Portrayed by:
Robert Poynton (Late 1985 - 1986) while bandaged
Drake Hogestyn (April 1986 - October 29, 2007, January 8, 2008 - present)
Other Names Used:
Ryan Brady (birth name given by Colleen Brady)
The Pawn (1985-1986)
Forrest Alamain (adoptive name)
Roman Brady(1986 - 1991)
John Stevens (name known as in Switzerland)
Father John Black
Resources and Past Occupations:
Hospital Security Guard
Worked for the ISA
Salem Police Department Investigator
Mercenary
Army Doctor
Art Smuggler
Priest
Owns Basic Black
Owns Half of Alamain Industries
Manages the Toscano Foundation
Titan Publishing Board Member
Bella Magazine Board Member
Horton Center Co-Chairperson
Salem University Board Member
Parents:
Colleen Brady (biological mother, deceased)
Santo DiMera (biological father, deceased)
Philomena Alamain (adoptive mother, deceased)
Leopold Alamain (adoptive father, deceased)
Children:
Brady Black (son, with Isabella)
Isabella "Belle" Black Brady (daughter, with Marlena)
Claire Brady (granddaughter, via Belle)
Other Relatives:
Lawrence Alamain (brother, via adoption)
Vivian Alamain (aunt, via adoption)
Daphne DiMera (aunt, via adoption)
Nicholas Alamain (nephew, via adoption)
Tony DiMera (cousin, via adoption)
Shawn Brady Sr. (maternal uncle, deceased)
Pete Brady (maternal grandfather)
Eric Brady Sr. (maternal uncle)
Molly Brady (maternal aunt)
Patrick Aloysius Brady (maternal great-grandfather)
Nora Molly Brady (maternal great-grandmother)
Colin Murphy (maternal cousin, deceased)
Roman Brady (maternal cousin)
Kayla Brady Johnson (maternal cousin)
Kimberly Brady (maternal cousin)
Frankie Brady (maternal cousin, via adoption)
Max Brady (maternal cousin, via adoption)
Carrie Brady Reed (maternal cousin, once removed)
Eric Brady (maternal cousin, once removed)
Samantha Brady DiMera (maternal cousin, once removed)
Rex Brady (maternal cousin, once removed)
Cassie Brady (maternal cousin, once removed)
Andrew Donovan (maternal cousin, once removed)
Jeannie Donovan (maternal cousin, once removed)
Stephanie Johnson (maternal cousin, once removed)
Will Roberts (maternal first cousin, twice removed)
Alice “Allie” Caroline Horton (maternal first cousin, twice removed)
John Roman "Johnny" Horton/DiMera (maternal first cousin, twice removed; paternal first cousin, twice removed)
Stefano DiMera (paternal half-brother)
Andre DiMera (paternal half-nephew, deceased)
Renee DuMonde (paternal half-niece, deceased)
Megan Hathaway (paternal half-niece, deceased)
Benjy Hawk (paternal half-nephew, deceased)
Alexandra "Lexie" Carver (paternal half-niece)
EJ DiMera (paternal half-nephew)
Steven Hawk (paternal first cousin, twice removed)
Theodore Brandon Carver (paternal first cousin, twice removed)
Relationships:
Marlena Evans (married 1986, 1999, and 2006)
Olivia Reed (close friends who shared a kiss)
Diana Colville (lovers, nearly married)
Isabella Toscano (married 1992)
Danielle Tremain, A.K.A. Romulus (lovers before he came to Salem)
Gina von Amburg (lovers before he came to Salem)
Yvette DuPres (close friends, shared a kiss)
Rebecca Morrison (dated)
Kristen Blake (lovers, nearly married)
Susan Banks (two invalid marriages in 1997 when she posed as Kristen, lovers when she posed as Kristen)
Hope Williams Brady (lovers when they were both brainwashed by Stefano)
Kate Roberts (lovers, briefly engaged)
Crimes Committed:
Former Mercenary for hire
Art Thief while under Stefano’s control
Slammed Marlena’s head into a wall
Nearly killed Colleen Brady, as part of his required mission by Stefano
Character Description:
John first came to Salem after being given plastic surgery in Miami. He had no recollection of his past and no memory of who he was. He was soon found by Steve Johnson after wandering the streets of Salem. John was initially known as “The Pawn” and soon ended up at the Rescue Mission, where he took the name “John Black” off a Vietnam War Memorial plaque. He and Marlena became good friends after he took a job as a hospital security guard. He became more attracted to her as they spent more time together. The two soon found a file at Victor’s house which revealed that John had plastic surgery. They headed to West Virginia to meet the doctor who performed plastic surgery on John. Marlena suspected that John was really Stefano after she noticed his Phoenix tattoo on his shoulder. She tried to flee, but John ended up taking her hostage.
Marlena soon discovered the surgeon’s briefcase and saw before and after photos of John. The photos were of her presumed dead husband Roman Brady. The two were happily reunited and soon made love. John began living his life as Roman and returned to Salem. Roman and Marlena relished in their newfound happiness until Marlena fell off of a building after trying to save a suicidal patient. A month later, Roman and Marlena renewed their wedding vows in August of 1986.
Roman soon had a nemesis to deal with: Orpheus, who worked with Roman in the ISA previously. Orpheus blamed Roman for the death of his wife Rebecca and took revenge on Roman by kidnapping Marlena. Roman was able to rescue Marlena, but in December of 1986, Marlena was presumed dead when the Brady house exploded. Roman retreated to a mountain cabin to deal with Marlena’s death and met Olivia, Rebecca’s sister. Roman discovered Rebecca and Orpheus in a house where Marlena was being held captive. A struggle ensued, and Roman managed to shoot and kill Orpheus. Olivia revealed that Marlena was on a plane at the airport. Just as Roman arrived, Marlena’s plane took off and exploded. Thus, Marlena was presumed dead.
In 1988, Roman met Diana Colville. Roman and Diana clashed over a joint FBI and ISA investigation regarding a computer disk that Victor Kiriakis was desperate to keep his hands on. Their investigation led to Greece, where they gave in to their passion and made love for the first time. Things got complicated when the “Lady in Black” kidnapped Diana and turned out to be none other than her own mother, Serena Colville. The disk was recovered and Serena was sent to prison. Roman and Diana later learned that Victor and Serena had orchestrated a kidnapping of Serena in order to gain possession of Diana’s inheritance.
