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The all-new Vigilante makes a
graveside confession to Adrian Chase
in NIGHTWING #136 [2007]. |
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Brothers Chase
Dorian Chase was the son of an affluent and prominent family. His overachieving brother, Adrian, grew up to become a high-principled New York District Attorney. But despite his prilvedged family, Dorian's life took a decidedly different turn.
His past still shrouded in mystery, it is apparent that Dorian became embroiled in seedy criminal activities and spent years in jail. But one day, something changed - and Dorian vowed to make amends for his various misdeeds.
At some point, Dorian also learned that his brother had become the gun-toting Vigilante. And although that path eventually led Adrian Chase to take his own life, Dorian decided to co-opt the Vigilante identity as a means to his own redemption. Dorian contacted JJ Davis, Adrian's former weapons specialist, and outfitted himself with a revamped version of his brother's uniform.
A Shot At Redemption
Vigilante began his crusade against crime in Europe, where he worked virtually undetected for almost five years. He targeted the mob - often going undercover as a minor-league courier or bodyguard - to learn about criminal activity and then help thwart it. He often relied on using the name and face of Joe Flynn - a thug nobody knew was dead.
One of Vigilante's cases eventually led him to the United States. Vigilante was hunting Dick Grayson's old friend, Metal Eddie, who had become leader of the 21 Tigers, an international gang of murderers. The trail led to New York City, where Vigilante clashed with Nightwing.
On the heels of that assignment, Vigilante decided to stay in New York to investigate a super-hero conspiracy plot. The mystery unraveled to reveal former Teen Titan Jericho as a would-be political assassin. Driven insane by his possession powers, Jericho's fractured mind concocted a bizarre deathtrap for his former friends - the Titans and Teen Titans. Vigilante hunted Jericho for his crimes and stopped him by non-lethal means - by cutting out Jericho's eyes, which were the source of his possession powers.
A Man With A Mission
Dorian's terrible past still colors almost everything he does. As the Vigilante, he hopes to make up for many of the crimes he's committed. But inside, he wonders if he will ever truly be worthy of redemption.
Vigilante is skilled in the use of firearms and knives. He is in superb physical shape and practices several of the martial arts.
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The Vigilante Legacy
Who is that masked man? Over the years, multiple DC characters have claimed the name, Vigilante.
Here's a quick-list of who's who.
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Vigilante
Alias: Gregory Sanders |
The original Vigilante was a Western hero who first debuted in Action Comics #42 in 1941. Nathaniel Sanders and his wife had three children: Rebecca, Gregory and Jeffrey. Jeffrey died of "the fever" and Nathaniel was killed by stagecoach bandits. Greg grew up to become the famous radio star known as "The Prairie Troubadour." But to avenge his father, Greg donned the costumed identity of the Vigilante.
He also took on a sidekick, the youthful Daniel Leong from Chinatown, who fought crime as Stuff (Action Comics #45). Gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Seigel later killed Stuff, sending Vigilante on a mission of vengeance. The Vigilante was joined by Jimmy's younger brother, Victor, who also used the name Stuff and continued his brother's war on crime and injustice. Vigilante finally gained revenge on Seigel in a one-on-one confrontation.
Gregory Sanders had several gun-slinging adventures of his own, but also became a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory (also known as Law's Legionnaires) in Leading Comics #1-14 (1941-1945).
Vigilante enjoyed a healthy 157-issue run as a back-up feature in Action Comics, but wasn't seen again until the 1970s in Justice League of America #78-79. Two years later, he appeared again in Justice League of America #100-102 with the Seven Soldiers of Victory. This story established that the Soldiers had been lost in time in the Old West since their last appearance in Leading Comics #14 way back in 1945. Having roamed the Old West from 1875 to 1895, Greg Sanders was rescued by the Justice League and Justice Society and brought back to the present.
Since then, Greg Sanders appeared in Adventure Comics and World's Finest Comics, and even a mini-series titled Vigilante: City Lights, Prairie Justice in 1995.
Greg himself mostly enjoyed his retired life, having earned monies through wise investments made over 40 years ago. Keeping him company is his patient wife, Helen, and his business advisor (and one-time sidekick), the now middle-aged Victor "Stuff" Leong. Greg Sanders was shown recently to also have survived into his old age, just long enough to reform a new team of Seven Soldiers of Victory who are mostly killed in their battle with a large monster insect.
