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Section 8 (comics)
Encyclopedia
Section 8 is a fictional superhero
team in the . The team first appeared in Hitman
#18 (September 1997), and was created by Garth Ennis
and John McCrea
(with some slight, uncredited aid from Steve Dillon
).
, and is led by Sixpack. They apparently have some sort of heroic history (though this is complicated by the fact that several of their members seem prone to complicated hallucinations) prior to the events of Hitman. As of the start of the series, the team is split up, although they are all still located within Gotham City.
The team reforms to provide critical support for Tommy Monaghan
and his crew during the "Ace of Killers" storyline. Collectively, they kill many mafia soldiers that were trying to kill Tommy, Natt the Hat, Detective Tiegel and Catwoman. The group later aids Tommy during his encounter with the Czarnian mercenary anti-hero Lobo. Specifically, they aid Tommy in creating material blackmailing a stunned Lobo with the help of Bueno Excellente which prevents Lobo from taking revenge against any of them.
Their attempt to fight with the demonic entities known as the Multi-Angled Ones was less successful, as most of the team die or accidentally kill themselves. Sixpack offers to voluntarily go with the Many-Angled Ones to stop the attack. Pleased at the self-sacrifice, they leave with him. Sixpack has a statue built in his honor of his presumed death, though the storyline suggests both that he survived and cleaned up his lifestyle afterward. Bueno Excellente appeared to have escaped the fate of the rest of the team to avenge their loss on the scientist responsible for releasing the Many Angled Ones.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team in the . The team first appeared in Hitman
Hitman (comics)
Hitman is a fictional character, a superpowered hitman in the DC Comics Universe. The character was created by Garth Ennis and John McCrea and first appeared in The Demon Annual #2 and then received his own series by Ennis and McCrea lasting 61 issues.-Background:Hitman chronicles the exploits of...
#18 (September 1997), and was created by Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
and John McCrea
John McCrea
John McCrea is a comic book artist best known for his collaborations with writer Garth Ennis.-Career:...
(with some slight, uncredited aid from Steve Dillon
Steve Dillon
Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist, from Luton, Bedfordshire, best known for his work with writer Garth Ennis on Hellblazer, Preacher and The Punisher.-Biography:...
).
History
The team is based in The Cauldron, the Irish section of Gotham CityGotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
, and is led by Sixpack. They apparently have some sort of heroic history (though this is complicated by the fact that several of their members seem prone to complicated hallucinations) prior to the events of Hitman. As of the start of the series, the team is split up, although they are all still located within Gotham City.
The team reforms to provide critical support for Tommy Monaghan
Hitman (comics)
Hitman is a fictional character, a superpowered hitman in the DC Comics Universe. The character was created by Garth Ennis and John McCrea and first appeared in The Demon Annual #2 and then received his own series by Ennis and McCrea lasting 61 issues.-Background:Hitman chronicles the exploits of...
and his crew during the "Ace of Killers" storyline. Collectively, they kill many mafia soldiers that were trying to kill Tommy, Natt the Hat, Detective Tiegel and Catwoman. The group later aids Tommy during his encounter with the Czarnian mercenary anti-hero Lobo. Specifically, they aid Tommy in creating material blackmailing a stunned Lobo with the help of Bueno Excellente which prevents Lobo from taking revenge against any of them.
Their attempt to fight with the demonic entities known as the Multi-Angled Ones was less successful, as most of the team die or accidentally kill themselves. Sixpack offers to voluntarily go with the Many-Angled Ones to stop the attack. Pleased at the self-sacrifice, they leave with him. Sixpack has a statue built in his honor of his presumed death, though the storyline suggests both that he survived and cleaned up his lifestyle afterward. Bueno Excellente appeared to have escaped the fate of the rest of the team to avenge their loss on the scientist responsible for releasing the Many Angled Ones.
Members
- Sixpack: Team leader, whose special ability is grotesque drunkennessDrunkennessAlcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
and beating villains with broken-off liquor bottles.
- Bueno Excellente: An obese, sweaty, and bald LatinoLatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
in an overcoat who "defeats evil with the power of perversion." Generally, the only thing he says is "Bueno", often preceded by a creepy chuckle.
- The Defenestrator: A large, burly man in a denim jacket, black sunglasses, with black hair who obsessively carries around a window through which he forcefully throws criminalsDefenestrationDefenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618. The word comes from the Latin de- and fenestra...
and the occasional unlucky policeman. His assaults on police officers landed him in Arkham AsylumArkham AsylumThe Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
. His appearance, name, and much of his dialogue are direct parodies of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
.
- Dogwelder: A thin, silent man in a welder's mask who spot welds dead canines to evildoers.
- Friendly Fire: A large, hapless man in a red cowl, Friendly Fire would easily be the most powerful of Section 8's heroes if he were to shoot anything other than allies with the potent bolts of energy he fires from his hands.
- Jean de Baton-Baton: A bizarrely gaunt walking French caricature who defeats enemies with "the power of Frenchness," as expressed by savage beatings with a baguetteBaguetteA baguette is "a long thin loaf of French bread" that is commonly made from basic lean dough...
and occasionally blinding others with rings of garlic and onions.
- Flemgem: A sickly, thin, bald man in a green suit and a purple domino mask who has the ability to produce and expel large volumes of phlegmPhlegmPhlegm is a liquid secreted by the mucous membranes of mammalians. Its definition is limited to the mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that from the nasal passages, and particularly that which is expelled by coughing . Phlegm is in essence a water-based gel consisting of...
, which can blind, suffocate, or simply disgust evildoers.
- Shakes: A thin, hairy vagrant who upsets people through stutters and an overall shaking palsy. He is a frequent, accidental target of Friendly Fire.
External links
- DCU Guide: Section 8
- Cosmic Teams: Section 8
- Dogwelder cited as one of Comic Book Resources' "Reasons To Love Comics"
- "The Top Ten Lamest Superheroes of All Time" from PopCultureAddict.com (#6, Dogwelder)