The End League
Encyclopedia
The End League is a fiction
al superhero
team appearing in a self-titled monthly comic book
series
by Dark Horse Comics
, which began in January 2008
.
The series was created by Rick Remender
and Mat Broome and focuses on the struggles of the last of the superheroes in a world in which the supervillains have prevailed and enslaved what remains of the world.
As of issue #5, Broome left for Marvel Comics
and Eric Canete took over art duties, with Dave Stewart
providing the coloring. With the new art team in place for the start of the second story arc, the title started appearing on a monthly basis.
Due to Remender also signing an exclusive deal with Marvel Comics, he wound up both of his creator-owned Dark Horse series, with The End League ending in a double-length issue #9.
god Thor had remained on Earth after all of the other classical gods left. Believed to be the only being whose power equaled Astonishman's, Thor went missing on the day of the Green Event and was believed dead. In fact, he was slayed by Divinity using her father's sword (Zeus) - God Killer. This also is not a fact that any of the team members are aware of, only Zeus and Divinity.
Picking the best of the superhumans, Astonishman formed the Squadron of Righteousness. Its mission was to repair the damage done to the planet and to protect humanity against the other superhumans, now supervillains. Eventually the supervillains joined forces and eliminated the world's superheroes in an event known as the Day of Annihilation. Astonishman and the remaining superheroes escaped to Astonishman’s Citadel of Seclusion located in Australia, now a frozen wasteland. They remained hidden for twelve years. Known as The End League, the heroes spent that time focusing on survival and searching for the hammer of Thor, Mjöllnir, which they believe can save the world.
On the twelve year anniversary of the Day of Annihilation, the starving members of The End League planned a raid on Scarecrow Sinister's food facility in northern Canada. Astonishman gathered a strike team consisting of himself, Soldier American, Prairie Ghost, Divinity, Brother Occult, and the rookie Blur Girl. Once on site, Brother Occult's demon servant, Azul, attacked the team and betrayed them to Dead Lexington. Dead Lexington appeared via remote monitor to gloat that he knows where the Citadel of Seclusion is and will be attacking it shortly. As Blur Girl runs off to warn the team, she is stopped by a now-lobotomized Thor, who stands ready to kill his former allies.
The brain-damaged Thor and The End League battle. Blur Girl and Soldier American are quickly injured and out of the fight. Astonishman is initially paralyzed by doubts about their ability to defeat Thor, but joins in the fight. Divinity temporarily restored Thor's lucidity with her sword. He warned Astonishman that a greater danger threatens Earth and then tells Astonishman that he must kill him. After Thor again loses his mind, Astonishman is still reluctant to strike a lethal blow. Thor strikes a mortal blow against Astonishman with Mjolnir by piercing his armor which holds his energy in. The energy released explosively from Astonishman's body apparently kills the both of them. Mjolnir is undamaged and recovered by someone, possibly Lexington.
Lexington proclaimed Astonishman's death to the public and moved to consolidate his power. He sent his agents to abduct Kelly Klein, the leader of an underground church; secretly married to Astonishman. Codename Black had promised Astonishman he would protect her. Black fought the agents, but they were successful in capturing Klein. Black, here, is shown using lethal force against his sister Sonic Eel, ruining her superpowers in one throat-crushing maneuver.
In the Nether Realm, Azul gloats to the captive Brother Occult. Azul tells him Lexington freed the demon, but Azul serves a greater power, Nargor'ri the Ravager, who arrives in the final scene of Book 1 with a promise to "end all."
In Book 2, we see the a familiar looking young boy dressed in Nazi attire in the year 1941, being brought to meet and trained by Wolfsangel to kill Jewish slaves being held captive. He is in a group of other children, all of which it seems have been experimented on and have super powers. When one of the children, a girl named Elsa refuses to kill; Wolfsangel kills her on the spot. The slaying of the slaves is interrupted by Astonishman and a group of sodiers: the Flying 33rd. The young man we are introduced to at the beginning of the book can form light daggers and has some form of telekinesis. He seizes Astonishman's shield and uses it to slay all of the Nazi's, except Wolfsangel who teleports away. The reader is led to believe that this little boy is Soldier American, and after this incident Astonishman never uses his shield again.
