Marvel Noir
Encyclopedia
Marvel Noir is a 2009
-2010 Marvel Comics
alternative continuity combining elements of film noir
and pulp fiction
with the Marvel Universe
. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization.
, X-Men
Noir by writer Fred Van Lente
and artist Dennis Calero
, Spider-Man
Noir by writers David Hine
and Fabrice Sapolsky and artist Carmine Di Giandomenico
and Daredevil
Noir by writer Alexander Irvine
and artist Tomm Coker
, Luke Cage
Noir by writers Mike Benson and Adam Glass and artist Shawn Martinbrough, Punisher
Noir by writer Frank Tieri
art by Paul Azaceta, and Wolverine
Noir written by Stuart Moore and art by C. P. Smith.
Several more mini-series were added in 2010.
infiltrates a building where the Kingpin
is expecting him. The two confront each other and discuss what has happened in the past week involving Orville Halloran. In his childhood, Matt Murdock was blinded by his father's assassin who brutally slammed his head into a brick wall, leaving him sightless. Though he did wish to become a lawyer, his impoverished lifestyle denied it, leaving him to be a performer instead, under the name Daredevil. Later he took to the streets as a vigilante, killing criminals to avenge those they killed. Matt now works with Foggy Nelson
and was in his office until one afternoon a woman named Eliza entered the room and offered a way to bring down Halloran. When she left the office, Foggy has doubts and turns to Matt, but Matt convinced him that she's telling the truth and left the office to investigate. Meanwhile Fisk is with Halloran in a restaurant discussing about the identity of Daredevil being Jack Murdock's son.
However one night, a police officer sees three cars, two being police cars and one being the gangster's car, and witnesses five men being killed by the Bullseye Killer
and believe that he's one of Halloran's men. Back in the office, both Foggy and Matt discuss Halloran making his move against Fisk, and Matt worries that Eliza will be caught in the middle of it. When Foggy said that Eliza mentioned Halloran putting money on Matt's father throwing the fight on the night he was killed, Matt left the office to find out. Matt went to a bar called Dilooly and met with Eliza there to confirm what Eliza said to Foggy was true about his father, which she did confirm and told Matt not to do anything that would get him killed. When Matt was walking on the street he heard a woman scream, which he quickly dressed up in his Daredevil uniform and apprehended the assailant, however it was revealed to be a setup by Wilson Fisk who wanted to meet him and revealed that Halloran was the one who killed his father.
The next night, Matt followed Eliza around the city to look over her, but suddenly a fight broke out in the "Landmark Inn" were a bar-tender revealed that the Bullseye Killer was here before dying. With no sign of Eliza and Hell's Kitchen being threatened, Matt went throughout the city to find the whereabouts of Halloran from his men. He went back to Foggy's office to reveal that he knows where Halloran is and plans to get Eliza back, but Foggy has doubts about if Matt ever had her. Matt went to the harbor and found Halloran there, who was expecting him to arrive. Matt figured out that Halloran killed his father and told Fisk, who then told him about it, which would lead Matt coming to him. However what shocked him is that Eliza was there, who was surprised that she can lie to him, but what surprised Matt is that Halloran revealed that Eliza is the Bullseye Killer. Surprised by the news, Matt figured out that she is one of Fisk's employers, which Halloran refused to believe until Eliza killed him.
With Halloran dead and Eliza killing the rest of Halloran's men, the two fought constantly, with Eliza gaining the upper hand, but Matt eagerly charged into her but both landed into the sea. This made Eliza unable to throw well, which gave Matt an advantage as he began to strangle her to death with a chain and Eliza trying to fight back until she was unconscious, but Matt could not finish her off because he still loved her and dragged her back to the surface. The Police arrived and Matt left, leaving Eliza in police custody. Matt returned to Foggy's office and revealed to him that Eliza was the Bullseye Killer, which surprised him, but also revealed that he could not kill her because he still has feelings for her. Foggy comforts him until Matt decides to go after Fisk. Returning to the present, Matt and Fisk end their discussion and the series ends with the two beginning to fight each other.
Years later, Wade and the mysterious other prisoner (who turns out to be Cable
) are working under the jurisdiction of J. Edgar Hoover
. Wade as an operative and Cable as an executive officer along with General Stryfe
. Set during the 1950s, the storyline follows an early Cold War plot to attack America.
The story begins with rogue CIA agent Outlaw (Inez Temple) stealing a powerful briefcase nuke from a CIA protection team. Discussing the matter, Cable suggests Wade Wilson as the man capable of getting the nuke back. He is recalled from operations on South East Asia, where he was doing a good imitation of 'The Deer Hunter'. On his return, Wade is interviewed by a shrink. We discover that Wade is afflicted by two conflicting voices in his head, which he makes light of by saying "We all have our Jiminy Cricket, don't we?" We also find out that Wade did not join the US Army out of patriotism, but because "I like to kill people and the U.S Government was smart enough to give me a license to." He also created an alternative personality called 'Deadpool' in addition to the two voices he hears. The psychiatrist states that 'Deadpool' is a method of dealing with the torture he endured by becoming the monster he feared most. Though the doctor's professional opinion is that Wade is a "bonafide psychotic, with multiple personality disorders {...} He is a danger to society and should be institutionalized immediately." Cable disagrees, saying he "needs a nut to catch a nut." Wade is subsequently assigned the liquidation of Outlaw.
The first part of his mission is to find the missing scientist Dr. Jackson Hammer who worked on the nuke. Unfortunately Outlaw finds him first and kidnaps Dr. Hammer, leaving Wade a note pinned to the wall. The two agents meet at a dinner club for a meeting. The story reveals that the two had a romantic relationship in the past but they are unable to reach an understanding and their dance turns into a gunfight and a chase through the streets of New Orleans.
Back at Dr. Hammer's apartment, Wade sifts through clues left behind. Outlaw has not killed the doctor, but instead removed him to Cuba. Traveling to Havana, Wade meets his underworld contact Meyer Lansky as his home. While the family enjoys their Sabbath upstairs, Meyer leads Wade downstairs to where Meyer's men are interrogating Dr. Hammer's pimp. Together they find the doctor's location and Wade heads there. As they near the location, Wade feels something familiar about the landscape around him. He is ambushed by Cubans. He is grazed in the head by a .22 caliber round and collapses.
As he awakes, Wade is confronted by Stryfe and the brainwashed sleeper agent Cable. Unwittingly, Wade has stumbled into a plot to begin World War 3. Furthermore, Wade was not captured by the Japanese as previously believed. He was kidnapped for Stryfe's secret program to turn him into a deadly sleeper agent. The camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was where he was taken after 'capture'. Stryfe himself was Wade's torturer. As with Cable, Wade was programmed to obey orders without question after the coded phrase "Sic transit gloria mundi" was spoken aloud.
