MANHUNTER IV (Kirk DePaul)	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson (concept and basic design); Kurt Busiek and Tom Grummett (current version)

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Kirk DePaul
Aliases: Paul Kirk (2nd clone)
Occupation: Power Company partner
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Paul Kirk ('brother')
Base of Operation: San Francisco
Group Affiliation(s): Power Company
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 191 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
First Appearance: JLA #61/2 (February 2002)
Creators: Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson (concept and basic design); Kurt Busiek and Tom Grummett (current version)

By talent, training and genetic design, Manhunter was created to be a deadly weapon no matter what he's armed with. - Kirk DePaul Quote taken from Power Company: Manhunter #1 (March 2002)

OVERVIEW

The villainous organization known as the Council created a number of clones of the WWII hero Manhunter to use as their private army. One such clone developed free will and carved out a life of his own as a mercenary and later as a hero in the metahuman security firm Power Company. He was eventually murdered by Mark Shaw in his guide as the assassin Dumas.

HISTORY

Kirk DePaul is the sole surviving clone of Manhunter Paul Kirk, created by the villainous Council (I) to serve as part of their private army. This clone, however, apparently had a greater degree of free will than the rest. During a skirmish with the real Paul Kirk in Marrakhech, he broke away. Shortly afterwards, the Council was defeated through the sacrifice of Paul Kirk.

Paul’s friends Christine St. Clair and Asano Nitobe hunted down the remaining clones one by one and killed them, but for some reason, this escaped clone went unnoticed for years. Calling himself "Kirk DePaul", this Manhunter, clad in a black and white variation of Paul Kirk's outfit, spent the next several years as a mercenary in Africa. Eventually, he was approached by Josiah Power to become a partner in his new metahuman security firm, the Power Company. His presence in the high-profile agency immediately attracted the attention of Christine and Asano, who confronted him. Hesitatingly, they decided to let this clone live, but still keep him under surveillance.

Although DePaul claims that he is only in the hero business for the money, and has proven to possess a dark streak, he has – so far – always come through in the pinch.

He was eventually murdered by Mark Shaw in his guise as the assassin Dumas.

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Manhunter in chronological order click here