Anarky
Encyclopedia
Anarky is a fiction
al character
appearing in books published by DC Comics
. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle
, he first appeared in Detective Comics
No.608 (November 1989), as an adversary of Batman
. Introduced as Lonnie Machin, a child prodigy with knowledge of radical philosophy and driven to overthrow governments to improve social conditions, stories revolving around Anarky often focus on political and philosophical themes. The character, who is named after the philosophy of anarchism
, primarily espouses anti-statism
. Multiple social issues
have been addressed whenever the character has appeared in print, including environmentalism, antimilitarism
, economic exploitation, and political corruption
. Inspired by multiple sources, early stories featuring the character often included homages to political and philosophical books, and referenced anarchist philosophers and theorists. The inspiration for the creation of the character and its early development was based in Grant's personal interest in anti-authoritarian philosophy and politics. However, when Grant himself transitioned to the philosophy of Neo-Tech, he shifted the focus of Anarky from a vehicle for socialist
and populist
philosophy, to rationalist
, atheist
, and free market
-based thought.
Originally intended to only be used in the debut story in which he appeared, Grant decided to continue using Anarky as a sporadically recurring character throughout the early 90s, following positive reception by readers and Dennis O'Neil. The character experienced a brief surge in media exposure during the late '90s, beginning when Norm Breyfogle convinced Grant to produce a limited series
based on the character. The 1997 spin-off
series, Anarky
, was received with positive reviews and sales, and later declared by Grant to be among his "career highlights". Batman: Anarky
, a trade paperback collection of stories featuring the character, soon followed. This popular acclaim culminated, however, in a financially and critically unsuccessful ongoing solo series. The 1999 Anarky series, in which even Grant has expressed his distaste, was quickly canceled after eight issues, but not before sparking a minor controversy by suggesting Anarky was the biological son of the Joker
.
Following the cancellation of the Anarky series, and Grant's departure from DC Comics, Anarky experienced a prolonged period of absence from DC publications, despite professional and fan interest in his return. This period of obscurity lasted approximately ten years, with three brief interruptions for minor cameo appearances in 2000, 2001, and 2005. In December 2008, Anarky reappeared in an issue of Robin authored by Fabian Nicieza
, with the intention of ending this period of obscurity. The storyline drastically altered the character's presentation, prompting a series of responses by Nicieza to concerned readers. The character has since become a reoccuring character in issues of Red Robin
, authored by Nicieza.
philosophy into Batman comic books. In an attempt to emulate the success of Chopper
, a rebellious youth in Judge Dredd
, he conceptualized a character as a twelve-year-old anarchist vigilante, who readers would sympathize with despite the character's harsh methods. Creating the character without any consultation from his partner, illustrator Norm Breyfogle
, his only instructions to Breyfogle were that Anarky be designed as a cross between V and the black spy from Mad
magazine's Spy vs. Spy
. Grant also briefly considered incorporating Krazy Kat
as a third design suggestion, but decided against the idea. In response to deadline pressures, and not recognizing the character's potential, Breyfogle "made no preliminary sketches, simply draping him in long red sheets". The character was also intended to wear a costume that disguised his youth, and so was fitted with a crude "head extender" that elongated his neck, creating a jarring appearance. While both of these design elements have since been dropped, more enduring aspects of the character have been his golden face mask, "priestly" hat, and his golden sceptre
.
The first Anarky story, "Anarky in Gotham City, Part 1: Letters to the Editor", appeared in Detective Comics No.608, in November 1989. Lonnie Machin is introduced as "Anarky" as early as his first appearance in Detective Comics No.608, withholding his origin story
for a later point. He is established as an uncommonly philosophical and intelligent twelve-year-old. The debut story of the character failed to provide a back story to explain his behavior, but a narrative from Batman reveals that he is a socially conscious and arrogant child who believes he knows how to solve societies' problems. Convinced that only he can do so, he becomes a vigilante and fashions weapons—a stun baton and smoke bomb
s—in labs at school. Lonnie Machin made his debut as "Anarky" by responding to complaints in the newspaper by attacking the offending sources, such as the owner of a factory whose byproduct waste is polluting local river water. He goes to lengths to disguise his age and appearance by creating a costume with a false head to increase his height. This was in fact intended as a ruse on the part of writer Alan Grant to disguise the character's true identity, and to confuse the reader into believing Anarky to be an adult. Anarky and Batman ultimately come to blows, and during their brief fight, Batman deduces that Anarky is actually a young child. During this first confrontation, Anarky is aided by a band of homeless men, including Legs
, a homeless cripple who becomes loyal to him and would assist him in later appearances. After being caught, Lonnie is locked away in a juvenile detention center.
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In Grant's earliest script for the character, Anarky was designed to be far more vicious, and to have killed his first victim. Dennis O'Neil
, then editor of Detective Comics, requested that Grant "tone down" the script, as he felt Anarky becoming a murderer at such a young age was morally reprehensible. Grant consented to the request and the script was rewritten. In a 2004 interview, Grant explained the motivation behind this early decision. "I wanted to play it that way because it created incredible tension in Anarky himself. Other heroes might kill—Batman used to, in the early days—but for a teenager to rationally decide to take lives...well, it hadn't been handled in comics before. But Denny was boss, and I respected his opinion and toned things down."
Although Grant had not created the character to be used beyond the two-part debut story, positive reactions from reader letters and his editor caused him to change his mind. He then decided to make Lonnie Machin the third Robin
, following Jason Todd
, desiring a new sidekick
who would act as a foil
to Batman, and not have the same motivations for vengeance. This was abandoned when he learned that Tim Drake
had already been created to fill the role by Marv Wolfman
. Quickly rebounding from this decision, Grant instead used the second appearance of Anarky as the antagonist
for Tim Drake's first solo detective case.
This appearance came in Detective Comics No.620. The story chronicles that Anarky increases his computer skills during his detention to the point of becoming an advanced grey hat
computer hacker
. He takes on the online user alias
"Moneyspider" to steal millions of dollars from western corporations, including Wayne Enterprises
, outmaneuvering Batman's own data security in the process. He then uses the money to create bank accounts for poor farmers in third world countries. Tim Drake pursues the hacker in an online investigation, tracking Anarky to his location at the detention center. In 2008, Fabian Nicieza would revert Lonnie Machin to this early alias as part of an attempt to reuse the character following a period of absence lasting approximately ten years.
In the years following Anarky's creation, the character was rarely incorporated into Batman stories by Grant, being reserved for stories in which the author felt the need to make a philosophical point. Throughout the early 90s, Anarky was a lesser known, but established antagonist in the Batman franchise, frequently depicted as escaping from the detention center and peregrinating around Gotham City
. However, his back-story
had still yet to be elaborated upon. Grant provided hints to Anarky's origin in Robin Annual No.1, The Anarky Ultimatum, part of Eclipso: The Darkness Within
crossover event. Within the story it is revealed that Lonnie Machin was a highly intelligent child who from an early age read prodigiously at local bookstores, but had few friends. Published in 1992, it wouldn't be until 1995 that Grant would finally elaborate upon Lonnie Machin's fictional history.
1995 saw Grant begin the slow increase in the character's abilities that would culminate in the Anarky series. In the "Anarky" story arc
from Batman: Shadow of the Bat
No.40–41, Lonnie is released from juvenile detention, and builds a machine that allows him to fuse both hemispheres of his brain, giving him increased intelligence, and what he perceives as enlightenment
. Creating an online bookstore, Anarco, to propagate radical literature, he begins to accumulate funds that he donates through another front company, The Anarkist Foundation, to radical organizations, such as eco-warrior
s and gun protesters, or keeps for his own projects. These story devices served to further improve Anarky's skill set, and increase his intelligence and financial independence. During this storyline, Grant finally revealed Lonnie Machin's origins in full, using a farewell letter to his parents to provide exposition into the character's motivations. The origin story narrates that Lonnie Machin is an ordinary child who, while abnormally intelligent, is apolitical
and socially unaware. At eleven he gains a foreign pen pal, Xuasus, as part of a school program. Through this contact, Lonnie discovers the level of global corruption he never knew of before. Further studies into war and political violence leads him to hold radical sympathies. He comes to view all wars as being caused by political elites, with common individuals forced or cajoled into fighting on behalf of the former. He becomes convinced in the need reshape society and becomes Anarky.
During the Anarky series, much of the character's development was influenced by the nature of Grant and Breyfogle's association. As part of the story writing process, the duo would engage in philosophical discussion carried out entirely over fax-transmissions
. These long, in-depth, and occasionally heated debates influenced plot points, as well as the general direction of Anarky's character development. Because of this, Breyfogle personally considers Anarky to be among their few co-creations, whereas he considers other characters they "made" together, such as the Ventriloquist
, to be entirely Grant's creations.
, was published in May 1997. Entitled "Metamorphosis", the story maintained the character's anti-authoritarian sentiments, but was instead based on Neo-Tech, a philosophy developed by Frank R. Wallace
.
During the climax of the "Anarky" storyline of Batman: Shadow of the Bat No.41-42, it is implied that Anarky dies in a large explosion. In turn, the Anarky limited series resolved this event by revealing that Anarky survives, but chooses to shed the encumbrance of his double life by faking his death. Anarky works in seclusion to further his goal of achieving a utopia
n society, briefly hiring Legs and other homeless men to monitor Batman's movements. His four issue adventure leads him into conflict with Etrigan the Demon and Darkseid
, as Anarky confronts the nature of evil through dialogue
, and concludes with a showdown against Batman, addressing the issue of consequentialism
.
Well received by critics and financially successful, Grant has referred to the limited series as one of his favorite projects, and ranked it among his "career highlights". With its success, Vincenzo suggested continuing the book as an ongoing series to Breyfogle and Grant. Although Grant was concerned that such a series would not be viable, he agreed to write it at Breyfogle's insistence, as the illustrator was still struggling for employment. Grant's primary concerns centered on his belief that Anarky's role as a non-superpowered teenanger was not capable of competing for reader attention when DC Comics already had a similar series in Robin. Further, while potential disagreements with editors over story elements were not among his initial concerns, he eventually found himself constantly at odds with editors and editorial assistants throughout the creation of the series.
Grant's doubts concerning the comic's prospects eventually proved correct. The series was panned by critics, failed to catch on among readers, and was canceled after eight issues, however Grant has noted that it was popular in Latin America
n countries, perhaps owing to a history of political repression in the region. "It didn’t sit too well with American readers, who prefer the soap opera and cool costume aspects of superhero comics. But I became a minor hero in many Latin countries, like Argentina and Mexico, where readers had been subjected to tyranny and fascism and knew precisely what I was writing about." Breyfogle gave a similar explanation for what he believed to be the cause of the series' failure. In an essay written after the cancellation of the series, he reflected on the difficulty of combining escapist entertainment with social commentary: "Anarky is a hybrid of the mainstream and the not-quite-so-mainstream. This title may have experienced exactly what every “half-breed” suffers: rejection by both groups with which it claims identity."
Despite numerous editorial impositions, the most controversial plot point was not a mandate, but was instead a suggestion by Breyfogle, intended as a means to expand Anarky's characterization: that Anarky's biological father be revealed to be the Joker
. Breyfogle expressed an interest using the relationship as a source for internal conflict in the character. "...I figured that because Anarky represents the epitome of reason, one of the biggest crises he could face would be to discover that his father was the exact opposite: a raving lunatic!" Alternatively, Grant saw it as an opportunity to solidify Anarky's role in the Batman franchise. Grant's decision to pursue the suggestion ran into conflict with Dennis O'Neil
, who protested against it.
As the last issue of the Anarky series, the unresolved finale left open the possibility that the Joker
might be Anarky's actual father, and the planned "rebuttal" was never published. Further, Grant and Breyfogle later speculated that as Dennis O'Neil has retired from DC Comics, and the final editorial decision currently belongs to Dan DiDio
, it is no longer possible to be sure whether a rebuttal will ever be published. As of 2010, there is yet no record of Didio ever commenting on the subject, though the DC Universe timeline chronologically prevents the Joker from being Anarky's biological father, as the character is (currently) approximately sixteen years old, while both Batman and the Joker have only existed for approximately thirteen years.
As Anarky was created while Grant and Breyfogle were operating under "work-for-hire" rules, DC Comics
owns all rights to the Anarky character. Following the cancellation of the Anarky series, both men attempted to buy the rights to Anarky from the company, but their offer was declined.
with John Marc DeMatteis
that would cameo Anarky as a rationalist foil to the mystical nature of the Spectre. When this story was rejected, Breyfogle came to suspect the character's prolonged absence was due in part to censorship.
Since the cancellation of the Anarky series, Grant has disassociated himself from the direction of the character. In a 2004 interview he recalled that he had been asked by James Peatty for a critique of an Anarky/Green Arrow script the latter had written. Peatty desired to know if his presentation of Anarky had been correct. Grant declined to read the story, explaining, "you have to let these things go". The script was published in 2005 and Anarky made the guest appearance billed as his "return" to DC continuity in Green Arrow
No.51, Anarky in the USA.
