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X (Dark Horse Comics)
Encyclopedia
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...
Character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who starred in his own self-titled series published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
for their Comics Greatest World
Comics Greatest World
Comics' Greatest World was an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. It was created by Team CGW. Originally conceived in 1990, it took three years for the line to be released, which led to an industry-wide perception that it was created to capitalize on the speculator mania of the early 1990s. When the...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
. He is a dark anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
with little true feeling and a strong tendency to kill.
After the character debuted in Dark Horse Comics #8, his own self-titled series began with a cover date of February, 1994.
Publication
Series Creative Staff InformationBelow is a list of those who worked on the book. When repeated, only last names are used.
- 1-5: Steven GrantSteven GrantSteven Grant is an American comic-book writer best known for his 1985-1986 Marvel Comics mini-series Punisher, with artist Mike Zeck and for his creator-owned character Whisper.-Biography:...
, writer | Doug MahnkeDoug MahnkeDouglas "Doug" Mahnke is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Mahnke's first prominent work was for The Mask, and he has since worked for DC Comics on JLA, Batman with writer Judd Winick, and Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein with Grant Morrison...
, pencils | Jimmy PalmiottiJimmy PalmiottiJames "Jimmy" Palmiotti is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film.-Early life:Palmiotti is a graduate of the High School of Art and Design in New York City.-Career:...
, inks. - 6: Grant, writer | Ron WagnerRon WagnerRon J. Wagner is primarily known as an American comics artist who has drawn for titles such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Punisher, Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. He is also an animation storyboard artist, games designer, and portrait artist...
and P. Craig RussellP. Craig RussellPhilip Craig Russell , also known as P. Craig Russell, is an American comic book writer, artist, and illustrator. His work has won multiple Harvey and Eisner Awards...
, pencils | Palmiotti, inks. - 7: Grant, writer | Wagner & Frank Fosco, pencils | Palmiotti, inks.
- 8: Grant, writer | Matt HaleyMatt HaleyMatt Haley is an American film director, art director and book illustrator artist. Currently he is the art-director of Morgan Spurlock's "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope" feature documentary, which recently debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival...
, pencils | Tom SimmonsTom SimmonsTom Simmons is an American stand-up comedian, the 2009 winner of the San Francisco International Comedy Competition, and nationally touring comedy club headliner.-Notable works:...
, inks. - 9: Grant, writer | Mahnke, pencils | Palmiotti, inks.
- 10-12: Grant, writer | Chris WarnerChris Warner (comics)Chris Warner is a comic book writer and artist who has done work for Dark Horse, notably their mid-1990s line of Comics' Greatest World and Dark Horse Heroes....
, pencils | Tim BradstreetTim BradstreetTimothy "Tim" Bradstreet , is an artist and illustrator, best known for his work on comic books , book covers, movie posters, roleplaying games and trading cards.-Career:...
,inks. - 13-15: Grant, writer | Javier Saltares, art.
- 16-17: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Andrew Pepoy, inks.
- 18: Grant, writer | Alex Renaud, pencils | Pepoy, inks.
- 19-22: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Pepoy, inks.
- 23: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Bradstreet, inks.
- 24-25: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Pepoy, inks.
Plot
X, whose law is that one mark means a warning, the second one death, takes on a collection of business, law, mob, assassins and politics. This includes characters such as Mayor Teal and Police Commissioner Anderson as well as the Llwellyn brothers, their hired assassin named Gamble, Mob boss Carmine Tango and highly connected army officials.- 1-15: The first section of the series involves a series of political hits performed by X, sometimes in tandem with a woman named Diana Gorreti, who wanted to take over Arcadia from the mobster, Carmine Tango. It is eventually revealed that X used Goretti to remove Tango and put pliable people in positions of power within the city. To this end, a "War" was fought between X and the mob, during which X was briefly thought killed by a mysterious mind controlling villain named Lord Alamout.
- 16-20: X travels to Washington D.C. to let the government know that he is in control of Arcadia and to try to extend his influence. During the trip to D.C. X encounters a general who seems to know something about X's early past. It is also revealed that X arrived in Arcadia as a young man, rapidly recovering from burns that covered much of his body and with no clear memories. He fell in love with his case worker who was involved with another man, Carmine Tango. X tried to kill Tango which amused him, so he took X in and pushed the case worker out of both of their lives.
