American Virgin (comics)
Encyclopedia
American Virgin was an American comic book series
published by Vertigo Comics and written by Steven T. Seagle
and illustrated by Becky Cloonan
. The series launched on a monthly schedule in March 2006
and was canceled two years later. Seagle was able to finish his storyline.
The story follows the life of Adam, a teenager who is a born-again Christian preacher
, and his struggle with issues of his sexuality
and faith. Adam's near constant companion is a stepsister, Cyndi, who is sexually liberal.
, issues #4-#14 featured covers by Joshua Middleton
, and starting with issue #15 the cover artist is Celia Calle
. Most of the series is penciled by Becky Cloonan with two issues drawn by Ryan Kelly.
Adam Chamberlain, a 21-year-old Christian preacher promoting sexual abstinence
until marriage. Adam is proud of his virginity and his engagement to his girlfriend Cassie, currently on a peace corps
mission in Africa
; he believes she was chosen by God
to be his wife. After being taunted with a stripper by his cousins, Adam flees to the home of his stepsister Cyndi. While watching television he learns that Cassie has been killed and beheaded by terrorists.
Adam and Cyndi flee her home when two men enter looking for her and open fire with pistols. Adam then finds his younger brother at home, about to have sex with a girl. They have a confrontation and then Adam informs his mother and stepfather that he is going to Africa to find out what happened to Cassie. He and Cyndi fly to South Africa
, where Adam sees Cassie's body and has a breakdown.
Adam finds out there was semen
in Cassie's body and decides to find out the truth. He hires a mercenary
named Mel who says he can find the answers he wants. The trio go on a search across Africa and along the way Adam attempts to introduce Christian values to the natives. Throughout the journey, Adam has erotic visions of Cassie and finally succumbs to masturbation
. Finally, they are able to find one of the men involved in Cassie's murder and he and Adam have a violent confrontation that ends in the perpetrator's death.
the eulogy
at Cassie's funeral but has another breakdown and a highly sexual vision of a naked Cassie rising up from her coffin. Afterwards he is propositioned by a young woman who wants to lose her virginity with him, but he refuses. Mel appears and tells him that he has found information on the mastermind behind Cassie's murder.
Adam, Cyndi and Mel travel to Australia
, where they continue Adam's book tour. They stay with brother and sister Deacon and Clauda, and Adam discovers that Deacon is gay
. Outside one of Adam's speeches, he has another strange encounter with a transgender
reporter, who mocks him. Adam speaks of the reporter, Alex, in his speech and reduces her to tears. Afterward Mel shows up with video of Cassie's execution. Adam views it and has another vision of Cassie.
Adam finds the executioner at a gay S&M club and goes undercover to get him to confess. After taking Adam with him to the dungeon, the killer discovers who Adam is and threatens to kill him if they ever meet again before making his escape. Adam flees but discovers from his agent the next day that he has been seen and outed
as a homosexual.
Adam becomes distraught over people thinking he is gay and has a revealing conversation with Deacon that examines both Deacon's thoughts on God and Adam's thoughts on homosexuality. Adam then learns that Mel has had a personal score with the same terrorists who killed Cassie and has been using him the whole time for information. He confronts Mel outside the hotel room that the killer is staying and knocks him unconscious. Adam then tries to finish the job of the executioner himself. He cannot bring himself to do it, however, and almost ends up dead, if not for Mel arriving at the nick of time and shooting the killer in the head. Adam and Cyndi then take a flight home, but their plane crashes into the ocean.
in the aftermath of the plane crash. He begins to search for the other girls he believes God may have intended for him to be with, which leads him to his uncle's mansion, where he is forced to join in one of his uncle's sex games and meets the first girl on the list.
After that he has a talk with his stepfather about the pornographic film he did in his younger years. When they get to the hospital to visit Cyndi, they find that she has been taken and they must find her. Before he is able to start looking his brother Levi shows him the second girl on his list and discovers that she is not his "soulmate". Back at his house he finds that Cyndi was not taken, but saved by Mel from the people looking for her. Adam finds out that this is because she stole a porno tape she had made to prevent its release.