The story narrative chronicles Anarky's reappearance after several years of obscurity in response to a bombing in Star City
that he is framed for. He teams up with Green Arrow
to hunt down the guilty parties, but remains a wanted felon by authorities. Although the front cover of the issue advertised the comic as the "return" of the character, Anarky failed to make any further appearances. This was despite comments by Peatty that he had further plans to write stories for the character, and as Green Arrow No.51 was being published, had already written a two-part story for Batman which featured Anarky.
Besides Breyfogle and Peatty, Todd Seavey was another professional writer who expressed an interest in creating stories for Anarky. A freelance libertarian writer and editor, and author of several issues of Justice League
, Seavey considered authoring an Anarky series his "dream comics project".
Breyfogle has also noted that Anarky retained interest among a "diehard" fan base during this obscure period. During a panel at WonderCon
2006, multiple requests were made by the audience for Anarky to appear in DC Comic's limited series, 52
. In response, Dan DiDio announced two weeks later, at a DC Comics panel during the 2006 New York Comic Con, that the writing team of 52 had decided to create a part for the character. 52 editor, Michael Siglain, later responded to a reader question concerning when Anarky would appear in the series, estimating Anarky would appear in later issues. However, 52 concluded without Anarky making an appearance and with no explanation given by anyone involved in the production of the series.
" event. With the publication of Robin No.181, it was revealed that Lonnie Machin's role as Anarky had been supplanted by another Batman villain, Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong
. Further, Machin was depicted as being held hostage by Armstrong, "paralyzed and catatonic
", encased in an iron lung
, and connected to computers through his brain. This final feature allowed the character to connect to the internet and communicate with others via a speech synthesizer
.
The story, "Pushing Buttons, Pulling Strings", narrates that as Tim Drake
attempts to maintain control of Gotham City in Batman's absence following the Batman R.I.P.
storyline, it is revealed that the ultimate foe attempting to ferment chaos and destroy the city through gang wars and terrorist bombings is Armstrong. Armstrong is also revealed to have encountered Lonnie Machin at an unspecified point prior to the story, at which time Machin was "shot in the head", leaving him paralyzed and hostage to Armstrong. Incapacitated, Machin reverts to his hacker identity as "Moneyspider", while Armstrong commandeers the identity of Anarky and conspires to acquire power through chaos. The storyline concluded with the publication of Robin No.182, on January 21, 2009, as part of the "Faces of Evil" event. The issue featured the Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong version of Anarky on the front cover of the issue, but did not include Lonnie Machin as a character within the story.
Fabian Nicieza
, author of the issue and storyline in which Anarky appeared, responded to reader concerns in an internet forum for a Q&A secession with fans a few days after issue No.181 was published. Nicieza explained his decision behind giving Machin's mantle as Anarky to another character was due to his desire to establish "Robin's Joker", and that "the concept of Anarky, applied in a visceral, immature fashion, would make an excellent counterpoint to Robin's ordered methodical thinking." However, in an effort to respect the original characterization of Anarky, it was necessary that it not be Machin, who Nicieza recognized as neither immature, nor a villain. Nicieza also noted the difficulty inherent in writing any story featuring Anarky, due to the complexity of the character's philosophy. Regardless, Nicieza did desire to use Machin and properly return the character to publication, and so favored presenting Ulysses H. Armstrong as Anarky, and Lonnie Machin as MoneySpider, describing the latter as an "electronic ghost." The alias Moneyspider was a secondary name briefly used by Grant for Anarky in a 1990 Detective Comics storyline. Nicieza felt that this created a scenario in which each could be used for different effects. As he put it, "[o]ne can prove a physical opposition to Robin (Ulysses as Anarky), the other an intellectual one (Lonnie as MoneySpider)." Nicieza also acknowledged that this dramatic change in the character's presentation would upset fans of the character, but countered that he felt he had not made any changes to the character which could not be undone easily by other writers.
Following the publication of Robin No.181, Roderick Long
, a political commentator and Senior Scholar at the Ludwig von Mises Institute
, and self-professed fan of the character, expressed annoyance at the portrayal of the character of Lonnie Machin and the usurpation of the Anarky mantle by Armstrong. Upon learning of Nicieza's reasoning for the portrayal, Long parodied the explanation as a mock-dialectic
, saying, "Thesis: Anarky is too interesting a character not to write about.Antithesis: Anarky is too interesting a character for me to write successfully about. Dialectical synthesis: Therefore I will make Anarky less interesting so I can write about him."
Grant also commented on the transformation. "Someone recently sent me DC’s new take on Anarky," Grant reported during an interview for Scotland regional edition of The Big Issue
, "and I was saddened to see they were using him as just another asshole villain."
Several months later, in a forum discussion, Nicieza once again defended his writing of the story. In a discussion regarding communication between comic book authors, and whether writers were bothered when their creations were altered, or re-characterized, by other authors of a shared universe
, Nicieza's treatment of Anarky was mentioned. In addressing the concerns of his critics, Nicieza submitted that he fully agreed with the criticisms by Alan Grant. As Nicieza explained, his intention was to deliberately alter the concept the Anarky mantle represented, while attempting to respect the characterization of Lonnie Machin. For this reason, Nicieza also saw little reason to communicate with Grant for feedback, and so made no overtures to Anarky's creator. "I did not reach out to Alan for the simple reason that I KNEW I was taking his original creation and mangling it, twisting its core conceptual meaning and regurgitating it in an impure fashion. I felt little benefit in contacting a creator who I know wouldn't necessarily like the idea even if I could explain why (which I can) nor did I do it because I feel there has to be a little 'statute of limitations' on that kind of outreach." Nicieza also confessed to his personal discomfort with communicating with Grant, given the latter's estrangement from DC Comics.
Nicieza continued his explanation, tackling the topic of the new "misapplication" of the philosophical underpinnings of the Anarky mantle in the hands of the General. "I was well aware that the General's application of the name, costume and themes were inaccurate to the political philosophy of Anarchy
(and of Lonnie's reason for being as Anarky). It's even STATED in print during the course of the story that Ulysses didn't 'get it.'" Nicieza then concluded with a restatement in his expectation that other writers now had the opportunity to pursue stories which would make use of the characters, "I could understand original Anarky readers and the creator of the character not agreeing with that, but therein lies the beauty of our medium -- there's always another story to tell that could 'fix' what you don't like..."
. At the 2009 New York Comic Con panel for the "Batman: Battle for the Cowl
" storyline, various collaborating writers, editors, and artists for Batman-related comic books took questions from the audience. When asked a question regarding Anarky, Mike Marts confirmed that "Anarky" would be utilized in future publications, but did not elaborate further. In the ensuing months, Yost made only brief references to Anarky, without directly involving the character in any storylines. In April 2010, it was announced that Nicieza would replace Yost as the author of Red Robin. In interview commentary, Nicieza noted his interest in using Anarky and Moneyspider in future issues of the series.
Nicieza reintroduced Ulysses Armstrong and Lonnie Machin over the course of several storylines, and regularly used Lonnie as a cast member of the ongoing Red Robin series. The series was canceled in August 2011, as a result of The New 52
, a revamp and relaunch by DC Comics
of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero books, in which all of its existing titles were canceled, and 52 new series debuted in September 2011 with new #1 issues.
Over the course of the character's existence, Anarky has under gone several shifts in his characterization. These were largely decided upon by Alan Grant, who for several years after the character's creation, was largely the sole author of the character. In an interview for Darkhorse.com, Grant summarized Anarky as "...a serious-beyond-his-years teenager who wants to set the world to rights." Norm Breyfogle, while having no input into the character's creation, was heavily invested in the development of the character during the Anarky
limited series. Early depictions presented Anarky as having a serious perspective, but at times comedic attitude, which commentators such as Greg Burgas, of Comic Book Resources
, have appreciated. "Lonnie is a fascinating character in that he has a sense of humor... and he’s very smart."
miniseries, Anarky was dubbed an "anti-villain", as opposed to "anti-hero
", due to his highly principled philosophy, which runs counter to most villains. "In the age of the anti-hero, it only makes sense to have the occasional anti-villain as well. But unlike sociopathic vigilante anti-heroes like the Punisher
, an anti-villain like Anarky provides some interesting food for thought. Sure, he breaks the law, but what he really wants is to save the world... and maybe he's right."
Breyfogle's characterization of Anarky has shifted on occasion, with him at times referring to Anarky as a villain, and at other times as a hero. In his 1998 introductory essay composed for Batman: Anarky
, Breyfogle characterized Anarky as not being a villain, but rather a "misunderstood hero", and continued "he's a philosophical action hero, an Aristotle in tights, rising above mere 'crime-fighter' status into the realm of incisive social commentary." A year later, Breyfogle conceded that Anarky was "technically" a villain, but insisted "I don't consider him a villain..." Breyfogle later reconsidered the character in more ambiguous terms for a 2005 interview: "Anarky isn’t a villain, he’s his own character. He’s definitely not a superhero, although it depends on who you talk to."
Grant has been more direct in his description of Anarky's virtuous attributes: "In my eyes, Anarky’s a hero. Anarky’s the hero I want to be if I was smart enough and physically fit enough." Acknowledging that Anarky's moral perspective was guided by his own, Grant expressed that the conflict between Anarky and other heroes is a result of their political divisions. "In my eyes, he’s a hero, but to others, they see him as a villain. That is because most people might gripe about the political situation, or various aspects of the political situation, and wouldn’t advocate the total overthrow of the system under which we live. Anarky certainly does that, and more."
In creating stories involving Anarky, other writers have played off this anti-heroic and anti-villinous tension. James Peatty made the heroic and political comparisons between Lonnie Machin and Olliver Queen the central theme of his 2005 Green Arrow story, "Anarky in the USA". "Anarky comes to find Ollie because of his reputation and is quite disappointed in Ollie’s reaction towards him. However, as the story unfolds, Ollie has to re-assess his initial reaction to Anarky and his own much vaunted ‘radical’ credentials."
With his controversial revival of the character in 2008, Fabian Nicieza chose to portray the mantle of Anarky as being possessed by a villain other than Lonnie Machin on the grounds that Lonnie was too heroic to act out the part of a black hat. "Since Lonnie is too smart to be immature and NOT a 'villain,' I wanted Anarky, but it couldn't be Lonnie without compromising who he is as a character."
As the character was based on a theme of ideas, he had been given no personal, tragic past; a common motivator in superhero fiction
. This was to contrast with Batman, who fought crime due to personal tragedy, while Anarky would do so in the name of ideals and beliefs. As the character was further developed, he was also intended to contrast with common teenage superhero
es. Referring to the tradition established by Stan Lee
and Jack Kirby
of saddling teenagers with personal problems, Grant purposely gave Anarky none, nor did he develop a girlfriend or social life for the character. As Grant wrote for the Batman: Anarky introduction, this was intended to convey the idea that Anarky was single minded in his goals.
On two occasions Grant nearly went against Dennis O'Neil's early wish that Anarky not kill opponents. These events include his appearance during the Batman: Knightfall
saga, in which Grant briefly portrayed Anarky as preparing to kill both the Scarecrow
and Batman-Azrael
. Grant also implied Anarky was a lethal figure in "The Last Batman Story", part of Armageddon 2001
crossover event. Grant later expressed relief that he had not fully committed to portraying Anarky as a potential murderer, as he felt "Anarky would have compromised his own beliefs if he had taken the route of the criminal-killer." Despite Anarky's non-lethal portrayal, entries for the character in Who's Who in the DC Universe
, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, and The Supervillain Book, have falsely referred to Anarky as having killed criminals in early appearances. Norm Breyfogle was also under the false impression that Anarky had killed for several years, having failed to realize the original script for Anarky's debut storyline had been rewritten. Grant eventually explained the situation to Breyfogle in 2006, during a joint interview.
Despite this regular equivocation of Anarky with murder and villainy in DC Comics character guides, the company made efforts to describe the character in heroic terms in promoting the 1999 Anarky series. During this time, DC Comics described Anarky as an "anti-establishment loose cannon trying to do good as a hero to the disenfranchised".
with socialist
and populist
leanings. In this early incarnation, Anarky was designed as an avatar for Grant's personal meditations on political philosophy, and specifically for his burgeoning sympathy for anarchism.
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Within the books, the nature of the character's political opinions were often expressed through the character's rhetoric, and by heavy use of the circle-A as a character gimmick. The character's tools often incorporate the circle-A motif into them. In his earliest incarnation, he would also use red spray-paint
to leave the circle-A as a calling card at crime scenes. The circle-a has also been used to decorate the character's base of operations, either as graffiti
or suspended from wall tapestries
.
Other themes were occasionally used whenever Anarky was a featured character in a comic. During the Anarky limited series, fluttering newspapers were used to bear headlines alluding to social problems. Occasionally, the titles of books found in Anarky's room would express the character's philosophical, political, or generally esoteric agenda. In Detective Comics
No.620, a copy of V for Vendetta
can be seen on Lonnie Machin's bookshelf as homage. Other books in his room at different times have included Apostles of Revolution by Max Nomad
, The Anarchists
by James Joll
, books labeled "Proudhon
" and "Bakunin
", and an issue of Black Flag
. Non-anarchist material included books labeled "Plato
", "Aristotle
", and "Swedenborg
", and a copy of Synergetics, by Buckminster Fuller
. The character also made references to Universe by Scudder Klyce
, an extremely rare book. When asked if he was concerned readers would be unable to follow some of the more obscure literary references, Grant hadn't expected many to do so, but reported that some had and one reader carried an ongoing correspondence with him as of 2005.
