Jonni Future
Encyclopedia
Jonni Future is a fictional comic book
heroine, who appeared in the pages of Tom Strong's Terrific Tales, a series published under writer Alan Moore
's America's Best Comics line of comic books for Wildstorm Comics. The stories were written by Steve Moore
(no relation) and most of them were illustrated by Art Adams
.
and Barbarella
.
The plots are deliberate homages to pulp science fiction
pulp magazines, due to the revelation that her uncle Johnny Future often returned to 20th century Earth
and wrote up his adventures as pulp fiction in a magazine named Startling Stories (a reference to the real-life magazine Amazing Stories
). The result is that many of the characters and situations that are considered outlandish and silly by the heroine are actually real-life occurrences in the Crepusculum.
Despite the well-endowed character's incredulity at the idea that her uncle intended her to wear the revealing costume that she wears in the series, Jonni nonetheless accepts her role as an adventurer, with much of the plots centering on or making mention of her attractive nature, or barely clothed damsels in distress in general. For example, in the second installment, "Moth Women of the Myriad Moons", Jonni battles a swarm of creatures with greatly exaggerated female characteristics like her own. In the third chapter, "The Seraglio
of the Stars", Jonni is captured with the intent of making her a sex slave, but escapes with a plan in which she and the other slaves use their sexuality against their captors, one that includes Jonni being briefly nude.
In the fourth story,"The Witch of the World's End" a group of 16th century Christian
witch-hunt
ers are transported into the future, and encounter a city whose motifs indicate an liberated view of sexuality and nudity, causing them to conclude that they have reached the literal "end of the world
", and that Jonni Future is a witch. A recurrent theme is Jermaal's unrequited lust for Jonni.
After his death, he leaves his home to his ethnobotanist niece, Jonni. She inherits the house, she learns, on the condition that she keep it, and resell it to no one. In her first night in the house (which is intended to resemble Norman Bates
' house from the film Psycho), she finds her uncle's old magazines and starts reading about his fanciful exploits. Jonni encounters Jermaal Van Pavane, an anthropomorphic cheetah
, who crossed from the pulp universe via a dimensional
bridge in the attic. He brings her back to her uncle's old lair, explains to her the truth about him. Jermaal becomes her sidekick
in the campy action, explaining that her uncle wished her to take up his mantle as a hero
and protector of the Grand Array, the fantastic universe he lost his life defending. His legacy to Jonni includes trappings like the fish-shaped spaceship
Coelacanth
, a war suit and a "universal translator
" helmet that enable Jonni to communicate with Jermaal and other aliens.
Tomorrow Stories 64-Page Specials
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...
heroine, who appeared in the pages of Tom Strong's Terrific Tales, a series published under writer Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's America's Best Comics line of comic books for Wildstorm Comics. The stories were written by Steve Moore
Steve Moore (comics)
Steve Moore is a British comics writer.Moore is credited with showing acclaimed writer Alan Moore , then a struggling cartoonist, how to write comic scripts...
(no relation) and most of them were illustrated by Art Adams
Art Adams
Arthur "Art" Adams is an American comic book artist and writer. He first broke into the American comic book industry with the 1985 Marvel Comics miniseries Longshot...
.
Concept
Jonni Future's character and stories are an amalgamation of classic science fiction characters like Adam StrangeAdam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
and Barbarella
Barbarella (comic book)
Barbarella is a fictional heroine in the French science fiction comic book created by Jean-Claude Forest. He created the character for serialisation in the French magazine V-Magazine in spring 1962, and in 1964 Eric Losfeld later published these strips as a stand-alone book, under the title...
.
The plots are deliberate homages to pulp science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
pulp magazines, due to the revelation that her uncle Johnny Future often returned to 20th century Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and wrote up his adventures as pulp fiction in a magazine named Startling Stories (a reference to the real-life magazine Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
). The result is that many of the characters and situations that are considered outlandish and silly by the heroine are actually real-life occurrences in the Crepusculum.
Despite the well-endowed character's incredulity at the idea that her uncle intended her to wear the revealing costume that she wears in the series, Jonni nonetheless accepts her role as an adventurer, with much of the plots centering on or making mention of her attractive nature, or barely clothed damsels in distress in general. For example, in the second installment, "Moth Women of the Myriad Moons", Jonni battles a swarm of creatures with greatly exaggerated female characteristics like her own. In the third chapter, "The Seraglio
Seraglio
A seraglio or serail is the sequestered living quarters used by wives and concubines in a Turkish household. The word comes from an Italian variant of Turkish saray, from Persian sarai , meaning palace, or the enclosed courts for the wives and concubines of the harem of a house or palace...
of the Stars", Jonni is captured with the intent of making her a sex slave, but escapes with a plan in which she and the other slaves use their sexuality against their captors, one that includes Jonni being briefly nude.
In the fourth story,"The Witch of the World's End" a group of 16th century Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
witch-hunt
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
ers are transported into the future, and encounter a city whose motifs indicate an liberated view of sexuality and nudity, causing them to conclude that they have reached the literal "end of the world
Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology. Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning last and study , is the study of the end of things, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world...
", and that Jonni Future is a witch. A recurrent theme is Jermaal's unrequited lust for Jonni.
Fictional character biography
Jonni's uncle came and went at his pleasure from the 20th century to the Crepusculum, a time billions of years in the future when the whole solar system teeters on the brink of collapse and several planets have already disintegrated in a maelstrom of asteroids. He made these journeys via a portal located in his home.After his death, he leaves his home to his ethnobotanist niece, Jonni. She inherits the house, she learns, on the condition that she keep it, and resell it to no one. In her first night in the house (which is intended to resemble Norman Bates
Norman Bates
Norman Bates is a fictional character created by writer Robert Bloch as the central character in his novel Psycho, and portrayed by Anthony Perkins as the main antagonist of the 1960 film of the same name directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
' house from the film Psycho), she finds her uncle's old magazines and starts reading about his fanciful exploits. Jonni encounters Jermaal Van Pavane, an anthropomorphic cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
, who crossed from the pulp universe via a dimensional
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
bridge in the attic. He brings her back to her uncle's old lair, explains to her the truth about him. Jermaal becomes her sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
in the campy action, explaining that her uncle wished her to take up his mantle as a hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
and protector of the Grand Array, the fantastic universe he lost his life defending. His legacy to Jonni includes trappings like the fish-shaped spaceship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
Coelacanth
Coelacanth
Coelacanths are members of an order of fish that includes the oldest living lineage of Sarcopterygii known to date....
, a war suit and a "universal translator
Universal translator
A universal translator is a device common to many science fiction works, especially on television. First described in Murray Leinster's 1945 novella "First Contact", the translator's purpose is to offer an instant translation of any language...
" helmet that enable Jonni to communicate with Jermaal and other aliens.
Issues
- Tom Strong's Terrific Tales: Book One, issues 1-6 (hardcover: ISBN 1-4012-0030-3, paperback: ISBN 1-4012-0029-X)
- Tom Strong's Terrific Tales: Book Two, issues 7-12 (hardcover: ISBN 1-4012-0615-8)
Tomorrow Stories 64-Page Specials
- Special #1 (26 October 2005)
- Special #2 (8 March 2006)