Catalyst: Agents of Change
Encyclopedia
Catalyst is a superhero team appearing in comics published by Dark Horse Comics
under the imprint Comics Greatest World
. It first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 4. Important members of the team have included Grace
, Law
, and Titan
.
. He escapes (or is allowed to escape by Grace) and begins a rampage.
He faces various heroes. Rebel can fly and shoot energy blasts. Mecha is a tall, yellow, mechanical construct. Titan has flight, speed and superstrength. Ruby has bright red skin and can heal others. Warmarker causes massive amounts of destruction to the city, until Grace arrives to face him.
She easily defeats Warmaker, but Titan attacks him for no reason. Warmaker strikes Titan, knocking him into Rhapsody, the local healer. She falls into a nearby crater and dies of a broken neck.
Warmaker escapes. Grace uses this and the death of Rhapsody as a rallying point. She announces Golden City will secede from the United States of America.
Catalyst then battles the US Army and their armored super-soldier, Grenade.
Grenade is killed but not before he releases radiation into the Wheatfield battleground. Grace is then able to use CNN media coverage to force the government to a settlement.
Creative Staff Information(by issue)
Realizing they are outgunned, Grace sends Titan to face down the man from the Vortex. Then, she teleports to Cinnabar Flats to warn Vortex of Titan’s impending arrival. Titan's attack on the base kills Lt. Anderson a friend of Vortex. Angered, Vortex then kills Titan. He takes Anderson's body and enters the rift, leaving Grace to safeguard the base.
Madison is killed, Mecha and Warmaker leave the city. Rebel, who are in fact two brothers, come into conflict. Rebel-Mark savagely beats Rebel-Matt (placing him in a vegetative state). Eventually Mark is forced to realize he must, at frequent intervals, store his power within his brother's form, a situation that traumatizes him. With Titan already dead and Grace missing, this essentially bring an end to the team.
, Grace and her team are there at the scene of his death.
Additionally, Rebel and Ruby were members of this version of the team.
Additionally, Warmaker was a member of this group.
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
under the imprint Comics Greatest World
Comics Greatest World
Comics' Greatest World was an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. It was created by Team CGW. Originally conceived in 1990, it took three years for the line to be released, which led to an industry-wide perception that it was created to capitalize on the speculator mania of the early 1990s. When the...
. It first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 4. Important members of the team have included Grace
Grace (Dark Horse Comics)
Grace is a fictional character, a Dark Horse Comics superheroine. The character first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 1 , created by Barbara Kesel and the other members of Team CGW....
, Law
Law (comics)
Law is a Dark Horse Comics supervillain. He first appeared in Division 13 #1 . He appeared in comics published under both the Comics' Greatest World and Dark Horse Heroes imprints.-Publication history:...
, and Titan
Titan (Dark Horse Comics)
Titan was a Dark Horse Comics superhero.He first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 3 .He was created by Barbara Kesel and the other members of Team CGW....
.
Formation: The Warmaker Incident
Warmaker, a former United States soldier turned supervillain, is sent by the government to be imprisoned in The Vault, a super-prison located in Golden CityGolden City (comics)
Golden City is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by Dark Horse Comics, and is part of the Comics Greatest World imprint.It was created by Team CGW.Golden City first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 1, in 1993...
. He escapes (or is allowed to escape by Grace) and begins a rampage.
He faces various heroes. Rebel can fly and shoot energy blasts. Mecha is a tall, yellow, mechanical construct. Titan has flight, speed and superstrength. Ruby has bright red skin and can heal others. Warmarker causes massive amounts of destruction to the city, until Grace arrives to face him.
She easily defeats Warmaker, but Titan attacks him for no reason. Warmaker strikes Titan, knocking him into Rhapsody, the local healer. She falls into a nearby crater and dies of a broken neck.
Warmaker escapes. Grace uses this and the death of Rhapsody as a rallying point. She announces Golden City will secede from the United States of America.
Agents of Change
The US Government then offers Grace a deal; if she eliminates the man/alien called Vortex, which had emerged from a strange dimensional rift, they will concede to her secession. She travels to Cinnibar Flats and confronts first Vortex then fights with him against a group of Destroyers. Deciding Vortex’s work is important, Grace returns to Golden City. The United States military then attacks Golden City.Catalyst then battles the US Army and their armored super-soldier, Grenade.
Grenade is killed but not before he releases radiation into the Wheatfield battleground. Grace is then able to use CNN media coverage to force the government to a settlement.
Creative Staff Information(by issue)
- 1-4: Eddie CampbellEddie CampbellEddie Campbell is a Scottish comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Australia. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of From Hell , Campbell is also the creator of the semi-autobiographical Alec stories collected in Alec: The Years Have Pants, and Bacchus , a wry adventure...
