''Salvation Run'' is a seven-issue
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
-
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; ...
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
which was designed to tie into the company's major event series ''
Final Crisis
"Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
'' in 2008.
Premise
The premise of the series, which is based on a pitch by
George R. R. Martin, is that the majority of the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
's
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are of ...
s—both major ones (such as
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...
and
the Joker
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book '' Batman'' on April 25, 1 ...
) and newer or more obscure ones (such as
Scandal Savage and
Crazy Quilt) -- have been captured by the
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
and imprisoned on a distant planet. The story features the villains splitting into alliances and trying to find a way to escape their prison, or choosing to rule the planet "Salvation" on which they have landed.
Bill Willingham
William Willingham (born 1956) is an American writer and artist of comics, known for his work on the series ''Elementals (Comico Comics), Elementals'' and ''Fables (comics), Fables''.
Career
William Willingham was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. ...
started as writer, but had to hand the project over to Sturges after only three issues (of seven proposed) because of illness. The first issue was released in November
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
.
Major characters in the mini-series include
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
's archenemy Lex Luthor,
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
's archenemy the Joker, the "
Rogues
A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior.
Rogue or rogues may also refer to:
Companies
* Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon
* Rogue Arts, a film production company
* Rogue Entertainment, a software comp ...
" who typically battle the
Flash
Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional aliases
* Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed:
** Flash (Barry Allen)
** Flash (Jay Garrick)
** Wally West, the first Kid ...
(
Heat Wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
,
Captain Cold
Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the leader of the Rogues, a loose criminal association, as well as the older brother of Golden Glider. An adversary of the various su ...
,
Weather Wizard
Weather Wizard (Mark Mardon) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Weather Wizard made his first live appearance in the television series ''The Flash'', played by actor Liam McIntyre, who played Mark Mardon. He appeare ...
,
Abra Kadabra and
Mirror Master
Mirror Master is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a recurring foe of the Flash with considerable technical expertise and skills involving the use of mirrors. Three individuals hav ...
), and other morally ambiguous heroes such as
Vandal Savage
Vandar Adg of the Blood Tribe, more widely known as Vandal Savage, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is said to be a Cro-Magnon warrior who gained immortality and advanced healing abilities after encount ...
's daughter
Scandal Savage and Batman's occasional lover
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
. Tie-ins to the series have occurred in ''
Countdown to Final Crisis
''Countdown'', also known as ''Countdown to Final Crisis'' for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of ...
'' (which details
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
and
Trickster
In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...
's continual evasion of capture), ''
Outsiders
Outsider(s) may refer to:
Film
* Outsider (1997 film), ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film
* Outsider (2012 film), ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film
* Outsiders (1980 film), ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a ...
'', ''
Checkmate
Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game.
In chess, the king is ...
'', ''Catwoman'', and ''
Justice League of America
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
''.
A compiled paperback version of this mini-series was released on September 24, 2008.
Plot
Following the events of
Black Adam
Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' '' The Marvel Family'' comic ...
's rampage in ''
World War III
World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical World war, worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use ...
'', the
Amazonian attack on the United States, the murder of the Flash (
Bart Allen
Bartholomew Henry "Bart" Allen II is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A speedster (fiction), speedster, he first appeared under the alias Impulse and later became the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash (c ...
), and the
Injustice League
The following is a list of fictional criminal and terrorist organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints.
0-9 100
Originally based in Metropolis, the 100 kept a firm grip on the city's criminal underworld for years, ind ...
's attack upon the wedding of
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...
and
Black Canary
The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...
, a U.S. government sponsored secret program is put in place to combat the growing
metahuman
In DC Comics' DC Universe, a metahuman is a human with superpowers. The term is roughly synonymous with both ''mutant'' and ''mutate'' in the Marvel Universe and '' posthuman'' in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. In DC Comics, the term ...
threat. Initiated by Executive Order by the President of the United States and carried out by head of Task Force X,
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
, and the
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
, the purpose of the program is to capture the supervillains of the world and permanently exile them to the distant planet Salvation via
Boom Tube
The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...
