Spawn (comics)

Spawn
Publication information
Publisher	Image Comics
First appearance	Spawn #1 (May 1992)
Created by	Todd McFarlane
In-story information
Alter ego	Albert Francis "Al" Simmons (former) Jim Downing (current)
Team affiliations	CIA United States Marine Corps
Notable aliases	The One, Hellspawn
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance Flight Immortality Healing factor Teleportation Shapeshifting Necroplasmic energy blasts Resurrection Empathy

Spawn (Albert Francis "Al" Simmons/Jim Downing) is a fictional character, a comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1 (May 1992). Spawn was ranked 60th on Wizard magazine's list of the Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time, 50th on Empire magazine's list of The 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters and recently 36th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes.

The series has spun off several other comics, including Angela, Curse of the Spawn, Sam & Twitch, and the Japanese manga Shadows of Spawn. Spawn was adapted into a 1997 feature film, an HBO animated series lasting from 1997 until 1999, and a series of action figures whose high level of detail made McFarlane Toys known in the toy industry.

Publication history

Spawn enjoyed considerable popularity upon its initial release in the 1990s. Comic book collecting was enjoying a marked upswing at the time, fueled by the speculator boom looking for the next hot book that would jump in value after its release. McFarlane had also already enjoyed superstar status among comic fans with his work on Spider-Man, which had featured McFarlane's name prominently as both writer and artist. McFarlane's subsequent break with Marvel and the formation of Image Comics was seen by many as a sea-change event, changing the very way in which comics were produced. Wizard Magazine, on May 2008, rated "The Launch of Image Comics" as No.1 in the list of events that rocked the Comic Industry from 1991 to 2008.

The first issue of Spawn was very popular with sales of 1.7 million copies, however, popularity has faded over time. A recent issue, Spawn #174, ranked 99 out of 300 with preorder sales of 22,667. The popularity of the franchise peaked with the 1997 Spawn feature film, which was only a mild commercial success and failed to start a film franchise based on the character.

As of 2010, the title, along with Savage Dragon, are the two original Image titles still published. (Youngblood returned to Image in 2008, but without Liefeld at the helm).

In October 2008, issue #185, which marked both a new creative direction and Todd McFarlane's return to the book, sold out at the distribution level and warranted a second printing. By issue #191 in May 2009, with estimated sales of 19,803 copies, Spawn had dropped below Top 100 titles sold monthly to comic shops as reported by Diamond Comic Distributors.

As of August 2010 Spawn no longer was ranked in the top 300 sales figures chart reported by Diamond Comic Distributors, issue 200 has been delayed.

On January 12, 2011, issue #200 completely sold out within that single day. This marks the bicentennial issue of the series and features an all-star creative lineup, including Greg Capullo, David Finch, Michael Golden, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, Danny Miki, and Ashley Wood all contributing to the anniversary issue. A second printing was released on February 9, 2011. Despite its remarkable sales, it has endured terrible reception from fans and reviewers alike.

Fictional character biography

Mortal life

Albert Francis Simmons was born in Detroit, Michigan as the second of three children (Marc, Al, and Richard) to Esther and Bernard Simmons. Simmons was a very gifted officer of the United States Marine Corps, where he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He later joined the United States Secret Service, which led to his transfer to the Central Intelligence Agency. In the CIA, Simmons was recruited by Director Jason Wynn into a special top-secret covert ops division known as the U.S. Security Group, an elite task force with jurisdiction in all domestic and foreign situations.

Simmons was murdered during a mission in Botswana for the USSG's Operation Knightstrike by fellow mercenary Bruce Stinson (also known as Chapel), at the order of Director Wynn, and was sent to hell because of his life as an assassin. After arranging a deal with the being known as Malebolgia Simmons agrees to become a Hellspawn in exchange for being allowed to see his wife, Wanda Blake, one last time.

Resurrection

Malebolgia returns Simmons to the world, but with little memory, a badly burned and disfigured body, and his newly acquired hellspawn powers. Monitored by a demon known as Clown to monitor his progress Simmons slowly realizes that five years have passed since his death. After deciding to seek out Wanda for his one final visit, he shape-shifts his body but discovers his powers cannot yet indefinitely maintain his former appearance. After locating her Simmons discovers that his wife has since married his best friend, Terry Fitzgerald, and the two have a daughter, Cyan. Emotionally shattered at his discovery, Simmons is left with the choice of whether or not to fulfill his agreement with Malebolgia.

Now embracing his identity as Spawn his initial adventures are antihero in nature. While battling street gangs and organized crime syndicates, he comes across depraved individuals such as the child molester and murderer Billy Kincaid. Spawn also encounters foes from the controlled by the realm of Heaven including an "Anti-Spawn" and an individual known as the Redeemer. He survives an assault by Angela, an angel whose mission is to hunt Hellspawn for sport. Over time, he takes over the alleys that comprise "Rat City" and befriends the homeless within it, becoming their champion. In particular, he befriends an old bum named Cogliostro (Cog), a homeless old man who knows more about Spawn than even he himself. Cogliostro and the Clown act as polar opposite guides for Al as they attempt to convince him of role he should play in the Earth's fate. At one point Spawn encounters Harry Houdini, who teaches Spawn some new tricks and saves Terry from being murdered by the mob. Spawn's face is injured during his time with Houdini prompting him to turn to a loyal bum named Bobby to sew the wound up with a shoelace rather than have Spawn waste precious energy healing it. This shoelace would eventually be removed by Terry Fitzgerald, and later worn as a necklace by Terry's daughter, Cyan Fitzgerald. "Shoestring face" Spawn would remain one of the iconic visuals of the character.

