the greater abilities of a Kherubim Lord such as Mr. Majestic, so he could easily be considered an above-average human. As his abilities were no more then anyone could gain if they trained, persevered, believed in themselves, and believed in the nation. Therefore he was believed to be a normal patriot serving his country. The pinnacle of what a soldier could be, a super soldier. Because of this he would eventually be chosen as a member of Team One.

In the early 1960s a Daemonite named Helspont made a move against humanity. He wanted to start a nuclear war, leaving the planet empty for Daemonites to rule. Lord Emp, a Kherubim, created Team One to combat Helspont and the villains he had working for him. The team was made up of a majority of Kherubim and it was around this time that he and the Kherubim Lucy Blaze had a brief relationship and produced a child, who would one day become the Stormwatch operative Winter.

The team fought Helspont for control of the American nuclear missiles he was going to use to implement his plan. The team was outnumbered and John fought an entire legion of Daemonites on his own, but he couldn't hold them off and they would stop Regiment who was trying to disarm the bomb, if they got by him. John was surrounded by the Daemonites but couldn't stop them, and he ordered Majestic to use his laser vision to kill them. Majestic reluctantly relented, in which his laser incinerated John in the process.[1] Even though the missile launched, John's sacrifice was not entirely in vain as the missile was destroyed by Regiment as it took off. After that the team disbanded.

WildC.A.T.s

John was not truly dead, as before his death, Emp copied John's personality and possibly his memories, in the hopes that he could download it to a prototype Spartan android later. In the 1990s Emp had perfected the android body and started the team that would be known as the WildC.A.T.s. The android went by the code designation of Spartan after the name of guards used on Khera, as well as the android technical designation of Hadrian. Spartan became the leader of the team, but his transference to the android body didn't take as well as would have been thought: he had no memories of his prior life or Team One and even though he had Yohn Kohl/John Colt's personality, he was emotionless and acted as a robot would. With the development of the team, Spartan too developed, he even engaged in a relationship with his teammate Voodoo and his personality started to show more when the team wasn't in battle.

The team eventually would go on a mission to stop Daemonites trying to reactivate their crashed ship. In doing so they came across the Kherubim ship they had crashed in so long ago. It wasn't until the team got on the ship that they found out it was rigged to explode, to protect Earth from the blast they flew the ship into orbit and was to believed to have died. Spartan lived but was severely damaged. He was found and repaired by Stormwatch and became a member of their team until he was destroyed.

In truth it was found that the WildC.A.T.s survived and had actually used the hyperdrive of the ship to travel to Khera. There they found out that the war with the Daemonites was over thousands of years ago and that the Kherubim had won. Ever prepared Emp had used a backup disk containing the memory/personality of Spartan to implant Spartan in a more powerful body using advanced Kherubim science and he acted as Emp's personal bodyguard. It was Spartan who came across the plot the Coda had to make a martyr of Zealot, and in the ensuing investigation he was almost destroyed, but he was saved by the team and repaired. After becoming disgusted and disenchanted at what Khera was they return to Earth.

Their mission after returning had them go to Gamorra Island to stop the dictator Kaizen Gamorra during the Fire from Heaven event. It was then discovered that Kaizen Gamorra was the real John Colt whose body had been healed and sent to replace the captured Kaizen Gamorra. After battling Spartan the real John Colt was dethroned and killed for a second time by Majestic. Interestingly enough John Colt's personality and memories were finally activated in Spartan and he began to go by that name.

The team would eventually disband after Zealot's apparent death. Emp and Spartan continued on, and eventually came into battle with the villain Kenyan. Emp wanted to have Kenyan kill him so that he could achieve ascension (the pinnacle of Kherubim evolution), believing that the released energy would kill Kenyan. Kenyan killed himself and Spartan helped Emp by taking his life, surviving due to upgrades to his android body, making him largely invulnerable. It was upon returning home that Spartan found out that Emp had left the Halo Corporation to him.

Jack Marlowe

Spartan realized that the superhero lifestyle wasn't the most efficient way to meet Emp's wishes for a better world, so Spartan took the identity of Jack Marlowe and decided to wield the Halo Corporation as his tool to improve the world.