—including several Suicide Squad members once they are no longer needed (examples being
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
and
Deadshot
Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is a supervillain and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by David Vern Reed, Lew Schwartz and Bob Kane, the character made his first appearance in ''Batman'' #59 (June–July 1950). ...
). According to
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
, the prisoners would not be getting any supplies or equipment for their survival, as that would make the government responsible for them, and once they're offworld, they are no longer Earth's responsibility.
The planet chosen was Cygnus 4019, a planet that was supposed to be peaceful.
However, it turned out to be a "training planet" for the
New Gods
The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...
of
Apokolips
Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...
with
Desaad watching the goings-on.
One tie-in issue contradicted this information; the
Justice League of America
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
visited Cygnus 4019 to investigate, only to find the planet deserted—the villains had been diverted by Boom Tube to a different planet.
[''Justice League of America'' #19 (May 2008)]
Having arrived on the planet first, the
Flash's Rogues (
Abra Kadabra,
Captain Cold
Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the leader of the Rogues, a loose criminal association, as well as the older brother of Golden Glider. An adversary of the various su ...
,
Heat Wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
,
Mirror Master
Mirror Master is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a recurring foe of the Flash with considerable technical expertise and skills involving the use of mirrors. Three individuals hav ...
, and
Weather Wizard
Weather Wizard (Mark Mardon) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Weather Wizard made his first live appearance in the television series ''The Flash'', played by actor Liam McIntyre, who played Mark Mardon. He appeare ...
) are the first to find out that the planet is seemingly designed to kill any visitors. The planet is inhabited by numerous hazardous species which constantly attack. When it came to the local
pygmies
In anthropology, pygmy peoples are ethnic groups whose average height is unusually short. The term pygmyism is used to describe the phenotype of endemic short stature (as opposed to disproportionate dwarfism occurring in isolated cases in a pop ...
,
Abra Kadabra realizes they are intelligent and is able to decipher the pygmies' language enough to learn of the "Safe Zone", a "miles long district where all of the dangers have been disarmed by gods from the stars" and the Rogues set out to find it. During their journey, they hear a second Boom Tube arrive and decide to go back. Out of the Boom Tubes come
Black Spider
Black Spider is the name of several fictional DC Comics supervillains. The first two were both primarily enemies of Batman.
Fictional character biographies Eric Needham
The original Black Spider first appeared in '' Detective Comics'' #463 ( ...
III,
Cheetah
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
III,
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them have been depicted as List of Bat ...
I,
Effigy
An effigy is an often life-size sculptural representation of a specific person, or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certai ...
, Girder, Hammer and Sickle, a
Hyena
Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the clas ...
,
Joker,
Kid Karnevil
This is a list of fictional characters from DC Comics who are or have been enemies of the Justice Society of America. In chronological order (with issue and date of first appearance).
Golden Age
Silver Age
Bronze Age
Modern Age
See also
* ...
,
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Originally a ...
,
Killer Frost
Killer Frost is a name used by several female supervillains and superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics: Crystal Frost, Louise Lincoln, and Caitlin Snow. Each different individual in the DC Universe assuming the Killer Frost p ...
II,
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, ...
,
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dave Wood, Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Batman'' #121 in February 1959 as the ice-based criminal Mr. Ze ...
, Mister Terrible,
Phobia
A phobia is an anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. Those affected go to great lengths to avo ...
,
Psimon
Psimon (Simon Jones) is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
He first appeared in '' The New Teen Titans'' #3 (January 1981) and was created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman.
Fictional ...
,
Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
Shimmer,
Shrapnel
Shrapnel may refer to:
Military
* Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use
* Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material
Popular culture
* ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics)
* ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam C ...
