One of the DC Studios projects that has attracted attention is The Authority, a team from which we present the basics you should know
With the plans for the DC Universe that James Gunn announced in recent days, many focused their attention on the next adventures that Superman and Batman will present to us, but one of the projects that attracted attention was The Authority, a group of anti-heroes willing to do what necessary to accomplish their missions.
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This team differs from others such as the Suicide Squad, whose operations are secret and, if discovered, Amanda Waller and the United States Government distance themselves from them.
To find out which team DC Studios will present to us on the big screen, let’s find out what The Authority is and its best moments.
What is The Authority?
Simply put, the Authority is a cynical and brutally pragmatic superhero team. The group first appeared in 1999’s The Authority, a title by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch.
Some of the team members and concepts originated during Ellis’ run on Stormwatch.
How the Stormwatch plot intervenes in The Authority
Stormwatch was a team book created by Jim Lee published for the WildStorm imprint (which was acquired by DC Comics). The title followed a United Nations funded superhero black ops group. Consider it a prequel to The Authority.
What is the history of The Authority?
After the United Nations shut down Stormwatch, Jenny Sparks brought together some of the former members of the group along with some new faces to form a new team. Jenny realized that disbanding Stormwatch left the world vulnerable to attack, and she wanted to stay one step ahead.
Unlike Stormwatch, however, this new team would not have to worry about the United Nations or any political involvement as they dealt with enemy threats. In other words, they answer to their own authority.
Like most superhero teams, the Authority has a rotating roster of powerhouses. Here’s a brief rundown of their original lineup.
They are part of The Authority team
Jenny Sparks: a woman who can manipulate electricity. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also considered “the spirit of the 20th century.” Born in 1900, Jenny stopped aging when she turned 19 and secretly influenced most of the century’s major turning points.
Apollo : A solar battery with super strength, invulnerability, and flight. Sounds familiar? Apollo is one of the first openly gay superheroes to appear in a mainstream comic. He is married to Midnighter, one of his Authority teammates.
The engineer : A woman who infused herself with nanomachines, causing her body to transform into liquid metal. She can now interface with any machine, from toasters to mainframes. She can also shapeshift and use her liquid metal body to create any object she imagines.
The doctor : The latest in a long line of sorcerers on Earth, the Doctor is one of the best magic users on the planet. He is also a recovering addict trying to put his life back together. (No relation to the guy on TV who hangs out in the phone booth.)
swift : A woman with the ability to manifest wings and claws. When she’s airborne, Swift’s speed is greater than most speedsters on Earth. Imagine looking up to the sky and seeing a winged woman with claws darting after you.
Midnighter : A former soldier with enhanced abilities and probably the best-known member of the Authority thanks to his eponymous series and book appearances as Nightwing. Midnighter can see how a battle will unfold before he begins, making him the Authority’s master tactician. Think of him as a more psychotic version of Batman. Midnighter is married to his Authority teammate Apollo.
Jack hawksmoor : A man who was given strange abilities after aliens abducted him and experimented on him. Jack has super strength and psychic abilities that allow him to form a symbiotic connection with any city he comes in contact with. He’s also the group’s resident idiot, which is saying a lot since we’re talking about the Authority here.
What makes The Authority different from other teams?
The Authority takes a tougher approach with their fight against crime, and their worldview isn’t what you’d call rosy.
For example, in 2005’s Captain Atom: Armageddon, Captain Atom finds himself stranded in the WildStorm Universe and is horrified to see how sadistic the Authority is. They are not concerned with property damage or scaring the citizens they protect. They revel in their violence.
If you need a more graphic example, in The Authority: Revolution #12, Midnighter kills a villain named Henry Bendix by ripping off his spine. Can you imagine Superman or the Justice League doing something like that? (obviously, don’t answer Injustice)
What is your headquarters?
Traditionally, The Authority operates out of a ship called the Carrier, and it’s probably the coolest base you’ve ever seen in any comic. It is a giant sentient spaceship that can move through different dimensions and does not respond to the normal rules of space and time.
The Transporter can speak if he wants, but prefers to remain silent. He once spoke to insult Kev Hawkins, one of the Authority’s adversaries. When was the last time Titans Tower put someone down?
When did The Authority come to the DC Universe?
When the Authority was first introduced, they were part of the WildStorm imprint and their stories didn’t have the same continuity as the main Justice League heroes.
However, after the events of Flashpoint, the Authority and their WildStorm contemporaries migrated into the DC Universe, leading to some fun team-ups. A new Stormwatch was published, where members like Apollo and Midnighter were joined by classic DC heroes like Martian Manhunter.
But don’t forget we’re dealing with the Multiverse! In 2017, Authority co-creator Warren Ellis relaunched many of the characters into a new continuity with an all-new series called The Wild Storm.
So are they part of the DC Universe? Yes and no, it depends on which version we are looking at.
It may interest you: The best DC characters that emerged from other publishers
Source: DC Comics
StormWatch: When the future of justice looks uncertain.
The members of StormWatch, the United Nations Crisis Intervention Task Force, suddenly find themselves realigned and taking on dangerous assignments from their mysterious leader, the now more aggressive and violent Weatherman.
The appearance of new recruits Jack Hawksmoor, Rose Tattoo and Jenny Sparks only makes the team even more suspicious that they are headed for a showdown with the deadliest foe imaginable.
SMASH and DC Comics Mexico bring you DC Comics Deluxe – StormWatch Volume 1 The beginning of an epic story! Compiles the series developed by Warren Ellis and Tom Raney, also featuring art from the comic’s co-creator: Jim Lee
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