More to come...
:
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al superhero
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 appearing in a self-titled monthly comic book
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...
series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
by 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...
, which began in January 2008
2008 in comics
-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
.
The series was created by Rick Remender
Rick Remender
Rick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Portland, Oregon. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' Punisher series, as well as Fear Agent, Uncanny X-Force, and Venom.-Career:...
and Mat Broome and focuses on the struggles of the last of the superheroes in a world in which the supervillains have prevailed and enslaved what remains of the world.
Publication history
The series was written by Rick Remender, with pencils by Mat Broome, and inks by Sean Parsons.As of issue #5, Broome left 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...
and Eric Canete took over art duties, with Dave Stewart
Dave Stewart (artist)
Dave Stewart is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry. He is known for his work at Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics and Marvel Comics, as well as colouring Tim Sale's art in Heroes.-Dark Horse Comics:...
providing the coloring. With the new art team in place for the start of the second story arc, the title started appearing on a monthly basis.
Due to Remender also signing an exclusive deal with Marvel Comics, he wound up both of his creator-owned Dark Horse series, with The End League ending in a double-length issue #9.
Team members
- Astonishman (Brian Terrance) - Known as the world's greatest hero, he was more than 100 years old before his death. Astonishman blamed himself for the state of the world due to his involvement in the Green Event (see below). He possessed super strength, super hearing, flight, and invulnerability. Astonishman drew energy from the Earth's core. When his skin was broken, he leaked the very energy that granted him his powers. Upon his death, the energy vacated his body in a blast of nuclear proportions. He died from grievous injuries sustained at the hands (and hammer) of Thor.
- Soldier American (Nicholas "Nick" Winters) - Active since the 1930s, Soldier American participated in a government program that gave him the speed and strength of ten men. He also has the ability to create energy machetes. During a raid on a food facility, he killed his longtime sidekick, The Devil Boy, while possessed by the villain Scarecrow Sinister.
- Blur Girl (Rebecca Watts) - Blur is the fastest human left alive. She is Astonishman's goddaughter and is in a romantic relationship with The Blue Gauntlet.
- The Blue Gauntlet (Palmira) - Described by writer Rick Remender as "a pacifist powered by an ancient alien parasite," Palmira is in a lesbian relationship with Rebecca. Her powers seem to be mainly energy-based. She can also fly. Though she has fought valiantly by the sides of the rest of the End League, Mother Hive will not confide in her as she does the rest of the team due in great part to the fact that she has mental blocks that prevent Mother Hive from accessing her mind telepathically.
- Mother Hive - Mother Hive is a powerful telepath who coordinates the team's missions from the safety of the Citadel of Seclusion.
- The Arachnakid - An young (15 years old) and an extremely tall and lithe adventurer with two pairs of arms, sharp teeth, and an acerbic wit used to hide his loneliness and self-pity. He seems to be in love with Blur Girl.
- The Prairie Ghost - Deemed by writer Rick Remender a "living poltergeist," the Prairie Ghost's powers and personality have yet to be fully revealed. He possesses a strong, ghostly steed (CrowBait) and wields mystical chains as weaponry. He speaks with a Southern accent and seems to be of a rather bellicose mentality. He, like Codename Black, does not seem to have any compunctions regarding using lethal force when necessary.
- Brother Occult - Called the "mysterious Master of the Nether Realms," this mage's power seems to be derived mainly from the bargains he makes with various demons, such as one known as Azul. Azul is supposedly bound in servitude to Brother Occult.
- Divinity - A self-described "god-killer," Divinity is one of the "big three," a subgroup comprising the leadership of The End League. The other members are Codename Black and Astonishman. Divinity wields a powerful sword that can both wound and heal (as evidenced by its temporary restoration of Thor's mental capacity, post-lobotomy). The series hints at strong sexual/romantic tension between her and Astonishman. It is hinted that she also played a part in the Green Event, as she was supposed to be Earth'sprotector when the event happened. There is also mention of her having killed Thor, a fact that only she and her father Zeus know about.