,
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
II, Tapeworm, and Tremor (of the
Superior Five
The Inferior Five (or I5) are a parody superhero team appearing in books by the American publisher DC Comics. Created by writer E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Joe Orlando, the team premiered in the DC Comics title ''Showcase'' #62 (May-June 1966 ...
). For a short time, they attempt to assert their leadership over the second group by virtue of their experience.
The
Body Doubles
The Body Doubles are fictional characters, DC Comics villains created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett, and Jackson Guice. They first appeared in ''Resurrection Man'' #1 (March 1996) before appearing in their own eponymous Limited series (comics), mini ...
,
Hellhound
A hellhound is a mythological hound that embodies a guardian or a servant of hell, the devil, or the underworld. Hellhounds occur in mythologies around the world, with the best known examples being Cerberus from Greek mythology, Garmr from Nor ...
, Iron Cross, Manticore, Meanstreak,
Metallo
Metallo () is a name used by multiple supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of Superman.
Metallo is usually depicted as a cyborg with a kryptonite power source in his heart, which he ...
,
Rag Doll,
Skorpio, and
Tar Pit
Tar pits, sometimes referred to as asphalt pits, are large asphalt deposits. They form in the presence of oil, which is created when decayed organic matter is subjected to pressure underground. If this crude oil seeps upward via fractures, condu ...
end up in a fight with some wild robotic beasts during which Hellhound is wounded. Despite their plans to leave him to die, the other villains bring Hellhound along, only to feed him to a hunting party of four "
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
-
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s". Back at camp, Kid Karnevil tells The Joker that he has looked up to him and plans to surpass him by slaying him when he least suspects it. Psimon loudly orates to the entire group that he has figured out a way for them to survive as a society, and even build a civilization that will last many generations, requiring that the women be used as baby factories, and that escape from the planet be given up as an option. This is met with loud disdain from many others, especially the women. Joker then unexpectedly walks up to him and kills him by violently bashing his head in with a rock. At Belle Reve, the Suicide Squad is about to deport
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...
,
Blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
, and
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
. Rick Flag Jr. closes the transportational Boom Tube with
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
,
Chemo, and
Deadshot
Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is a supervillain and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by David Vern Reed, Lew Schwartz and Bob Kane, the character made his first appearance in ''Batman'' #59 (June–July 1950). ...
still inside and tells the two that they are no longer needed on the Suicide Squad. After Flag states that he's too unstable to remain, Deadshot vows to somehow return to Earth and kill Rick Flag Jr. Once on the planet, Lex Luthor immediately commands the attention of the entire supervillain body, saying that he intends to lead them. He makes a speech about Truth, Justice and the American Way, and explains how they have to build their own Boom Tube if they want to get back, at which time they can murder all of those who sent them to the planet. Although at first some villains jeer him, by the end they are all riled up and cheering for his plans.
The villains are already fighting heavily amongst themselves, with very few mediators. Lex Luthor announces to the group that he,
Doctor Sivana
Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, the character is a recurring enemy of the superhero Captain Marvel/Shazam, both of whom first appe ...
,
Professor Ivo
Professor Anthony Ivo (pronunciation: Eye-voh) is a supervillain and mad scientist in DC Comics. He is the creator of the android villain Amazo and, along with villainous scientist T.O. Morrow, the co-creator of the android Tomorrow Woman. As a r ...
and
General Immortus
General Immortus is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also been called "The Forever Soldier" or "The Forever General".
Publication history
He first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80, the first s ...
have devised a way to get them off the rock. As he's orating, The Joker loudly voices his distrust for Luthor as a leader, annoyed that he expects everybody else to listen when he hasn't even told them his plan. Joker questions why they should accept any authority there, when they didn't accept it back on Earth. While they're arguing, a new burrowing
kraken
The kraken () is a legendary sea monster of enormous size said to appear off the coasts of Norway.
Kraken, the subject of sailors' superstitions and mythos, was first described in the modern age at the turn of the 18th century, in a travelogu ...