During the early years of the character's development, virtually no writers other than Grant used Anarky in DC publications. In a rare portrayal by an author other than Grant, writer Kevin Dooly used Anarky in an issue of Green Arrow
, producing an explicitly anti-firearm
themed story. Throughout the story, dialogue between Anarky and Green Arrow convey the need for direct action
, as Anarky attempts to persuade Oliver Queen to sympathize with militant, economic sabotage in pursuit of social justice.
Over the course of several years, Grant's political opinions shifted from libertarian socialism
to free market
based philosophies. Grant later speculated that this transformation would be detectable within stories he'd written. By 1997, Grant's philosophy settled on Neo-Tech, and when given the opportunity to write an Anarky miniseries, he decided to redesign the character accordingly. Grant laid out his reasoning in an interview just before the first issue's publication. "I felt he was the perfect character" to express Neo-Tech philosophy, Grant explained, "because he's human, he has no special powers, the only power he's got is the power of his own rational consciousness". This new characterization was continued in the 1999 Anarky ongoing series.
The limited and ongoing series were both heavily influenced by Neo-Tech, despite the term never appearing in a single issue. New emphasis was placed on previously unexplored themes, such as the depiction of Anarky as an atheist
and a rationalist
. Grant also expressed a desire to use the comic as a vehicle for his thoughts concerning the mind
, consciousness
, and made bicameralism
a major theme of both series. While both series led the character away from the philosophy he had espoused previously, the primary theme of the character remained anti-statism
. In one issue of the 1999 series, a character asked what the nature of Anarky's politics were. The response was that Anarky was neither right-wing
, nor left-wing
, and that he "transcends the political divide". Despite taking part in multiple interviews regarding the character, Grant has never specified the nature of Anarky's political categorization, preferring to state which philosophies inspired his characterization. Norm Breyfogle stated in 1999 that the character represented anarchist philosophy, but said in 2003 that he believes the Neo-Tech influence allows Anarky to be classified as an "objectivist
".
titles and "alternate universe" storylines, Anarky has been presented in forms divergent from his original incarnation. However, due to the minor part the character has played in the DC pantheon of characters, these variations have not been as numerous, broad, or influential as some alternative versions of Superman, alternative versions of Batman, or other characters with greater cultural impact.
s to compensate for a lack of superpowers
—and as a child prodigy
. In early incarnations, he was portrayed as highly intelligent, but inexperienced, lacking in many skills, and surviving only by his ingenuity. In accordance with this, he would often quote the maxim, "the essence of anarchy is surprise". Later, during the two Anarky series, his abilities were increased, and he was portrayed as having enormous talents in both engineering and computer technology, as well as developing skills in martial arts. This was indicated in several comics published just before the Anarky miniseries, and later elaborated upon within the series itself. According to Alan Grant, the urgency with which Anarky views his cause has necessitated that the character forsake any social life, and increase his abilities drastically over the years. "The kid's whole life is dedicated to self-improvement," wrote Grant for the Batman: Anarky introduction, "with the sole aim of destroying the parasitic elites who he considers feast off ordinary folks."
This evolution in Anarky's abilities was criticized as having overpowered the character in a Fanzing review of the Anarky ongoing series. The rapid development was seen as preventing the suspension of disbelief
in the young character's adventures, which was said to have contributed to the failure of the series. This view stood in contrast with that of Breyfogle, who considered Anarky's heightened skill set to be a complementary feature, and contended that Anarky's advanced abilities lent uniqueness to the character. Breyfogle wrote, "Anarky's singularity is due partly to his being, at his age, nearly as competent as Batman."
Tactics
The character often utilizes cunning, improvisation, and intelligence as tools for victory. During the Knightfall
saga, the character states, "The essence of anarchy is surprise -- spontaneous action... even when it does require a little planning!" Depicted examples include an improvised conflict, in which he avoided a gang of villains too dangerous to fight, choosing instead to use a flare gun to anonymously signal for Batman to come, and then pitted the two groups against each other. A later example includes a planned confrontation with Batman in which Anarky achieves victory by confusing the hero with holographic projections
long enough to attack and subdue him. When in need of assistance for intelligence gathering, or a diversion, he would call on the help of the homeless community in Gotham, who had supported him since his first appearance. Anarky's skill in improvising cunning plans was continued in the Anarky ongoing series. During the "War and Peace" storyline, Anarky allows himself to be defeated in combat, purposely falling into the hands of an enemy. Feigning defeat, he reveals false information that leads to his opponent's downfall.
Equipment
Early descriptions of the character's gadgets focused on low-tech, improvised tools and munitions, such as flare gun
s, swing lines, throwing stars
, small spherical explosives
with wick fuses (mimicking those stereotypically associated with 19th-century anarchists), gas-bombs, smoke bomb
s, and his primary weapon, a powerful electric stun baton shaped as a golden sceptre. A grappling hook
was later incorporated into the sceptre itself, allowing dual functionality.
Combat skills
In 1995, Grant described Anarky as having begun to train in martial arts, following the character's time in juvenile hall. By 1997, this ability was described as having progressed remarkably, and to have included training in multiple styles, including aikido
, karate
, jujutsu
, and kung fu
, which he "integrated" into a hybrid fighting style
.
Logistics, technology, and enhanced intelligence
As a wanted criminal, Anarky's methods and goals were described as leaving him with little logistical support amongst the heroic community, or the public at large, relegating him to underground operation. In his earliest incarnations, he was described as having developed skills as a computer hacker
to steal enormous sums of money from various corporations. This addition to the character's skill set made him the second major hacker in the DC universe, being preceded by Barbara Gordon's
debut as Oracle,
and was quickly adapted by 1992 to allow the character to gain information on other heroes and villains from police computer networks. By 1997, the skill was further increased to allow him to tap into Batman's supercomputer
, and the Justice League Watchtower
.
In 1996, Anarky was described as using the internet to earn money through his online bookstore, Anarco, which he used as a front company
to propagate his philosophy. A second front organization, The Anarkist Foundation, was also developed to offer grants to radical causes he supports. Grant also used a Biofeedback Learning Enhancer as a plot device to increase Lonnie's abilities. The cybernetic device was described as being capable of amplifying brain functions
by a multiple of ten. With this enhanced intelligence, and the increased financial independence described above, Anarky went on to create an on-board AI computer
, MAX (Multi-Augmented X-Program); a crude but fully functioning teleportation
device capable of summoning a boom tube
, and secretly excavated an underground base below the Washington Monument
.
Portrayed as an atheist by Grant, Anarky espoused the belief that "science is magic explained", and was shown to use scientific analysis to explain and manipulate esoteric forces of magic and energy.
The original costume was composed of a large, flowing red robe, over a matching red jumpsuit
. A red, wide brimmed hat baring the circle-a insignia; a golden, metallic face mask; and red hood, completed the outfit. The folds of the robe concealed various weapons and gadgets. Breyfogle later expressed that the color scheme chosen held symbolic purpose. The red robes "represented the blood of all the innocents sacrificed in war." The gold cane, face mask, and circle-A symbol represented purity and spirituality. The connection to spirituality was also emphasized through the hat and loose fabric, which mimicked that of a priest
. Breyfogle believed the loose clothes "[went] better with a wide-brimmed hat. It's more of a colloquial style of clothing..." However, observers have noted that Breyfogle's Christian upbringing may have also inspired the "priestly analogy."
This costume was also designed to disguise Anarky's height, and so included a "head extender" under his hood, which elongated his neck. This design was also intended to create a subtle awkwardness that the reader would subconsciously suspect as being fake, until the reveal at the end of Anarky's first appearance. Despite the revelation of this false head, which would no longer serve its intended purpose at misdirecting the reader, the head extender was included in several return appearances, while at irregular times other artists drew the character without the extender. This discontinuity in the character's design ended when Breyfogle finally eliminated this aspect of the character during the 1997 limited series, expressing that the character's height growth had ended its usefulness. In reality, Breyfogle's decision was also as a result of the difficulty the design presented, being "awkward [to draw] in action situations."
Anarky's second costume was used during the 1999 ongoing Anarky series. It retained the red jumpsuit, gold mask, and hat, but excised the character's red robes. New additions to the costume included a red cape, a utility belt modeled after Batman's utility belt
, and a single, large circle-a across the chest, akin to Superman's
iconic "S" shield
. The golden mask was also redesigned as a reflective, but flexible material that wrapped around Anarky's head, allowing for the display of facial movement and emotion. This had previously been impossible, as the first mask was made of inflexible metal. Being a relatively new creation, Breyfogle encountered no resistance in the new character design. "Because [Anarky] doesn't have 50 years of merchandising behind him, I can change his costume whenever I want..." Within the Anarky series, secondary costumes were displayed in Anarky's base of operations. Each was slightly altered in design, but followed the same basic theme. These were designed for use in various situations, but only one, a "universal battle suit", was used during the brief series.
The sense that Anarky is appreciated by certain fans is one shared by Alan Grant. Commenting on the popularity of the Anarky series, Grant acknowledged the failure of the series, but pointed out that the series was very popular among some readers. "It wasn't terribly popular in the States, although I received quite a few letters (especially from philosophy students) saying the comic had changed their entire mindset. But Anarky was very popular in South America, where people have had a long and painful taste of totalitarianism, in a way the US is just entering."
Sales of the Anarky limited series were high enough to green light an ongoing series. However, as the ongoing series was mostly popular amongst Latin American nations—Mexico and Argentina in particular—Alan Grant has lamented that the comic was doomed to eventual cancellation, as DC Comics "[doesn't] take foreign sales into consideration when counting their cash".
Acknowledging the failure of the series, Grant has conceeded that its themes, in particular his interest in exploring esoteric concepts such as philosophy of mind
, likely resulted in "plummeting" sales. Besides the themes, commentators have criticized other elements of the character, including the skills and special heroics of Anarky's adventures. "I liked the original concept behind Anarky: a teenage geek who reads The Will to Power one too many times and decides to go out and fix the world," wrote Matt Morrison of Fanzing. "But the minute he wound up getting $100 million in a Swiss Bank account, owning a building, impressing Darksied
, getting a Boom Tube and was shown as being able to outsmart Batman, outhack Oracle
and generally be invincible, I lost all interest I had in the character."
for commercial gain. Neither Grant nor Breyfogle could fully agree with this criticism. As Grant put it, "I thought I was doing them a favour you know?"
In the years following the Anarky publications of the late 90s, more receptive critiques have been offered. In assessing the presentation of anarchist philosophy in fiction, Mark Leier
, the director for the Centre for Labour Studies from Simon Fraser University
, cited Anarky as an example of the favorable treatment anarchist philosophy has occasionally received in mainstream comic books. Leier took particular note of quotations derived from the dialogue in "Anarky in Gotham City" story, in which Batman speaks positively of Anarky's intentions. Following the cancellation of the ongoing series, Roderick Long
, an anarchist
/libertarian
political commentator and Senior Scholar at the Ludwig von Mises Institute
, praised Anarky as "an impressive voice for liberty in today's comics". Margaret Killjoy's examination of anarchist fiction, Mythmakers & Lawbreakers, afforded Alan Grant and Anarky brief mention. Explaining the relationship Grant had with anarchism, Killjoy reviewed the characters' early incarnations as "quite wonderful."
Greg Burgas, in reviewing the career of Alan Grant, specifically cited Anarky's anarchist philosophy as one of the character's most empathetic traits. Lamenting the obscurity of the character, Burgas wished Anarky and anarchism would be presented more often: "...anarchy as a concept is often dismissed, but it’s worth looking at simply because it is so radical and untenable yet noble."
The authors of "I'm Not Fooled By That Cheap Disguise", a 1991 essay deconstructing the Batman mythos, refer to Anarky as a challenge to Batman's social and political world view, and to the political position indirectly endorsed by the themes of a Batman adventure. As the Batman mythos is centered on themes of retribution and the protection of property rights, the invitation to readers to identify with Batman's vigilantism is an invitation to adopt political authoritarianism. The authors summarize that position as "the inviolability of property relations and the justification of their defense by any means necessary (short of death)." However, the authors contend that Anarky "potentially redefines crime" and invites the reader to identify with a new political position in favor of the disenfranchised, which Batman "can not utterly condemn". The authors contend that the creation of Anarky and dialogue by other characters represented a shift towards "self-conscious awareness of the Batman's hegemonic function, questioning the most central component of the Batman's identitythe nature of crime and his relation to it." However, the authors remain skeptical of Anarky's commercial nature, pointing out Anarky could be "incorporated as another marketing technique... The contradictions of capitalism would thus permit the commodification of criticisms as long as they resulted in profits."
With the publication in 2005 of an issue of Green Arrow
in which Anarky guest-starred, writer James Peatty juxtaposed Anarky's radical philosophy with the liberal progressive
beliefs of Green Arrow. "Everyone always goes on about what a radical Ollie is and I wanted to show that maybe that isn't the case ... especially as Ollie's radical credentials are pretty antiquated ... Anarky as a character—and as a broader idea—is much more radical than Ollie."
