Firearm (comics)
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Firearm was a comic book series created by writer James Dale Robinson and artists Howard Chaykin and Cully Hamner for Malibu Comics' Ultraverse imprint, which lasted 18 issues, with an additional 0 issue. The series was about Alec Swan, a private investigator who, against his own wishes, manages to become embroiled in cases involving the strange and the ultra-human.
After the series ended, there was a 4 issue mini-series called Codename: Firearm about another character with the same code name, which had Alec Swan in backup stories.
Alec Swan's career began when he was a member of the Special Boat Service, the British equivalent of the Navy SEALS; his mission record was extraordinary. He then became an agent for the Lodge, one of England's covert agencies. As one of its "squires", Swan earned his codename, "Firearm", due to his proficiency with guns. As a Lodge agent, Swan did many things which haunted him.
His last mission as a Lodge operative concerned two rogue ultra-human agents, one from the Lodge and one from Aladdin, an American agency. A transatlantic operation arose, combining the forces of both agencies to stop the agents. High command, determined to eliminate the targets, decided that pawns were needed to die with them in order to ensure the scenario looked realistic. Swan was the only one to walk away from the mission, and upon learning the truth left the agency. The only thing he took with him was his weapon, which he informed the Lodge he had "lost."
Swan left England for America, where he finally settled down in Pasadena, California. He set up shop as a private investigator, hoping for a quiet life, but never finding it. His cases almost always, sooner or later, involved the fantastic.
While investigating the disappearance of Artie Tate for Claire Brody, Swan found himself facing down the Sportsmen, a group of wealthy cannibalistic ultras, who hunted down retired servicemen for sport. Afterwards, he met Ellen, a young woman who was so ashamed of the wings growing out of her back, she was contemplating suicide, until Alec talked her out of it.
A missing child case took an interesting turn when Swan discovered that the child in question was Kevin Green, better known as the ultrahuman, Prime. Unable to find any information on the streets, Swan was forced to ask for help from the Lodge, something he had promised himself he would never do. In exchange for the information provided, Swan would have to take a case for them in the future.
The Lodge case involved Swan having his consciousness projected, against his will, into a cyberspace recreation of Glasgow, Scotland. Once there he had to free the program from the control of a double agent, rescue the professor that had created the program, and find his way home. He succeeded, and, once free, proceeded to make it clear that he would never work for the Lodge again.
By far, his most dangerous case involved the ultra-killer, Rafferty. Alec was hired by Samuel Garrett to find his son's killer, and soon found himself contacted by Rafferty, who challenged Swan to stop him. Rafferty led Swan on a cross-country chase leaving a wake of murdered ultrahumans behind him. During the chase, Rafferty was able to destroy Swan's special firearm. The chase ended in San Diego at Reverend August's cathedral. Rafferty had stormed the cathedral to kill the ultra-child Penny Slater, who had the ability to heal with a touch, but soon found himself surrounded by the police. Using the cathedral workers as hostages, Rafferty called for Swan, hoping to use him as a distraction to aid his escape. Swan defeated Rafferty's men and rescued the child. As the bomb-rigged cathedral exploded around them, Swan and Rafferty mortally wounded each other. Rafferty died inside the burning cathedral, Swan on the steps outside. Using her abilities, Penny Slater was able to revive Swan.
During this case, Alec married Ellen, who was now working in Las Vegas as a showgirl. They began a life together, and Alec was trying once again to peacefully settle down.
[edit] Black September
Following the Black September Event, Alec Swan's whereabouts were unknown.
[edit] Equipment
Swan used variety of weapons over his career and has even improvised on occasion. Until it was sabotaged by Raffery, he had relied on a special gun he received from the Lodge. The weapon provided him with a variety of distructive options, from large caliber rounds, full auto-fire to explosive charges.
