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Day of Judgment (comics)
Encyclopedia
Day of Judgment was a DC Comics
limited series
and crossover
storyline during the autumn of 1999
. The limited series was written by Geoff Johns
, with art by Matthew Dow Smith
.
The main storyline for the series dealt with the Spectre
(whose previous host, Jim Corrigan
, had left him when he ascended into Heaven
) being bonded to a new host, in the form of the then-deceased Hal Jordan
.
, Etrigan the Demon arranges for the now-hostless Spectre to be bonded to renegade angel Asmodel
, who used the Spectre's power to freeze Hell
and release hordes of demons on the Earth. This action also results in villains such as the Enchantress
being released, and Earth's conventional heroes are powerless against Asmodel's onslaught. With the regular heroes having fallen, it is up to the newly-formed Sentinels of Magic
—consisting of Doctor Occult
, Zatanna
, Phantom Stranger
, Madame Xanadu
, Deadman, Raven, Ragman
, Sentinel
and Faust
—to stand against the Spectre/Asmodel.
To vanquish Asmodel, the Sentinels and other heroes divide into three groups: a 'home front' to defend Earth, a team to reignite the fires of hell, and a team to search for Jim Corrigan in heaven and get him back into the Spectre. Although the team who is at Hell falls into the River Styx after a fight with Cerberus
—being rescued only by the soulless Faust, who is unaffected by the visions that plague his comrades—and the team who is in Heaven fails to recruit Corrigan to their cause, they are directed by the archangel Michael to Purgatory, where a soul in search of redemption may aid them. Selecting Hal Jordan
, feeling guilty over his actions as Parallax
, as the best candidate for the Spectre's new host, the Sentinels bring him to Earth with the aid of other deceased heroes.
While Captain Marvel
—possessing a 'pure' soul—takes the Spear of Destiny to aid in the fight, Faust sacrifices his newly-regained soul—the demon who had been promised his soul having been defeated—to restore the fires of Hell by killing the Enchantress. With Marvel having weakened the Spectre, Hal attempts to merge with the Spirit of Vengeance, leading to a three-way-battle with Asmodel and Neron—who had hidden inside Superman
to gain access to the mortal plane—that is interrupted by the Spectre-force. Demanding to know why it should accept any of them as hosts, the Spectre chooses Hal when he states that being host to the Spectre would be an appropriate punishment for what he had done as Parallax. As a result, Neron is demoted to a rhyming-class demon.
The crossover resulted in the creation of the Sentinels of Magic
and Hal Jordan becoming the Spectre's new host for a time.
Certain aspects of this story were later dealt with in Green Lantern: Rebirth
(involving Hal Jordan being released from the Spectre), and Day of Vengeance
(wherein the Spectre once again runs unchecked on the world).
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...
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....
and crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
storyline during the autumn of 1999
1999 in comics
-February:* February 3: Pioneering editor Vin Sullivan dies at age 87.* February 26: John L. Goldwater, co-founder of Archie Comics, dies at age 82.-March:* Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.-May:...
. The limited series was written by Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
, with art by Matthew Dow Smith
Matthew Dow Smith
Matthew Dow Smith is an American comic book artist.- Bibliography :* Astronauts in Trouble: Live From the Moon #1 and #2* The Book of Fate #11* Day of Judgment #1-5...
.
The main storyline for the series dealt with the Spectre
Spectre (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...
(whose previous host, Jim Corrigan
Jim Corrigan
Jim Corrigan is the name of three fictional characters that have appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The first Corrigan initially appeared in More Fun Comics #52 , a deceased cop acting as host to the cosmic entity the Spectre, and was created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard...
, had left him when he ascended into Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
) being bonded to a new host, in the form of the then-deceased Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
.
Storyline
Endeavoring to cause chaos on Earth, as well as to take out rival demon NeronNeron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
, Etrigan the Demon arranges for the now-hostless Spectre to be bonded to renegade angel Asmodel
Asmodel
Asmodel is a fictional fallen angel, a comic book character published by DC Comics, his namesake deriving from the Asmodel of real Christian theology, the Angel of April and Patience. He first appeared in JLA #7, and was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter...
, who used the Spectre's power to freeze Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
and release hordes of demons on the Earth. This action also results in villains such as the Enchantress
Enchantress (DC Comics)
The Enchantress is a DC Comics character who has been both a superheroine and supervillainess. She first appeared in National Comics flagship science fiction anthology title Strange Adventures #187 , and was created by writer Bob Haney and artist Howard Purcell.More recently she is usually called...
being released, and Earth's conventional heroes are powerless against Asmodel's onslaught. With the regular heroes having fallen, it is up to the newly-formed Sentinels of Magic
Sentinels of Magic
The Sentinels of Magic is a fictional group of magically powered heroes that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Day of Judgment #1 , and were created by Geoff Johns and Matthew Dow Smith.-History:...
—consisting of Doctor Occult
Doctor Occult
Doctor Occult is a fictional character, a magic user in the . Created by Superman's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Doctor Occult is the earliest character created by DC Comics still currently in use in its shared universe fiction....
, Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
, Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
, Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...
, Deadman, Raven, Ragman
Ragman
Ragman is a fictional mystic vigilante and superhero who first appeared in the short-lived comic-book series named after him. He is one of a limited number of Jewish superheroes, and his continuity is tied to that of DC Comics' Golem, derived from the Golem of Prague of Jewish folklore.Ragman is...
, Sentinel
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
and Faust
Sebastian Faust
Sebastian Faust, or simply Faust, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero from DC Comics, loosely based on the protagonist of the German legend who sold his soul to the Devil. He was introduced in the 1993 Outsiders comic book series....
—to stand against the Spectre/Asmodel.
To vanquish Asmodel, the Sentinels and other heroes divide into three groups: a 'home front' to defend Earth, a team to reignite the fires of hell, and a team to search for Jim Corrigan in heaven and get him back into the Spectre. Although the team who is at Hell falls into the River Styx after a fight with Cerberus
Cerberus
Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
—being rescued only by the soulless Faust, who is unaffected by the visions that plague his comrades—and the team who is in Heaven fails to recruit Corrigan to their cause, they are directed by the archangel Michael to Purgatory, where a soul in search of redemption may aid them. Selecting Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
, feeling guilty over his actions as Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
, as the best candidate for the Spectre's new host, the Sentinels bring him to Earth with the aid of other deceased heroes.
While Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
—possessing a 'pure' soul—takes the Spear of Destiny to aid in the fight, Faust sacrifices his newly-regained soul—the demon who had been promised his soul having been defeated—to restore the fires of Hell by killing the Enchantress. With Marvel having weakened the Spectre, Hal attempts to merge with the Spirit of Vengeance, leading to a three-way-battle with Asmodel and Neron—who had hidden inside Superman
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...
to gain access to the mortal plane—that is interrupted by the Spectre-force. Demanding to know why it should accept any of them as hosts, the Spectre chooses Hal when he states that being host to the Spectre would be an appropriate punishment for what he had done as Parallax. As a result, Neron is demoted to a rhyming-class demon.
The crossover resulted in the creation of the Sentinels of Magic
Sentinels of Magic
The Sentinels of Magic is a fictional group of magically powered heroes that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Day of Judgment #1 , and were created by Geoff Johns and Matthew Dow Smith.-History:...
and Hal Jordan becoming the Spectre's new host for a time.
Certain aspects of this story were later dealt with in Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Rebirth was a six-issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver...
(involving Hal Jordan being released from the Spectre), and Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
(wherein the Spectre once again runs unchecked on the world).
External links
- Day of Judgment at the DC Database Project