In Batman and Philosophy, an analysis of various philosophies which intersect with the Batman mythos, Anarky's critique of the state
is compared favorably to that of Friedrich Nietzsche
. "The Nietzschean state constitutes a 'new idol,' one that is no less repressive than its predecessors, as it defines good and evil for, and hangs a 'sword and a hundred appetites' over, the faithful. No Batman villain sees this as clearly as Anarky..." However, Anarky's behavior is analyzed as an attempt to impose an even more restrictive order, with examples presented from Batman: Anarky, in which Lonnie Machin lectures fellow juvenile detainees, explains his motivations in a farewell letter to his parents, and creates a fantasy dystopia in a distorted reflection of his desired society. "His [Anarky's] search for an organizing principle that is less repressive than the state fails." This is sharply compared with Batman, described as moderating his impulses towards social control. Dialogue from Detective Comics is employed, in which Batman compares himself to Anarky and denies the latter legitimacy: "The fact is, no man can be allowed to set himself up as judge, jury and executioner."
Greg Burgas, of Comic Book Resources.com, critiqued Anarky as "one of the more interesting characters of the past fifteen or twenty years ... because of what he wants to accomplish". Burgas continues, comparing the nature of Anarky as a change agent against Batman. "He is able to show how ineffective Batman is against the real problems of society, and although Batman stops his spree, we find ourselves sympathizing much more with Anarky than with the representative of the status quo..."
-related comics, received a guest appearance in a single issue of Green Arrow
by Kevin Dooley, and was given a minor entry in Who's Who in the DC Universe
.
In the late 1990s, Anarky entered a brief period of minor prominence; first with the publication of Anarky vol. 1 in 1997; followed in 1998 with the Batman: Anarky collection; and in 1999, with featured appearances in both DCU Heroes Secret Files and Origins
No.1 and the ongoing series, Anarky vol. 2. After the cancellation of the ongoing series, Anarky lapsed into obscurity lasting nearly ten years. This ambiguous condition was not complete, as Anarky was sporadically used during this time. These appearances include marginal cameos in issues of Young Justice
, Wonder Woman
, and Green Arrow.
Anarky made a controversial appearance in a 2008 issue of Robin as part of an effort to return the character to regular publication, and has since become a recurring cast member in the Red Robin
series.
. 52 was promoted as a comic that would attempt to incorporate as many DC Comics characters as possible. In a Q&A session hosted by Newsarama.com, Michael Siglain answered a series of questions regarding which characters fans wanted to see in the series. Question No.19 asked "We were told Anarky would be playing a part in 52. Could you please tell us when we can expect his appearances?" Siglain's simple response to readers was, "check back in the late 40s." Speculation centered on the prospect of Anarky appearing in issue No.48 of the series, as the solicited cover illustration was released to the public several weeks before the issues' publication. On the cover, the circle-A could be seen as a minor element in the background. In a review for "Week 48", Major Spoilers considered the absence of Anarky a drawback: "It’s too bad we didn’t see the return of Anarky as hinted by this week’s cover" Pop culture critic, Douglas Wolk
, wrote, "I guess this issue's cover is the closest we're going to get to Anarky after all (and by proxy as close as we're going to get to the Haunted Tank). Too bad."
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in books published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle
Norm Breyfogle
Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another...
, he first appeared in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
No.608 (November 1989), as an adversary of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. Introduced as Lonnie Machin, a child prodigy with knowledge of radical philosophy and driven to overthrow governments to improve social conditions, stories revolving around Anarky often focus on political and philosophical themes. The character, who is named after the philosophy of anarchism
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, primarily espouses anti-statism
Anti-statism
Anti-statism is a term describing opposition to state intervention into personal, social, and economic affairs. Anti-statist views may reject the state completely as well as rulership in general , they may wish to reduce the size and scope of the state to a minimum , or they may advocate a...
. Multiple social issues
Social issues
Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...
have been addressed whenever the character has appeared in print, including environmentalism, antimilitarism
Antimilitarism
Antimilitarism is a doctrine commonly found in the anarchist and, more globally, in the socialist movement, which may both be characterized as internationalist movements. It relies heavily on a critical theory of nationalism and imperialism, and was an explicit goal of the First and Second...
, economic exploitation, and political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. Inspired by multiple sources, early stories featuring the character often included homages to political and philosophical books, and referenced anarchist philosophers and theorists. The inspiration for the creation of the character and its early development was based in Grant's personal interest in anti-authoritarian philosophy and politics. However, when Grant himself transitioned to the philosophy of Neo-Tech, he shifted the focus of Anarky from a vehicle for socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
philosophy, to rationalist
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
, atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
-based thought.
Originally intended to only be used in the debut story in which he appeared, Grant decided to continue using Anarky as a sporadically recurring character throughout the early 90s, following positive reception by readers and Dennis O'Neil. The character experienced a brief surge in media exposure during the late '90s, beginning when Norm Breyfogle convinced Grant to produce a limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
based on the character. The 1997 spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series, Anarky
Anarky (comic book)
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book series published by DC Comics, as a limited series between May and August of 1997, and as an ongoing series May and December of 1999. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle, and inks by Josef Rubinstein...
, was received with positive reviews and sales, and later declared by Grant to be among his "career highlights". Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky is a 1999 trade paperback published by DC Comics. The book collects prominent appearances of Anarky, a comic book character created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle. Although all of the collected stories were written by Alan Grant, various artists contributed to individual stories...
, a trade paperback collection of stories featuring the character, soon followed. This popular acclaim culminated, however, in a financially and critically unsuccessful ongoing solo series. The 1999 Anarky series, in which even Grant has expressed his distaste, was quickly canceled after eight issues, but not before sparking a minor controversy by suggesting Anarky was the biological son of the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
.
Following the cancellation of the Anarky series, and Grant's departure from DC Comics, Anarky experienced a prolonged period of absence from DC publications, despite professional and fan interest in his return. This period of obscurity lasted approximately ten years, with three brief interruptions for minor cameo appearances in 2000, 2001, and 2005. In December 2008, Anarky reappeared in an issue of Robin authored by Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
, with the intention of ending this period of obscurity. The storyline drastically altered the character's presentation, prompting a series of responses by Nicieza to concerned readers. The character has since become a reoccuring character in issues of Red Robin
Red Robin (comic book)
Red Robin is an American comic book ongoing series, written by Chris Yost with art by Ramon Bachs, featuring former Robin Tim Drake under the identity of Red Robin. The debut of the series follows the events of Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, and Battle for the Cowl in which the original Batman, Bruce...
, authored by Nicieza.
Creation and early depictions
Originally inspired by his personal political leanings, Alan Grant entertained the idea of interjecting anarchistAnarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
philosophy into Batman comic books. In an attempt to emulate the success of Chopper
Chopper (Judge Dredd character)
Chopper is a fictional character in British comics 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine. He was created by John Wagner and Ron Smith and has appeared in numerous Judge Dredd stories, including "Oz", and has his own eponymous series.-Unamerican Graffiti:Marlon Shakespeare was...
, a rebellious youth in Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
, he conceptualized a character as a twelve-year-old anarchist vigilante, who readers would sympathize with despite the character's harsh methods. Creating the character without any consultation from his partner, illustrator Norm Breyfogle
Norm Breyfogle
Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another...
, his only instructions to Breyfogle were that Anarky be designed as a cross between V and the black spy from Mad
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
magazine's Spy vs. Spy
Spy vs. Spy
Spy vs. Spy is a black and white comic strip that debuted in Mad magazine #60, dated January 1961, and was originally published by EC Comics. The strip was created by Antonio Prohías.The Spy vs...
. Grant also briefly considered incorporating Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George Herriman, published daily in newspapers between 1913 and 1944. It first appeared in the New York Evening Journal, whose owner, William Randolph Hearst, was a major booster for the strip throughout its run...
as a third design suggestion, but decided against the idea. In response to deadline pressures, and not recognizing the character's potential, Breyfogle "made no preliminary sketches, simply draping him in long red sheets". The character was also intended to wear a costume that disguised his youth, and so was fitted with a crude "head extender" that elongated his neck, creating a jarring appearance. While both of these design elements have since been dropped, more enduring aspects of the character have been his golden face mask, "priestly" hat, and his golden sceptre
Sceptre
A sceptre is a symbolic ornamental rod or wand borne in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia.-Antiquity:...
.
The first Anarky story, "Anarky in Gotham City, Part 1: Letters to the Editor", appeared in Detective Comics No.608, in November 1989. Lonnie Machin is introduced as "Anarky" as early as his first appearance in Detective Comics No.608, withholding his origin story
Origin story
In comic book terminology, an origin story is an account or back-story revealing how a character or team gained their superpowers and/or the circumstances under which they became superheroes or supervillains....
for a later point. He is established as an uncommonly philosophical and intelligent twelve-year-old. The debut story of the character failed to provide a back story to explain his behavior, but a narrative from Batman reveals that he is a socially conscious and arrogant child who believes he knows how to solve societies' problems. Convinced that only he can do so, he becomes a vigilante and fashions weapons—a stun baton and smoke bomb
Smoke bomb
A smoke bomb is a firework designed to produce smoke upon ignition. Smoke bombs are useful to military units, airsoft games, paintball games, self defense and pranks...
s—in labs at school. Lonnie Machin made his debut as "Anarky" by responding to complaints in the newspaper by attacking the offending sources, such as the owner of a factory whose byproduct waste is polluting local river water. He goes to lengths to disguise his age and appearance by creating a costume with a false head to increase his height. This was in fact intended as a ruse on the part of writer Alan Grant to disguise the character's true identity, and to confuse the reader into believing Anarky to be an adult. Anarky and Batman ultimately come to blows, and during their brief fight, Batman deduces that Anarky is actually a young child. During this first confrontation, Anarky is aided by a band of homeless men, including Legs
Legs (comics)
-External links:* on the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe website....
, a homeless cripple who becomes loyal to him and would assist him in later appearances. After being caught, Lonnie is locked away in a juvenile detention center.
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
, then editor of Detective Comics, requested that Grant "tone down" the script, as he felt Anarky becoming a murderer at such a young age was morally reprehensible. Grant consented to the request and the script was rewritten. In a 2004 interview, Grant explained the motivation behind this early decision. "I wanted to play it that way because it created incredible tension in Anarky himself. Other heroes might kill—Batman used to, in the early days—but for a teenager to rationally decide to take lives...well, it hadn't been handled in comics before. But Denny was boss, and I respected his opinion and toned things down."
Although Grant had not created the character to be used beyond the two-part debut story, positive reactions from reader letters and his editor caused him to change his mind. He then decided to make Lonnie Machin the third Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
, following Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
, desiring a new sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
who would act as a foil
Foil (literature)
In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character....
to Batman, and not have the same motivations for vengeance. This was abandoned when he learned that Tim Drake
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
had already been created to fill the role by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
. Quickly rebounding from this decision, Grant instead used the second appearance of Anarky as the antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
for Tim Drake's first solo detective case.
This appearance came in Detective Comics No.620. The story chronicles that Anarky increases his computer skills during his detention to the point of becoming an advanced grey hat
Grey hat
A grey hat, in the hacking community, refers to a skilled hacker whose activities fall somewhere between white and black hat hackers on a variety of spectra. It may relate to whether they sometimes arguably act illegally, though in good will, or to show how they disclose vulnerabilities...
computer hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
. He takes on the online user alias
User (computing)
A user is an agent, either a human agent or software agent, who uses a computer or network service. A user often has a user account and is identified by a username , screen name , nickname , or handle, which is derived from the identical Citizen's Band radio term.Users are...
"Moneyspider" to steal millions of dollars from western corporations, including Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe, owned by Bruce Wayne and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized...
, outmaneuvering Batman's own data security in the process. He then uses the money to create bank accounts for poor farmers in third world countries. Tim Drake pursues the hacker in an online investigation, tracking Anarky to his location at the detention center. In 2008, Fabian Nicieza would revert Lonnie Machin to this early alias as part of an attempt to reuse the character following a period of absence lasting approximately ten years.
In the years following Anarky's creation, the character was rarely incorporated into Batman stories by Grant, being reserved for stories in which the author felt the need to make a philosophical point. Throughout the early 90s, Anarky was a lesser known, but established antagonist in the Batman franchise, frequently depicted as escaping from the detention center and peregrinating around Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. However, his back-story
Back-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
had still yet to be elaborated upon. Grant provided hints to Anarky's origin in Robin Annual No.1, The Anarky Ultimatum, part of Eclipso: The Darkness Within
Eclipso: The Darkness Within
Eclipso: The Darkness Within was a 1992 comic book mini-series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics. It featured the heroes of the DC Universe fighting against Eclipso. Issue #1 debuted July 1992, and was created and co-plotted by Robert Loren Fleming and Keith Giffen...
crossover event. Within the story it is revealed that Lonnie Machin was a highly intelligent child who from an early age read prodigiously at local bookstores, but had few friends. Published in 1992, it wouldn't be until 1995 that Grant would finally elaborate upon Lonnie Machin's fictional history.
