Die Hard

REAL NAME: Calvin Raines
HEIGHT: 6′ 3″
WEIGHT: 250 lbs.
GROUP AFFILIATION: Youngblood

The super-soldier known as Diehard is believed to be the first successful fusion of man and machine. Diehard is characterized by those who know him as a man struggling to understand his own identity.
Regarded more as a combat unit than a man, Diehard is also constantly wary of his selection for
assignments regarded to be “suicide missions:)

## THE CHARACTER OVERVIEW

Diehard is a bio-technological marvel—a cyborg whose existence spans decades of clandestine military history. Originally a soldier enhanced during the Cold War era, his body has been “upgraded” through various iterations of technology, from primitive gears to advanced nano-circuitry. He is the ultimate veteran, having served in every major conflict of the 20th century before being integrated into Youngblood. Because his consciousness is tied to a machine, he struggles with the loss of his humanity, making him the “Vision” or “Silver Surfer” of the team—distanced, powerful, and profoundly observant.

## COLLECTOR’S CARD: “POWER STATS”

NAME: DIEHARD

LEVEL: CLASS 50 TECH-INTEGRATED COMBATANT

POWERS: Superhuman strength, flight via jet propulsion, and energy projection from built-in plasma arrays.

GEAR: Techno-organic “living” armor that can self-repair and interface with any digital system.

THE HOOK: Diehard is a “Legacy Asset.” He has versions of himself across time—from a 1940s super-soldier to a 1990s chrome powerhouse, and even a distant future “God-Machine” (as seen in Prophet).

## INVESTOR PITCH: THE “UNIVERSAL SOLDIER” STRATEGY

1. The “Iterative” IP:

Diehard is a dream for toy manufacturers and video game developers. Because he has evolved through different “Models” (Model 1 in the 40s, Model 2 in the 60s, etc.), a licensee can produce an entire line of figures based on a single character. He is his own “Multiverse” within a single timeline.

2. High-End Visual Fidelity:

The “Chrome and Red” aesthetic is a hallmark of 90s prestige comics. In a cinematic or gaming context, Diehard allows for top-tier VFX work—think the liquid metal of Terminator 2 combined with the heavy artillery of Iron Man. He provides the “Visual Spectacle” necessary for summer blockbusters.

3. The “Ageless Hero” Narrative:

Diehard’s story allows for “Period Piece” storytelling. You can set a film in the 1970s featuring a “Retro-Diehard” or a futuristic sci-fi epic. This flexibility increases the longevity of the license, as it isn’t tied to a specific modern setting.

## SYNOPSIS FOR THE DIRECT MARKET (REBOOT POTENTIAL)

“He has died for his country a thousand times, and each time, they just build him better. Diehard is the soul of a hero trapped in a million-dollar chassis. As a member of Youngblood, he is the team’s primary heavy-hitter, but his circuits are beginning to fray. When a dormant protocol from the 1950s is remotely activated, Diehard is forced to hunt down his own teammates. To stop himself, he must find the man he used to be before the machine deletes his humanity forever.”

## THE “KAYFABE” ANALYSIS: THE CHROME REVOLUTION

From a “Cartoonist Kayfabe” perspective, Diehard is a masterclass in surface textures. Liefeld and the Extreme inkers used Diehard to experiment with high-contrast reflections and “shatter-glass” lighting effects. He represents the era of the “Enhancement”—the 1990s trend of foil-stamped covers and chrome-printing. He is designed to shine on the shelf, literally and figuratively.

## LICENSING CATEGORIES

Action Figures: A “Build-A-Figure” candidate with interchangeable armor plates representing different eras.
Gaming: The “High-Tier” projectile/flyer character. A natural fit for fighting games where his “Model Swaps” can serve as unique skins.
Cinema: A standalone “History of Violence” style sci-fi epic, charting his evolution from a human soldier to a cybernetic god.

## THE YOUNGBLOOD “ORIGINAL SIX” COMPLETED

Character	Role	Licensing Value
Shaft	Leader	Tactical/Tech
Badrock	Muscle	Youth/Retail
Vogue	Infiltration	Fashion/Luxury
Cougar	Scout	Primal/Feral
Chapel	Assassin	Mature/Black-Ops
Diehard	Heavy Hitter	Sci-Fi/Legacy