Warheads (comics)
Encyclopedia
Warheads was a Marvel UK
comic book
series
which ran for 14 issues in the early 1990s
(January 1992
- May 1993
) and was followed by the two-issue mini-series
Warheads: Black Dawn. The stories contained in the comic were also serialised in the UK comics anthology
Overkill. The Warheads were mercenaries
employed by the nefarious and Faust
ian Mys-Tech
organisation to capture advanced technology or mystical artifacts from alien worlds, time periods or other dimensions.
The book had guest appearances, such as the X-Men
, Silver Surfer
, Mephisto
, X-Force
and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
. It features many backup 'flashback' stories.
was instrumental in creating the whole Mys-Tech concept for Marvel UK, including the original Warheads outline. The characters in Warheads were first visualised by artist Gary Erskine
with the first scripts for the strips provided by Nick Vince, followed by John Freeman
and Craig Houston, who is now a computer games script writer whose credits include Call of Duty 3.
Unlike most of the other Marvel UK titles tied into the Mys-Tech concept, the Warheads were not enemies of Mys-Tech - instead, they were portrayed as expendable soldiers employed by a callous corporation. They did, eventually, turn against Mys-Tech, having had enough.
Other Warheads artists included Simon Coleby
, Dave Taylor
, Stuart Jennett and Charlie Adlard
. Mark Harrison
painted an unpublished spin-off, called Loose Cannons, available online, about the all-female Virago Troop (Holly, Elan, Nix (who is killed and replaced with the genetically enhanced Lamia, a creation of Dr. Oonagh Mullarkey
), team psychic Syster Sphynx, and team leader Bodecia "Bo" Kildare) and provided Warheads several covers for Overkill.
and three of his team members do indeed die in battle with Wolverine
. Liger's first step towards rebellion is taken when his bosses say the loss of three Warheads is worth the information they ultimately stole from the X-Men.
The story then focuses on Leona McBride, a rookie brought in to replace one of the dead members slain by Wolverine. Her first mission involves exploring an alien spaceship. Leona is distressed when it seems one of her newfound friends vanishes and dies but he turns up alive as Iron Man
had been impersonating him. Later, the Warheads fight S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, X-Force
, the X-Men
again and deal with their boss gaining vast, cosmic powers. With X-Force, it ends up being that the women of the team have to save the day, as the men (on both sides) are transforming into powerful beasts. The Warheads women are assisted by Feral
who gains vast powers due to magical influence.
The troops also struggle with the bureaucratic processes of their bosses. For example, Gregory is fined for screaming during a simple nightmare.
Again and again Liger sees new recruits and troop replacements die and he is angry that they do not seemingly receive enough training. Some die -during training, which is that much more frustrating.
Gregory is recruited for a side-mission by one of his bosses in an attempt to slay Mephisto
. For his effrontery, he is merged with a demon. The team would confront Mephisto again when they travel to his realm to 'rescue' the source of Misha's precognitive voices. This would turn out to be Mephisto's son Blackheart
. While Gregory finds the other half of his body and slays the demon, the Troop loses Perez.
and encounter a lost little girl. In a bit of magic which saves their lives, the girl is overcome by the stress and dies. This is the last straw for the troop, who rebel with the aid of Death's Head. Ultimately the troop escapes control, having discovered a way to travel through dimensions. Unfortunately the first trip takes them to a world populated by vampire
s, where Leona and another member die. Though the troop escapes this world, their ultimate fate is unknown.
Troop led by Colonel Tigon Liger whose most notable feature was prominent facial scarring, from being slashed by Wolverine
. He carried very large semi-intelligent gun named Clementine that while helpful to the troop, sometimes endangered them when Liger's orders were unclear. The creators of Warheads named Colonel Liger after two hybrid animals; a tigon
is a crossbreed between a male tiger and a female lion crossbreed, a liger
being its reverse.
on Star Trek
). In rough sequential order, the Kether Troop included:
Issue 1:
Issue 3:
Issue 6:
Issue 9:
Issue 12:
Issue 13:
Other series:
The names of the Warheads troops are a direct reference to the names of the 10 Sephiroth emanations of God
in the Kabbalah
. We can tell it is a direct reference as the Warheads were originally depicted as entering wormholes on a model of the cabalistic Tree of Life
, and they entered the wormhole where the Sephiroth Kether
is situated. Significantly "Kether" is the Sephiroth at the top of the tree of life and "Kether" means "crown". "Kether" also is the Sephiroth closest to God and represents ultimate goodness. The Kether Troop eventually showed their goodness by turning on the evil Mys-Tech organisation. The Ubu Troop is not named after a Sephiroth.