1995 saw Grant begin the slow increase in the character's abilities that would culminate in the Anarky series. In the "Anarky" story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
from Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
No.40–41, Lonnie is released from juvenile detention, and builds a machine that allows him to fuse both hemispheres of his brain, giving him increased intelligence, and what he perceives as enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
. Creating an online bookstore, Anarco, to propagate radical literature, he begins to accumulate funds that he donates through another front company, The Anarkist Foundation, to radical organizations, such as eco-warrior
Eco-warrior
The term eco-warrior is a self-description for an environmental activist that adopts a 'hands-on' effort to save or salvage a plot of land, or to advance some ecological ideology...
s and gun protesters, or keeps for his own projects. These story devices served to further improve Anarky's skill set, and increase his intelligence and financial independence. During this storyline, Grant finally revealed Lonnie Machin's origins in full, using a farewell letter to his parents to provide exposition into the character's motivations. The origin story narrates that Lonnie Machin is an ordinary child who, while abnormally intelligent, is apolitical
Apolitical
The state or quality of being apolitical can be the apathy and/or the antipathy towards all political affiliations. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased position in regard to political matters.-References:...
and socially unaware. At eleven he gains a foreign pen pal, Xuasus, as part of a school program. Through this contact, Lonnie discovers the level of global corruption he never knew of before. Further studies into war and political violence leads him to hold radical sympathies. He comes to view all wars as being caused by political elites, with common individuals forced or cajoled into fighting on behalf of the former. He becomes convinced in the need reshape society and becomes Anarky.
During the Anarky series, much of the character's development was influenced by the nature of Grant and Breyfogle's association. As part of the story writing process, the duo would engage in philosophical discussion carried out entirely over fax-transmissions
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
. These long, in-depth, and occasionally heated debates influenced plot points, as well as the general direction of Anarky's character development. Because of this, Breyfogle personally considers Anarky to be among their few co-creations, whereas he considers other characters they "made" together, such as the Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist (comics)
The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
, to be entirely Grant's creations.
Anarky series
Following the comic book industry crash of 1996, Norm Breyfogle was unemployed and looking for work. As a result of a request Breyfogle made to DC for employment, Darren Vincenzo, then an editorial assistant at DC Comics, suggested multiple projects which Breyfogle could take part in. Among his suggestions was an Anarky limited series, written by Grant, which was eventually the project decided upon. The four-issue limited series, AnarkyAnarky (comic book)
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book series published by DC Comics, as a limited series between May and August of 1997, and as an ongoing series May and December of 1999. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle, and inks by Josef Rubinstein...
, was published in May 1997. Entitled "Metamorphosis", the story maintained the character's anti-authoritarian sentiments, but was instead based on Neo-Tech, a philosophy developed by Frank R. Wallace
Frank R. Wallace
Dr. Frank R. Wallace was an American philosopher, author, publisher, and mail-order magnate. He is known as the originator of the philosophy of Neo-Tech. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1997.-Education and career:Wallace graduated from Colby College in 1954...
.
During the climax of the "Anarky" storyline of Batman: Shadow of the Bat No.41-42, it is implied that Anarky dies in a large explosion. In turn, the Anarky limited series resolved this event by revealing that Anarky survives, but chooses to shed the encumbrance of his double life by faking his death. Anarky works in seclusion to further his goal of achieving a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n society, briefly hiring Legs and other homeless men to monitor Batman's movements. His four issue adventure leads him into conflict with Etrigan the Demon and Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, as Anarky confronts the nature of evil through dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
, and concludes with a showdown against Batman, addressing the issue of consequentialism
Consequentialism
Consequentialism is the class of normative ethical theories holding that the consequences of one's conduct are the ultimate basis for any judgment about the rightness of that conduct...
.
Well received by critics and financially successful, Grant has referred to the limited series as one of his favorite projects, and ranked it among his "career highlights". With its success, Vincenzo suggested continuing the book as an ongoing series to Breyfogle and Grant. Although Grant was concerned that such a series would not be viable, he agreed to write it at Breyfogle's insistence, as the illustrator was still struggling for employment. Grant's primary concerns centered on his belief that Anarky's role as a non-superpowered teenanger was not capable of competing for reader attention when DC Comics already had a similar series in Robin. Further, while potential disagreements with editors over story elements were not among his initial concerns, he eventually found himself constantly at odds with editors and editorial assistants throughout the creation of the series.
Grant's doubts concerning the comic's prospects eventually proved correct. The series was panned by critics, failed to catch on among readers, and was canceled after eight issues, however Grant has noted that it was popular in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n countries, perhaps owing to a history of political repression in the region. "It didn’t sit too well with American readers, who prefer the soap opera and cool costume aspects of superhero comics. But I became a minor hero in many Latin countries, like Argentina and Mexico, where readers had been subjected to tyranny and fascism and knew precisely what I was writing about." Breyfogle gave a similar explanation for what he believed to be the cause of the series' failure. In an essay written after the cancellation of the series, he reflected on the difficulty of combining escapist entertainment with social commentary: "Anarky is a hybrid of the mainstream and the not-quite-so-mainstream. This title may have experienced exactly what every “half-breed” suffers: rejection by both groups with which it claims identity."
Despite numerous editorial impositions, the most controversial plot point was not a mandate, but was instead a suggestion by Breyfogle, intended as a means to expand Anarky's characterization: that Anarky's biological father be revealed to be the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
. Breyfogle expressed an interest using the relationship as a source for internal conflict in the character. "...I figured that because Anarky represents the epitome of reason, one of the biggest crises he could face would be to discover that his father was the exact opposite: a raving lunatic!" Alternatively, Grant saw it as an opportunity to solidify Anarky's role in the Batman franchise. Grant's decision to pursue the suggestion ran into conflict with Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
, who protested against it.
As the last issue of the Anarky series, the unresolved finale left open the possibility that the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
might be Anarky's actual father, and the planned "rebuttal" was never published. Further, Grant and Breyfogle later speculated that as Dennis O'Neil has retired from DC Comics, and the final editorial decision currently belongs to Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
, it is no longer possible to be sure whether a rebuttal will ever be published. As of 2010, there is yet no record of Didio ever commenting on the subject, though the DC Universe timeline chronologically prevents the Joker from being Anarky's biological father, as the character is (currently) approximately sixteen years old, while both Batman and the Joker have only existed for approximately thirteen years.
As Anarky was created while Grant and Breyfogle were operating under "work-for-hire" rules, DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
owns all rights to the Anarky character. Following the cancellation of the Anarky series, both men attempted to buy the rights to Anarky from the company, but their offer was declined.
Absence from DC publications
After the financial failure of Anarky vol. 2, the character entered a period of absence from DC publications that lasted several years. Norm Breyfogle attempted to continue using the character in other comics during this time, co-writing an issue of The SpectreSpectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
with John Marc DeMatteis
J. M. DeMatteis
John Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books.-Early career:Born in Brooklyn, DeMatteis graduated from Midwood High School and Empire State College. He worked as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at DC Comics in the late 1970s...
that would cameo Anarky as a rationalist foil to the mystical nature of the Spectre. When this story was rejected, Breyfogle came to suspect the character's prolonged absence was due in part to censorship.
Since the cancellation of the Anarky series, Grant has disassociated himself from the direction of the character. In a 2004 interview he recalled that he had been asked by James Peatty for a critique of an Anarky/Green Arrow script the latter had written. Peatty desired to know if his presentation of Anarky had been correct. Grant declined to read the story, explaining, "you have to let these things go". The script was published in 2005 and Anarky made the guest appearance billed as his "return" to DC continuity in Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
No.51, Anarky in the USA.
The story narrative chronicles Anarky's reappearance after several years of obscurity in response to a bombing in Star City
Star City (comics)
Star City is a fictional city that appears in stories published by DC Comics, best known as the traditional home of the superheroes known by, or affiliated with, the shared alias of the Green Arrow...
that he is framed for. He teams up with Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
to hunt down the guilty parties, but remains a wanted felon by authorities. Although the front cover of the issue advertised the comic as the "return" of the character, Anarky failed to make any further appearances. This was despite comments by Peatty that he had further plans to write stories for the character, and as Green Arrow No.51 was being published, had already written a two-part story for Batman which featured Anarky.
Besides Breyfogle and Peatty, Todd Seavey was another professional writer who expressed an interest in creating stories for Anarky. A freelance libertarian writer and editor, and author of several issues of Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
, Seavey considered authoring an Anarky series his "dream comics project".
Breyfogle has also noted that Anarky retained interest among a "diehard" fan base during this obscure period. During a panel at WonderCon
WonderCon
WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987.The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, where it remained until 2003, when it moved to San...
2006, multiple requests were made by the audience for Anarky to appear in DC Comic's limited series, 52
52 (comics)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
. In response, Dan DiDio announced two weeks later, at a DC Comics panel during the 2006 New York Comic Con, that the writing team of 52 had decided to create a part for the character. 52 editor, Michael Siglain, later responded to a reader question concerning when Anarky would appear in the series, estimating Anarky would appear in later issues. However, 52 concluded without Anarky making an appearance and with no explanation given by anyone involved in the production of the series.
Return as "Moneyspider"
On August 15, 2008, DC Comics announced that Anarky would reappear in the December issue of Robin, issue No.181. Several weeks later, Dan Didio announced that Anarky would be among several villains to be showcased in DC Comic's "Faces of EvilFaces of Evil
"Faces of Evil" is a DC Comics "event" in January 2009, that editor Dan DiDio described as "inspirationally tied to Final Crisis" as they aim to address the question the series raises: "What happens when evil wins?" Numerous monthly books will have villains displayed on their covers while four...
" event. With the publication of Robin No.181, it was revealed that Lonnie Machin's role as Anarky had been supplanted by another Batman villain, Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong
General (DC Comics)
The General is a fictional character appearing in the DC Comics universe. Created by Chuck Dixon as an opponent for Batman, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #654, published in December 1992...
. Further, Machin was depicted as being held hostage by Armstrong, "paralyzed and catatonic
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
", encased in an iron lung
Iron lung
A negative pressure ventilator is a form of medical ventilator that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability....
, and connected to computers through his brain. This final feature allowed the character to connect to the internet and communicate with others via a speech synthesizer
Speech synthesis
Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware...
.
The story, "Pushing Buttons, Pulling Strings", narrates that as Tim Drake
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
attempts to maintain control of Gotham City in Batman's absence following the Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
storyline, it is revealed that the ultimate foe attempting to ferment chaos and destroy the city through gang wars and terrorist bombings is Armstrong. Armstrong is also revealed to have encountered Lonnie Machin at an unspecified point prior to the story, at which time Machin was "shot in the head", leaving him paralyzed and hostage to Armstrong. Incapacitated, Machin reverts to his hacker identity as "Moneyspider", while Armstrong commandeers the identity of Anarky and conspires to acquire power through chaos. The storyline concluded with the publication of Robin No.182, on January 21, 2009, as part of the "Faces of Evil" event. The issue featured the Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong version of Anarky on the front cover of the issue, but did not include Lonnie Machin as a character within the story.
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
, author of the issue and storyline in which Anarky appeared, responded to reader concerns in an internet forum for a Q&A secession with fans a few days after issue No.181 was published. Nicieza explained his decision behind giving Machin's mantle as Anarky to another character was due to his desire to establish "Robin's Joker", and that "the concept of Anarky, applied in a visceral, immature fashion, would make an excellent counterpoint to Robin's ordered methodical thinking." However, in an effort to respect the original characterization of Anarky, it was necessary that it not be Machin, who Nicieza recognized as neither immature, nor a villain. Nicieza also noted the difficulty inherent in writing any story featuring Anarky, due to the complexity of the character's philosophy. Regardless, Nicieza did desire to use Machin and properly return the character to publication, and so favored presenting Ulysses H. Armstrong as Anarky, and Lonnie Machin as MoneySpider, describing the latter as an "electronic ghost." The alias Moneyspider was a secondary name briefly used by Grant for Anarky in a 1990 Detective Comics storyline. Nicieza felt that this created a scenario in which each could be used for different effects. As he put it, "[o]ne can prove a physical opposition to Robin (Ulysses as Anarky), the other an intellectual one (Lonnie as MoneySpider)." Nicieza also acknowledged that this dramatic change in the character's presentation would upset fans of the character, but countered that he felt he had not made any changes to the character which could not be undone easily by other writers.
Following the publication of Robin No.181, Roderick Long
Roderick Long
Roderick Tracy Long is a professor of philosophy at Auburn University and libertarian anarchist blogger. He also serves as a senior scholar for the Ludwig von Mises Institute, an editor of the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, director and president of the Molinari Institute, and an advisory panel...
, a political commentator and Senior Scholar at the Ludwig von Mises Institute
Ludwig von Mises Institute
The Ludwig von Mises Institute , based in Auburn, Alabama, is a libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields of economics, philosophy and political economy. Its scholarship is inspired by the work of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises...