Heaven and Hell

Spawn struggles to find a way to free himself from Hell's control and recapture his humanity while undergoing repeated attacks from the minions of Hell as well as Heaven. A respite from the chaos arrives in the form of a mound of festering garbage known as The Heap, an emissary of the Greenworld, a power equal to Heaven and Hell that Spawn had never encountered before. They endowed him with a host of new abilities that would enable him to overcome the worst both Heaven and Hell had to offer.

While these powers are not directly described, they appear to give Spawn control over all the elements and other aspects of the natural world. It was explained to him that the Greenworld did not care for the war of Heaven and Hell, but were growing increasingly agitated by the destruction it brought about. They inflicted on him the pains of the Earth, and when he returned, Spawn became "aware" of the world. Spawn did not utilize his powers however, other than listening to the Earth, until he was impaled on the pole of a large sign by the dark god, Urizen. Urizen was wreaking havoc on the world, and after recovering thanks to Angela, Spawn splits the ground open, imprisoning Urizen within the Earth.

The new king of Hell

After defeating Urizen, Spawn learns that the dark god's release was orchestrated by Malebolgia, as part of an elaborate scheme to take total control of all the kingdoms of Hell. Having failed spectacularly, Malebolgia's power is at its lowest ebb. With the help of Angela, Spawn is able to return to Hell and finally destroy his demon master, although Angela's life is lost in the process. Though offered Malebolgia's crown by the sinister Mammon, Spawn declines both the crown and an offer to enter the gates of Heaven. Spawn instead turns his efforts towards stemming the torment of humanity and defeating the evil that exists on Earth.

Overwhelmed by the darkness on Earth, Spawn turns to his old mentor, Cogliostro, with a new plan. He will accept the crown of Hell, and then remake it, turning it from a dark realm of evil into a new paradise that will sweep away all sorrow and sadness on the Earth. Spawn and Cogliostro encounter Redeemer III, and in the subsequent battle, Spawn is dragged to Hell by some Scorpion demons. Mammon hands a box to Cogliostro, who kills himself and ends up in Hell, box in hand. He gives it to Spawn, who opens it and sees a fleeting glimpse of a utopia, along with his wife, and then Cogliostro reveals that he is the biblical Cain, the first murderer, and takes the crown of Hell for himself. Cain uses his newfound power to return Spawn to Earth, alive and well, back in the body of Al Simmons, but separating him from the Hellspawn symbiote.

Spawn reborn

Wandering the Earth in a daze, Al Simmons is confronted by a young witch named Nyx. With Nyx's help, Al is reunited with his Hellspawn symbiote, and Spawn is reborn. Seemingly human when not shrouded in his costume, Spawn has lost much of his power but continues with his mission to right the wrongs of the world and seek peace of mind. However, Mammon continues to plot against him from the shadows. After tempting and betraying Nyx, Mammon gains her magical power over the union between Al Simmons and Spawn, and uses it to rob Al of all of his memories. Al wanders the Earth, searching for something he feels, but cannot remember. During this wandering, Al unwittingly unleashes a band of angels known as the Forgotten, angels who were neutral, taking neither the sides of Heaven or Hell during the Fall. Al learns that Mammon is one of the Forgotten.

Armageddon

With the aid of the Greenworld, Spawn regains his lost memories as his costume metamorphoses once again to become one with his necroplasmic body. Spawn is captured by Mammon and his demonic minions, and tortured horribly so that the secrets his body contains can be revealed. Spawn's discarded heart, torn from his chest in an earlier battle with the Disciple, a mysterious Warrior, transforms into a young boy named Chris. Chris, together with Sam and Twitch, rescue Spawn from Mammon's clutches and return him to Earth. Spawn learns that thousands of human souls are contained within his body, each one capable of being summoned in the form of a Hellspawn. As signs of the end of days wreak havoc across the world, Spawn searches for a way to delay the onset of Armageddon, and learn the true nature of Heaven, Hell, and the Earth.

The reconstructed world

Spawn, now given the powers of a god and the protection of the Mother, gains the power to recreate Earth, restoring everyone to life, but leaving humanity every memory of the Rapture. Both God and Satan have no role in the "new" Earth, because they're trapped in their perception of a barren Earth until they cease their seemingly endless fight, and Spawn, with his last act as a god himself, closes every door between Hell, Heaven, and Earth.

He then asks the Mother to turn him back into Al Simmons, convincing her into letting the former Spawn have the chance to win back Wanda and becoming a fatherly figure for Cyan. A now fully human Simmons returns to his former home, but facing the memories of the miscarriage he inflicted upon Wanda by beating her the last night before dying, he relinquishes humanity once more, accepting to go on in his death as the monster he was always thought to have been in life.