With both Cable and Wade under his control, Stryfe begins to outline his plans for America, beginning with the assassination of John F Kennedy. As the general is briefing the agents, Wade's inner voices are in turmoil. Another third (or possibly fourth) personality has arisen. "There's someone else in here with us." Is how the 'white-box voice' describes it. A third caption box appears in the panels following; black with white lettering, it seems to be the 'voice' of Wade's programming. Somehow, either from the recent head wound or from living with the more familiar personalities for so long, Wade manages to overthrow his brainwashing and foils Stryfe. The general orders Cable to "KILL HIM, CABLE! KILL DEADPOOL!" Acting quickly Wades disables Cable before he can attack. This gives Wade time to give Stryfe his mask back (with the assistance of a desk stapler).
Cable awakes with only his orders to "KILL DEADPOOL" intact. He leaps onto the general and begins to pound on him under Stryfe gives up the coded phrase to de-program an agent; "Joe DiMaggio." Wade explains the situation to a baffled Cable, and the two leave to stop Outlaw at last. Along the way, Cable and Deadpool extract their revenge on General Stryfe.
Wade meets Outlaw once again on top of the Statue of Liberty during the 4th of July celebration. Believing her to be one of Stryfe's agents, Wade tries to convince Outlaw that she was tricked and used. In return, he tells him she was never a sleeper agent and explains "{...} Baby, I'm just bad." as she cuffs him to the armed briefcase nuke, which is in turn cuffed to the railing around the Statue's observation deck. With twenty-two minutes until detonation, Wade breaks the railing and dives over the edge in pursuit of Outlaw. They come to a final showdown in the wheelhouse of a boat they fell near. Wade cuffs the briefcase to Outlaw's wrist, dooming them both. Taking the device as far out to sea as possible once rendering Outlaw unconscious, Wade realizes they will not get far enough away. Wrapping the cuffs around an anchor on deck, he plunges again into the water to drown himself, the nuke, and Outlaw. As she drowns, the key to the handcuffs floats up from around her neck. Wade escapes just in time, and the nuke detonates deep underwater.
Wade survives the blast, but the resulting radiation poisoning causes an extreme strain of cancer. Wade is left scarred and with only days to live. Cable and a man with a Maple Leaf flag on his lapel approach Deadpool in his hospital bed to tell him of an experimental program that could cure him: Weapon X. Wade responds with a smile and tells Cable "You got my attention."
, Tony Stark
completes his father's work on a high-tech suit of armor and the required power source while investigating the mysterious "Baron Zemo
" only to be shocked to learn that Zemo is actually his father and that he was brainwashed by a unique chemical formula that left him loyal to the Nazis and willing to complete his work for them. Despite facing an army equipped with similar armors to his own, Tony manages to destroy the Nazi army.
is a Harlem man who gains a reputation for being the bulletproof "Power Man" after attacking a corrupt police office and being shot without any apparent injuries. After serving ten years behind bars for the fight, he returns home to a changed Harlem
in a very segregated
America during Prohibition
.
Cage finds that an old friend of his, Willis Stryker
, has become a major player in New York's underworld through bootlegging
and other rackets. He goes to Stryker's nightclub seeking information on his pre-incarceration girlfriend Josephine Hall. Stryker tells him that Josephine died in an apartment fire, but Cage is quietly suspicious. Stryker offers Cage a job, and is further impressed by Cage's handling of a vengeful pimp
.
After leaving the nightclub, he is invited into a limousine by a wealthy white
man named Randall Banticoff. He also offers Cage a job, in this case the investigation of his wife's murder in Harlem. Cage accepts in exchange for the clearing of his criminal record
. He gains admission to the city morgue and sees through bloating that the wife has been dead longer than has been reported.
Still bothered by Stryker's story, Cage goes to the cemetery and digs up Josephine's grave. He opens her coffin and finds it empty. He also sees a man named Tombstone
standing over him with a shotgun and a pack of dogs.
skull on them. Just as the man dons a mask with the same skull, the radio broadcast identifies the lone vigilante as the Punisher.
Flashbacks detail Frank Casteione Sr.'s actions during the first World War, and provide the story behind the Punisher's famous logo. The logo was Frank Sr.'s way of 'taking the piss' out of his wife's fear that he would be claimed by the angel of death. Frank Sr. is shown to be a skilled soldier, taking out an entire trench of Germans with a pair of pistols (the same pistols his son is seen using). After the war, he is traveling on a train, when he is ambushed by Noir's version of the Russian. After a brutal fight which takes Frank Sr. and the Russian onto the roof of the train, Frank Sr. manages to defeat the Russian by slipping a live grenade down his pants and kicking him off the train.
In 1928, Frank Sr.'s wife has died of cancer, and he is left to raise their son on his own. Frank Sr. teaches his son much of his combat knowledge, teaching the boy to shoot a gun and explaining the ins and outs of combat. Frank Sr. also refuses to pay protection money to the local crime boss (Dutch Schultz), earning the crime boss' wrath. Frank Jr. falls in with a gang of bullies, but eventually leaves the gang after refusing to rob a Church. Frank Sr., however, is killed by a trio of hitmen hired by Dutch: Noir's version of Jigsaw
, Barracuda
, and a mystery assassin referred to as "She." Upon learning of his father's murder, Frank Jr. swears revenge on all those responsible.
Returning to 1935, Frank Jr. (this version's Punisher, as opposed to the mainstream's continuity where the father is), is shown systematically hunting down those responsible for his father's death. He first ambushes Barricuda at a carnival after-hours. After failing to learn the identity of "She" from Barricuda, he executes him. Frank Jr. then allows himself to be subdued by Jigsaw. Jigsaw tortures Frank Jr., carving the image of the skull into his chest with a knife (which resembles the tattoo that his father had received during the war). In a moment of hubris, Jigsaw reveals the identity of "She." Frank Jr. then reveals he had freed himself of his restraints hours ago, and proceeds to strangle Jigsaw.
"She" is in fact the Russian
. The grenade's explosion had in fact castrated him, but taking this in stride, the Russian began wearing a wig and dress. The Punisher confronts the Russian at the Bronx Zoo. After a long fight, the Punisher finally kills the Russian. Throwing his mask onto the Russian's corpse (framing the Russian for the murders), Frank Jr. guns down Dutch Schultz, before retiring into the night. Detective Martin Soap
(who in this incarnation is much more competent than his main stream counterpart), deduces that the Russian was not the Punisher, because Schultz was killed several hours after the Russian's body was discovered. This leaves the Punisher's identity a mystery to the police.
Frank Jr., left without purpose after exacting his revenge, walks the streets. In a conversation with his father's tombstone, he asks if he should move on to "Luciano" or "Capone", if he should continue to "punish". Frank Jr. receives his answer from a newspaper article, where Adolph Hitler's picture is seen.
Note: This version of the Punisher is not as restrained as the mainstream Punisher. He (accidentally) kills a prostitute when trying to kill Barricuda. He also contemplates murdering Soap only because Soap might get in the way of his vengeance.
mythos is set in 1933 – during the Great Depression
. While Peter Parker still becomes the titular Spider-Man, the initial focus of the story is upon Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich
. He is an experienced and respected reporter who runs a network of informants under the alias of the Spider. This may or may not have annoyed
the Enforcers
(Ox
, Fancy Dan
, Montana
), Kraven
(an animal trainer), the Chameleon
(a master of disguise) and the Vulture
(a sideshow freak
), who had developed a taste for human meat. Urich does not use the information he has to expose the Goblin but rather to blackmail him, in order to get enough money to feed his secret drug habit.