Essential Reading:
Action Comics #42-197
Leading Comics #1-14
Justice League (first series) #78-79, 100-102, 144
Adventure Comics (first series) # 438-443
Vigilante: City Lights, Prairie Justice #1-4
El Diablo #12
Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. #1
JSA (third series) #49-51
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Vigilante
Alias: Adrian Chase |
In the 1980s, the comic book medium began to evolve and mature. There was good and evil, but readers started to see the introduction of characters that would be a little more ambiguous. Marvel started the trend with characters like Wolverine and the Punisher. And DC soon followed suit with the all-new Vigilante: an urban commando who waged his own war on crime.
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Chase is revealed as The Vigilante in NEW TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #2 [1983]. |
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Tough District Attorney Adrian Chase first appeared in New Teen Titans #23 in 1982. Writer Marv Wolfman created a cop character who grew increasingly irritated by the alarming crime rate as well the revolving-door justice system. The situation starts to reach a breaking point in New Teen Titans #33-34, where Chase teams up with Robin to bring down Anthony Scarapelli, head of one of New York's mob families. Chase is able to arrest Scarapelli, but Robin is later horrified to learn Chase's illegal methods in his pursuit of the famed mob boss. In retaliation, Scarapelli plants a bomb in Chase's apartment, which killed his wife and two children when it exploded.
The story reaches its climax in New Teen Titans Annual #2, where Adrian Chase makes his debut as Vigilante. Scarapelli is about to be executed by the mob for making a mistake, but an unknown masked assassin finds him instead. Revealing himself as Adrian Chase, he announces his intentions to wage a war on crime as Vigilante. Robin witnesses the tense stand-off, which results in Chase killing Scarapelli. By this time, DC had already been planning a Vigilante ongoing series.
Marv Wolfman explains how he wanted to differentiate the Vigilante from The Punisher: " I think people simply assumed I was going to send the Vigilante off to kill everyone in creation who was ever served a parking summons or found littering. No way, folks! The Vigilante is obviously a protagonist whose methods are questionable, but he does not use his gun unless he has to. The character, his unique perspective of the law - having once been a District Attorney - and his method of operations make him different from virtually all the other characters of this type in pulp novels or in comics."
Marv Wolfman launched the Vigilante series with Keith Pollard on pencils. Some Teen Titans characters appeared during the course of the series. Cyborg appears in Vigilante #3 and Nightwing appears in a two-parter in Vigilante #20-21. Captain James Hall, who also appeared in the Teen Titans series, is featured as a supporting character throughout.
After Marv Wolfman left the title, Paul Kupperberg assumed the writing. The tone of the book began to change, as Chase himself became more obsessed. Adrian Chase's tragic end was perhaps preordained by the events of Vigilante #37, where Chase threw a policeman off a fire escape. After that event, Chase sank deeper into despair and self-loathing. In a shocking finale to the series, Adrian Chase took his own life with a bullet to his head in Vigilante #50 in 1988.
Editor Mike Gold explained the unconventional ending in that issue's letter column: "The conclusion to this issue's story was preordained, ever since Adrian threw that policeman off the fire escape back in #37. When we started working on Vigilante together. Paul Kupperberg and I have approached this run as a multi-part story. [...] I never talked with one who ever thought suicide was going to resolve anything. It would just make the issue moot. Inside each of us lurks a potential vigilante who wants to strike back at evil. Luckily, we keep that vigilante in check. Adrian Chase could not. His desire to commit suicide, his actually pulling the trigger, is understandable if not acceptable: he had become the evil he was fighting. Adrian Chase has paid the price of his actions, as he understood it."
Essential Reading:
New Teen Titans (first series) #23, 26-27, 33-34
New Teen Titans Annual (first series) #2
Vigilante #1-50
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Vigilante
Alias: Pat Trayce |
In the 1990s, grim and gritty characters became quite popular. This led to Deathstroke getting his own ongoing series in 1991. And soon, Marv Wolfman would introduce another all-new Vigilante.
Tough Detective Pat Trayce was introduced in the pages of Deathstroke #6 in 1991, which kicked off a four-part storyline guest-starring Batman. Trayce becomes frustrated with the city's revolving door justice system as mob assassin Jeremy Barker becomes a federally protected witness. When Trayce is framed for an attempt on his life, she dons the original Vigilante costume to clear her own name in Deathstroke #9. This marked the first appearance of Pat Trayce as Vigilante.