Realizing how Al Simmons himself, not Mammon, claimed the Hellspawn role as penance, Spawn, again in his "red-cowled" costume, once more takes residence in a deserted and barren Rat Alley.

"The Monster in the Bubble"

The story continues with a scene at the Simmons house as the television reports mysteriously reveal a new case involving the death of an American comic book artist. The artist was a deformed teenager named Kenneth Erskine, a man that had been unable to leave the protection of a bubble dome due to a medical affliction. Though he didn't die during the end of the world, he was affected by a leak inside his sterile bubble that gives him the power to project anything he draws as real. Al's brother, Marc, is the lead detective of the case, and the only one not to be corrupted by Mammon's influence. Nyx and Al leave to assist Marc, believing that it was Mammon who sent the transmission to the television about the case. As soon as Al and Nyx leave, Mammon and a figure in a cloak with visible vampire-like fangs suddenly appears in the house and proceeds to drain Al's father of blood. The cloaked figure's identity seems to be known by Simmons' mother as she smiles after Mammon asks her if she knew who the creature is. Spawn fails to save the Erskine's next victim. The last frame of the final part of the arc leaves Spawn doubting himself, unable to save a few people from dying - much less the entire world.

After his previous encounter Spawn is now utterly helpless against Erskine's psychic projection of a tentacled creature after it impales him multiple times. Erskine's projection suddenly shows features of Mammon, continually coaxing and tempting Spawn to accept death. Nyx intervenes by stabbing the creature with a sword, gaining the creature's attention, but leading her to become the creature's next target. She then telepathically contacts Marc Simmons, begging him to shoot Erskine. Erskine relents and ceases his attack causing the creature to disappear, allowing Nyx and Al to go to the hospital where Erskine is held. Spawn is faced with the predicament however of whether or not to cause Erskine's death, threatening to enter the bubble dome if Erskine does not reveal the whereabouts of Mammon, whom Spawn believed was pulling the strings. Mammon then appears to complicate the situation allowing Erskine to complete his last murder using a psychic projection of a woman to attack the last victim in his home. Mammon reveals that it was he who taught Erskine to use his powers. Upon killing his last victim, Erskine then proceeds to commit suicide, leaving his worldly possessions in the name of the doctor who had taken care of him. Spawn then proceeds to attack Mammon, and ask what Mammon wanted from him. Mammon then says that he wants nothing from Spawn, saying that Spawn had lost everything that made him special, only wanting Spawn to accept that it is his time. It is then revealed that Mammon had been using Erskine's powers to project a psychic projection of himself, and he was actually in another location. As the psychic projection melts away, Spawn is left kneeling, accepting the belief that whatever he tries to do goes wrong, that he is no longer needed by the world.

"Dead Man Walking"

The story then shifts to a mortuary. The story begins to be told in first person by a Dark and Powerful vampire known as Severin. Severin awakes, from what is thought to have been his death, and finds himself in a mortuary lying on a table. He is not alone as two doctors are examining a body close by. Once the doctors discover that Severin is alive, they flee in terror only to be killed by Morana (the robed associate of Mammon). With Morana's help, Severin begins to remember his past and discovers he is one of the Vrykolakas, the first of the vampires.

Morana seeks Severin's assistance and promises to end Severin's life if he agrees to help. Morana takes Severin to Spawn's warehouse where Spawn and Nyx try to explain to Marc about his brother's current situation. Morana explains that Severin must infect the Hellspawn with his curse. Severin must bite Spawn. Severin emerges and easily defeats Marc and Nyx before infecting Spawn with the vampiric curse.

Severin and Morana escape to the rooftops where Severin receives his reward, death. However, Severin has been tricked. Severin desires death but was instead given an inescapable hellish experience; Severin must relive the moments leading up to his infecting of the Hellspawn for all eternity.

"Pre-Endgame" and "Endgame"

Cyan, the daughter of Wanda Blake and Terry Fitzgerald, is having terrible visions. Her visions seem to be targeted mostly at her mother. Cyan sees her mother covered in blood every time they see each other. She envisions the pain that her savior, Spawn, is suffering through. Her visions are confirmed to be true.

Spawn, having been infected by the vampire Severin, struggles with his symbiotic costume inside his own conscience while Nyx and Marc stand by unable to help in any way. The costume insists that although Spawn is the host, the costume has always been in control of the Hellspawn's powers. The costume is angered by Spawn's actions, namely deciding to throw away the powers of a god. The costume begins fighting with Spawn, now returned to his Al Simmons form. The costume tries to convince Simmons that his wife Wanda Blake had betrayed him while they were married. The costume insists that Wanda decided not to have Simmons' child because she hated Simmons. The costume continues to taunt Simmons, bringing up Wanda's marriage to Simmons' best friend Terry Fitzgerald. Eventually, Simmons accepts what the costume has been saying and returns to consciousness.

As Al later traverses the land of discarded souls he prepares to enter the human world. Escaping Hell, he arrives back in the alleys of New York City. Al Simmons searches for one spot in particular (it is implied to be the very same spot where he returned to Earth as a newly created Hellspawn) upon locating it he gathers his remaining Hellspawn energy and decapitates himself- the one true way to annhilate a Hellspawn. After making the ultimate decision to extinguish his existence Spawn traverses a realm of lost souls as he wanders across the sprawling void of the afterlife.

