Stormwatch (comics)

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Stormwatch


Cover of Force of Nature graphic novel.
Publisher Wildstorm
First appearance Stormwatch #1 (March, 1993)
Created by Jim Lee
Brandon Choi
H. K. Proger
Ron Marz
Base(s) of operations SkyWatch
Roster
Battalion
Fahrenheit
John Doran
Gorgeous
Black Betty
The Monstrosity
The Machinist
Paris
Nautika
Flashpoint
Cannon
Backlash
Synergy
Diva
Winter
Fuji
Hellstrike
Flint
Rose Tattoo
Jenny Sparks
Jack Hawksmoor
Swift

Contents

[edit] Stormwatch

Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team in the Wildstorm Universe. Stormwatch was created by Jim Lee.

It began in the comic book Stormwatch v1, published by Image Comics but owned by Jim Lee. Among the main early writers of Stormwatch v1 were Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, H. K. Proger, and Ron Marz; among the main early artists were Scott Clark, Brett Booth, Matt Broome, and Renato Arlem.

In Stormwatch v1 #37 (July 1996), the new creative team of Warren Ellis as writer and Tom Raney as penciller was introduced, and the book took on a much more serious, darker, and less superheroic tone.

Warren Ellis continued to write the book as it transitioned into Stormwatch v2. Warren Ellis used the book as a lead-in to The Authority. The Authority was made up of members that had survived the massacre of the Stormwatch team by xenomorphs, the creatures from Alien. The story itself actually took place in a comic book entitled WildC.A.T.s/Aliens, despite its huge impact on Stormwatch. Ellis also used Stormwatch to introduce the concept of the Bleed, a space between parallel universes which features heavily in Planetary.

Ellis's pivotal work on Stormwatch is collected in the following trade paperbacks:

[edit] Stormwatch: Team Achilles

Main article: Stormwatch: Team Achilles

The Stormwatch series was later revived, penned by Micah Ian Wright in Stormwatch: Team Achilles, which followed a mostly non-superpowered UN troubleshooting team dealing with superhero-related problems. The series became a satire of politics and comic books, with segments where the team replaced a Strom Thurmond/Jesse Helms-like Senator with a shape-shifter and a storyline where a Captain America-analog (revealed to be the reincarnation of George Washington) tried to overthrow the American government. The series ended with #23 in the middle of a storyline, with #24 never being published, But the script for issue #24 was finished. Wright was fired after it was revealed that he had lied about being a US Army Ranger.

[edit] Stormwatch: P.H.D.

It's recently been confirmed [1] that Stormwatch will be part of the Wildstorm relaunch set for late 2006. The series will be written by Christos Gage with Doug Mahnke handling the pencils.

In this new series, Stormwatch has been reconstituted as the UN's superteam, but a branch office has been set up in New York. Entitled Stormwatch: P.H.D. (Post Human Division), they are underfunded and overworked, their mission is to find "cost-effective" methods of saving the day. The series will follow the branch office as their leader, former Weatherman Jackson King, tries to defeat superhuman menaces and balance the tight budget. The team will consist of King, NYPD officer John Doran, a depowered Fahrenheit, a former Stormforce soldier codenamed Paris, a master manipulator and former moll to supervillains called Gorgeous, a former sorceror's apprentice named Black Betty, a shape-shifting ex-supervillain and forensics expert named Dr. Mordecai Shaw a.k.a The Monstrosity, and an ex-supervillain and technology expert called the Machinist.

The first issue is due at the start of November 2006 [2] and appears to be monthly as the second issue, in which they battle The Walking Ghost, is due out at the start of December [3].

[edit] Members of Stormwatch

[edit] Stormwatch Prime

Character Real Name Notes
Stormwatch Prime

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix prior to issue 1.
Backlash Marc Slayton Leader and instructor
Battalion Jackson King
Flashpoint Foster McClane Missing in action during Stormwatch #0, presumed dead between Stormwatch #1 and Stormwatch #6.
Nautika Maya Royko
Sunburst Karl Hansen

[edit] Issues #1-10

After the loss of most of the team, Stormwatch is restructured with new recruits prior to issue #1. Backlash is transferred to head of training.

