List of correctional facilities in comics
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of fictional prisons, asylums, institutions, planets, and alternate dimensions which have been used to imprison humans, superhumans, and nonhumans in various fictional comic book universes.
#22, by writer Chuck Dixon
and artist Scott Eaton.
, the Prison-world houses 100 prisoners abducted from the Sigilverse
, and is overseen by warden High Castellan Komptin. The Negation plans on invading the Sigilverse and constantly tests the prisoners to gather information. The Prison-World is destroyed during an outbreak in Negation #3, killing most inmates. The Prison-world first appeared in Negation Prequel, written by Tony Bedard
and with art by Paul Pelletier.
, from Dark Horse's
Comics Greatest World
imprint. Citadel Prison first appears in Golden City Week 1 as the Vault, and later appeared in issues of Catalyst: Agents of Change
as Citadel Prison.
, Africa
. It first appears in Secret Society of Super-Villains vol 1 #1.
one-shot, where there is a massive breakout, partly corraled by random superheros.
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane is a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane that appears in the fictional DC Universe
, and perhaps the most well known psychiatric hospital in fiction. DC solicitations have also referred to it as a prison. Created by Dennis O'Neil
, the asylum first appeared in Batman #258 (October 1974). Len Wein
developed much of its back-story
during the 1980s. Arkham is located near Gotham City
, and is where many of Batman
's foes are incarcerated. Ravencroft (see below) is a similar institution in the Marvel Universe.
Basement 101 is introduced in Batman and Robin #7 as Britain's main para-criminal detention facility, the other being Wormwood Scrubs. It is located beneath the Tower of London
. Basement 101 is run by the Beefeater
; he is the Queen's Jailer and warden of Basement 101. Named prisoners are the Radio Ghost, Dai Laffyn, Big Don Drummond, the Morris Men, the Highwayman, the Pearly King
of Crime, and Metalek (an alien "space monster").
. The facility was the original base of operations for the second Suicide Squad
. John Economos was the first warden of the Belle Reve prison in Louisiana. The prison psychiatrist under Economos was Dr. Simon LaGrieve, who examined and counseled the various Suicide Squad members stationed there. Current warden Robert Crichton
is the facility's third, following Amanda "The Wall" Waller.
, traditionally located near Gotham City
. While the local Arkham Asylum
may house those in need of mental health services, Blackgate is a high security institution where criminals such as The Penguin
, Firefly, and Clayface
are incarcerated. In Batman: The Animated Series
, this prison was called "Stonegate".
s Checkmate
has captured, this means entire programs, and or fragments of code. A.I. like the Thinker, and the Kilg%re.
(Dr. Crystal Frost). Killer Frost broke out of Concord, killing the warden and several guards. First appears in Firestorm
v.2 #20 (February 1984).
main superhuman prison. Ibac
, Sabbac
, Captain Nazi
, Black Adam
, and Doctor Sivana
have all been imprisoned within its walls.
to store dangerous magic using criminals until they can be rehabilitated. Coldrake is bound to the world of the Dark Tower for the next few thousand years due to socially inappropriate actions in his youth. The "Dark Tower" itself is a massive castle of black stone. Former prisoner the Warlock's Daughter, was released after serving a one year sentence. Teenage mass murderer Kid Karnevil later escaped the Dark Tower, as the anti-magic did nothing to diminish his savagery. First appears in Shadowpact #5 (November 2006).
, Brainiac
, and the Legion of Supervillains were once trapped on the Devil's Island of Space. The name is a reference to the real world Devil's Island
prison. The Devil's Island of Space first appeared in an eight-page Tommy Tomorrow story from World's Finest Comics
#117 (May 1961), which was later reprinted in From Beyond the Unknown #10 (April 1971). Its final chronological appearance was Jimmy Olsen
#87 (September 1965).
. Introduced in Birds of Prey
#98.
's Bad Brother". First appearance was in Villains United
#4.
. The prison and the planet Krypton
were both destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion.
.
series from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The village is overseen by a man known only as Mr. Revise who considers it his duty to capture and neuter Fables
. Some of the Fables imprisoned at Golden Boughs are The Tin Man, Mother Goose
, The Cowardly Lion, and Paul Bunyan
. First appears in Jack of Fables #1 (July 2006).
and Big Barda
assist Superman in creating and policing the Gulag, an inescapable prison for the future's meta-humans. Superman designates Captain Comet
as warden. The massive penal colony is constructed in the Kansas
wastelands. The prison is filled to capacity almost as soon as they build it.
(Helena Wayne) backup stories from Wonder Woman
v.1 #277-285.
crash landed on Earth. Later, it would become a prison for enemies of the Green Lanterns
of Earth.
, retrofit the prison into a space-faring vessel and land on Earth where they were given asylum.
#2 shows T.O. Morrow to be a resident inmate.
in which many of the Flash
's rogues gallery and other metahuman criminals of Keystone City
and Central City
are imprisoned. Iron Heights first appeared in Flash: Iron Heights (2001). The current warden is Gregory Wolfe.
Located about three miles (5 km) north of Keystone City, Iron Heights is known for its vicious treatment of its prisoners. The metahuman and supervillain prisoners are jailed in an area known as the Pipeline.
. The villain known as King Shark
broke out of Kulani killing several guards. As seen in Superboy
v. 3 #0 (October 1994).
, it was never re-introduced after the Zero Hour
event reset the Legion's future. Labyrinth was created as a replacement for Takron-Galtos, to imprison the future's worst criminals. The facility was linked to a red dwarf
star by a stable plasma arc. Notable prisoners were Roxxas, Spider Girl
and Mekt Rannz
(Legion of Super-Heroes v.4 #10).
special holding chamber in the waters near Metropolis
. The chamber once held a being known as the Unimaginable as seen in the pages of the second Supermen of America
mini-series.
, a fictional caribbean
country in the DC Comics universe. It was where the Batman villain known as Bane
was born, raised, and eventually addicted to the drug known as Venom.
, known for its overcrowded conditions, excessive violence, and out of control drug trade, appeared as a metahuman prison in the DC Universe
in Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1.
DC Universe
, the Phantom Zone is an extra-dimensional "zone", which was discovered by Jor-El
and used on the planet Krypton as a method of imprisoning their most dangerous criminals. The Phantom Zone criminals first appeared in the Superboy
stories and soon began appearing in the Superman
stories. When cast into the Phantom Zone the inmates reside in a ghostlike state of existence from which they may only observe, but not interact with, the DC universe. Inmates do not age or require sustenance in the Phantom Zone; furthermore, while there, they are telepathic
and are mutually insubstantial.
In the post-Crisis DCU, the Phantom Zone first appeared when the semi-sentient Kryptonian
artifact known as the Eradicator
attempted to recreate the planet Krypton on Earth
. The extradimensional space in which the Eradicator
found the necessary Kryptonian
materials was called the Phantom Zone. A Phantom Zone Projector is part of Superman
's current Fortress
, and it has been used to trap villains such as the White Martians.
and died in a prison riot. First appears in DC One Million #1 (November 1998).
