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Typeface (comics)
Encyclopedia
Typeface was a fictional Marvel Comics
antihero. He first appeared in Peter Parker: Spider-Man
vol. 2 #23 (November 2000), and was created by Paul Jenkins
and Mark Buckingham
.
. In his civilian life as Gordon Thomas, he fights in an unknown war for the US Army in which he loses his brother Joey. Upon his return to America, Gordon's wife leaves him and takes their son with her.
Feeling outcast, Gordon becomes a signsmith. He is happy for a time until a man named George Finch buys the company he is working for, Ace Signs, and Gordon is laid off
. Gordon starts to hate everything that went wrong in his life and decides to become a super-villain, calling himself Typeface. He uses a grease pencil to write letters on his face, including a large, red "R" on his forehead, for "retribution". He begins committing vandalism throughout the city, and while attacking local thugs, he catches the attention of Spider-Man
. Typeface uses his giant letters as weapons and manages to defeat the webslinger. After successfully escaping and returning to his apartment, he replaces the "R" letter on his head with an "A" for "Annihilation".
Thomas later seeks revenge against George Finch, but is stopped by Spider-Man. Typeface wants to kill Spider-Man for intervening, but when he sees the webslinger being attacked by the Spider-Hybrid, he has a flashback to the words his brother Joey once gave him: "Just live, man." Typeface decides to help Spider-Man defeat the Spider-Hybrid, and renounces his desire to kill Finch. However, Finch decides to exact revenge on Typeface for humiliating him, and finds the bombs Thomas would have used to kill him. Finch sets them off and demolishes an entire building, killing himself, and for a time it was believed that Typeface died in the explosion. When the police arrive, they declare Typeface responsible for the explosion.
, Typeface has chosen to side against the Superhuman Registration Act. He joins a small resistance cell that includes Battlestar
, Gladiatrix
and Solo
. During a visit by the reporter Sally Floyd
, he talks about how he had held his brother who had died in a foreign country, Typeface feels his brother had died in the cause of freedom and this had motivated him to oppose the act. Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attack, capturing many members of the group. Floyd and others escape.
The prisoners are taken to a maximum security prison built in the Negative Zone
called "Fantasy Island
." While transferring, Typeface befriends Robbie Baldwin, otherwise known as Speedball
. Both are concerned over the fate of a fellow prisoner that the very nature of the Negative Zone has adversely affected.
According to writer Paul Jenkins
, he "may not survive the series," but when he dies his eyes will be covered by "little X
's". In Civil War: Frontline #10 when he is slammed into a bus by Venom during the final battle shown in Civil War #7. A quick examination of Typeface by a fleeing Ben Urich
leads the Daily Bugle
reporter to believe he is dead. Sally Floyd
also witnesses the murder. Post-death, Typeface's eyes were not seen.
In Civil War: Frontline #11, he is carried away in a stretcher, with the sheet pulled over all but his letter-covered arm.
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...
antihero. He first appeared in Peter Parker: Spider-Man
Peter Parker: Spider-Man
Peter Parker: Spider-Man is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, both of which feature the character Spider-Man.-Volume One :...
vol. 2 #23 (November 2000), and was created by Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins (writer)
Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer and Gary Gygax's stepson. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.-Life and career:Paul Jenkins...
and Mark Buckingham
Mark Buckingham
Mark Buckingham is a British comic book artist. He is better known for his work on Marvelman and Fables.-Biography:Born as Mark John Buckingham May 23, 1966 in Clevedon, United Kingdom...
.
Fictional character biography
What little is known about Typeface's past is seen in flashbackFlashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
. In his civilian life as Gordon Thomas, he fights in an unknown war for the US Army in which he loses his brother Joey. Upon his return to America, Gordon's wife leaves him and takes their son with her.
Feeling outcast, Gordon becomes a signsmith. He is happy for a time until a man named George Finch buys the company he is working for, Ace Signs, and Gordon is laid off
Layoff
Layoff , also called redundancy in the UK, is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs...
