Deathblow
Encyclopedia
Deathblow is a fictional character
in the . He first appears in Darker Image
#1 (August 1992) was created by Jim Lee
and Brandon Choi
.
, a member of DV8
. After his parents were slain by terrorists, he joins the US military to avenge their deaths. He became a Navy SEAL prior to being transferred to International Operation's newly formed Team 7. Like all members of that group, he was a highly experienced Special Forces operative. The team had been sent on a mission (or so they believed) when in reality they were sent to be exposed to the Gen Factor by Miles Craven (head of I.O.). Unlike the other surviving members of Team 7 (not everyone survived the exposure to the gen factor treatment), Michael's powers did not manifest until many years later. Despite the lack of power, he would fight for his teammates, such as taking a Naval officer hostage when the other powered-members of Team 7 were literally being nuked as a test (they got through). When the majority of Team 7 went underground (with their families), Cray continues to serve I.O. (as did Lynch, Dane & Backlash). Miles Craven assigns Cray to the Special Operations Group. He did many wetwork and blackbag assignments for them.
Michael Cray left I.O. when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He wanted to atone himself for all the innocent men and women he killed during his missions. He got his chance when he became involved with the Order of the Cross. Their adversary, the Black Angel, awoke a demonic entity bent on killing a young boy with miraculous abilities. It turned out that Cray's cancer was in fact a result of the Gen Factor, giving him regenerative abilities. It would also give him the ability to manifest psionic shields to protect himself, but he could not control it and was not even aware it existed. Cray defeated the Black Angel with the help of Sister Mary, a former police officer turned nun, Gabrielle D'Angelo, his ex-wife who had become a vessel for the archangel Gabriel, and several of his Team 7 colleagues. After the death of the Black Angel, the young child restored the damage he had done by rewriting reality, but in the new reality, Gabrielle had died during their honeymoon.
Michael spends time working for Rayna Masters, who ran a bodyguard agency called 'Executive Protection Services'. Cray then is involved in the Brothers In Arm incident as Craven goes after all the surviving members of Team 7. Cray also deals with alien forces who are pursuing keys to an ancient warship. On a Team 7 mission long ago, Cray had actually found one of the keys, sticking up out of the mud.
Deathblow dies during the Fire From Heaven
event, sacrificing himself in order to kill Damocles, the villain from that crossover.
After the events of Captain Atom: Armageddon and the Worldstorm, Deathblow was revived and began starring in his own series, Deathblow Volume 2, written by Brian Azzarello
with art by Carlos D'Anda.
During World's End, he is part of Stormwatch: Post Human Division leading missions on a post-apocalyptic Earth. It's also revealed that, despite being known as "powerless" in the Worldstorm continuity, his healing factor
has evolved to a staggering level: much like Wolverine
at his upper level, he can't die
because his body keeps regenerating himself even after wounds deep enough to shut down his biological functions. Jackson King suggested he could even regenerate "from a scrap of DNA."
with art by Jim Baikie
, it is revealed that I.O. created several variant clones of each Team 7 member, using the DNA
collected from them without their knowledge. In the event of a Team 7 member's death, his clones are released in a simulated environment with the intention that only one survive to act as the member's replacement. However, the series is concerned with Deathblow's clones only. The clones were:
All were killed by Judgment except for Genevieve, who killed Judgment and escaped from the laboratory where they were created, and Klaus Cray, who was captured by Genevieve and later killed by John-Joe and Joe-John Cray. Gemma, Cynthia and Michael Cray, Jr., are never shown alive due to being killed by Judgment Cray before the protagonists discovered them. Genevieve later joined up with Sublime
, Michael Cray's daughter, and a few of her DV8
teammates.
include:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the . He first appears in Darker Image
Darker Image
Darker Image was intended to be a 4-issue miniseries published by Image Comics. The series was intended to serve as an introduction to three "grim and gritty" characters. The series, however only had one published issue...
#1 (August 1992) was created by Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
and Brandon Choi
Brandon Choi
Brandon Choi is an American comic book writer best known as one of the co-creators of the series Gen¹³ which enjoyed high popularity in the middle and late 1990s. He also wrote several other titles for Wildstorm Comics.-Biography:...
.
Fictional character biography
Michael Cray was born to US Navy Admiral Phillip James Cray and Elizabeth Cray. He has a brother named Alexander. Michael Cray's daughter is Rachel Goldman, aka SublimeSublime (Wildstorm)
Sublime is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm Comics. Her real name is Rachel Goldman, and she is a member of the super human team DV8.-History:...