"Post-Endgame"

One night, Sara is visited by an angel. The angel is actually the new incarnation of The Redeemer. For associating with a Hellspawn, the Redeemer prepares to kill Sara, but just before he does, he spots a cross necklace and realizes that she is a Christian. The next day, Marc meets with Jim and introduces Jim to a crippled Vietnam war veteran. Jim is displeased by this and leaves. Later, Marc returns to Sara's apartment and shows Jim and Sara that the veteran was cured. He then reveals that he had been following Jim's story and found that everyone Jim came close to was cured if they had a sickness.

That night, Clown returns and meets with Jim on the building roof. As they chat, the Redeemer attacks them, and reveals that the angel that Spawn was attacked by during "Endgame" was his wife, and he had come looking for her. Clown explains that they killed her, and the Redeemer becomes mad with rage. Spawn, having returned to living world, joins forces with Clown as they battle the Redeemer and eventually manage to defeat him.

Later, the man who hired the "flaming head" kidnapper hires a towering muscled man named Malcolm (who is revealed to be "Patient 46") to take out Jim. The muscled man is shocked when he finds out that Jim is Patient 47, since he was told that he was "the last one". Meanwhile, as Jim leaves Sara's apartment, he meets Marc, who Jim attacks. However, Marc says that Jim will need a friend, and reveals that the job of bringing the old man that Jim healed in the previous issue to Jim was forced upon him by his boss after he tries to convince his boss to run a story on Jim being a faith healer. The next day, when the old man is healed, Marc's boss attempts to force Marc to continue running a story on Jim, but Marc is reluctant, believing that Jim needs some space. Marc's boss lashes out at him, and Marc quits. Jim then walks away from Marc and says that he never wants to see him again, but Marc counters by saying "in about five seconds you'll say otherwise." Jim opens the door of the building, and discovers that there are a large number of reporters outside wanting to run a story on Jim. It is then revealed that after Marc quit his job, he calls up some television channels to tell them about Jim, in an attempt to get back at his boss by getting the television channels to try to run a story on Jim instead of his former employers. As Jim is trying to get through the crowd of reporters, he encounters Malcolm. Jim morphs into Spawn and battles Malcolm at a construction site, where Malcolm reveals that he was also a "patient", and that he can't let the media see Jim in his current state. In a collision of both Malcolm and Spawn's attacks, the entire construction site is destroyed. Jim is then seen hovering over the wreckage, with the media watching and recording the event.

Spawn is then confronted by a new nemesis, a vampire lord known as Bludd. On the surface it appears that Bludd is a rogue element seeking to control Jim by withholding pieces of Jim's past from him. Jim's newfound status as a powerful healer gains him all sorts of notoriety. During a stint on a television talk show, Jim heals a boy with severe mental problems before a live audience. However, this kind of attention brings unwelcome attention to his close friends, particularly Sara. While trying to escape a crowd of paparazzi, a photographer is hit by an incoming bus. Sara pleads with Jim to save the man, but he at first refuses. Appalled by his inhumane disregard for the man's life, Sara chastises Jim until he agrees to heal the man. Due to the man being on the verge of death, Jim unleashes unprecedented power before flashing cameras and video recorders in order to revive the fallen man. This catapults Jim to world wide fame.

From atop a nearby building, a trio of vampires watches as Jim performs the "miracle." Their conversations are interrupted by the Clown who recruits the trio, identified as "The Old Guard," and gives them the task of testing the new Hellspawn's powers. Clown then goes to meet with Jim, who has teleported Sara to her apartment and now waits in the alleys. Jim berates Clown for not being around when Jim needs him. The Clown voices his disapproval of Jim's basking in the limelight, but changes tactics and suggests Jim use it to protect himself from the forces of Heaven and Hell. The armies won't risk exposing themselves in front of the human world.

In the alleys, the Old Guard confront Spawn, sitting upon the abandoned throne of former Hellspawn, Al Simmons. After the Old Guard establish that Jim and his symbiote are a powerful threat, the trio shifts their forms into those of monstrous beasts. The Old Guard attack Spawn, who seems unaffected by their attacks. Spawn eventually sinks into the shadows and begins to dispatch the vampire one by one. After the bloody slaughter of the Old Guard, Detective Twitch Williams arrives in the alleys looking for Al. Instead he finds Jim, now blood thirsty from the freshly murdered vampires. Jim threatens Twitch, to which Twitch holds Jim at gunpoint and orders him under arrest.

Powers and abilities

While Spawn's abilities have fluctuated over the years, his core powers are derived from the necroplasm that makes up his body. This dense substance grants him superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, and healing. His necroplasm also gives him necro-magic, a variety of supernatural powers including teleportation, phasing, resurrecting the dead, necro-energy blasts, and much more. He can unleash the very fury of Hell through his body, however his magic is limited by a meter which starts at 9,999 and drains each time he uses his necro-energy. He is able to "feed" off the evil energy of the world including people and "dark animals" (rats, bats, roaches, worms, insects, wolves, and snakes). He is also an empathic being able to sense the emotions of others whenever he chooses. He can manipulate the elements and fly.

