Wildcore
Encyclopedia
Wildcore was an American comic book
series created and co-written by writer Sean Ruffner and artist Brett Booth
that debuted in 1997
. Focusing on a team of superheroes of the same name, it was published by Wildstorm
comics, then still a part of Image Comics
, as a continuation of the series Backlash. After the series was canceled the team's final story was told in the pages of Gen-Active
, an anthology
series.
) work with the U.S. government's secret organisation Department PSI. Slayton had collected a group of superhuman agents to assist him in his missions, but at the beginning of Wildcore, many of these agents have left or are reassigned. As a replacement, Wildcore is formed to combat the alien D'rahn
.
The D'rahn are an ancient enemy of the Kherubim
and Daemonite
s, who have appeared again after millennia of absence and are planning on taking over the world and the galaxy. The D'rahn claim the Kherubim, their former allies, betrayed them and therefore went revenge on the Kherubim first and foremost. Backlash, being half-Kherubim, and Ferrian, a full-blood Kherubim, are both members of Wildcore, making Wildcore a primary target for the D'rahn. Department PSI-director, Antonio Giovanni, also hires Zealot
, another Kherubim, who has experience fighting the D'rahn.
Zealot is sent to infiltrate the Norfolk Naval base, where General Gant resides. Gant as the leader of the Puritans (a group of humans who plan on eliminating all aliens on Earth) has a list with all suspected aliens on Earth. The D'rahn plan on obtaining the list so they can locate and strike against the remaining Kherubim on Earth. The Norfolk Naval base is protected by the Chasers, a group of superhumans, but when the D'rahn attack, the Chasers turn out to be no match for them. Zealot, Gant and the Chaser-leader Brawl survive the D'rahn's initial attack, but it turns out that Gant is in fact a Daemonite. Gant and his Daemonites make a deal with the D'rahn: they will serve the D'rahn and in return the D'rahn will spare them. The D'rahn then reveal their special ability, Enlightenment, which allows them to change a being into a more powerful version. The D'rahn enlighten Gant's Daemonites. Wildcore is sent in and they manage to delete most of the list, but ten names remain on it. Brawl joins Wildcore and the team sets out to protect the names on the list.
for assistance against the D'rahn. It is also revealed that the mage Azrum, part of Backlash former group in Department PSI, was asked by Giovanni to seek out the witch Tapestry, hoping to use her magic against the D'rahn. Azrum hasn't contacted them since, so Wildcore decides to go on the offensive; Department PSI has located the D'rahn's base and Wildcore attacks. They are joined by Majestic and he kills the D'rahn's leader, Typhon. The D'rahn retreat to regroup.
Wildcore goes to investigate Azrum's disappearance and find that Tapestry has captured him. Tapestry uses her magic to enslave Zealot and wants to reshape the world in her image. The other Wildcore members manage to interfere with the spell. Wildcore and Tapestry are now on a medieval fantasy
-type world and no longer remember their past. Only Ferrian manages to regain his memory and he gathers his former team to oppose Tapestry. They succeed and return to Earth, but Styrian is killed and Geist follows them back to Earth. Zealot leaves the team shortly afterwards.
series, Geist has joined Wildcore and Alea has become an active member. The team is sent to Antarctica to quell the riot in Purgatory Maximum Security Penitentiary (nicknamed Purgatory Max), a prison for dangerous superhumans; supervillain Baron Tödt (see notes) and his group, the Axis, entered the prison, killed all personnel and released all prisoners. Despite Taboo's bad feelings about the mission, the team enters the prison. The missions turns out disastrous: the inmates overpower the separated Wildcore-members and kill most of them. Taboo is saved by inmate Hangman, a prisoner who is seeking salvation. He warns her that the prison is about to explode. Backlash finds the explosives a second before they blow and is caught in the blast. Another inmate, former DV8
-member Evo
, who had been Hangman's cellmate, saves Backlash and takes him outside. Evo, Backlash and Taboo are all badly hurt and lose consciousness. Hangman congratulates Evo on doing the right thing, activates Backlash's beacon and leaves. Department PSI arrives and finds five bodies, telling his subordinates to take them back to a hospital and that all others must have died. (see notes)
Crimson, now calling herself Jet, decides to avenge her father and friends by looking for the escaped inmates and capturing them. Midnighter
was asked to do the same by Jackson King and assists Jet for a while, but allows her to handle things herself as she wishes.