Urich encounters Peter Parker during an oration by Peter’s aunt in Central Park. The socialist slant of May Parker
’s words does not sit well with the Enforcers and Urich is forced to intervene in order to prevent serious injury to either Peter or May. Urich subsequently takes Peter under his wing and after Peter mistakenly receives a tip-off meant for the Spider, the young man ventures to a warehouse where the Goblin’s men are unloading a shipment of stolen antiques. A particular antique – a spider statue – breaks open and releases a horde of spiders. One of the spiders bites Peter, causing him to pass out and dream of a spider god. When he awakes, he is upside-down in a black web. He has gained powers similar to those of the movie Spider-Man (right down to the organic webbing) and so he dons a black mask, gloves, and trenchcoat (he also packs a gun) in order to take down Osborn in the guise of the Spider-Man.
In order to censor the Daily Bugle, Osborn kidnaps the editor J. Jonah Jameson
and has the Chameleon assume his place. The Chameleon-as-Jameson then goes to Urich’s apartment and shoots him, unaware that Felicia Hardy
– owner of the Black Cat club – is witness to the murder. Felicia later goes to the Daily Bugle offices and kills the Chameleon, leaving his body to be discovered by Spider-Man shortly before the arrival of the police. Spider-Man escapes the attentions of the police and confronts Osborn, having dispatched all of his henchmen in turn. During their fight, it is revealed that Osborn is a former circus freak himself who hides his goblin-like visage behind one of the Chameleon’s masks. After Spider-Man refuses to kill Osborn, the spider-infested and barely still alive body of Kraven appears and attacks the Goblin, killing him.
Later, Spider-Man visits Felicia, who reveals that she had once had a relationship with The Goblin. Spider-Man reveals himself to be Peter in front of her, and she asks why he's there. Peter hands her a photo Urich had in his files earlier of him and Felicia. Spider-Man then jumps out the window, and swings away, leaving Felicia behind.
who is experimenting on Ellis Island. A few days later they meet with him and learn that he is experimenting on monkeys to understand more about the human mind. Octavius himself is wheelchair bound but employs controlled robotic arms, attached to the back of his chair, to help him. After they leave, Robbie suggests the story is deeper… That night a delivery of black slaves are delivered to Ellis Island.
Spider-Man takes the fight to The Crime Master and busts up an operation of drinking, girls and drugs. In a back room he discovers a soundproof torture chamber. He goes to visit Felicia, but she is with someone else… Returning home, he is told that Robbie has disappeared. On Ellis Island, Octavius inspects the new lab rats and Robbie is among them. Octavius, working for The Friends of New Germany, intends to use them to prove that inferior races can be controlled by removing their willpower surgically. Spider-Man revisits the chamber for more information, but he is ambushed by The Crime Master and his men. With them is The Sandman
who slams Spider-Man to the ground with ease.
The police, led by Jean DeWolff
, arrive too late to save Spider-Man from a massive beating but in time to kill Sandman. The Crime Master escapes, but Spider-Man has managed to link him with The Friends Of New Germany. A severely injured Spider-Man goes to Felicia to recover… The following day she kicks him out as her other man calls: the unmasked Crime Master. Felicia questions him too much and he works out that she has been seeing Spider-Man. In fury, he attacks her with a shard of mirror. He gets a call from the leader of TFONG, telling him to shut Ellis Island down before they all get caught. Spider-Man goes to Ellis Island himself and finds Robbie, but was too late as Octavius had already drilled into his frontal lobe, leaving him motionless.
The Crime Master arrives and starts destroying Octavius’ work. Spider-Man drives most of Crime Master’s gang away as Octavius gets his robotic arms on The Crime Master. He slices him apart with scalpels, desperate to save his work. Spider-Man then sets on Octavius for what he has done, crushing his robotic arms. DeWolff arrives before Spider-Man kills him and tells him to thank his girlfriend for calling them in… Spider-Man sees Robbie safe and swings to see Felicia. Her guard tells him that she does not ever want to see him again after she was hurt because of him. A month later, Robbie is looked after by his parents at home, but seeing him like this makes Peter feel guilty and upset. Mary Jane Watson
tries to comfort him outside, but he still feels he's losing everybody he cares. Octavius is deported to Germany, where The Nazis think that his disability renders him useless, and Felicia has recovered but wears a Cat mask to cover all the scars on her face.
Logan and his partner Dog are sitting in their office as an attractive mysterious woman comes in. She hires them to find out who is following her out of the hotel owned by a man named Creed. Dog thinking it will be no problem takes it from Logan and leaves for Creed's hotel. Last we see of Dog, he is fighting two men asking them where Creed is.
Logan begins to think of his childhood as Dog leaves. His father is a devout and strict preacher that punishes him often.
The X-Men
of this reality are a group of sociopath
ic teenagers recruited by discredited psychiatrist
Charles Xavier
, who ran the "Xavier School for Exceptionally Wayward Youth" in Westchester, New York in 1937. There, he took in juvenile delinquents and instead of reforming them, he further trained them in various criminal talents due to his belief that sociopathy
was in fact the next state in human behavioral evolution. The paper in which he stated this led to his expulsion from the American Psychological Association
and as of the first issue, he is interred at Ryker's Island
, awaiting charges after the truth about his reform school was made public. Jean Grey
is depicted as the grifter of the X-Men; adept at running scams, she gained a reputation as being able to control the minds of men. In the opening of the series, her body is found washed up near Welfare Island
in the East River
, covered in slash marks grouped in threes.
Eric Magnus
is the Chief of Detectives in the NYPD Homicide Department, a firm believer in eugenics
, and the leader of the secret society that rules over most of the organized crime in the city, the Brotherhood
. His son, Peter
, a former track star, has just joined Homicide, and his daughter, Wanda
, is a spoiled socialite who started a relationship with reporter Thomas Halloway, also known as the Angel, a costumed vigilante. At the same time, she's also involved with Remy LeBeau
, a casino owner with connections to Unus the Untouchable
, a local crime boss and enemy of Magnus. Also involved is Irish heroin dealer Sean Cassidy
a former inmate of the Welfare Pen and one of Tom's childhood mentors.
The rest of the X-Men, made up Scott "Cyclops" Summers
, Bobby "Iceman" Drake
and Henry "Beast" McCoy
are on the run following the arrest of their mentor. Xavier, who refused to ally his students with Magnus' Brotherhood, was arrested after one of the X-Men, Warren Worthington III, apparently committed suicide by jumping off the roof thinking he could fly. It's revealed by Iceman that Warren was really thrown off the roof by the Brotherhood when Xavier refused. Magnus, as it turns out, owes most of his success to Sebastian Shaw
, the leader of the Hellfire Club
who holds nearly the entire city of New York in the palm of his hand including the mayor, the D.A. and the police department. Magnus (whose last name is revealed to be Magnisky, which the Ellis Island
immigration agent misheard as Magnus), is seeking out Anna-Marie Rankin
, one of Xavier's students with a talent for mimicry, on behalf of Shaw so that they may use her against Unus in their quest to take complete control of the city's underworld. Also tied up in this tangled web of deceit are Captain Logan
, a bootlegger and former flame of Jean, who operates out of Chinatown
with his first mate Eugene
.