- Codename Black (Zane Ladle) - A mysterious non-Magnificent clad in an impressive suit of armor and revealed to have extensive knowledge of martial arts, as well as near-perfect skills in planning. He also seemingly shows little to no hesitance when it comes to the use of lethal force (as seen in issue #2). According to a conversation with his arch-nemesis, the Smiling Man, Black's family all received powers during the Green Event. They subsequently went mad and became super villains. This further stoked the flames of Codename Black's paranoia regarding all Magnificents. Soldier American openly described him as a "schizophrenic."
- Grimwood - Described by writer Rick Remender as a "spirit-man made of Earth stuff," Grimwood is an enormous humanoid with an extremely easygoing demeanor. He also seems to be the most philosophical of the remaining Magnificents, and does his best to keep his friends optimistic. He has something of a father-son relationship with Arachnakid, and is relentless in his desire to protect his friends and the remaining innocents on Earth after the Green Event.
Adversaries
- Thor - The Norse God of ThunderThorIn Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
and son of OdinOdinOdin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
, Thor disobeyed his father's orders, refusing to return to ValhallaValhallaIn Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
, instead staying on EarthEarthEarth 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...
to help mankind. He is mysteriously absent and presumed dead on the day of the Green Event. It is hinted that he and Astonishman are at around the same level in terms of sheer power; Astonishman's monologue in issue #1 supports the theory that the two titans were friends at some point. Thor arrives at the end of issue #1, lobotomized by and completely under the control of Dead Lexington. He beats Astonishman to death between moments of lucidity brought about by Divinity's sword. - Charles "Dead" Lexington - Archenemy of Astonishman, Dead Lexington was responsible for tricking Astonishman into triggering the Green Event. Following "The Day of Annihilation" (an event in which most of the world's superheroes died, see Plot Synopsis below), Dead Lexington appointed himself ruler of the world. In exchange for power, he made a deal with a demon called Nargor'ri the Ravager, offering the demon all the nations of the world except for his city, New Lexington.
- Scarecrow Sinister - Capable of possessing others, Scarecrow Sinister operates a food facility for Dead Lexington in the remains of northern CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and seems to have the ability to possess the bodies and minds of others, turning them into puppets to follow his will. While Scarecrow Sinister was possessing Prairie Ghost to kill Soldier American, Blur Girl killed the villain by throwing his body out of a building. - The Smiling Man - A clownClownClowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
-like villain inhabiting a trap-filled amusement park in the city of Lore, formerly known as Los Angeles. Easily the most unhinged villain, he openly acknowledges the homoerotic undertones of his relationship with Codename Black. He evidently keeps a "stable of wives" with whom he regularly seems to have sex with. He is also related to Codename Black, but not a member of the Family Fear. - Wolfsangel - A brutal Nazi warlord with seemingly reptilian characteristics. He plans to overthrow Dead Lexington by using the hammer of Thor and the clones of dead superheroes. He conducts his experiments in his city, called the Berlin Dome.
- Minister of Matter (Peter Ladle) - Member of the Family Fear, Dead Lexington's most trusted associate, and one of Codename Black's brothers. He joined forces with Wolfsangel and other villains to overthrow Dead Lexington.
- Sonic Eel (Jen Ladle) - Member of the Family Fear and Codename Black's sister.
- Azul - A demon once forced to serve Brother Occult. It has become a herald to Nargor'ri.
- Nargor'ri the Ravager - A inter-dimensional demon whose sole purpose is to end all life for mortals and gods. It has already killed all the Norse gods in AsgardAsgardIn Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...
and is moving on to OlympusMount OlympusMount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
and Earth.
Magnificents
During the Green Event, Astonishman uses his superhearing to determine which city needs his help the most. While doing so he overhears survivors of the Green Event gaining and using their powers for the first time. Most of these survivors become selfish, looking only for a way to exploit their newfound abilities for any type of monetary gain. The mainstay of the Magnificents live "Dead" Lexington's city (New York), but the few heroes that are left live with Astonishman in his Citadel of Seclusion in Australia, now a snow-covered wasteland.Plot
In May 1962, the superhero Astonishman triggered a worldwide cataclysm known as the Green Event. His archenemy, the villain Dead Lexington, led Astonishman to believe that an alien ship at the bottom of the ocean was a communist nuclear facility. Astonishman detonated a nuclear missile in the ship. The missile exploded the alien power core, releasing a wave of radiation and knocking the Earth off its axis. The radiation killed three billion people; one in ten thousand of the survivors would later develop superhuman abilities. The knowledge that Astonishamn was the reason for the Green Event is a fact that only he and Dead Lexington are aware of. The NorseNorse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
god Thor had remained on Earth after all of the other classical gods left. Believed to be the only being whose power equaled Astonishman's, Thor went missing on the day of the Green Event and was believed dead. In fact, he was slayed by Divinity using her father's sword (Zeus) - God Killer. This also is not a fact that any of the team members are aware of, only Zeus and Divinity.
