Beard Hunter: the superhero DC chose to forget

Ernest Franklin, better known as Beard Hunter, is a minor character in the DC universe who first appeared in the Doom Patrol series. Created by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Richard Case, his power consists of detecting and tracking anyone through their facial hair. An ability as specific as it is useless in combat, which made him a rarity within the publisher's superhero catalog.

Ernest Franklin Beard Hunter crouching on a rooftop at night, holding a high-tech facial hair scanner device emitting a glowing green beam across a crowd below, the scanner interface displaying biometric data and hair follicle trajectories, while he sniffs a single beard strand caught in a forensic evidence bag, cinematic comic book style, dramatic shadows, neon city lights reflecting on wet pavement, detailed surveillance gear on his belt, intense focus on his face, photorealistic superhero illustration, dark moody atmosphere, dynamic action pose demonstrating his tracking process

The power of facial hair as a tracking tool 🧔

Beard Hunter's mechanism is based on an extreme sensory perception of human facial hair. He can smell, taste, and sense the capillary energy of a beard or mustache from miles away. However, his ability has limitations: it does not work on people without facial hair or with synthetic wigs. In a world where villains often wear masks or shave, his tactical utility is almost nil. Morrison conceived him as a parody of classic detectives.

The hero no one wants on their team 🦸‍♂️

Beard Hunter tried to join the Doom Patrol but was rejected for obvious reasons. His moment of glory came when he managed to track a villain thanks to a poorly trimmed mustache. He then disappeared from the comics without a trace, probably because no one remembered he existed. If he ever returns, it will be because Grant Morrison decided to make an inside joke. Meanwhile, his legacy is a beard and zero followers.