Magnus confronts Anne-Marie on the roof of the police station, but she kills him. The Angel realises that she is really Jean Grey, who killed the real Anne-Marie Rankin and took her place, because she wanted to avoid being studied by Xavier or exploited by Magnus. She says she knows Tommy cannot kill, but Angel reveals that he is Robert Halloway, Tommy's twin brother, and pushes them both off the roof. Cyclops and Tommy commiserate, before getting on Logan's boat and heading to Madripoor
.
A back-up text story, "The Sentinels", by Bolivar Trask
, is a pastiche of period science fiction
, presented as though published in a pulp magazine
called Scienti-Fiction. In it, Nimrod
, one of a society of genetic supermen called Sentinels
, must try and save his beloved, Rachel
, from the "muties" who live in the tunnels beneath New New New York. However, Rachel claims not to want to be saved, as the muties have shown her the truth. Nimrod discovers that Dr. Steven Lang
, the eugenic engineer who created the Sentinels, was not killed by the muties, but left for dead by the Breeders' Council when he protested that their policies were oppressive and saved by Callisto
, Queen of the Muties. More Sentinels led by Bastion
invade the tunnels, and Rachel and Lang are killed. Nimrod uses a Phoenix Bomb built by the mad Egyptian En Sabah Nur
to destroy the Breeders' Council, but also destroys the whole of New New York, and the muties' tunnels. He and Callisto are the only survivors, and conclude they will have to combine Sentinel and mutie genes "the old fashioned way".
5.
Spider-Man Noir gained mixed reception from critics and fans, but they still found the series enjoyable; IGN rate the first issue 6.1 out of 10, with the second issue rated 6.9 out of 10 Timothy Callahan from ComicBookResources.com gave a positive review commented "Hine, Sapolsky and Di Giandomenico's Spider-Man Noir has been a violent, action-packed romp since the first issue". Adam Chapman from Comixtreme.com praised the artwork and also gave a positive review commented "Di Giandomenico once again provides some truly outstanding artwork...Whenever he's on a book, I know it's going to look absolutely magnificent..."
Wolverine Noir was given mostly negative reviews, however critics praised both the story and the artwork. Adam Chapman from Comixtreme.com gave the third issue an overall 4 out of 5, the fourth issue an overall 5 out of 5.
2009 in comics
-January:*January 1: The direct-to-DVD movie Hulk Vs was released.*January 6: The third and final volume of Hollow Fields has been released.-February:...
-2010 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...
alternative continuity combining elements of film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
and pulp fiction
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
with the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization.
Publication history
Marvel Noir first appeared as six limited seriesLimited 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....
, X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
Noir by writer Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente is an American writer, primarily of comic books and graphic novels.-Career:Van Lente is the co-founder, along with artist Ryan Dunlavey, of Evil Twin Comics, which produces his and Dunlavey’s non-fiction comic books, the first and most famous of which is Action Philosophers.Recent...
and artist Dennis Calero
Dennis Calero
Dennis Calero is a American comic book artist and illustrator, known for his work on titles such as X Factor, Legion of Superheroes and Kolchak.-Career:...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
Noir by writers David Hine
David Hine
-Biography:Hine has been working in comics since the early 1980s. For Crisis he drew the series Sticky Fingers in 1989, and wrote and drew a number of short pieces in 1990 and 1991...
and Fabrice Sapolsky and artist Carmine Di Giandomenico
Carmine Di Giandomenico
Carmine Di Giandomenico is a comics artist. In 1995 he drew the limited series Examen for publishers Phoenix. Then he drew an issue of Conan the Barbarian for Marvel Italia, written by Chuck Dixon....
and Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
Noir by writer Alexander Irvine
Alexander C. Irvine
Alexander C. Irvine is an American fantasist and science fiction writer. Many of his works have appeared under the simpler moniker "Alex Irvine."-Biography:Irvine was born on March 22, 1969...
and artist Tomm Coker
Tomm Coker
Tomm Coker, also known as Thomas L. Coker, is an American comic book artist and film director/writer.-Career:Coker's career started in the early nineties drawing comic books for Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics and DC Comics...
, Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
Noir by writers Mike Benson and Adam Glass and artist Shawn Martinbrough, Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
Noir by writer Frank Tieri
Frank Tieri (comics)
Frank Tieri is an American comic book writer.-Career:At Marvel Tieri has written New Excalibur, Iron Man, Wolverine , Underworld, a post Avengers Disassembled Hercules mini-series, Wolverine/Darkness, X-Men: Dracula vs...
art by Paul Azaceta, and 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...
Noir written by Stuart Moore and art by C. P. Smith.
Several more mini-series were added in 2010.
Daredevil Noir
One night, DaredevilDaredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
infiltrates a building where the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
is expecting him. The two confront each other and discuss what has happened in the past week involving Orville Halloran. In his childhood, Matt Murdock was blinded by his father's assassin who brutally slammed his head into a brick wall, leaving him sightless. Though he did wish to become a lawyer, his impoverished lifestyle denied it, leaving him to be a performer instead, under the name Daredevil. Later he took to the streets as a vigilante, killing criminals to avenge those they killed. Matt now works with Foggy Nelson
Foggy Nelson
Franklin P. "Foggy" Nelson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, part of the supporting cast of Daredevil ; Foggy is Matt's best friend. The character was created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett....
and was in his office until one afternoon a woman named Eliza entered the room and offered a way to bring down Halloran. When she left the office, Foggy has doubts and turns to Matt, but Matt convinced him that she's telling the truth and left the office to investigate. Meanwhile Fisk is with Halloran in a restaurant discussing about the identity of Daredevil being Jack Murdock's son.
However one night, a police officer sees three cars, two being police cars and one being the gangster's car, and witnesses five men being killed by the Bullseye Killer
Bullseye (comics)
Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
and believe that he's one of Halloran's men. Back in the office, both Foggy and Matt discuss Halloran making his move against Fisk, and Matt worries that Eliza will be caught in the middle of it. When Foggy said that Eliza mentioned Halloran putting money on Matt's father throwing the fight on the night he was killed, Matt left the office to find out. Matt went to a bar called Dilooly and met with Eliza there to confirm what Eliza said to Foggy was true about his father, which she did confirm and told Matt not to do anything that would get him killed. When Matt was walking on the street he heard a woman scream, which he quickly dressed up in his Daredevil uniform and apprehended the assailant, however it was revealed to be a setup by Wilson Fisk who wanted to meet him and revealed that Halloran was the one who killed his father.