Around this time, Wildcore is seen assisting in the worldwide emergency of Jacob Krigstein's super-powered agents attacking the world's major capitals.
Backlash appears again in the pages of Point Blank
and Sleeper
without any of his teammates and with a bionic leg replacing the leg he lost in the Purgatory Max explosion.
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
series created and co-written by writer Sean Ruffner and artist Brett Booth
Brett Booth
Brett Booth is an American comic book artist. He is best known for his work on Backlash, a character he co-created with Jim Lee at the Wildstorm Studios.-Biography:...
that debuted in 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:...
. Focusing on a team of superheroes of the same name, it was published by Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
comics, then still a part of Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, as a continuation of the series Backlash. After the series was canceled the team's final story was told in the pages of Gen-Active
Gen-Active
Gen-Active is a comic book anthology-series from Wildstorm. It was published from 2000 to 2001 and ran for six issues.It is also the term used to describe a form of superhuman beings in the Wildstorm Universe, those who possess the Gen-Factor....
, an anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
series.
History
The story of Wildcore starts in the pages of Backlash, where Marc Slayton (aka Backlash) and his girlfriend Amanda Reed (aka TabooTaboo (Wildstorm)
Taboo is the name of a fictional character from the Wildstorm universe that first appeared in Backlash #1 in 1994, she quickly became a major supporting character in the series and Backlash's main love interest.-History:...
) work with the U.S. government's secret organisation Department PSI. Slayton had collected a group of superhuman agents to assist him in his missions, but at the beginning of Wildcore, many of these agents have left or are reassigned. As a replacement, Wildcore is formed to combat the alien D'rahn
D'rahn
The D'rahn are an alien race in the fictional Wildstorm comic books. They were created by Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth and first appeared in Backlash #28 .-Biology:...
.
The D'rahn are an ancient enemy of the Kherubim
Kherubim
The Kherubim or Kherans are an alien race in the fictional Wildstorm Universe. They were created by Jim Lee and first appeared in WildC.A.Ts #1 .-Biology:...
and Daemonite
Daemonite
The Daemonites are a fictional alien race in the . They were created by Jim Lee and first appeared in WildC.A.T.s. #1 .-Biology:Daemonites are reptilian aliens from the planet Daemon, who are capable of possessing host bodies...
s, who have appeared again after millennia of absence and are planning on taking over the world and the galaxy. The D'rahn claim the Kherubim, their former allies, betrayed them and therefore went revenge on the Kherubim first and foremost. Backlash, being half-Kherubim, and Ferrian, a full-blood Kherubim, are both members of Wildcore, making Wildcore a primary target for the D'rahn. Department PSI-director, Antonio Giovanni, also hires Zealot
Zealot (Wildstorm)
Zealot is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.Artist Mike Deodato loves the character of Zealot so much that when he took over as artist of the comic book Wonder Woman he used Zealot's physical appearance as a template for the then new character Artemis of...
, another Kherubim, who has experience fighting the D'rahn.
Zealot is sent to infiltrate the Norfolk Naval base, where General Gant resides. Gant as the leader of the Puritans (a group of humans who plan on eliminating all aliens on Earth) has a list with all suspected aliens on Earth. The D'rahn plan on obtaining the list so they can locate and strike against the remaining Kherubim on Earth. The Norfolk Naval base is protected by the Chasers, a group of superhumans, but when the D'rahn attack, the Chasers turn out to be no match for them. Zealot, Gant and the Chaser-leader Brawl survive the D'rahn's initial attack, but it turns out that Gant is in fact a Daemonite. Gant and his Daemonites make a deal with the D'rahn: they will serve the D'rahn and in return the D'rahn will spare them. The D'rahn then reveal their special ability, Enlightenment, which allows them to change a being into a more powerful version. The D'rahn enlighten Gant's Daemonites. Wildcore is sent in and they manage to delete most of the list, but ten names remain on it. Brawl joins Wildcore and the team sets out to protect the names on the list.