Picking the best of the superhumans, Astonishman formed the Squadron of Righteousness. Its mission was to repair the damage done to the planet and to protect humanity against the other superhumans, now supervillains. Eventually the supervillains joined forces and eliminated the world's superheroes in an event known as the Day of Annihilation. Astonishman and the remaining superheroes escaped to Astonishman’s Citadel of Seclusion located in Australia, now a frozen wasteland. They remained hidden for twelve years. Known as The End League, the heroes spent that time focusing on survival and searching for the hammer of Thor, Mjöllnir, which they believe can save the world.
On the twelve year anniversary of the Day of Annihilation, the starving members of The End League planned a raid on Scarecrow Sinister's food facility in northern Canada. Astonishman gathered a strike team consisting of himself, Soldier American, Prairie Ghost, Divinity, Brother Occult, and the rookie Blur Girl. Once on site, Brother Occult's demon servant, Azul, attacked the team and betrayed them to Dead Lexington. Dead Lexington appeared via remote monitor to gloat that he knows where the Citadel of Seclusion is and will be attacking it shortly. As Blur Girl runs off to warn the team, she is stopped by a now-lobotomized Thor, who stands ready to kill his former allies.
The brain-damaged Thor and The End League battle. Blur Girl and Soldier American are quickly injured and out of the fight. Astonishman is initially paralyzed by doubts about their ability to defeat Thor, but joins in the fight. Divinity temporarily restored Thor's lucidity with her sword. He warned Astonishman that a greater danger threatens Earth and then tells Astonishman that he must kill him. After Thor again loses his mind, Astonishman is still reluctant to strike a lethal blow. Thor strikes a mortal blow against Astonishman with Mjolnir by piercing his armor which holds his energy in. The energy released explosively from Astonishman's body apparently kills the both of them. Mjolnir is undamaged and recovered by someone, possibly Lexington.
Lexington proclaimed Astonishman's death to the public and moved to consolidate his power. He sent his agents to abduct Kelly Klein, the leader of an underground church; secretly married to Astonishman. Codename Black had promised Astonishman he would protect her. Black fought the agents, but they were successful in capturing Klein. Black, here, is shown using lethal force against his sister Sonic Eel, ruining her superpowers in one throat-crushing maneuver.
In the Nether Realm, Azul gloats to the captive Brother Occult. Azul tells him Lexington freed the demon, but Azul serves a greater power, Nargor'ri the Ravager, who arrives in the final scene of Book 1 with a promise to "end all."
In Book 2, we see the a familiar looking young boy dressed in Nazi attire in the year 1941, being brought to meet and trained by Wolfsangel to kill Jewish slaves being held captive. He is in a group of other children, all of which it seems have been experimented on and have super powers. When one of the children, a girl named Elsa refuses to kill; Wolfsangel kills her on the spot. The slaying of the slaves is interrupted by Astonishman and a group of sodiers: the Flying 33rd. The young man we are introduced to at the beginning of the book can form light daggers and has some form of telekinesis. He seizes Astonishman's shield and uses it to slay all of the Nazi's, except Wolfsangel who teleports away. The reader is led to believe that this little boy is Soldier American, and after this incident Astonishman never uses his shield again.
More to come...
Collected editions
The series is being collected into two 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...
:
- Ballad of Big Nothing (collects issues #1-4, 104 pages, Dark Horse Comics, October 2008, ISBN 1595821953)
- Weathered Statues (collects issues #5-9, 104 pages, Dark Horse Comics, June 2010, ISBN 159582300X)
External links
- The End League #1 Solicitation Page
- The End League #2 Solicitation Page
- Review of issue #1, #2 and #3 at Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...