Spawn wears a living, sentient necroplasm-based symbiote suit, named Leetha of the 7th house of K (K7-Leetha). The suit feeds from the necroplasm in Spawn's body and his cape, spikes, and chains are all part of an organism that is bonded to his central nervous system; because of this connection he can mentally manipulate the suit to perform shapeshifting feats without draining his necro-meter.

Although Spawn is virtually immortal, he may be killed by a holy weapon forged in Heaven or by his own necro-power. He is also rendered powerless (and therefore mortal) in places that are immune to the influence of Hell, such as The Dead Zone (a patch of alley that is touched by Heaven) and the Greenworld.

Spawn also holds a vast arsenal of military grade weaponry and equipment as he frequently uses firearms as an alternative to his supernatural powers.

Spinoffs and crossovers

Angela miniseries

In 1994 and 1995, a three-issue Angela limited series was published, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Greg Capullo. The series along with Angela's one-shot were later reprinted in a trade paperback (ISBN 1-887279-09-1), which, as of 2005, is out-of-print.

Spawn: Blood Feud

Spawn miniseries during 1995, issues 1-4. Written by Alan Moore. Drawn by Tony Daniel. Ink by Kevin Conrad.

Spawn The Impaler

Three-issue miniseries released in October 1996, inspired by the story of the Wallacian voivode Vlad Ţepeş. Written by Mike Grell with art by Rob Prior.

Spawn: The Dark Ages

This series focused on Lord Covenant, a 12th Century knight killed in a holy crusade far from his homeland, who returns to Earth as a Hellspawn. As a plague of violence and turmoil cover the English countryside, the Dark Knight must choose whether to align himself with the innocent inhabitants of the once-thriving kingdom or with the malevolent forces of evil and corruption. The series ran for 28 issues. Issues 15-28 featured writer Steve Niles and artist Nat Jones.

Curse of the Spawn

Tales of other Hellspawn and Spawniverse characters, including Sam & Twitch, Angela, Jessica Priest, and Antonio Twistelli.

Spawn: Blood and Salvation

A prestige-format one shot that concludes the story of Daniel Llanso, the Hellspawn featured in the first four issues of Curse of the Spawn.

Hellspawn

A relatively avant-garde spin-off comic inspired by Spawn. Darker and more atmospheric than Spawn, Hellspawn frequently dealt with disturbing subject matter. It originally featured writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Ashley Wood.

Spawn: Blood and Shadows

A Spawn prestige-format one shot released in 1999. Written by Paul Jenkins with art by Ashley Wood.

Sam & Twitch + Case Files: Sam & Twitch

A spin-off series following the crime investigations of detectives Sam Burke and Twitch Williams. Sam and Twitch ended in 2003 after 26 issues, to be followed by Case Files.

Spawn: The Undead

This series concentrates on Al Simmons. Unlike the original Spawn series, it was self-contained, single-issue stories. Written by Paul Jenkins it lasted 9 issues.

Spawn: Godslayer

Originally a prestige format one-shot, Godslayer became an ongoing series.

Spawn: Simony

Published in 2003 by Semic of France, McFarlane allowed the creators (Jean-François Porchero] and Alex Nikolavitch) to create an original Spawn tale without using Image comics.

Shadows of Spawn

Recently released on American shores are three graphic novel compilations of the Spawn manga, known as Shadows of Spawn.

Spawn: Architects of Fear

A prestige format one-shot released in February 2008. Written by Arthur Claire with artwork by Aleksi Briclot.

The Adventures of Spawn

Cover of Spawn/Batman Polish edition Art by Todd McFarlane

At the San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) '06 it was announced that a new take on the Spawn mythos was in the works. This new Spawn story is known as The Adventures of Spawn and as stated by Jon Goff, a moderator on the Spawn.com Message Board and McFarlane employee, it is a re-imagining of the Spawn story that is essentially a "What If?" universe that hearkens back to classic kid-friendly Saturday morning cartoons. The story takes place in a webcomic format and has been tied into the action figure world through McFarlane Toys' Spawn Series 30.

Violator

A three issue miniseries written by Alan Moore with art by Bart Sears which focused on the conflict between Violator/Clown and Tony Twist and also featured Spawn.

Crossovers

• Spawn has appeared in crossover storylines involving Batman, Invincible, Witchblade, Wildcats, Youngblood, Savage Dragon, Cerebus, The Ant, and Shadowhawk.
• Angela has also been featured in several crossovers. The "Rage of Angels" miniseries saw Angela meeting Glory in Angela and Glory (1996), and was continued in Youngblood #6 (1996) and Team Youngblood #21. There was also a crossover Aria/Angela, featuring Angela in the Aria comic series.
• Clown/Violator was also part of a Violator/Badrock crossover miniseries.
• Spawn also appeared in one panel in Archie Comics' Sonic Super Special #7, mistaking Sonic and Knuckles for kids in costumes.
• Spawn appeared in the Xbox version of the fighting game Soulcalibur II.
• Jim Downing is a character in the Image Comics crossover, Image United, as is his suit's previous host, Al Simmons (now a villain known as "Omega Spawn").