, designed and built by the Guardians of the Universe
to contain inter-galactic criminals apprehended and detained by members of the Green Lantern Corps
. As of recently, the Death Penalty has been applied to some of the more dangerous criminals, who now reside in Death-Row.
s (also known as the Slab) is now located in Antarctica, as depicted in the Joker's
"Last Laugh" crossover. The facility's first warden was Shilo Norman
. First appears in Green Lantern
Volume 3, # 51 (May 1994).
's Fourth World
, is the "source" of all that exists. While the wall may be theoretically passable (the Flash
has apparently done so in an issue of Super-Team Family
), usually those who try have become inexorably trapped in it. Over time it has accumulated the trapped forms of many would-be conquerors and curiosity seekers.
. Starlag II is later introduced in the pages of Valor
by writer Robert Loren Fleming. Starlag II's most powerful prisoner, a being known only as the Unimaginable, was accidentally freed by the Blasters
.
series, Hard Time.
city of Metropolis
. It is located on an island in the West River between New Troy and Queensland Park. Stryker's Island first appeared in Superman
#9 (September 1987). The name is a play on the similarly located Riker's Island prison in New York
.
whose prisoners include that era's superhuman criminals. It first appeared in Adventure Comics
#359 (August, 1967).
, a time traveler who, after gaining his powers in the year one billion AD, began confining criminals to a "pocket dimension" similar to the Phantom Zone
.
n coast which served as a rehabilitation
facility for reforming criminals like Queen Atomia, Baroness Paula von Gunther, and the Cheetah
using Amazonian psychotherapy. As seen in Wonder Woman vol. 1 #21, (January 1947).
#1 from (March 2002).
superhuman prison seen in Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1. Based on the real world Con Dao Island facility
in Vũng Tàu
Vietnam.
other superhuman prison as depicted in the Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1. Presumably based on the real world HM Prison
Wormwood Scrubs
, built between 1875 and 1891 by convict labour.
, they were locked behind a sealed portal in the Bermuda Triangle
. Queen Mera
of Atlantis was incarcerated in Xebel.
's Supreme
series. Located in the Citadel Supreme, it is used by Supreme
to hold some of his deadliest enemies, including the Televillain, Shadow Supreme and The End. The Mirror Prison first appears in Supreme #53 (September 1997). It is based on the Phantom Zone
.
's greatest foes, such as Jack-A-Dandy, the Lounge Lizard, and Fakeface, have all been incarcerated there. It first appears in Supreme #53 (September 1997). It is based on Arkham Asylum
, complete with a name from H. P. Lovecraft
.
Tartarus is a US government-sponsored prison for superhumans that hovers several miles above the ground of an unnamed, apparently desert, area.
and The Guardians of the Globe.
The prison has become such a recurring site for supervillain battles that they accepted Atom Eve's
offer to keep Invincible on retainer
for protection. Currently The Wolf-Man
has been incarcerated in the prison.
n island prison, operational 1859-1963, held superhuman criminals in special section in the 1940s; the designation "the Alcatraz Annex" has been used in various Marvel handbooks to distinguish it from Alcatraz in general. First mentioned in Marvel Mystery Comics #26 (1941), when the android Human Torch
's foe the Parrot was being transported there. Later seen in Human Torch #8 (1942), when the golden age Angel
's foe the Python escaped.
nuclear testing facility that held the Armageddon Man and perhaps others in suspended animation. First appeared in X-Men vol. 2 #12 (1992).
#74 (1993).
#164 (2001).
-agents know of its existence. It has a special program where prisoners are brainwashed to become obedient soldiers. The Cube was created by writer Grant Morrison
and artist J.G. Jones in Marvel Boy
#6 (2000). When last seen in Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #4, Noh Varr (Marvel Boy) had taken control of the entire facility. During the Dark Reign
storyline, the Cube served as the base of operations for The Thunderbolts.
Prologue #1.
, Titania
, the Grey Gargoyle
, Tiger Shark, and the Absorbing Man
.
#5, it is a prison originally constructed to house super-villains but which acted as a holding facility for unregistered heroes during the civil war. The portal to the prison is operated by S.H.I.E.L.D.
agents. The prison itself is an automated facility. Designed by Reed Richards and built by Stark Enterprises and Fantastic Four Inc., it is located in the Negative Zone
. The inmates call the facility "Fantasy Island
" and "Wonderland", probably because prisoners who are unable to manipulate technology to their own ends are connected to virtual reality
systems.
It is also referred to as "File 42" due to it being the 42nd item on a list written by Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Hank Pym of ways to make a world with super-powered beings safer. The prison is an extremely secure, clean facility with cells custom-designed for each inhabitant. Notable inmates during the war include Daredevil stand-in Danny Rand, Robbie Baldwin and Cloak & Dagger
. After the war, it is now used for super-villains, and was known to house at the very least Taskmaster
and Lady Deathstrike
until Taskmaster made a deal with Camp Hammond to become an instructor and Lady Deathstrike somehow escaped as she appeared in X-Men: Messiah Complex. However, the prison was later over run by Negative Zone ruler Blaastar.
and Ralph Macchio
, Project: Pegasus was originally intended to research alternative (and unusual) forms of energy, but is also used as a prison
for super-powered individuals with energy-based powers. It is located in the Adirondack Mountains
, New York
.
facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillain
s) in the Marvel Universe
. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis
and artist David Finch, it first appeared in New Avengers
#1 (2005) as the "Maximum-Maximum Security" wing of the Ryker's Island Maximum Security Penitentiary. The Raft is introduced as the setting of a large-scale prison break.
for the mentally ill. Many insane murderers and supervillains, such as Carnage
and Venom
, were kept at Ravencroft. The institute was first mentioned in Web of Spider-Man
#112, written by Terry Kavanagh
. The institute is officially opened in Web of Spider-Man Annual #10 (1994). Dr. Ashley Kafka was the founder and first director of Ravencroft. John Jameson
was head of security. The insistute is featured in a number of Spider-Man storylines. Both were fired in Spectacular Spider-Man #246 and Dr. Leonard Samson
became Ravencroft's new director. The institute hasn't appeared since and in Leonard Samson's recent appearances, he owns a private practice. Also, Chameleon is listed as being held there in Christopher L. Bennett's book Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder.
Ravencroft has appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated
TV-series, having housed Electro, Doctor Octopus
, Cletus Kasady
, John Jameson
, and Venom
.
The institute recently reappeared in Vengeance of the Moon Knight #3, apparently holding mostly non-superpowered psychopaths and looking more like Arkham Asylum then ever before - even adding an imposing metal gate with the name of the asylum on it, similar to the one used in countless establishing shots of Arkham Asylum.
Ravencroft is also mentioned as being used to institutionalize Rhona Burchill
in Iron Man: Armored Adventures
.
, New York City
's largest jail facility, which also includes the 415 acre (1.7 km²) island on which it sits. The fictional Ryker's houses both conventional criminals and costumed offenders lacking superpowers. Daredevil
is held there after his arrest in Daredevil vol. 2 #80. Others held there include Punisher
, Bullseye
, and Kingpin
. Ryker's Island has a special branch for dangerous superhuman criminals called the Raft
.
