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Resurrection Man (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Resurrection Man is a fictional character
, a superhero whose adventures were published by DC Comics from 1997
to 1999
in a serialized comic book of the same name, created by Andy Lanning
, Dan Abnett
and Jackson Guice
. The character returned in September 2011 in a self-titled book as part of the DC Comics New 52
relaunch.
, Mitchell "Mitch" Shelley became a lawyer who found himself an unwilling test subject for experimentation in nanotechnology
, involving specialized devices nicknamed "tektites" by an organization known only as "the Lab". The experiments cost Shelley his memory for several months but also rendered him immortal albeit with a twist: he could still be killed but the death would last a matter of seconds (perhaps minutes at most due to the tektites) and he would be reborn with a superpower infuenced by the way he was last killed. A comment by the Phantom Stranger
in RM #18 about having worked with Shelly in previous lifetimes suggests that there is more to his powers than just the tektites. However, the series never expanded on this point.
Shelley's travels in search of the truth of his identity and his newfound powers would take him across the United States, leading him into an ongoing feud with assorted adversaries including Vandal Savage
, the Body Doubles
and others, as well as alliances and friendship with various members of the Justice League
(although he did not feel comfortable acting in a traditional superhero role). At least one alternate future has established Shelley's survival and long-term League membership into the 853rd Century
. By then he had developed a device, the Resurrector, attached to his wrist, that could kill him in a way that allowed him to select specific powers (as opposed to the "Luck of the draw" system his normal deaths went by), in addition to always possessing super strength and flight comparable to Superman's. Vandal Savage was able to use this device against him, reprogramming the Resurrector to constantly kill Shelley, never giving him the chance to resurrect, until the Martian Manhunter destroyed the device's infestation. However, Shelly later returned alive in the subsequent DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1,000,000 (1999).
planned for Fall 2011. DC Comics released Resurrection Man #1 on September 14, 2011.
-like monster with a bullet-proof hide. He can become more powerful than any single member of the Justice League
if he "resurrects right".
Originally a lawyer on the take from the mob in Viceroy, South Carolina (the home of the fictitious soda Soder Cola of Superman
comics), he spent the first few issues remembering who he is and what happened to make him the Resurrection Man. The comic starts with Shelley, a drifter with no memory, stumbling across his power (after dying). He fought an incarnation of Amazo and was brought to the attention of the JLA in issue #2. He was pursued early on (and throughout most of the series) by the Body Doubles -- two curvy, fashion-themed female assassins that were hired by a mysterious organization called "the Lab".
This "Lab" did give Shelley his power of resurrecting immediately, but he is also something much more, his origin stretching back far into the past of the DC
universe. (If the Phantom Stranger is to be believed, Shelley's gifts have existed in his previous lives, but not changed over the course of a single life.) It is revealed that Shelly has fought Vandal Savage
throughout time, from the time of cavemen to the present day, each time attempting to foil Savage's plots before getting killed by Savage in battle.
He returned to the DC Universe in DC Infinite Halloween Special #1. In it he is a bounty hunter trying to take down Killer Croc. Croc was able to kill Shelley and then ate him. Mitchell manifested a new power which caused Croc to run into a gas station and caused it to explode. Mitchell is then seen later leaving a bar after watching that Croc has been apprehended.
He was once again resurrected in Supergirl #28.
In the Brightest Day
crossover, Resurrection Man is called by Dove
as a possible recipient for Deadman
's white ring, but the ring does not choose to go with him.
graphic novel, The Superman Monster, which retold the story of Frankenstein
as a Superman story. This featured an actual "resurrection man" (i.e. a body-snatcher) who was drawn to closely resemble Mitch Shelley.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superhero whose adventures were published by DC Comics from 1997
1997 in comics
-January:*Avengers #3 - Marvel Comics*Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics*Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel Comics*Iron Man #3 - Marvel Comics-February:...
to 1999
1999 in comics
-February:* February 3: Pioneering editor Vin Sullivan dies at age 87.* February 26: John L. Goldwater, co-founder of Archie Comics, dies at age 82.-March:* Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.-May:...
in a serialized comic book of the same name, created by Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
, Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and Jackson Guice
Jackson Guice
Jackson "Butch" Guice , is an American comic book artist who has worked steadily in the mainstream comics industry since the early 1980s.-Biography:...
. The character returned in September 2011 in a self-titled book as part of the DC Comics New 52
The New 52
The New 52 is a 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero books, in which all of its existing titles were cancelled, and 52 new series debuted in September 2011 with new #1 issues. Among the series being renumbered are Action Comics and Detective Comics,...
relaunch.
