The Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead
Encyclopedia
The Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead is a six-issue comic book
limited series
published by Marvel Comics
. It is the penultimate
story arc of five
based on Stephen King
's The Dark Tower
series of novels. It is plotted by Robin Furth
, scripted by Peter David
, and illustrated by Richard Isanove. Stephen King is the Creative and Executive Director of the project. The first issue was published May 13, 2009.
, is overcome with grief over accidentally killing his mother, Gabrielle. Abel Vannay the Wise and Cortland "Cort" Andrus search the quarters of Kingson, John Farson
's nephew, whom Cort recently killed at the feast's riddle competition when he realized he was in league of Farson. Cort discovers a journal, but as he leafs through it, licking his fingers to do so, he picks up the poison with which the journal's pages are laced, much to Abel's horror. Steven Deschain discovers that Maerlyn's Grapefruit, the mysterious seeing sphere of John Farson's that Roland acquired during his recent mission, is missing from the cabinet where he hid it, and suspects that his wife, Gabrielle, secretly took the cabinet's key off of him as they danced at the recent feast, but is horrified when he discovers his son Roland over Gabrielle's dead body. Roland admits that he killed his own mother while under the spell of Maerlyn's Grapefruit which made her appear as Rhea of the Coos. Upon checking Gabrielle's body, the group discovers a poisoned blade with the sigul of John Farson, confirming that Gabrielle was coerced by Marten to assassinate Steven Deschain. Despite this, Roland is locked away in a cell to await trial for the murder of Gabrielle.
While Roland awaits trial, Steven Deschain and a group of gunslingers follow a trail leading from Gilead that they believe will lead them to John Farson. They are ambushed by a group of Slow Mutant's and Robert Allgood (Cuthbert's Father) is killed with a poisonous dart. Later, they are ambushed again by Farson's men and all are killed except Steven Deschain and Chris John's (Alain's Father) Cort also passes away from the effects of the poison ink, and Vannay is shot by a messenger as he prepares Cort's body for burial. Aileen, Cort's niece, enraged by the murder of her uncle, disguises herself as a boy and a gunslinger and helps Roland escape from his cell, only to discover that all of his gunslinger mentors have been slain, and that his father is injured badly from the ambush.
Upon returning it is soon discovered that the doctors in Gilead have been killed by Farson's men in preparation for the upcoming assault on Gilead. Chris Johns throat is slit as he checks on the home of Doctor Decurry, and Steven is stabbed in the back by a traitorous guard. With his last breath, Steven scrawls "Open the Pits" in his own blood on the floor, a signal to Roland to use the castle's ancient defenses, only to be used in the most dire circumstances. Three days later, John Farson's army arrives at the gates of Gilead and a battle ensues. Despite the ancient pits, John Farson's troops, slow mutants, and great machines of the old times (tanks, RPGs) are too much for the city and the citizens are forced to flee in the sewer.
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...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by 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...
. It is the penultimate
story arc of five
The Dark Tower (comics)
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born is a seven-issue comic book limited series, published in 2007 by Marvel Comics. It is the first story arc of five based on The Dark Tower series of novels by Stephen King. It is plotted by Robin Furth, scripted by Peter David, and illustrated by Jae Lee and...
based on Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower
Dark Tower may refer to:* The Dark Tower , an unfinished novel by C. S. Lewis* Barad-dûr the fortress of Sauron in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings* The Dark Tower , a 1933 comedy by George S...
series of novels. It is plotted by Robin Furth
Robin Furth
Robin Furth is the personal research assistant to Stephen King and the author of Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance, which was published by Scribner on December 5, 2006...
, scripted by Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
, and illustrated by Richard Isanove. Stephen King is the Creative and Executive Director of the project. The first issue was published May 13, 2009.
Publication dates
- Issue #1: May 13, 2009
- Issue #2: June 17, 2009
- Issue #3: July 29, 2009
- Issue #4: August 26, 2009
- Issue #5: September 30, 2009
- Issue #6: November 25, 2009
Plot
In direct continuation of the previous story's finale, Roland DeschainRoland Deschain
Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character, the protagonist and antihero of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is descended from a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society...
, is overcome with grief over accidentally killing his mother, Gabrielle. Abel Vannay the Wise and Cortland "Cort" Andrus search the quarters of Kingson, John Farson
John Farson
John Farson is a fictional character from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels and comic books. Known as "The Good Man", Farson is the leader of a revolution in In-World who appeals to the common people, wanting to end the training of Gunslingers and re-distribute power. His stated...
's nephew, whom Cort recently killed at the feast's riddle competition when he realized he was in league of Farson. Cort discovers a journal, but as he leafs through it, licking his fingers to do so, he picks up the poison with which the journal's pages are laced, much to Abel's horror. Steven Deschain discovers that Maerlyn's Grapefruit, the mysterious seeing sphere of John Farson's that Roland acquired during his recent mission, is missing from the cabinet where he hid it, and suspects that his wife, Gabrielle, secretly took the cabinet's key off of him as they danced at the recent feast, but is horrified when he discovers his son Roland over Gabrielle's dead body. Roland admits that he killed his own mother while under the spell of Maerlyn's Grapefruit which made her appear as Rhea of the Coos. Upon checking Gabrielle's body, the group discovers a poisoned blade with the sigul of John Farson, confirming that Gabrielle was coerced by Marten to assassinate Steven Deschain. Despite this, Roland is locked away in a cell to await trial for the murder of Gabrielle.
While Roland awaits trial, Steven Deschain and a group of gunslingers follow a trail leading from Gilead that they believe will lead them to John Farson. They are ambushed by a group of Slow Mutant's and Robert Allgood (Cuthbert's Father) is killed with a poisonous dart. Later, they are ambushed again by Farson's men and all are killed except Steven Deschain and Chris John's (Alain's Father) Cort also passes away from the effects of the poison ink, and Vannay is shot by a messenger as he prepares Cort's body for burial. Aileen, Cort's niece, enraged by the murder of her uncle, disguises herself as a boy and a gunslinger and helps Roland escape from his cell, only to discover that all of his gunslinger mentors have been slain, and that his father is injured badly from the ambush.
Upon returning it is soon discovered that the doctors in Gilead have been killed by Farson's men in preparation for the upcoming assault on Gilead. Chris Johns throat is slit as he checks on the home of Doctor Decurry, and Steven is stabbed in the back by a traitorous guard. With his last breath, Steven scrawls "Open the Pits" in his own blood on the floor, a signal to Roland to use the castle's ancient defenses, only to be used in the most dire circumstances. Three days later, John Farson's army arrives at the gates of Gilead and a battle ensues. Despite the ancient pits, John Farson's troops, slow mutants, and great machines of the old times (tanks, RPGs) are too much for the city and the citizens are forced to flee in the sewer.