This week, Valiant Entertainment is releasing a new comic book series for their stalwart characters Quantum and Woody. These two heroes, who have many times been zeroes, have been popular characters in the Valiant Universe since the original version of Valiant Comics in the '90s. Rebooted during the Valiant Universe relaunch, the two have gone on to star in several quirky misadventures that stretch the limits of brotherly love. Take a look at who the characters are, where they've been, and how they relate to the wider Valiant Universe.
Quantum Origins
In the original Valiant Universe, Army officer Eric Henderson and ne'er-do-well Woodrow Van Chelton are childhood friends who reunite to investigate the mysterious deaths of both of their fathers. Falling victim to a scientific accident along the way, the two gain energy-based superpowers, and must "klang" their new bracelets together every hour to maintain their newly empowered forms. Eric becomes Quantum, while Woodrow, who resents codenames, simply goes by Woody.
The rebooted versions of the characters introduced in 2013 are foster brothers but otherwise have a similar origin. Coming together again after their foster father's death, the two become imbued with energy powers after being framed for their father's death. Using stolen superhero gear, the two become superheroes and face foes such as the evil organization ERA, who sought to exploit their father's research. They also befriend one of ERA's victims, a sentient superpowered goat that Woody names Vincent van Goat and uses as the duo's mascot. The duo's adventures are known for their comic relief, stemming from the brother's inability to get along and Woody's lackadaisical sense of humor. The characters were originally created by Christopher Priest and M.D. Bright as a sort of racebent twist on Marvel's Power Man and Iron Fist comic book, but with the black man (Quantum) as the straight man and the white man (Woody) as the irreverent jokester.
Role in the Valiant Universe
The duo's first adventures after gaining their powers involved being sent by a security firm to inadvertently start a race war with a group of liberal-hating rednecks, facing ERA's true leader of Thomas Edison, and being mind-controlled by their psychiatrist, who attempted to destroy the heroes' burgeoning reputation. They would later have to face both of their fathers again: Woody's father was a former criminal who was working with a descendant of Nikola Tesla, while a briefly revived version of Derek Henderson was birthed by The Goat! Given their typically less than serious antics, Quantum and Woody's stories, while taking place within the Valiant Universe, have typically been rather self-contained. These more colorful and traditionally superheroic trappings make the characters stand out against Valiant's much darker characters such as Bloodshot and Ninjak.
They have also made appearances in other books from the publisher, namely the miniseries The Delinquents. This series teamed the two up with fellow Valiant heroes Archer and Armstrong to investigate a conspiracy related to the history of the United States itself. Other appearances include the wider team-up book Faith and the Future Force, which involved most of the Valiant characters to some extent. The characters' ability to klang their bracelets is briefly destabilized following the events of Harbinger Wars 2, leading to their own destabilization and seeming death, before being reborn in another world. There, the two were renown as a powerful superhero and sullen playboy, the opposite of their less than successful reputations beforehand. Plots like these have tied the characters to the wider Valiant Universe, while still keeping them distinct enough to engage in their own wacky exploits. The upcoming new book is sure to pick up on the previous runs' plotlines while continuing to keep the brothers at the bad guys' and each others' throats.