.
The Crimebuster (Eugene Mason), Beetle
and the Plantman
, among other ones, were incarcerated here.
Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals., known as The Vault, is a defunct prison
facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillain
s) in Marvel Comics
' Marvel Universe
. It first appeared in Avengers
Annual
#15 (1986) and figured prominently in the 1990 Marvel crossover "Acts of Vengeance". It was destroyed in Heroes for Hire
vol. 1 #1 (February 1997).
. First appears in the Tarnished Angel storyline from Astro City vol. 2 #14-20. Named after golden age comic book writer Charles Biro
, who helped create Crime Does Not Pay
.
mini-series, used by the British government to confine England
's IPC Media
/Fleetway
superheroes and villains from Britain's Bronze Age of comics, using special high tech cells. Characters such as the Steel Claw
, Fishboy
and the Spider
were interred at Baaleskine. First appears in Albion #1 (August 2005).
. While not an official prison, the Halo Corporation's New York
office contains several cells to contain superhuman prisoners. Within these cells, prisoners are put into a virtual reality
environment that repeats scenarios until the prisoner's criminal behavior improved. The criminal Ladytron
undergoes a similar procedure before becoming a member of the WildC.A.T.s. The villain T.A.O.
frees all other prisoners to cover his own escape. Whether the new Halo Building in Los Angeles
contains similar holding facilities is unknown.
. It also is an official prison with holding facilities for superhuman prisoners. Its most dangerous inmates are the WarGuard, who double as living weapons of mass destruction, only to be freed in the most desperate of times. Most prisoners are kept comatose with cryonics
. The prisoners are killed as a side-effect of the Weatherman's escape. Skywatch is destroyed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens
#1.
's self-published webcomic
of the same name. The series is written by Layton and illustrated by Dick Giordano
. Colony was originally known as planet Erus.
Kholyma
A prison-camp on the planet Tcharun. Its inmates are criminals and rebels against the Saurian Hegemony. The Saurian prince Tchlusarud is sent to the prison, but manages to escape and liberate the prisoners, using them as his army against the new ruler Khyradon. Kholyma first appeared in SigilSigil (comics)
Sigil is an American comic book series published by CrossGen Entertainment from July 2000 to December 2003, ending at issue forty-two. Sigil was one of the publisher's first four titles , a science fiction space opera, originally created by Mark Alessi and Gina M. Villa...
#22, by writer Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
and artist Scott Eaton.
The Prison-world
A facility in the universe of the NegationNegation (comics)
Negation was a comic book series published from CrossGen. Tony Bedard was the writer for the entire run. Paul Pelletier was the artist for most of the issues, with an occasional fill-in artist taking an issue here and there.-Overview:...
, the Prison-world houses 100 prisoners abducted from the Sigilverse
Sigilverse
The Sigilverse, also known as the CrossGen Universe, is a fictional shared universe which served as a setting for most titles published by CrossGen Comics. Except for El Cazador, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and a handful of flashbacks, all CrossGen Universe titles are set in the future...
, and is overseen by warden High Castellan Komptin. The Negation plans on invading the Sigilverse and constantly tests the prisoners to gather information. The Prison-World is destroyed during an outbreak in Negation #3, killing most inmates. The Prison-world first appeared in Negation Prequel, written by Tony Bedard
Tony Bedard
Antony "Tony" J. L. Bedard is a writer and editor who has worked in the comic book industry from the early '90s through the present. He is best known for his work at CrossGen Comics, where he was under exclusive contract, and for his run writing Marvel Comics X-Men spin-off Exiles.-Career:Tony...
and with art by Paul Pelletier.
Citadel Prison
A prison for superhumans located under the Citadel in Golden CityGolden City (comics)
Golden City is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by Dark Horse Comics, and is part of the Comics Greatest World imprint.It was created by Team CGW.Golden City first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 1, in 1993...
, from Dark Horse's
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
Comics Greatest World
Comics Greatest World
Comics' Greatest World was an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. It was created by Team CGW. Originally conceived in 1990, it took three years for the line to be released, which led to an industry-wide perception that it was created to capitalize on the speculator mania of the early 1990s. When the...
imprint. Citadel Prison first appears in Golden City Week 1 as the Vault, and later appeared in issues of Catalyst: Agents of Change
Catalyst: Agents of Change
Catalyst is a superhero team appearing in comics published by Dark Horse Comics under the imprint Comics Greatest World. It first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Golden City Week 4...
as Citadel Prison.
Abruuk Asylum
Abruuk Asylum is a prison for the mentally disturbed located in Gorilla CityGorilla City
Gorilla City is a fictional city in the DC Comics Universe. The city, hidden in the jungles of Africa, is home to a race of super-intelligent gorillas, that gained their powers from a meteorite. The supervillain Gorilla Grodd is also from the city. Gorilla City first appears in The Flash vol...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It first appears in Secret Society of Super-Villains vol 1 #1.
Alcatraz Island
In reality, Alcatraz Prison and the island it sits on are now tourist attractions. In the DC Universe, it is an active metahuman prison. It is first shown in the pages of the Teen Titans vol. 3 #1. It also appears in other stories, such as the Villains UnitedVillains United
Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005...
one-shot, where there is a massive breakout, partly corraled by random superheros.
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane is a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane that appears in the fictional DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, and perhaps the most well known psychiatric hospital in fiction. DC solicitations have also referred to it as a prison. Created by 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....
, the asylum first appeared in Batman #258 (October 1974). Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
developed much of its 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...
during the 1980s. Arkham is located near 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...
, and is where many 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...
's foes are incarcerated. Ravencroft (see below) is a similar institution in the Marvel Universe.
Basement 101
HM PrisonHer Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
Basement 101 is introduced in Batman and Robin #7 as Britain's main para-criminal detention facility, the other being Wormwood Scrubs. It is located beneath the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. Basement 101 is run by the Beefeater
The Beefeater
The Beefeater is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He appeared in his civilian identity as Michael Morice in Justice League International Annual #3 , and debuted as Beefeater in Justice League Europe #20 in a story by Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones and Marshall...
; he is the Queen's Jailer and warden of Basement 101. Named prisoners are the Radio Ghost, Dai Laffyn, Big Don Drummond, the Morris Men, the Highwayman, the Pearly King
Pearly Kings and Queens
Pearly Kings and Queens, known as pearlies, are an organised charitable tradition of working class culture in London, England.The practice of wearing clothes decorated with pearl buttons originated in the 19th century. It is first associated with Henry Croft, an orphan street sweeper who collected...
of Crime, and Metalek (an alien "space monster").
Belle Reve
Belle Reve is a fictional prison and sanitarium in the DC UniverseDC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. The facility was the original base of operations for the second Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
. John Economos was the first warden of the Belle Reve prison in Louisiana. The prison psychiatrist under Economos was Dr. Simon LaGrieve, who examined and counseled the various Suicide Squad members stationed there. Current warden Robert Crichton
Robert Crichton (comics)
Robert Crichton is a supporting character in various media based on DC Comics series. He is typically established as the warden of a prison or metal hospital....
is the facility's third, following Amanda "The Wall" Waller.
