Elementals (comics)
Encyclopedia
Elementals was an American dark superhero
comic book
first published in 1984 and created by Bill Willingham
, for which he was both writer and artist.
It was a reasonably long lived comic series, and was published by Comico Comics
. Comico's publisher Andrew Rev purchased the Elementals property from Willingham in the 1990s.
, unimaginably powerful spirits who together formed the foundation of existence, each chose an ordinary human who had been killed by their element, and resurrected him or her. They granted each control of that particular element, eternal youth, and the ability to heal from any wound (given sufficient time). These four were the Elementals, sent to oppose Saker.
The team consisted of:
The four eventually defeated Saker and his minions, the Destroyers, a team of six: Shapeshifter, Annihilator, Chrysalis, Behemoth, Ratman (who later changed sides), and Electrocutioner. (The Destroyers and an early version of Saker known as Doctor Apocalypse originally appeared in Death Duel with the Destroyers and The Island of Dr. Apocalypse, two Willingham-written supplements for the superhero roleplaying game Villains and Vigilantes
.) Unfortunately, Shadowspear, once released from Saker's control, formed a giant malevolent thunderstorm that circled the globe, occasionally transforming
animals and corpses into monsters, thus keeping the Elementals busy for many years.
sources.
s.
with the Federal government of the United States
, which sought to control them. At first, a single agent, Porter Scott, was assigned to tag along with them. Later, an entire government agency, F.I.S.H. (Federal Intelligence Security Headquarters) was created to monitor paranormal activity. Later still, the Elementals began to wonder if they and their fellow super-beings should not simply govern themselves.
whose mother had borne him of a demon
was in danger of being stoned by an angry mob for his lecherous behavior. Seeking to placate them with a show of power, he raised a man from the dead, plucking an innocent soul from the Promised Land
, a clear reference to the story of Jesus
and Lazarus
. However, unlike the beneficiary of that story, this newly arisen man was aghast that he had been separated from God
. When he discovered that he was also unable to die, he grew vengeful and evil, eventually becoming the powerful sorcerer, Lord Saker.
In addition to the above story, the Elementals' patrons, the elements themselves, openly proclaimed that God opposed Saker. The recurring theological imagery led many readers to believe that Elementals was essentially, despite the sex, violence, and occult themes, a Christian
comic book.
That changed when Willingham introduced Reverend Skagg, a televangelist based on Jimmy Swaggart
. Skagg was visited by a glowing angel—once again, Shapeshifter in disguise—who commanded him to torture twelve hundred of his followers to death, promising that some would be sent back to him. The Shadowspear, attracted to the violence, did precisely what the "angel" predicted, resurrecting a handful of people and granting them superpowers. These six named themselves after pertinent Bible verses: Genesis 6:4, Exodus 10:21, Judges 15:14, Leviticus 26:22, Matthew 27:51 and Isaiah 6:2, each having a power that related to the events or beings described in that verse.
Under Skaggs' guidance, the newly arisen paranormals formed a fundamentalist supergroup called The Rapture and began performing various good deeds, such as rescuing disaster victims. However, there was some speculation that they caused the problems they solved; for instance, the localized earthquake that struck only the abortion clinic was probably caused by Matthew, who had vibration powers. Soon, the Rapture was sent to destroy the "godless" Elementals. Despite an initial victory, the Rapture was eventually defeated and two of their members, Exodus and Isaiah, were slain. A third, Leviticus, began questioning the morality of the group's actions and would later leave the team.
The planet, which was actually Hell, was ruled by a powerful being known as Lord Oblivion. According to Saker, Lord Oblivion had come to Earth to reclaim the power Shadowspear was draining from his realm. All indications are Lord Oblivion was the Devil and the father of Morningstar's husband Merlin Ambrose.
Demons from the Oblivion Planet invaded Earth on multiple occasions trying to kill or capture Earthly superbeings. In response the paranormals of Earth banded together under the leadership of Monolith and invaded the Oblivion Planet. Earth's supernatural army did significant damage but also suffered many losses in their second attack on the Oblivion Planet. Meanwhile Oblivion forces invaded Earth, capturing Nacht Island and attacking many major American cities.
In volume three of the Elementals it is made clear Lord Oblivon was defeated and the Oblivion Planet left the solar system but how and why is never explained. Bill Willingham never finished the series and was replaced by another writer before the end.
One-shots & mini-series
Spinoffs
Trade paperback collection
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
first published in 1984 and created by Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
, for which he was both writer and artist.
It was a reasonably long lived comic series, and was published by Comico Comics
Comico Comics
Comico: The Comic Company was an American comic book publisher, headquartered in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Its best-known comics include the Robotech adaptations, the Jonny Quest continuation written by co-creator Doug Wildey, and Matt Wagner's Mage: The Hero Discovered and Grendel...
