Adrian Chase

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Adrian Chase
Vigilante (Adrian Chase).png
Adrian Chase as the Vigilante in Vigilante #2 (October 1983)
Art by Keith Pollard
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceNew Teen Titans #23 (September 1982)
New Teen Titans Annual #2 (August 1983; as Vigilante)
Created byMarv Wolfman
George Pérez
In-story information
Alter egoAdrian Allen Chase
Team affiliationsCheckmate
Notable aliasesVigilante
Prometheus (Arrowverse)
AbilitiesBrilliant marksman
Superb hand-to-hand combatant/martial artist

Adrian Chase is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, he is the second character to use the Vigilante alias after his brother. Chase debuted in New Teen Titans #23 (September 1982) before becoming Vigilante in New Teen Titans Annual #2 (August 1983). He later appeared in his own Vigilante series that featured Wolfman, Alan Moore, and Paul Kupperberg as writers.

Josh Segarra portrayed Simon "Adrian Chase" Morrison / Prometheus in The CW's live-action Arrowverse television series Arrow, while Freddie Stroma portrays the Vigilante incarnation of Chase in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) / HBO Max series Peacemaker (2021).

Fictional character biography[]

Adrian Chase was a New York City district attorney. He sought justice his own way as the anti-hero Vigilante after his wife Doris Chase and their children were killed by mobsters.[1] Adrian was initially shown taking pains to make sure he did not kill his enemies (unlike the Punisher from Marvel Comics) and would regularly use non-lethal weaponry to disable his opponents.

Throughout the Vigilante series, Chase was tormented over the justice of his actions and the pain brought to others. Chase flirted with abandoning his Vigilante identity after he savagely beat an ex-convict who turned out to be innocent. Eventually, Chase did abandon his Vigilante identity, believing that he could be both more effective and happier as a judge. But during his absence, the Vigilante identity was assumed by two of his friends (fellow judge Alan Wells and then bailiff Dave Winston respectively) without his knowledge.

But after Wells killed a police officer and in the wake of Winston's death at Peacemaker's hands, Chase once again assumed the Vigilante role, believing it was the only way to protect his loved ones. However, his experiences with Welles and Winston had damaged his fragile psyche beyond repair, causing him to adopt more vicious tactics in his war on crime. Seeking revenge on Peacemaker, the out of shape Adrian gets beaten in a fight and unmasked on live TV, thereby ending Chase's secret identity and forcing him even further into the Vigilante role.

Eventually, Chase became ever more conflicted over the violence he engaged in and the harm he caused to those around him. He also became increasingly mentally unstable—alternating between bouts of enraged violence, paranoia and terrible remorse for his actions. Near the end, he even resorted to murdering innocent police officers who got in his way. His mounting guilt culminated in Chase contemplating the course of his life and then committing suicide.[2]

Before his death, he frequently battled Cannon and Saber and Electrocutioner.

Adrian makes an appearance in the Day of Judgment limited series, as one of the dead heroes in Purgatory. He and the others run interference, battling the guardians of the realm, so other living heroes can escape with the soul of Hal Jordan. When the crisis concluded with Jordan assuming the Spectre mantle, Jim Corrigan appeared briefly on Earth, stating that the efforts of Chase and other heroes in Purgatory had earned an appeal in the shining city.[3]

It is been revealed recently that Adrian is the brother of Dorian Chase.

Powers and abilities[]

As the Vigilante, Adrian Chase is a superb hand-to-hand combatant, a brilliant marksman, and a master of the lariat. He also possessed the ability to heal quickly and regenerate his body from injuries as serious as stabbings or gun shot wounds, although he is capable of dying if the injuries are severe enough.

In other media[]

  • Variations of Adrian Chase appears in the live-action television series Arrow, portrayed by Josh Segarra.[4]
    • The Earth-1 version appears in season five as an alias for Simon Morrison / "Prometheus".[5] After his father Justin Claybourne's death, he vowed revenge and conducted research into Claybourne's murderer, eventually learning it is Oliver Queen. After seeking out Talia al Ghul to train him in the League of Assassins' ways, Chase targets and haunts Queen and the latter's allies, manipulates Artemis, and recruits Black Siren to his cause. While Team Arrow eventually deduce Chase's identity, the latter kidnaps William Clayton and captures Queen's teammates to lure Queen to the island Lian Yu. In their ensuing fight, Chase reveals he has rigged the island with explosives and that the trigger is in his brain before killing himself, though Queen and most of the captives survive.
      • Additionally in seasons five and six, series original character Vincent Sobel (portrayed by Clayton Chitty and Johann Urb and voiced by Mick Wingert) serves as the series' version of Vigilante, behaving and dressing similarly to the comics version of Chase.[6]
    • An Earth-2 doppelgänger of Chase appears in season eight's premiere "Starling City" as the Hood. Queen encounters this version of Chase while the former is on Earth-2 and they work together despite initial difficulties.
  • Adrian Chase / Vigilante appears in the live-action HBO Max series Peacemaker, portrayed by Freddie Stroma.[7] This version is a self-proclaimed crimefighter who looks up to Peacemaker.

References[]

  1. ^ Vigilante (1983) at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived July 19, 2015, at WebCite from the original on July 19, 2015.
  2. ^ Vigilante #50 (February 1988). DC Comics.
  3. ^ Day of Judgement #5. DC Comics.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 16, 2016). "'Arrow': Josh Segarra Cast As Adrian Chase, Vigilante, For Season 5". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  5. ^ Abrams, Natalie (March 1, 2017). "Arrow unveils Prometheus' identity – what's next?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  6. ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (November 10, 2017). "Vigilante Is Black Canary's Ex On 'Arrow' & The Consequences Are Already Heartbreaking". Bustle. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  7. ^ "'Peacemaker': Freddie Stroma to Replace Chris Conrad in HBO Max's 'Suicide Squad' Spinoff". May 28, 2021.

External links[]

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