The Redeemer (comics)
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The Redeemer is a fictional character in Todd McFarlane's comic book series Spawn. The Redeemer is Heaven's answer to the Hellspawn. From time to time, the Ethereal Masters seek the assistance of the Star Chamber to create a durable, loyal soldier for the forces of good. This mysterious organization chooses mortals it feels are worthy and transforms them into angelic warriors on par with Hell's minions, specifically the minions of Malebolgia. Much like their demonic counterparts, the Redeemers carry the same limitless rage inside their souls, however the core of their anger is that of light rather than darkness.
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[edit] Publication History
[edit] First Redeemer (Anti-Spawn)
The first Redeemer, or Anti-Spawn, as he was referred to at the time, was Jason Wynn, the very man responsible for Al Simmons' death, and therefore indirectly responsible for his transformation into a Hellspawn. Through nuclear diffusion, his body and soul were melded with Angelic Fire, Heaven's answer to Hell's Necroplasm. The Angelic Fire causes Wynn a great amount of pain and suffering, which can supposedly only be alleviated by Spawn's defeat. Frenzied with pain, the Anti-Spawn mercilessly attacks Spawn, who is seemingly unable to defend himself against this new threat. As the Anti-Spawn was about to deliver the killing blow, a distraction provided by the bums in the alley gave Spawn an opening to defeat the Anti-Spawn. Wynn was recalled to the space station, where he was to be infused with even more Angelic Fire seemingly due to his lack of purity preventing him from harnessing its true power. This apparently failed and Wynn was returned to earth with his mind wiped of the events.
[edit] Second Redeemer
The second man to receive the Angelic Fire was an ex-con named Phil Timper. Timper had found religion while in jail and had dramatic change of heart - he was therefore more apt to receive the heavenly light. Due to his past life as a convict, he still retained the brutality necessary for a candidate for the Angelic Fire. He was taken and infused as Wynn before him. During this process, the agents of the Star Chamber detected an odd reading on Earth and sent the Redeemer to investigate and collect the source of this reading. He was sent to Rat City, tracking three necroplasmic readings, emanating from Cogliostro, a bum named Bobby (whom Spawn had recently resurrected through magic), and Spawn. This Redeemer was significantly more powerful than Spawn and was easily able to defeat him before taking his true target, Bobby away to the orbiting satellite for study. Spawn attacked an angelic base on Earth which prompted the Redeemer to teleport back to Earth with Bobby and engage Spawn again. In the ensuing battle, Spawn was able to slice off one of the Redeemer's hands and escape with Bobby as the raw energy erupting from the Redeemer's wound caused a distraction. Timper has not been seen since.
[edit] Third Redeemer
Spawn tried to help Eddie and Andy Frank, children with an abusive father, by using his powers to tattoo the phrase "I beat my kids", over their father's body. Unfortunately, this just made him beat them even more until Eddie ended up taking matters into his own hands and killed his father, a memory which he represses. He projects his own guilt onto Spawn. Years later, after some time in juvenile institutions, Eddie found religion. Later, he goes on a shooting spree and is critically injured, according to his plan. His desire for vengeance upon Spawn leads to his rebirth as the Redeemer. Eddie's soul leaves his body and transforms into a new Redeemer. Unlike the previously-seen incarnations, this one is heavily armored, wields a sword and flies via wings. The previous Redeemers used the power of teleportation also held by Hellspawn. This Redeemer also seems to lack the energy projection powers of his predecessors, however his sword does appear to harness the Angelic Fire that they were able to project.
Eddie's transformation appears to be Mammon's plan as well, as Mammon knows exactly who the new Redeemer is and visits him in the hospital in order to tell him the truth about his father that he's been denying and repressing, shaking Eddie's faith. This revelation halts the Redeemer's attack on Spawn, who is pulled into Hell. The Redeemer is then enlisted by Cog to follow him into Hell to save Spawn. Cog sends him to retrieve the box that holds The Last Seed of Eden and upon completing that task he heads back into the fray. After Cogliostro's coup, he is trapped in Hell until Nyx frees him. The Redeemer resumes his attack on Spawn, but Spawn triumphs by cutting off the Redeemer's wings with his own sword. Upon having his wings cut off, the Redeemer transforms back into Eddie Frank in a hospital gown and struggles to reach for his sword but passes out. It is unknown how Eddie's body was inside the Redeemer considering the depiction of his origin in previous issues, and his physical self should still be lying comatose in a hospital bed, but there may simply be a magical explanation for his appearance. Neither Eddie, nor a new Redeemer, have been seen since.