Pat Trayce leaves her job as a detective behind her and decides to become the new Vigilante full-time in Deathstroke #10-11. Slade initially refuses to train her, but eventually relents. The two soon become lovers, beginning an on-again/off-again tumultuous romantic relationship. With her new calling as Vigilante, Pat leaves her stepson Luis Jr. in the care of his aunt, Louisa. Pat Trayce returned in Deathstroke #21, and became a recurring character in the series, clashing with Slade while alternately enjoying the occasional physical dalliance with the famous mercenary.
Deathstroke #0 and #41 started a new direction for the title, began a bold storyline called Deathstroke: The Hunted, wherein Slade Wilson was framed for murder and hunted by various DC characters. Pat Trayce was hunted and captured by Slade's now-insane ex-wife, Addie Kane. The conflict (and the Hunted storyline) were ultimately resolved in Deathstroke #50 and Annual #4. By this time, Trayce had let go of the anger and vengeance that had driven her for so long.
Vigilante appeared next in Deathstroke #55, where it was revealed that Trayce had taken over Adeline Kane's Searchers Inc. company, and renamed it Vigilance. Pat claimed she went a little crazy, thinking she could take the law into her own hands, and vowed that Vigilance would be a company dedicated to helping people. She remained a supporting character in Deathstroke until its final issue, Deathstroke #60, in 1996.
Pat Trayce appeared next in the Hawk & Dove 1998 mini-series, where Vigilante and Vixen were called to track down Hawk & Dove at the behest of Checkmate. She also returned to assist Resurrection Man with a new incarnation of the Forgotten Heroes and aided the JSA during the "Our Worlds at War" galactic crisis.
Essential Reading:
Deathstroke #6-11, 21, 29-30, 34, 38-39, 0, 41-46, 55-60
Deathstroke Annual #1, 4
Hawk & Dove (mini-series) 1997
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Vigilante
Alias: Dr. Justin Powell |
While Pat Trayce continued adventuring, that didn't stop DC from introducing a fourth Vigilante. Originally announced as part of the “Superstorm” initiative on August of 2003, Vigilante was one of the three Wildstorm-produced titles associated with Superman that were due to launch around the time of Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee’s Superman run. Plans changed, and the title was later published as a
6-issue mini-series in 2005.
The character had no ties to the previous Vigilante characters, and explored the darker borders of comics. “The original Vigilante began as a western character way back in the day,” Jones told Newsarama. “His most recent incarnation was a kind of DC version of Marvel’s Punisher, but my take will be something else entirely."
Jones described the protagonist as not quite a hero... something that all the Vigilante characters had in common, “A very disturbed and very disturbing mind. This guy is hardly a hero, certainly not in the traditional sense," Jones explained. "I wouldn’t call him sadistic exactly… just exacting. He knows what he has to do and how to go about it; just not — in the beginning anyway — why he’s compelled to do it. That’s a learning process he shares with the reader. It’s pretty painful, maybe on both counts, but necessary, I felt.”
The series itself was a psychological thriller, where the true identity of the Vigilante was a mystery. Eventually, it was revealed that the Vigilante was Dr. Justin Powell. It appeared that Powell created a second personality, the Vigilante, due to the childhood trauma of witnessing a brutal murder. Powell would become the Vigilante subconsciously, protecting the city from psychotics with no regard for restraint or the law. Ironically, Dr. Powell believed in justice for the individual, including the psychotic souls whose whose abuse as children has led them to do terrible things. At the conclusion of the mini-series, Powell was able to reconcile both personalities.
This version of Vigilante is mostly a footnote. Outside of his mini-series, he didn't make an impact. His last known appearance was in the pages of Infinite Crisis #7.
Essential Reading:
Vigilante (mini-series) #1-6
Infinite Crisis (mini-series) #7
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Vigilante
Alias: Dorian Chase |
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The all-new Vigilante makes a
graveside confession to Adrian Chase in NIGHTWING #136 [2007]. |
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Yet another all-new Vigilante was introduced in the pages of Nightwing #133 in 2007. In a story penned by Marv Wolfman, an entirely new Vigilante is hunting Dick Grayson's old friend, Metal Eddie, who had become leader of the 21 Tigers, an international gang of murderers.
