Alien Legion
Encyclopedia
Alien Legion is a science-fiction comic-book series and associated titles created by Carl Potts
, Alan Zelenetz
, and Frank Cirocco for Marvel Comics
; Epic Comics
imprint
in 1983. It features a military unit, Force Nomad, similar to the French Foreign Legion
.
— features a military unit, Force Nomad, similar to the French Foreign Legion
. Its characters include leader Sarigar, whose lower half is serpentine; the fully humanoid Torie Montroc; and an alien of the Thraxian race, Jugger Grimrod.
Primary creator Carl Potts
and co-creators Alan Zelenetz
(writer) and Frank Cirocco (penciler) developed the concept, and in 1984 Marvel Comics
' Epic Comics
imprint
launched the first of several Alien Legion miniseries
and one-shots. Potts said in 2000
The franchise debuted with Marvel/Epic Comics' The Alien Legion #1-20 (cover-dated April 1984 - June 1987). The 18-issue Alien Legion (Oct. 1987 - Aug. 1990), minus the "The", followed, generally scripted by Chuck Dixon
and penciled by Larry Stroman
. This was followed by the three-issue Dixon-Stroman miniseries Alien Legion: On The Edge (Nov. 1990 - Jan. 1991), the single-issue Alien Legion: Slaughterworld (1991, the two-issue Dixon-Stroman Alien Legion: Tenants of Hell (1991), the single issue cover-titled Alien Legion: Grimrod and copyrighted Alien Legion: Jugger Grimrod (Aug. 1992), by Dixon and artist Mike McMahon
, the single-issue Alien Legion: Binary Deep (Sept. 1993), by Dixon and the monomial artist[Enrique] Alcatena
, and the three-issue miniseries Alien Legion: One Planet at a Time (April-July 1993), by Dixon and penciler Hoang Nguyen, as well as an occasional spin-off or graphic novel
.
Dark Horse Comics
announced it is publishing a new Alien Legion series in 2010.
form.
Checker Book Publishing released the books Force Nomad and Piecemaker, collecting the second series, and Footsloggers, collecting the first six issues of the first volume. Titan Books
published trade paperbacks of the On the Edge and Tenants of Hell storylines.
Dark Horse Comics
published the Alien Legion Omnibus Volume 1 in December 2009 (ISBN 1-59582-394-8), collecting the first seven story arcs of the series and Alien Legion Omnibus Volume 2 (ISBN 978-1-59582-494-3) in May 2010 rounding out the first series including the long-out-of-print A Grey Day to Die graphic novel.
on a possible computer-animated Alien Legion television series but this was abandoned once Mainframe was sold.
In the mid- to late 2000s, Alien Legion was optioned by producer Jerry Bruckheimer
and The Walt Disney Company
, with screenwriter
s Derek Haas
and Michael Brandt collaborating on a live-action film script.
Carl Potts
Carl Potts is an American comic-book writer, artist, and editor best known for creating the series Alien Legion for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics.-Early life:...
, Alan Zelenetz
Alan Zelenetz
Alan Zelenetz is an American film producer and comic-book writer best known for co-creating the series Alien Legion for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics and a founder of Ovie Entertainment...
, and Frank Cirocco for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
; Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
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...
in 1983. It features a military unit, Force Nomad, similar to the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
.
Publication history
Alien Legion — cover-titled The Alien Legion for its first series and initial graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
— features a military unit, Force Nomad, similar to the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
. Its characters include leader Sarigar, whose lower half is serpentine; the fully humanoid Torie Montroc; and an alien of the Thraxian race, Jugger Grimrod.
Primary creator Carl Potts
Carl Potts
Carl Potts is an American comic-book writer, artist, and editor best known for creating the series Alien Legion for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics.-Early life:...
and co-creators Alan Zelenetz
Alan Zelenetz
Alan Zelenetz is an American film producer and comic-book writer best known for co-creating the series Alien Legion for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics and a founder of Ovie Entertainment...
(writer) and Frank Cirocco (penciler) developed the concept, and in 1984 Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
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...
launched the first of several Alien Legion miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
and one-shots. Potts said in 2000
The franchise debuted with Marvel/Epic Comics' The Alien Legion #1-20 (cover-dated April 1984 - June 1987). The 18-issue Alien Legion (Oct. 1987 - Aug. 1990), minus the "The", followed, generally scripted by Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
and penciled by Larry Stroman
Larry Stroman
Larry Stroman is an American comic book artist and writer. After first gaining attention illustrating the Epic Comics series Alien Legion , he went on to illustrate various Marvel Comics books such as The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, Ghost Rider Larry Stroman is an American comic book artist and...
. This was followed by the three-issue Dixon-Stroman miniseries Alien Legion: On The Edge (Nov. 1990 - Jan. 1991), the single-issue Alien Legion: Slaughterworld (1991, the two-issue Dixon-Stroman Alien Legion: Tenants of Hell (1991), the single issue cover-titled Alien Legion: Grimrod and copyrighted Alien Legion: Jugger Grimrod (Aug. 1992), by Dixon and artist Mike McMahon
Mike McMahon
Michael McMahon or Mike McMahon may refer to:* Michael McMahon , Democratic Congressman for New York's 13th Congressional District* Michael McMahon Michael McMahon or Mike McMahon may refer to:* Michael McMahon (born 1957), Democratic Congressman for New York's 13th Congressional District* Michael...
, the single-issue Alien Legion: Binary Deep (Sept. 1993), by Dixon and the monomial artist
Enrique Alcatena
-Biography:Alcatena became famous in his country during the 1980s collaborating for local magazines like Skorpio and Nippur. He also worked for the children's magazine Anteojito where his work was mostly surreal fantasy full of mythology...
, and the three-issue miniseries Alien Legion: One Planet at a Time (April-July 1993), by Dixon and penciler Hoang Nguyen, as well as an occasional spin-off or graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
.
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...
announced it is publishing a new Alien Legion series in 2010.
Collected editions
Some of the stories have been published in trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
form.
Checker Book Publishing released the books Force Nomad and Piecemaker, collecting the second series, and Footsloggers, collecting the first six issues of the first volume. Titan Books
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
published trade paperbacks of the On the Edge and Tenants of Hell storylines.
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...
published the Alien Legion Omnibus Volume 1 in December 2009 (ISBN 1-59582-394-8), collecting the first seven story arcs of the series and Alien Legion Omnibus Volume 2 (ISBN 978-1-59582-494-3) in May 2010 rounding out the first series including the long-out-of-print A Grey Day to Die graphic novel.
In other media
In 2003, Potts was working with Mainframe EntertainmentMainframe Entertainment
Rainmaker Entertainment, Inc. is a Canadian computer animation and design company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and Los Angeles, California. It produces computer animation TV series and movies. They are best known for producing the first ever CGI animated series ReBoot, as well as the...
on a possible computer-animated Alien Legion television series but this was abandoned once Mainframe was sold.
In the mid- to late 2000s, Alien Legion was optioned by producer Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
and The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, with screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
s Derek Haas
Derek Haas
Derek Haas is a writer.- Life and career :Derek Haas attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he earned both his B.A. and M.A. in English Literature. He lives in Los Angeles, and has made a name as a screenwriter and co-author of several successful Hollywood films. In 2008 he published his...
and Michael Brandt collaborating on a live-action film script.
External links
- Carl Potts at the Lambiek Comiclopedia