, a member of DV8
DV8
DV8 is a comic book published by Wildstorm. The series revolves around the lives of a group of Gen-Active people , initially living in New York under the supervision of Ivana Baiul, who sends them on life-threatening black ops assignments.-Publication history:The series lasted 32 issues, and was a...
. After his parents were slain by terrorists, he joins the US military to avenge their deaths. He became a Navy SEAL prior to being transferred to International Operation's newly formed Team 7. Like all members of that group, he was a highly experienced Special Forces operative. The team had been sent on a mission (or so they believed) when in reality they were sent to be exposed to the Gen Factor by Miles Craven (head of I.O.). Unlike the other surviving members of Team 7 (not everyone survived the exposure to the gen factor treatment), Michael's powers did not manifest until many years later. Despite the lack of power, he would fight for his teammates, such as taking a Naval officer hostage when the other powered-members of Team 7 were literally being nuked as a test (they got through). When the majority of Team 7 went underground (with their families), Cray continues to serve I.O. (as did Lynch, Dane & Backlash). Miles Craven assigns Cray to the Special Operations Group. He did many wetwork and blackbag assignments for them.
Michael Cray left I.O. when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He wanted to atone himself for all the innocent men and women he killed during his missions. He got his chance when he became involved with the Order of the Cross. Their adversary, the Black Angel, awoke a demonic entity bent on killing a young boy with miraculous abilities. It turned out that Cray's cancer was in fact a result of the Gen Factor, giving him regenerative abilities. It would also give him the ability to manifest psionic shields to protect himself, but he could not control it and was not even aware it existed. Cray defeated the Black Angel with the help of Sister Mary, a former police officer turned nun, Gabrielle D'Angelo, his ex-wife who had become a vessel for the archangel Gabriel, and several of his Team 7 colleagues. After the death of the Black Angel, the young child restored the damage he had done by rewriting reality, but in the new reality, Gabrielle had died during their honeymoon.
Michael spends time working for Rayna Masters, who ran a bodyguard agency called 'Executive Protection Services'. Cray then is involved in the Brothers In Arm incident as Craven goes after all the surviving members of Team 7. Cray also deals with alien forces who are pursuing keys to an ancient warship. On a Team 7 mission long ago, Cray had actually found one of the keys, sticking up out of the mud.
Deathblow dies during the Fire From Heaven
Fire From Heaven (comics)
"Fire From Heaven" was a company-wide crossover event story arc published by Wildstorm comics in 1996. The story ran across at least one issue of most Wildstorm titles at the time and several independent one-shots...
event, sacrificing himself in order to kill Damocles, the villain from that crossover.
After the events of Captain Atom: Armageddon and the Worldstorm, Deathblow was revived and began starring in his own series, Deathblow Volume 2, written by Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo.-Career:...
with art by Carlos D'Anda.
During World's End, he is part of Stormwatch: Post Human Division leading missions on a post-apocalyptic Earth. It's also revealed that, despite being known as "powerless" in the Worldstorm continuity, his healing factor
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
has evolved to a staggering level: much like Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
at his upper level, he can't die
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
because his body keeps regenerating himself even after wounds deep enough to shut down his biological functions. Jackson King suggested he could even regenerate "from a scrap of DNA."
Genevieve Cray
In the three-issue mini-series, Deathblow Byblows (1999–2000), written by Alan MooreAlan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
with art by Jim Baikie
Jim Baikie
Jim Baikie is a British comics artist, who is best known for his work with Alan Moore on Skizz.-Biography:Baikie began his career illustrating Valentine for Fleetway. Over the next twenty years, he built a solid reputation working for TV comics such as Look-in, including adaptations of The Monkees...
, it is revealed that I.O. created several variant clones of each Team 7 member, using the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
collected from them without their knowledge. In the event of a Team 7 member's death, his clones are released in a simulated environment with the intention that only one survive to act as the member's replacement. However, the series is concerned with Deathblow's clones only. The clones were:
- Genevieve Cray - a bald female and the series' protagonist.
- Klaus Cray - a cyborgCyborgA cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
. - John-Joe and Joe-John Cray - two child clones.
- Michael Cray, Jr. - apparently a true clone.
- Damon Cray - a teenage clone.
- Caleb Cray - half-man, half-baboon.
- Judgment Cray - a clone with an extra Y chromosoneXYY syndromeXYY syndrome is an aneuploidy of the sex chromosomes in which a human male receives an extra Y-chromosome, giving a total of 47 chromosomes instead of the more usual 46. This produces a 47,XYY karyotype...
. - Gemma Cray - an expert poisoner.
- Cynthia Cray - a telepath and precognitive.
