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Marshal Law (comics)
Encyclopedia
Marshal Law is an English-language superhero
comic book
series created by Pat Mills
and Kevin O'Neill
. One of the first major creator-owned characters for a major publisher, it was first published by Epic Comics
in 1987. The series is a satire
on the whole superhero genre, and certain specific hero characters in particular.
The series is characterised by its extreme graphic violence and nudity
, and Mills' skewering of superhero conventions and US government policy and society.
on October 1987 in a six-issue limited series
. The series proved popular, although it did suffer from shipping delays, and was followed by the Marshal Law Takes Manhattan one-shot, in which most of Marvel Comics
major characters were ruthlessly parodied.
In 1991, Mills and O'Neill took the character to the fledgling Apocalypse Comics
for a one-off special & then as the flagship story in Toxic!
, a weekly comic started in 1991 to compete with 2000AD
.
Toxic! proved to be short lived and the Marshal Law strip suffered from missing issues and eventually Apocalypse Comics
went bankrupt in 1992, leaving the character in publishing limbo and the story in Toxic! incomplete.
Mills and O'Neill then took Marshal Law to Dark Horse Comics
where the story in Toxic!
was completed in late 1992.
That year also saw the character return to Epic Comics
for a two issue series pitting the Marshal against Clive Barker
's Pinhead
character.
The next few years saw Marshal Law appear in various crossovers
with other characters, including The Savage Dragon
and The Mask
. In the year 2000 Mills and O'Neill took the character to Cool Beans World
, which was a website which also featured the works of Simon Bisley
. The stories here were illustrated novellas, rather than actual comic strips, titled The Day Of The Dead (which was published in a paperback edition) and Cloak Of Evil, they were popular but problems with the site led to its closure in 2002.
The title character, Marshal Law, is the government-sanctioned "super hero hunter" (aka law enforcement officer, or “cape killer”) with superpower
s in the city of San Futuro, the near-future metropolis built from the ruins of San Francisco following a massive earthquake. Law's job is to take down other superheroes who have gone rogue, which he does with maximum force and great pleasure. Aided by the wheelchair-using “Danny” and his physically imposing (but extremely polite) partner “Kiloton”, the Marshal operates from a secret police precinct hidden below the city, dispensing just enough brutal justice to keep the city’s many super-powered gangs in a balanced détente while safeguarding the ordinary citizenry.
Marshal Law's secret identity is Joe Gilmore, a former supersoldier
consumed with self-hatred about being a superhero. In this world, superheroes are commonplace thanks to genetic engineering
, much of the United States
' armed forces having undergone the process. However, while their bodies may become super-powered, their minds remain exactly as they were, and in many cases the inability to feel pain causes the subjects to compensate by inflicting pain on others. Psychosis of varying degrees is also a common side-effect, and some subjects develop wildly uncontrollable superpowers.
The plot of the original six-issue series revolved around the Marshal’s attempts to unmask the Sleepman, a serial killer and rapist who preys on women dressed as Celeste, the current girlfriend of the Public Spirit. Marshal Law’s loathing of the Public Spirit as standing for everything that is fraudulent and hypocritical about superheroes leads him to suspect the Spirit himself of being responsible for the Sleepman’s crimes; without any proof, though, the guilty party goes unpunished until a surprising revelation from a former superheroine reveals that the Marshal’s suspicions may not be too far from the truth.
While in the first series, the Marshal's primary nemeses are the Public Spirit and the Sleepman, he later faces off against Private Eye and The Persecutor. A recurring secondary adversary (initially treated seriously, though later becoming comic relief) is Suicida, a psychopathic ex-soldier who leads the murderous Gangreen street gang.
The plot of "Secret Tribunal" revolved around an orbiting incubation center that created and mentally programmed superheroes. It was under attack by a monster called The Incubus, which was defeated by Growing Boy.
:
Top Shelf Productions
will be publishing a Marshal Law compendium.
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...
series created by Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
and Kevin O'Neill
Kevin O'Neill (comics)
Kevin O'Neill is an English comic book illustrator best known as the co-creator of Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law , and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen .-Early career:...
. One of the first major creator-owned characters for a major publisher, it was first published by Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
in 1987. The series is a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
on the whole superhero genre, and certain specific hero characters in particular.
The series is characterised by its extreme graphic violence and nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
, and Mills' skewering of superhero conventions and US government policy and society.
Publication history
Marshal Law started life at Epic ComicsEpic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
on October 1987 in a six-issue limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
. The series proved popular, although it did suffer from shipping delays, and was followed by the Marshal Law Takes Manhattan one-shot, in which most of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
major characters were ruthlessly parodied.
