John Henry

Not part of Riordanverse The following article/section is from the Tristan Strong continuity under Rick Riordan Presents and not the Riordanverse canon.

John Henry
Biographical information
Full name	John Henry
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Midfolk
Residence	MidPass
Item	Hammer
Status	Alive
Physical description
Eye	Dark
Species	God
Behind the scenes
Appearances	Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Tristan Strong Destroys the World Tristan Strong Keeps Punching

For the demigod son of Thor, click here.

“	Now's not the time to be a hero, Tristan. It's time to be a leader. Sometimes them things ain't the same.	”
–John Henry to Tristan Strong on when to be a hero and when to be a leader in Tristan Strong Destroys the World.

John Henry is an African American folk hero. He was born as a mortal and became an African American God as his story was told. He serves as the leader of the Midfolk.

History

John Henry was born into slavery, but was eventually freed and went to work for a railroad company building train tracks. One day the company made a drill to speed up the process and John Henry challenged it to a contest so the workers could keep their jobs. He won but died of exhaustion soon after.

Another version of the story states John Henry was a former slave who became a sharecropper after being freed. However he was jailed on a minor offense and worked on the tracks as a sentence.

He eventually became a god and defended MidPass from the forces of Maafa.

Tristan Strong Trilogy

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Tristan Strong dreams of him and Brer Rabbit exhausted from a battle. He picks something up and tells it to find something.

About a year later he confronts Tristan Strong and demands Eddie's Journal. When Tristan says he lost it and wants to go home, he gives the boy an accusing look and as Tristan scolds them and tells the gods his story, he and the others stare in shock as butterflies reenact his story and they realize he is an Anansesem. He explains that it is a story teller gifted with Anansi's power and tells Tristan something about his story does not add up before dismissing him. He also praises Gum Baby for bringing Tristan to them. After eating Tristan returns to him and he vetoes Ayanna's request to find more Midfolk and she storms off. He tells Tristan the dangers the iron monsters pose and their recent intelligence, he think it is their leader, an idea that followed the gods to MidPass. He then tells Tristan they have a plan. He takes him to Brer Rabbit and they are joined by Sarah, Rose, and Ayanna. They listen as the lagomorph explains his plan to have Anansi fix the hole. He vetoes it but after learning that Brer Rabbit and Anansi were working on a Story Box when the iron monsters attacked. After learning Tristan can find it he agrees to the plan. When he says no he takes the boy for a walk and they talk about boxing and how he was forced to box for his boss's entertainment after a long days work. He gives Tristan the journal's tassels but gets ready for battle when an iron monster is seen on it.

He shows rear and calls Brer Rabbit for help, but can’t due to the rabbit losing control of the Thicket. He gives Tristan a pair of magic gloves to help him fight off the incoming fetterlings. The tide goes in there favor until Brer Rabbit warns them of a large fetterling coming at them. When it breaks through he is joined by Rose, Sarah, and Brer Rabbit. The gods urge Tristan to go on the quest.

A day or two later the Thicket burns and he handles an evacuation while fighting off iron monsters. He sees Tristan's message. He arrives at the Golden Crescent with a boat of refugees ready to fight. He does so and hold them off before eventually being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of iron monsters. After the battle he congratulates Tristan and is shocked to learn Anansi has been impersonating Brer Rabbit for months. He expresses his rage at the revelation.

Before Tristan goes back to his world, he says goodbye to the him as he is trying to build a bridge between MidPass and Alke. He reveals Nyame's Palace has let the Midfolk stay in Alke until MidPass is repaired. Tristan promises to bring him a Muhammad Ali poster when he returns.

Tristan Strong Destroys the World

A month after Anansi's lies are exposed, he is visited by a mysterious figure who tells him the one responsible for the current state of Alke is still at large before send a bossling to attack him. He prepares to fight back but Tristan, who was watching via a video call, calls his name and distracts him long enough to get attack. However he manages to fend him off with only his hammer being stolen, but he is injured and starts to fade.

Later, he asks Gum Baby to bring him Tristan when he returns. When they meet he complements him on becoming a leader and tells him not to go after the Shamble Man. Tristan laves him Old Man Rawlen's Gloves to give him strength and the following day he is recovered enough and pulls a boat of civilians into the bay. They all get on the Keelboat as Tristan tells them he plans to take them to his world. He is shocked by the plan, but supports it. He and the other gods hold the quilt as Tristan sews the story of Alke into it.They make it to Tristan's world, but some of the Alkeans are separated. He takes refuge in the keelboat along with Nyame, Keelboat Annie, Lady Night, Mami Wata, Brer Bear, and Brer Rabbit. Two day later, they discover that Uncle Cotton is still around and has freed more haints. As they relay this information to Tristan, he tells them that the SBP can locate the missing Alkeans and shows them pictures of Ayanna, Junior, and Gum Baby.

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching

After Tristan escapes from a trap, he, Tristan's grandparents, Nyame, and Mami Wata listen as Tristan tells them King Cotton is back and they have to act immediately, they reveal to Tristan that they will handle it and he is being sent home to Chicago with Gum Baby. He tries to protest, but they say his anger demonstrates during the previous night makes him to much of a liability and take the SBP from him. They say their goodbyes and leave.

A few days later, he, Sarah, Rose, and the other gods board the River Queen for backup after Tristan is missing in action. Later Tristan calls to tell them he is on a train and found Junior, but that King Cotton has his bracelet. The gods panic as Ayanna asks Tristan for a location, he reports that they are heading to Chicago. He helps Tristan fight off a hoard of breakers, telling the tire boy to rest.

He appears at Lake Michigan as Tristan is about to be snatched by Cotton and blocks the haint. Cotton attacks John Henry with little success as Tristan rejoins his friends. Tristan, Ayanna, Junior, and Thandiwe watch as Cotton almost over powers the steel driving man and help get civilians away safely. Just then the other gods arrive and box Cotton in, however Tristan realizes it is a trap, but warns the gods to late as Patty Roller leads hundreds of breakers into battle against the gods. He and the other gods put up a good fight but soon grow tired. However Tristan takes out the living plantation giving King Cotton his power, as well as the haint himself. After the battle, he and the others congratulate Tristan as he exits the ruble that was Old Angola. After the sky god buys a tour bus, he and the other gods decides to take the others gods on a tour of the United States to search for more Alkeans.

Appearance

John Henry was a large Black man with arms of mahogany, fists like rocks, and shoulders broader than mountains. He wears blue overalls with a strap undone over a white collared shirt.

His hammer's smooth handle was like a log with carving edged up and down the wood.

Personality

John Henry is shown to be kindhearted to his friends and intimidating to his enemies.

Abilities

• Hammer Proficiency: John Henry is skilled with a hammer.

Trivia

• John Henry is the second character to be mentioned in both a Rick Riordan and Rick Riordan Presents series, the first being Indra. John Henry is the first Magnus Chase character to appear in a Rick Riordan Presents title.