, and self-professed fan of the character, expressed annoyance at the portrayal of the character of Lonnie Machin and the usurpation of the Anarky mantle by Armstrong. Upon learning of Nicieza's reasoning for the portrayal, Long parodied the explanation as a mock-dialectic
Dialectic
Dialectic is a method of argument for resolving disagreement that has been central to Indic and European philosophy since antiquity. The word dialectic originated in Ancient Greece, and was made popular by Plato in the Socratic dialogues...
, saying, "Thesis: Anarky is too interesting a character not to write about.Antithesis: Anarky is too interesting a character for me to write successfully about. Dialectical synthesis: Therefore I will make Anarky less interesting so I can write about him."
Grant also commented on the transformation. "Someone recently sent me DC’s new take on Anarky," Grant reported during an interview for Scotland regional edition of The Big Issue
The Big Issue
The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991...
, "and I was saddened to see they were using him as just another asshole villain."
Several months later, in a forum discussion, Nicieza once again defended his writing of the story. In a discussion regarding communication between comic book authors, and whether writers were bothered when their creations were altered, or re-characterized, by other authors of a shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, Nicieza's treatment of Anarky was mentioned. In addressing the concerns of his critics, Nicieza submitted that he fully agreed with the criticisms by Alan Grant. As Nicieza explained, his intention was to deliberately alter the concept the Anarky mantle represented, while attempting to respect the characterization of Lonnie Machin. For this reason, Nicieza also saw little reason to communicate with Grant for feedback, and so made no overtures to Anarky's creator. "I did not reach out to Alan for the simple reason that I KNEW I was taking his original creation and mangling it, twisting its core conceptual meaning and regurgitating it in an impure fashion. I felt little benefit in contacting a creator who I know wouldn't necessarily like the idea even if I could explain why (which I can) nor did I do it because I feel there has to be a little 'statute of limitations' on that kind of outreach." Nicieza also confessed to his personal discomfort with communicating with Grant, given the latter's estrangement from DC Comics.
Nicieza continued his explanation, tackling the topic of the new "misapplication" of the philosophical underpinnings of the Anarky mantle in the hands of the General. "I was well aware that the General's application of the name, costume and themes were inaccurate to the political philosophy of Anarchy
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
(and of Lonnie's reason for being as Anarky). It's even STATED in print during the course of the story that Ulysses didn't 'get it.'" Nicieza then concluded with a restatement in his expectation that other writers now had the opportunity to pursue stories which would make use of the characters, "I could understand original Anarky readers and the creator of the character not agreeing with that, but therein lies the beauty of our medium -- there's always another story to tell that could 'fix' what you don't like..."
Red Robin cast member
With the conclusion of Robin, Nicieza began authoring the 2009 Azrael series, leaving any future use of Anarky or Moneyspider to Red Robin author Chris YostChris Yost
Christopher Yost is a film, animation and comic book writer best known as the head writer of the Marvel animated series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and co-writer of the comic book series New X-Men and X-Force.-Career:Yost began his career in 2002 as an intern in Marvel Comics' west...
. At the 2009 New York Comic Con panel for the "Batman: Battle for the Cowl
Batman: Battle for the Cowl
Batman: Battle for the Cowl is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, three issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in Gotham City following the "Batman R.I.P." and "Final...
" storyline, various collaborating writers, editors, and artists for Batman-related comic books took questions from the audience. When asked a question regarding Anarky, Mike Marts confirmed that "Anarky" would be utilized in future publications, but did not elaborate further. In the ensuing months, Yost made only brief references to Anarky, without directly involving the character in any storylines. In April 2010, it was announced that Nicieza would replace Yost as the author of Red Robin. In interview commentary, Nicieza noted his interest in using Anarky and Moneyspider in future issues of the series.
Nicieza reintroduced Ulysses Armstrong and Lonnie Machin over the course of several storylines, and regularly used Lonnie as a cast member of the ongoing Red Robin series. The series was canceled in August 2011, as a result of The New 52
The New 52
The New 52 is a 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero books, in which all of its existing titles were cancelled, and 52 new series debuted in September 2011 with new #1 issues. Among the series being renumbered are Action Comics and Detective Comics,...
, a revamp and relaunch by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero books, in which all of its existing titles were canceled, and 52 new series debuted in September 2011 with new #1 issues.
Characterization
Anarky (comic book)
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book series published by DC Comics, as a limited series between May and August of 1997, and as an ongoing series May and December of 1999. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle, and inks by Josef Rubinstein...
limited series. Early depictions presented Anarky as having a serious perspective, but at times comedic attitude, which commentators such as Greg Burgas, of Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, have appreciated. "Lonnie is a fascinating character in that he has a sense of humor... and he’s very smart."
Heroic and villainous themes
Anarky's introduction during the late '80s was part of a larger shift among villains in the Batman franchise of the time. While many naive and goofy villains of previous eras were abandoned, and more iconic villains made more violent to cater to tastes of a maturing readership, some were introduced to challenge readers to "question the whole bad/good guy divide." Falling into "the stereotype anarchist bomb-toting image", Anarky's design was countered by his principled stances to create an odd contrast. In a review of the AnarkyAnarky (comic book)
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book series published by DC Comics, as a limited series between May and August of 1997, and as an ongoing series May and December of 1999. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle, and inks by Josef Rubinstein...
miniseries, Anarky was dubbed an "anti-villain", as opposed to "anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
", due to his highly principled philosophy, which runs counter to most villains. "In the age of the anti-hero, it only makes sense to have the occasional anti-villain as well. But unlike sociopathic vigilante anti-heroes like the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
, an anti-villain like Anarky provides some interesting food for thought. Sure, he breaks the law, but what he really wants is to save the world... and maybe he's right."
Breyfogle's characterization of Anarky has shifted on occasion, with him at times referring to Anarky as a villain, and at other times as a hero. In his 1998 introductory essay composed for Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky
Batman: Anarky is a 1999 trade paperback published by DC Comics. The book collects prominent appearances of Anarky, a comic book character created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle. Although all of the collected stories were written by Alan Grant, various artists contributed to individual stories...
, Breyfogle characterized Anarky as not being a villain, but rather a "misunderstood hero", and continued "he's a philosophical action hero, an Aristotle in tights, rising above mere 'crime-fighter' status into the realm of incisive social commentary." A year later, Breyfogle conceded that Anarky was "technically" a villain, but insisted "I don't consider him a villain..." Breyfogle later reconsidered the character in more ambiguous terms for a 2005 interview: "Anarky isn’t a villain, he’s his own character. He’s definitely not a superhero, although it depends on who you talk to."
Grant has been more direct in his description of Anarky's virtuous attributes: "In my eyes, Anarky’s a hero. Anarky’s the hero I want to be if I was smart enough and physically fit enough." Acknowledging that Anarky's moral perspective was guided by his own, Grant expressed that the conflict between Anarky and other heroes is a result of their political divisions. "In my eyes, he’s a hero, but to others, they see him as a villain. That is because most people might gripe about the political situation, or various aspects of the political situation, and wouldn’t advocate the total overthrow of the system under which we live. Anarky certainly does that, and more."
In creating stories involving Anarky, other writers have played off this anti-heroic and anti-villinous tension. James Peatty made the heroic and political comparisons between Lonnie Machin and Olliver Queen the central theme of his 2005 Green Arrow story, "Anarky in the USA". "Anarky comes to find Ollie because of his reputation and is quite disappointed in Ollie’s reaction towards him. However, as the story unfolds, Ollie has to re-assess his initial reaction to Anarky and his own much vaunted ‘radical’ credentials."
With his controversial revival of the character in 2008, Fabian Nicieza chose to portray the mantle of Anarky as being possessed by a villain other than Lonnie Machin on the grounds that Lonnie was too heroic to act out the part of a black hat. "Since Lonnie is too smart to be immature and NOT a 'villain,' I wanted Anarky, but it couldn't be Lonnie without compromising who he is as a character."
As the character was based on a theme of ideas, he had been given no personal, tragic past; a common motivator in superhero fiction
Superhero fiction
Superhero fiction is a form originating in and most common to American comic books, though it has expanded into other media through adaptations and original works....
. This was to contrast with Batman, who fought crime due to personal tragedy, while Anarky would do so in the name of ideals and beliefs. As the character was further developed, he was also intended to contrast with common teenage superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es. Referring to the tradition established by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
of saddling teenagers with personal problems, Grant purposely gave Anarky none, nor did he develop a girlfriend or social life for the character. As Grant wrote for the Batman: Anarky introduction, this was intended to convey the idea that Anarky was single minded in his goals.
On two occasions Grant nearly went against Dennis O'Neil's early wish that Anarky not kill opponents. These events include his appearance during the Batman: Knightfall
Batman: Knightfall
"Knightfall" is the title given to a major Batman story arc published by DC Comics that dominated Batman-related serial comic books in the spring and summer of 1993...
saga, in which Grant briefly portrayed Anarky as preparing to kill both the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
and Batman-Azrael
Azrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
. Grant also implied Anarky was a lethal figure in "The Last Batman Story", part of Armageddon 2001
Armageddon 2001
"Armageddon 2001" was a 1991 crossover event storyline published by DC Comics. It ran through a self titled, two issue limited series and most of the annuals DC published that year from May through October...
crossover event. Grant later expressed relief that he had not fully committed to portraying Anarky as a potential murderer, as he felt "Anarky would have compromised his own beliefs if he had taken the route of the criminal-killer." Despite Anarky's non-lethal portrayal, entries for the character in Who's Who in the DC Universe
Who's Who in the DC Universe
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe is the umbrella title for a number of comic book series which DC Comics published to catalogue the wide variety of fictional characters in their imaginary universe, the DC Universe.-History:Who's Who was the creation of Len Wein, Marv...
, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, and The Supervillain Book, have falsely referred to Anarky as having killed criminals in early appearances. Norm Breyfogle was also under the false impression that Anarky had killed for several years, having failed to realize the original script for Anarky's debut storyline had been rewritten. Grant eventually explained the situation to Breyfogle in 2006, during a joint interview.
Despite this regular equivocation of Anarky with murder and villainy in DC Comics character guides, the company made efforts to describe the character in heroic terms in promoting the 1999 Anarky series. During this time, DC Comics described Anarky as an "anti-establishment loose cannon trying to do good as a hero to the disenfranchised".
Political and philosophical themes
Originally, Grant created Anarky as an anarchistAnarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
with socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
leanings. In this early incarnation, Anarky was designed as an avatar for Grant's personal meditations on political philosophy, and specifically for his burgeoning sympathy for anarchism.
Aerosol paint
Aerosol paint is a type of paint that comes in a sealed pressurized container and is released in a fine spray mist when depressing a valve button. A form of spray painting, aerosol paint leaves a smooth, evenly coated surface, unlike many rolled or brushed paints. Standard sized cans are portable,...
to leave the circle-A as a calling card at crime scenes. The circle-a has also been used to decorate the character's base of operations, either as graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
or suspended from wall tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
.
Other themes were occasionally used whenever Anarky was a featured character in a comic. During the Anarky limited series, fluttering newspapers were used to bear headlines alluding to social problems. Occasionally, the titles of books found in Anarky's room would express the character's philosophical, political, or generally esoteric agenda. In Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
No.620, a copy of V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta is a ten-issue comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd, set in a dystopian future United Kingdom imagined from the 1980s to about the 1990s. A mysterious masked revolutionary who calls himself "V" works to destroy the totalitarian government,...
can be seen on Lonnie Machin's bookshelf as homage. Other books in his room at different times have included Apostles of Revolution by Max Nomad
Max Nomad
Max Nomad is the pseudonym of Austrian author and educator Max Nacht. In his youth he had espoused militant anarchism and in the 1920s he was a follower of the Bolshevik Revolution...
, The Anarchists
The Anarchists
The Anarchists is a book by the historian James Joll. At 265 pages, it is a relatively brief history of the anarchist movement, covering its philosophical beginnings in Europe with William Godwin and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, the further development by the Russians Peter Kropotkin and Mikhail Bakunin...
by James Joll
James Joll
James Bysse Joll FBA was a British historian and university lecturer whose works included The Origins of the First World War and Europe Since 1870. He also wrote on the history of anarchism and socialism.-Biography:...
, books labeled "Proudhon
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was a French politician, mutualist philosopher and socialist. He was a member of the French Parliament, and he was the first person to call himself an "anarchist". He is considered among the most influential theorists and organisers of anarchism...
" and "Bakunin
Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was a well-known Russian revolutionary and theorist of collectivist anarchism. He has also often been called the father of anarchist theory in general. Bakunin grew up near Moscow, where he moved to study philosophy and began to read the French Encyclopedists,...
", and an issue of Black Flag
Black Flag (newspaper)
Black Flag is the name of a number of anarchist periodicals, most notably the British anarchist bi-annual magazine Black Flag, mainly known for its coverage of international anarchist politics as well as supporting "class war" prisoners....
. Non-anarchist material included books labeled "Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
", "Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
", and "Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg
was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. He has been termed a Christian mystic by some sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica online version, and the Encyclopedia of Religion , which starts its article with the description that he was a "Swedish scientist and mystic." Others...
", and a copy of Synergetics, by Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
. The character also made references to Universe by Scudder Klyce
Scudder Klyce
Scudder Klyce was an American philosopher, scientist and naval officer...
