Tracing Human Target's roots

He's not exactly the household name that Superman and Batman have become, but Christopher Chance also traces his roots back to Action Comics, where he first appeared back in 1958. He was an obscure figure who made small appearances until he was resurrected in the early '70s and then landed his own series.

FOX is not the first network to bring the character to TV. A short-lived ABC series introduced The Human Target to audiences in July 1992. It starred Rick Springfield (yes, THAT Rick Springfield) and lasted all of seven episodes.

I've never seen a single episode of that original series, so I'll reserve judgment on it until I have a chance to sample it--if that's even possible at this point.

In its original comic book form The Human Target had a noir feel to it. At a time when super-powered heroes dominated comic books, it's probably no surprise that Chance was little more than bit player.

He is, nevertheless, an intriguing character as he was originally imagined--body guard, master of disguise who impersonates his clients to draw out would-be assassins. The FOX series doesn't necessarily take advantage of all those original talents. He's now more of a tough-guy figure with a mysterious past. But it's easy to see how a character who wouldn't necessarily be a successful comic book figure competing with more familiar characters is tailor-made for a TV show.

One aspect of the show that can be developed further--or clarified--is how the team extracts payment from its clients. In the pilot episode Chance slips a diamond ring from the finger of his client, suggesting that they'll take payment however they can get it.

When you look back at the character's roots and the original series, it's obvious that FOX could be doing a lot more with the character. But, ultimately, recasting him in the mold of a James Bond-like figure may turn out to be the stroke of genius that gives the series a chance to survive longer than the seven-episode run of its ABC predecessor.

The tongue-in-cheek tone certainly makes the show entertaining, and the strong characters are appealing. Chance's unpredictability and resourceful are primary source of entertainment in the show. Where else might you see a character escape a tightly secured building by blasting a hole through the floor with a plasma cannon?

With each episode, the shadows of Chance's past loom larger. Obviously, the show is building up to something related to his former employer. Where it's going we'll have to wait to find out.