Corto Maltese (DC Comics)
| Corto Maltese | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The Dark Knight Returns (February 1986) |
| Created by | Frank Miller |
| In story information | |
| Type | Country |
| Notable locations | South America |
Corto Maltese is a fictional country appearing in DC Comics.
Fictional history
Corto Maltese is a small island off the coast of South America. It has been referenced in two non-canonical DC sources. Corto Maltese is confirmed to exist in the mainstream DC Universe, where there was a tossed-off reference in a newspaper headline: "More Arms to Corto Maltese".[1]
The Dark Knight Returns
Corto Maltese appears in Frank Miller's graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns as the name of an island off the coast of South America. The island is in a state of war with rebels uprising against the government. The war escalates due to the United States supporting the government, while the Soviet Union supports the rebels. Due to rising tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, Superman is dispatched by the U.S. President to intervene in subduing the uprising. However, due to Superman's presence, the Soviets respond by launching a nuclear warhead called Coldbringer. Superman manages to divert the warhead to an uninhabited desert area before it detonates, but damage is done nonetheless: the warhead disrupts all electronics and communications in the Western Hemisphere, and causes mass chaos in the aftermath.[2]
It can be assumed that Miller's use of the name is a tribute to Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese. It could also be rendered as a name, both in Spanish and Italian, in which it could mean a short (corto) person from Malta (Maltese) but the question of the meaning of the name seems unsettled.
In other media
Television
- Corto Maltese is referenced in the Smallville television show. In the episode "Justice", Green Arrow and the team (Aquaman, Cyborg and Impulse) proposition Clark Kent to come with them to help break up one of Lex Luthor's operations targeting people with superhuman abilities, stating: "Gentlemen, our first target is a large facility on the island of Corto Maltese. You guys know the drill, wheels up in thirty-five minutes".
- In the TV series Arrow, in the episode "Lone Gunmen", Oliver Queen mentions that the mercenary Deadshot operated in Corto Maltese. Corto Maltese is featured in Season 3 Episode 2 (briefly) and 3 (prominently) as the location where Thea Queen trains with her father, Malcolm Merlyn.
Film
- Corto Maltese was referenced in the 1989 Batman film. Photojournalist Vicki Vale traveled to Corto Maltese to take photographs of its revolution's aftermath. Her photos were selected for an article in Time magazine. In the movie, Vicki Vale spent time in Corto Maltese, where she shot a series of gruesome photographs during the violent rebel uprising. Upon seeing Vale's pictures on the cover and throughout the magazine showing a desert war zone strewn with dead bodies, the Joker glibly commented, "I don't know if it's art... but I like it!"
- Corto Maltese appears in the animated adaptation of the comic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.