On the offensive
The first target is Guy Blackfoot, but Wildcore is too late. Blackfoot is killed and one of the D'rahn enlightens his fiance Alea, changing her into a superhuman. Meanwhile Zealot and Ferrian ask Mister MajesticMister Majestic
Mister Majestic is a fictional character, a Wildstorm Productions superhero created by H.K. Proger and Jim Lee. He first appears in a backup story within WildC.A.T.s #11. One of the most powerful heroes in the WildStorm universe, he bears a strong, deliberate resemblance to DC Comics's...
for assistance against the D'rahn. It is also revealed that the mage Azrum, part of Backlash former group in Department PSI, was asked by Giovanni to seek out the witch Tapestry, hoping to use her magic against the D'rahn. Azrum hasn't contacted them since, so Wildcore decides to go on the offensive; Department PSI has located the D'rahn's base and Wildcore attacks. They are joined by Majestic and he kills the D'rahn's leader, Typhon. The D'rahn retreat to regroup.
Wildcore goes to investigate Azrum's disappearance and find that Tapestry has captured him. Tapestry uses her magic to enslave Zealot and wants to reshape the world in her image. The other Wildcore members manage to interfere with the spell. Wildcore and Tapestry are now on a medieval fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
-type world and no longer remember their past. Only Ferrian manages to regain his memory and he gathers his former team to oppose Tapestry. They succeed and return to Earth, but Styrian is killed and Geist follows them back to Earth. Zealot leaves the team shortly afterwards.
Antarctica
By 2001, as seen in the Gen-ActiveGen-Active
Gen-Active is a comic book anthology-series from Wildstorm. It was published from 2000 to 2001 and ran for six issues.It is also the term used to describe a form of superhuman beings in the Wildstorm Universe, those who possess the Gen-Factor....
series, Geist has joined Wildcore and Alea has become an active member. The team is sent to Antarctica to quell the riot in Purgatory Maximum Security Penitentiary (nicknamed Purgatory Max), a prison for dangerous superhumans; supervillain Baron Tödt (see notes) and his group, the Axis, entered the prison, killed all personnel and released all prisoners. Despite Taboo's bad feelings about the mission, the team enters the prison. The missions turns out disastrous: the inmates overpower the separated Wildcore-members and kill most of them. Taboo is saved by inmate Hangman, a prisoner who is seeking salvation. He warns her that the prison is about to explode. Backlash finds the explosives a second before they blow and is caught in the blast. Another inmate, former DV8
DV8
DV8 is a comic book published by Wildstorm. The series revolves around the lives of a group of Gen-Active people , initially living in New York under the supervision of Ivana Baiul, who sends them on life-threatening black ops assignments.-Publication history:The series lasted 32 issues, and was a...
-member Evo
Evo (Wildstorm)
Evo is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm Comics. Real name, Michael Heller, was a member of the super human team DV8.-History:Michael Heller was one of the few young men and women selected to be part of Ivana Baiul's Gen¹³ project at International Operations...
, who had been Hangman's cellmate, saves Backlash and takes him outside. Evo, Backlash and Taboo are all badly hurt and lose consciousness. Hangman congratulates Evo on doing the right thing, activates Backlash's beacon and leaves. Department PSI arrives and finds five bodies, telling his subordinates to take them back to a hospital and that all others must have died. (see notes)
Crimson, now calling herself Jet, decides to avenge her father and friends by looking for the escaped inmates and capturing them. Midnighter
Midnighter
Midnighter is a fictional comic book superhero, best known as a member of the rogue superhero team The Authority. Created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch, he first appeared in Stormwatch #4, before appearing in various Authority books and series and his own eponymous ongoing series...
was asked to do the same by Jackson King and assists Jet for a while, but allows her to handle things herself as she wishes.
Around this time, Wildcore is seen assisting in the worldwide emergency of Jacob Krigstein's super-powered agents attacking the world's major capitals.
