Fire from Heaven (comics)

Last updated
"Fire from Heaven"
Sword of Damocles 1.jpg
Cover of Sword of Damocles 1 (Mar 1996), art by Randy Green
Publisher Wildstorm Comics
Publication dateMarch – July 1996
Genre
Title(s)
Backlash #19-20
Deathblow #26-28
Fire From Heaven #½-2
Gen¹³ vol. 1, #10-11
Sigma #1-3
Stormwatch vol. 1, #35-36
Sword Of Damocles #1-2
Wetworks #16-17
WildC.A.T.s vol. 1, #29-30

"Fire From Heaven" was a company-wide comics crossover event story arc published by American company WildStorm in 1996. The story ran across at least one issue of most WildStorm titles at the time and several independent one-shots. The story tied into many events happening in the WildStorm universe and, unlike many major crossovers of the time, Fire From Heaven had a lasting impact on many of the characters involved.

Contents

History

The crossover was one of the biggest ever in comics, but had its share of problems; for example, delayed issues caused the planned reading order to change almost monthly, so much that the finale, planned to take place in Fire from Heaven #2, had to take place in Deathblow #28. Also, mandated participation in the crossover meant that many writers had to stop their own storylines to follow the storyline of the crossover. This had the side effect that none of the issues involved were self-contained and readers had to buy the whole crossover to understand the story, even with short recaps in each issue.

Plot

The story dealt with the coming of Damocles (an alternate reality version of Dr. Tsung), an insane villain from another universe. On Earth, Damocles' opponent from his homeworld had been reborn as the superhero Sigma. Damocles was assisted in his quest by the Sword (an alternate reality version of Union), a group of alien bounty hunters, including One-Eyed Jack, Jade, Rake, Hardball and Tode, the fake Kaizen Gamorra and Miles Craven. Most of the story took place on the island-state Gamorra, with a finale on the moon that involved most of Earth's superheroes.

Consequences

Reading order

  1. Fire From Heaven

Prelude

  1. Sword Of Damocles #1
  2. Sigma #1
  3. Deathblow #26

Chapters

  1. Fire From Heaven #1
  2. Backlash #19
  3. Gen¹³ #10
  4. Wetworks #16
  5. Stormwatch #35
  6. Sigma #2
  7. WildC.A.T.s #29
  8. Deathblow #27
  9. Gen¹³ #11
  10. Backlash #20
  11. Wetworks #17
  12. Stormwatch #36
  13. WildC.A.T.s #30
  14. Sigma #3

Finale

  1. Sword Of Damocles #2
  2. Fire From Heaven #2
  3. Deathblow #28

Related Research Articles

Wildstorm Productions is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wildstorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1998. Until it was shut down in 2010, the Wildstorm imprint remained editorially separate from DC Comics, with its main studio located in California. The imprint took its name from a portmanteau of the titles of the Jim Lee comic series WildC.A.T.S. and Stormwatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildcats (comics)</span> Superhero team

Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.

Stormwatch is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by WildStorm, which later became an imprint of DC Comics. Created by Jim Lee, the team first appeared in Stormwatch #1. After the WildStorm imprint was retired and its universe was merged with the main DC Universe, the group was depicted as a secretive team of superheroes who tackle dangerous missions while remaining unknown to the larger superhero community.

<i>The Authority</i> (comics) DC Comics comic book series

The Authority is a superhero comic book series published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint. It was created in 1999 by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, and follows the adventures of the Authority, a superhero team mainly composed of Ellis-created characters from Stormwatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deathblow (comics)</span> Comics character

Deathblow is a comic book character in the Wildstorm Universe. He first appears in Darker Image #1 and was created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi.

<i>Wetworks</i> (comics) American comic book series

Wetworks is an American comic book series created by comic book artist Whilce Portacio and writer Brandon Choi. It ran for four years before ending in 1998. A second series written by Mike Carey, with Portacio returning on art duties, was started in 2006 and ended in 2008.

Brandon Choi is an American comic book writer best known for his work for WildStorm Productions, in particular for the series WildC.A.T.s and Gen¹³ artist/publisher Jim Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hellstrike</span> Comics character

Nigel Keane, also known as Hellstrike, is a comic book superhero in the WildStorm's Stormwatch series, first appearing in Stormwatch #1. He possesses the ability to project plasma as destructive bolts or as an energy stream to allow himself to fly. As of Issue #12, he also has to live inside a containment suit similar to Fuji's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Raney</span> American comic book artist

Tom Raney is an American comic book artist known for illustrating titles as Annihilation: Conquest, Alpha Flight, Ultimate X-Men and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics, DV8 and Stormwatch for Image Comics, and Outsiders for DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team 7</span> Fictional comic book superhero team

Team 7 is a comic book superhero team that appeared in titles published by Wildstorm Productions. The team has appeared in 3 self-titled miniseries: Team 7, Team 7: Objective Hell and Team 7: Dead Reckoning. The first 5-issue Gen¹³ limited series also involved members of Team 7. The team's members have played a major role throughout the Wildstorm Universe. In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity, bringing in Wildstorm characters, including Team 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backlash (Marc Slayton)</span> Comic book character

Backlash is a comic book character from the Wildstorm Universe who first appeared in StormWatch #3 in 1993. He was featured in his own comic book series, which ran from 1994 to 1997. His daughter Jodi also uses the name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helspont</span> Comics character

Helspont is a character in Wildstorm's comics who was transplanted to the DC Universe. In addition to the WildC.A.T.s, he has also fought Team One, Gen¹³, Backlash, and when folded into the DC Universe, Superman.

<i>Gen12</i>

Gen12 is a comic book series from Wildstorm by Brandon Choi with art by Michael Ryan. It was a 5-issue mini-series published in 1998. It featured characters from the series Team 7. It is also the codename for the subjects of a scientific experiment within the Wildstorm Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cybernary</span> Comics character

Cybernary is a comic book series created by comic book artist Nick Manabat with writer Steve Gerber and published by American company Wildstorm Productions in 1995. It tells the story of Katrina Cupertino (Cybernary), a cybernetic anti-heroine carrying the consciousness of Yamiko Gamorra.

<i>Gen-Active</i> Comic book series published from 2000 to 2001

Gen-Active is a comic book anthology-series from Wildstorm. It was published quarterly from 2000 to 2001 and ran for six issues. In the comic book series, Gen-Actives are superhuman beings who possess the Gen-Factor.

<i>WildC.A.T.s/Aliens</i>

WildC.A.T.S/Aliens was a one-shot comic book and intercompany crossover event, published by Wildstorm and Dark Horse Comics in 1998. The comic was written by Warren Ellis, pencilled by Chris Sprouse, with Kevin Nowlan inking and Laura Depuy as the colorist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildstorm Rising</span>

"Wildstorm Rising" was a crossover event published by Image Comics/WildStorm that involved the entire line of titles published by WildStorm in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's End (comics)</span>

"World's End" is a 2008–2009 comic book crossover storyline published by Wildstorm and taking place in the Wildstorm Universe. The event takes place in the issues of all of Wildstorm's Wildstorm Universe ongoing series.

The Image Universe (IU) is a fictional universe in which some of the stories published by Image Comics take place. It was introduced in the early years of the publisher, shared by the various creators who formed the Image partnership. The independent, creator-owned nature of their work led to limited interaction between their characters, and little coordination of the Image Universe as a shared setting, with the primary versions populated by a number of superheroes/villains, including Supreme, Invincible, Omni-Man, Spawn, Angela, the Dragon, Gert, Bomb Queen, and Witchblade, as well as incarnations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

References