-like monster attacks the camp, and Joker and
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain character appearing in American comic books and other media published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. The character was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, and first appeared in ''Th ...
use Chemo to destroy it. Joker proclaims himself to be a humble hero of the people and further denounces Luthor, likening him to aristocracy. A bigger fight starts to break out in the camp between those who are working and those who aren't, which escalates until Iron Cross physically threatens the Joker as an endangerment to the camp. Joker shoots him in the head, killing him, and announces that he and Grodd are having a mutiny. Soon, those loyal to Luthor and those who prefer Joker have a massive battle, razing most of the camp in the process. Deciding it's getting out of hand, Gorilla Grodd uses his telepathic powers to calm everybody down, and he and the Joker leave the camp to make it on their own elsewhere with all those loyal to them. They take a very sizable portion of the camp with them. As they're leaving, Doctor Sivana angrily complains to Lex Luthor about their situation. Luthor explains that knowing there would be a mutiny, he had asked Iron Cross to threaten Joker. His plan, which he believes was incredibly successful, was to simultaneously get rid of all of the worthless members of the camp who would sit around and squander resources, and create a common enemy as a motivational tool that those remaining loyal to him would have to fight against. After the chaos, Blockbuster III leaves the camp for an empty clearing in the middle of the woods and reverts into
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...
. He reveals he has been sent to observe the villains and is reporting to an unknown party on a communicator.
[''Salvation Run'' #3 (March 2008)]
Catwoman spies on Martian Manhunter in the woods, learning his secrets. Martian Manhunter is revealed to be reporting back to
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
with his communicator, although he doesn't know if Batman can pick up the signal from that far away. Lex Luthor is still having to soothe tensions in his camp, this time between the Body Doubles and ex-Suicide Squad members Bane and Deadshot. His camp distrusts them because of the role they played in the Salvation deportation, but to show he trusts them, Lex Luthor hires Deadshot and Bane on as his personal security detail, offering them one million dollars apiece when they get back to Earth. Tensions are even higher in Joker's camp as Joker is proving to be an irresponsible and ineffective, if fearsome, leader. He is attacked by
Bolt, angry at the lack of food their camp has, but the minor insurrection is stopped by Kid Karnevil.
Brain
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...
and
Monsieur Mallah
Monsieur Mallah is a fictional character, a superintelligent anthropomorphic gorilla supervillain in the . He is the loyal servant of and, in time, the partner to Gorilla Grodd, and the Brain while serving as an enemy of the Doom Patrol and the ...
arrive at Joker's camp, and Monsieur Mallah asks Grodd to speak with him away from the others. Mallah proposes to Grodd that as fellow gorillas, the natural kings of the jungle, they should team up, since surely through their combined might they would be able to rule the entire place by themselves. Grodd laughs at Mallah for considering himself, an "absurd science experiment", comparable to "a proud child of
Gorilla City
This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics.
Sites
* the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy.
* Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
". Monsieur Mallah strikes Gorilla Grodd and calls him a beast, causing Grodd to fly into a rage and try to kill him. Although Mallah has a gun and shoots Grodd several times, Grodd still has the upper hand, and is about to kill Mallah when Brain interjects, pleading for Mallah's life. Thinking better of it, Grodd picks Brain up and beats Mallah to death with Brain, smashing Brain's protective hull in the process and killing him as well. Before breathing his last breath, Mallah says he dies happy, taking solace in that he and Brain will finally be able to be together forever. Shortly afterwards, after admiring his handiwork and admitting his respect for Grodd, Joker pushes the fatigued Grodd off of a cliff into a very deep and rocky chasm because he hates "sharing". Afterwards, on a separate part of the planet,
Vandal Savage
Vandar Adg of the Blood Tribe, more widely known as Vandal Savage, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is said to be a Cro-Magnon warrior who gained immortality and advanced healing abilities after encount ...
and four other ladies are walking through the wilderness alone. Vandal explains why he believes the respective camps of Luthor and Joker will both fail and collapse in on themselves, and then shows the ladies he has brought them to the rumored "Safe Zone", a beautiful-looking paradise, as they reach the top of a hill.
