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Harry Hokum was a high ranking member of the Citadel.

Harry Hokum was born on Earth, but somehow traveled to the Vega star system, where he inveigled his way into the upper echelon of the Citadel high command. At the beginning of the Citadel War, the conquering aliens were attempting to wrest control of the one free remaining world in the Vega system - Euphorix. Such a goal was nearly impossible as Euphorix was protected by a large planetary shield. Harry Hokum offered his services and told the Citadel of a plan to break through the Euphorians' defenses. He hired three bounty hunters, Lobo, Bedlam and Berserk, and told them capture the queen of Euphorix Kalista who, at the time, was off-world serving with the Omega Men. He also broadcast falsified footage of the Citadel breaking Euphorix's shield in the hopes that Kalista would see the video and that it would draw her out of hiding. Lobo and the others found the Omega Men mothership and boarded it. Lobo used a race of small predatory aliens known as Grafflings to capture Kalista and bring her back to Harry Hokum. Hokum then exposed Kalista to another organism known as a Greeshagurt. This parasitic entity merged itself with Kalista, absorbing her body and soul. With Kalista's knowledge at his disposal, Harry learned how to deactivate the shield. However, the plan failed and the shield was only down for but an instant. The Citadel ship crashed along the surface and Kalista was rescued.

The Citadel War ended with the defeat of the present incarnation of the Citadel and the liberation of the worlds under its control. Harry Hokum and the surviving supreme commander of the Citadel forces returned to the Citadel Homeworld to inspect the damage. With the commander's authority, Harry Hokum then took measures to establish a new Citadel. His power and influence grew, and he was regarded as second-in-command to the supreme commander. Hokum led the forces still loyal to the Citadel on a series of raids against rebel worlds. Across the Vega star system, Harry supervised the gruesome execution of hundreds of political prisoners.

Less than a week after the war ended, the Citadel supreme commander was murdered by the bounty hunter Lobo in a star prison. The opportunistic Hokum quickly assumed control of the fringe elements and established the New Citadel Empire. He attended a special summit with Omega Men leader Primus and both sides agreed that the New Citadel Empire would only include worlds that join their coalition of their own free will. Surprisingly, many worlds within the Vega star system willingly aligned themselves with the New Empire, including the pacifists of Changralyn.


Abilities


  • Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.

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