Women of the Apocalypse

Last updated
Women of the Apocalypse
Women-of-the-Apocalypse-Cover.jpg
AuthorEileen Bell, Roxanne Felix, Billie Milholland, Ryan T. McFadden
Cover artistHerman Lau
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fantasy
PublisherAbsolute XPress (an imprint of Hades Publications)
Publication date
29 September 2009
Media typeTrade Paperback
Pages242
ISBN 978-1-77053-000-3
Preceded bySeven Deadly Sins 

Women of the Apocalypse is an anthology of four fantasy novellas, published in September 2009 by Absolute XPress. [1] There is a brief framing device, in which four archangels attempt to activate four human male heroes to save the world from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse but mistakenly empower four women. Each novella centers around one woman's trials against one of the Horsemen. The anthology won the Prix Aurora [2] in 2010. Cover art was by Herman Lau, while the design was by John Teeter.

Contents

Novellas

Summary

A Simple Assignment (Framing Device)

Four archangels discuss how a simple assignment went so terribly wrong. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are coming and so the Archangels found the perfect champions to save the world: fighters, warriors, and soldiers. These chosen champions must drink a shooter that will imbue them with divine powers to battle the Four Horsemen. A mistake is made when four random women drink the divine concoction. Alexandra Carlton, Julia Wolfe, Emily Keller and Dinah Medrano must all take up the mantles of champions.

Pawns Dreaming of Roses (Pestilence)

Alexandra Carlton, a waitress at a sports bar, inadvertently becomes the champion destined to take on the First Horseman of the Apocalypse by drinking a shooter given to her as a tip. Shortly thereafter, she meets the Archangel Raphael, who has been charged with preparing Alexandra for her quest. The story focuses on Alexandra's attempts to learn "the ways of the Horseman" in order to stop him, as increasingly erotic visions of that Horseman and Raphael's apparent reluctance to give her any useful information thwart her.

A Choice Among No Choices (War)

A refugee lawyer, Dinah Medrano, is approached by the Archangel Michael to be a champion to defend the Earth from the Apocalypse, specifically the Horseman of War. At first, Dinah is resistant to the presented challenge because she is convinced that Michael is not sane. However, when she realizes she has been granted powers to manipulate water and heal people, Dinah accepts Archangel Michael's challenge in order to save her sister, Fatima, who is suffering from cancer. The story focuses on Dinah's attempts to cease the progress of the Horseman of War, despite the complications that arise when she discovers the Horseman of War is a former angel.

Hungersnot (Famine)

After missing a day of work because of a severe hangover, Emily Keller returns to find an elderly man assigned as a trainee to the concrete truck she drives for her father's company. Arthur Capella is the name adopted by Urial, the Archangel of Music, who is tasked with persuading Emily that she is the champion who must confront and defeat the Apocalyptic Horseman, Famine. Emily, a modern young woman, living in a world of online social networking, is not easily persuaded, until she finds out that her good friend Donald, not only is the Horseman Famine, he is also responsible for killing both her mother and her mentor, Twinkie.

Famine, in this story, seeks to destroy the populations of the developed world by a devious kind of starvation caused by the dwindling nutrition in refined and convenience food.

Dues Ex Machina (Death)

Julia Wolfe is a particle scientist involved in a secret fusion project located two miles beneath the surface. The project, dubbed Eden by the members of the scientific team, is working on achieving positive fusion, a goal that could spell the end of the world's energy problems. As the project nears completion, Julia finds her personal life unraveling. From troubling dreams to dissatisfaction with her marriage, she begins question her place within Eden and wonders if she needs to leave.
However, when the fusion reactor malfunctions throwing Eden into darkness and chaos, Julia realizes they are not alone in the deep. It is up to Julia to protect them against the horsemen Death. More than their lives hang in the balance. If she fails, Death will escape from Eden and wash over the surface world.

Illustrations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse</span> Figures in the New Testament believed to start the apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Bible, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. They are not specifically identified there but subsequent commentary often identifies them as personifications of Death, Famine, War, and Conquest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra of Yugoslavia</span> Queen consort of Yugoslavia from 1944 to 1945

Alexandra was the Queen of Yugoslavia as the wife of King Peter II. She was the last Queen of Yugoslavia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Worthington III</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1. Angel is a founding member of the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apocalypse (character)</span> Fictional character from the X-Men franchise

Apocalypse is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is one of the world's first mutants, and was a principal villain for the original X-Factor team and later the X-Men and related spin-off teams. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice, Apocalypse first appeared in X-Factor #5. Apocalypse is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspasia Manos</span> Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark

Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark was a Greek aristocrat who became the wife of Alexander I, King of Greece. Due to the controversy over her marriage, she was styled Madame Manou instead of "Queen Aspasia", until recognized as Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark after Alexander's death and the restoration of King Constantine I, on 10 September 1922. Through her marriage, she and her descendants were the only ethnically Greek members of the Greek royal family, which originated in Denmark.