[''Salvation Run'' #4 (April 2008)]
Joker leads his group on a night-time raid on "Camp Luthor" in search of supplies. During the raid, Catwoman is discovered sneaking around in trees, bringing suspicion upon herself as a "good guy" spy. To prove her innocence and shift the heat, she outs "Blockbuster" as Martian Manhunter, having seen him change earlier. This results in the rest of the villains quickly turning their attention to him and bringing him down. Upon the discovery of the villains on this planet,
Desaad plans to weed out the less-powerful villains and train the better ones for an unclear goal.
[''Salvation Run'' #5 (May 2008)]
One week later, Heat Wave is shown holding Martian Manhunter in a fiery cage. Captain Cold, Hyena, and Killer Croc talk about what to do with Martian Manhunter. When Killer Croc suggests eating him, Captain Cold and Heat Wave object to this. Lex Luthor tells them not to lay a finger on the Manhunter. Later,
Thunder and Lightning arrive to give food to Martian Manhunter. When they offer to help Martian Manhunter, Bane attacks. Despite being shocked by Lightning, Bane defeats both of them as Lex Luthor arrives. As tensions heat up, the Joker begins to argue with and satirize Lex Luthor's leadership, leading them into a heated conflict. After Luthor severely berates and provokes the Joker who backhand slaps him across the face. In Vandal Savage's camp, tensions grow between Savage and the four ladies he has brought with him, each of whom he has promised a position of royalty in his proposed new utopian kingdom as his queen. The ladies, while growing disgruntled, appear to be unaware of the promises he's made to the others. Back in the main camp, Luthor and the Joker prepare to finally have a fistfight between them, an all-out brawl to determine which one will retain supremacy. The fight is long and bloody, and although Luthor arguably gets in more hits, the Joker finally wins due to his bizarre complete tolerance for pain. As the fight ends, it is revealed that while all of the border guards had been watching the melee, not only have an alarming number of the planet's bizarre robot protectors resurfaced, but there is also a gigantic invasion of incoming
Parademon
Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...
s by Boom Tube. Upon their attack, a Parademon kills Hyena.
[''Salvation Run'' #6 (June 2008)]
As the Parademon attack continues, one of them stabs
Brutale. The villains manage to defeat the Parademons, but Lex Luthor correctly surmises this to be just the first wave. Catwoman informs Lex Luthor about Vandal Savage's camp and leads them to it. Luthor convinces Vandal to help complete the teleportation device and return them all home. Gorilla Grodd (having survived the fall and working with Vandal Savage) rejoins the group and attempts to murder Joker for his attempt to kill him. They are interrupted by another Parademon patrol who are quickly defeated after some of them do away with General Immortus and
Solomon Grundy. With the machine finished, the villains return to Earth. Luthor leaves last, revealing that he used Heatmonger (of the
Aryan Brigade), Thunder and Lightning,
Plasmus
Plasmus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is depicted as an enemy of the Teen Titans.
Publication history
Plasmus first appeared in ''The New Teen Titans'' #14 and was created by Marv Wolfman ...
,
Neutron
The neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol or , which has a neutral (not positive or negative) charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. Protons and neutrons constitute the nuclei of atoms. Since protons and neutrons beh ...
and Warp to power it. Before leaving, he tells the Parademons "I win! Do you hear me? I BEAT YOU! ALL OF YOU!" Upon his departure, the teleporter explodes, killing the Parademons. The story closes with Captain Cold narrating the mentality of the villains, and of how they're willing to do what it takes to survive. The view then shifts around the planet, taking in the destruction of the Safe Zone and the burning ruins of the camp.
[''Salvation Run'' #7 (July 2008)]
Inmates
Villains placed on the planet include:
Casualties
The following are those who have died in this storyline in order of issue:
*
Hellhound (Jack Chifford) - Fed to "lion-lizard" creatures by the Body Doubles.
