Lucifer (DC Comics)
| Lucifer | |
|---|---|
 Lucifer #16 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Vertigo DC Comics |
| First appearance | Dream: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #65 (December 1962) Historical: DC Special Series #8 (February 1978) Modern: The Sandman #4 (April 1989) |
| Created by | Neil Gaiman Sam Kieth Mike Dringenberg |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Samael |
| Team affiliations | The Host The Triumvirate of Hell |
| Notable aliases | Lucifer Morningstar Lightbringer Atse'Hashke The Maker The Mocker |
| Abilities | Relative omnipotence Master manipulator Infinite will |
Lucifer is a DC comics character that starred in a comic book published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics. The series concerns the adventures of the fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar on Earth, in Heaven and through other realms of creation. It is a spin-off of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. Lucifer also appears as a supporting character in issues of The Demon.
Fictional character biography
Sandman continuity
In the earlier related series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, Lucifer abandoned his lordship over Hell. While Lucifer had previously appeared in various stereotypical guises in earlier DC books, Gaiman's version was unique and premised on English poet and prose writer John Milton's Paradise Lost (at his earliest appearance in the Sandman he looked extremely similar to young David Bowie). In the Sandman series, Lucifer had ruled as lord of Hell for ten billion years. Over that time, he had manipulated the various demons of Hell against each other, provided a place for dead mortals to be tormented, and led the war against Heaven.
However, at some point during his rule, he had become bored with his existence. He became tired of the various stereotypes that mortals held of the devil, such as the idea that he purchased and traded for souls, which were largely untrue. He had become tired of his reign over Hell, and felt it an unfair punishment that he should have to rule there forever simply because he once rebelled. In the Sandman story Season of Mists, Lucifer expels all demons and damned souls from Hell before locking Hell's gates and handing over the key to Hell to Dream of the Endless, the title character of The Sandman series. Eventually, control of Hell was handed over to two Angels, Duma (the angel of silence) and Remiel ("who stumbled rather than fell"), while Lucifer simply retired to Earth, specifically to Perth, Western Australia.
Solo ongoing series
In the regular series, written by Mike Carey, Lucifer runs a piano bar (an element introduced in the Sandman story The Kindly Ones) called "Lux" in Los Angeles, with the assistance of his Lilim female consort, Mazikeen. Lucifer is portrayed as a sophisticated and almost charming man, according to the stereotypical gentleman-devil. Beneath his charisma, however, Lucifer is a deadly and Machiavellian character, with no regard for human life or indeed anyone or anything but himself: a proud and vindictive fallen angel who has no qualms using powers second only to those of his father, Yahweh. In fact, during the fourth book of the Sandman series, Lucifer is described as having been the wisest, most beautiful and most powerful of all the angels in heaven. Despite his egotistic and narcissistic tendencies, he does follow something akin to a code of honor, refusing to lie (which he considers crass and undignified), insisting on paying back debts, and keeping his word.
As the series opened in 1999, Lucifer's "restful" retirement was disturbed by a series of associates from his past, and after various catalytic events, he endeavored to create a universe in competition with (and presumably against the wishes of) his father, Yahweh. This puts him on a collision course with several powerful mystical entities that have a vested interest in the new creation and draws the angelic host into the fray - including his brother, the archangel Michael Demiurgos.
The series paralleled Sandman in several ways, with epic fantasy stories being told in arcs separated by oneshot episodes depicting a smaller, more personal tale. Unlike Sandman, the series has had a consistent art team of Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly, with the odd issues illustrated by a variety of artists, but mostly Dean Ormston. The title's 50th issue was penciled by P. Craig Russell, homaging Sandman #50. Structurally, aside from the meeting in Hell that Lucifer arranges with angel Amenadiel in much the same way Dream did with himself in the pages of Sandman, the series follows its own path. Being what it is, many Gods appear, with greater focus on Judeo-Christian religion (as viewed by John Milton in Paradise Lost), Japanese and Nordic mythology than in Sandman. As for the Endless themselves, all but Destruction, Desire and Despair appear, but their appearances are small and very rare.
Cover art has changed hands, going from Duncan Fegredo to Christopher Moeller and eventually Michael William Kaluta. Strangely, the letters are inconsistent, with the first half of the series carrying particularly established fonts of Gaudium, Michael and God only to drop almost all of them save Lucifer's towards the end with numerous changes in the letterers.
The links to DC universe are very sparse, consisting of mainly Lucifer at one point during "Gods and monsters" storyline leaving to the end of the universe and shown referencing Jack Kirby's New Gods mythology, via the Wall and the Source. No superheroes are shown, named or implied to exist, with even Vertigo mythology sans Sandman getting very small mentions contained in one-panel appearance of Swamp Thing and a surprise showing of its counterpart in Lucifer's cosmos. Hellblazer's John Constantine appears in "Gods and monsters" in a very small role, discussing the plot but not actively participating in it.
The series ended in June 2006 with issue #75 and has thus far been collected in eleven books, with a standalone story (Lucifer: Nirvana) published as a smaller graphic novel. The series' parent title, The Sandman, also ran for 75 issues.
Powers and abilities
Lucifer possesses incalculable power, he can shape the stuff of creation into anything he can imagine including matter, energy, and more abstract concepts such as time. However, he cannot create out of nothing. He needs the demiurgic power of Michael to provide the foundation for him to shape. Only his brother Michael is his equal in power, and only God is superior to both of them. However, in certain dimensions he is powerless and much of his power depends on having his wings. Lucifer is also a is a master manipulator, and reguarly likes to use his mind instead of his powers.
Earlier versions of Lucifer in DC Comics
- In Weird Mystery Tales #4 (Jan-Feb 1973), a story by Jack Oleck and Rubeny depicts Lucifer, looking much like his present incarnation, save for a few panels in which he appeared as a more traditional devil, held prisoner by an order of monks. It also presents a prisoner switch trick not unlike the one performed in The Sandman: Season of Mists, in addition to being hosted by Destiny. This story may or may not be considered in continuity, or have been an influence on Gaiman and Carey. In the story, Lucifer gave Philip Burton his form in order to trade places with him and fulfill his wish for immortality. Lucifer walked away in the body of the elderly Burton.
- The Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe lists Lucifer as first having appeared in a dream in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #65 and first genuine pre-Crisis appearance as DC Special Series #8 (The Brave and the Bold Special Starring Batman, Deadman and Sgt. Rock).[1]
Collections
Lucifer is reprinted in the following volumes:
- Lucifer: The Devil In The Gateway, contains introductory 3-issue miniseries The Sandman Presents: Lucifer, and issues 1-4 of the ongoing series (ISBN 1-84023-299-4)
- Lucifer: Children and Monsters, issues 5-13 (ISBN 1-84023-391-5)
- Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned, issues 14-20 (ISBN 1-84023-470-9)
- Lucifer: The Divine Comedy, issues 21-28 (ISBN 1-84023-693-0)
- Lucifer: Inferno, issues 29-35 (ISBN 1-4012-0210-1)
- Lucifer: Mansions of the Silence, issues 36-41 (ISBN 1-4012-0249-7)
- Lucifer: Exodus, issues 42-44, 46-49 (ISBN 1-4012-0491-0)
- Lucifer: The Wolf Beneath the Tree, issues 45, 50-54 (ISBN 1-4012-0502-X)
- Lucifer: Crux, issues 55-61 (ISBN 1-4012-1005-8)
- Lucifer: Morningstar, issues 62-69 (ISBN 1-4012-1006-6)
- Lucifer: Evensong, issues 70-75 and the Nirvana one-shot (ISBN 1-4012-1200-X)
References
External links