. Gordon starts to hate everything that went wrong in his life and decides to become a super-villain, calling himself Typeface. He uses a grease pencil to write letters on his face, including a large, red "R" on his forehead, for "retribution". He begins committing vandalism throughout the city, and while attacking local thugs, he catches the attention of 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...
. Typeface uses his giant letters as weapons and manages to defeat the webslinger. After successfully escaping and returning to his apartment, he replaces the "R" letter on his head with an "A" for "Annihilation".
Thomas later seeks revenge against George Finch, but is stopped by Spider-Man. Typeface wants to kill Spider-Man for intervening, but when he sees the webslinger being attacked by the Spider-Hybrid, he has a flashback to the words his brother Joey once gave him: "Just live, man." Typeface decides to help Spider-Man defeat the Spider-Hybrid, and renounces his desire to kill Finch. However, Finch decides to exact revenge on Typeface for humiliating him, and finds the bombs Thomas would have used to kill him. Finch sets them off and demolishes an entire building, killing himself, and for a time it was believed that Typeface died in the explosion. When the police arrive, they declare Typeface responsible for the explosion.
Mysterious reappearance
Having survived the explosion, Typeface becomes a vigilante. He wages war against a gang called the "Penny-Ante Brigade." After taking out the gang (and another vigilante, Spellcheck, inspired by Typeface), Typeface mimics Spider-Man's note to police, left when he apprehends criminals: "Compliments from your friendly neighborhood Typeface." After that, Typeface is not seen for many months.Civil War
Returning in Marvel's Civil War: Front LineCivil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line is an 11-issue, limited series tie-in to Marvel Comics's Civil War event which started in August 2006.Part of the story is told from the perspective of two reporters embedded in the opposite camps of the war...
, Typeface has chosen to side against the Superhuman Registration Act. He joins a small resistance cell that includes Battlestar
Battlestar (comics)
Battlestar , who was also the fifth Bucky, is a fictional character, who is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary in Captain America #323 ....
, Gladiatrix
Gladiatrix (comics)
Gladiatrix is a fictional heroine published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Gladiatrix first appeared in Thing #33 , and was created by Mike Carlin and Ron Wilson....
and Solo
Solo (Marvel Comics)
Solo is a fictional character, appearing in comic books by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Solo first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #19 . He was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Marc Silvestri...
. During a visit by the reporter Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a...
, he talks about how he had held his brother who had died in a foreign country, Typeface feels his brother had died in the cause of freedom and this had motivated him to oppose the act. Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attack, capturing many members of the group. Floyd and others escape.
The prisoners are taken to a maximum security prison built in the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
called "Fantasy Island
Negative Zone Prison Alpha
Negative Zone Prison Alpha is the name of a fictional prison in Marvel Comics. It is also referred to as Prison 42, Wonderland, and Fantasy Island.-History:...
." While transferring, Typeface befriends Robbie Baldwin, otherwise known as Speedball
Speedball (comics)
Robert "Robbie" Baldwin is a comic book superhero character, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics.Originally known as Speedball, the character was created by artist Steve Ditko and writer Tom DeFalco, initially as a candidate for Marvel's separate New Universe imprint.Baldwin first...
. Both are concerned over the fate of a fellow prisoner that the very nature of the Negative Zone has adversely affected.
According to writer Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins (writer)
Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer and Gary Gygax's stepson. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.-Life and career:Paul Jenkins...
, he "may not survive the series," but when he dies his eyes will be covered by "little X
X
X is the twenty-fourth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Uses:In mathematics, x is commonly used as the name for an independent variable or unknown value. The usage of x to represent an independent or unknown variable can be traced back to the Arabic word šay شيء = “thing,” used in Arabic...
's". In Civil War: Frontline #10 when he is slammed into a bus by Venom during the final battle shown in Civil War #7. A quick examination of Typeface by a fleeing 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 ....
leads the Daily Bugle
Daily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
reporter to believe he is dead. Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a...
also witnesses the murder. Post-death, Typeface's eyes were not seen.
In Civil War: Frontline #11, he is carried away in a stretcher, with the sheet pulled over all but his letter-covered arm.