Adam returns to the pageant, and he sees the woman that he thought he saved him from the plane crash working there. Cyndi and Mel are in the pool house kissing when she tears open his shirt to find that Mel is transgender
and was born a woman, just before a hurricane arrives and knocks over the pool house. The hurricane also knocks down the pageant hall before they can get started, but not before he sees another vision of Cassie telling him in fact that Vanessa was not actually on the plane but was a vision from God telling him who his soulmate was. He then decides to join Vanessa on a tour around the world to find herself.
where Adam and Vanessa have gone for Carnival
. After Carnival
Adam goes to the beach only to see that Vanessa is topless (a small error by the writer, since public toplessness
is not allowed in Brazil
, except inside nudist beaches, which are few and isolated). This deeply disturbs him, and he runs off to call Cyndi. Unbeknownst to him, she is currently having sex with Mel, because Cyndi has decided she loves him even though he is transgender. Adam and Vanessa next go to Japan
to stay with Vanessa's college roommate and go to the Festival of the Iron Phallus
, a festival dedicated to the penis
which Adam sees as obscene but eventually comes to realize that different cultures have different taboos. When they arrive in Bangkok
, Adam books a hotel room for him and Vanessa, breaking Vanessa's rule to not spend money on anything, so she storms off. Adam calls home for advice and Mel tells him to go and see a tattoo
artist in Bangkok
. While getting the tattoo
Adam has a vision, in which he and Cassie finally have sex. Later on Adam decides to have his first real sexual experience with Vanessa, deciding that she is his real love, not Cassie.
In this series, Adam returns to his home and informs his parents that he has married Vanessa. His mother is furious at this announcement and proceeds to have the marriage annulled when she finds out that Adam has not consummated his marriage yet. In the midst of all this, his stepbrothers manage to locate his biological father in Cuba. Adam, his mother Mamie, wife Vanessa, stepsister Cindy and Mel go to Cuba in order to confront his original father. On reaching Cuba, it is learned that Mamie's father had threatened to kill Adam, and so forced Reydel (the biological father) to abandon Vanessa and head back to Cuba where he is now a priest. Mamie has a heart attack and is moved to a hospital.
In the meantime, Adam is married formally in a chapel to Vanessa by his father. Before he is able to consummate his marriage, Mel kidnaps him and takes him to the Dominican Republic where he plans revenge on the terrorists who killed his girlfriend and Adam's original girlfriend Cassie. Mel is injured and it is up to Adam to exact the revenge, though he is loath to do so. The lead terrorist instigates Adam to open a suitcase which purportedly contains a video showing the beheading of his girlfriend. Adams takes the bait, only to result in an explosion which flattens the entire building. Rescuers locate Adam under the debris and ask his name. He tells them his name and dies while uttering "I am a virgin" in the last scene: a surprisingly tragic end to what can be considered a story which is mainly humorous in nature.
:
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...
published by Vertigo Comics and written by Steven T. Seagle
Steven T. Seagle
Steven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game, and animation, industries....
and illustrated by Becky Cloonan
Becky Cloonan
Becky Cloonan is an American comic book creator, known for work published by Tokyopop and Vertigo Comics.-Career:...
. The series launched on a monthly schedule in March 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
and was canceled two years later. Seagle was able to finish his storyline.
The story follows the life of Adam, a teenager who is a born-again Christian preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, and his struggle with issues of his sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and faith. Adam's near constant companion is a stepsister, Cyndi, who is sexually liberal.
Publication history
The covers for the first three issues were penciled by Frank QuitelyFrank Quitely
Vincent Deighan, better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as New X-Men, We3, All-Star Superman, and Batman and Robin, as well as his work with Mark Millar on The...
, issues #4-#14 featured covers by Joshua Middleton
Joshua Middleton
Joshua Middleton is an artist and designer working in the animation, film, comics, and book industries...
, and starting with issue #15 the cover artist is Celia Calle
Celia Calle
Celia Calle is a Boston-born and New York City-based illustrator, fashion designer and comic book penciller. Educated at the Parsons School of Design, Calle began her career as a costume designer before eventually turning to illustration...
. Most of the series is penciled by Becky Cloonan with two issues drawn by Ryan Kelly.