All were killed by Judgment except for Genevieve, who killed Judgment and escaped from the laboratory where they were created, and Klaus Cray, who was captured by Genevieve and later killed by John-Joe and Joe-John Cray. Gemma, Cynthia and Michael Cray, Jr., are never shown alive due to being killed by Judgment Cray before the protagonists discovered them. Genevieve later joined up with Sublime
Sublime (Wildstorm)
Sublime is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm Comics. Her real name is Rachel Goldman, and she is a member of the super human team DV8.-History:...
, Michael Cray's daughter, and a few of her DV8
DV8
DV8 is a comic book published by Wildstorm. The series revolves around the lives of a group of Gen-Active people , initially living in New York under the supervision of Ivana Baiul, who sends them on life-threatening black ops assignments.-Publication history:The series lasted 32 issues, and was a...
teammates.
Publications
A new Deathblow (vol.2) series began on October 25, 2006, with the second issue out a month later. Issue #9 (February 2008) appears to be the last of this series, ending with the 'death' of the character.Collections
Trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
include:
- Deathblow: Sinners and Saints (by Brandon ChoiBrandon ChoiBrandon Choi is an American comic book writer best known as one of the co-creators of the series Gen¹³ which enjoyed high popularity in the middle and late 1990s. He also wrote several other titles for Wildstorm Comics.-Biography:...
, Jim LeeJim LeeJim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
and Tim SaleTim Sale (artist)Tim Sale is an American Eisner Award-winning comic book artist. He is primarily known for his collaborations with writer Jeph Loeb.-Early life:...
, trade paperback collects Deathblow #1-12, 19931993 in comics-January:* Doom Patrol #63: " The Empire of Chairs," Grant Morrison's final issue as Doom Patrol writer.-February:* Action Comics, with issue #686, suspends publication following "The Death of Superman."...
-19951995 in comics-January:*After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.* Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482....
, WildStormWildStormWildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
/DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, 256 pages, 19991999 in comics-February:* February 3: Pioneering editor Vin Sullivan dies at age 87.* February 26: John L. Goldwater, co-founder of Archie Comics, dies at age 82.-March:* Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.-May:...
, ISBN 1-56389-547-1)
- Deathblow/WolverineWolverine (comics)Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
(by Aron Wiesenfeld and Richard BennettRichard Bennett LamasRichard Bennett is a former comic book artist and current freelance film concept and storyboard artist born in Uruguay. He broke into the comic book industry in 1990, penciling and inking the Cyberad series for Continuity Comics...
, Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
/WildStormWildStormWildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
, 64 pages, 19971997 in comics-January:*Avengers #3 - Marvel Comics*Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics*Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel Comics*Iron Man #3 - Marvel Comics-February:...
, ISBN 1-887279-61-X)
- BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
/Deathblow: After the Fire (by Brian AzzarelloBrian AzzarelloBrian Azzarello is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo.-Career:...
, Lee BermejoLee BermejoLee Bermejo is an American comic book artist whose published work includes interior illustrations and cover art. His career began in 1997 as an intern at Wildstorm...
, Tim BradstreetTim BradstreetTimothy "Tim" Bradstreet , is an artist and illustrator, best known for his work on comic books , book covers, movie posters, roleplaying games and trading cards.-Career:...
, and Mick Gray, 160 pages, 20032003 in comics-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
, Titan BooksTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, ISBN 1-84023-664-7, WildStormWildStormWildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
/DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, ISBN 1-4012-0034-6)
- Deathblow Byblows (by Alan MooreAlan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
and Jim BaikieJim BaikieJim Baikie is a British comics artist, who is best known for his work with Alan Moore on Skizz.-Biography:Baikie began his career illustrating Valentine for Fleetway. Over the next twenty years, he built a solid reputation working for TV comics such as Look-in, including adaptations of The Monkees...
, 3-issue mini-series, 1999–2000, collected in Wild Worlds, trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 320 pages, Titan BooksTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, July 2007, ISBN 1-84576-559-1, WildstormWildstormWildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
, May 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1379-0)
- Deathblow: ...And Then You Live (by Brian AzzarelloBrian AzzarelloBrian Azzarello is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo.-Career:...
, Carlos D'Anda and Henry FlintHenry FlintHenry Flint is a British comic book artist who has worked mainly for British sci-fi comic 2000AD.-Biography:Flint has established a cult following for his hyper-detailed and wildly inventive work on series such as Judge Dredd, Zombo,,ABC Warriors, Shakara, Low Life and Aliens.A recent project was...
, collects Deathblow Volume 2 #1-9, August 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1515-7)
External links
- Review of issue #1
- Review of issue #1, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...