Blackgate Penitentiary
Also known as Blackgate Prison. Blackgate Penitentiary is a fictional prison depicted in the DC UniverseDC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, traditionally located near 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...
. While the local Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
may house those in need of mental health services, Blackgate is a high security institution where criminals such as The Penguin
Penguin (comics)
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot III is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his...
, Firefly, and Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
are incarcerated. In Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
, this prison was called "Stonegate".
Code Zoo
The "Code Zoo", is a proprietary magneto-optical data storage unit used to secure any and all artificial intelligenceArtificial 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...
s Checkmate
Checkmate (comics)
Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!...
has captured, this means entire programs, and or fragments of code. A.I. like the Thinker, and the Kilg%re.
Concord Federal Penitentiary
Concord Federal Penitentiary is a maximum security women's prison located in New York State. Its most infamous inmate was the original Killer FrostKiller Frost
Killer Frost is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are both supervillains that appear mainly as foes of the superhero Firestorm.-Crystal Frost:...
(Dr. Crystal Frost). Killer Frost broke out of Concord, killing the warden and several guards. First appears in Firestorm
Firestorm (comics)
Firestorm is the name of several comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein, the first Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. Martin Stein, by himself as Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm the Nuclear...
v.2 #20 (February 1984).
Crowley Penitentiary
Crowley Penitentiary (also known as Crowley Prison), is Fawcett City'sFawcett City
Fawcett City is a fictional city, and the home of DC Comics' Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family. It first appeared in the graphic novel "The Power of Shazam" by Jerry Ordway in 1994. Its name is derived from the original publishers of Captain Marvel comics, Fawcett Comics...
main superhuman prison. Ibac
Ibac
Ibac is a fictional Fawcett Comics and DC Comics supervillain, and a foe of Captain Marvel. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist C.C. Beck, he first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventurs #8 .-Fictional character biography:...
, Sabbac
Sabbac
For uses of similar names, see SabacSabbac is the name of two comic book supervillains appearing in Fawcett Comics and/or DC Comics. The original Sabbac debuted in Captain Marvel, Jr. #4 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Carreno in 1943 as an enemy of Captain Marvel, Jr., while the modern...
, Captain Nazi
Captain Nazi
Captain Nazi is a Fawcett Comics and DC Comics supervillain, a rival of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. He was created by William Woolfolk and Mac Raboy.-Fawcett Comics:...
, Black Adam
Black Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
, and Doctor Sivana
Doctor Sivana
Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...
have all been imprisoned within its walls.
The Dark Tower
The World of the Dark Tower is the other-dimensional home of Lord Joshua Coldrake, the master of Anti-Magic. Coldrake has the power to negate magic, so his home dimension is used by the ShadowpactShadowpact
The Shadowpact is a group of magic-based heroes who fought against the Spectre in the 2005 limited series Day of Vengeance, published by DC Comics. They are a sort of Justice League for the supernatural elements of the DC Universe...
to store dangerous magic using criminals until they can be rehabilitated. Coldrake is bound to the world of the Dark Tower for the next few thousand years due to socially inappropriate actions in his youth. The "Dark Tower" itself is a massive castle of black stone. Former prisoner the Warlock's Daughter, was released after serving a one year sentence. Teenage mass murderer Kid Karnevil later escaped the Dark Tower, as the anti-magic did nothing to diminish his savagery. First appears in Shadowpact #5 (November 2006).
Devil's Island of Space
In the pre-Crisis Silver Age, Lex LuthorLex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, and the Legion of Supervillains were once trapped on the Devil's Island of Space. The name is a reference to the real world Devil's Island
Devil's Island
Devil's Island is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut located about 6 nautical miles off the coast of French Guiana . It has an area of 14 ha . It was a small part of the notorious French penal colony in French Guiana until 1952...
prison. The Devil's Island of Space first appeared in an eight-page Tommy Tomorrow story from World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
#117 (May 1961), which was later reprinted in From Beyond the Unknown #10 (April 1971). Its final chronological appearance was Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
#87 (September 1965).
Eddleton Federal Women's Penitentiary
Location unknown, somewhere within driving distance of Gotham CityGotham 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...
. Introduced in Birds of Prey
Birds of Prey (comic book)
Birds of Prey is a comic book series published by DC Comics that features the adventures of the heroine Oracle and her group of superheroines. The group is initially based in Gotham City and later operates in Metropolis and then relocates once more to "Platinum Flats", California, a new locale...
#98.
Enclave M
The Sonora Desert Special Adjunct Holding Facility is located in the Sonora Valley. It is noted as "Belle ReveBelle Reve
Belle Reve Penitentiary is a fictional prison and sanitorium in the DC Universe, first appearing in Suicide Squad #1 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.-Fictional background:...
's Bad Brother". First appearance was in Villains United
Villains United
Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005...
#4.
Fort Rozz
Fort Rozz was a holding facility for Kryptonian criminals, pending their sentenced exile to the Phantom ZonePhantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
. The prison and the planet Krypton
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
were both destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion.
Glacier Point
Glacier Point is a 31st century minimum security prison located in Antarctica. The facility was often visited by the Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
.
Golden Boughs
The Golden Boughs Retirement Village was introduced in the ongoing Jack of FablesJack of Fables
Jack of Fables was a spin-off of the comic book Fables, both of which were published by DC Comics as part of that company's Vertigo imprint. It shows the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown. A preview of the series was shown in Fables #50, and the series itself debuted in July...
series from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The village is overseen by a man known only as Mr. Revise who considers it his duty to capture and neuter Fables
Fables (comics)
Fables is a comic book series created by writer Bill Willingham, published by DC Comics's Vertigo imprint beginning in 2002. The series deals with various characters from fairy tales and folklore – referring to themselves as "Fables" – who have been forced out of their Homelands by "The...
. Some of the Fables imprisoned at Golden Boughs are The Tin Man, Mother Goose
Mother Goose
The familiar figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom...
, The Cowardly Lion, and Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan is a lumberjack figure in North American folklore and tradition. One of the most famous and popular North American folklore heroes, he is usually described as a giant as well as a lumberjack of unusual skill, and is often accompanied in stories by his animal companion, Babe the Blue...
. First appears in Jack of Fables #1 (July 2006).
The Gulag
In the pages of Kingdom Come, future versions of Mister MiracleMister Miracle
Mister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
and Big Barda
Big Barda
Big Barda is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle #4 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
assist Superman in creating and policing the Gulag, an inescapable prison for the future's meta-humans. Superman designates Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
as warden. The massive penal colony is constructed in the Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
wastelands. The prison is filled to capacity almost as soon as they build it.
Gull Island
The Earth Two version of Blackgate Prison. notable for a prison riot led by Lionmane, former henchman of Selina Kyle (Catwoman), mother of Earth Two's Huntress. First seen in HuntressHuntress (Helena Wayne)
The Bronze Age Huntress was Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Batman and Catwoman of Earth-Two, an alternate universe established in the early 1960s as the world where the Golden Age stories took place...