- 21-25: Gamble, the only man X failed to kill after marking, returned and drew X into the open by inviting a rash of killers into Arcadia. Assistant D.A.District attorneyIn many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Elizabeth Treaty spends some time building a case against X. Coffin returns just as X busts up Gamble's operations, saves Christie and marks McCone, one of the killers. The General explains that as a young military officer, he was sent in to search the area of a bombed scientist's lab and his arm was infected. The arm was amputated, but would not die and was eventually stolen. X finally recalls how he lost faith in everything he grew up believing, the day his father and mother were killed in front of him by men from the government. His father, before dying, injected him with a serum from an arm in a tank. As X recovers from a wound, the General realizes that the key to X's invulnerability is that his blood analyzes and repairs itself. Coffin arrives and rips the general in two, before being defeated by X, who also kills Gamble. At the end of the series, Treaty grants X full immunity.
Other appearances
- Will to PowerWill to Power (comics)Will To Power was a twelve-issue limited series event published by Dark Horse Comics under their Comics Greatest World imprint. It was published in four three-issue arcs, with each arc focusing on one of CGW's four environs, Arcadia, Steel Harbor, Golden City, and the area surrounding the...
#1-3, Script by Jerry ProsserJerry ProsserJerry Prosser is an American comic book writer and editor, best known for his work with Dark Horse Comics.-Biography:Prosser was part of Dark Horse Comics from its early days, and was one of five creators, who as Team CGW created the Comics' Greatest World line for Dark Horse Comics...
, art by Mike Manley (& Ande Parkes, #3) - Dark Horse Comics #19 & 20: "Welcome to the Jungle", Written by Eric LukeEric Luke-Film:Eric Luke began his career in film writing. Previous film work included: Explorers for Paramount Pictures, co-plotting the Gargoyles pilot five-parter for The Walt Disney Company, numerous screenplays for MGM and others, and also wrote and directed the latter two films in the Not Quite Human...
, art by Nghia Lam - X (Hero IllustratedHero IllustratedHero Illustrated was a comic book-themed magazine published in the early to mid 1990s in the United States. Columnists included Andy Mangels, and Frank Kurtz was at one time a managing editor. The journal won the 1995 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Publication.- History :Hero...
Special) # 1 & 2: Written by Steven Grant, art by Vince Giarrano, # 1, Corky Lehmkuhl & Jordi Ensign, # 2. (Introduces Challenge) - Ghost Special: Written by Eric LukeEric Luke-Film:Eric Luke began his career in film writing. Previous film work included: Explorers for Paramount Pictures, co-plotting the Gargoyles pilot five-parter for The Walt Disney Company, numerous screenplays for MGM and others, and also wrote and directed the latter two films in the Not Quite Human...
, pencils by Matt HaleyMatt HaleyMatt Haley is an American film director, art director and book illustrator artist. Currently he is the art-director of Morgan Spurlock's "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope" feature documentary, which recently debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival...
, inks by Tom SimmonsTom SimmonsTom Simmons is an American stand-up comedian, the 2009 winner of the San Francisco International Comedy Competition, and nationally touring comedy club headliner.-Notable works:... - X: "One Shot to the Head". (originally in Dark Horse Comics # 8-10) Script by Jerry ProsserJerry ProsserJerry Prosser is an American comic book writer and editor, best known for his work with Dark Horse Comics.-Biography:Prosser was part of Dark Horse Comics from its early days, and was one of five creators, who as Team CGW created the Comics' Greatest World line for Dark Horse Comics...
, pencils by N. Steven Harris, Inks by Dan DavisDan DavisDan "The Duke" Davis is an American radio personality. He is an original broadcaster of ESPN Radio based in Bristol, Connecticut. He anchors the midday portion of ESPN Radio SportsCenter. Sometimes he makes comments on Extra Point. His voice is often heard introducing various ESPN programs...
. Also, this issue collects the first five pages of "X" from Arcadia week one, which had pencils by Chris WarnerChris Warner (comics)Chris Warner is a comic book writer and artist who has done work for Dark Horse, notably their mid-1990s line of Comics' Greatest World and Dark Horse Heroes....
and Inks by Tim BradstreetTim BradstreetTimothy "Tim" Bradstreet , is an artist and illustrator, best known for his work on comic books , book covers, movie posters, roleplaying games and trading cards.-Career:...