, an extremely rare book. When asked if he was concerned readers would be unable to follow some of the more obscure literary references, Grant hadn't expected many to do so, but reported that some had and one reader carried an ongoing correspondence with him as of 2005.
During the early years of the character's development, virtually no writers other than Grant used Anarky in DC publications. In a rare portrayal by an author other than Grant, writer Kevin Dooly used Anarky in an issue of Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
, producing an explicitly anti-firearm
Gun politics in the United States
Gun politics in the United States refers to an ongoing political and social debate regarding both the restriction and availability of firearms within the United States. It has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues in American politics...
themed story. Throughout the story, dialogue between Anarky and Green Arrow convey the need for direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
, as Anarky attempts to persuade Oliver Queen to sympathize with militant, economic sabotage in pursuit of social justice.
Over the course of several years, Grant's political opinions shifted from libertarian socialism
Libertarian socialism
Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that promote a non-hierarchical, non-bureaucratic, stateless society without private property in the means of production...
to free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
based philosophies. Grant later speculated that this transformation would be detectable within stories he'd written. By 1997, Grant's philosophy settled on Neo-Tech, and when given the opportunity to write an Anarky miniseries, he decided to redesign the character accordingly. Grant laid out his reasoning in an interview just before the first issue's publication. "I felt he was the perfect character" to express Neo-Tech philosophy, Grant explained, "because he's human, he has no special powers, the only power he's got is the power of his own rational consciousness". This new characterization was continued in the 1999 Anarky ongoing series.
The limited and ongoing series were both heavily influenced by Neo-Tech, despite the term never appearing in a single issue. New emphasis was placed on previously unexplored themes, such as the depiction of Anarky as an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
and a rationalist
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
. Grant also expressed a desire to use the comic as a vehicle for his thoughts concerning the mind
Philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind-body problem, i.e...
, consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
, and made bicameralism
Bicameralism (psychology)
Bicameralism is a hypothesis in psychology that argues that the human brain once assumed a state in which cognitive functions were divided between one part of the brain which appears to be "speaking", and a second part which listens and obeys—a bicameral mind...
a major theme of both series. While both series led the character away from the philosophy he had espoused previously, the primary theme of the character remained anti-statism
Anti-statism
Anti-statism is a term describing opposition to state intervention into personal, social, and economic affairs. Anti-statist views may reject the state completely as well as rulership in general , they may wish to reduce the size and scope of the state to a minimum , or they may advocate a...
. In one issue of the 1999 series, a character asked what the nature of Anarky's politics were. The response was that Anarky was neither right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
, nor left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, and that he "transcends the political divide". Despite taking part in multiple interviews regarding the character, Grant has never specified the nature of Anarky's political categorization, preferring to state which philosophies inspired his characterization. Norm Breyfogle stated in 1999 that the character represented anarchist philosophy, but said in 2003 that he believes the Neo-Tech influence allows Anarky to be classified as an "objectivist
Objectivism (Ayn Rand)
Objectivism is a philosophy created by the Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand . Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception...
".
Alternative versions
Through ElseworldsElseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
titles and "alternate universe" storylines, Anarky has been presented in forms divergent from his original incarnation. However, due to the minor part the character has played in the DC pantheon of characters, these variations have not been as numerous, broad, or influential as some alternative versions of Superman, alternative versions of Batman, or other characters with greater cultural impact.
- In Batman AnnualBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
No.15, "The Last Batman Story", part of the "Armageddon 2001Armageddon 2001"Armageddon 2001" was a 1991 crossover event storyline published by DC Comics. It ran through a self titled, two issue limited series and most of the annuals DC published that year from May through October...
" crossover event, a time travelTime travelTime travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
er shows Batman a possible future. In the (relatively) not-too-distant year of 2001, an aged Batman is framed and sentenced to death for murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. Anarky, now an adult, sympathizes with the fallen hero and breaks into the prison in an attempt to rescue Batman. In contrast to his original counterpart, it is implied that this version of Anarky was willing to kill opponents.
- In Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual No.2, an ElseworldsElseworldsElseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story entitled "The Tyrant", a corrupt Batman (under the influence of Jonathan CraneScarecrow (comics)The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
) uses his resources to usurp power in the city of GothamGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
and institute a police state in which he exercises hegemonic control over the city's population. Anarky becomes a resistance leaderResistance movementA resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
, undermining the centers of Batman's power and ultimately overthrowing Bruce Wayne's tyranny. The story ends with a quote by Mikhail BakuninMikhail BakuninMikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was a well-known Russian revolutionary and theorist of collectivist anarchism. He has also often been called the father of anarchist theory in general. Bakunin grew up near Moscow, where he moved to study philosophy and began to read the French Encyclopedists,...
: "(For reasons of the state) black becomes white and white becomes black, the horrible becomes humane and the most dastardly felonies and atrocious crimes become meritorious acts."
- Anarky appeared in The Batman AdventuresThe Batman AdventuresThe Batman Adventures was a DC Comics comic book series featuring Batman. It is different from other Batman titles in that it is set in the continuity of Batman: The Animated Series as opposed to the regular DC Universe.-Overview:...
No.31, "Anarky", written by Alan Grant, who acted as a guest author for the issue. Anarky takes business elites hostage and places them on public trial, broadcast from a pirate televisionPirate televisionA pirate television station is a broadcast television station that operates without a broadcast license. Like its counterpart pirate radio, the term pirate TV lacks a specific universal interpretation...
show. He charges these men with such crimes as the creation of land mineLand mineA land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s that kill or cripple thousands, funding Third WorldThird WorldThe term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
dictators, polluting the air with toxic chemicals, and profiting from wage slaveryWage slaveryWage slavery refers to a situation where a person's livelihood depends on wages, especially when the dependence is total and immediate. It is a negatively connoted term used to draw an analogy between slavery and wage labor, and to highlight similarities between owning and employing a person...
, and threatens each man with a bomb if the public should find them guilty. When the explosions take place, it is revealed that the bombs are fake, and the public trials were only intended to expose the men and raise public awareness.
Skills, abilities, and resources
Grant developed Anarky as a gadgeteer—a character who relies on inventions and gadgetGadget
A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention...
s to compensate for a lack of superpowers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
—and as a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
. In early incarnations, he was portrayed as highly intelligent, but inexperienced, lacking in many skills, and surviving only by his ingenuity. In accordance with this, he would often quote the maxim, "the essence of anarchy is surprise". Later, during the two Anarky series, his abilities were increased, and he was portrayed as having enormous talents in both engineering and computer technology, as well as developing skills in martial arts. This was indicated in several comics published just before the Anarky miniseries, and later elaborated upon within the series itself. According to Alan Grant, the urgency with which Anarky views his cause has necessitated that the character forsake any social life, and increase his abilities drastically over the years. "The kid's whole life is dedicated to self-improvement," wrote Grant for the Batman: Anarky introduction, "with the sole aim of destroying the parasitic elites who he considers feast off ordinary folks."
This evolution in Anarky's abilities was criticized as having overpowered the character in a Fanzing review of the Anarky ongoing series. The rapid development was seen as preventing the suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is a formula for justifying the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literary works of fiction...
in the young character's adventures, which was said to have contributed to the failure of the series. This view stood in contrast with that of Breyfogle, who considered Anarky's heightened skill set to be a complementary feature, and contended that Anarky's advanced abilities lent uniqueness to the character. Breyfogle wrote, "Anarky's singularity is due partly to his being, at his age, nearly as competent as Batman."
Tactics
The character often utilizes cunning, improvisation, and intelligence as tools for victory. During the Knightfall
Batman: Knightfall
"Knightfall" is the title given to a major Batman story arc published by DC Comics that dominated Batman-related serial comic books in the spring and summer of 1993...
saga, the character states, "The essence of anarchy is surprise -- spontaneous action... even when it does require a little planning!" Depicted examples include an improvised conflict, in which he avoided a gang of villains too dangerous to fight, choosing instead to use a flare gun to anonymously signal for Batman to come, and then pitted the two groups against each other. A later example includes a planned confrontation with Batman in which Anarky achieves victory by confusing the hero with holographic projections
Holography
Holography is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present...
long enough to attack and subdue him. When in need of assistance for intelligence gathering, or a diversion, he would call on the help of the homeless community in Gotham, who had supported him since his first appearance. Anarky's skill in improvising cunning plans was continued in the Anarky ongoing series. During the "War and Peace" storyline, Anarky allows himself to be defeated in combat, purposely falling into the hands of an enemy. Feigning defeat, he reveals false information that leads to his opponent's downfall.
Equipment
Early descriptions of the character's gadgets focused on low-tech, improvised tools and munitions, such as flare gun
Flare gun
A flare gun is a firearm that launches flares. It is typically used for signalling, as distress signalling, at sea or from the ground to aircraft...
s, swing lines, throwing stars
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
, small spherical explosives
Explosive material
An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
with wick fuses (mimicking those stereotypically associated with 19th-century anarchists), gas-bombs, smoke bomb
Smoke bomb
A smoke bomb is a firework designed to produce smoke upon ignition. Smoke bombs are useful to military units, airsoft games, paintball games, self defense and pranks...
s, and his primary weapon, a powerful electric stun baton shaped as a golden sceptre. A grappling hook
Grappling hook
A grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...
was later incorporated into the sceptre itself, allowing dual functionality.
Combat skills
In 1995, Grant described Anarky as having begun to train in martial arts, following the character's time in juvenile hall. By 1997, this ability was described as having progressed remarkably, and to have included training in multiple styles, including aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
, karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
, and kung fu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
, which he "integrated" into a hybrid fighting style
Hybrid martial arts
Hybrid martial arts refer to martial arts or fighting systems that incorporate techniques and theories from several particular martial arts...
.
Logistics, technology, and enhanced intelligence
As a wanted criminal, Anarky's methods and goals were described as leaving him with little logistical support amongst the heroic community, or the public at large, relegating him to underground operation. In his earliest incarnations, he was described as having developed skills as a computer hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
to steal enormous sums of money from various corporations. This addition to the character's skill set made him the second major hacker in the DC universe, being preceded by Barbara Gordon's
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
debut as Oracle,
and was quickly adapted by 1992 to allow the character to gain information on other heroes and villains from police computer networks. By 1997, the skill was further increased to allow him to tap into Batman's supercomputer
Batcomputer
The Batcomputer is the fictional computer system used by comic book superhero Batman. It is located in the Batcave. The Batcomputer was first introduced in fiction in 1964.-Portrayal in fiction:...
, and the Justice League Watchtower
Justice League Watchtower
The Watchtower is the name of various bases used by the Justice League of America in DC Comics and various other media. It has been portrayed in DC comics as a building on Earth's moon, and as a space-station in orbit in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon.The Watchtower debuted in JLA #4 during...
.
In 1996, Anarky was described as using the internet to earn money through his online bookstore, Anarco, which he used as a front company
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
to propagate his philosophy. A second front organization, The Anarkist Foundation, was also developed to offer grants to radical causes he supports. Grant also used a Biofeedback Learning Enhancer as a plot device to increase Lonnie's abilities. The cybernetic device was described as being capable of amplifying brain functions
Intelligence amplification
Intelligence amplification refers to the effective use of information technology in augmenting human intelligence...
by a multiple of ten. With this enhanced intelligence, and the increased financial independence described above, Anarky went on to create an on-board AI computer
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, MAX (Multi-Augmented X-Program); a crude but fully functioning teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
device capable of summoning a boom tube
Boom tube
A boom tube is a slang expression for a fictional extra-dimensional point-to-point travel portal opened by a Mother Box used primarily by residents of New Genesis and Apokolips in DC Comics...
, and secretly excavated an underground base below the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
.
Portrayed as an atheist by Grant, Anarky espoused the belief that "science is magic explained", and was shown to use scientific analysis to explain and manipulate esoteric forces of magic and energy.
Costume
Anarky's costume has undergone two phases in design, both of which were created by Norm Breyfogle, in accordance with Grant's suggestions.The original costume was composed of a large, flowing red robe, over a matching red jumpsuit
Jumpsuit
Jumpsuit originally referred to the utilitarian one-piece garments used by parachuters/skydivers, but has come to be used as a common term for any one-piece garment with sleeves and legs.-Use:...
. A red, wide brimmed hat baring the circle-a insignia; a golden, metallic face mask; and red hood, completed the outfit. The folds of the robe concealed various weapons and gadgets. Breyfogle later expressed that the color scheme chosen held symbolic purpose. The red robes "represented the blood of all the innocents sacrificed in war." The gold cane, face mask, and circle-A symbol represented purity and spirituality. The connection to spirituality was also emphasized through the hat and loose fabric, which mimicked that of a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. Breyfogle believed the loose clothes "[went] better with a wide-brimmed hat. It's more of a colloquial style of clothing..." However, observers have noted that Breyfogle's Christian upbringing may have also inspired the "priestly analogy."