The next night, Matt followed Eliza around the city to look over her, but suddenly a fight broke out in the "Landmark Inn" were a bar-tender revealed that the Bullseye Killer was here before dying. With no sign of Eliza and Hell's Kitchen being threatened, Matt went throughout the city to find the whereabouts of Halloran from his men. He went back to Foggy's office to reveal that he knows where Halloran is and plans to get Eliza back, but Foggy has doubts about if Matt ever had her. Matt went to the harbor and found Halloran there, who was expecting him to arrive. Matt figured out that Halloran killed his father and told Fisk, who then told him about it, which would lead Matt coming to him. However what shocked him is that Eliza was there, who was surprised that she can lie to him, but what surprised Matt is that Halloran revealed that Eliza is the Bullseye Killer. Surprised by the news, Matt figured out that she is one of Fisk's employers, which Halloran refused to believe until Eliza killed him.
With Halloran dead and Eliza killing the rest of Halloran's men, the two fought constantly, with Eliza gaining the upper hand, but Matt eagerly charged into her but both landed into the sea. This made Eliza unable to throw well, which gave Matt an advantage as he began to strangle her to death with a chain and Eliza trying to fight back until she was unconscious, but Matt could not finish her off because he still loved her and dragged her back to the surface. The Police arrived and Matt left, leaving Eliza in police custody. Matt returned to Foggy's office and revealed to him that Eliza was the Bullseye Killer, which surprised him, but also revealed that he could not kill her because he still has feelings for her. Foggy comforts him until Matt decides to go after Fisk. Returning to the present, Matt and Fisk end their discussion and the series ends with the two beginning to fight each other.
Deadpool Pulp
Wade Wilson is a Canadian citizen who joins the OSS during WW2. Though not American, his superiors describe him as 'a patriot', even if he is "missing a couple screws, and then some." While fighting in the Pacific with Merrill's Marauders, Wilson is captured by Japanese forces. Transported to a POW camp on mainland Japan, Wade is subjected to torture and interrogation daily for nearly a full year. It is assumed this is the source of his mental break with reality. Being left to drown, hung by his thumbs in a quickly rising river, Wade manages to escape by removing one of his thumbs. Sneaking into camp, he steals the mask and katana swords of his torturer. Donning the mask, he stabs the soldier to death and escapes with another mysterious prisoner. They leap off a cliff and to safety.Years later, Wade and the mysterious other prisoner (who turns out to be Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
) are working under the jurisdiction of J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
. Wade as an operative and Cable as an executive officer along with General Stryfe
Stryfe
Stryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
. Set during the 1950s, the storyline follows an early Cold War plot to attack America.
The story begins with rogue CIA agent Outlaw (Inez Temple) stealing a powerful briefcase nuke from a CIA protection team. Discussing the matter, Cable suggests Wade Wilson as the man capable of getting the nuke back. He is recalled from operations on South East Asia, where he was doing a good imitation of 'The Deer Hunter'. On his return, Wade is interviewed by a shrink. We discover that Wade is afflicted by two conflicting voices in his head, which he makes light of by saying "We all have our Jiminy Cricket, don't we?" We also find out that Wade did not join the US Army out of patriotism, but because "I like to kill people and the U.S Government was smart enough to give me a license to." He also created an alternative personality called 'Deadpool' in addition to the two voices he hears. The psychiatrist states that 'Deadpool' is a method of dealing with the torture he endured by becoming the monster he feared most. Though the doctor's professional opinion is that Wade is a "bonafide psychotic, with multiple personality disorders {...} He is a danger to society and should be institutionalized immediately." Cable disagrees, saying he "needs a nut to catch a nut." Wade is subsequently assigned the liquidation of Outlaw.
The first part of his mission is to find the missing scientist Dr. Jackson Hammer who worked on the nuke. Unfortunately Outlaw finds him first and kidnaps Dr. Hammer, leaving Wade a note pinned to the wall. The two agents meet at a dinner club for a meeting. The story reveals that the two had a romantic relationship in the past but they are unable to reach an understanding and their dance turns into a gunfight and a chase through the streets of New Orleans.
Back at Dr. Hammer's apartment, Wade sifts through clues left behind. Outlaw has not killed the doctor, but instead removed him to Cuba. Traveling to Havana, Wade meets his underworld contact Meyer Lansky as his home. While the family enjoys their Sabbath upstairs, Meyer leads Wade downstairs to where Meyer's men are interrogating Dr. Hammer's pimp. Together they find the doctor's location and Wade heads there. As they near the location, Wade feels something familiar about the landscape around him. He is ambushed by Cubans. He is grazed in the head by a .22 caliber round and collapses.
As he awakes, Wade is confronted by Stryfe and the brainwashed sleeper agent Cable. Unwittingly, Wade has stumbled into a plot to begin World War 3. Furthermore, Wade was not captured by the Japanese as previously believed. He was kidnapped for Stryfe's secret program to turn him into a deadly sleeper agent. The camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was where he was taken after 'capture'. Stryfe himself was Wade's torturer. As with Cable, Wade was programmed to obey orders without question after the coded phrase "Sic transit gloria mundi" was spoken aloud.
With both Cable and Wade under his control, Stryfe begins to outline his plans for America, beginning with the assassination of John F Kennedy. As the general is briefing the agents, Wade's inner voices are in turmoil. Another third (or possibly fourth) personality has arisen. "There's someone else in here with us." Is how the 'white-box voice' describes it. A third caption box appears in the panels following; black with white lettering, it seems to be the 'voice' of Wade's programming. Somehow, either from the recent head wound or from living with the more familiar personalities for so long, Wade manages to overthrow his brainwashing and foils Stryfe. The general orders Cable to "KILL HIM, CABLE! KILL DEADPOOL!" Acting quickly Wades disables Cable before he can attack. This gives Wade time to give Stryfe his mask back (with the assistance of a desk stapler).
Cable awakes with only his orders to "KILL DEADPOOL" intact. He leaps onto the general and begins to pound on him under Stryfe gives up the coded phrase to de-program an agent; "Joe DiMaggio." Wade explains the situation to a baffled Cable, and the two leave to stop Outlaw at last. Along the way, Cable and Deadpool extract their revenge on General Stryfe.
Wade meets Outlaw once again on top of the Statue of Liberty during the 4th of July celebration. Believing her to be one of Stryfe's agents, Wade tries to convince Outlaw that she was tricked and used. In return, he tells him she was never a sleeper agent and explains "{...} Baby, I'm just bad." as she cuffs him to the armed briefcase nuke, which is in turn cuffed to the railing around the Statue's observation deck. With twenty-two minutes until detonation, Wade breaks the railing and dives over the edge in pursuit of Outlaw. They come to a final showdown in the wheelhouse of a boat they fell near. Wade cuffs the briefcase to Outlaw's wrist, dooming them both. Taking the device as far out to sea as possible once rendering Outlaw unconscious, Wade realizes they will not get far enough away. Wrapping the cuffs around an anchor on deck, he plunges again into the water to drown himself, the nuke, and Outlaw. As she drowns, the key to the handcuffs floats up from around her neck. Wade escapes just in time, and the nuke detonates deep underwater.
Wade survives the blast, but the resulting radiation poisoning causes an extreme strain of cancer. Wade is left scarred and with only days to live. Cable and a man with a Maple Leaf flag on his lapel approach Deadpool in his hospital bed to tell him of an experimental program that could cure him: Weapon X. Wade responds with a smile and tells Cable "You got my attention."