The storyline continued through Nightwing #137, but the reader never learns Vigilante's true identity. The mysterious gunman is scene visiting the grave of Adrian Chase, and explains that he's not out to save the world, just himself. His connection to Chase was not yet made clear, creating an intentional mystery surrounding the character.
Vigilante creator Marv Wolfman shared some insights into the creation of this new Vigilante on his column at marvwolfman.com: "When I was asked to bring back Vig by DC honcho, Dan Didio, I spent a lot of time coming up with a new and surprising back story so he won't fit into the "My family was murdered and now I seek revenge" school of vigilante characters, everyone from Batman and Spider-Man to Punisher and even the last incarnation of Vigilante I wrote back in the 80s. This Vigilante's family didn't die. In fact he didn't have a family (wife or kids) to have died."
Vigilante received an ongoing series of his own in 2008. His first name, Dorian, was revealed early in the series, but his background was still shrouded in mystery. Finally, in Vigilante #9, it is revealed that Dorian is the brother of original Vigilante, Adrian Chase.
Essential Reading:
Nightwing #133-137
Vigilante #1-12
Marv Wolfman on The All-New Vigilante
Wolfman's Vigilante Vows
courtesy of http://comicon.com - posted December 24, 2008
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Before the first issue of Vigilante saw print, Marv Wolfman gave us some teasers about this new incarnation of the classic character. Now, we've got even more information from the scribe about the man behind the mask, his involvement in DC's Faces of Evil, some other DCU notables who might be making the scene in this series and writing "older" for today's audience.
THE PULSE: In September when we talked about your return to Vigilante you mentioned, "now that comics can be written older instead of just for kids, I'm really excited about getting to do those kinds of stories." Having read most of your work since The New Teen Titans, I'd say you never really were writing to kids; so what do you mean by saying you can "write older"?
MARV WOLFMAN: Although the themes in Titans were older, the writing was straight forward so it could be understood by younger readers. There's a way to write where you make sure every T is crossed and every I is dotted so the youngest readers can still follow a complex story. I leave a lot more open in Vigilante knowing I don't have to explain everything and the readers can figure it out from what is there. Also, once we're past the crossover stories, we'll be dealing more with crime stories that can get a lot grimmer than the Titans stories did. Relationships are handled differently. Events can be stronger. This isn't XXX rated or Vertigo rated but we don't have to 100% make it kid friendly.
THE PULSE: The second issue of Vigilante is a "Faces of Evil" crossover issue, did you know about this a long time ago or did you find out later and have to finagle a few things around?
WOLFMAN: I found out just before I wrote it. Fortunately I didn't have to take anything out as I was able to use the Faces of Evil sections to tell what I had wanted to tell anyway. By the way, it's the third issue that's the Faces Of Evil story, not # 2.
[Editor's Note: January Previews listed #2 as a "Faces of Evil" crossover.]
THE PULSE: How does the newest Vigilante get involved with the "Faces of Evil"? Which Face is he, well, facing?
WOLFMAN: We're not really tied in strong.
THE PULSE: What jail does Vig find himself in? There are a lot of different ones that house supervillains in the DCU ....
WOLFMAN: Stryker's Prison in New York.
THE PULSE: Out of all the jail houses around, why Stryker's Prison?
WOLFMAN: 1: It was in NY. And 2: It houses super-villains, so we were able to use Electrocutioner. And 3: It's where the person Vigilante needs to find (not Electrocutioner) is imprisoned.
THE PULSE: We've seen other heroes (and policemen/women/beautiful detectives working for Charlie) undercover behind bars, how is what you're doing here different from that formula of "good guy goes to jail, good guy discovers secret, good guy gets sprung from the joint"?
WOLFMAN: Because the person who is Vigilante was in prison himself for five years for crimes he did commit, his reaction to being sent there again is very different form someone who is merely undercover.
THE PULSE: Usually those good guys who wind up behind bars have a person in place to get them out, but Vigilante is kind of a loner. Has he thought that far ahead about the what to do next? Who is he working with here?
WOLFMAN: That would be telling. Sorry.
THE PULSE: Why did you want to make one of his confidants J.J. Davis? What does that add to the mythos here?