Backlash appears again in the pages of Point Blank
Point Blank (comics)
Point Blank was a five-issue comic book limited series written by Ed Brubaker with art by Colin Wilson. It was published by Wildstorm comics.It starred Grifter from the Wildcats investigating an attempted murder on his friend John Lynch.-Plot:...
and Sleeper
Sleeper (comic book)
Sleeper was a comic book series written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, published by DC Comics under their Wildstorm imprint. The series consisted of two twelve-issue limited series and the events of the first "season" served as a catalyst for the Coup D'Etat line-wide crossover.Sleeper...
without any of his teammates and with a bionic leg replacing the leg he lost in the Purgatory Max explosion.
Characters
- Backlash (Marc Slayton): leader of Wildcore, Colonel Marc Slayton is half-Kherubim, half-human and has been active as a warrior and superhero for centuries, even though he couldn't remember most of it. Backlash can generate whips made of energy and turn himself into mist.
- TabooTaboo (Wildstorm)Taboo is the name of a fictional character from the Wildstorm universe that first appeared in Backlash #1 in 1994, she quickly became a major supporting character in the series and Backlash's main love interest.-History:...
(Amanda Reed): Marc's girlfriend, Taboo gains her powers from a vampiric, symbiotic costume grafted to her body. The costume allows her to fly, increases her strength and durability and gives her psionic powers. - ZealotZealot (Wildstorm)Zealot is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.Artist Mike Deodato loves the character of Zealot so much that when he took over as artist of the comic book Wonder Woman he used Zealot's physical appearance as a template for the then new character Artemis of...
(Zannah): A Kherubim warrior and former WildC.A.TsWildcats (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:...
, Zealot joined to stop the D'rahn, but left the team before the Purgatory Max-mission and returned to the WildC.A.Ts. As she was hired by Giovanni without Slayton's consent, there were frequent clashes between Backlash and Zealot on matters of leadership. - Ferrian: Another Kherubim, Ferrian was Marc Slayton's guardian during his youth. Highly intelligent, Ferrian serves as the team's strategist. He is also a capable warrior and has psychometric powers.
- Vigor (Richard Vincent): An archaeologist and friend of Ferrian. Vigor has limitless stamina and can fire energy blasts from a gem he wears on his forehead.
- Brawl: former leader of the Chasers, Brawl joined Wildcore to avenge his teammates death at the hands of the D'rahn. Brawl has superhuman strength and durability.
- Styrian (Omar Kamadev): The son of Antonio Giovanni's best friend, Styrian was placed on the team without Backlash knowing anything about him. Styrian had a romantic relationship with Jodi, Slayton's daughter, which caused some tension between the two, but Styrian died saving Backlash. Styrian could fly and control the weather.
- Alea (last name unknown): Fiance of D'rahn victim Guy Blackfoot, Alea was changed into a superhuman being by the D'rahn Pildra, who intended to use her as a Trojan horseTrojan HorseThe Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside...
. Alea was part of Wildcore, but was still training during most missions. She was with the team on the Purgatory Max mission and was killed during the mission. Her skin was changed into a rubyRubyA ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
-like substance, giving her superhuman strength, durability and the ability to absorb and re-emit energy. - Geist: Taboo's lover on Tapestry's world, he secretly followed her to Earth. Unable to handle Taboo's change in personality and to a human, he lashed out in anger against Wildcore, but was defeated. Geist was with the team for the Purgatory Max-mission and was killed during the mission. Geist had the ability to blend into the background. He also displayed incredible agility and fighting skills.
- Azrum: A powerful mage, Azrum initially wasn't part of Wildcore, but he was sent to find Tapestry as the D'rahn had no defense against magic. He was with the team for the Purgatory Max-mission and was killed during the mission.
- CrimsonJet (Wildstorm)Backlash , formerly known as Crimson and Jet, is a fictional character of the Wildstorm universe. She first appeared in Backlash #9 and was created by Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth....
(Jodi Slayton): though officially not a member of Wildcore, Jodi went on most missions with them. She had a relationship with Styrian and was shocked by his death. She left Department PSI and changed her name to Jet. - Antonio Giovanni, head of Department PSI.