(Helena Wayne) backup stories from 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....
v.1 #277-285.
Hangar 44
A facility on Edwards Air Force Base that tried to reverse engineer the vessel Abin SurAbin Sur
Abin Sur is a fictional character and a superhero from the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #22 : "SOS Green Lantern". He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement...
crash landed on Earth. Later, it would become a prison for enemies of the Green Lanterns
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
of Earth.
Haven
A penal facility constructed for political prisoners that resisted Anathema's control of Competalia, the prisoners of Haven would dub themselves the AllianceAlliance (DC Comics)
The Alliance is a fictional group of comic book extraterrestials published by DC Comics. They first appeared in JLA/Haven: The Arrival #1 , and were created by Ashley-Jayne Nicolaus, Matthew P. Schuster, and Ariel Olivetti....
, retrofit the prison into a space-faring vessel and land on Earth where they were given asylum.
Haven Security Village
A special prison for mad scientists in the DC universe. Prisoners appear to live inside a residential suburb, which is a facade hiding a high tech security system. 5252 (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...
#2 shows T.O. Morrow to be a resident inmate.
Iron Heights Penitentiary
Iron Heights is a fictional maximum-security prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in which many of the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
's rogues gallery and other metahuman criminals of Keystone City
Keystone City
Keystone City is a fictional city in the . Specifically, it is the home of both the original Flash, Jay Garrick, and the third Flash, Wally West...
and Central City
Central City (DC Comics)
Central City is a fictional city that appears in stories published by DC Comics, and is the home of the Silver Age version of the Flash, Barry Allen. It first appeared in Showcase #4 in September-October 1956.-Location:...
are imprisoned. Iron Heights first appeared in Flash: Iron Heights (2001). The current warden is Gregory Wolfe.
Located about three miles (5 km) north of Keystone City, Iron Heights is known for its vicious treatment of its prisoners. The metahuman and supervillain prisoners are jailed in an area known as the Pipeline.
Kulani Prison
The fictional Kulani Prison is based on Kulani Correctional Facility a real life minimum security criminal detention center of the same name. The fictional kulani is located on the East side of HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The villain known as King Shark
King Shark
King Shark is a DC Comics supervillain. The character was introduced in Superboy vol.3, #0 in October 1994.-Origin:Born in Hawaii, Nanaue is a humanoid shark. His father is "The King of all Sharks"—also known as the Shark God...
broke out of Kulani killing several guards. As seen in Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
v. 3 #0 (October 1994).
Labyrinth
A special 30th Century rehabilitation facility created during volume 3 and 4 of the Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, it was never re-introduced after the Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
event reset the Legion's future. Labyrinth was created as a replacement for Takron-Galtos, to imprison the future's worst criminals. The facility was linked to a red dwarf
Red dwarf
According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool star, of the main sequence, either late K or M spectral type....
star by a stable plasma arc. Notable prisoners were Roxxas, Spider Girl
Spider Girl
Spider Girl is a fictional character in DC Comics.The character was first mentioned as a concept in the letters page of Adventure Comics when a fan suggested a character with the power of super-strong prehensile hair....
and Mekt Rannz
Lightning Lord
Lightning Lord is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. The older brother of Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he first appeared in Superman #147 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan....
(Legion of Super-Heroes v.4 #10).
Lockdown 6
A S.T.A.R. LabsS.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
special holding chamber in the waters near Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
. The chamber once held a being known as the Unimaginable as seen in the pages of the second Supermen of America
Supermen of America
The Supermen of America is the name of two fictional superhero teams published by DC Comics. The original group first appeared in a special written by Stuart Immonen published in 1999, and a later mini-series written by Fabian Nicieza, which was published in 2000...
mini-series.
Peña Duro
Peña Duro, is an infamous prison located in Santa PriscaSanta Prisca (DC Comics)
Santa Prisca is a fictional country appearing in DC Comics, and is best known as the birthplace of the Batman villain Bane. It was created by Denny O'Neil in the pages of The Question, and was used repeatedly throughout O'Neil's tenure as Group Editor for the Batman family of books.-Fictional...
, a fictional caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
country in the DC Comics universe. It was where the Batman villain known as Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
was born, raised, and eventually addicted to the drug known as Venom.
Penitenciaria de San Pedro Sula
This real world prison located in HondurasHonduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, known for its overcrowded conditions, excessive violence, and out of control drug trade, appeared as a metahuman prison in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
in Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1.
Phantom Zone
In the pre-CrisisCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, the Phantom Zone is an extra-dimensional "zone", which was discovered by Jor-El
Jor-El
Jor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
and used on the planet Krypton as a method of imprisoning their most dangerous criminals. The Phantom Zone criminals first appeared in the Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
stories and soon began appearing in the 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...
stories. When cast into the Phantom Zone the inmates reside in a ghostlike state of existence from which they may only observe, but not interact with, the DC universe. Inmates do not age or require sustenance in the Phantom Zone; furthermore, while there, they are telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and are mutually insubstantial.
In the post-Crisis DCU, the Phantom Zone first appeared when the semi-sentient Kryptonian
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
artifact known as the Eradicator
Eradicator (comics)
The Eradicator is a fictional comic book superhero character having a recurring role in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Originally created as a weapon by an ancient alien race, he is over 200,000 years old and is considered an artifact of Krypton...
attempted to recreate the planet Krypton on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. The extradimensional space in which the Eradicator
Eradicator (comics)
The Eradicator is a fictional comic book superhero character having a recurring role in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Originally created as a weapon by an ancient alien race, he is over 200,000 years old and is considered an artifact of Krypton...
found the necessary Kryptonian
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
materials was called the Phantom Zone. A Phantom Zone Projector is part of 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...
's current Fortress
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
, and it has been used to trap villains such as the White Martians.
Pluto
In the 853rd century, the Batman is aided by a robot called "Robin The Toy Wonder". This Batman's parents were guards on the prison planet of PlutoPluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
and died in a prison riot. First appears in DC One Million #1 (November 1998).
The Science-Cells of Oa
A prison on OaOa
Oa is a fictional planet that lies at the center of the DC Comics universe. Since its inception, Oa has been the planetary citadel of the Guardians of the Universe and the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps...
, designed and built by the Guardians of the Universe
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
to contain inter-galactic criminals apprehended and detained by members of the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
. As of recently, the Death Penalty has been applied to some of the more dangerous criminals, who now reside in Death-Row.
The Slab
The Slabside Island Maximum Security prison for metahumanMetahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
s (also known as the Slab) is now located in Antarctica, as depicted in the Joker's
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...
"Last Laugh" crossover. The facility's first warden was Shilo Norman
Shilo Norman
Shilo Norman is a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the third person to use the title "Mister Miracle". Created by Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Mister Miracle #15 August .-Orphan:...
. First appears in Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
Volume 3, # 51 (May 1994).
Source Wall
The Source Wall lies on the edge of the known universe, in the Promethean Galaxy. Beyond the wall lies what is known as The Source, a cosmic essence or being which, according the residents of Jack KirbyJack 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....