Character Real Name Notes
Stormwatch One

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix from issue #1 to 10, co-existent with Stormwatch Two
Battalion Jackson King Leader
Diva Alessandra Fermi
Fuji Toshiro Misawa
Hellstrike Nigel Keane
Winter Nikolas Andreyvitch Kamarov
Stormwatch Two

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix from issue #1 to 10, co-existent with Stormwatch One.
Cannon Mitchell Saunders
Fahrenheit Lauren Pennington
Ion Killed in action in Stormwatch V1 #2
Lancer Killed in action in Stormwatch V1 #2
Strafe Malcolm King

[edit] Issues #11-26

Henry Bendix was stripped of his position in issue #11; replacing him is his second-in-command Synergy, aka Christine Trelane. Team assignments are variable from this point on, grouping operatives and assigning command as situations dictate.

Character Real Name Notes
Stormwatch

Team under Weatherman Christine Trelane from issue #11 to 26, co-existent with Stormwatch Prime.
Battalion Jackson King Leader, missing in action during Stormwatch V1 #16-25
Diva Alessandra Fermi Leader after Battalion's disappearance, killed in action in Stormwatch V1 #23
Fahrenheit Lauren Pennington
Fuji Toshiro Misawa
Hellstrike Nigel Keane Missing in action from Stormwatch V1 #25
Pagan Zarej also known as Fiend
Strafe Malcolm King Incarcerated following Stormwatch V1 #27
Undertow Ray Bailey Comatose from Stormwatch V1 #25 onward.
Winter Nikolas Andreyvitch Kamarov
Spartan Hadrian Former member of WildC.A.T.s; added to team after the disappearance of the WildC.A.T.s in Wildstorm Rising (prior to Stormwatch V1 #23), promoted to team leader after Diva's death, killed in action in Stormwatch V1 #27.
Stormwatch Prime

Team under Weatherman Christine Trelane from issue #11 to 26, co-existent with Stormwatch.
Flashpoint Foster McClane Incarcerated from Stormwatch Special #2 (occurring prior to Stormwatch V1 #22) through Stormwatch V1 #30
Nautika Maya Royko Resigned after Stormwatch V1 #22
Sunburst Karl Hansen Comatose after Stormwatch V1 #22

[edit] Issue #27 till Fire From Heaven

The team was rebuilt after the defeat of Despot (issue #27) and Henry Bendix was again Weatherman, with Synergy as his second.

Character Real Name Notes
"The New" Stormwatch

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix prior to Fire From Heaven; directly commanded by Synergy from Stormwatch V1 #28-30
Blademaster
Comanche
Flint Victoria Ngengi
Prism
Swift Shen Li-min
Blitz Killed in action during Stormwatch V1 #30
Damascus Killed in action during Stormwatch V1 #30
Pagan Zarej
Stormwatch

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix prior to Fire From Heaven; returned to duty in Stormwatch V1 #31
Battalion Jackson King Leader
Cannon Mitchell Saunders
Fahrenheit Lauren Pennington
Flashpoint Foster McClane Killed in action during Stormwatch V1 #36
Fuji Toshiro Misawa
Hellstrike Nigel Keane
Winter Nikolas Andreyvitch Kamarov
Stormforce

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix prior to Fire From Heaven; non-superpowered military team under Weatherman's control.
Captain Ken Tucker
Nur Ansari
Marcel Bertrand
Harv Bowden
Rachel Daniels
Molly Perkins
Wilson Yee

[edit] After Fire From Heaven

After the Fire From Heaven crossover, a major restructuring of Stormwatch occurred in Warren Ellis' first issue. Battalion was transferred to head of training, and Synergy to head of recruitment. Molly Perkins was transferred from Stormforce to the Analysis Deck of Skywatch. Sunburst & Nautica were dismissed from active Stormwatch service and hired as Earth-based analysts for Skywatch. Blademaster, Cannon, Comanche, Pagan, Prism and Undertow were dismissed, with lifetime U.N.-provided salary and accommodations. Undertow is killed soon after.