, London
, England
and they travelled to other planets, time periods, locations or dimensions by means of unstable wormhole
s opened by Mys-Tech's techno-wizards.
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
which ran for 14 issues in the early 1990s
1990s in comics
See also:1980s in comics,other events of the 1990s,2000s in comics and thelist of years in comicsPublications: 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999-1992:See also: 1992 in comics...
(January 1992
1992 in comics
-Year overall:* Image Comics explodes onto the scene, releasing eight ongoing and limited series, starting with Youngblood in April; followed by Spawn in May; Savage Dragon in July; and Brigade, Shadowhawk, and WildC.A.T.S. in August....
- May 1993
1993 in comics
-January:* Doom Patrol #63: " The Empire of Chairs," Grant Morrison's final issue as Doom Patrol writer.-February:* Action Comics, with issue #686, suspends publication following "The Death of Superman."...
) and was followed by the two-issue mini-series
Limited 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....
Warheads: Black Dawn. The stories contained in the comic were also serialised in the UK comics anthology
Comics anthology
Comics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...
Overkill. The Warheads were mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
employed by the nefarious and Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
ian Mys-Tech
Mys-Tech
Mys-Tech were a shadowy Faustian organisation who acted as the main villains in a range of, initially successful but short-lived comics, launched in the US by Marvel UK in the 1990s...
organisation to capture advanced technology or mystical artifacts from alien worlds, time periods or other dimensions.
The book had guest appearances, such as 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...
, Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
, X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
. It features many backup 'flashback' stories.
Publication history
Paul NearyPaul Neary
Paul Neary is a British comic book artist, writer and editor.His first work was for Warren Publishing in the 1970s before working with Dez Skinn at Marvel UK as well as work for 2000 AD...
was instrumental in creating the whole Mys-Tech concept for Marvel UK, including the original Warheads outline. The characters in Warheads were first visualised by artist Gary Erskine
Gary Erskine
Gary Erskine is a Scottish comic book artist born in Paisley, near Glasgow in 1968.-Biography:Erskine started drawing work for fanzines while at art college and aspired to be a comic book artist. After sending samples of his work to Marvel UK he was eventually given Knights of Pendragon to draw on...
with the first scripts for the strips provided by Nick Vince, followed by John Freeman
John Freeman (editor)
John Freeman is a British writer/editor/designer known for his work with Marvel UK, and on Doctor Who Magazine and The Really Heavy Greatcoat.-Biography:...
and Craig Houston, who is now a computer games script writer whose credits include Call of Duty 3.
Unlike most of the other Marvel UK titles tied into the Mys-Tech concept, the Warheads were not enemies of Mys-Tech - instead, they were portrayed as expendable soldiers employed by a callous corporation. They did, eventually, turn against Mys-Tech, having had enough.
Other Warheads artists included Simon Coleby
Simon Coleby
Simon Coleby is a British comic book artist who has worked mainly for British sci-fi comic 2000 AD and Marvel Comics.-Biography:...
, Dave Taylor
Dave Taylor (comics)
Dave Taylor is a British comic book creator. He is best known for his work on Force Works, as well as Batman and Judge Dredd stories.-Biography:Taylor was born in Liverpool in 1964 and attended the Liverpool Arts School....
, Stuart Jennett and Charlie Adlard
Charlie Adlard
Charles "Charlie" Adlard is a British comic book artist and penciller.He is best known for providing art on The Walking Dead and Savage.-Biography:...
. Mark Harrison
Mark Harrison
Mark Harrison is a British comic book artist and occasional writer. The bulk of his work has appeared in the comic 2000 AD.Harrison's fully painted style is notable for its use of strong, dark colours and computer effects, though recent series The Ten-Seconders shows him moving towards lighter...
painted an unpublished spin-off, called Loose Cannons, available online, about the all-female Virago Troop (Holly, Elan, Nix (who is killed and replaced with the genetically enhanced Lamia, a creation of Dr. Oonagh Mullarkey
Oonagh Mullarkey
Doctor Oonagh Mullarkey is a fictional character from the Marvel UK imprint of Marvel Comics. She first appeared in Motormouth #1, and was created by Gary Franks and Graham Marks.-Fictional character biography:...