& Pete Ford, writers. Pencils, Tim Hamilton (also, Steve CarrSteve CarrSteve Carr is an American film director and producer of several movies, mostly of the comedy and family genre.-Biography:Carr will direct the film adaption of the Rumpus Entertainment comic Meet the Haunteds.-As a director:* Next Friday...
#1). Shane GlinesShane GlinesShane Glines is an illustrator, animator, and character designer. He is the founder of CartoonRetro and currently serves as its president.-Animation:Glines has done work for several well known series...
, inks.
- 5: Campbell & Ford, writers. Pencils, Eric Battle. Glines, inks.
- 6: Chris WarnerChris Warner (comics)Chris Warner is a comic book writer and artist who has done work for Dark Horse, notably their mid-1990s line of Comics' Greatest World and Dark Horse Heroes....
,plot/Barbara KeselBarbara KeselBarbara Randall Kesel is an American writer and editor of comic books; her bibliography includes work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Crossgen, Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics.-Biography:...
, dialogue. Hamilton, pencils. Glines, inks.
- 7: Barbara Kesel, writer. Hamilton, pencils. Glines, inks.
- Covers for the entire series were provided by Jason PearsonJason PearsonJason Pearson is an American comic book writer/artist, known for his work on books such as Legion of Super-Heroes, The Dragon: Blood & Guts, Global Frequency, and his own creator-owned series, Body Bags....
.
Will to Power
Titan leaves the team to work for the government. This begins a downward spiral for him and he becomes progressively more and more demented. Grace takes the command of the situation placing Titan in the Vault, but he escapes and confronts the Catalyst team.Realizing they are outgunned, Grace sends Titan to face down the man from the Vortex. Then, she teleports to Cinnabar Flats to warn Vortex of Titan’s impending arrival. Titan's attack on the base kills Lt. Anderson a friend of Vortex. Angered, Vortex then kills Titan. He takes Anderson's body and enters the rift, leaving Grace to safeguard the base.
Law
Soon thereafter, Law arrives in Golden City caring the body of a woman who appears to be Grace. Through murder and manipulation Law is able to take control of the city and of Catalyst.Madison is killed, Mecha and Warmaker leave the city. Rebel, who are in fact two brothers, come into conflict. Rebel-Mark savagely beats Rebel-Matt (placing him in a vegetative state). Eventually Mark is forced to realize he must, at frequent intervals, store his power within his brother's form, a situation that traumatizes him. With Titan already dead and Grace missing, this essentially bring an end to the team.
Return of Grace
However, a rebellion forms in Tent City, led by a mysterious hooded woman (Grace) and consisting of the members of Division 13 and Warmaker. Whether this group ever calls itself Catalyst or not has never been revealed. When Law is killed by a PredatorPredator (alien)
The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens....
, Grace and her team are there at the scene of his death.
Original Team
- GraceGrace (Dark Horse Comics)Grace is a fictional character, a Dark Horse Comics superheroine. The character first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 1 , created by Barbara Kesel and the other members of Team CGW....
(AKA The Mighty Grace, Lady Grace) — The team's founder and current leader. She can create “diamonds” which she uses to teleport herself and others. She is also incredibly strong, able to survive in space without a suit, and can fly. - Madison — Grace's confidant, he was killed by Law during his takeover of the team.
- TitanTitan (Dark Horse Comics)Titan was a Dark Horse Comics superhero.He first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 3 .He was created by Barbara Kesel and the other members of Team CGW....
(Frank Wells) — One of Golden City's first heroes, left to work for the US government. - Rebel (Matt and Mark Morissette)
- Mecha (Art Thomason)
- Ruby
- Warmaker (Elvis Westbury)
Agents of Law
- LawLaw (comics)Law is a Dark Horse Comics supervillain. He first appeared in Division 13 #1 . He appeared in comics published under both the Comics' Greatest World and Dark Horse Heroes imprints.-Publication history:...
— a villain and Block 13 escapee (the first), he took over Catalyst when Grace disappeared. Killed by a PredatorPredator (alien)The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens....
. - Redline
- Sabrinna
Additionally, Rebel and Ruby were members of this version of the team.
The Tent City Resistance
Like the original incarnation of Catalyst, this group was led by Grace.- Lamb (Officer Frank Lamb)
- Flux
- Wraith/Axe Grinder
- Voxx
Additionally, Warmaker was a member of this group.
List of Appearances
- Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 1-4
- Catalyst: Agents of Change 1-7
- Will to Power 7-9
- Agents of Law 1-6
Significant Stories
- Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 4 - Team forms
- Catalyst: Agents of Change 4 - Titan leaves
- Agents of Law 1 - Law takes over, death of Madison
- Agents of Law 2 - Warmaker and Mecha leave
- Agents of Law 6 - Death of Law