This costume was also designed to disguise Anarky's height, and so included a "head extender" under his hood, which elongated his neck. This design was also intended to create a subtle awkwardness that the reader would subconsciously suspect as being fake, until the reveal at the end of Anarky's first appearance. Despite the revelation of this false head, which would no longer serve its intended purpose at misdirecting the reader, the head extender was included in several return appearances, while at irregular times other artists drew the character without the extender. This discontinuity in the character's design ended when Breyfogle finally eliminated this aspect of the character during the 1997 limited series, expressing that the character's height growth had ended its usefulness. In reality, Breyfogle's decision was also as a result of the difficulty the design presented, being "awkward [to draw] in action situations."
Anarky's second costume was used during the 1999 ongoing Anarky series. It retained the red jumpsuit, gold mask, and hat, but excised the character's red robes. New additions to the costume included a red cape, a utility belt modeled after Batman's utility belt
Batman's utility belt
Batman's utility belt is one of the most characteristic portions of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.-History:...
, and a single, large circle-a across the chest, akin to Superman's
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
iconic "S" shield
Superman logo
The Superman logo, also informally known as the S shield, is the iconic emblem for the fictional DC Comics superhero Superman. As a representation of the first superhero, it served as a template for character design decades after Superman's first appearance...
. The golden mask was also redesigned as a reflective, but flexible material that wrapped around Anarky's head, allowing for the display of facial movement and emotion. This had previously been impossible, as the first mask was made of inflexible metal. Being a relatively new creation, Breyfogle encountered no resistance in the new character design. "Because [Anarky] doesn't have 50 years of merchandising behind him, I can change his costume whenever I want..." Within the Anarky series, secondary costumes were displayed in Anarky's base of operations. Each was slightly altered in design, but followed the same basic theme. These were designed for use in various situations, but only one, a "universal battle suit", was used during the brief series.
Readership reaction
When an interviewer commented that Anarky was popular among fans in 2003, in the midst of the character's period of obscurity, Norm Breyfogle offered a caviet: "Well, in certain segments of the comic book industry, I suppose." Breyfogle continued, "It has some diehard fans. But, DC doesn't seem to want to do anything with him. Maybe it's because of his anti-authoritarian philosophy, a very touchy subject in today's world."The sense that Anarky is appreciated by certain fans is one shared by Alan Grant. Commenting on the popularity of the Anarky series, Grant acknowledged the failure of the series, but pointed out that the series was very popular among some readers. "It wasn't terribly popular in the States, although I received quite a few letters (especially from philosophy students) saying the comic had changed their entire mindset. But Anarky was very popular in South America, where people have had a long and painful taste of totalitarianism, in a way the US is just entering."
Sales of the Anarky limited series were high enough to green light an ongoing series. However, as the ongoing series was mostly popular amongst Latin American nations—Mexico and Argentina in particular—Alan Grant has lamented that the comic was doomed to eventual cancellation, as DC Comics "[doesn't] take foreign sales into consideration when counting their cash".
Acknowledging the failure of the series, Grant has conceeded that its themes, in particular his interest in exploring esoteric concepts such as philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind-body problem, i.e...
, likely resulted in "plummeting" sales. Besides the themes, commentators have criticized other elements of the character, including the skills and special heroics of Anarky's adventures. "I liked the original concept behind Anarky: a teenage geek who reads The Will to Power one too many times and decides to go out and fix the world," wrote Matt Morrison of Fanzing. "But the minute he wound up getting $100 million in a Swiss Bank account, owning a building, impressing Darksied
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, getting a Boom Tube and was shown as being able to outsmart Batman, outhack Oracle
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
and generally be invincible, I lost all interest I had in the character."
Anarchist critique
Critics have commented on the character's depiction as an anarchist since his first appearance. According to Alan Grant, anarchists with whom he associated were angered by his creation of the character, seeing it as an act of recuperationRecuperation (sociology)
Recuperation, in the sociological sense, is the process by which politically radical ideas and images are commodified and incorporated within a mainstream society and, thus, become interpreted through a more socially acceptable or conventional perspective. More broadly, it may refer to the...
for commercial gain. Neither Grant nor Breyfogle could fully agree with this criticism. As Grant put it, "I thought I was doing them a favour you know?"
In the years following the Anarky publications of the late 90s, more receptive critiques have been offered. In assessing the presentation of anarchist philosophy in fiction, Mark Leier
Mark Leier
Mark Leier is a Canadian historian of working class and left-wing history. He is the director of the Centre for Labour Studies at Simon Fraser University, where he is also a Professor of Canadian History and the history of Marxism....
, the director for the Centre for Labour Studies from Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, cited Anarky as an example of the favorable treatment anarchist philosophy has occasionally received in mainstream comic books. Leier took particular note of quotations derived from the dialogue in "Anarky in Gotham City" story, in which Batman speaks positively of Anarky's intentions. Following the cancellation of the ongoing series, Roderick Long
Roderick Long
Roderick Tracy Long is a professor of philosophy at Auburn University and libertarian anarchist blogger. He also serves as a senior scholar for the Ludwig von Mises Institute, an editor of the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, director and president of the Molinari Institute, and an advisory panel...
, an anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
/libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
political commentator and Senior Scholar at the Ludwig von Mises Institute
Ludwig von Mises Institute
The Ludwig von Mises Institute , based in Auburn, Alabama, is a libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields of economics, philosophy and political economy. Its scholarship is inspired by the work of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises...
, praised Anarky as "an impressive voice for liberty in today's comics". Margaret Killjoy's examination of anarchist fiction, Mythmakers & Lawbreakers, afforded Alan Grant and Anarky brief mention. Explaining the relationship Grant had with anarchism, Killjoy reviewed the characters' early incarnations as "quite wonderful."
Greg Burgas, in reviewing the career of Alan Grant, specifically cited Anarky's anarchist philosophy as one of the character's most empathetic traits. Lamenting the obscurity of the character, Burgas wished Anarky and anarchism would be presented more often: "...anarchy as a concept is often dismissed, but it’s worth looking at simply because it is so radical and untenable yet noble."
Comparative analysis
The philosophical nature of the character has invited political critiques, and resulted in comparisons drawn against the political and philosophical views of other fictional characters.The authors of "I'm Not Fooled By That Cheap Disguise", a 1991 essay deconstructing the Batman mythos, refer to Anarky as a challenge to Batman's social and political world view, and to the political position indirectly endorsed by the themes of a Batman adventure. As the Batman mythos is centered on themes of retribution and the protection of property rights, the invitation to readers to identify with Batman's vigilantism is an invitation to adopt political authoritarianism. The authors summarize that position as "the inviolability of property relations and the justification of their defense by any means necessary (short of death)." However, the authors contend that Anarky "potentially redefines crime" and invites the reader to identify with a new political position in favor of the disenfranchised, which Batman "can not utterly condemn". The authors contend that the creation of Anarky and dialogue by other characters represented a shift towards "self-conscious awareness of the Batman's hegemonic function, questioning the most central component of the Batman's identitythe nature of crime and his relation to it." However, the authors remain skeptical of Anarky's commercial nature, pointing out Anarky could be "incorporated as another marketing technique... The contradictions of capitalism would thus permit the commodification of criticisms as long as they resulted in profits."
With the publication in 2005 of an issue of Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
in which Anarky guest-starred, writer James Peatty juxtaposed Anarky's radical philosophy with the liberal progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
beliefs of Green Arrow. "Everyone always goes on about what a radical Ollie is and I wanted to show that maybe that isn't the case ... especially as Ollie's radical credentials are pretty antiquated ... Anarky as a character—and as a broader idea—is much more radical than Ollie."
In Batman and Philosophy, an analysis of various philosophies which intersect with the Batman mythos, Anarky's critique of the state
State (polity)
A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
is compared favorably to that of Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
. "The Nietzschean state constitutes a 'new idol,' one that is no less repressive than its predecessors, as it defines good and evil for, and hangs a 'sword and a hundred appetites' over, the faithful. No Batman villain sees this as clearly as Anarky..." However, Anarky's behavior is analyzed as an attempt to impose an even more restrictive order, with examples presented from Batman: Anarky, in which Lonnie Machin lectures fellow juvenile detainees, explains his motivations in a farewell letter to his parents, and creates a fantasy dystopia in a distorted reflection of his desired society. "His [Anarky's] search for an organizing principle that is less repressive than the state fails." This is sharply compared with Batman, described as moderating his impulses towards social control. Dialogue from Detective Comics is employed, in which Batman compares himself to Anarky and denies the latter legitimacy: "The fact is, no man can be allowed to set himself up as judge, jury and executioner."
Greg Burgas, of Comic Book Resources.com, critiqued Anarky as "one of the more interesting characters of the past fifteen or twenty years ... because of what he wants to accomplish". Burgas continues, comparing the nature of Anarky as a change agent against Batman. "He is able to show how ineffective Batman is against the real problems of society, and although Batman stops his spree, we find ourselves sympathizing much more with Anarky than with the representative of the status quo..."
List of Anarky comics
As a lesser known and under utilized character in the DC universe, Anarky has a smaller library of associated comic books and significant story lines than more popular DC Comics characters. Between 1989 and 1996, Anarky was primarily written by Alan Grant in BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
-related comics, received a guest appearance in a single issue of Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
by Kevin Dooley, and was given a minor entry in Who's Who in the DC Universe
Who's Who in the DC Universe
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe is the umbrella title for a number of comic book series which DC Comics published to catalogue the wide variety of fictional characters in their imaginary universe, the DC Universe.-History:Who's Who was the creation of Len Wein, Marv...
.
In the late 1990s, Anarky entered a brief period of minor prominence; first with the publication of Anarky vol. 1 in 1997; followed in 1998 with the Batman: Anarky collection; and in 1999, with featured appearances in both DCU Heroes Secret Files and Origins
Secret Files and Origins
Secret Files and Origins is a series of one-shot comic books and mini-series produced by DC Comics during the late 1990s and 2000s.-Publication history:...
No.1 and the ongoing series, Anarky vol. 2. After the cancellation of the ongoing series, Anarky lapsed into obscurity lasting nearly ten years. This ambiguous condition was not complete, as Anarky was sporadically used during this time. These appearances include marginal cameos in issues of Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, and Green Arrow.
Anarky made a controversial appearance in a 2008 issue of Robin as part of an effort to return the character to regular publication, and has since become a recurring cast member in the Red Robin
Red Robin (comic book)
Red Robin is an American comic book ongoing series, written by Chris Yost with art by Ramon Bachs, featuring former Robin Tim Drake under the identity of Red Robin. The debut of the series follows the events of Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, and Battle for the Cowl in which the original Batman, Bruce...
series.
- Comprising the entire "Metamorphosis" story arc, this 1997 limited seriesLimited seriesA limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
was retroactively labeled the "first volume" following its continuation in 1999. - Anarky relocates to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to wage war against the United States government, in a financially and critically unsuccessful ongoing seriesOngoing seriesThe term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
.
- A trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collecting four stories featuring Anarky in various "Batman" related comics between 1989 and 1997.
- Anarky's debut appearanceFirst appearanceIn comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in Detective Comics, in which Anarky begins a campaign of revolt in Gotham CityGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. - Batman and Anarky battle a terrorist Lonnie Machin has mistakenly funded, revealing Anarky's origin storyOrigin storyIn comic book terminology, an origin story is an account or back-story revealing how a character or team gained their superpowers and/or the circumstances under which they became superheroes or supervillains....
in a two-part Shadow of the Bat story arc. - Anarky attempts to "deprogram" humanity of all social constraints in a four-part limited series, revamping Anarky with new abilities and philosophy.
- Anarky seeks the truth of his parentage and learns the JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
may be his father in this controversial final issue of the ongoing Anarky series. - Robin faces a mysterious figure who promotes gang warfare in Batman's absence. The final story arc of Robin reintroduces Lonnie Machin after several years of obscurity.
See also
Footnotes
. Following Anarky's debut in "Anarky in Gotham City", the character's design incorporated the head extender in Robin Annual No. 1 (1992), Green Arrow No. 89 (August, 1994), and The Batman Adventures No. 31 (April, 1995). The head extender was not included in Shadow of The Bat No. 18 (October, 1993), and The Batman Chronicles No. 1 (Summer, 1995).. 52 was promoted as a comic that would attempt to incorporate as many DC Comics characters as possible. In a Q&A session hosted by Newsarama.com, Michael Siglain answered a series of questions regarding which characters fans wanted to see in the series. Question No.19 asked "We were told Anarky would be playing a part in 52. Could you please tell us when we can expect his appearances?" Siglain's simple response to readers was, "check back in the late 40s." Speculation centered on the prospect of Anarky appearing in issue No.48 of the series, as the solicited cover illustration was released to the public several weeks before the issues' publication. On the cover, the circle-A could be seen as a minor element in the background. In a review for "Week 48", Major Spoilers considered the absence of Anarky a drawback: "It’s too bad we didn’t see the return of Anarky as hinted by this week’s cover" Pop culture critic, Douglas Wolk
Douglas Wolk
Douglas Wolk is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, The Nation, The New Republic, Salon.com, Pitchfork Media, and The Believer...
, wrote, "I guess this issue's cover is the closest we're going to get to Anarky after all (and by proxy as close as we're going to get to the Haunted Tank). Too bad."
External links
- Anarky on the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe website.