Beowulf is a fictional character of the

swords and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...

genre published by DC Comics. The character debuted in ''Beowulf: Dragon Slayer'' #1 (May

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

), and was created by Michael Uslan and Ricardo Villamonte. The character is based on the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

mythic hero

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...

, first depicted in the Nowell Codex.

Publication history

The tale of DC Comics' version of Beowulf starts out very close to the mythic Bēowulf, but later veers wildly away into the regions of science fiction and faustian fantasy. The ''Beowulf'' title only lasted six issues, running from May

to March

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

Fictional character biography

Under instructions from a being known as "The Shaper", Beowulf travels to Castle Hrothgar in Daneland, to fight the monster

Grendel Grendel is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem '' Beowulf'' (700–1000). He is one of the poem's three antagonists (along with his mother and the dragon), all aligned in opposition against the protagonist Beowulf. Grendel is feared by a ...

. On the way there Beowulf and his men take a detour into the Underworld where they rescue Nan-Zee, a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

scylfing warrior, from the Demons who have been controlling her. Beowulf, Nan-Zee, and his companions Wiglaf and Hondscio continue onwards to Castle Hrothgar, but are again detoured, ending up in a bog where they battle Swamp Men. Meanwhile, Grendel and his mother reveal to the reader that they are descendants of

Cain Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He wa ...

. Somehow, Beowulf and friends fall through a dimensional gateway beneath a patch of quicksand into a fiery underworld they refer to as

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

. At a later point in the series Beowulf discovers that the only way to slay Grendel is with the nectar of the Zumak Fruit. Along the way he encounters

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

, a mysterious Lost Tribe of Israel,

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

accompanied by a troop of anonymous Greek Warriors, Egyptian/

Sumer Sumer () is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. It is one of the cradles of c ...

ian space aliens straight out of

Chariots of the Gods Chariots of the Gods may refer to * '' Chariots of the Gods?'', a 1968 book by Erich von Däniken * ''Chariots of the Gods (film) ''Chariots of the Gods'' (german: Erinnerungen an die Zukunft) is a 1970 West German documentary film directed by ...

, and the lost city of Atlantis. In the final issue of the series Beowulf and Nan-Zee travel from Atlantis to Crete, where they finally get their hands on some Zumak fruit in the labyrinth of King Minos where Beowulf fights a

Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...

which is being controlled by Satan. Because he has made Dracula his heir over Grendel, Grendel kills Satan by plunging a

stalactite A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via ''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...

into his back. The Minotaur dies, and Beowulf eats some Zumak fruit; the fruit grants him supernatural strength on par with Grendel. Beowulf and Nan-Zee then make their way back to Daneland in order to slay Grendel who has taken his place as king of the underworld.

Wonder Woman

Beowulf's first appearance in over thirty years occurs in '' Wonder Woman'' #20 (July

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

), where Wonder Woman and

Stalker Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...

recruit him and

Claw the Unconquered Claw is a sword and sorcery superhero in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Claw the Unconquered'' #1 (June 1975), in which he was created by writer David Michelinie and designed by artist Ernie Chan. Similar in many ways ...

for a mission to slay the Demon Lord Dgrth

The New 52

Beowulf is featured in a backup story in the ongoing series ''

Sword of Sorcery ''Sword of Sorcery'' was an American sword-and-sorcery comics anthology featuring Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, heroes and rogues created by Fritz Leiber. Published bi-monthly by DC Comics, it ran for five issues in 1973, with a cover price of 2 ...

'' beginning in September 2012. The story is written by Tony Bedard. In this version Beowulf lives in a post-apocalyptic future where the society has reverted to ancient times. Created as a super-soldier he kills an entire group of warriors sent to find him, but spares a young kid called Wiglaf who explains that he is there with a message from King Hrothgar, begging Beowulf to come north and slay the monster Grendel that plagues his mead hall nightly. Beowulf is uninterested until he is told that the King is a great general. Upon confronting the creature Wiglaf and Beowulf discover the latter to be his brother and that both were created by Basilisk leader Regulus who had seen the threat of metahumans and aliens growing on earth, and schemed to empower average humans.

Powers and abilities

* After consuming the nectar of the Zumak Fruit, Beowulf gains superhuman strength and speed equal to the demon Grendel. * Beowulf is an accomplished swordsman and unarmed combatant.

Other versions

* A version of Grendel who is revealed to be the son of Vandal Savage debuted in '' Secret Six'' #12.''Secret Six'' #12 (August 2009)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Beowulf in comicsFanzing: The DC ImplosionDCU Guide: Beowulf
1975 comics debuts DC Comics superheroes Mythology in DC Comics DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds DC Comics characters with superhuman strength DC Comics titles DC Comics fantasy characters Fantasy comics Fictional swordfighters in comics Works based on Beowulf