Character Real Name Notes
Stormwatch Prime

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix following Fire From Heaven
Winter Nikolas Andreyvitch Kamarov Leader, as well as leader of aggregate Stormwatch group during multi-team field operations.
Hellstrike Nigel Keane
Fuji Toshiro Misawa
Stormwatch Red

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix following Fire From Heaven
Fahrenheit Lauren Pennington Leader
Flint Victoria Ngengi
Rose Tattoo unknown Killed in action during Stormwatch V1 #50
Stormwatch Black

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix following Fire From Heaven
Jenny Sparks Jennifer Sparks Leader
Jack Hawksmoor Jack Hawksmoor
Swift Shen Li-min
"Secret" Stormwatch team revealed in volume two

Team under Weatherman Henry Bendix following Fire From Heaven
Apollo equivalent to DC's Superman
Midnighter equivalent to DC's Batman
Impetus equivalent to DC's Flash
Amaze equivalent to DC's Wonder Woman
Lamplight equivalent to DC's Green Lantern
Stalker equivalent to DC's Martian Manhunter
Crow Jane equivalent to DC's Black Canary

[edit] After "Change Or Die"

After the "Change Or Die" storyline, Henry Bendix was missing and presumed dead. Jackson King became Weatherman, and Molly Perkins became head of analysis. The Stormwatch field teams were restructured, and Stormwatch Black officially dissolved (but retained in secret).

Character Real Name Notes
Stormwatch

Team under Weatherman Jackson King
Winter Nikolas Andreyvitch Kamarov Killed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens #1. Became one with the sun and was caged by The Authority in The Authority: Scorched Earth
Fahrenheit Lauren Pennington Killed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens #1.
Fuji Toshiro Misawa Killed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens #1.
Hellstrike Nigel Keane Killed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens #1.
Flint Victoria Ngengi The only survivor.
Stormwatch Black

Team under Weatherman Jackson King
Jenny Sparks Jennifer Sparks Leader
Jack Hawksmoor Jack Hawksmoor
Swift Shen Li-min

After Skywatch is destroyed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens #1, Stormwatch is dissolved. Stormwatch Black becomes The Authority at the end of the series, with the addition of former 'Secret' Stormwatch members Midnighter & Apollo as well as The Doctor II and The Engineer II)

[edit] Alternate-universe Stormwatch

In the "Bleed" storyline (Stormwatch V2 #7-9), our universe's Stormwatch watched events unfold in a parallel universe that had little to no knowledge of seedlings, Daemonites, or Kherubim. In this universe, Battalion had been removed from Stormwatch after a catastrophic attack on the Skywatch space station. He was replaced as Weatherman One by Jack Hawksmoor, with Synergy retaining her position as second-in-command. His bodyguard and personal assistant was Freefall (of Gen¹³), going by her real name, Roxanne. His maid at his home in the United States was Anna, also of Gen¹³. He commanded a version of Stormwatch employing over twenty-three super-powered beings; besides himself, Freefall and Synergy, there were exactly twenty field operatives, divided into five teams.

  • Other team leaders (team numbers unknown):

[edit] Other Characters Appearing in Stormwatch

[edit] Notes

  • In the series Planetary, John Stone is a secret agent working for the agency known as S.T.O.R.M. in the 1960s. Its command center is known as S.T.O.R.M. Watch. As Planetary is written by former Stormwatch writer Warren Ellis, it is very unlikely that the similar names are a coincidence and S.T.O.R.M. is probably a precursor to Stormwatch. In the same issue as the 60's flashback, John Stone takes Elijah Snow to a remote, little-known bar in Kazakhstan called "The Last Shot" - this is the same bar that Winter once brought his Stormwatch teammates to, during Ellis' time writing the series.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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