. Comico's publisher Andrew Rev purchased the Elementals property from Willingham in the 1990s.
Overview
When a centuries-old sorcerer named Lord Saker built a machine called the Shadowspear to harness the supernatural powers of the world, he upset the natural order of the universe. In response, the four elementsFour elements
Four elements may refer to:* Classical elements, such as air, fire, earth and water* 4 Elements, an album by Chronic Future* Group 4 element, one of the chemical elements in Group 4 of the periodic table...
, unimaginably powerful spirits who together formed the foundation of existence, each chose an ordinary human who had been killed by their element, and resurrected him or her. They granted each control of that particular element, eternal youth, and the ability to heal from any wound (given sufficient time). These four were the Elementals, sent to oppose Saker.
The team consisted of:
- Morningstar, aka Jeanette Crane, a Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
homicide detective who had burned to death while confronting a serial arsonist; she received various fire-related abilities, including pyrokinesis and an immunity to fire.
- Vortex, aka Jeff Murphy, a Coast GuardCoast guardA coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
pilot who was asphyxiaAsphyxiaAsphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
ted in a helicopter crash; he received various air-related abilities, including flight and wind-blasts.
- Fathom, aka Becky Golden, a flighty debutanteDebutanteA débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
who fell off a boat and drownedDrowningDrowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
; she received various water-related abilities, as well as bright green skin and webbed fingers. She was also able to convert her body entirely into sentient water and shoot high-pressure streams.
- Monolith, aka Tommy Czuchra, a brilliant if introverted teenaged boy who was crushed to death by a landslideLandslideA landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
; he received the ability to become an enormous super-strong stone/earth golemGolemIn Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
. Later, Tommy came to follow Saker's view that the supernatural beings were entitled to be in charge across earth, and he quit the Elementals and absorbed some of Saker's 'black' magic, to become one of his generals. Monolith was then re-embodied in a deceased insurance salesman (Donald Ridgeway), who neither wanted the power, nor ever understood fully how to use it or how to integrate with the other three Elementals.
The four eventually defeated Saker and his minions, the Destroyers, a team of six: Shapeshifter, Annihilator, Chrysalis, Behemoth, Ratman (who later changed sides), and Electrocutioner. (The Destroyers and an early version of Saker known as Doctor Apocalypse originally appeared in Death Duel with the Destroyers and The Island of Dr. Apocalypse, two Willingham-written supplements for the superhero roleplaying game Villains and Vigilantes
Villains and Vigilantes
Villains and Vigilantes is a superhero-themed role-playing game which competed primarily with Champions and Superworld in early to mid 1980s.-Origin:...
.) Unfortunately, Shadowspear, once released from Saker's control, formed a giant malevolent thunderstorm that circled the globe, occasionally transforming
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
animals and corpses into monsters, thus keeping the Elementals busy for many years.
Death
The Elementals, and indeed most of the superhumans in the comic, are dead. In the comic, the main ways to gain superhuman powers are through dying, often in a manner that attracts the roaming energy of Shadowspear. While the Elementals, and other superhumans, lived on after death they were changed, generally being physically tougher than ordinary humans but also more emotionally distant, and often able to only relate fully to other superhumans.Supernature
Unlike most other superhero comics, Elementals did not sharply distinguish between superhuman powers and magic. Indeed, all of the superhuman powers in the comic come, in one way or another, from supernaturalSupernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
sources.
Fame
After the Elementals dealt with Saker and his minions, they were the only super-beings walking free on the planet. The four quickly became the world's most famous celebrities; according to Tommy, this wasn't due to their abilities, but the fact they were dead. The Elementals were, at least until other paranormals began to appear, the ultimate pop iconPop icon
A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in pop culture constitutes a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The categorization is usually associated with elements such as longevity, ubiquity, and distinction. Moreover, "pop icon" status is distinguishable from...
s.
Government
The Elementals had a love-hate relationshipLove-hate relationship
A love–hate relationship is an interpersonal relationship involving simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and hate. This relationship does not have to be of a romantic nature, and may be instead of a sibling one...
with the Federal government of the United States
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, which sought to control them. At first, a single agent, Porter Scott, was assigned to tag along with them. Later, an entire government agency, F.I.S.H. (Federal Intelligence Security Headquarters) was created to monitor paranormal activity. Later still, the Elementals began to wonder if they and their fellow super-beings should not simply govern themselves.
Violence
The series had a gruesome flair, as Willingham exposed all consequences of fights. As Morningstar said, "This is a war, and in war people die." The protagonists' ability to heal wounds enabled them to survive brutal amounts of damage; Vortex, in particular, managed to get badly mauled with alarming regularity.Sexuality
Peekaboo nudity was a staple of Elementals, as the author tried to push the limits of (then) acceptability in the American comics world. Also controversial was the issue in which Morningstar discovered that her fiancé, Eric Chessman, was actually the sadistic villainess Shapeshifter, toying with her emotions.Religion
A few thousand years ago, a false messiahMessiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
whose mother had borne him of a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
was in danger of being stoned by an angry mob for his lecherous behavior. Seeking to placate them with a show of power, he raised a man from the dead, plucking an innocent soul from the Promised Land
Promised land
The Promised Land is a term used to describe the land promised or given by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob. The promise is firstly made to Abraham and then renewed to his son Isaac, and to Isaac's son Jacob , Abraham's grandson...