), team psychic Syster Sphynx, and team leader Bodecia "Bo" Kildare) and provided Warheads several covers for Overkill.
Fictional team biography
The Warheads find themselves in a seemingly abandoned Australian town. Liger, the leader, realizes he is on the 'downside' of a time loop, where the team has not gone to other dimensions or other planets, but back in time on Earth. A subtle memory indicates three of his team must die and Liger realizes he must allow this to preserve the time line. The town belongs to the X-MenX-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...
and three of his team members do indeed die in battle with 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...
. Liger's first step towards rebellion is taken when his bosses say the loss of three Warheads is worth the information they ultimately stole from the X-Men.
The story then focuses on Leona McBride, a rookie brought in to replace one of the dead members slain by Wolverine. Her first mission involves exploring an alien spaceship. Leona is distressed when it seems one of her newfound friends vanishes and dies but he turns up alive as Iron Man
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,...
had been impersonating him. Later, the Warheads fight S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
, 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...
again and deal with their boss gaining vast, cosmic powers. With X-Force, it ends up being that the women of the team have to save the day, as the men (on both sides) are transforming into powerful beasts. The Warheads women are assisted by Feral
Feral (comics)
Feral is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. She has been both a superhero and a supervillain and most recognizably associated as a member of X-Force.-Fictional character biography:...
who gains vast powers due to magical influence.
The troops also struggle with the bureaucratic processes of their bosses. For example, Gregory is fined for screaming during a simple nightmare.
Again and again Liger sees new recruits and troop replacements die and he is angry that they do not seemingly receive enough training. Some die -during training, which is that much more frustrating.
Gregory is recruited for a side-mission by one of his bosses in an attempt to slay Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
. For his effrontery, he is merged with a demon. The team would confront Mephisto again when they travel to his realm to 'rescue' the source of Misha's precognitive voices. This would turn out to be Mephisto's son Blackheart
Blackheart
Blackheart is a fictional demon in the . The character was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita, Jr., and first appeared in Daredevil #270...
. While Gregory finds the other half of his body and slays the demon, the Troop loses Perez.
Rebellion
In the Mys-Tech Wars series, the troop is sent to a mystical copy of Earth, which was created by their bosses to gain control of the real earth. They fight the cyborg Death's HeadDeath's Head
Death's Head is a fictional comic book character, a robotic bounty hunter appearing in the books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Simon Furman and artist Geoff Senior for the company's Marvel UK imprint...
and encounter a lost little girl. In a bit of magic which saves their lives, the girl is overcome by the stress and dies. This is the last straw for the troop, who rebel with the aid of Death's Head. Ultimately the troop escapes control, having discovered a way to travel through dimensions. Unfortunately the first trip takes them to a world populated by vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s, where Leona and another member die. Though the troop escapes this world, their ultimate fate is unknown.
Colonel Tigon Liger
The comic focused on the KetherKeter (Kabbalah)
Keter also known as Kether, is the topmost of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. Since its meaning is "crown", it is interpreted as both the "topmost" of the Sephirot and the "regal crown" of the Sephirot. It is between Chokmah and Binah and it sits above Tiphereth...
Troop led by Colonel Tigon Liger whose most notable feature was prominent facial scarring, from being slashed by 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...
. He carried very large semi-intelligent gun named Clementine that while helpful to the troop, sometimes endangered them when Liger's orders were unclear. The creators of Warheads named Colonel Liger after two hybrid animals; a tigon
Tigon
Tigon may refer to:*Tiglon, a hybrid between a tiger and a lioness*Tigon British Film Productions, a British film production and distribution company*Tigon Studios, a video game production company...
is a crossbreed between a male tiger and a female lion crossbreed, a liger
Liger
The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress . Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is the largest of all known cats and extant felines.Ligers enjoy swimming, which is a characteristic of tigers, and...
being its reverse.
