CITIZEN V

Name: Citizen V
Alter Ego: John Watkins III

Origin: John is one in a long line of people to assume the mantle of the swashbuckling freedom fighter known as Citizen V. The legacy of the mantle dates back to World War 2 when John Watkins I, a lieutenant in the British Navy, was believed killed in battle though his death was faked and he returned as a masked undercover operative codenamed “Citizen V”. In this guise, John I aided the resistance in Nazi occupied France and created the group of freedom fighters called the V-Battalion. After being killed (along with most of his team) by Nazi scientist Baron Heinrich Zemo, John I’s mantle was taken up by his girlfriend French spy Paulette Brazee aka She-Wolf who led the Battalion in hunting war criminals after WWII ended. Later, John Watkins Jr. grew up and took up the identity though died when his son John III was only two years old. Eventually, Heinrich Zemo’s son Helmut took over the Citizen V persona in a failed attempt to pose as a hero to gain Earth’s trust then conquer the world. Following Helmut’s exposure and defeat, Dallas Riordan a young woman who had suffered due to Helmut’s schemes was approached by the V-Battalion to be the 5th Citizen V (which she did primarily to hunt down and get revenge on Baron Zemo). After a brief stint in the costume, Dallas moved on and John Watkins III rose up to take on the mantle started by his grandfather and continue the family legacy of combatting injustice and ensuring freedom for all.

Powers/Abilities: John Watkins III is a normal human being with no special powers. He is considerably athletic and fit, possibly peak human as he laid in a coma for five years and woke up with no noticeable decline in performance. Trained from birth (like his father before him) to one day take up the Citizen V identity and having been an active field agent before he actually did, John is a highly talented athlete, marksman, strategist, swordsman, knife thrower and martial artist. Citizen V’s primary weapons are an adamantium saber which is virtually indestructible and capable of slicing most material and a pistol. Other items he uses include but aren’t limited to: grappling hooks, an armored suit with built in cloaking device, and the V-Wing (a collapsible flying platform similar to the gliders used by the Green Goblin and Hobgoblin).

Random Trivia: Captain America has made mention of meeting the original Citizen V in World War 2. While John Watkins II was stated to be the first Citizen V’s son, it’s implied his mother had an affair with Baron Heinrich Zemo while she was sent undercover to spy on him. Helmut Zemo chose to impersonate Citizen V (and pretend to be the original’s grandson) partially as a cruel and ironic joke as Helmut’s father killed the original Citizen V. At one point, John’s comatose body was possessed by Zemo’s disembodied consciousness. The “V” in the character’s name is a reference to the common WW2 slogan “V for Victory!”