The Carrier
Encyclopedia
The Carrier is the fictional base of operations of The Authority, a Wildstorm Comics superteam. It is a shiftship, a ship capable of moving through the Bleed
, the red space which separates alternate universes in the Wildstorm multiverse. It is 50 miles (80.5 km) long, 35 miles (56.3 km) high and two miles (3 km) wide. It is powered by a caged baby universe. It first appeared in The Authority #1, cover dated May 1999.
of The Authority and used as their base of operations from 1999 onwards.
The Carrier exists in orbit around the Earth but at the same time continuously sails through the higher dimensions of the Wildstorm multiverse. It is capable of opening doors between any two points in space, allowing quick access from the Carrier to anywhere on Earth, as well as to the past, future and to alternate universes. While it is also itself capable of travelling almost literally anywhere, the Carrier stays tied to Earth orbit so that whoever left it there can come back to collect it. It is reluctant to leave although will do so if convinced that it is necessary. Its talents have been used on many missions, such as to infiltrate (physically entering) a vast biological lifeform threatening Earth and to actually evacuate Earth itself when another situation endangers it.
It once crashed to earth after being infiltrated by the government sponsored super-hillbilly, 'Three-Willied Seth'. For some time after this, the Carrier was controlled by a government-run replacement Authority team; it did not co-operate as well with these newcomers. Eventually this team was slain by the original Authority.
An alternate-future version, seen when Midnighter travels to the future, is said to have closed itself to several members of the Authority, whom the Carrier has decided it does not like.
At one point, Kev Hawkins
almost destroys the Carrier with an alien-controlled atomic bomb. The Carrier puts up its defenses and saves approximately seventy percent of itself, but not the living quarters, causing the members to "lose all their stuff".
by an alternate Bendix from another universe
, because Bendixes are rare in the Wildstorm multiverse
and they look out for one another. Unable to make use of the Authority's Carrier, Bendix instead obtains an identical Carrier of his own from the same (still as-yet unrevealed) place the first one originated. It is visually similar to the authority's Carrier, though doubled and connected at the center between them. At the climax of the story, Bendix is defeated but the Authority's Carrier is destroyed; they take Bendix's Carrier over instead.
is accidentally transplanted from the DC Universe
into the Wildstorm Universe
. In this story the Carrier appears to consist of two identical Carriers joined together, which is in line with the one acquired from Bendix at the end of Authority: Revolution.
. It also appears to have changed dimensions slightly: it is now only 20 miles (32.2 km) tall, but 8 miles (12.9 km) wide.
limited series, the Carrier is damaged by a cadre of clone
d superheroes, formed by the remains of The High
, and the miniature universe powering it is ripped out of its damaged containment field and shunted into Jenny Quantum
's body for safekeeping.
As a result the Carrier "dies", crashing into the ruins of London, now called Unlondon. Due to its universe-hopping nature, the Carrier shuts down while out-of-sync with reality. As a result its ruins are now "transcendentally fused" with the surrounding, becoming part of the Unlondon landscape and still housing a huge amount of space. While Angela Spica, now powerless, searches daily for a way to revive at least partly the Carrier, or for still usable technology to scavenge, the remaining members of the Authority now use the marooned Carrier as a fortress and a shelter for the surviving humans.
: Superman Beyond, the Monitor
Zillo Valla refers to "carriers" and other Bleed-traveling vessels as being pieces of Monitor technology. Her personal Carrier, named the Ultima Thule, becomes later instrumental into saving the Multiverse from the vampiric Monitor Mandrakk.
Bleed (Wildstorm)
The Bleed is a fictional interdimensional realm, a comic book construct that appears in books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Stormwatch #7 , and was created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch.-Publication history:...
, the red space which separates alternate universes in the Wildstorm multiverse. It is 50 miles (80.5 km) long, 35 miles (56.3 km) high and two miles (3 km) wide. It is powered by a caged baby universe. It first appeared in The Authority #1, cover dated May 1999.
Fictional character biography
It is known that the Carrier was originally a trading ship, used to travel and trade between alternate dimensions, but its black box was found all but wiped and so its true origins remain unknown. The Carrier was parked in Earth orbit some time in the past and remained dormant until it was discovered by Jenny SparksJenny Sparks
Jenny Sparks, also known as "The Spirit of the 20th century", is a fictional character in the Wildstorm comic book universe created by Warren Ellis during his 1997 revamp of the dwindling Stormwatch series...
of The Authority and used as their base of operations from 1999 onwards.
The Carrier exists in orbit around the Earth but at the same time continuously sails through the higher dimensions of the Wildstorm multiverse. It is capable of opening doors between any two points in space, allowing quick access from the Carrier to anywhere on Earth, as well as to the past, future and to alternate universes. While it is also itself capable of travelling almost literally anywhere, the Carrier stays tied to Earth orbit so that whoever left it there can come back to collect it. It is reluctant to leave although will do so if convinced that it is necessary. Its talents have been used on many missions, such as to infiltrate (physically entering) a vast biological lifeform threatening Earth and to actually evacuate Earth itself when another situation endangers it.
It once crashed to earth after being infiltrated by the government sponsored super-hillbilly, 'Three-Willied Seth'. For some time after this, the Carrier was controlled by a government-run replacement Authority team; it did not co-operate as well with these newcomers. Eventually this team was slain by the original Authority.
Sentience
The Carrier has always been shown to have some degree of intelligence. In The Authority: Kev (October 2002) it was explicitly revealed that it is, in fact, sentient. It is also able to control time in a small area, for a short period.An alternate-future version, seen when Midnighter travels to the future, is said to have closed itself to several members of the Authority, whom the Carrier has decided it does not like.
