Mark Waid

Mark Waid
Waid at the New York Comic Convention in Manhattan, October 10, 2010.
Born	Hueytown, Alabama
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Writer, Editor
Notable works	The Flash, Captain America, Superman: Birthright, 52, Kingdom Come

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.

Early life

Waid was born in Hueytown, Alabama, and grew up in various towns in the deep South. A huge fan of DC's Silver Age, Waid has stated that his comics work was heavily influenced by Adventure Comics #369-370 (1968), the two-part Legion story by Jim Shooter and Mort Weisinger that introduced the villain Mordru: "It's a blueprint for everything I write." Waid possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of comics history and trivia and also serves as DC Comics' unofficial historian.

Career

Fantagraphics and DC Comics

Waid entered the comics field during the mid-1980s as an editor and writer on Fantagraphics Books' comic book fan magazine, Amazing Heroes.

In 1987, Waid was hired to serve as an editor for DC Comics where he worked on titles such as Secret Origins, Legion of Super-Heroes, and part of Grant Morrison's critically acclaimed run on Doom Patrol. He also served short stints as editor on Action Comics, Infinity, Inc., Legion of Super-Heroes, and Wonder Woman, as well as various one-shots like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. (With Gotham by Gaslight, and in tandem with writer Brian Augustyn, Waid co-created DC's extremely successful franchise of "Elseworlds" stories.)

As a writer

Waid at Wondercon 2006.

In 1989 Waid left editorial work for freelance writing assignments. He worked for DC's short-lived Impact Comics line where he wrote The Comet and wrote dialogue for Legend of the Shield.

In 1992 Waid began the assignment which would bring him to wider recognition in the comics industry, when he was hired to write The Flash by then editor Brian Augustyn. The comic starred one of DCs flagship characters, and in an acclaimed eight-year run, Waid and a number of artists, most notably Greg LaRocque and Mike Wieringo and in the final year with Augustyn as co-writer, brought the modern Flash out from the shadow of his predecessors and increased his powers dramatically.

Waid's initial success on The Flash was acknowledged by DCs competitor Marvel Comics when Marvel editors Ralph Macchio and Mark Gruenwald hired him as Gruenwald's successor as writer on Captain America. Waid's first run on the title, with artist Ron Garney, met with positive critical and fan reaction, which grew stronger when the stint was ended prematurely after less than a year by Marvel executives to make way for Heroes Reborn, a reinvention of the character by Rob Liefeld.

Although his second run on the character (Captain America Volume 3, issues #1-23) was not as universally praised as his first, Waid's prestige had been boosted by the whole affair, and he went on to be one of the most prolific comic writers of the late 1990s. He also wrote the short-lived spin-off series Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty from 1998–1999, having written 10 of the 12 issues (skipping issues #7 and 10).

In 1996, Waid, with artist Alex Ross, released his best-known work, the graphic novel Kingdom Come. This story, set in the future of the DC Universe, depicted the fate of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other heroes as the world around them changed. It was written in reaction to the "grim and gritty" comics of the 1980s and 1990s, and while many of the events in the story were intense, a steady optimism filled the series. Many of the ideas introduced in Kingdom Come were later integrated into the present-day DC Universe, and Waid himself wrote a less successful follow-up to the series, The Kingdom.

Waid also had acclaimed runs on DC's JLA, the Flash spinoff series Impulse and Crossgen's Ruse.

Waid and writer Grant Morrison tag-teamed on a number of projects that would successfully reestablish DC's Justice League to prominence. Waid's contributions included JLA: Year One, as well as work on the ongoing series. The two writers also helped develop the concept of Hypertime to help explain problems with continuity in the DC Universe.

In 2003, Waid released a series named Empire (with Barry Kitson), whose protagonist was a Doctor Doom-like supervillain named Golgoth who had successfully defeated all superheroes and conquered the world. The series was originally published by Gorilla Comics, a company formed by Waid, Kurt Busiek and several others, but the company folded after only two issues were produced. Empire was completed under the DC Comics label but is in its own distinct universe.

Waid began an acclaimed run as writer of Marvel's Fantastic Four in 2002 with his former Flash artist Mike Wieringo, with Marvel releasing their debut issue, Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #60 (October 2002) at the low price of 9 cents U.S. By the next year, however, Waid's fan-favorite run on the Fantastic Four was threatened when Marvel executives sought to reinvent aspects of the series. When Waid and Wieringo were replaced on the title after refusing to acquiesce to the editorial changes, the resulting fan backlash led to Waid and Wieringo's reinstatement on the title within weeks. The FF backlash was also a contributing factor to then Marvel Publisher Bill Jemas leaving his position. Waid and Wieringo completed their run on Fantastic Four with issue #524 (May 2005), by which time the previously relaunched series had returned to its original numbering.

