Tarkington Brown

Origin

Tarkington Brown was initially a computer programmer hired to organize the various files of the New York Mayor's office. Thus he gained access to all public records in the City. While still at work, Tarkington discoverec he was suffering from a terminal disease. He had only a few months to live and what really troubled him was his failure to truly make a difference in the world around him. He wanted to leave the city a better place that he had found it. He wanted to clean the city of all these life-long criminals and/or murderers walking its streets becauase the courts had failed to convict them.

Brown had a long list of names of people who got away with murder due to legal technicalities. He realized his inability to face all of them by himself. So he used police records to locate and recruit officers with a history of using excessive force against criminals. They were similarly frustrated at being legally unable to touch known murderers because some lawyear said so. Tarkington provided the names of the targets, the officers led said targets to an early grave.

The plan was working like clockwork until they decided to target Bruno Ponchatrane. Bruno had murdered a little girl but escaped conviction due to a lack of evidence and hiring a great duo of lawyers: Matthew Murdock and Foggy Nelson. Naturally one his clients being threatened, set Daredevil in action. He rescued Bruno and made a lifelong enemy out of Brown. Not long after the failed operation, Brown attended a party hosted by an associate: Tony Stark. There he was introduced to Heather Glenn, a former lover of Murdock.

Tarkington flirted with Heather and helped her get drunk in hopes of fetting more information on the two lawyers. he got more than he bargained for, learning from her drunken recollections that Murdock was Daredevil. He immediately organized a hit on the vigilante. Heather realized what she had done and tried to convince Brown her recollections were inaccurate. Instead he held her prisoner at gunpoint. Intending to kill her right after ending the life of Murdock. He had the poor idea of serving her some hot coffee while they waited for news. Glenn hurled it in his face, temporarily blinding him. By the time his vision returned, Daredevil was there. He had defeated the rogue police officers.

Murdock and Brown were able to have an agreement. Murdock would not deliver Brown to the authorities and keep silent of the many murders the man had ordered. In return, Tarkington would keep quiet about Daredevil's secret identity and quitting any murdering activities. A little later, Brown recovered information on the activities of Lord Dark Wind in New york and his abduction of the crippled Bullseye. Deciding both men were dangerous but no longer having any field agents to sent against them, Brown contacted a vigilante with a reputation for killing. He delivered all his information to Wolverine. All Wolvie had to do in exchange was keep informing him on the progress of his investigations.

Wolvie found himself teaming-up with Daredevil and let Brown know about it. Tarkington could not resist following them. While the duo was facing twenty of Dark Wind's agents, Brown took position behind them. Aiming at Daredevil with a handgun. If he was going to die, he was taking his hated enemy with him. Daredevil was too distructed to notice. But Wolverine did. Wolvie did not particularly care for Daredevil's hollier-than-thou attitude but was not about to to witness his murder. He slashed at brown with his claws, leaving the vigilante bleeding helplessly. Next to raging fire no less.

Daredevil rushed to Brown's help and delivered him to a hospital. Brown was not particularly grateful. Pointing out that he could have had a quick death. Daredevil ensured that Brown would spend the last days of his life immobilized in a hospital bed. Daredevil soon followed Dark Wind to Japan. Brown was dead by the time he returned.