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

Sunfire is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Sunfire is a mutant and sometime member of the X-Men.

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

Holocaust is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men Alpha, and was created by Scott Lobdell and Roger Cruz; however, a character with the same name and similar appearance was featured in Stryfe's Strike Files, two years before X-Men Alpha was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fall of the Mutants</span> Comic book crossover event

"The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book crossover storyline by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of The Uncanny X-Men #225-227, X-Factor #24-26, and New Mutants #59-61; unlike most crossovers however, the various titles' storylines did not intertwine, but were instead linked thematically as each team underwent major ordeals and drastic changes in their status quo.

<i>The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse</i> (1921 film) 1921 film by Rex Ingram

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a 1921 American silent epic war film produced by Metro Pictures Corporation and directed by Rex Ingram. Based on the 1916 Spanish novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, it was adapted for the screen by June Mathis. The film stars Pomeroy Cannon, Josef Swickard, Bridgetta Clark, Rudolph Valentino, Wallace Beery, and Alice Terry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caliban (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Caliban is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #148, by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum. A mutant with the ability to sense other mutants, he was originally a member of the Morlocks. He was also a member of the X-Factor, X-Men, X-Force and The 198. He was chosen twice by Apocalypse as one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse, first as Death and the second time as Pestilence, and Apocalypse also enhanced his superpowers through genetic manipulation.

The Horsemen of Apocalypse are a team of supervillain characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Led by Apocalypse, they are loosely based on the Biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the book of Revelation, though its members vary throughout the canon.

War is the name of three fictional characters, who are supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Two are discussed here: both members of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse. The first War and Abraham Kieros. The title was also held by the mutant Gazer and, briefly, by Bruce Banner, the Hulk.

<i>Horsemen</i> (film) 2009 American film

Horsemen is a 2009 American psychological thriller film directed by Jonas Åkerlund, written by David Callaham, produced by Michael Bay, and starring Dennis Quaid and Zhang Ziyi. It follows Aidan Breslin, a bitter and emotionally distracted detective who has grown apart from his two sons after the death of his devoted wife. While investigating a series of murders, he discovers a terrifying link between himself and the suspects that seem to be based on the Biblical prophecies concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Conquest and Death. The film was shot in Winnipeg and was released on March 6, 2009.

<i>Apocalypse</i> (Dürer) Series of fifteen woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer

The Apocalypse, properly Apocalypse with Pictures, is a series of fifteen woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer published in 1498 depicting various scenes from the Book of Revelation, which rapidly brought him fame across Europe. These woodcuts likely drew on theological advice, particularly from Johannes Pirckheimer, the father of Dürer's friend Willibald Pirckheimer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in popular culture</span> Popular depictions of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the derived term Four Horsemen have appeared many times in popular culture.

Hades Publications is a publishing company owned by Brian Hades that focuses on science fiction and fantasy literature. The company publishes under four different imprints and is currently the largest dedicated Canadian publisher of science fiction and fantasy.

<i>East of West</i> Monthly comic book series

East of West is a monthly comic book series published by Image Comics which debuted in March 2013 and was concluded in December 2019. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Nick Dragotta, the book is a science fiction Western set in a dystopian version of the United States whose fate rests with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

<i>The Messengers</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

The Messengers is an American supernatural mystery drama television series that aired on The CW during the 2014–15 season. The series was officially picked up on May 8, 2014, and premiered on April 17, 2015. The series was cancelled by the CW on May 7, 2015, but aired all of its episodes, and concluded on July 24, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Four Horsemen (Aphrodite's Child song)</span> 1972 single by Aphrodites Child

"The Four Horsemen" is the hit single and most famous song on the concept album 666 by the psychedelic rock band Aphrodite's Child. It has received regular airplay on AOR stations since its release in 1972. Like its album, the song is based on The Book of Revelation.

References

  1. "Women of the Apocalypse :: Absolute XPress". absolute-x-press.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07.
  2. Aurora Award#2010