In 2003 Waid wrote the origin of the "modern" Superman with Superman: Birthright, a twelve-part limited series which was meant to be the new official origin story of the Man of Steel. Birthright contained several characters and elements from Silver and Modern Age Superman comics and also homages to Superman: The Movie and the Smallville television series.

Waid returned to writing Legion of Super-Heroes in December 2004, teaming again with Barry Kitson. He wrapped up his run on the book in mid-2007 with issue 30.

Waid, along with past collaborator Grant Morrison, and other prominent DC Universe creators Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and Keith Giffen played an editorial role in guiding the DC Universe after the events of the company's Infinite Crisis event. Together, they wrote a weekly series named 52 that lasted for one year and covered the events that take place during the year in the DC Universe following Infinite Crisis.

In 2005, Waid signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. Among the projects covered by that contract were a new launch of The Brave and the Bold with artist George Pérez, and a brief return to The Flash.

Waid's recent work includes working on the Spider-Man creative team, writing several issues for Amazing Spider-Man, writing the Doctor Strange mini-series Strange, and several series for Boom! Studios, notably Irredeemable with artist Peter Krause and its spinoff Incorruptible with artist Jean Diaz.

BOOM! Studios

On July 27, 2007, at the San Diego Comic Con, Boom! Studios announced that in August of that year Waid would join Boom! as Editor-in-Chief. As his non-creator assignments at DC lapsed, he stated that all his future creator-owned work will be with BOOM!

Appearances in other media

In July 2009, Waid appeared on The Write Environment, a direct-to-DVD series featuring interviews with TV and comic-book writers.

Bibliography

Amalgam Comics

Title	Date	Notes
JLX #1	April 1996	One-shot
Super-Soldier #1	April 1996	Co-writer, one-shot
Super-Soldier: Man of War #1	June 1997	Co-writer, one-shot

BOOM! Studios

Title	Date
Irredeemable #1-current	April 2009-present
Incorruptible #1-current	December 2009-present

CrossGen

Title	Date	Notes
Crux #1-12, 16	May 2001-April 2002, August 2002
Sigil #15-19	September 2001-January 2002
Ruse #1-12	November 2001-October 2002
Negation Prequel, #1-2	December 2001-February 2002	Co-writer
Saurians: Unnatural Selection #1-2	February 2002-March 2002	Co-writer
CrossGen Chronicles #4, 8	September 2001, July 2002

