Donyell Taylor

Night Thrasher (Donyell Taylor), also known as Bandit, is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Night Thrasher (vol. 2) #3 (October 1993), and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Ken Lashley. Donyell is the older half-brother^[1] of Dwayne Michael Taylor, the original Night Thrasher.

Fictional character biography

Donyell Taylor as Bandit, art by Darick Robertson.

Donyell Taylor is the product of a one-night stand between his unnamed mother and Daryl Taylor, father of Dwayne Taylor. Daryl Taylor was a rich business man who had turned the inheritance from the deaths of his parents into a hundred times the amount he was given. With it he set up charitable foundations like the Taylor Foundation. Daryl had been married to Dwayne's mother Melody since they were 18 years old. Daryl met Donyell's mother while at the bar in the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Daryl paid Donyell's mother a check worth six figures to keep quiet of their affair after she revealed she was pregnant. Donyell resented Dwayne for having the money and the family he never had. Dwayne resented the notion that his life was somehow any better because he barely remembered his parents, who were murdered by Silhouette's father Andrew Chord.

Donyell took the name Bandit and began targeting Night Thrasher's old foes to prove he was superior to Dwayne. Dwayne would later endure a severe beating at Bandit's hands.^[2] Later wanting a rematch, Bandit abducts Silhouette keeping her tied to a chair under blinding lights in order to lure Dwayne into a confrontation, but Dwayne wins the rematch.^[3] Donyell begins sleeping with Silhouette soon afterwards. When Night Thrasher, Silhouette, and various other members of the New Warriors are sent back in time Donyell joins Hindsight Lad, Sprocket, and his father's killer Andrew Chord in creating a new team of New Warriors to save the originals. The team consisted of Bandit, Hindsight Lad, Turbo, Darkhawk, Dagger, and Powerpax. Donyell later comes to terms with his half-brother, finding common ground during their battle against the Sphinx when the Warriors were returned to the proper time period.

Donyell and Silhouette quit the New Warriors soon after and moved to Chicago. This was the last time that they were seen for several years.^[4] The next time Donyell shows up, he has apparently been seeing Gambit's ex-wife Belladonna for a few months. No one knows what exactly happened between Silhouette and Bandit in Chicago that caused them to separate. It is clear by their conversation at Dwayne's grave site that they are no longer a couple.^[5]

The Initiative

After the Stamford accident, Donyell Taylor had taken over the Taylor Foundation at the death of his half-brother.^[6] It is also revealed that Donyell suffered from a car accident that caused his legs to be amputated. Donyell denies involvement in the latest incarnation of the New Warriors. However, he reveals that a large amount of money was drained from the Taylor Foundation against his wishes and only he and his brother Dwayne had access to those accounts.

Later it is revealed that Donyell Taylor did not, in fact, lose his legs at all. The last panel shows him standing up and staring out of a window, with the image of Night Thrasher behind him, suggesting that he took his brother's alias and costume, and now leads the New Warriors.^[7] Apparently, Dwayne and Donyell reconciled at some point, as he is seen expressing regret for the earlier hostility in their relationship at Dwayne's grave.^[8]

Donyell considered disbanding the New Warriors after teammate Longstrike was murdered by one of the members of the new Zodiac. The remaining members convince him not to. Donyell has problems with Wondra sowing seeds of dissent among the rest of the group. Donyell frequently disappears during battles and does not divulge his comings and goings with his teammates. He downloaded information from Machinesmith, who he claimed was creating a techno-organic virus.

It is revealed that Donyell has taken in abused children and teenagers such as Kaz, Aja, and Grace to help him by making them members of the New Warriors support staff. They have helped in turning one of Arcade's former hideouts into a base for the team. He rescued each of them from abusive environments and has been trying to give them a new life.

Secret Invasion

When the Skrulls invade earth, Donyell begins to wonder if the Night Thrasher that perished in Stamford was actually a Skrull. He travels to one of the New Warriors old safe houses, hoping to acquire a sample of his brother's DNA. Justice and his Counter Initiative arrive, and attack Donyell, believing him to be a Skrull impostor. They ask him if he is or is not Dwayne, which he doesn't answer, which just escalates things. The rest of the New Warriors then arrive on the scene.^[9]

A battle occurs between the two teams, but is quickly stopped by Donyell, who then shocks both groups by revealing his identity. They call a truce after Donyell asks Justice to help him find Dwayne's body. They arrive at a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier where Justice believe it is being held, only to find it under siege by a Skrull assault force. While the Warriors and the Counter Initiative battle the Skrulls and evacuate the surviving S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Donyell and Justice find Dwayne's corpse, along with the remains of Microbe and Namorita. Donyell takes a sample of Dwayne's DNA and runs it through his armor's computer, then does the same with Microbe and Namorita. The results test positive and Donyell tells Justice that they're taking the bodies with them. Justice agrees and the two teams depart as Army reinforcements arrive to deal with the remaining Skrulls. Later, the two teams bury the remains of their friends in a short memorial service and part on good terms.^[10]