's Fourth World
Jack Kirby's Fourth World
"The Fourth World" is the popular name given to a metaseries of interconnecting comic book titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics from 1970 to 1973. The characters and concepts were later integrated into the DC Universe....
, is the "source" of all that exists. While the wall may be theoretically passable (the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
has apparently done so in an issue of Super-Team Family
Super-Team Family
Super-Team Family is an comic book anthology series published by DC Comics in the 1970s that lasted for fifteen issues. The series published a mix of original and reprinted stories.- Publication history :...
), usually those who try have become inexorably trapped in it. Over time it has accumulated the trapped forms of many would-be conquerors and curiosity seekers.
Starlag
A planetary prison for superhuman enemies of the Alien Alliance, last seen in the pages of InvasionInvasion! (DC Comics)
Invasion! was a three issue comic book limited series and crossover event published in late 1988-early 1989 by DC Comics. It was plotted by Keith Giffen, and ties up a great many plotlines from various Giffen-created DC series, including Omega Men, Justice League International, and Legion of...
. Starlag II is later introduced in the pages of Valor
Lar Gand
Lar Gand, known primarily as Mon-El , is a fictional character in DC Comics' universe who is associated with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and Superman...
by writer Robert Loren Fleming. Starlag II's most powerful prisoner, a being known only as the Unimaginable, was accidentally freed by the Blasters
Blasters (comics)
The Blasters are a fictional DC Comics team of superhumans who first appeared in the miniseries Invasion! #1 by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
.
State Penitentiary
The unnamed prison in Steve Gerber's DC FocusDC Focus
DC Focus was a short-lived imprint of DC Comics. The titles published under this imprint featured super-powered characters who didn't follow the trappings and traditions of classic superhero adventures. Most titles failed to generate significant sales, forcing DC Comics to cancel them. Hard Time...
series, Hard Time.
Stryker's Island
Stryker's Island is a maximum security federal prison that serves the DC ComicsDC 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...
city of Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
. It is located on an island in the West River between New Troy and Queensland Park. Stryker's Island first appeared in 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...
#9 (September 1987). The name is a play on the similarly located Riker's Island prison in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Takron-Galtos
A prison planet in the 30th Century setting of the Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
whose prisoners include that era's superhuman criminals. It first appeared in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#359 (August, 1967).
Timepoint
The Timepoint is a prison at the end of time. It was originally used by EpochEpoch (DC Comics)
Epoch, also known as The Lord of Time, is a comic book fictional character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #10 and was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky....
, a time traveler who, after gaining his powers in the year one billion AD, began confining criminals to a "pocket dimension" similar to the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
.
Transformation Island
Transformation Island is a small island near the ThemysciraThemyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
n coast which served as a rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
facility for reforming criminals like Queen Atomia, Baroness Paula von Gunther, and the Cheetah
Cheetah (comics)
The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
using Amazonian psychotherapy. As seen in Wonder Woman vol. 1 #21, (January 1947).
Van Kull Maximum Security
The Van Kull Maximum Security Facility, is a metahuman prison located just outside of Metropolis. It was introduced in Power Company: BorkPower Company
The Power Company was a team of professional superheroes-for-hire in the DC Comics universe. The team, created by Kurt Busiek and Tom Grummett, first appeared in JLA 61,...
#1 from (March 2002).
Vũng Tàu (Con Dao Island)
Vietnam'sVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
superhuman prison seen in Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1. Based on the real world Con Dao Island facility
Con Dao
The Con Dao Islands are an archipelago of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, in southeastern Vietnam, and a district of this province.-Description:Situated at about from Vung Tau and from Ho Chi Minh City, the group includes 16 mountainous islands and islets...
in Vũng Tàu
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
Vietnam.
Wormwood Scrubs
England'sEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
other superhuman prison as depicted in the Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1. Presumably based on the real world HM Prison
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs is a Category B men's prison, located in the Wormwood Scrubs area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in inner west London, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service....
, built between 1875 and 1891 by convict labour.
Xebel
Xebel is a forgotten extradimensional penal colony for an ancient group of separatist AtlanteansAtlantis (DC Comics)
Atlantis is a fictional location in the DC Comics Universe. The very first DC Universe version of Atlantis debuted in Action Comics #18 , and was created by...
, they were locked behind a sealed portal in the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
. Queen Mera
Mera (comics)
Mera is a fictional undersea queen that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Aquaman #11 , and was created by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy.-Publication history:...
of Atlantis was incarcerated in Xebel.
Hell of Mirrors
From Alan MooreAlan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's Supreme
Supreme (comics)
Supreme is a fictional superhero created by Rob Liefeld and first published by Image Comics, then Maximum Press, and later by Awesome Entertainment...
series. Located in the Citadel Supreme, it is used by Supreme
Supreme
Supreme may mean or refer to:* Supreme , a comic book superhero* Supreme , a term used in cookery* Supreme, Louisiana, a census-designated place in the United States* Supreme , a hip-hop producer* Supreme Records, a record label...
to hold some of his deadliest enemies, including the Televillain, Shadow Supreme and The End. The Mirror Prison first appears in Supreme #53 (September 1997). It is based on the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
.
Miskatonic Institute
The Miskatonic Institute for the Homicidally Distressed is a feature of Alan Moore's Supreme series. Professor NightProfessor Night
Professor Night is a fictional character created by Alan Moore in the Supreme comic book, wherein most heroes and villains are thinly disguised counterparts of DC icons. Although his name is derivative of Doctor Mid-Nite, the character is otherwise clearly intended be a counterpart of Batman...
's greatest foes, such as Jack-A-Dandy, the Lounge Lizard, and Fakeface, have all been incarcerated there. It first appears in Supreme #53 (September 1997). It is based on Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
, complete with a name from H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
.
Tartarus
Seen in the pages of Dynamo 5Dynamo 5
Dynamo 5 is a fictional comic book superhero team created by writer Jay Faerber and artist Mahmud A. Asrar, which appears in an eponymous series published by Image Comics. The team first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 . The monthly series ended with issue #25...
Tartarus is a US government-sponsored prison for superhumans that hovers several miles above the ground of an unnamed, apparently desert, area.
Stronghold Penitentiary
A prison that holds supervillains caught by InvincibleInvincible (comics)
Invincible is a superhero in the . Created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Cory Walker, the character first appeared in Tech Jacket #1 , before graduating to his own self-titled regular series in 2003, as a title in Image's then-new superhero line.Invincible is the teenaged son of Omni-Man, an...
and The Guardians of the Globe.
Guardians of the Globe
The Guardians of the Globe are a fictional superhero team in the , appearing primarily in the comic Invincible. The original team was based on DC Comics' Justice League of America.-The original Guardians of the Globe:...
The prison has become such a recurring site for supervillain battles that they accepted Atom Eve's
Atom Eve
Atom Eve is a fictional character, a superhero in the who appears primarily in the comic book Invincible. She first appears was in Invincible #1 and was created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker....
offer to keep Invincible on retainer
Retainer agreement
A retainer agreement is a work for hire contract. It falls between a one-time contract and full-time employment. Its distinguishing feature is that the employer pays in advance for work to be specified later...
for protection. Currently The Wolf-Man
The Astounding Wolf-Man
The Astounding Wolf-Man is a comic book series launched by Image Comics on May 5, 2007. It ran until its final 25th issue in 2010. The series was created and written by Robert Kirkman with art by Jason Howard. The first issue of The Astounding Wolf-Man was given away for free as part of Free...
has been incarcerated in the prison.