. Cover is by Frank MillerFrank Miller (comics)Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
. - Comics Greatest World: Arcadia, weeks 1-4: X (pencils by Chris WarnerChris Warner (comics)Chris Warner is a comic book writer and artist who has done work for Dark Horse, notably their mid-1990s line of Comics' Greatest World and Dark Horse Heroes....
, inks by Tim BradstreetTim BradstreetTimothy "Tim" Bradstreet , is an artist and illustrator, best known for his work on comic books , book covers, movie posters, roleplaying games and trading cards.-Career:...
), Pit Bulls (pencils by Joe PhillipsJoe PhillipsJoe Phillips is an American artist, known for his mainstream comic book art and for his work depicting his views of gay life. He currently lives in San Diego, California.-Early Years and Comic Work:...
, inks by John Dell), GhostGhost (Dark Horse comics)Ghost is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by Dark Horse Comics. The character appeared in specials and monthly titles detailing the "afterlife" of Elisa Cameron and her search for the truth surrounding her apparent death....
(pencils by Adam HughesAdam HughesAdam Hughes is an American comic book artist who has worked for companies such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros...
, inks by Mark FarmerMark FarmerMark Farmer is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis.-Biography:Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of UK creators that were an integral part of the DC Comics "new look" of the...
), MonsterMonsterA monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
(pencils by Derek ThompsonDerek ThompsonDerek Thompson is a British actor, most notable for playing Charlie Fairhead in the long-running BBC television medical drama series Casualty.-Early life:...
, inks by Ande ParksAnde ParksAnde Parks is a professional American comic book artist, known for his work as an inker and writer in the industry. His greatest notoriety has come from his stint with fellow artist Phil Hester on DC Comics’ Green Arrow series from 2001 to 2004 and writing the graphic novels Union Station and...
). All were written by Jerry ProsserJerry ProsserJerry Prosser is an American comic book writer and editor, best known for his work with Dark Horse Comics.-Biography:Prosser was part of Dark Horse Comics from its early days, and was one of five creators, who as Team CGW created the Comics' Greatest World line for Dark Horse Comics...
. - Ghost : Issue #9, #15, #'s 20-27, #32. Written by Eric LukeEric Luke-Film:Eric Luke began his career in film writing. Previous film work included: Explorers for Paramount Pictures, co-plotting the Gargoyles pilot five-parter for The Walt Disney Company, numerous screenplays for MGM and others, and also wrote and directed the latter two films in the Not Quite Human...
.
Characters
While it is debatable if X ever truly aligns with anyone else, he does team up with or use another person in order to benefit from them. Essentially, X either kills you or he does not, mostly disregarding any prior use.Allies
- Mickey D (First appears in # 1)
- Kingston (First appears in # 1)
- Monster (First appears in CGW: Arcadia)
Villains
- Carmine Tango (First appears in #1)
- Ziggurat/Coffin (First appears in #2)
- Lord Alamout (First appears in #6)
- Willie McCone (First appears in #21)
- Gamble (First appears in #1)
- Chaos Riders (First appear in #3)
- Judgement Knights (First appear in #9)
- Headhunter (First appears in #16)
- One-Shot (First appears in #16)
- The General (First appears in #20)
Others
These persons may be antagonistic or beneficial (sometimes both) to X. Because of this and other characteristics, they do not qualify as a villain or ally:- Christie (First appears in #1)
- The Kid (First appears in #5)
- Mose Hughes (First appears in #10)
- Kossy (First appears in #10)
- Elizabeth Treaty (First appears in #21)
- Vargas (First appears in #8)
- Congressman DeMarco (First Appears in CGW: Arcadia)
- Mayor Teal (First Appears in CGW: Arcadia)
- Commissioner Anderson (First appears in CGW: Arcadia)
- Diana Goretti (First appears in #5)
- Gretchen (First appears in #1)
- Challenge (Real name-Tommy Kafka. First appears in Hero Illustrated X Special #1)
- Briggs
- Detective Lewis
- Detective Timothy
- Peter Lwellyn (First appears in #1)
- The Nurse (First appears in #5)
- Ghost (First appears in CGW: Arcadia)
- The Mask (First appears in: The Mask World tour #3)