Plot
There are five major story arcs: the first is "Head", consisting of four issues, and the second is "Going Down", which consists of five. The third saga, "Wet" also contains five issues, and the fourth story arc "Around the World" also contained five issues. The series was canceled with the final arc, "Sixty-Nine", in issues 20-23.Head (issues #1-#4)
The first story arc "Head" introduces the main characterAdam Chamberlain, a 21-year-old Christian preacher promoting sexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical or religious reasons.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:*poor health - medical celibacy...
until marriage. Adam is proud of his virginity and his engagement to his girlfriend Cassie, currently on a peace corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
mission in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
; he believes she was chosen by 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....
to be his wife. After being taunted with a stripper by his cousins, Adam flees to the home of his stepsister Cyndi. While watching television he learns that Cassie has been killed and beheaded by terrorists.
Adam and Cyndi flee her home when two men enter looking for her and open fire with pistols. Adam then finds his younger brother at home, about to have sex with a girl. They have a confrontation and then Adam informs his mother and stepfather that he is going to Africa to find out what happened to Cassie. He and Cyndi fly to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where Adam sees Cassie's body and has a breakdown.
Adam finds out there was semen
Semen
Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova...
in Cassie's body and decides to find out the truth. He hires a mercenary
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...
named Mel who says he can find the answers he wants. The trio go on a search across Africa and along the way Adam attempts to introduce Christian values to the natives. Throughout the journey, Adam has erotic visions of Cassie and finally succumbs to masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
. Finally, they are able to find one of the men involved in Cassie's murder and he and Adam have a violent confrontation that ends in the perpetrator's death.
Going Down (issues #5-#9)
"Going Down" begins with Adam returning home. Cyndi returns to her apartment, where the drug dealers who had previously tried to kill her are waiting. They hold her at gunpoint, but Mel saves her, knocking the men out. Adam deliversthe eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
at Cassie's funeral but has another breakdown and a highly sexual vision of a naked Cassie rising up from her coffin. Afterwards he is propositioned by a young woman who wants to lose her virginity with him, but he refuses. Mel appears and tells him that he has found information on the mastermind behind Cassie's murder.
Adam, Cyndi and Mel travel to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where they continue Adam's book tour. They stay with brother and sister Deacon and Clauda, and Adam discovers that Deacon is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. Outside one of Adam's speeches, he has another strange encounter with a transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
reporter, who mocks him. Adam speaks of the reporter, Alex, in his speech and reduces her to tears. Afterward Mel shows up with video of Cassie's execution. Adam views it and has another vision of Cassie.
Adam finds the executioner at a gay S&M club and goes undercover to get him to confess. After taking Adam with him to the dungeon, the killer discovers who Adam is and threatens to kill him if they ever meet again before making his escape. Adam flees but discovers from his agent the next day that he has been seen and outed
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
as a homosexual.
Adam becomes distraught over people thinking he is gay and has a revealing conversation with Deacon that examines both Deacon's thoughts on God and Adam's thoughts on homosexuality. Adam then learns that Mel has had a personal score with the same terrorists who killed Cassie and has been using him the whole time for information. He confronts Mel outside the hotel room that the killer is staying and knocks him unconscious. Adam then tries to finish the job of the executioner himself. He cannot bring himself to do it, however, and almost ends up dead, if not for Mel arriving at the nick of time and shooting the killer in the head. Adam and Cyndi then take a flight home, but their plane crashes into the ocean.
Wet (issues #10-#14)
The first issue of this story arc deals with Adam's past and ends with his revelation that Cassie may not have been the girl God intended for him. The second sees Adam returning to his ministryChristian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
in the aftermath of the plane crash. He begins to search for the other girls he believes God may have intended for him to be with, which leads him to his uncle's mansion, where he is forced to join in one of his uncle's sex games and meets the first girl on the list.
After that he has a talk with his stepfather about the pornographic film he did in his younger years. When they get to the hospital to visit Cyndi, they find that she has been taken and they must find her. Before he is able to start looking his brother Levi shows him the second girl on his list and discovers that she is not his "soulmate". Back at his house he finds that Cyndi was not taken, but saved by Mel from the people looking for her. Adam finds out that this is because she stole a porno tape she had made to prevent its release.