Volume 1
Born in Viceroy, South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Mitchell "Mitch" Shelley became a lawyer who found himself an unwilling test subject for experimentation in nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, involving specialized devices nicknamed "tektites" by an organization known only as "the Lab". The experiments cost Shelley his memory for several months but also rendered him immortal albeit with a twist: he could still be killed but the death would last a matter of seconds (perhaps minutes at most due to the tektites) and he would be reborn with a superpower infuenced by the way he was last killed. A comment by the Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
in RM #18 about having worked with Shelly in previous lifetimes suggests that there is more to his powers than just the tektites. However, the series never expanded on this point.
Shelley's travels in search of the truth of his identity and his newfound powers would take him across the United States, leading him into an ongoing feud with assorted adversaries including Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
, the Body Doubles
Body Doubles
The Body Doubles are fictional characters, DC Comics villains created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett, and Jackson Guice. They first appeared in Resurrection Man #1...
and others, as well as alliances and friendship with various members of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
(although he did not feel comfortable acting in a traditional superhero role). At least one alternate future has established Shelley's survival and long-term League membership into the 853rd Century
DC One Million
"DC One Million" was a crossover storyline that ran through a self titled, weekly limited series and through special issues of almost all "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998...
. By then he had developed a device, the Resurrector, attached to his wrist, that could kill him in a way that allowed him to select specific powers (as opposed to the "Luck of the draw" system his normal deaths went by), in addition to always possessing super strength and flight comparable to Superman's. Vandal Savage was able to use this device against him, reprogramming the Resurrector to constantly kill Shelley, never giving him the chance to resurrect, until the Martian Manhunter destroyed the device's infestation. However, Shelly later returned alive in the subsequent DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1,000,000 (1999).
New 52
Resurrection Man was announced as one of 52 relaunched DC Comics titlesThe New 52
The New 52 is a 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero books, in which all of its existing titles were cancelled, and 52 new series debuted in September 2011 with new #1 issues. Among the series being renumbered are Action Comics and Detective Comics,...
planned for Fall 2011. DC Comics released Resurrection Man #1 on September 14, 2011.
Fictional character biography
Resurrection Man's power works a little differently from a traditional superhero's. Whenever he is killed, he returns to life with a new power (or "gift" as he often refers to it) that correlates in some way to his death. These range from minor, almost dismissive abilities, such as the changing of his skin color and making pyrotechnic butterflies, to the extraordinary, such as the ability to transform into a HulkHulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
-like monster with a bullet-proof hide. He can become more powerful than any single member of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
if he "resurrects right".
Originally a lawyer on the take from the mob in Viceroy, South Carolina (the home of the fictitious soda Soder Cola of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
comics), he spent the first few issues remembering who he is and what happened to make him the Resurrection Man. The comic starts with Shelley, a drifter with no memory, stumbling across his power (after dying). He fought an incarnation of Amazo and was brought to the attention of the JLA in issue #2. He was pursued early on (and throughout most of the series) by the Body Doubles -- two curvy, fashion-themed female assassins that were hired by a mysterious organization called "the Lab".
This "Lab" did give Shelley his power of resurrecting immediately, but he is also something much more, his origin stretching back far into the past of the DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe. (If the Phantom Stranger is to be believed, Shelley's gifts have existed in his previous lives, but not changed over the course of a single life.) It is revealed that Shelly has fought Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
throughout time, from the time of cavemen to the present day, each time attempting to foil Savage's plots before getting killed by Savage in battle.
He returned to the DC Universe in DC Infinite Halloween Special #1. In it he is a bounty hunter trying to take down Killer Croc. Croc was able to kill Shelley and then ate him. Mitchell manifested a new power which caused Croc to run into a gas station and caused it to explode. Mitchell is then seen later leaving a bar after watching that Croc has been apprehended.
He was once again resurrected in Supergirl #28.
In the Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
crossover, Resurrection Man is called by Dove
Hawk and Dove
Hawk and Dove is the moniker given to two superheroes when they team up to fight crime. Hawk and Dove describes each character's attitude or approach to fighting crime. The hawk represents aggression, and the dove representing pacifism.-Hank and Don Hall:...
as a possible recipient for Deadman
Deadman
Deadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino.-Publication history:...
's white ring, but the ring does not choose to go with him.
Elseworlds
During the run of Resurrection Man Abnett and Lanning also wrote an ElseworldsElseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
graphic novel, The Superman Monster, which retold the story of Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
as a Superman story. This featured an actual "resurrection man" (i.e. a body-snatcher) who was drawn to closely resemble Mitch Shelley.