Iron Man Noir
Investigating the disappearance of his father Howard StarkHoward Stark
Howard Stark is a fictional person in the . He is the father of Tony Stark and the founder of Stark Industries. His name came from Howard Hughes, whom he was named after. -Biography:...
, Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
completes his father's work on a high-tech suit of armor and the required power source while investigating the mysterious "Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
" only to be shocked to learn that Zemo is actually his father and that he was brainwashed by a unique chemical formula that left him loyal to the Nazis and willing to complete his work for them. Despite facing an army equipped with similar armors to his own, Tony manages to destroy the Nazi army.
Luke Cage Noir
Luke CageLuke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
is a Harlem man who gains a reputation for being the bulletproof "Power Man" after attacking a corrupt police office and being shot without any apparent injuries. After serving ten years behind bars for the fight, he returns home to a changed Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
in a very segregated
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
America during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
.
Cage finds that an old friend of his, Willis Stryker
Diamondback (comics)
Diamondback is the name of four fictional characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Diamondback first appeared in Captain America #310 , written by Mark Gruenwald and illustrated by Paul Neary.-Willis Stryker:The first Diamondback was a foe of Luke Cage...
, has become a major player in New York's underworld through bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
and other rackets. He goes to Stryker's nightclub seeking information on his pre-incarceration girlfriend Josephine Hall. Stryker tells him that Josephine died in an apartment fire, but Cage is quietly suspicious. Stryker offers Cage a job, and is further impressed by Cage's handling of a vengeful pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
.
After leaving the nightclub, he is invited into a limousine by a wealthy white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
man named Randall Banticoff. He also offers Cage a job, in this case the investigation of his wife's murder in Harlem. Cage accepts in exchange for the clearing of his criminal record
Criminal record
A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country...
. He gains admission to the city morgue and sees through bloating that the wife has been dead longer than has been reported.
Still bothered by Stryker's story, Cage goes to the cemetery and digs up Josephine's grave. He opens her coffin and finds it empty. He also sees a man named Tombstone
Tombstone (comics)
Tombstone is a supervillain in the fictional Marvel universe. The character was created by Gerry Conway and Alex Saviuk and first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #36 .-Fictional character biography:...
standing over him with a shotgun and a pack of dogs.
Punisher Noir
The story begins in 1935 Manhattan with an unknown man, later to be identified as Frank Castleione Jr., waking up and turning on his radio, during which he is seen with several bullet marks across his back. In the following scenes, a radio broadcast airs detailing a lone vigilante, all the while the still unnamed man gets dressed, which includes preparing a couple grenades, knives, brass knuckles, and two pistols with the PunisherPunisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
skull on them. Just as the man dons a mask with the same skull, the radio broadcast identifies the lone vigilante as the Punisher.
Flashbacks detail Frank Casteione Sr.'s actions during the first World War, and provide the story behind the Punisher's famous logo. The logo was Frank Sr.'s way of 'taking the piss' out of his wife's fear that he would be claimed by the angel of death. Frank Sr. is shown to be a skilled soldier, taking out an entire trench of Germans with a pair of pistols (the same pistols his son is seen using). After the war, he is traveling on a train, when he is ambushed by Noir's version of the Russian. After a brutal fight which takes Frank Sr. and the Russian onto the roof of the train, Frank Sr. manages to defeat the Russian by slipping a live grenade down his pants and kicking him off the train.
In 1928, Frank Sr.'s wife has died of cancer, and he is left to raise their son on his own. Frank Sr. teaches his son much of his combat knowledge, teaching the boy to shoot a gun and explaining the ins and outs of combat. Frank Sr. also refuses to pay protection money to the local crime boss (Dutch Schultz), earning the crime boss' wrath. Frank Jr. falls in with a gang of bullies, but eventually leaves the gang after refusing to rob a Church. Frank Sr., however, is killed by a trio of hitmen hired by Dutch: Noir's version of Jigsaw
Jigsaw (Marvel Comics)
Jigsaw is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Throughout his many appearances, he has served as one of the Punisher's few recurring villains...
, Barracuda
Barracuda (comics)
Barracuda is a fictional American comic book character owned by Marvel Comics who opposes the Punisher. He is a mercenary gangster of great physical strength, endurance, fighting ability, and exceptional intelligence...
, and a mystery assassin referred to as "She." Upon learning of his father's murder, Frank Jr. swears revenge on all those responsible.
Returning to 1935, Frank Jr. (this version's Punisher, as opposed to the mainstream's continuity where the father is), is shown systematically hunting down those responsible for his father's death. He first ambushes Barricuda at a carnival after-hours. After failing to learn the identity of "She" from Barricuda, he executes him. Frank Jr. then allows himself to be subdued by Jigsaw. Jigsaw tortures Frank Jr., carving the image of the skull into his chest with a knife (which resembles the tattoo that his father had received during the war). In a moment of hubris, Jigsaw reveals the identity of "She." Frank Jr. then reveals he had freed himself of his restraints hours ago, and proceeds to strangle Jigsaw.
"She" is in fact the Russian
Russian (comics)
The Russian is a Marvel Comics supervillain created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon to become an assassin during the Punisher's relaunch in November 2000.-Fictional character biography:...
. The grenade's explosion had in fact castrated him, but taking this in stride, the Russian began wearing a wig and dress. The Punisher confronts the Russian at the Bronx Zoo. After a long fight, the Punisher finally kills the Russian. Throwing his mask onto the Russian's corpse (framing the Russian for the murders), Frank Jr. guns down Dutch Schultz, before retiring into the night. Detective Martin Soap
Martin Soap
Lieutenant Martin Soap is a fictional character, a police officer in the Marvel Comics universe. He served as a supporting character and comic relief for the Punisher throughout the character's 2000 miniseries and 2001 ongoing series. Soap first appeared in The Punisher Lieutenant Martin Soap is a...
(who in this incarnation is much more competent than his main stream counterpart), deduces that the Russian was not the Punisher, because Schultz was killed several hours after the Russian's body was discovered. This leaves the Punisher's identity a mystery to the police.
Frank Jr., left without purpose after exacting his revenge, walks the streets. In a conversation with his father's tombstone, he asks if he should move on to "Luciano" or "Capone", if he should continue to "punish". Frank Jr. receives his answer from a newspaper article, where Adolph Hitler's picture is seen.
Note: This version of the Punisher is not as restrained as the mainstream Punisher. He (accidentally) kills a prostitute when trying to kill Barricuda. He also contemplates murdering Soap only because Soap might get in the way of his vengeance.
Spider-Man Noir
This alternate take on the Spider-ManSpider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
mythos is set in 1933 – during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. While Peter Parker still becomes the titular Spider-Man, the initial focus of the story is upon Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich
Ben Urich
Ben Urich is a Marvel Comics character, usually appearing in comic books featuring Daredevil and Spider-Man. Created by Roger McKenzie and Gene Colan, he first appeared in Daredevil #153 ....