Blood and Iron

Following a confrontation with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "capekillers", Skybolt and Ripcord are killed, and Donyell revealed that he had been working on a time machine, so that he could save the former New Warriors from their deaths in Stamford, and by extension, the New Warriors who had perished since then.^[11] When the machine is activated, it instead sends the New Warriors into a future where Iron Man has taken the Registration Act to the extreme, a future where all superpowered beings have been removed from the general populace, and the people are under a rule of tyranny. Confronting Iron Man, Donyell discovers that it is not Tony Stark in the suit, but Dwayne, returned from the dead.^[12] Despite having misgivings about Dwayne's totalitarian rule, Donyell's need to reconnect with his brother leads him to betray and capture the other New Warriors.^[13] However, after Dwayne kills Tony Stark (who in this timeline had taken on the identity of Night Thrasher) in cold blood, Donyell comes to his senses, rescuing the others and freeing the incarcerated superheroes. Donyell is then attacked by Dwayne, and is forced to kill him. Upon their return to the present, Donyell disbands the New Warriors, believing they will never be able to trust him again.^[14]

Dark Reign

Later, a man with a Night Thrasher outfit appears among the Counter Force members that arrive at Camp Hammond during the assault of the Thor clone called Ragnarok.^[15] He is later confirmed to be Donyell Taylor, who becomes the group's benefactor (and second in command) when the group goes on the run from Norman Osborn, changing the group name to "Avengers Resistance".^[16] When the Avengers Resistance aids the seceding Heavy Hitters against a group of other Initiative teams, Donyell is shot in the head by Taskmaster. He survives, and is captured by Osborn and the Hood, who make an offer to bring his brother back.^[17] However, the Avengers Resistance comes to rescue him.^[18]

While Counter Force moves to a new hideout, Donyell stays behind now that Norman Osborn knows who he is.^[19]

Siege

Counter Force hears about the incident at Soldier Field involving Volstagg and the U-Foes. Justice deduces that Norman Osborn orchestrated this. While Counter Force contacts the Mighty Avengers and the New Avengers, Donyell is advised to send e-mails containing evidence of the U-Foes' payoffs, which Donyell objected stating that Norman Osborn would make up some excuse to cover it. Justice concludes that they will have to attack Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. to expose Norman Osborn for what he is.^[20]

When visiting his brother's grave, Donyell is conflicted if he should go with the deal Norman Osborn and the Hood gave him. Counter Force takes the fight to Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. and ends up fighting the Hood's gang. They are knocked down by the Hood's new Asgardian weaponry. When Donyell arrives, the Hood gives him an opportunity to prove himself by killing Tigra.^[21]

The Hood demands that Donyell kill Tigra if he wants his brother revived. Instead, Donyell attacks the Hood and is joined by Tigra as the Hood uses the Norn Stones to empower some of the cadets on his side.^[22]

Powers and abilities

Bandit is a mutant with bioelectrical powers similar to an electric eel that require physical contact and a conductive medium to work. He can channel an electrical charge strong enough to stun, injure, or kill through someone just by touching them. He augments the range of this power by shooting special wire-tethered quarrels from his wristbow. He has also demonstrated superhuman speed and reflexes on par with Midnight's Fire and Silhouette. Donyell is an accomplished marksman, acrobat, and martial artist.^[23]

Equipment

Bandit carries a specialized wrist mounted crossbow, that fires wire-tethered quarrels tipped with miniature grappling barbs which would penetrate an opponent's flesh and then open up beneath the skin. He then uses his powers to send a debilitating bio-electric charge along the electrically conductive tether, basically making himself a living taser. He also carries a variety of throwing stars.^[23]

His Night Thrasher armor, apart from giving him added protection, enables him to project form-energy weapons, such as a bo staff, escrima sticks, and wrist blades. At one point he banged the sticks together to create an energy shockwave. He also displayed a jet pack and used Pym Particles to shrink himself and others down.

Donyell is an accomplished thief and scientist, it is revealed in New Warriors, Vol. 4, that he was able to empower de-powered mutants by stealing powerful technology from the likes of the Avengers. The full capabilities of this knowledge are unknown, but he is feasibly capable of producing incredibly powerful enhancing technology/exoskeletons.

Other versions

What if?

An alternate version of Donyell was revealed in What If...? vol. 2 #81, living in the Age of Apocalypse. When that world got attacked by Galactus, Bandit was killed in battle. One of the main features of the story was the fact that Donyell and his brother Night Thrasher were more reconciled emotionally than they are in the 616 universe.

References

External links

• World of Black Heroes: Doynell Taylor Biography
• Marvel Comics.com: Bandit
• Bandit Chronology
• New Warriors.com profile on Bandit
• New Warriors Continuity Conundrum