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Witness (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Witness is the name of at least three fictional
, American
comic-book characters, the first published by Timely Comics
in the 1940s and the final two by its successor company, Marvel Comics
.
in the eight-page story "The League of Blood" in the superhero
anthology
series Mystic Comics
#7 (Dec. 1941), during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
. A costumed superhero in this incarnation, the character was created by writer Stan Lee
, who wrote the stories under the pen name
"S.T. Anley", and an unknown artist. This version of the character appeared in one story each in Mystic #7-9 (Dec. 1941 - May 1942).
A Timely character called The Witness also appeared, in a different costume, as the star of the eponym
ous comic The Witness #1 (Sept. 1948), in three stories written by Lee and drawn variously by Ken Bald
and Syd Shores
, with Charles Nicholas
providing the cover. The Grand Comics Database lists this character as a different entity than the Mystic Comics version, while Jess Nevins
' "A Guide to Golden Age Marvel Characters" considers them the same man. No consensus exists, but it has been suggested that there are ties between the two Witness characters and the two Witnesses in the Biblical Book of Revelation
. It has also been noted that the second Witness character bears a resemblance to the DC comics character, the Phantom Stranger
.
This series lasted only one issue, but the character went on to narrate essentially anthological suspense stories in Ideal #4 (Jan. 1949), in a seven-page tale penciled by Gene Colan
; Captain America Comics
#71-72 (March-May 1949); Amazing Mysteries #32 (May 1949); and Marvel Mystery Comics
#92 (June 1949).
Marvel announced in July 2007 that the Mystic Comics Witness would return in the 12-issue miniseries The Twelve, by writer J. Michael Straczynski
and artist Chris Weston
.
detective who accidentally shot an innocent man in the line of duty. After serving two years in prison, he attempts to commit suicide. However, a mysterious voice tells him it is not his time, and charges him with the task of seeing a tragedy about to occur beforehand. He will then watch the impending victim for several days to judge if the person deserves saving, in which case he would either try to prevent the tragedy, or simply witness the event without becoming involved.
Another incarnation of the Witness was merely a passive observer of crime and humanity's foibles, which he would report on a radio program.
continuity, in XSE #4 (Feb. 1997), Bishop: The Last X-Man #3 & 14 (Dec. 1999 & Nov. 2000), and Gambit & Bishop #2-6 (April-Aug. 2001). The character is hinted to be a future version of Gambit
.
appearing in the comic book
s published by Marvel Comics
, as part of the New Universe
imprint. The Witness is a ghostly figure, an onlooker drawn to paranormal events.
occurred. He lost control of his car, crashed and was hospitalised, critically ill. He was later declared brain-dead and his life support system was switched off. His body died but his paranormal powers manifested, leaving him a bodiless ghost.
He felt an irresistible pull towards people who were developing paranormal powers, although he could not be seen or heard. Among those whose manifestations he witnessed were members of DP7
(Randy O'Brien, David Landers
, Stephanie Harrington
, Charlotte Beck
, Lenore Fenzl
, Jeff Walters
, and Dennis Cuzinski
). He also felt drawn to the disaster known as The Pitt
, after which he had strange experiences with other ghosts and other people seemed to be able to see him.
Kohler is drawn to people who are manifesting paranormal powers, and witnessed the development of the people who would later become D.P. 7. He was also drawn to what became known as the "Black Event", when Ken Connell attempted to rid himself of the Star Brand
and destroyed the city of Pittsburgh in the process.
When Randy O'Brien's "anti-body" first left his sleeping body, Kohler was able to take possession of O'Brien's body. The anti-body returned, however, and Kohler's morality compelled him to leave the body. The exact nature of this ability is not expanded upon; the body was not, as Kohler assumed, "empty" as O'Brien's anti-body possessed a separate will from O'Brien himself and therefore the body was not "uninhabited."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic-book characters, the first published by Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
in the 1940s and the final two by its successor company, 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...
.
Timely Comics
Publication history
The first Witness debutedFirst appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in the eight-page story "The League of Blood" in the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
series Mystic Comics
Mystic Comics
Mystic Comics is the name of four comic book series published by the company that would eventually become Marvel Comics. The first two series were superhero anthologies published by Marvel's 1930-1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, during what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books...
#7 (Dec. 1941), during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
. A costumed superhero in this incarnation, the character was created by writer Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, who wrote the stories under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
"S.T. Anley", and an unknown artist. This version of the character appeared in one story each in Mystic #7-9 (Dec. 1941 - May 1942).
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous comic The Witness #1 (Sept. 1948), in three stories written by Lee and drawn variously by Ken Bald
Ken Bald
Kenneth Bruce Bald is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for the Judd Saxon, Dr. Kildare and Dark Shadows newspaper comic strips. Due to contractual obligations, he is credited as "K...
and Syd Shores
Syd Shores
Sydney Shores was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books....
, with Charles Nicholas
Charles Nicholas (comics)
"Charles Nicholas" is the pseudonymous house name of three early creators of American comic books for the Fox Feature Syndicate and Fox Comics....
providing the cover. The Grand Comics Database lists this character as a different entity than the Mystic Comics version, while Jess Nevins
Jess Nevins
John J. Nevins, MA/MS, is an American author and librarian, born 30 July 1966 and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the World Fantasy Award-nominated Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana , and other works on Victoriana and pulp fiction...