He was instrumental in the death of superhuman serial killer Samuel Smith, the son of Slaughterhouse Smith who fought Team One.[2] Sometime after this he began to use Kherubim technology to produce high-tech beyond human capability. Through Void's power of teleportation the corporation had access to Otherspace (a realm of limitless energy). Noir discovered that the matter in Otherspace could be used to create batteries that would last forever. He attempted to betray the Wildcats by killing Void and reprogramming Ladytron. Jack saved Void by merging with her, his powers increased to amazing levels making him god-like along with giving him the ability to teleport.[3] He defeated the reprogrammed Ladytron and transported Noir to Otherspace where unprotected he died. Jack then used Noir's plan and made the batteries, hoping for a better tomorrow.[4] As Jack he bought many companies as well. It was with the acquisition of an accounting firm, that the intellectual Edwin Dolby became Jack's right-hand man. Grifter became the Vice-President of the company as well as performing black ops missions for Jack.

With the creation of Halo Infinite Batteries the production of Halo Cars was a logical next step. The cars operated independent of gasoline, putting Jack on the hit list of many politicians and businessman worldwide. Assassins were sent against him but they were no problem for something powerful enough to be a god.

After Grifter learned the whereabouts of Zealot, who had been captured and imprisoned by her former followers, he orchestrated a mission to liberate her. Although Jack said he could not help his effort due to his fear of harming the integrity of the Halo Corporation, he did use his abilities in order to manipulate the battle from behind the scenes so Grifter could be successful.[5] Jack also sponsors the Seminary, a school for young superheroes.

Hadrian

Sometime later Halo Corporation becomes so successful that, its worth approximately $3 trillion, with Jack's his personal fortune estimated at $500 billion. He has decided to go by the name Hadrian again, rather then that of Jack Marlowe. He has become a proponent of the idea of adult superheroes (the idea that superheroes can work without the showy battles and obvious victories). The economic power of the company is being used to change the world commercially, with Halo pioneering both the 3-d telephone, and the even the creation of personal Spartan robot bodyguards.

When Nikola Hanssen became the new Void, Spartan lost the powers that were given to him by the original Void. Despite the loss, Spartan saw this as a setback. He began to bring back the Wildcats together again to help him.[6]

World's End

 Main article: World's End Trilogy

Because of actions taken by Nemesis orchestrated (unbeknownst to her) by the Wildcats' former member Tao, the world all but ended. Spartan and the Wildcats defended Los Angeles from the Reapers in which the former shielded the city from the nuclear blast caused by the Reapers. However, this came at the cost of scrambling his systems before his team downloaded his mind into a backup body. In the aftermath, Spartan led his team in saving survivors from the ruined city and bringing them shelter in the Halo Building, which remained the only functional and fully powered building in the city due to its limited Halo Batteries; in which Spartan could not access Otherspace to create more Halo Batteries due to the loss of his Void powers.[7]

Without the powers of the Void and his more advanced robotic abilities lost to a particularly destructive EMP in his vicinity, Spartan was left demoralized by the drastic shift from being practically a god to a robot, and his inability to save Earth from Armageddon, making him to abandon his Jack Marlowe identity and feeling unworthy of being the leader of the Wildcats.[7][6] Spartan sought counseling with Voodoo, who pointed out to him that despite the loss of his god-like powers he did what he could to save and protect lives.[6]

After the Wildcats established a tenuous truce with Lord Defile and his Daemonite followers, Spartan and his team engaged in a rescue mission to save Jodi Slayton, Nemesis and Savant from Majestic's "New Khera" in Hawaii. Their eventual confrontation with Majestic led them back to the Halo Building where it was being invaded by Defile's forces. With their home overrun, Spartan made the decision to evacuate the survivors before risking his life to open a portal to Otherspace, causing the Halo Building to be destroyed in the process. Spartan's body was damaged from entering Otherspace, but was able to transfer his consciousness into a new body provided by Maul.[8]

