DIAMONDBACK I (Willis Stryker)
Created By: Archie Goodwin & John Romita
First Appearance: Luke Cage: Hero For Hire #1 (May 1972)
Role: One-Shot Villain
Group Affiliation: None
PL 7 (101)
STRENGTH 3
STAMINA 3
AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9
DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1
AWARENESS 3
PRESENCE 3
Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Criminal) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Advantages:
Improved Critical (Knives), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4, Startle
Powers:
"Gimmick Knives" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [20]
"Toxic Gas Knives" Weaken Stamina 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Cloud, Ranged, Progressive +2) (Diminished Range -1) (29) -- (33 points)
- AE: "Standard Knives" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)
- AE: "Throwing Knives" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Ranged 4) (Diminished Range -1) (4)
- AE: "Exploding Knives" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (20)
- AE: "Sonic Knives" Dazzle Hearing 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (20)
Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Knife +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Throwing Knives +9 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Exploding Knives +7 Area (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Sonic Knives +7 Area (+7 Affliction, DC 17)
Initiative +3
Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4
Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Enemy (Luke Cage, Reva)- Cage & Diamondback are friends from way back, but Willis was jealous over the attention his girl Reva gave to Cage, and had him framed for a crime he didn't commit. Reva was then killed in the crossfire between the mob syndicates and Stryker's own gang.
Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 9 (101)
-The original Diamondback, Willis Stryker is actually tied directly into Luke Cage's origin story. The two were childhood friends, growing up in a gang together, but while Carl Lucas got his life in order, Willis went further and further into things. Despite this, they remained good friends. What came between them? Well, a WOMAN, of course! Willis's girl Reva Connors was terrified when Willis made an enemy of the mob, and fell into the arms of Carl- whom she'd always been attracted to. Enraged, Willis set Carl up, planting heroin in his apartment and having him arrested by the police. Reva ended up being killed by the Maggia because she was close to Willis.
-When Carl, as "Luke Cage", escaped prison, Stryker was his first opponent. Now calling himself Diamondback, he wielded an array of Gimmick Knives, but he was killed in an explosion in the second issue of Cage's own series, having dropped an Exploding Knife after falling through a skylight window. This meant that Cage was unable to have anyone clear his name any longer, capping off the tragedy.
-It was kind of too bad, though, because having a guy tied to his origin story would have made for a good recurring villain. Having him live would have been serendipity, like the casual "Oh hey, this Joker character is still breathing" thing in the first Batman story. But instead, he remained dead until VERY modern times.
-I don't know if they ever explained why, but Diamondback turned up alive (coincidentally playing off of the use of Stryker as a major villain in the
Luke Cage Netflix TV series, where he is Cage's half-brother), planning to become ruler of crime on the Eastern Seaboard. Here, he showcased superhuman strength and speed, and fought Cage & Jessica Jones numerous times, before Jessica & Iron Fist defeated him.
-Stryker is a generic Gimmick Weapon User for the most part, and didn't last long. Modern times sees him with classic "Vague Super-Strength", though modern comic book storytelling doesn't do much to explain his exact levels.