Morgan Blackhand

"It used to think that being a 'Solo' meant something. You were a breed apart, a lone hunter in the depths of nighted city streets. Now, every gonk with a big gun and a chipped-in attitude thinks he's a Solo."

- Morgan Blackhand

A pragmatic Solo with an anodized black-chrome cyberlimb arm. Generally considered to be a "Solo's Solo", with years of experience and ops under his belt. Rated as the number one Solo professional in the business by the Solo of Fortune Annual 2020 Awards.

1980s - 2020
Morgan is a combat veteran, he initially served in the Army back in the 80s. As a rookie soldier, he once had to take lead of his special cyber-soldier unit, after the commander went full Cyberpyscho during a mission.

After leaving the army, Morgan Blackhand felt misplaced. He was a highly trained killer who specialized in demolitions. Not many people wanted to hire him for a random mundane desk job. After surviving on the streets for a few months, Morgan Blackhand would fortuitously run into a notorious Booster Gang Leader who apparently took a strong dislike to the Solo. Morgan Blackhand promptly dispatched him with such finesse that it impressed a Militech recruiter who happened to observe the scene. The recruiter made Mr. Blackhand an offer he could not refuse. Subsequently Morgan Blackhand became a mercenary who took care of problems for Militech.

Morgan Blackhand also earned his street cred through resolving high profile incidents, such as the attempted kidnapping of Kerry Eurodyne, a member of Johnny Silverhand’s Samurai Band. In this particular scenario, all five of the kidnappers were captured by Morgan alone and turned over to Federal Authorities. While bruised, battered and beaten they were still alive.

Stormfront Campaign 2020
Militech coaxed Morgan Blackhand into the fray to lead its Ocean War Special Ops team, although no details were provided of his missions. Described as the most famous living soldier of the 21st century, Blackhand has come through hundreds of ops with ease. His funding from Militech allowed him to subcontract a group of highly skilled and motivated freelancers, making them answerable only to him.

Firestorm 2024
Set in 2024, Arasaka mobilize the Japanese Defence Force to take on Militech and the American military. Waves of cyberviruses corrupt databases worldwide, leaving the isolated Arasaka Towers archaeology in Night City the last viable data storage mainframe in the world. Militech gathers together a dream team consisting of the best operatives Cyberpunk has to offer, including Morgan Blackhand and Johnny Silverhand. Morgan Blackhand's role was to lead Strike Team Omega alongside Militech’s elite Combat Borg units and act as support if Strike Team Alpha & Beta failed in their objectives.

After successfully planting the demolition charges, Morgan Blackhand’s squad began the evacuation from the Arasaka Tower rooftop, only for Adam Smasher, Arasaka’s cyborg assassin in a Dai-Oni Battlesuit to confront him. While the building begins to shake from the detonation of the nuclear demolition charge, the two launch themselves at each other in a last desperate attempt to kill their nemesis. The outcome of the duel is unknown.

Character Traits
According to Mike Pondsmith, Morgan Blackhand is defined by the fact that he is a pragmatist. Blackhand survives because he is street-smart and is constantly looking out for his own best interest.

According to his description in Solo of Fortune 2, Blackhand's reputation as a top Solo is partly due to the fact that he is able to capture targets alive, rather than simply killing them.

In the Cyberpunk 2020 Core Rulebook Morgan is noted to have skill as a Techie, as not to have to rely on others to repair his tech, and has some training in martial arts.

Morgan's handling of incidents, like the attempted kidnapping of Kerry Eurodyne, show the touch of the master. It is interesting to note that all five of the kidnappers were captured by Morgan (alone),and turned over to Federal Authorities. They were bruised, battered and beaten, but alive. Any Solo can kill, but only a master like Blackhand can eliminate a threat and embarrass the group's sponsors. Still,embarrassing a huge company like DMS can't make it any easier on your career. It is possible that Morgan's profile may make him less employ-able soon.

Skills
Combat Sense +10, Aikido +8, Athletics +lo, Awareness +lo, Basic Tech +7, Demolitions +8, Driving +8, Education +3, Endurance +9, Tactics +7, Fencing +6, First Aid +7, Handgun +lo, Heavy Weapons +9, Hide/Evade +7, Intimidate +8, Melee +lo, Pilot Boat +6, Pilot Gyro +8, Pilot Fixed Wing +7, Pilot Vectored Thrust +9, Rifle +10, Shadownrack +7, Stealth +9, Strength Feat +5, SMG +10, Swimming +6, Tae Kwon Do +9, Weapons Tech +10, Wilderness Survival +7.

Cyberware
Neural processor, Sandevistan boost, smartgun and vehicle links, interface plugs, chipware socket, nasal filters, two cyberoptics (targeting scope, low- lite, infrared, anti-dazzle), right cyberarm (rippers, heavy SMG, microwave/EMP shielding, hydraulic rams), muscle & bone lace, nanosurgeons.

Equipment
Custom 12mm SMG in cyberarm (as MAC 14, but WA +2, ammo 20), Militech Viper SMG (smart, 4 clips), Colt AMT 2000 (smart, 3 clips), smartchipped Militech M31al with 3 extra clips, 24 mini-grenades). Hand grenades: 3 HE & at least one of every other kind. SP 24 vest, SP 18 bodysuit (total EV -4). Headset radio, first aid kit All weapons accurized for additional +1 WA.

Quotes
-Morgan Blackhand, Cyberpunk 2020 Core Rulebook
 * "After I got out of the Army, I had this problem. I was good at what I did, but no one was hiring. I mean, what do you do when you're a highly trained killer with a background in demolitions? Read the wanted ads? After a few months on the Street, I got into a dustdown with a local booster lord. I flatlined him and went back to my drink. Within ten minutes, the recruiter from Millitech came up to me and dropped a business card... Now I'm a company man. The Pay's good, the Work steady, and they pay for my spare parts. So far, I'm still alive. So far, so good."
 * "A lot of battles get won before the first shot is fired. When your eyes meet his, and he knows you're willing to pay the price in blood. His blood, your blood- it doesn't matter to you. You're committed."

-Morgan Blackhand, The Enforcer's Handbook

Trivia

 * Morgan Blackhand was Mike Pondsmith's own Solo player-character in Cyberpunk 2020.

Reference
Morgan Blackhand was first mentioned by Mike Pondsmith in the Cyberpunk 2020 referee guide Listen Up, You Primitive Screwheads. In this book, Pondsmith discusses his playstyle and uses Blackhand as an example.

A profile on Morgan Blackhand appears in the Cyberpunk source book ''Solo of Fortune 2. ''He is listed as one of the top 10 Solos-for-hire.

Blackhand's Street Weapons 2020, is a source book for Cyberpunk 2020 that, in-universe, was written by Morgan Blackhand.