*
Psimon
Psimon (Simon Jones) is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
He first appeared in '' The New Teen Titans'' #3 (January 1981) and was created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman.
Fictional ...
- Bludgeoned to death by a rock used by the Joker.
* Iron Cross (of the
Aryan Brigade) - Shot through the head by the Joker.
*
Brain
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...
- Beaten to death by Gorilla Grodd.
*
Monsieur Mallah
Monsieur Mallah is a fictional character, a superintelligent anthropomorphic gorilla supervillain in the . He is the loyal servant of and, in time, the partner to Gorilla Grodd, and the Brain while serving as an enemy of the Doom Patrol and the ...
- Beaten to death by Gorilla Grodd using the remains of Brain's jar.
*
Metallo
Metallo () is a name used by multiple supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of Superman.
Metallo is usually depicted as a cyborg with a kryptonite power source in his heart, which he ...
- Burned through by Martian Manhunter's eye blasts.
Suffers the blue screen of death.
*
Hyena
Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the clas ...
- Shot in the head by a Parademon.
*
Brutale - Stabbed by a Parademon.
*
General Immortus
General Immortus is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also been called "The Forever Soldier" or "The Forever General".
Publication history
He first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80, the first s ...
- Killed at the start of the Parademons' second attack.
*
Neutron
The neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol or , which has a neutral (not positive or negative) charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. Protons and neutrons constitute the nuclei of atoms. Since protons and neutrons beh ...
- Presumably killed when Luthor's teleporter self-destructed.
*
Plasmus
Plasmus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is depicted as an enemy of the Teen Titans.
Publication history
Plasmus first appeared in ''The New Teen Titans'' #14 and was created by Marv Wolfman ...
- Presumably killed when Luthor's teleporter self-destructed.
* Heatmonger (of the
Aryan Brigade) - Presumably killed when Luthor's teleporter self-destructed.
*
Thunder and Lightning - Presumably killed when Luthor's teleporter self-destructed.
*
Warp
Warp, warped or warping may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books and comics
* WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher
* ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!''
* Warp (comics), a ...
- Presumably killed when Luthor's teleporter self-destructed.
Solomon Grundy was also killed in ''Salvation Run'' #7. His abilities will allow him to be reborn, but his corpse was left on the planet after the final Boom Tube exploded.
Aftermath
In ''Justice League of America'' #21, it is revealed that Martian Manhunter was still imprisoned in his flame cage when the villains left the planet. He is soon released however when
Libra
Libra generally refers to:
* Libra (constellation), a constellation
* Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation
Libra may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo
Musi ...
summons a boom tube for him at the behest of the
Human Flame
The Human Flame is a supervillain in DC Comics' main shared universe. He is mostly known as an enemy of Martian Manhunter.
Publication history
He first appeared in '' Detective Comics'' #274 (December 1959), and was created by Jack Miller and Joe ...
(as depicted in ''
Final Crisis
"Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
'').
Metallo later pops up in Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains presumably rebuilt. Brutale popped up in the recent ''
Secret Six
The so-called Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were a group of men who secretly funded the 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown.
Sometimes described as "wealthy," this was true of only two. The other four were in pos ...
'' miniseries. General Immortus later appeared alive in ''Final Crisis Aftermath: Run'', but made reference to his seeming demise as a near-death experience.
Collected editions
The series has been collected into a
trade paperback:
* ''Salvation Run'' (192 pages, September 2008, ,
''Salvation Run''
at DC Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and co ...
, November 2008, )
References
External links
Review of ''Salvation Run'' #1
an
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin was a daily website covering the American comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
The site was founded in January 2000 as Silver Bullet Comicbooks by its New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice.
During this ...
Review of ''Salvation Run'' #5
Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
*
* {{comicbookdb, type=title, id=16106, title=''Salvation Run''
2007 comics debuts