History[]
Kano is one of the main characters in the 2000 AD strip Bad Company. A long time ago he was (a) a normal human and (b) a husband and father. After his wife and child died he joined the army, fighting the war against the alien Krool. He seems to have been a man of some integrity, who wanted to treat captured Krool prisoners humanely because he believed that the war should be fought ethically (see quotes page). Then he was captured by Krool scientists who removed half his brain and replaced it with half a Krool brain to see what would happen. The Krool had hit an evolutionary dead end and were experimenting with ways of prolonging their race's advancement, but the incompatability with Kano's human mind drove the Krool half of his brain mad.
The now half-deranged and hate-crazed Kano escaped to continue the war as the leader of a squad of freaks and psychopaths called Bad Company on the planet Ararat. He kept what he believed to be the other half of his human brain in a locked box, a secret known only to his comrade Mad Tommy Churchill. (Tommy actually only pretended to be mad in order to prevent Kano from killing him to protect his secret: so long as Kano thought him insane and harmless, he was safe.)
Kano was one of the few survivors of the destruction of the original Bad Company, but lost his mind for a time because he was exchanging consciousnesses with the Krool who had half of his brain, allowing it to possess his human body and go on murderous rampages. He was hunted down by a new version of Bad Company led by Danny Franks. Danny eventually brought the war with the Krool to an end, with Kano's assistance, by merging with the telepathic 'Krool Heart'. Kano had cured his own bouts of psychosis by forcing the Krool with half of his brain in it to walk off a cliff. Years later, Kano returned to the Krool homeworld to rescue Franks, but elected to remain there himself fighting his eternal enemies.
Ten years after Ararat exploded Kano was in the custody of Earth's government, who wanted to burn out his bad memories and use him as a war hero for propaganda purposes. Kano wasn't that keen on the idea. He, Danny and resurrected versions of their friends Thrax, Flytrap and Mad Tommy discovered the truth behind humanity's war with the Krool and then went on the run together, joined by their new allies Golgotha Joe and Doctor Malarkey.
Powers and abilities[]
Powers
He claims to have heightened immunity because "my system's too poisonous for most diseases" (2000 AD prog 2062).
Abilities
Extremely proficient soldier.
Strength level
Stronger than peak human male.
Weaknesses
He's insane.
Paraphernalia[]
Equipment
A box with half a brain in it.
Transportation
Various, including Protoid's 'ship'.
Weapons
Numerous, all lethal.
Notes[]
- Peter Milligan first explored the idea of human/alien mind swaps in a Future Shock called Medusa, in which a human and a hideous, grotesque alien monster (from the human's point of view) exchange consciousnesses. It was published in 2000 AD prog 394.
- Kano had a cameo in 2000 AD prog 2000 (September 2016) which was drawn by Dave Gibbons. He, Mad Tommy, Wallbanger and Shrike were shown shooting Krool.
Links[]
- Appearances of Kano
- Character Gallery: Kano
- Images that feature Kano
- Fan-Art Gallery: Kano
- Kano quotations