Created by: Fabian Nicieza and Derick Robertson
1st appearance: (as Cardinal) New Warriors #28, 1992; (as Harrier, in shadows) Thunderbolts #85, 2002; (as Harrier, full view) Thunderbolts #67, 2002
Nationality: American
Legal Status: criminal
Relatives: Valerie Bernhardt aka Meteorite (daughter, deceased) unnamed father
Group Affiliations: Air Force, Masters of Evil, Thunderbolts
Height: 6”2” Weight: 257
Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Skills and abilities: Professional soldier, excellent tactician, and pilot
Powers: none
Weapons: As both Cardinal and Harrier used winged body armor which granted flight, superhuman strength and resilience, and the ability to travel underwater. The armor carries an array of offensive weapons including electrical blast, tar pellets to ensnare projectiles, titanium net, energy blasters, and grenade launcher
Biography
Donald Joshua Clendenon grew up in Alabama. He joined the military, receiving his training in Georgia. And afterward, as a Vietnam vet turned mercenary, conceived a daughter named Valerie with Angela Bernhardt aka Sproket; one of the mercenaries on the mission they were on and the pilot in his unit. Clendenon gained a suit of winged powered armor and took the name Cardinal. (Thunderbolts #67, 2002) His first employer was an illegal arms smuggler. The smuggling operation was attacked by the New Warriors and shut down, and Cardinal was sent to prison. (New Warriors #28, 1992) Clendenon was busted out of prison by the supervillain group Air Force and they tangled with the New Warriors once more. The results were the same with the villain team defeated and Clendenon and the group sent to prison. (New Warriors #35, 1993).
The group was able to break out of prison again and was hired by Hancock Transport Airlines to attack a flight to Africa by the Taylor Foundation carrying supplies. Also aboard the flight was Night Thrasher, who was able to fight off Air force and persuade them to help with the relief efforts. (Night Thrasher #4-5, 1992-93) While he and the Air Force helped with the relief effort, Clendenon’s attitude changed as he realized that helping people was what he wanted to do with his life. Shortly thereafter, the refugees were attacked by Undertow and his group Soldiers of Misfortune. The Soldiers of Misfortune slaughter refugees and kills two members of the Air Force. They also talk Sproket captive. Cardinal tries to rescue Sproket but fails and is badly injured. Out of frustration he rebuilds the Cardinal armor and renounces heroics. (New Warriors #54-56, 1994-95) He joined the Crimson Cowls’ Masters of Evil and participated in the global weather control blackmail scheme. The scheme was broken up by the Thunderbolts and the Masters were sent to jail. (Thunderbolts #24-25, 1999) He was locked up in the superhuman cellblock with Hawkeye and others who attempted to killed Hawkeye (Thunderbolts: Life Sentences #1).
Clendenon is once again freed from prison by the Crimson Cowl and the Masters of Evil. The Cowl promises Clendenon she would destroy Hawkeye for his part in the death of his daughter, who had joined the Redeemers program under the codename Meteorite and was killed in the line of duty. Clendenon was persuaded to join Hawkeye’s team after he learned he had been infected with a toxin by the Cowl as a means of control. He modified his armor and renamed himself Harrier. The team defeats Cowl and the rest of the Masters and was able to neutralize the toxin. (Thunderbolts # 64-65, 2002) Clendenon battled alongside the Thunderbolts against the Wild Pack and the Masters of Evil again. He was chased by the Elite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and subdued by Hawkeye, who talked him back on the team, and was one of the Thunderbolts presents when Citizen V’s ship was about to explode and send the world plunging into a white hole. After that, he went back to prison to finish out his sentence. He made peace with Hawkeye over the death of his daughter. (Thunderbolts #67, 69, 71, 73-75, 2002-2003)
