Malcolm Howard is a major character in the Power universe, serving as a major antagonist in Power Book III: Raising Kanan. He is portrayed by Omar Epps.
Malcom serves as the secondary antagonist/anti-hero in season 1, one of the deuteragonists in season 2 and one of the deuteragonists-turned-final antagonist in season 3.
Malcolm is a detective for the New York Police Department. Detective Howard is a sworn enemy of South Jamaica. He harasses its inhabitants constantly to try to bring on a weak attempt at cleaning up the most dangerous neighborhood in NYC in 1991.
Biography[]
Past[]
He grew up in South Jamaica, New York along with the Thomas siblings. Unlike many residents who chose crime, he became a police officer in his adult years. Believing because he grew up on the streets and knew what to expect, he owns it and he bring down any crime that forms.
At one point, he was placed on an undercover assignment to take Def Con, a notorious gangster in New York. He got close Def's girl Raquel Thomas and he sought to use her to get info on Def, with them two having a secret affair but she ultimately refused to be a snitch. He was unaware of her age and that he had gotten her pregnant.
Season 1[]
After a shooting in the South Jamaica, Queens, Malcolm goes on the crime scene with his new partner Shannon Burke.
At the doctor's, he learns he has leukemia and needs a transplant from a genetic match but he reveals he only has few relatives and doesn't want to be in debt to such people. He returns to duty and teaches Burke the ropes. There, they discover that Kanan was the target of the shooting. Howard starts interrogating his mother Raquel Thomas but she doesn't say anything, saying that it was only a misunderstanding and Kanan was the wrong target, which Howard doesn't believe. He says to Kanan and Raquel to watch their back before leaving to see his partner analyzing the crime scene. He doesn't learn much from Det. Burke too since she only finds the bullets. In fact, he already knows that the shooters has already got rid of the weapon.
Malcolm takes Burke on patrol and told her that they were following Kanan, the son of Def Con and Raquel because of his lineage. He is pleased when she figures out that he is the key to take down his mother's organization. When Kanan gets into a fight with Scrappy, Malcolm brings him in for questioning. In the talk, he learns Kanan's birth year and realized he was Kanan’s father but kept that secret.
He later approached Raq to talk and he tells her that he figured out Kanan can't be for Def Con. He is surprised to hear Def Con was gay and hired Raq as a beard, that Raq was underaged at the time of their relationship, and Raq only claimed Def Con was the father to loosen suspicion.
Season 2[]
Howard has made a full recovery after the shooting. It is revealed his shooting led to another cop donating their matching bone marrow to him, allowing him to beat his illness.
He initially shows no memory of the event but over time, he soon regains his memory.
He later had Kanan meet him and revealed to him that he was his real father but the latter didn't believe it, something Howard expected but told him to consider it. During a talk with a lover, Howard noted he just sprung that on Kanan and it might be hard for him to accept. With that, he approaches him again and reveals he remembers Kanan shooting him in the park and tells him that doesn't matter anymore, because he won't let anything happen to his son. He states Kanan might need to be convinced, but he is his father regardless. This time, Kanan really considers it.
Season 3
Malcolm Howard is Kanan's biological father and a prominent NYPD Detective. Much of Kanan's conflict derives from believing his father is a notorious gangster named Def Con Stark. Meanwhile, Malcolm tries to keep his identity as Kanan's father a secret while he arrests various criminals in Queens who are affiliated with Raq's empire. The Task force in Queens investigating Howard in attempts to linking him to Organized Crime. While trying to cover his tracks and diverting the likes of the task force off his trail, he warns Raq of this information leaving out the investigation is looking into her brother Marvin, with Howard suggesting that Marvin take the fall so everyone can get away. Raq kills [Howard], under the best of circumstances with Ronnie's gun after Kanan kills Ronnie for making a planned hit on Raq, there after Marvin appears from behind shoots kills two of Ronnie's goons.
Murders committed by Howard[]
- Shannon Burke: Shot in the head on Kanan’s orders and to keep his corruption a secret.
Murders connected to Howard[]
- Shantel (Scrappy Mother): Telling Raq and others that she snitching about Scrappy's murder and later, she got killed by Lou.
Trivia[]
- Kanan described him as a cop who thinks he runs the streets because he grew up there.
- He has few living relatives.
- He shares the same blood type as his son.
- During the events of Power as Kanan was killed in 2018, Kanan told Tommy that he never had a father in spite of bonding with Howard. Because Howard was killed at the end of season 3 of Raising Kanan, it could be assumed that Kanan kept Howard as his father a secret from the streets.
Appearances[]
Season 1[]
| Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Season 1 | |||||
| #01 | "Back in the Day" | #05 | "Choose Your Battles" | #09 | "Loyal To The End" |
| #02 | "Reaping and Sowing" | #06 | "Level Up" | #10 | "Paid In Full" |
| #03 | "Stick and Move" | #07 | "Stay In Your Lane" | ||
| #04 | "Don't Sleep" | #08 | "The Cost of Business" | ||