In the third film and the un-aired television pilot, his biography is slightly retconned, but the character's canonical history is as such: Peyton Westlake was a mild-mannered and brilliant scientist working on a synthetic "skin" capable of aiding burn victims.

He had a good relationship with district attorney Julie Hastings, who indirectly caused his injuries by telling corrupt developer Louis Strack, Jr. that he could not build his "city of the future" without a permission document from Westlake's laboratory.

After two and a half years of crimefighting, Darkman is shocked to discover that Durant is alive and back in town and that he must again battle his arch-enemy.

He also wishes to avenge a scientist named Brinkman, who he had been partnering with in order to perfect his synthetic skin so he may lead a normal life.

Due to clinical experiments, the nerve endings connected to Darkman's skin have been severed, rendering him immune to pain, but unable to feel physical sensations.

Darkman possesses similar ethics to those of a superhero, such as not harming the innocent, but has the tenacity and impulsiveness of a psychopath as demonstrated when he revels in the suffering of criminals.

He also has a dangerous temper, as seen in Darkman when he (disguised as his former self) breaks the fingers of an obnoxious carnival worker for refusing to give Julie Hastings the prized elephant.

This film documents Darkman's origins and his relationship with Julie, and systematically showing his transformation into a vengeful criminal killer and his first battle with Durant and the businessman Strack.

In 1994, Boyll wrote four new novels (The Hangman, The Price of Fear, The Gods of Hell, and In the Face of Death) which continue Darkman's story and expands his character and background.

In 2006, Dynamite Entertainment published a crossover comic where Darkman teams up with another Sam Raimi creation Ash Williams.

The character also appears in an unaired TV pilot played by Christopher Bowen, with a similar origin to the movie version with some alterations.