Adam returns to the pageant, and he sees the woman that he thought he saved him from the plane crash working there. Cyndi and Mel are in the pool house kissing when she tears open his shirt to find that Mel is transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
and was born a woman, just before a hurricane arrives and knocks over the pool house. The hurricane also knocks down the pageant hall before they can get started, but not before he sees another vision of Cassie telling him in fact that Vanessa was not actually on the plane but was a vision from God telling him who his soulmate was. He then decides to join Vanessa on a tour around the world to find herself.
Around the World (issues #15-#19)
Around the World begins in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
where Adam and Vanessa have gone for Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
. After Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
Adam goes to the beach only to see that Vanessa is topless (a small error by the writer, since public toplessness
Toplessness
Toplessness is the state in which a female's breasts are uncovered, with the areolae and nipples visible, usually in a public space. It can also refer to a female not wearing any clothing above the waist, which is the female equivalent to a male barechestedness.The history and even the present-day...
is not allowed in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, except inside nudist beaches, which are few and isolated). This deeply disturbs him, and he runs off to call Cyndi. Unbeknownst to him, she is currently having sex with Mel, because Cyndi has decided she loves him even though he is transgender. Adam and Vanessa next go to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to stay with Vanessa's college roommate and go to the Festival of the Iron Phallus
Kanamara Matsuri
The Shinto is held each spring at the Kanayama shrine in Kawasaki, Japan. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April...
, a festival dedicated to the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
which Adam sees as obscene but eventually comes to realize that different cultures have different taboos. When they arrive in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Adam books a hotel room for him and Vanessa, breaking Vanessa's rule to not spend money on anything, so she storms off. Adam calls home for advice and Mel tells him to go and see a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
artist in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. While getting the tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
Adam has a vision, in which he and Cassie finally have sex. Later on Adam decides to have his first real sexual experience with Vanessa, deciding that she is his real love, not Cassie.
Sixty-Nine (issues #20-#23)
Sixty-Nine is the last story arc in the series.In this series, Adam returns to his home and informs his parents that he has married Vanessa. His mother is furious at this announcement and proceeds to have the marriage annulled when she finds out that Adam has not consummated his marriage yet. In the midst of all this, his stepbrothers manage to locate his biological father in Cuba. Adam, his mother Mamie, wife Vanessa, stepsister Cindy and Mel go to Cuba in order to confront his original father. On reaching Cuba, it is learned that Mamie's father had threatened to kill Adam, and so forced Reydel (the biological father) to abandon Vanessa and head back to Cuba where he is now a priest. Mamie has a heart attack and is moved to a hospital.
In the meantime, Adam is married formally in a chapel to Vanessa by his father. Before he is able to consummate his marriage, Mel kidnaps him and takes him to the Dominican Republic where he plans revenge on the terrorists who killed his girlfriend and Adam's original girlfriend Cassie. Mel is injured and it is up to Adam to exact the revenge, though he is loath to do so. The lead terrorist instigates Adam to open a suitcase which purportedly contains a video showing the beheading of his girlfriend. Adams takes the bait, only to result in an explosion which flattens the entire building. Rescuers locate Adam under the debris and ask his name. He tells them his name and dies while uttering "I am a virgin" in the last scene: a surprisingly tragic end to what can be considered a story which is mainly humorous in nature.
Collected editions
The series has been collected into a number of trade paperbacksTrade 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...
:
| Title | ISBN | Publication date | reprinted issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Virgin: Head | ISBN 1-4012-1065-1 | October 25, 2006 | American Virgin #1–4 |
| American Virgin: Going Down | ISBN 1-4012-1301-4 | July 25, 2007 | American Virgin #5–9 |
| American Virgin: Wet | ISBN 1-4012-1494-0 | November 21, 2007 | American Virgin #10–14 |
| American Virgin: Around the World | ISBN 1-4012-1831-8 | July 15, 2008 | American Virgin #15-23 |
External links
- publisher's webpage for American Virgin vol 1: Head with free download of American Virgin #1