Zenith (comics)
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Zenith (Robert MacDowell) is a British superhero, who appeared in the science fiction magazine 2000 AD. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artists Steve Yeowell and Brendan McCarthy, he first appeared in 2000 AD #537 (1987).
The son of 1960s superheroes, who rebelled against their military backers, Zenith inherited a measure of their superhuman strength and ability to fly, but preferred to use his abilities to bolster his career as a pop star. He was usually forced into the battle against the otherworldly Lloigor and other threats.
Shallow and sarcastic, Zenith was a distinctly Generation X superhero. Morrison used the Zenith serial to explore cultural differences between generations and make jabs at the Conservative Party.
Zenith was featured regularly in 2000 AD from 1987 until 1992, with occasional appearances since. The series was an early success for Morrison, a future comics superstar.
[edit] Synopsis
Zenith, real name Robert MacDowell, was the son of two members of Cloud Nine, a super-team of the 1960s who had been created by the British military but rebelled. Zenith himself used his somewhat unreliable superhuman abilities not to fight evil but to promote his career as a pop singer. Shallow, spoilt, self-centred and cowardly, he was reluctantly dragged into the struggle against malevolent supernatural entities known as the Lloigor or "Many-Angled Ones".
The British superhuman project had been developed from technology stolen from the Nazis in World War II, and the Nazis had developed it from knowledge given by the Lloigor. The Nazis were advised to create "Ubermenschen", but in fact the real purpose of the project was to create host bodies strong enough to house the Lloigor's spirits. The British superheroes came of age during the tumultuous 1960's, and promptly rebelled, like many teens of that time. Most of the former members of Cloud Nine disappeared. Zenith's parents were killed, others disappeared, and the few remaining, having apparently lost their powers, retreated into civilian life. One, Peter St. John, aka Mandala, became a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party. (Mandala is the one responsible for essentially dragging Zenith kicking and screaming into the world-saving business.)
In the first series Zenith reluctantly teams up with surviving members of Cloud Nine to defeat one of the Many-Angled Ones, although this proves fatal to a member of the team. The second series details the efforts of a media tycoon modeled on Richard Branson to use Zenith as breeding stock for a new group of superpowered slaves that he will use for world domination. The third series involved a multidimensional war utilizing comic-book characters from other British comics from the 50's, 60's and 70's. The fourth and final series brought the story full circle as the Lovecraftian horrors from the first series were revealed as originating much closer to home than previously realized.
Zenith has since returned three times to the pages of 2000 AD. Once in zzzenith.com, a one-off which featured in Prog 2001 which took place years after the end of the previous series, and in 1 Night 2 Remember produced for the 25th anniversary issue. Recently he appeared on the cover to Prog 1500, although his image is small and hard to see.
Attempts to republish the original series in recent years have so far been prevented by a copyright dispute.
[edit] Bibliography
He has largely appeared in his own eponymous series:
- Zenith (written by Grant Morrison):
- Phase One (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #535-549, 1987)
- Interludes 1 & 2 (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #558-559, 1988)
- Phase Two (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #589-606, 1988)
- Interlude 3 (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD Winter Special, 1988)
- Maximan (with M. Carmona, in 2000AD Winter Special 1988)
- Mandala: Shadows & Reflections (with Jim McCarthy, in 2000AD Annual 1990, 1989)
- Phase Three (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #626-634, 650-662 & 667-670, 1989-90)
- Phase Four (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #791-806, 1992)
- zzzzenith.com (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD prog 2001, 2000)
[edit] External links
- 2000 AD profile
- Seizing the Fire The unofficial Zenith fansite
- The Zenith Superhero Scorecard identifying characters from Zenith Phase III
- Zenith History a more detailed look at the Zenith Universe