. He is an experienced and respected reporter who runs a network of informants under the alias of the Spider. This may or may not have annoyed
the Enforcers
Enforcers (comics)
The Enforcers are a fictional team of villains in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko, the team's first appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 .-Publication history:...
(Ox
Ox (comics)
Ox is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain, and he usually works for the Kingpin, Mister Fear or Hammerhead.-Publication history:The original Ox, Raymond Bloch, first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
, Fancy Dan
Fancy Dan
Fancy Dan is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Fancy Dan first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko....
, Montana
Montana (comics)
Montana is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Montana first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko....
), Kraven
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
(an animal trainer), the Chameleon
Chameleon (comics)
The Chameleon is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko; the Chameleon is the first member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, based on issue...
(a master of disguise) and the Vulture
Vulture (comics)
The Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
(a sideshow freak
Freak show
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and...
), who had developed a taste for human meat. Urich does not use the information he has to expose the Goblin but rather to blackmail him, in order to get enough money to feed his secret drug habit.
Urich encounters Peter Parker during an oration by Peter’s aunt in Central Park. The socialist slant of May Parker
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
’s words does not sit well with the Enforcers and Urich is forced to intervene in order to prevent serious injury to either Peter or May. Urich subsequently takes Peter under his wing and after Peter mistakenly receives a tip-off meant for the Spider, the young man ventures to a warehouse where the Goblin’s men are unloading a shipment of stolen antiques. A particular antique – a spider statue – breaks open and releases a horde of spiders. One of the spiders bites Peter, causing him to pass out and dream of a spider god. When he awakes, he is upside-down in a black web. He has gained powers similar to those of the movie Spider-Man (right down to the organic webbing) and so he dons a black mask, gloves, and trenchcoat (he also packs a gun) in order to take down Osborn in the guise of the Spider-Man.
In order to censor the Daily Bugle, Osborn kidnaps the editor J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
and has the Chameleon assume his place. The Chameleon-as-Jameson then goes to Urich’s apartment and shoots him, unaware that Felicia Hardy
Black Cat (comics)
The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
– owner of the Black Cat club – is witness to the murder. Felicia later goes to the Daily Bugle offices and kills the Chameleon, leaving his body to be discovered by Spider-Man shortly before the arrival of the police. Spider-Man escapes the attentions of the police and confronts Osborn, having dispatched all of his henchmen in turn. During their fight, it is revealed that Osborn is a former circus freak himself who hides his goblin-like visage behind one of the Chameleon’s masks. After Spider-Man refuses to kill Osborn, the spider-infested and barely still alive body of Kraven appears and attacks the Goblin, killing him.
Later, Spider-Man visits Felicia, who reveals that she had once had a relationship with The Goblin. Spider-Man reveals himself to be Peter in front of her, and she asks why he's there. Peter hands her a photo Urich had in his files earlier of him and Felicia. Spider-Man then jumps out the window, and swings away, leaving Felicia behind.
Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face
1934, NYC: Peter Parker, Spider-Man, has a new problem: The Crime Master, a masked criminal who has taken over as the city’s crime boss. As he investigates, his relationship with Felicia Hardy, owner of The Black Cat speakeasy, develops… He returns home to find Joe and Robbie Robertson talking with Aunt May. As a struggling black reporter, Robbie asks Peter to set up a meeting with Doctor Otto OctaviusDoctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
who is experimenting on Ellis Island. A few days later they meet with him and learn that he is experimenting on monkeys to understand more about the human mind. Octavius himself is wheelchair bound but employs controlled robotic arms, attached to the back of his chair, to help him. After they leave, Robbie suggests the story is deeper… That night a delivery of black slaves are delivered to Ellis Island.
Spider-Man takes the fight to The Crime Master and busts up an operation of drinking, girls and drugs. In a back room he discovers a soundproof torture chamber. He goes to visit Felicia, but she is with someone else… Returning home, he is told that Robbie has disappeared. On Ellis Island, Octavius inspects the new lab rats and Robbie is among them. Octavius, working for The Friends of New Germany, intends to use them to prove that inferior races can be controlled by removing their willpower surgically. Spider-Man revisits the chamber for more information, but he is ambushed by The Crime Master and his men. With them is The Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
who slams Spider-Man to the ground with ease.
The police, led by Jean DeWolff
Jean DeWolff
Jean DeWolff is a fictional police detective who functions as a supporting character in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring Spider-Man...
, arrive too late to save Spider-Man from a massive beating but in time to kill Sandman. The Crime Master escapes, but Spider-Man has managed to link him with The Friends Of New Germany. A severely injured Spider-Man goes to Felicia to recover… The following day she kicks him out as her other man calls: the unmasked Crime Master. Felicia questions him too much and he works out that she has been seeing Spider-Man. In fury, he attacks her with a shard of mirror. He gets a call from the leader of TFONG, telling him to shut Ellis Island down before they all get caught. Spider-Man goes to Ellis Island himself and finds Robbie, but was too late as Octavius had already drilled into his frontal lobe, leaving him motionless.
The Crime Master arrives and starts destroying Octavius’ work. Spider-Man drives most of Crime Master’s gang away as Octavius gets his robotic arms on The Crime Master. He slices him apart with scalpels, desperate to save his work. Spider-Man then sets on Octavius for what he has done, crushing his robotic arms. DeWolff arrives before Spider-Man kills him and tells him to thank his girlfriend for calling them in… Spider-Man sees Robbie safe and swings to see Felicia. Her guard tells him that she does not ever want to see him again after she was hurt because of him. A month later, Robbie is looked after by his parents at home, but seeing him like this makes Peter feel guilty and upset. Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
tries to comfort him outside, but he still feels he's losing everybody he cares. Octavius is deported to Germany, where The Nazis think that his disability renders him useless, and Felicia has recovered but wears a Cat mask to cover all the scars on her face.
Wolverine Noir
The story takes place in New York in 1937, where private detective Jim Logan has to solve a mysterious case in which he has to face his own dark past as well.Logan and his partner Dog are sitting in their office as an attractive mysterious woman comes in. She hires them to find out who is following her out of the hotel owned by a man named Creed. Dog thinking it will be no problem takes it from Logan and leaves for Creed's hotel. Last we see of Dog, he is fighting two men asking them where Creed is.
Logan begins to think of his childhood as Dog leaves. His father is a devout and strict preacher that punishes him often.
X-Men Noir
The X-Men Noir series is notable in that none of the characters have superpowers.The X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
of this reality are a group of sociopath
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
ic teenagers recruited by discredited psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Charles Xavier
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
, who ran the "Xavier School for Exceptionally Wayward Youth" in Westchester, New York in 1937. There, he took in juvenile delinquents and instead of reforming them, he further trained them in various criminal talents due to his belief that sociopathy
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
was in fact the next state in human behavioral evolution. The paper in which he stated this led to his expulsion from the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
and as of the first issue, he is interred at Ryker's Island
Ryker's Island
Ryker's Island is a fictional prison facility for both conventional criminals, and superhuman criminals in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 called simply "Island Prison"....
