The Human Target is the name of two characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first is Fred Venable, while the second is private investigator and bodyguard Christopher Chance who assumes the identities of clients targeted by assassins and other dangerous criminals. Chance has been in numerous books published throughout the decades and has also appeared in television adaptations.
Chance has appeared in two self-titled TV series in 1992 and 2010, portrayed by Rick Springfield and Mark Valley respectively, and made guest appearances in the Arrowverse TV series Arrow, portrayed by Wil Traval.
The first character to use the "Human Target" title (Fred Venable) appeared in Detective Comics #201 (November 1953), and was created by Edmond Hamilton and Sheldon Moldoff.
The second character to use the "Human Target" title (Christopher Chance) first appeared in Action Comics #419 (December 1972) and was created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino. Later, the feature appeared in Batman titles such as The Brave and the Bold and Detective Comics. He starred in a limited series, a one-shot, and then an ongoing series written by Peter Milligan and published under DC's Vertigo imprint. In 2021, Tom King and Greg Smallwood began a 12-issue limited series for DC's Black Label imprint.
Writer Peter Milligan and Edvin Biukovic revived Christopher Chance in 1999, moving the character to DC Comics' Vertigo imprint for a four-issue limited series. The mini-series was followed by the graphic novel Human Target: Final Cut, as well as a series lasting 21 issues until its cancellation in 2005.
The Human Target story "The Unshredded Man" was analyzed as an example of depictions of the September 11 attacks in American popular culture.