In 2015, it was announced that Valiant Comics was working to bring some of its bestselling and most violent characters to the big screen. In October 2019, a trailer was released for Bloodshot, staring Vin Diesel as the titular hero, and promising to set the wheels in motion for a film series exploring Valiant’s Harbinger story line. The trailer gave us a good glimpse at what’s to come, but it left us wondering – who exactly is Bloodshot?

Bloodshot first appeared in November 1992, having a brief cameo at the tail end of an issue of Eternal Warrior, before making his full debut appearance in Rai the same month. After his successful introduction, a full comic run of Bloodshot was commissioned and the character was fully developed.

The basic premise of Bloodshot is like a superhero cross-pollination of The Bourne Identity and Frankenstein. Bloodshot is a human-machine hybrid imbued with AI and nanite technology, and a minimal sense of self. The technology that flows through his bloodstream has provided him with incredible powers, including the ability to shape shift and regenerate. His masters, known as Project Rising Spirit, deploy him around the world as the ultimate solider, operating as the “shade of grey that freedom requires”. Before long, events occur which force Bloodshot to confront his missing past, his purpose on the battlefield, and his paymasters.

Valiant Comics, founded in 1989, has had a rocky history. Facing financial issues, the company has been bought out twice, leading to two reboots of the Bloodshot comic, referred to as ‘Volumes’. Volume One is the classic 1992-1993 run, Volume 2 is the 1997 reboot, and Volume 3 was launched in 2012 in a successful effort to create an ongoing franchise and narrative, crossing over with other Valiant names and mixing into the wider ‘Harbinger’ arc.

If you want to get to grips with the character of Bloodshot and his mysterious roots, we’ve put together a comic guide to help you through. Once you’ve got a handle on these, there are dozens of wider titles to explore, expanding out not only Bloodshot’s journey but that of the extended Valiant universe. You’re in for a good time.