Legal disputes

Dispute with Neil Gaiman

In 1993, McFarlane contracted Neil Gaiman to write Spawn #9. While doing so, Gaiman introduced the characters Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn. All three characters were designed and co-created by Todd McFarlane and continued to be featured in the series after Gaiman's involvement, and some had tie-ins with McFarlane's toy company. Cogliostro had a prominent role in the live-action movie in 1997. McFarlane had agreed that Gaiman was a co-creator of the characters and paid him royalties for reprints, graphic novels, and action figures. After a few years he ceased the payment of royalties and gave Gaiman notice that he owned all rights to the characters, citing the copyright notice from #9 and claimed that Gaiman's work had been work-for-hire and that McFarlane was the sole owner.

In 2002, Gaiman filed suit against McFarlane and in response Todd counter-sued. Gaiman had partnered with Marvel Comics to form Marvels and Miracles, LLC which bankrolled the lawsuit. The main goal was to determine the issue of ownership for another character Gaiman felt he had a stake in, Miracleman, which at the time McFarlane was believed to hold a sizable stake in after his buyout of the assets of Eclipse Comics. This issue was thrown out.^{[citation needed]} Instead the court chose to rule on the breach of contract issue, the rights of ownership, and the copyrightability of the characters from Spawn #9. Several arguments were presented by McFarlane and all were rejected, leading to a sizable judgment against McFarlane and Image Comics. The matter went to appeal and the judgment was upheld in a 2003 decision.

Gaiman's rights as co-creator and co-owner of Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn were acknowledged. The court's view was that Gaiman and McFarlane's collaboration led to each contributing half of the work. Gaiman wrote the story while McFarlane illustrated the character; because of this each held a 50% stake in the characters. The fallout of this lawsuit is still unclear and the issue of Miracleman is yet to be resolved. However, it is possible that it has fallen out, since issue 9 was reprinted for the first time since the lawsuit was filed in the hardcover edition of Spawn Origins: Volume 1. In a recent reprint collection of the first twelve issues of Spawn, the contentious issue (along with Dave Sim's #10, featuring copyrighted character Cerebus) was excluded, but both issues have been reprinted in the hardcover and deluxe editions Spawn Origins: Volume 1.

Tony Twist suit

Todd McFarlane created a mob enforcer character named "Antonio 'Tony Twist' Twistelli," who McFarlane acknowledged was named after hockey player Tony Twist. Twist won a $15 million verdict in 2004 when a St. Louis, Missouri jury found Todd McFarlane Productions had profited from Twist's likeness. The verdict was upheld after two appeals in June 2006.

Creative teams

Writers

• Todd McFarlane (#'s 1–7, 12–15, 21–150, 185–200)
• Brian Holguin (#'s 71–150, 185–190)
• David Hine (#'s 150–184)
• Will Carlton (#'s 201–current)

Artists

• Todd McFarlane (#'s 1–15, 21–24, 26–34, 50, 195–196, 200)
• Greg Capullo (#'s 16–20, 26–37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49–75, 78–100, 193, 200)
• Angel Medina (#'s 101–139, 142–150)
• Philip Tan (#'s 150–164)
• Brian Haberlin (#'s 166–173, 176–178, 180–184)
• Whilce Portacio (#'s 185–192, 194–195, 197)
• Szymon Kudranski (#'s 201–current)

Guest writers

• Alan Moore (#'s 8, 37)
• Neil Gaiman (#'s 9)
• Dave Sim (#'s 10)
• Frank Miller (#'s 11)
• Grant Morrison (#'s 16–18)
• Andrew Grossenberg (#'s 19–20)
• Tom Orzechowski (#'s 19–20)
• Steve Niles (#'s 105–106)
• Robert Kirkman (#'s 200)

Guest artists

• Marc Silvestri (#'s 25, 200)
• Tony Daniel (#'s 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48)
• Dwayne Turner (#'s 76–77)
• Nat Jones (#'s 139–141)
• Lan Medina (#'s 165)
• Bing Cansino (#'s 174–175)
• Mike Mayhew (#'s 179)
• Rob Liefeld (#'s 196, 200)
• Khary Randolph (#'s 198)
• Erik Larsen (#'s 199)

Collected editions

Many issues of Spawn have been gathered together in various trade paperbacks collections since the mid-nineties. The original US and UK trade releases contain Issue 9, but not 10 (Cerebus' appearance).

US releases

Each containing four to five issues, the original Spawn trade paperbacks started in 1995 under a different trade cover design. After the live-action 1997 movie, a new trade cover design was created, with Brent Ashe providing new covers for Books 1-7, and Ashley Wood for Books 8-12. These reissues were retitled with subtitles. The sequential trades stopped after Book 12, but several new volumes appeared in 2006–2008, collecting various story arcs. Beginning in 2009, a new series of volumes was released, collecting the "Endgame" storyline.