Other members
The membership varied over the course of the series, with frequent inclusion of trainee characters, new recruits, or "loaner" members from other Troops, who usually died in the course of action (like redshirtsRedshirt (character)
A "redshirt" is a stock character in fiction who dies soon after being introduced. The term originates with fans of Star Trek , from the red shirts worn by Starfleet security officers who frequently die during episodes.-Star Trek:...
on Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
). In rough sequential order, the Kether Troop included:
Issue 1:
- Stacy Arnheim (in charge of troop defence and who was normally depicted wearing a large exoskeletonPowered exoskeletonA powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...
of combat armour) - Cale (a retriever and expert at scavenging, Col. Liger's lover, killed in the first story)
- Corey (technician, killed in the first story)
- Draft (described as a hit-man, killed in the first story)
- Gregory (hit-man, replacement for Draft)
- Johnny Heaven (technician, replacement for Corey, killed by Leona in issue 2)
- Leona McBride (retriever, replacement for Cale, turned into a vampire at the end of Warheads: Black Dawn #2)
- Misha (a PsiPsi (parapsychology)Psi is a term from parapsychology derived from the Greek, ψ psi, 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet; from the Greek ψυχή psyche, "mind, soul".-Etymology:...
-Scout, with precognitivePrecognitionIn parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
abilities) - Perez (the troop medicCombat medicCombat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
, killed in issue 10)
Issue 3:
- Chalmers (new recruit, killed)
- Grierson (technician, on loan from Ubu Troop)
- Peters (new recruit, killed)
- Samuels (new recruit, female retriever, killed)
Issue 6:
- Athena (killed)
- Che (martial artist, sole survivor of Malkuth troop, re-assigned to Kether)
- Desmond (killed)
Issue 9:
- Bell (on loan from another troop)
- Jenna (troop defence, on loan from another troop)
- Moxham (technician, on loan from another troop)
- Ross (killed)
Issue 12:
- Connor (trainee, killed)
- Dreyfus
- MacManus (trainee, killed)
- Martinez (new recruit, killed)
- O'Leary (new recruit, killed)
- Sapperstein (new recruit, killed)
Issue 13:
- DeCosta (medicCombat medicCombat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
, killed in Warheads: Black Dawn #1) - Duncan (new recruit, technician)
Other series:
- Desdemona
- Evone
- Prizzi
Other Warheads troops
The following is a list of other Warheads Troops employed by Mys-Tech and mentioned in Warheads, Overkill or other Marvel titles:- Bina Troop
- leader: Colonel Matt Travers
- cover: Archeological Expedition
- membership: Diana Rogers (deceased), Matt Travers (deceased)
- Cesad Troop
- leader: Colonel Jane Sumner
- cover: The Cirque de Chaos
- Gebu Troop
- leader: Colonel James Cleveland
- cover: Film Crew
- Hesod Troop
- leader: Colonel Mary Kidd
- cover: Search and Rescue Squad
- Hod Troop
- leader: Colonel Henry Morgan
- cover: Satellite Recovery
- Kockmar Troop
- leader: Colonel James Sands
- cover: The Cirque de Chaos
- Malkuth Troop
- membership: Boot, Che
- Net Troop
- leader: Colonel Arthur Drake
- cover: Survey Team
- Tifaret Troop
- leader: Colonel Bonnie Reid
- cover: Fairground
- Ubu Troop
- leader: Colonel Bonnie Reid
- cover: Fairground
- membership: Grierson
The names of the Warheads troops are a direct reference to the names of the 10 Sephiroth emanations of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
in the Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
. We can tell it is a direct reference as the Warheads were originally depicted as entering wormholes on a model of the cabalistic Tree of Life
Tree of life (Kabbalah)
The Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Hebrew, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to God and the manner in which he created the world ex nihilo...
, and they entered the wormhole where the Sephiroth Kether
Keter (Kabbalah)
Keter also known as Kether, is the topmost of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. Since its meaning is "crown", it is interpreted as both the "topmost" of the Sephirot and the "regal crown" of the Sephirot. It is between Chokmah and Binah and it sits above Tiphereth...
is situated. Significantly "Kether" is the Sephiroth at the top of the tree of life and "Kether" means "crown". "Kether" also is the Sephiroth closest to God and represents ultimate goodness. The Kether Troop eventually showed their goodness by turning on the evil Mys-Tech organisation. The Ubu Troop is not named after a Sephiroth.
Headquarters
The Warheads base of operations was Mys-Tech's subterranean headquarters deep beneath the Museum of Pagan Antiquities, Canary WharfCanary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and they travelled to other planets, time periods, locations or dimensions by means of unstable wormhole
Wormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
s opened by Mys-Tech's techno-wizards.