Hershel Black
| Hershel Black | |
|---|---|
 por Potato-sunrise
| |
| Grupo | Reckoners |
| Mundo natal | Tierra (Reckoners) |
“But there’s nothing that you or anyone else on this dying marble can offer me to get me to betray my family. Nothing. I’m theirs to the end, until I die or they die. And I ain’t going to be the one to let another one go. ”
—Hershel to Languish[1]
Hershel Black is a Reckoner and is a demolitions expert.[2] He is part of the group that invades the city of Lux. He has a prosthetic metal leg, which he claims is his “good leg”.[3][4]
Hershel refuses to share the story of how he lost his leg with any other Reckoners until they guess it.[3] In the end, it is Languish who correctly guesses that Hershel got trapped and cut it off himself.[1]
History
“I say Hershel is hardcore, so he deserves a hardcore leg story. ”
—Jax on the subject of how Hershel lost his leg.[5]
Hershel Black served for many years in the Special Forces. He participated in many missions during his service, including demolition jobs, extractions, and assassinations.[6]
Thirteen years prior to the events at Lux, Hershel and his squad, named Delta Squad, were given an assignment in Siberia. They were tasked with stealthily approaching a Russian satellite and hacking it, and they were dropped off a long distance away from the target. On their second night, Calamity, the bright red star in the sky, began glowing brighter than normal and pulsing. Paul Jackson, a young member of Delta Squadron, collapsed and began spasming and muttering to himself. He fell into a coma, leaving Hershel and the others unsure of what to do. Later that night Jackson awoke, and when Hershel asked him questions, he refused to answer. Jackson said he didn’t take orders from Hershel or anyone else, claiming that he was “free”. Hershel gave the order to attack the facility in the morning, disturbed by Jackson’s actions.[6]
They made their attack on the satellite the next morning, but things went wrong and the guards were alerted. Jackson revealed Epic powers, blasting the guards with yellow energy blasts. He started shooting energy blasts at the satelitte, and vaporized one of his squad mate’s arm in the process. The members of Delta Squad, horrified and afraid, threatened Jackson and leveled their guns at him. When they opened fire on him, the bullets doing no damage, Jackson killed all of Delta Squadron. All but Hershel, the only one who hadn’t opened fire. Sparing Hershel, Jackson flew off, blowing up the Russian facility with energy blasts as he went.[6]
Hershel ran, but a chunk of debris hit him in the head, knocking him out. When he awoke, everything around him had been turned to steel by Jackson’s powers. Hershel was trapped, his leg encased in steel up to his leg. Knowing he had to make it to the extraction point but completely trapped, Hershel used his belt as a tourniquet and cut off his own leg with his knife.[6] He passed out, and was later rescued by a helicopter flying over the area.[7]
Relationships
Jax
See Bucket Book
Wife
Hershel had a wife at some point, whose name is not known.[6]