• Book 1, "Beginnings", 1-5
• Book 2, "Dark Discoveries", 6-9, 11
• Book 3, "Book 3", 12-15
• Book 4, "Book 4", 16-20
• Book 5, "Death and Rebirth", 21-25
• Book 6, "Pathway to Judgement", 26-30
• Book 7, "Deadman's Touch", 31-34
• Book 8, "Betrayal of Blood", 35-38
• Book 9, "Urban Jungle", 39-42
• Book 10, "Vengeance of the Dead", 43-47
• Book 11, "Crossroads", 48-50 (50 is double-sized)
• Book 12, "Immortality", 51-54

• Spawn: The Armageddon Collection Part 1 - contains issues 150-155
• Spawn: The Armageddon Collection Part 2 - contains issues 156-164
• Spawn: The Complete Armageddon Collection - contains issues 150-164
• Spawn: New Flesh Collection (December 2007) - contains issues 166-169
  (note: Issue #165 wasn't included because it features the story of Mandarin Spawn)
• Spawn: Neo Noir - contains issues 170-175

• Spawn: Endgame Volume 1 (June 2009) - contains issues 185-190
• Spawn: Endgame Volume 2 (April 2010) - contains issues 191-196
• Spawn: Endgame Collection (January 2011) - combines Endgame Vol 1 and 2 (issues 185-196
• Spawn: New Beginnings Volume 1 (July 2011) - contains issues 197-202.

Spawn Collection

In 2005 the entire Spawn series began to appear in massive trade paperback releases under the title Spawn Collection, each containing (with the exception of Volume 1) approximately twenty issues . Released after the Gaiman lawsuit, these editions do not contain either Issue 9 (featuring the first appearance of Angela and Cogliostro, both created by Neil Gaiman) or Issue 10 (featuring Dave Sim's Cerebus).

Spawn Collection Volumes 1 and 2 were published in both hardcover and trade paperback formats, while Volume 3 onward were only released as trade paperbacks. As of 2009, Spawn Collection Volume 1 is currently out of print, with its fourth printing released in June 2007. In 2009 it was announced that the Spawn Collection would end with Volume 6, to be replaced by a new TBP format that includes soft- and hardcover versions, reprinting the entire Spawn series from the early issues once again (see below).

• Spawn Collection Volume 1 - contains issues 1-8, 11-12
• Spawn Collection Volume 2 - contains issues 13-33 (July 2007)
• Spawn Collection Volume 3 - contains issues 34-54 (March 2007)
• Spawn Collection Volume 4 - contains issues 55-75 (September 2007)
• Spawn Collection Volume 5 - contains issues 76-95 (April 2008)
• Spawn Collection Volume 6 - contains issues 96-116 (August 2008)

Spawn Collection Volume 1 was ranked 17 in the top 100 graphic novels for December 2005 period, with pre-order sales of 3,227.

Spawn Origins Collection

In 2009, a line of newly redesigned and reformatted trade paperbacks was announced, replacing the Spawn Collection line (see above) and once again collecting the early issues of Spawn. These new trades feature new cover art by Greg Capullo, recreating classic Spawn covers. In addition to the 6 issue trade paperbacks, this line features three oversized 12-13 issue hardcovers, and two large 25-issue limited slipcased deluxe editions (which come in both a standard edition and a signed and numbered edition limited to 500 copies). The 12-issue hardcover edition of Volume One was the first to reprint both Issues 9 and 10, and the 25-issue hardcover editions did as well.

• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 1 - collects issues #1-6 (May 2009)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 2 - collects issues #7, 8, 11-14 (July 2009)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 3 - collects issues #15-20 (December 2009)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 4 - collects issues #21-26 (January 2010)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 5 - collects issues #27-32 (May 2010)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 6 - collects issues #33-38 (July 2010)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 7 - collects issues #39-44 (September 2010)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 8 - collects issues #45-50 (November 2010)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 9 - collects issues #51-56 (February 2011)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 10 - collects issues #57-62 (March 2011)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 11 - collects issues #63-68 (June 2011)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 12 - collects issues #69-74 (September 2011)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 13 - collects issues #75-80 (January 2012)
• Spawn Origins Collection Volume 14 - collects issues #81-86 (March 2012)

• Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 1 - collects issues #1-25
• Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 2 - collects issues #26-50

UK releases

These releases were originally published in fifteen 5-6-issue volumes in the UK by Titan Books, with titles named by religious theme. The following books contained original series issues 1-82, with the exception of the previously mentioned Issue 10.

• "Creation" - contains issues 1-5
• "Evolution" - contains issues 6-9 and 11
• "Revelation" - contains issues 12-15
• "Escalation" - contains issues 16-20
• "Confrontation" - contains issues 21-25
• "Retribution" - contains issues 26-30
• "Transformation" - contains issues 31-36
• "Abduction" - contains issues 37-42
• "Sanction" - contains issues 43-48
• "Damnation" - contains issues 49-53
• "Corruption" - contains issues 54-58
• "Devastation" - contains issues 59-64
• "Termination" - contains issues 65-70
• "Resurrection" - contains issues 71-76
• "Ascension" - contains issues 77-82

South African releases

Originally published by a South African publisher named Battle Axe Press in the early 90s. Only the first 10 issues were published due to legal matters. The comic book prints were released on standard paper as opposed to the original glossy paper from Image comics.

Related Collected editions

Spin-off trade paperback collections

Several Spawn-related mini-series have been collected in TPB editions.