DC Comics

Title	Date	Notes
52 #1-52	May 2006-May 2007	Co-writer
Action Comics #572, 576, 723	October 1985, February 1986, July 1996
Action Comics Weekly #641	March 7, 1989	Human Target story
Adventures of Superman #536	July 1996	Co-writer
All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1	September 1999	"Steam Engine"
Batman #464	Early July 1991	Legend of the Shield promo; co-writer
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #4	1994	Elseworlds story; co-writer
DC Comics Presents: The Atom #1	October 2004	"Ride a Deadly Grenade!"
DC Universe Holiday Bash #1	1997	"Present Tense"
DC Universe Holiday Bash III #1	1999	"No, Bart, There is No Santa Claus"
DC Universe: Trinity #1-2	August 1993-September 1993	Co-writer
Detective Comics Annual #2	1989	Co-writer
Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1	August 1999	"Silver Age Elseworlds"
The Flash #0, 62-129, 142-159, 162	May 1992-September 1997, October 1998-April 2000, July 2000
The Flash Annual #4-6, 8	1991-1993, 1995
The Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold #1-6	October 1999-March 2000
Flash Plus #1	December 1996	One-shot
The Flash: Secret Files #1	November 1997
The Flash Special #1	1990	One-shot
The Flash TV Special #1	1991	One-shot
The Flash 80-Page Giant #1	August 1998	"The Speed of Life"
Green Lantern 80-Page Giant #2	June 1999	"The Lantern's Apprentice"
Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #2	Fall 1992
Green Lantern/The Flash: Faster Friends #2	1997
Impulse #1-6, 8-17, 19-27	April 1995-September 1995, November 1995-September 1996, November 1996-July 1997
The Life Story of the Flash	1997	Co-writer; one-shot
JLA #18-21, 32-33, 43-58, 60	May 1998-August 1998, August 1999-September 1999, July 2000-November 2001, January 2002
JLA: Secret Files #3	December 2000	"Lost Pages"
JLA: Year One #1-12	January 1998-December 1998
JLA: Heaven's Ladder #1	October 2000	One-shot
Justice League America #90	July 1994	Co-writer
Justice League Quarterly #5-6, 8-10, 12	Winter 1991-Spring 1992, Summer 1992-Spring 1993, Autumn 1993
Justice League Task Force #13-15, 0, 17-20	June 1994-August 1994, October 1994-February 1995
Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #1-3	September 1996-November 1996
Kingdom Come #1-4	May 1996-August 1996
The Kingdom #1-2	February 1999
The Kingdom: Kid Flash #1	February 1999	One-shot
The Kingdom: Nightstar #1	February 1999	One-shot
The Kingdom: Offspring #1	February 1999	One-shot
The Kingdom: Planet Krypton #1	February 1999	One-shot
The Kingdom: Son of the Bat #1	February 1999	One-shot
L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 #49-50, 52-60, Annual #4	February 1993-March 1993, May 1993-November 1993	Co-writer
Legion of Super-Heroes #59-71	July 1994-August 1995	Co-writer
The Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) #1-15	February 2005-April 2006	Continues to Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #16
Legionnaires #16-19	July 1994-November 1994	Co-writer for #18-19
Legionnaires Annual #1-2	1994-1995	Co-writer
Metamorpho #1-4	August 1993-November 1993
National Comics #1	May 1999	One-shot
The Ray #8	January 1995	Co-writer
Secret Origins 80-Page Giant #1	December 1998	"Actual Reality"
Showcase '96 #12	Winter 1997	"Overrun"; co-writer
Silver Age 80-Page Giant #1	July 2000	Justice League of America story; one-shot
Silver Age Secret Files #1	July 2000	"The Secret of the H-Dial"
Silver Age: Dial H for Hero #1	July 2000	One-shot
Speed Force #1	November 1997	One-shot
Superboy #7	August 1990
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #16-30	May 2006-present	Continues from The Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) #15
Superman #114	August 1996	Co-writer
Superman: Birthright #1-12	September 2003-September 2004
Superman: The Man of Steel #58, 73	July 1996, November 1997	Co-writer
Superman/Batman: Secret Files 2003	November 2003	"Young Luthor in Smallville"
Teen Titans/Legion Special #1	November 2004	Co-writer; one-shot
Underworld Unleashed #1-3	November 1995-Late December 1995
Valor #9, 11-19	July 1993, October 1993-June 1994

Impact Comics

Title	Date	Notes
The Comet #1-10, 12-18, Annual #1	July 1991-April 1992, June 1992-December 1992	Co-writer #1-6
The Legend of the Shield #1-12	July 1991-June 1992	Co-writer
Impact Christmas Special #1	1991	One-shot
The Crusaders #1-4, 8	May 1992-August 1992, December 1992	Co-writer
Crucible #1-6	February 1993-July 1993	Co-writer
The Web Annual #1	1992	"High Stakes"

As editor

Title	Date	Notes
Secret Origins #31-49, Annual #2-3, Special #1	October 1988-June 1990
Who's Who Update '88 #1-4	August 1988-November 1988
Christmas with the Super-Heroes #1-2	1988-1989
Action Comics Weekly #636-642	January 24, 1989-March 14, 1989	#636-641: Phantom Lady story only
Doom Patrol #26-32	September 1989-May 1990
Legion of Super-Heroes #1-6	November 1989-April 1990

As associate editor

Title	Date
Secret Origins #24-30	March 1988-September 1988
Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #1-7	April 1988-November 1988
Infinity, Inc. #50-53, Annual #2	May 1988-August 1988
Crimson Avenger #1-4	June 1988-September 1988
Wonder Woman #36-40	November 1989-March 1990

Marvel Comics

|

|The Avengers #400-402 |July 1996-September 1996

 

|- |Captain America (vol. 1) #444-454 |October 1995-August 1996

 

|- |Captain America (vol. 3) #1-23 |January 1998-November 1999

 

|- |Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1-6, 8-9, 11-12 |September 1998-February 1999, April 1999-May 1999, July 1999-August 1999

 

|- |Deadpool (vol. 2) #1-4 |August 1994-November 1994

 

|- |Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #60-70 |October 2002-August 2003

