Kestrel first appeared in Wolverine #48 (November 1991) and was created by writer Larry Hama and artist Marc Silvestri.

John Wraith is a member of Team X and test subject of the Weapon X Program, along with Wolverine, Sabretooth, Maverick, Mastodon and Silver Fox.

[1][2] Wraith later leaves Weapon X, but eventually rejoins the group and is instructed to recruit Maverick into it.

This version is the leader of a mutant concentration camp and the head of the Weapon X program.

[5][6][7][8] He later becomes the Vindicator after gaining powers from the Banshee drug before being killed by William Stryker Jr.[9][10][11]