Alcatraz
CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n island prison, operational 1859-1963, held superhuman criminals in special section in the 1940s; the designation "the Alcatraz Annex" has been used in various Marvel handbooks to distinguish it from Alcatraz in general. First mentioned in Marvel Mystery Comics #26 (1941), when the android Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
's foe the Parrot was being transported there. Later seen in Human Torch #8 (1942), when the golden age Angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
's foe the Python escaped.
Almagordo
New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
nuclear testing facility that held the Armageddon Man and perhaps others in suspended animation. First appeared in X-Men vol. 2 #12 (1992).
Anvil
Penal colony on the planet Annoval XIV. It was the site of an attempted breakout by Nebula. First appeared in Silver SurferSilver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
#74 (1993).
The Cage
Based on a remote island in international waters, the Cage uses a special forcefield to deprive inmates of their superhuman powers. Created by writer Frank Tieri and artist Sean Chen in the pages of WolverineWolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
#164 (2001).
Crossmore
Her (Britannic) Majesty's Ultimate Security Prison. Previously known as Crossmoor.The Cube
A prison for super-powered beings. Its location is undisclosed and only high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
-agents know of its existence. It has a special program where prisoners are brainwashed to become obedient soldiers. The Cube was created by writer Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and artist J.G. Jones in Marvel Boy
Noh-Varr
Noh-Varr is a fictional character created by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones and appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appears in Marvel Boy #1 . He appeared in the Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways and the New Avengers: Illuminati limited series...
#6 (2000). When last seen in Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #4, Noh Varr (Marvel Boy) had taken control of the entire facility. During the Dark Reign
Dark Reign (comics)
"Dark Reign" is a 2008–2009 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which led to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title "Dark Reign" refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the...
storyline, the Cube served as the base of operations for The Thunderbolts.
Ice Box
Canadian maximum security prison (first appeared in Maverick #8)The Kyln
The Kyln were a series of artificial moons at the edge of known space, which served both as a superhuman prison and a source of nearly unlimited power. Operations at the Kyln were overseen by the Nova Corps. All life on the Kyln moons was extinguished in AnnihilationAnnihilation (comics)
"Annihilation" was a 2006 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, highlighting several outer space-related characters in the Marvel Universe. The central miniseries was written by Keith Giffen, with editor Andy Schmidt.-Publication History:...
Prologue #1.
Lang Memorial Penitentiary
Also known as the Pym Experimental Prison #1 (and Big House). Inmates in this prison are shrunk down using Pym Particles for cheaper storage and easier control. Also known as the Ant-Hill. Known guests of the facility were the MandrillMandrill (comics)
Mandrill is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Shanna the She-Devil #4. He was created by writer Carole Seuling and artist Ross Andru...
, Titania
Titania (Marvel Comics)
Titania is a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe, notable for being Marvel's strongest human female with the possible exception of the She-Hulk, and the wife of the Absorbing Man. She was created by then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, in the successful company-wide crossover known as...
, the Grey Gargoyle
Grey Gargoyle
The Grey Gargoyle is a fictional comic book supervillain that appears in books published by Marvel Comics, often as an enemy of Thor, Iron Man, She-Hulk or the Fantastic Four. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #107 The Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a fictional comic...
, Tiger Shark, and the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
.
Negative Zone Prison Alpha
Introduced in Civil War: FrontlineCivil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line is an 11-issue, limited series tie-in to Marvel Comics's Civil War event which started in August 2006.Part of the story is told from the perspective of two reporters embedded in the opposite camps of the war...
#5, it is a prison originally constructed to house super-villains but which acted as a holding facility for unregistered heroes during the civil war. The portal to the prison is operated by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
agents. The prison itself is an automated facility. Designed by Reed Richards and built by Stark Enterprises and Fantastic Four Inc., it is located in the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
. The inmates call the facility "Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
" and "Wonderland", probably because prisoners who are unable to manipulate technology to their own ends are connected to virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
systems.
It is also referred to as "File 42" due to it being the 42nd item on a list written by Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Hank Pym of ways to make a world with super-powered beings safer. The prison is an extremely secure, clean facility with cells custom-designed for each inhabitant. Notable inmates during the war include Daredevil stand-in Danny Rand, Robbie Baldwin and Cloak & Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
. After the war, it is now used for super-villains, and was known to house at the very least Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
and Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike , occasionally spelled "Deathstryke", is a Marvel Comics supervillain, a foe of the X-Men, especially Wolverine.Her father Lord Dark Wind created the adamantium-bonding process that was forced on Wolverine...
until Taskmaster made a deal with Camp Hammond to become an instructor and Lady Deathstrike somehow escaped as she appeared in X-Men: Messiah Complex. However, the prison was later over run by Negative Zone ruler Blaastar.
Project Pegasus
Created in Marvel Two-in-One #42 (August, 1978) by writers Mark GruenwaldMark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
and Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio (comics)
Ralph Macchio is an American comic book editor and writer, who has held many positions at Marvel Comics, including executive editor. Macchio is commonly associated with Daredevil, the Spider-Man line of comics and the popular Ultimate Marvel line...
, Project: Pegasus was originally intended to research alternative (and unusual) forms of energy, but is also used as a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for super-powered individuals with energy-based powers. It is located in the Adirondack Mountains
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The Raft
The Raft is a fictional prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s) in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
and artist David Finch, it first appeared in New Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#1 (2005) as the "Maximum-Maximum Security" wing of the Ryker's Island Maximum Security Penitentiary. The Raft is introduced as the setting of a large-scale prison break.
Ravencroft
Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane was a maximum security prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for the mentally ill. Many insane murderers and supervillains, such as Carnage
Carnage (comics)
Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
and Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
, were kept at Ravencroft. The institute was first mentioned in Web of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
#112, written by Terry Kavanagh
Terry Kavanagh
Terrence "Terry" Kavanagh is an American comic book editor and writer.-Biography:Kavanagh was a Marvel Comics editor during the late 1980s and 1990s...
. The institute is officially opened in Web of Spider-Man Annual #10 (1994). Dr. Ashley Kafka was the founder and first director of Ravencroft. John Jameson
John Jameson (comics)
John Jameson is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
was head of security. The insistute is featured in a number of Spider-Man storylines. Both were fired in Spectacular Spider-Man #246 and Dr. Leonard Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...
became Ravencroft's new director. The institute hasn't appeared since and in Leonard Samson's recent appearances, he owns a private practice. Also, Chameleon is listed as being held there in Christopher L. Bennett's book Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder.
Ravencroft has appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
TV-series, having housed Electro, Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
, Cletus Kasady
Carnage (comics)
Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
, John Jameson
John Jameson (comics)
John Jameson is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
, and Venom
Eddie Brock
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
.