, awaiting charges after the truth about his reform school was made public. Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
is depicted as the grifter of the X-Men; adept at running scams, she gained a reputation as being able to control the minds of men. In the opening of the series, her body is found washed up near Welfare Island
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
in the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
, covered in slash marks grouped in threes.
Eric Magnus
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
is the Chief of Detectives in the NYPD Homicide Department, a firm believer in eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
, and the leader of the secret society that rules over most of the organized crime in the city, the Brotherhood
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
. His son, Peter
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, a former track star, has just joined Homicide, and his daughter, Wanda
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, is a spoiled socialite who started a relationship with reporter Thomas Halloway, also known as the Angel, a costumed vigilante. At the same time, she's also involved with Remy LeBeau
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
, a casino owner with connections to Unus the Untouchable
Unus the Untouchable
Unus the Untouchable is a fictional character from the comic book X-Men and part of the Marvel Comics Universe. A mutant, Unus is named for his ability to consciously project a force field which protects him from harm.-Origin:Angelo Unuscione was born in Milan, Italy...
, a local crime boss and enemy of Magnus. Also involved is Irish heroin dealer Sean Cassidy
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
a former inmate of the Welfare Pen and one of Tom's childhood mentors.
The rest of the X-Men, made up Scott "Cyclops" Summers
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
, Bobby "Iceman" Drake
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
and Henry "Beast" McCoy
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
are on the run following the arrest of their mentor. Xavier, who refused to ally his students with Magnus' Brotherhood, was arrested after one of the X-Men, Warren Worthington III, apparently committed suicide by jumping off the roof thinking he could fly. It's revealed by Iceman that Warren was really thrown off the roof by the Brotherhood when Xavier refused. Magnus, as it turns out, owes most of his success to Sebastian Shaw
Sebastian Shaw (comics)
Sebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength...
, the leader of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
who holds nearly the entire city of New York in the palm of his hand including the mayor, the D.A. and the police department. Magnus (whose last name is revealed to be Magnisky, which the Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
immigration agent misheard as Magnus), is seeking out Anna-Marie Rankin
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
, one of Xavier's students with a talent for mimicry, on behalf of Shaw so that they may use her against Unus in their quest to take complete control of the city's underworld. Also tied up in this tangled web of deceit are Captain Logan
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...
, a bootlegger and former flame of Jean, who operates out of Chinatown
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
with his first mate Eugene
Puck (comics)
Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...
.
Magnus confronts Anne-Marie on the roof of the police station, but she kills him. The Angel realises that she is really Jean Grey, who killed the real Anne-Marie Rankin and took her place, because she wanted to avoid being studied by Xavier or exploited by Magnus. She says she knows Tommy cannot kill, but Angel reveals that he is Robert Halloway, Tommy's twin brother, and pushes them both off the roof. Cyclops and Tommy commiserate, before getting on Logan's boat and heading to Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
.
A back-up text story, "The Sentinels", by Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask is a fictional character and a military scientist in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #14 . He is the creator of the Sentinels.-Fictional character biography:...
, is a pastiche of period science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, presented as though published in a pulp magazine
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
called Scienti-Fiction. In it, Nimrod
Nimrod (comics)
Nimrod is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #191 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr. Hailing from the "Days of Future Past" timeline, Nimrod is a powerful, virtually...
, one of a society of genetic supermen called Sentinels
Sentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
, must try and save his beloved, Rachel
Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
, from the "muties" who live in the tunnels beneath New New New York. However, Rachel claims not to want to be saved, as the muties have shown her the truth. Nimrod discovers that Dr. Steven Lang
Steven Lang (comics)
Steven Lang is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is best known as a manufacturer of the mutant-hunting robots called Sentinels. He first appeared in X-Men volume 1 #96....
, the eugenic engineer who created the Sentinels, was not killed by the muties, but left for dead by the Breeders' Council when he protested that their policies were oppressive and saved by Callisto
Callisto (comics)
Callisto is a Marvel Comics fictional character, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, she first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #169 ....
, Queen of the Muties. More Sentinels led by Bastion
Bastion (comics)
Bastion is a supervillain that appears in the fictional Marvel Universe. The character was created by Scott Lobdell and Pascual Ferry and first made a cameo appearance in X-Men #52 . His first full appearance was Uncanny X-Men #333...
invade the tunnels, and Rachel and Lang are killed. Nimrod uses a Phoenix Bomb built by the mad Egyptian En Sabah Nur
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
to destroy the Breeders' Council, but also destroys the whole of New New York, and the muties' tunnels. He and Callisto are the only survivors, and conclude they will have to combine Sentinel and mutie genes "the old fashioned way".
X-Men Noir: Mark of Cain
Mark of Cain is a direct sequel to X-Men Noir. Professor X now released from jail finds him and his beloved X-Men and everyone scrambling to locate the Gem of Cyttorak. In the dark and steamy jungles of Madripoor, the flashing claws of Logan, the blazing bullets of Cyclops, and the dashing fists of the Angel met with wave after wave of beserk headhunters, all willing to protect the secrets of the Temple-Tomb of Cyttorak with their lives. The ancient treasure map of mercenary Cain Marko, with its siren-song of the priceless gigantic ruby of the fabled god-king, had lured them only into the icy claws of death.Reception
Daredevil Noir gained some positive review by fans and critics. The fourth issue was highly praised for both the story and the artwork as Comixtreme.com gave an overall 5 out of5.
Spider-Man Noir gained mixed reception from critics and fans, but they still found the series enjoyable; IGN rate the first issue 6.1 out of 10, with the second issue rated 6.9 out of 10 Timothy Callahan from ComicBookResources.com gave a positive review commented "Hine, Sapolsky and Di Giandomenico's Spider-Man Noir has been a violent, action-packed romp since the first issue". Adam Chapman from Comixtreme.com praised the artwork and also gave a positive review commented "Di Giandomenico once again provides some truly outstanding artwork...Whenever he's on a book, I know it's going to look absolutely magnificent..."
Wolverine Noir was given mostly negative reviews, however critics praised both the story and the artwork. Adam Chapman from Comixtreme.com gave the third issue an overall 4 out of 5, the fourth issue an overall 5 out of 5.
Video games
- The Noir universe appears in the video game Spider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a video game featuring Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions blends together four universes from the Marvel Comics multiverse, allowing the player to play as four different Spider-Men...
, as one of four alternate universes that the Tablet of Order and Chaos pieces land in. At this stage of the game, the player assumes the identity of Noir Spider-Man. The Noir versions of Vulture, Goblin and a new Noir version of Hammerhead, not seen in the comic books, are the featured villains. BeenoxBeenoxBeenox is a video game developer, established in Québec City, Québec. Founded in 2000 by Dominique Brown. Beenox has been awarded with the Quebec's Best Employer 2008 title and is among the Top 50 of the World’s best video game developers published in March 2008 by the Game Developers Research...
, the video game developerVideo game developerA video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
responsible for the title, designed an uglier version of the Green Goblin, more closely resembling the Ultimate MarvelUltimate MarvelUltimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
version of Green Goblin, for the game. In altering the character's appearance, approval was needed from Marvel.