Vicious Circle (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Vicious Circle is a criminal organization of mutants, cyborgs, monsters, assassins
, and magicians
that serves as the primary opponents for the superheroes in Erik Larsen's
comic-book titles, primarily the Dragon
.
, an armored mastermind who ruled all of Chicago
's underworld. Later, it would be ruled by the technology controlling Cyberface
. Once the Savage Dragon
started policing the streets of Chicago
, the Vicious Circle began to falter and its members started winding up in prison, the hospital or just plain dead. The Vicious Circle remains a consistent thorn in the Savage Dragon's side, and frequently faces off with the SuperPatriot
and others including Raphael of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For example, during issues 10 and 11 of the series run with Image, he took on the entire Vicious Circle himself in a bar fight.
The Circle desires to utterly control Chicago. Members have attacked the Dragon time and time again, willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. Occasionally, they use subtler methods.
A power vacuum causes an inter-faction war, ending with the transgendered Johnny Redbeard in charge.
Using insiders, they have Dragon fired and replaced with a more buffonish superpowered hero, She-Dragon
. However, this plan fails as She-Dragon is carefully trained by other police officers and becomes a credible threat.
The Circle is briefly part of the superhero/gang war that erupts in New York City, as mentioned in Wildcats
#28.
Circle members are part of the heroic resistance when Martians attack Earth, though they try to claim power and territory once the Dragon kills all the aliens.
After the alien invasion, the Dragon shrunk much of their group with a Martian device, sucked them up in a vacuum cleaner and tossed them out the window. The shrunken members were then used to free other members from jail.
Presumably, the Vicious Circle, along with most of Earth, are dead after a cosmic entity named Universo attacks the planet. Some people of this Earth survived to travel to another, but it is not known whether any Circle members did.
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, and magicians
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
that serves as the primary opponents for the superheroes in Erik Larsen's
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
comic-book titles, primarily the Dragon
Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon is an ongoing American comic book series created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon...
.
Overview
The group has a varying line-up, sometimes consisting of five-to-six members and sometimes having a staggeringly huge membership. Originally the Vicious Circle was led by the OverlordOverlord (comics)
Overlord is a comic-book supervillain created by Erik Larsen, first appearing in Larsen's Savage Dragon series and serving as that title's first principal villain. Like many of Larsen's characters, Overlord was based on a character that Larsen had created during his childhood...
, an armored mastermind who ruled all of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's underworld. Later, it would be ruled by the technology controlling Cyberface
Cyberface
Cyberface is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of the Dragon in the He first appears in Savage Dragon #5 and was created by Erik Larsen.-Fictional history:...
. Once the Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon is an ongoing American comic book series created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon...
started policing the streets of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the Vicious Circle began to falter and its members started winding up in prison, the hospital or just plain dead. The Vicious Circle remains a consistent thorn in the Savage Dragon's side, and frequently faces off with the SuperPatriot
SuperPatriot
SuperPatriot is an Image Comics superhero created by Erik Larsen in 1992. SuperPatriot has had regular appearances in Erik Larsen's titles, whether in his own mini-series or as a supporting character and is currently a member of the Liberty League....
and others including Raphael of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For example, during issues 10 and 11 of the series run with Image, he took on the entire Vicious Circle himself in a bar fight.
The Circle desires to utterly control Chicago. Members have attacked the Dragon time and time again, willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. Occasionally, they use subtler methods.
A power vacuum causes an inter-faction war, ending with the transgendered Johnny Redbeard in charge.
Using insiders, they have Dragon fired and replaced with a more buffonish superpowered hero, She-Dragon
She-Dragon
Amy Belcher, also known as Sensation and mostly as She-Dragon is a fictional 'superfreak' and later police officer created by Erik Larsen for his series Savage Dragon as a She-Hulk like female counterpart for the series' main character The Dragon....
. However, this plan fails as She-Dragon is carefully trained by other police officers and becomes a credible threat.
The Circle is briefly part of the superhero/gang war that erupts in New York City, as mentioned in Wildcats
Wildcats (comics)
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
#28.
Circle members are part of the heroic resistance when Martians attack Earth, though they try to claim power and territory once the Dragon kills all the aliens.
After the alien invasion, the Dragon shrunk much of their group with a Martian device, sucked them up in a vacuum cleaner and tossed them out the window. The shrunken members were then used to free other members from jail.
Presumably, the Vicious Circle, along with most of Earth, are dead after a cosmic entity named Universo attacks the planet. Some people of this Earth survived to travel to another, but it is not known whether any Circle members did.