Spartan and his team later teamed up John Lynch and Team 7 to stop Tao and his attempt to become a god and remake the universe. Spartan and allies attacked Tao at his headquarters at Salt Lake City, but Tao proved himself too powerful from absorbing the powers of Void and Providence. In a desperate gamble, Spartan convinced Nikola to empower him once again as Jack Marlowe, but still weaker as the full Void power is shared between him, Tao and Nikola.[9] Spartan was unable to overcome Tao and he and his allies along with Nikola were forced to retreat to find Max Faraday, who possessed the Creation Equation which Tao sought.[10] Spartan and Faraday battled Tao and were soon overpowered by him, who after gained the power of the Creation Equation. Spartan's powers were then absorbed by Tao. Despite Tao having achieved godhood, he was forced to relinquish the Creation Equation upon learning it will "fix" and reform him into a kinder person. Thereafter, Tao was left vulnerable and he was shot in the head by Grifter. Following Tao's defeat, Faraday granted Spartan a new, augmented costume which was greatly different from the original, readopted costumes the Wildcats had worn. Resembling to an ancient Spartan warrior of Greece, Max stated that Spartan's original costume "sucked".[11]

Spartan and the Wildcats were later called to UnLondon by the Authority while the team was looking for the High. At UnLondon, Spartan and his team were informed and offered the chance to leave Earth on the Carrier. However, Spartan chose to stay on Earth. Shortly after the Carrier left Earth, Spartan and many of Earth's heroes battled against the Knights of Khera. When the forces of Sliding Albion suddenly invaded and subsequently fought against the Knights of Khera, Spartan became the defacto leader of Earth's heroes.[12] Spartan was later sliced horizontally in half by Kine, a Coda member of the Knights[13] Despite his injuries, Spartan was able to function and to sent Dingo, Redeemer, Disperse, Geek and H.E.R.B. on a suicide mission in sabotaging the Knights' flagship, the Red Blade, by teleporting the Knights' terra-forming machines onto the ship. This ultimately brought the deaths of the team, with the exception of Redeemer who was banished into the Bleed along with the Red Blade.[14]

After the Knights of Khera's defeat, Spartan was installed and linked to Stormwatch's space station Skywatch, where he still takes the entire command of Earth's heroes in laying out a plan to help the survivors of Earth by uniting them. However, his solution was dissented by Zealot, Maul, and Team 7 for ignoring to help humanity defend itself rather than building a utopia from the two former's perspectives, and the potential chance of further endangering all life on Earth itself from the latter. Culminating for the dissenters to leave and help the world on their own way.[15]

Following the three months after the Knights of Khera's invasion, Spartan's leadership made headway in its early steps in rebuilding Earth and he eventually arranged a marriage proposal to Voodoo.[16]