WOLFMAN: I had several reasons for including JJ. 1: He was the original Vigilante's tech and weapon guy and 2: Nightwing used him in the issues I wrote. So, since he had already been introduced long before I knew there'd be a new Vigilante, it made sense to move him over since although this Vigilante is not Adrian Chase there is a connection to him.
THE PULSE: Who are some of the people he encounters behind bars?
WOLFMAN: The Electrocutioner who I created many years ago and was brought back into the DCU more recently by others.
THE PULSE: Why did you want there to be such a mystery around his identity?
WOLFMAN: Originally I pitched the book so not even the reader would know who he was for awhile, but because of the crossovers that wasn't possible. But then I realized how I could make that work anyway. So in issue #1 we learn who Vigilante is, but honestly we don't. I want the reader to know that we don't know everything about this character up front. You have to spend some time rooting him out as you do with many people you meet. They seem like one person when you meet them but the more you know them the more you see other sides to them. So Vigilante is someone who has served time and has a very troubled past, but we don't learn what it is, except through hints, for awhile. I won't keep it secret forever or even a very long time; if the book sells, we'll learn who he is sooner than later. But I wanted to peel the layers away rather than cutting through it from day 1.
THE PULSE: There's a lot of speculation that this Vigilante might be Jason Todd or one of the male Team Titans members. What's the craziest rumor you've heard about who's under the mask?
WOLFMAN: I actually don't pay attention to rumors or read about them, so I had no idea Jason was considered. But I can tell you it's not Jason. That wasn't even a thought.
THE PULSE: The Vigilante seems like an idea character to have roam the DCU canvas. What other places do you plan on having him visit during his first few arcs -- after he gets out of jail, that is ...?
WOLFMAN: The Jail scenario is just one issue. I know it's something that could have been longer, but because of how he gets into jail what happened there affects him for issues afterward. In short, the FBI starts to figure out who he is based on who was brought to the jail that week. Once the FBI gets its claws into him things start to go to hell for Vig as they intend to stop whatever his plans are.
THE PULSE: What do you enjoy the most about working on this comic at this point in time?
WOLFMAN: I'm enjoying writing it differently than I do other books. I'm also loving the idea of a regular series, no matter how long it lasts. I was hired for Nightwing to do four issues then four more than four more, etc. So I couldn't do any long range planning. Here I am and that's what I love to do more than anything. I love building on stories and taking them in different directions which you can only do right if you plant the clues earlier then slowly exploit them.
THE PULSE: When we last spoke, you hadn't had the chance to see any of Rick Leonardi's artwork yet. I'm guessing you have now. What do you think about the way he's bringing your tale to life?
WOLFMAN: Rick's work on issue #1 is incredible and from what I've seen on issue #2 it gets better.
THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on?
WOLFMAN: As always, stuff I can't talk about. Wish I could.
Shoot 'Em Up
courtesy of marvwolfman.com - posted November 24, 2008
Vigilante is my new DC comic and one I'm very proud of. If you read my Nightwing book last year you've already met Vig and you know there's some mysteries concerning him. When I was asked to bring back Vig by DC honcho, Dan Didio, I spent a lot of time coming up with a new and surprising back story so he won't fit into the "My family was murdered and now I seek revenge" school of vigilante characters, everyone from Batman and Spider-Man to Punisher and even the last incarnation of Vigilante I wrote back in the 80s. This Vigilante's family didn't die. In fact he didn't have a family (wife or kids) to have died. You also may have noticed that we never showed you Vigilante's face in Nightwing; that was deliberate. You'll see his face in Vigilante #1. But not really. You'll find out his name in that issue, too. But not really. This Vigilante is a series of mysteries beyond the evil plots he's dealing with, and clues will be dropped along the way as to who he is.
I've wanted to write a crime comic for the longest time. As proof I was the Marvel editor-in-chief way back in the 70s who suggested we use Spidey villain, The Punisher, as the lead in his own black and white magazine. Vigilante is a crime comic dressed up in bullet proof armor.
I've got a lot of plans with the book that I hope will surprise folk, so I do hope you'll find time on Christmas Eve day to trudge down to your comics shop and pick up the book. Or better yet, go to your shop now and place an order for them to hold until you can pick it up a day or two later.
As I say, I'll remind folk a few more times as the release date approaches. But thanks in advance to all those who place their orders early. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
And lest I forget, the art by Rick Leonardi is simply fantastic. I could not be happier.
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