DESCRIPTION:
CGC 9.8 Spawn #1 (TEST)
White Pages
CGC Certification #: 2563443001
Image Comics, 5/92
Todd McFarlane story, cover & art
NOTES: 1st appearance of Spawn. Pinup by Dale Kweon. Pull-out Spawn poster.
Spawn is a fictional character appearing in a monthly comic book of the same name published by American company Image Comics, as well as in a number of films, television series, and video game adaptations set in the Image Universe. Created by Todd McFarlane, the character first appeared in Spawn #1 (May 1992).
The series has spun off several other comics, including Angela, Curse of the Spawn, Sam & Twitch, and the Japanese manga Shadows of Spawn. Spawn was adapted into a 1997 feature film and portrayed by Michael Jai White, an HBO animated series lasting from 1997 until 1999, a series of action figures whose high level of detail made McFarlane Toys known in the toy industry, and a reboot film starring Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner.[1] The character also appears in annual compilations, miniseries specials written by guest authors and artists, and numerous crossover storylines in other comic books, including Savage Dragon and Invincible.
The Spawn prototype, designed by a teenaged McFarlane in 1977
Todd McFarlane began drawing as a hobby at an early age, and created the character Spawn when he was 16, spending "countless hours" perfecting the appearance of each component of the character's visual design.[2]
Spawn enjoyed considerable popularity upon its initial release in the 1990s. Comic book collecting was enjoying a marked upswing at the time, fueled by the speculator boom looking for the next hot book that would jump in value after its release.[3] McFarlane had enjoyed superstar status among comic fans with his work on Spider-Man, which had featured McFarlane's name prominently as both writer and artist. McFarlane's subsequent break with Marvel and the formation of Image Comics was seen by many as a sea-change event, changing the very way in which comics were produced. Wizard, in May 2008, rated "The Launch of Image Comics" as #1 in the list of events that rocked the Comic Industry from 1991 to 2008.[4]
The first issue of Spawn was very popular with sales of 1.7 million copies.[5] During Spawn's second year of publication, Wizard noted that "The top dog at Image is undoubtedly Todd McFarlane's Spawn, which, without the added marketing push of fancy covers, polybagged issues, or card inserts has become the best-selling comic on a consistent basis that is currently being published."[6] Sales slumped around the time of Spawn #25, but by Spawn #45 it was again a consistently strong seller.[7]
The popularity of the franchise peaked with the 1997 Spawn feature film, the pre-release publicity for which helped make Spawn the top selling comic book for May 1997;[7] in addition, the spin-off Curse of the Spawn #9 came in at fifth best-selling for the same month.[8] However, the film was only a mild commercial success and failed to start a film franchise based on the character. A 2008 issue, Spawn #174, ranked 99th best-selling comic of the month with retail orders of 22,667.[9] In October 2008, issue #185, which marked both a new creative direction and Todd McFarlane's return to the book, sold out at the distribution level and received a second printing.[10] By issue #191 in May 2009, with estimated sales of 19,803 copies, Spawn had dropped below Top 100 titles sold monthly to comic shops as reported by Diamond Comic Distributors.[11] As of September 2010, Spawn was ranked at #115 in the top 300 sales figures chart reported by Diamond Comic Distributors.[12] On the day of its release in 2011, issue #200 sold out. This issue featured work by Greg Capullo, David Finch, Michael Golden, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, Danny Miki, and Ashley Wood. A second printing was released the next month.[13] It received a negative review from IGN.[14]
Spawn began a resurgence in popularity as the title approached its 300th issue, with the title once again becoming a fixture in Diamond's Top 100. This 300th issue also made Spawn the longest-running independent comic book series of all time.[15]
Origin
In life, Spawn is Albert Francis Simmons, who was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was the second eldest of three children born to Bernard Simmons – a traveling salesman – and Esther Simmons, a devil worshipper. Simmons is an intelligent and physically strong Lieutenant Colonel in U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon. He later joins the Secret Service and becomes a highly decorated member who is recruited into the Central Intelligence Agency. Once in the CIA, Simmons joins the U.S. Security Group- an umbrella agency encompassing the CIA, the NSA, and the NSC commanded by Director Jason Wynn, and becomes a capable assassin.
During a mission in Botswana, Director Wynn grows tired of Simmons' increasing morality and secretly hires Simmons' friend and partner Bruce Stinson (codename Chapel), to kill him. Simmons is burned to death and sent to Hell.[16][17][18] Making a deal with the devil Malebolgia, Simmons agrees to become a Hellspawn and serve Malebolgia if he is allowed to see his wife Wanda one last time. Malebolgia agrees and returns Simmons to the living realm but without most his memories, a severely burned body and a demonic guardian named the Violator.[19]
After his death and rebirth, Simmons – now called Spawn – arrives on Earth in a daze, off-balance and disoriented. With only vague recollections of his past, he only knows his name and that he died. Spawn occasionally experiences painful flashbacks and eventually remembers his deal with Malebolgia but not his wife's name. Using CIA files, he tracks down his wife and find her married to his former best friend Terry, with whom she has a daughter named Cyan,[17] and realizes five years have passed since his death.
Spawn soon runs into a fellow Hellspawn, who informs him his powers are fueled by Necroplasm and that once they are depleted, he will return to Hell. Not wanting to return to Hell, Spawn attempts to find a new purpose in life while using as little power as possible. Spawn is thrust into several antihero adventures, taking down street gangs and organized crime in New York City. Battling against Italian mobsters and later eventually killing a serial murderer and pedophile Billy Kincaid, Spawn finds a new purpose in stopping evil.
Early history
In his early battles, Spawn faces street thugs and gangs, becoming a dark, sadistic antihero, and brutally murders the pedophile and child murderer Billy Kincaid. Spawn gains the attention of police detectives Sam Burke and Twitch Williams, and becomes "King of Rat City", a gathering of alleys populated by the city's homeless. There he meets Cogliostro, who seems to know much about Spawn and becomes his mentor.
Spawn is hunted by the warrior angel Angela, who hunts Hellspawns for sport,[17] and battles the cyborg mob enforcer Overt-Kill. He also fights the angelic warrior Anti-Spawn, also known as the Redeemer, who is really Jason Wynn.[17]
First metamorphosis[edit]
After a confrontation with the Redeemer, Spawn's suit becomes more advanced, with a new cape and chains that can shapeshift to confuse his opponents. Spawn's boots and gloves are replaced with spikes. Since the metamorphosis, the suit will feed off souls.
After this, Tony Twist sends a reprogrammed Overt-Kill after Terry, and Spawn is forced to reveal his identity while saving his friend. However, a well-placed shot from Twitch Williams brings down Overt-Kill. Spawn is part of Angela's trial and later travels to the South and encounters the KKK and an abusive father of two boys. When he returns to New York, he is attacked by a new Redeemer, causing his costume to evolve once more. After another encounter with the Curse, the suit sends him to Hell but Malebolgia sends him back with full control of the suit.
Spawn wears a living symbiotic costume, Leetha of the 7th House of K (also known as K7-Leetha). While wearing it, the host assumes a dominant role over his suit. His shroud, spikes, chains and skulls are all part of an organism bonded to his central nervous system that will protect Spawn even if he is unconscious.[17]