• "Angela" (later retitled "Spawn: Angela's Hunt") - contains Neil Gaiman's "Angela" issues 1-3 and the 2005 one-shot.
• "Spawn: The Undead" - collects "Spawn: The Undead' issues 1-9
• "Spawn: Godslayer Collection 1" - collects "Spawn: Godslayer" 1-6
• "Sam & Twitch Book 1: Udaku" - collects 1-8 of the "Sam and Twitch" spin off.
• "Sam & Twitch: The Brian Michael Bendis Collection 1" - collects issues 1-9
• "Sam & Twitch: The Brian Michael Bendis Collection 2" - collects issues 10-19
• "Violator vs. Badrock" - collects Alan Moore's crossover miniseries issues 1-4

Curse of the Spawn

Most of the Curse of the Spawn spin-off series has been collected in TPB editions.

• "Curse of the Spawn: Book 1: Sacrifice of the Soul" - issues 1-4
• "Curse of the Spawn: Book 2: Blood and Sutures" - issues 5-8
• "Curse of the Spawn: Book 3: Shades of Grey" - issues 9-11, 29
• "Curse of the Spawn: Book 4: Lost Values" - issues 12-14, 22
• "The Best of Curse of the Spawn" - contains issues 1-8, 12-16 and 20-29 without the coloring

In other media

Television

• Spawn made his animated debut in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries Todd McFarlane's Spawn where Spawn is voiced by Keith David. The series won two Emmys (one in 1998 and another in 1999) and two Golden Reel Awards (1998/1999). A new animated series, unrelated to the first, is currently in the works.

• Spawn appeared in the Robot Chicken episode "Celebutard Mountain" voiced by Adam Talbot.
• In The Powerpuff Girls episode "Super Zeroes", the main characters appear as superheroines that parody different comic book characters. Buttercup appears in a likeness of Spawn, the character being known as "Spore" in their universe. Her appearance is dark with a large cape and green eyes, and she gives herself the name "Mange". Even a parody of Malebolgia appears, giving her powers.
• A villain who appeared in the show World of Quest named General Ogun has a strong resemblance to Spawn.

Film

• In 1997, a film adaptation had Michael Jai White as Spawn. The making of a second film has been discussed.
• In the 1999 film Dogma, one of the Stygian triplets wears a Spawn t-shirt.
• Issue #1 of Spawn can be seen in the background in Chasing Amy.
• In Live Free or Die Hard, John McClane picks up and damages a Spawn action figure.
• In the 2008 remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still there is a Medieval Spawn action figure, along with a few other Spawn toys, in Jacob's room.
• In the 2009 film Orphan, the little boy Daniel Coleman is shooting down Spawn action figures, namely an Omega Squadron figure, amongst others, with a paintball gun.

Video games

Spawn has starred in several video games:

• Todd McFarlane's Spawn: The Video Game (1995) (SNES)
• Spawn: The Eternal (1997) (PlayStation)
• Spawn (handheld game) (1999) (Game Boy Color)
• Spawn: In the Demon's Hand (2000) (Dreamcast, Arcade)
• Spawn: Armageddon (2003) (Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo GameCube)
• Spawn appeared as a special guest in the Xbox version of Soulcalibur II (2003). McFarlane also created the character Necrid.
• In the game Segagaga, the development teams assembled by the player are charged with creating various games, which are both parodies of Sega titles and of properties foreign to them. One of these is a parody of Spawn, called "Sppon". [1]

Merchandising

• At the time of the release of the live action movie, Spawn appeared in several commercials for Taco Bell.
• In "Yu-Gi-Oh!", there are three monsters based on Spawn. "Zombyra The Dark" is based on Spawn^{[citation needed]}, in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX"; the monster "Elemental Hero Necroshade" bears also has striking resemblance to, and is proven to be based on Spawn^{[citation needed]}; and in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX", the monster "Destiny Hero Doom Lord" is based on Spawn^{[citation needed]}.

Music

• The Dark Saga by Iced Earth is a concept album based upon the Spawn story. The cover of the album, by Greg Capullo and Todd McFarlane, depicts Spawn himself, though due to legal issues, Iced Earth could not use the names of the characters in the songs.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of Spawn villains

External links

• Official website
• Spawn at the Comic Book DB
• Spawn at the Internet Movie Database
• Spawn at the Open Directory Project
• SpawnWorld - Unofficial Spawn comic and toys guide and encyclopedia
• Spawn (1992-Present), ComicsInventory.com
• Stashmatic.com - Spawn Collection Tracker online database (with images)
• "'Spawn' featured in Myspace comic books". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11782. 

Interviews

• Interview with Todd McFarlane about the animated series, Now Playing Magazine
• "A Hell of a Comic: David Hine Talks "Spawn"". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11717. 
• Todd McFarlane Interview, UGO.com comics
• "Greg Capullo: Exclusive Interview", Spawn.com
• "Khary Randolph: Interview", Spawn.com
• "New Artists and a New Direction", Spawn.com
• Interview by IGN-David Hine talks about the new direction for the series and the state of Marvel's decimated mutants.
• "Spawn's New Team-A Terrific Trifecta". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=5264. 
• "David Hine on Spawn's New Look, New World, New Mission". Newsarama. http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=98452. 
• "Whilce Portacio on Spawn with McFarlane". Newsarama. June 9, 2008. http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080602-SpawnWhicle.html.