 

|- |Fantastic Four #500-524 |September 2003-May 2005

 

|- |House of M: Spider-Man #1-5 |August 2005-December 2005

|- |Iron Man/Captain America '98 |December 1998

One-shot

|- |Ka-Zar #1-14 |May 1997-June 1998

 

|- |Ka-Zar: Sibling Rivalry #-1 |July 1997

Co-writer; one-shot

|- |Marvel Holiday Special '96 |1996

"Not a Creature Was Stirring"

|- |Onslaught: X-Men #1 |August 1996

Co-writer; one-shot

|- |Onslaught: Marvel #1 |October 1996

Co-writer; one-shot

|- |Spider-Man 2099 Special #1 |November 1995

"Eye Spy"

|- |Spider-Man Team-Up #1 |December 1995

Co-writer

|- |Tales of the Marvel Universe #1 |February 1997

 

|- |Uncanny X-Men #320-321 |January 1995-February 1995

Co-writer

|- |X-Men (vol. 2) #49, 51-56 |February 1996, April 1996-September 1996

 

|- |X-Men: Alpha |1994

One-shot

|- |X-Men: Omega |June 1995

One-shot

|- |X-Men Unlimited #10 |March 1996

 

|-

|

|-

Other

Title	Publisher	Date	Notes
Ash #½	Event Comics/Wizard	April 1997	One-shot
City of Heroes #1-3	Top Cow	June 2005-August 2005
Empire #1-2	Gorilla Comics	May 2000-September 2000
Gatecrasher #1-6	Black Bull Entertainment	August 2000-January 2001	Co-writer
Gatecrasher: Ring of Fire #1-4	Black Bull Entertainment	March 2000-June 2000	Co-writer
Painkiller Jane #1-5	Event Comics	June 1997-November 1997	Co-writer
Shockrockets #1	Image Comics	April 2000	Empire promo
Solar, Man of the Atom: Hell on Earth #2	Valiant Comics	February 1998	Co-writer
X-O Manowar (vol. 2) #1-13	Valiant Comics	February 1997-February 1998	Co-writer

External links

• Official website
• Mark Waid at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
• Interview with Michael A. Ventrella
• Exploring The Multiverse's video interview with Mark Waid at Baltimore Comic Con, August 2010
• Kevin Malcolm at Emerald City ComiCon for The Backroom Comics Podcast Emerald City ComiCon 2010 Part 1 March 2010

Comic Book series
Preceded by None	The Comet writer 1991–1992 (with Tom Lyle in 1991-92)	Succeeded by None
Preceded by None	The Legend of the Shield writer 1991–1992 (with Grant Miehm)	Succeeded by Grant Miehm & Adam Blaustein
Preceded by William Messner-Loebs	Flash writer 1992–1997 (with Brian Augustyn in 1996-97)	Succeeded by Grant Morrison & Mark Millar
Preceded by Barry Kitson	L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 writer 1993 (with Barry Kitson)	Succeeded by Tom Peyer
Preceded by Robert Loren Fleming	Valor writer 1993–1994	Succeeded by Kurt Busiek
Preceded by Michael Jan Friedman	Justice League Task Force writer 1994–1995 (with Christopher Priest in 1995)	Succeeded by Christopher Priest
Preceded by Tom McCraw	Legion of Super-Heroes writer 1994–1995 (with Tom McCraw)	Succeeded by Tom Peyer & Tom McCraw
Preceded by Tom Bierbaum & Mary Bierbaum	Legionnaires writer 1994 (with Tom Peyer)	Succeeded by Tom Peyer
Preceded by None	Impulse writer 1995–1997	Succeeded by William Messner-Loebs
Preceded by Mark Gruenwald	Captain America writer 1995–1996	Succeeded by Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb
Preceded by Scott Lobdell	X-Men (vol. 2) writer 1996	Succeeded by Scott Lobdell
Preceded by Terry Kavanagh	The Avengers writer 1996	Succeeded by Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb
Preceded by Bob Layton	X-O Manowar (vol. 2) writer 1997–1998 (with Brian Augustyn)	Succeeded by Brian Augustyn
Preceded by Mike Carlin (in 1985)	Ka-Zar writer 1997–1998	Succeeded by Christopher Priest
Preceded by James Robinson	Captain America (vol. 3) writer 1998–1999	Succeeded by Dan Jurgens
Preceded by Joe Kelly	JLA writer 1998	Succeeded by Grant Morrison
Preceded by Mark Millar	Flash writer 1998–2000 (with Brian Augustyn)	Succeeded by Pat McGreal
Preceded by Grant Morrison	JLA writer 2000–2001	Succeeded by Joe Kelly
Preceded by None	Crux writer 2001–2002	Succeeded by Chuck Dixon
Preceded by Barbara Kesel	Sigil writer 2001–2002	Succeeded by Chuck Dixon
Preceded by None	Ruse writer 2001–2002	Succeeded by Scott Beatty
Preceded by None	Negation writer 2002 (with Tony Bedard)	Succeeded by Tony Bedard
Preceded by Adam Warren	Fantastic Four writer 2002–2005	Succeeded by Karl Kesel