At one point, Kev Hawkins
Kev Hawkins
Kev Hawkins is a comic book anti-hero who first appeared in an Authority one-shot in 2002.Kev was created by Garth Ennis and Glenn Fabry and is a SAS operative who is forever down on his luck...
almost destroys the Carrier with an alien-controlled atomic bomb. The Carrier puts up its defenses and saves approximately seventy percent of itself, but not the living quarters, causing the members to "lose all their stuff".
Death
In The Authority: Revolution it revealed the original Carrier was placed in Earth orbit primarily for the benefit of Henry BendixHenry Bendix
Henry Bendix, also known as Weatherman, is a fictional character in the Wildstorm universe. He first appeared in the Stormwatch series.-Early life:...
by an alternate Bendix from another universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, because Bendixes are rare in the Wildstorm multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
and they look out for one another. Unable to make use of the Authority's Carrier, Bendix instead obtains an identical Carrier of his own from the same (still as-yet unrevealed) place the first one originated. It is visually similar to the authority's Carrier, though doubled and connected at the center between them. At the climax of the story, Bendix is defeated but the Authority's Carrier is destroyed; they take Bendix's Carrier over instead.
Captain Atom: Armageddon
In Captain Atom: Armageddon, Captain AtomCaptain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
is accidentally transplanted from the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
into the Wildstorm Universe
Wildstorm Universe
The Wildstorm Universe is a fictional shared universe where the comic books published by Wildstorm take place. It represents an alternate history of the real world where ideas such as interstellar travel and superhuman abilities are commonplace...
. In this story the Carrier appears to consist of two identical Carriers joined together, which is in line with the one acquired from Bendix at the end of Authority: Revolution.
Worldstorm
During Wildstorm Comics' WorldStorm event the Wildstorm universe was given a "soft reboot". As a result several Wildstorm titles have been re-launched, including a new Authority comic in December 2006. The new Authority comic is set on an Earth entirely without superheroes, and so far the Carrier is the only "member" of the Authority to have appeared, being found buried and inert at the bottom of the Norwegian SeaNorwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
. It also appears to have changed dimensions slightly: it is now only 20 miles (32.2 km) tall, but 8 miles (12.9 km) wide.
World's End
After the catastrophic battle described in the Number of the BeastNumber of the Beast (comics)
Number of the Beast is a comic book limited series, written by Scott Beatty, with art by Chris Sprouse.Number of the Beast was the second of a number bi-weekly series, it was preceded by Wildstorm: Revelations, which resulted in the relaunch of a number of Wildstorm titles.-Characters:As well as...
limited series, the Carrier is damaged by a cadre of clone
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
d superheroes, formed by the remains of The High
Changers
The Changers are a group of super-heroes published by Wildstorm an imprint of DC Comics. The team first appears in Stormwatch #48 , and was created by Warren Ellis and Tom Raney.-Publication history:...
, and the miniature universe powering it is ripped out of its damaged containment field and shunted into Jenny Quantum
Jenny Quantum
Jenny Quantum is a fictional comic book superhero in the Wildstorm Universe published by DC Comics. She first appeared as a child in The Authority #13 , and was created by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely...
's body for safekeeping.
As a result the Carrier "dies", crashing into the ruins of London, now called Unlondon. Due to its universe-hopping nature, the Carrier shuts down while out-of-sync with reality. As a result its ruins are now "transcendentally fused" with the surrounding, becoming part of the Unlondon landscape and still housing a huge amount of space. While Angela Spica, now powerless, searches daily for a way to revive at least partly the Carrier, or for still usable technology to scavenge, the remaining members of the Authority now use the marooned Carrier as a fortress and a shelter for the surviving humans.
Final Crisis
In Grant Morrison's Final CrisisFinal Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
: Superman Beyond, the Monitor
Monitors (comics)
The Monitors are a group of fictional comic book characters, who appear in books published by DC Comics.They are based on The Monitor, a character created by comic book writer Marv Wolfman and comic artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited...
Zillo Valla refers to "carriers" and other Bleed-traveling vessels as being pieces of Monitor technology. Her personal Carrier, named the Ultima Thule, becomes later instrumental into saving the Multiverse from the vampiric Monitor Mandrakk.
Parodies
- The EliteThe EliteThe Elite is a team of super-powered anti-heroes appearing in stories published by DC Comics. The team took early influences from The Authority....
team is a somewhat parodic version of The Authority, so they too have a large vessel which is used as a base of operations. It is called 'Bunny'. - The description of The Carrier's motion, as set out by Warren EllisWarren EllisWarren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
, is heavily stylised. For example when the readers first see it the description is "The Carrier. Moving downwake through the DevachanDevachanDevachan is the "dwelling of the gods" according to the original teachings of Theosophy as formulated by H.P. Blavatsky.-Theosophy:Devachan is regarded as the place where most souls go after death where desires are gratified, corresponding to the Christian belief in Heaven...
ic Realm at a speed of twenty-five dreams per second." This style was used by the writers who took over the series, but has also been parodied, most explicitly in Garth EnnisGarth EnnisGarth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
' Kev HawkinsKev HawkinsKev Hawkins is a comic book anti-hero who first appeared in an Authority one-shot in 2002.Kev was created by Garth Ennis and Glenn Fabry and is a SAS operative who is forever down on his luck...
mini-series, the first description being: "The Carrier. Transcending the Arse of Reason in time for last ordersLast call (bar term)In a bar, a last call is an announcement made shortly before the bar closes for the night, informing patrons of their last chance to buy alcoholic beverages. There are various means to make this signal, like ringing a bell, flashing the lights, or announcing orally.Last call times are often...
" and later, discarding any pretence at imitation: "The Carrier. Flubbity-wub-wub Flubbity-wub-wub-flub-wub."