, a clear reference to the story of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
. However, unlike the beneficiary of that story, this newly arisen man was aghast that he had been separated from God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. When he discovered that he was also unable to die, he grew vengeful and evil, eventually becoming the powerful sorcerer, Lord Saker.
In addition to the above story, the Elementals' patrons, the elements themselves, openly proclaimed that God opposed Saker. The recurring theological imagery led many readers to believe that Elementals was essentially, despite the sex, violence, and occult themes, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
comic book.
That changed when Willingham introduced Reverend Skagg, a televangelist based on Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
. Skagg was visited by a glowing angel—once again, Shapeshifter in disguise—who commanded him to torture twelve hundred of his followers to death, promising that some would be sent back to him. The Shadowspear, attracted to the violence, did precisely what the "angel" predicted, resurrecting a handful of people and granting them superpowers. These six named themselves after pertinent Bible verses: Genesis 6:4, Exodus 10:21, Judges 15:14, Leviticus 26:22, Matthew 27:51 and Isaiah 6:2, each having a power that related to the events or beings described in that verse.
Under Skaggs' guidance, the newly arisen paranormals formed a fundamentalist supergroup called The Rapture and began performing various good deeds, such as rescuing disaster victims. However, there was some speculation that they caused the problems they solved; for instance, the localized earthquake that struck only the abortion clinic was probably caused by Matthew, who had vibration powers. Soon, the Rapture was sent to destroy the "godless" Elementals. Despite an initial victory, the Rapture was eventually defeated and two of their members, Exodus and Isaiah, were slain. A third, Leviticus, began questioning the morality of the group's actions and would later leave the team.
The Oblivion War
The final arc of the Elemental story line continued the religious subtext of the series. It concerned a war between the supernatural beings of Earth and a rogue planet that entered the solar system.The planet, which was actually Hell, was ruled by a powerful being known as Lord Oblivion. According to Saker, Lord Oblivion had come to Earth to reclaim the power Shadowspear was draining from his realm. All indications are Lord Oblivion was the Devil and the father of Morningstar's husband Merlin Ambrose.
Demons from the Oblivion Planet invaded Earth on multiple occasions trying to kill or capture Earthly superbeings. In response the paranormals of Earth banded together under the leadership of Monolith and invaded the Oblivion Planet. Earth's supernatural army did significant damage but also suffered many losses in their second attack on the Oblivion Planet. Meanwhile Oblivion forces invaded Earth, capturing Nacht Island and attacking many major American cities.
In volume three of the Elementals it is made clear Lord Oblivon was defeated and the Oblivion Planet left the solar system but how and why is never explained. Bill Willingham never finished the series and was replaced by another writer before the end.
Publication history
- Justice MachineJustice MachineThe Justice Machine is a fictional team of superheroes originally created by Michael Gustovich and appearing in comic books from many small publishers in the 1980s and 1990s.-Publication history:...
Annual, Texas ComicsTexas ComicsTexas Comics was an American short-lived independent comics company set up in 1983 by several Texas based comic book fans, who had worked together before on the Comics Informer fanzine...
, 1983. (First appearance) - Elementals #1-29, 1984–88
- Elementals vol. 2, #1-26, 1989–93
- Elementals vol. 3, #1-3, 1995–96
One-shots & mini-series
- Elementals Special 2 issues, 1986, 1989 (lead into v2)
- Elementals: Natural Order 1 issue, 1988
- Elementals: Sex Special 4 issues, 1991–93
- Elementals: Sex Special vol. 2, 1 issue, 1996
- Elementals: Sex Special vol. 3, 2 issues, 1997
- Elementals: Sexy Lingerie Special one shot, 1993
- Elementals: Ghost of a Chance one-shot, 1995
- Elementals Swimsuit Spectacular 1996 one shot
- Elementals: How the War was won 2 issues, 1996
- Elementals: The Vampire's Revenge 2 issues, 1996
Spinoffs
- Monolith 4 issues, 1991
- Fathom 3 issues, 1987
- Fathom vol. 2, 3 issues, 1992
- Vortex
- Morningstar Special 1990
- Justice Machine Featuring the Elementals 4 issues, 1986
Trade paperback collection
- Elementals: The Natural Order (160 pages, softcover, Comico Comics, November 1988, ISBN 0-938965-08-5) -reprints Justice Machine Annual and Elementals vol. 1, #1-5