In 1991, Mills and O'Neill took the character to the fledgling Apocalypse Comics
Apocalypse Ltd
Apocalypse Ltd was a publishing company formed out of an alliance of Pat Mills, John Wagner, Alan Grant and Kevin O'Neill along with Neptune Distribution, who were also involved with Trident Comics....
for a one-off special & then as the flagship story in Toxic!
Toxic!
Toxic! was a British weekly comic book published by Apocalypse Ltd. A total of 31 issues were published from March 28-October 24, 1991.-History:...
, a weekly comic started in 1991 to compete with 2000AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
.
Toxic! proved to be short lived and the Marshal Law strip suffered from missing issues and eventually Apocalypse Comics
Apocalypse Ltd
Apocalypse Ltd was a publishing company formed out of an alliance of Pat Mills, John Wagner, Alan Grant and Kevin O'Neill along with Neptune Distribution, who were also involved with Trident Comics....
went bankrupt in 1992, leaving the character in publishing limbo and the story in Toxic! incomplete.
Mills and O'Neill then took Marshal Law to Dark Horse Comics
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...
where the story in Toxic!
Toxic!
Toxic! was a British weekly comic book published by Apocalypse Ltd. A total of 31 issues were published from March 28-October 24, 1991.-History:...
was completed in late 1992.
That year also saw the character return to Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
for a two issue series pitting the Marshal against Clive Barker
Clive Barker
Clive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
's Pinhead
Pinhead (Hellraiser)
Pinhead is a fictional character from the Hellraiser series. Created by Clive Barker and portrayed by Doug Bradley, Pinhead is a prominent figure in the series, mostly featured as the main antagonist....
character.
The next few years saw Marshal Law appear in various crossovers
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
with other characters, including The Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon is an ongoing American comic book series created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon...
and The Mask
The Mask
The Mask is a Dark Horse comic book series created by writer John Arcudi and artist Doug Mahnke, and based on a concept by publisher Mike Richardson. The series follows a magical mask which imbues the wearer with reality-bending powers and physical imperviousness, as well as bypassing the wearer's...
. In the year 2000 Mills and O'Neill took the character to Cool Beans World
Cool Beans World
Cool Beans World is a, now-defunct, subscription website which published animated or partially animated web comics. It was conceived by Cool Beans Productions, a design, animation and production company based in Sheffield, England. Contributors included, amongst others, UK-based comic book creators...
, which was a website which also featured the works of Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
. The stories here were illustrated novellas, rather than actual comic strips, titled The Day Of The Dead (which was published in a paperback edition) and Cloak Of Evil, they were popular but problems with the site led to its closure in 2002.
Plot
Superpower
A superpower is a state with a dominant position in the international system which has the ability to influence events and its own interests and project power on a worldwide scale to protect those interests...
s in the city of San Futuro, the near-future metropolis built from the ruins of San Francisco following a massive earthquake. Law's job is to take down other superheroes who have gone rogue, which he does with maximum force and great pleasure. Aided by the wheelchair-using “Danny” and his physically imposing (but extremely polite) partner “Kiloton”, the Marshal operates from a secret police precinct hidden below the city, dispensing just enough brutal justice to keep the city’s many super-powered gangs in a balanced détente while safeguarding the ordinary citizenry.
Marshal Law's secret identity is Joe Gilmore, a former supersoldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
consumed with self-hatred about being a superhero. In this world, superheroes are commonplace thanks to genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
, much of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' armed forces having undergone the process. However, while their bodies may become super-powered, their minds remain exactly as they were, and in many cases the inability to feel pain causes the subjects to compensate by inflicting pain on others. Psychosis of varying degrees is also a common side-effect, and some subjects develop wildly uncontrollable superpowers.
The plot of the original six-issue series revolved around the Marshal’s attempts to unmask the Sleepman, a serial killer and rapist who preys on women dressed as Celeste, the current girlfriend of the Public Spirit. Marshal Law’s loathing of the Public Spirit as standing for everything that is fraudulent and hypocritical about superheroes leads him to suspect the Spirit himself of being responsible for the Sleepman’s crimes; without any proof, though, the guilty party goes unpunished until a surprising revelation from a former superheroine reveals that the Marshal’s suspicions may not be too far from the truth.
While in the first series, the Marshal's primary nemeses are the Public Spirit and the Sleepman, he later faces off against Private Eye and The Persecutor. A recurring secondary adversary (initially treated seriously, though later becoming comic relief) is Suicida, a psychopathic ex-soldier who leads the murderous Gangreen street gang.
The plot of "Secret Tribunal" revolved around an orbiting incubation center that created and mentally programmed superheroes. It was under attack by a monster called The Incubus, which was defeated by Growing Boy.