Powers

  • Bio-Android Body: As a bio-synthetic humanoid, Spartan has been upgraded several times. Spartan is made from highly advanced Kherubim technology and is possibly one of the most sophisticated machines in the universe.
    • Superhuman Strength: Spartan possesses massive superhuman strength capable of benching 60 tons of weight with seldom difficulty and nearly 70 tons with due effort. After a series of upgrades his strength level had increased by staggering amounts, initially through receiving a new kheran model body he proved capable of pumping 80 tons with minimal effort then 115 tons with exertion. Then after receiving further modification from Marlowe his strength was upped further into the upper 100 ton marker. Easily able to tear apart a Kherubim 'low-grav warcrawler' tank apart with his bare hands[17] and with considerable effort to draw blood from invulnerable opponents like Majestic.[18]
    • Superhuman Durability: Spartan is not 'invulnerable' in the true sense of the word, but he is still fairly tough and difficult to injure. He is easily bulletproof and invulnerable to most conventional street weapons such as a common knife, gun, bullets, etc. Armor-piercing bullets can pierce his biosynthetic flesh as well as powerful assaults from superhumans can easily damage him. Although recent upgrades to his chassis has made him tough enough to withstand stronger impacts. Ranging from surviving mortar fire from an alien tank[17], to standing ground against a speeding vehicle without budging[19]. and parrying superhuman blows from the likes of Fairchild with ease.[20]
    • Superhuman Stamina: In Spartan's case, however, it's the issue of endurance and the ability to function even with considerable damage done to him. He could have both arms ripped off with holes torn through most of his body and even his head, and still be capable of functioning and pushing onward. In many ways, the only way to truly defeat Spartan is to completely destroy him and shut his systems down.
    • Energy Projection: As akin to all Spartan series android's, Yohn Kohl can emit and control vast quantities of bio-plasma energy for offensive and defensive means.
      • Bio-Molecular Blast: Spartan is capable of generating powerful amounts of energy and releasing them from his body in the form of explosive blasts from his hands & eyes known as bio-blasts.[18] These powerful bursts of energy can hit with as much as 70 tons of force. Exerting as much internal power as he can spare, these blasts can reach 90 tons of force. Easily capable of shredding most alloys and leveling most things.
      • Energy Enhanced Punches: Spartan can contain energy within his fists and then discharge it upon impact, multiplying the strength of his blows by about 2-4 time over.
      • Plasma Shield: Spartan is capable of generating fields of plasma energy designed to protect himself and others and repel attacks against him. The field can protect him from up to 90 tons of force from both physical attacks and equivalent energy ones as well.[21]
      • Concussive Strobes: Jacob's upgrades to Spartan's technology enables the projection of disorienting chromatic ray pulses.[22] It can also have a buffeting effect at its highest intensity.[23]
    • Upgrade Applications: Spartan has undergone a great many systems overhauls throughout his many years of service to Lord Emp. Some where made to his physical performance while others added new technology to his original programming, giving him new and exotic abilities to complement his current ones.[24]
      • Stealth Fields: New programming that allows spartan to throw up a masking cloak to conceal himself with.[22][24]
      • Energized Filaments: Spartan can project sticky energy webbing from the back of his wrist to entangle and flail around his targets.[25]
      • Holo Projection: The ability to project holographic images.[26]
      • Stasis Field: Spartan's upgrades enabled him to freeze the atomic motion of those trapped within it, immobilizing targeted adversaries for an indefinite amount of time.[22]
    • Enhanced Senses: The body on Kheran gave him enhanced senses that allowed him to scan entire cities for specific humans. X-ray and thermal visions and other abilities that are added on and learned as time progresses.[27]
    • Flight: Spartan is capable of flight via the generation of an anti-gravity field about his body. His speed range is somewhere at around Mach-1 (750 mph). Although flying at top speed for extended periods of time tend to drain his energy reserves.
    • Psychic Immunity: As he is a cybernetic entity, Spartan's mind simply cannot be affected to an optimal degree by telepaths. It doesn't matter how powerful you are, his brain waves and mental functions simply do not allow it. Not even Despot, the most powerful psi to ever live, was capable of mentally controlling or reading the thoughts of Spartan.
    • Immortality: Spartan possesses in essence, assured immortality. If his body is destroyed or in anyway damaged beyond repair, his mind is usually immediately downloaded into another body either at HALO or on the MIRV itself for maximum memory and personality containment.
      • Accelerated Healing: Spartans are also capable of self-repair so they can mend themselves after battle as long as they are not too extensively damaged.
    • Technopathy: Spartan could wirelessly connect with any computer system and bend it to his will. He could even link up to telephone lines and answer phone calls or radio transmissions via WiFi in his networking. After the world's end event, Spartan's interfacing ability was largely diminished now he could only make machine contact with telephone and radio transmissions and could only control the few remaining Spartan guards which survived Armageddon.

Abilities

  • Genius Level Intellect: Each Spartan has a "brain" more powerful than any other computer (on Earth or otherwise), is programmed to be able to use any technology it comes across. His body is controlled by a highly advanced silicon-based neurotronic brain.[34] High speed CPU processors functioning at literally the speed of light, extensive files and combat data. They can also download data on his combat foes to best determine their weaknesses and defeat them.
  • Leadership
  • Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)
  • Weaponry
  • Multilingualism: Fluent in Kheran, English and Chinese.

Weaknesses

  • Vulnerability to Electromagnetism: Spartan's body has a weakness to anything that can effect synthetics such as EMP pulses and/or any related superhuman ability.
  • Power Instability: Because of the quantum nature of the Orb, it's capacity relies squarely on imagination. Being an android Spartan's capacity to use its full potential is limited.


Transportation

Weapons


  • Yohn Kohl was also called Spartan 7, Hadrian 7 as well as Quorl the Deathless. Though none of these are official aliases, simply names he was called in-universe.
  • Spartan formerly was in a relationship with Voodoo and Zealot. He later proposed to Voodoo to become his wife which she presumably accepted.
  • Spartan has appeared in the following non-WildStorm Image publications: Savage Dragon #13 (Erik Larsen version) and 41; Vanguard: Strange Visitors #4.

Related

Footnotes


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This character is or was a member of StormWatch, a United Nations-sponsored superhero team. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "StormWatch members" category.

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