' "A Guide to Golden Age Marvel Characters" considers them the same man. No consensus exists, but it has been suggested that there are ties between the two Witness characters and the two Witnesses in the Biblical Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
. It has also been noted that the second Witness character bears a resemblance to the DC comics character, the Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
.
This series lasted only one issue, but the character went on to narrate essentially anthological suspense stories in Ideal #4 (Jan. 1949), in a seven-page tale penciled by Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
; Captain America Comics
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
#71-72 (March-May 1949); Amazing Mysteries #32 (May 1949); and Marvel Mystery Comics
Marvel Mystery Comics
Marvel Mystery Comics is an American comic book series published during the 1930s-1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
#92 (June 1949).
Marvel announced in July 2007 that the Mystic Comics Witness would return in the 12-issue miniseries The Twelve, by writer J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
and artist Chris Weston
Chris Weston
Chris Weston is a British comics artist who has worked both in the US and UK comics industries.-Biography:Weston was born in January, 1969 in Rinteln, Germany, and lived in various countries as a child...
.
Fictional character biography
The Witness is a ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
detective who accidentally shot an innocent man in the line of duty. After serving two years in prison, he attempts to commit suicide. However, a mysterious voice tells him it is not his time, and charges him with the task of seeing a tragedy about to occur beforehand. He will then watch the impending victim for several days to judge if the person deserves saving, in which case he would either try to prevent the tragedy, or simply witness the event without becoming involved.
Another incarnation of the Witness was merely a passive observer of crime and humanity's foibles, which he would report on a radio program.
The X-Men
A character called the Witness (whose real name is LeBeau) has appeared in X-MenX-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
continuity, in XSE #4 (Feb. 1997), Bishop: The Last X-Man #3 & 14 (Dec. 1999 & Nov. 2000), and Gambit & Bishop #2-6 (April-Aug. 2001). The character is hinted to be a future version of Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
.
New Universe
The Witness (Nelson Kohler) is a fictional characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by 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...
, as part of the New Universe
New Universe
The New Universe is a comic book imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was created by Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, John Morelli, Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco and edited by Michael Higgins.In 1986, in honor of Marvel Comics'...
imprint. The Witness is a ghostly figure, an onlooker drawn to paranormal events.
Fictional character biography
Nelson Kohler was driving when the White EventWhite Event
The White Event was a fictional occurrence which played a key role in Marvel Comics' New Universe line.-New Universe:The White Event was the name given to a mysterious blinding flash of light which bathed the Earth on July 22, 1986, at 4:22am EST...
occurred. He lost control of his car, crashed and was hospitalised, critically ill. He was later declared brain-dead and his life support system was switched off. His body died but his paranormal powers manifested, leaving him a bodiless ghost.
He felt an irresistible pull towards people who were developing paranormal powers, although he could not be seen or heard. Among those whose manifestations he witnessed were members of DP7
DP7 (comics)
D.P. 7 was a 32-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a part their New Universe imprint. It ran from 1986 to 1989. Along with Justice and Psi-Force, it was one of the few New Universe titles to last for 32 issues....
(Randy O'Brien, David Landers
Mastodon (New Universe)
Mastodon is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:Dave Landers was born on September 21, 1952 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...
, Stephanie Harrington
Stephanie Harrington
Glitter is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. She first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Pre-White Event:Stephanie Ann Harrington was born Stephanie Lindquist in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in May 1956...
, Charlotte Beck
Friction (comics)
Friction is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in D.P.7 #1, which was published under Marvel's New Universe imprint.-Early life:...
, Lenore Fenzl
Twilight (New Universe)
Twilight is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. She first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:...
, Jeff Walters
Blur (New Universe)
Blur is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:...
, and Dennis Cuzinski
Scuzz (comics)
Dennis "Scuzz" Cuzinski is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Pre-White Event:...
). He also felt drawn to the disaster known as The Pitt
The Pitt (Marvel Comics)
The Pitt is a 1987 one-shot comic book written by John Byrne and Mark Gruenwald, and illustrated by Sal Buscema and Stan Drake. It was published by Marvel Comics under its New Universe imprint...
, after which he had strange experiences with other ghosts and other people seemed to be able to see him.
Powers and abilities
Kohler has no physical body that can be perceived by normal humans. He himself and a few paranormals can see a body, even seeing a trenchcoat and hat, but it cannot interact with the physical world. This "body", however, is capable of flight and can pass through solid objects.Kohler is drawn to people who are manifesting paranormal powers, and witnessed the development of the people who would later become D.P. 7. He was also drawn to what became known as the "Black Event", when Ken Connell attempted to rid himself of the Star Brand
Star Brand
The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar fictional comic book objects of power all of which exist in the multiverse created by the shared universes of Marvel Comics...
and destroyed the city of Pittsburgh in the process.
When Randy O'Brien's "anti-body" first left his sleeping body, Kohler was able to take possession of O'Brien's body. The anti-body returned, however, and Kohler's morality compelled him to leave the body. The exact nature of this ability is not expanded upon; the body was not, as Kohler assumed, "empty" as O'Brien's anti-body possessed a separate will from O'Brien himself and therefore the body was not "uninhabited."