The institute recently reappeared in Vengeance of the Moon Knight #3, apparently holding mostly non-superpowered psychopaths and looking more like Arkham Asylum then ever before - even adding an imposing metal gate with the name of the asylum on it, similar to the one used in countless establishing shots of Arkham Asylum.
Ravencroft is also mentioned as being used to institutionalize Rhona Burchill
Mad Thinker
The Mad Thinker is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . He is a genius specializing in evil robotics and usually comes up with very elaborate infallible devious plans that unfold like clockwork....
in Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Iron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
.
Ryker's Island
Ryker's Island is the Marvel Universe counterpart to the real-world Rikers IslandRikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's largest jail facility, which also includes the 415 acre (1.7 km²) island on which it sits. The fictional Ryker's houses both conventional criminals and costumed offenders lacking superpowers. Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
is held there after his arrest in Daredevil vol. 2 #80. Others held there include 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,...
, Bullseye
Bullseye (comics)
Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
, and Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
. Ryker's Island has a special branch for dangerous superhuman criminals called the Raft
The Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
.
Seagate Prison
The Federal Penitentiary (also called "Little Alcatraz") where Carl Lucas, a wrongly convicted man, accepted to test Dr. Noah Burstein's experiments that made him a super-being. He changed is name to Luke CageLuke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
.
The Crimebuster (Eugene Mason), Beetle
Beetle (comics)
Abner Ronald Jenkins is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
and the Plantman
Plantman
Plantman aka Blackheath is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Strange Tales vol. 1 #113.-Fictional character biography:...
, among other ones, were incarcerated here.
The Vault
The United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals., known as The Vault, is a defunct prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s) in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. It first appeared in Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
Annual
Annual publication
An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....
#15 (1986) and figured prominently in the 1990 Marvel crossover "Acts of Vengeance". It was destroyed in Heroes for Hire
Heroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
vol. 1 #1 (February 1997).
Biro Island Prison
From Kurt Busiek's Astro CityAstro City
Kurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
. First appears in the Tarnished Angel storyline from Astro City vol. 2 #14-20. Named after golden age comic book writer Charles Biro
Charles Biro
Charles Biro was an American comic book creator and cartoonist. He is today chiefly known for creating the comic book characters Airboy and Steel Sterling, and for his 16-year run on the acclaimed 1940s series Daredevil Comics for Lev Gleason Publications.-Biography:Charles Biro studied art at...
, who helped create Crime Does Not Pay
Crime Does Not Pay
Crime Does Not Pay may refer to:* Crime Does Not Pay , a popular American series of comic books published between 1942 and 1955* Crime Does Not Pay , an anthology radio crime drama series from 1935 to 1952...
.
Castle Baaleskine
From the AlbionAlbion (comics)
Albion is a six-issue comic book limited series plotted by Alan Moore, written by his daughter Leah Moore and her husband John Reppion, with covers by Dave Gibbons and art by Shane Oakley and George Freeman. As a result of a deal forged by Vice President Bob Wayne of DC Comics and Publishing...
mini-series, used by the British government to confine England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's IPC Media
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
/Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
superheroes and villains from Britain's Bronze Age of comics, using special high tech cells. Characters such as the Steel Claw
Steel Claw
The Steel Claw was one of the most popular comic book heroes of British weekly adventure comics of the 1960s and 1970s. The character was revived in 2005 for Albion, a six issue mini-series published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics....
, Fishboy
Fishboy
Fishboy: Denizen of the Deep was a black and white comic strip appearing in the British comic book Buster between 1968 and 1975, written by Scott Goodall and drawn by John Stokes and others...
and the Spider
The Spider (comics)
The Spider is a British comic book character who began as a supervillain before becoming a superhero. He appeared in Lion between 26 June 1965 and 26 April 1969 and was reprinted in Vulcan. He was created by writer Ted Cowan and artist Reg Bunn...
were interred at Baaleskine. First appears in Albion #1 (August 2005).
Halo Corporation
Homebase of the WildC.A.T.sWildcats (comics)
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
. While not an official prison, the Halo Corporation's New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
office contains several cells to contain superhuman prisoners. Within these cells, prisoners are put into a virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
environment that repeats scenarios until the prisoner's criminal behavior improved. The criminal Ladytron
Ladytron (comics)
Ladytron is a fictional character in the Wildstorm universe. In addition to her character appearances, Ladytron's likeness was used in-universe by Jack Marlowe's Halo Corporation as a mascot in various commercials.-History:...
undergoes a similar procedure before becoming a member of the WildC.A.T.s. The villain T.A.O.
Tao (comics)
Tao is a fictional character in the Wildstorm universe.-History:The Tactical Augmented Organism was created by Optigen, a subsidiary of the Halo Corporation, on behalf of International Operations. As a child, he grew at an amazing rate...
frees all other prisoners to cover his own escape. Whether the new Halo Building in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
contains similar holding facilities is unknown.
Purgatory Max
A prison for superhumans based in Antarctica. Officially known as Purgatory Maximum Security Prison for Metahuman Criminals, it is introduced in Backlash #1. A terrorist group destroys the prison and free most inmates in Gen-Active #4.Skywatch
Skywatch is an orbital satellite that functions as the base of StormwatchStormwatch (comics)
Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that originated in the Wildstorm Universe and has since been revived as part of the DC Universe. The original version of Stormwatch first appeared in Stormwatch Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that...
. It also is an official prison with holding facilities for superhuman prisoners. Its most dangerous inmates are the WarGuard, who double as living weapons of mass destruction, only to be freed in the most desperate of times. Most prisoners are kept comatose with cryonics
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
. The prisoners are killed as a side-effect of the Weatherman's escape. Skywatch is destroyed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens
WildC.A.T.s/Aliens
WildC.A.T.S/Aliens was a one-shot comic book and intercompany crossover event, published by Wildstorm and Dark Horse Comics in 1998. The comic was written by Warren Ellis, pencilled by Chris Sprouse, with Kevin Nowlan inking and Laura Depuy as the colorist.-Overview:The story is set between the...
#1.
Colony
The Colony prison facility is a planetary prison from Bob LaytonBob Layton
Bob Layton is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor, who has worked for Marvel Comics, Valiant Comics, DC Comics, Future Comics, and other publishers.-Early life:...
's self-published webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
of the same name. The series is written by Layton and illustrated by Dick Giordano
Dick Giordano
Richard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
. Colony was originally known as planet Erus.
External links
- DCU Guide entry on Simon LaGrieve
- DCU Guide entry on John Economos
- La Prensa: San Pedro Sula Prison
- Honduras this Week: Amnesty reports human rights violations in Honduras
- Vietnam News Agency: Con Dao Island
- Marvel Universe: Grey Gargoyle
- Marvel Universe: Tiger Shark
- Marvel Universe: Absorbing Man
- Superman Comics Index 1986
- DCU Guide: Tommy Tomorrow chronology
- Jazma Online Interview with Bob layton about Colony
- Bob Layton's Colony homepage
- Alan Moore's Awesome Comics Universe Timeline Part 4
- Fanzing: Batman One Million