[edit] The Disciple
It looked as if either Redeemer II or Redeemer III might return to finish off Spawn, but that task seems to have fallen to what appears to be the archetype for the Redeemers, The Disciple, "Heaven's first and greatest."
[edit] Other Appearances
An ancient Redeemer was portrayed in the Spawn spin-off series Spawn: The Dark Ages.
[edit] Entry in the Spawn Bible
The Redeemer - God's own eraser. Chosen and transformed into an Anti-Spawn, subcontracted by heaven to redeem or destroy Spawn on Earth. Many have worn the uniform of The Redeemer but few have been able to wear and use the power within it.
Throughout time when the curse of the Spawn has found its way to the landscape of mortals, the power of Heaven has often sought out the help of the agency known as The Star Chamber. Not much information is known about The Star Chamber and it's true connection with Heaven. The services of The Chamber have been called on from time to time to assist in the down fall of the various HellSpawn that have thrown Hell's attempts upon the universe.
Having taken many forms through the ages; Redeemers, like HellSpawns carried the same rage of brutality that befall that of Spawn. The only difference is the core of light instead of darkness that is carried from within.
Although it has been dimmed in his memory, Jason Wynn was once chosen to be a Redeemer. He tried his hand at defeating the current Spawn, once known as Al Simmons, ironically engaging in battle with the same man he'd fought with on earth. Without the complete purity of heart, he failed. Another soldier was needed. That soldier is Phil Timper.
After years in and out of various juvenile detention farms and later as an adult serving a two year rap for grand larceny, Timper saw the light through prison bars and gave himself completely to the service of the Lord. For eleven years, he walked the path God set before him turning others' darkness into light with unselfish devotion to the righteous way all the while praying that he would always be worthy of God's kingdom when the time came.
It was this very core of goodness that caused The Star Chamber to 'enlist' Timper into the duties of The Redeemer. His human body was transmuted with nuclear diffusion so that he could harness and use the power.
The Star chamber was alerted to the location of Spawn through the three aura readings they were receiving from the area in New York City known as The Bowery. Two of the readings were weak. One being the Bum, Bobby and the second one was from Cogliostro. The main and most powerful reading came from Spawn himself. The Redeemer sought to kill Bobby first thinking him to be another servant of Hell. Upon personal confrontation with Bobby, The Redeemer found that his signal came from a necroplasm transferal from Spawn. This was noted as a first and The Redeemer felt that this situation would be dissected and learned from.
After a brief set back, Spawn was able to accept the change in his living costume and was able to save Bobby and stop the Redeemer. This proved to be a new turning point in the rebirth of Spawn's costume and with Spawn himself.
In the final battle, The Redeemer's left fighting hand was lopped off by Spawn's costume. In the massive fire fight that ensued, Spawn used his powers to transport he and Bobby back to Rat City, the ugliest part of New York's alley ways.
For the time being, The Redeemer awaits his next mission. He will use the knowledge from his battle with Spawn as a valuable weapon for their next meeting.
[edit] Appearances in other media
The Redeemer has played a large part in much Spawn related media. He has been featured in almost every Spawn video game released since the first title launched on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
Redeemer has been a popular staple of the Spawn action-figure series as well, with two figures based on the character as he appears in the core title and one from Series 30, which is directly tied to the web-comic The Adventures of Spawn.
In the web-comic, The Redeemer is an actual angel who was also one of the original Lords of Light and is supposedly the last of his winged clan of guardian angels. He resigns his commission with Heaven to head to Earth. He is an ally of Spawn despite a savage battle in their first encounter. He shares the same costume design as Redeemer III (Eddie Frank), but the two are distinctly separate characters with very different origins.
The Redeemer also makes a cameo in the Snafu Comics Grim Tales from Down Below web comic, in which he appears to claim Minnie's soul as an invitation from Heaven. This Redeemer appears to be the third one, since he has wings.