Cast
- Marshal Law (Joe Gilmore) A violent and uncharismatic lawman, dealing with the twisted superheroes of San Futuro. His public unpleasantness contrasts with a strong internal moral compass.
- Public Spirit (Colonel Buck Caine) The world's most powerful and popular hero who was a product of US genetic engineering. Marshal Law regards him as corrupt and untrustworthy. Following the death of his fiancee and fellow superheroine, Virago, before he was sent on space mission, he becomes a suspect behind the murders of strippers dressed like his new love, superheroine Celeste.
- The Sleepman A serial killer wearing a black costume, black cape and a brown bag over his head. He rapes and murders women who dress like Celeste. A subplot deals with Marshal Law trying to discover his real identity.
- Lynn Evans Marshal Law's girlfriend, a college journalist and female rights activist. They met when the great earthquake destroyed the wall separating their apartments. She does not know of his secret identity.
- Mrs Mallon A shopkeeper who resents superheroes, and seems to enjoy the company of Marshal Law. Her only known relative is her son Danny.
- Kiloton The large partner of Marshal Law who watches their base below San Futuro.
- Celeste The second fiance of the Public Spirit and a member of a cult of heroines with sexual powers that empower male clients. This (and anabolic steroids) are the source of the Public Spirit's powers.
- Gangreen A gang of costume psychopaths who battle with other super teams for the control of the dystopian San Futuro. They dress in matching green costumes and utilize explosive weaponry.
- Growing Boy A naive young hero who appears in Secret Tribunal, whose size-increase power sometimes malfunctions.
- The Private Eye Appears in Kingdom of the Blind. The Private Eye is really Scott Brennan, billionaire and best friends with Public Spirit. Brennan got his inheritance after gunning down his parents in alley with the help of his butler and now battles the unwashed masses whom he hates. He manages to kill Kiloton before being killed by Marshal Law.
Comics
Original comic appearances:- Marshal Law #1-6. Epic ComicsEpic ComicsEpic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
1987-88. - Marshal Law Takes Manhattan. One-shot, Epic Comics 1989.
- Marshal Law - Kingdom of the Blind. Apocalypse ComicsApocalypse LtdApocalypse Ltd was a publishing company formed out of an alliance of Pat Mills, John Wagner, Alan Grant and Kevin O'Neill along with Neptune Distribution, who were also involved with Trident Comics....
one-shot, 1990. - Toxic!Toxic!Toxic! was a British weekly comic book published by Apocalypse Ltd. A total of 31 issues were published from March 28-October 24, 1991.-History:...
#1-8, 14/15, Apocalypse Comics 1991. - Marshal Law - The Hateful Dead. One-Shot, Apocalypse Comics 1991.
- Marshal Law - Super Babylon. One-Shot, Dark HorseDark Horse ComicsDark 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...
1992. - Marshal Law Vs Pinhead-Law in Hell. Two issue series, Epic Comics 1993.
- Marshal Law - Secret Tribunal . Two issue series, Dark Horse 1994.
- Marshal Law/Savage Dragon. Two issue series, Image Comics 1997.
- Marshal Law/The Mask. Two issue series, Dark Horse 1998.
- 2000AD# 1280. RebellionRebellion DevelopmentsRebellion is a British computer games company, based in Oxford, who are most famous for the first Aliens vs. Predator computer game. It has published comic books since 2000 and launched its own book imprint, Abaddon Books, in 2006.-History:...
2002. (1-page cameo.)
Novellas
A couple of illustrated novellas have been released:- Marshal Law - The Day of the Dead (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...
, 2004 ISBN 1-84023-636-1) - Marshal Law - Cloak of Evil (Titan Books, 2006 ISBN 1-84023-683-3, scheduled but not published)
Collected editions
The comics have been collected into a number of 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...
:
- Marshal Law - Fear and Loathing (collects Marshal Law #1-6, Epic Comics, 1990 ISBN 0-87135-676-7; 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...
, 2002 ISBN 1-84023-452-0) - Marshal Law - Blood Sweat and Fears (collects Kingdom of the Blind, Hateful Dead, and Super Babylon. (Dark Horse, 1993 ISBN 1-878574-95-7; Titan Books, 2003 ISBN 1-84023-526-8)
- Marshal Law - Fear Asylum (collects Takes Manhattan, Secret Tribunal, and vs The Mask (Titan Books, 2003 ISBN 1-84023-699-X)
- Marshal Law - Origins (Titan Books, 2008 ISBN 1-84576-943-0, collects the previous novellas The Day of the Dead and the previously unreleased Cloak of Evil)
Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. The company is based in Marietta, Georgia, Portland, Oregon, and New York City, New York....
will be publishing a Marshal Law compendium.