Warlord (DC Comics) explained

Character Name:The Warlord
Publisher:DC Comics
Debut:1st Issue Special #8 (November 1975)
Creators:Mike Grell
Alter Ego:Travis Morgan
Homeworld:Skartaris
Alliances:United States Air Force
Powers:fencer and expert marksman.
Module:
Subbox:yes
Italic Title:no
The Warlord
Schedule:Monthly
Format:Ongoing series
Issues:(vol. 1): 133 and 6 Annuals
(vol. 2): 6
(vol. 3): 10
(vol. 4): 16
Main Char Team:Warlord
Ongoing:y
Genre:Sword and sorcery, Science fantasy
Startyr:1976
Endyr:2010
Startmo:January–February
Endmo:September
Tpb:Warlord: The Savage Empire
Isbn:1-56389-024-0
Tpb1:Showcase Presents: Warlord
Isbn1:1-4012-2473-3

The Warlord is a sword and sorcery character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Mike Grell, he debuted in 1st Issue Special #8 (November 1975).[1] The titular character, Travis Morgan, obtains the name "Warlord" as he fights for the freedom of the people of Skartaris.

Development

Grell described the Warlord's genesis "as a comic strip called Savage Empire... Savage Empire was born of my admiration for Hal Foster's Prince Valiant and Burne Hogarth's Tarzan, combined with my fascination with archaeology and lost civilizations". Grell described pitching his idea to DC Comics: "I completely revised the concept from Savage Empire into The Warlord. The story of an archeologist who stumbles through a time portal and winds up in Atlantis became the story of US spy pilot whose SR-71 is damaged while on a mission over Russia and plunges through an opening at the North pole into the world at the center on the earth, where creatures of from mythology and Earth's ancient past co-exist amid fantastic cities and leftovers of the civilization of Atlantis... drawing on many sources, including my own US Air Force experiences to lend a note of authenticity to the characters background. Choosing the new setting was easy, as a kid one of my favorite books was Jules Verne's 1864 classic Journey to the Center of the Earth, I [also] drew on...The Smoky God, The Hollow Earth, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar series".[2]

Publication history

The character the Warlord debuted in 1st Issue Special #8 (cover-dated November 1975).[3] where the character Travis Morgan, a U.S. Air Force pilot, discovers a passage into a world called Skartaris through the Earth's North Pole. Subsequent to that first issue, the Warlord series tells of Morgan's adventures in Skartaris. The decision to give the Warlord his own series had already been made by the time his 1st Issue Special debut went into production.[4]

He starred in The Warlord #1 (February 1976), followed by an eight-month hiatus after issue #2, picking up again with #3 (November 1976).[5] The title lasted 133 issues until Winter 1988.[6] Creator Mike Grell wrote and drew the comic for six years, handing over the art chores after issue #59 (July 1982). Issues #53 through #71 were ghost-written by Grell's then-wife Sharon Wright.[7]

Skartaris debuted in 1st Issue Special #8 (November 1975),

Backup features

A continuation of Jack Kirby's OMAC series, by Jim Starlin, was featured as a backup for several issues (#37–39 and #42–47). Arak, Son of Thunder, created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón, first appeared in a special insert in The Warlord #48 (August 1981).[8] Claw the Unconquered appeared in a two–part backup feature in issues #48–49 by Jack C. Harris and Thomas Yeates. Dragonsword was a backup feature by Paul Levitz and Yeates which appeared in #51–54 (November 1981–February 1982).[9] Arion, a sword and sorcery title by writer Paul Kupperberg and artist Jan Duursema, began as a six–page backup feature in The Warlord #55 (March 1982). Another backup feature was The Barren Earth by writer Gary Cohn and artist Ron Randall, which was concluded in a four–issue limited series. A Bonus Book in issue #131 (September 1988) featured artist Rob Liefeld's first work for DC.[10]

Volume 2

A six-issue miniseries ran cover-dated January to June 1992. It was written by Mike Grell and penciled by Dameon Willich, with inks by Rick Hoberg (#1-3) and Tim Burgard (#4-6).

Volume 3

DC attempted to update The Warlord in 2006 with Bruce Jones writing and Bart Sears providing the art. This series restarted the concept, beginning with Travis Morgan arriving in Skartaris. The series left a number of story points unanswered as issue #9 finished on a cliffhanger, while the tenth and final issue had a standalone story set sometime in the future.

Volume 4

The Warlord returned in an ongoing series written by Mike Grell in time for the original series' 35th anniversary.[11] The series started in April 2009,[12] featuring art by Joe Prado and Chad Hardin. It ran for 16 issues.

Fictional character biography

Vietnam War veteran SR-71 pilot Travis Morgan passed through a hole in the Earth's crust while flying over the north pole in 1969[13] and landed in the underground world of Skartaris, a place strongly reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Pellucidar. There, Travis, wielding his .44 AutoMag pistol and joined by Shamballah's Princess (later Queen) Tara, became The Warlord and fought villains such as the evil sorcerer Deimos as well as various kings. He gained various sidekicks such as Machiste, Shakira,[14] Russian scientist Mariah Romanova, and his magic-wielding daughter Jennifer Morgan. In one story arc, Morgan even becomes the U.S. President in the far future.[15]

Although The Warlord has a superficial resemblance to the DC character Oliver Queen,[16] he is based more upon his creator Mike Grell, who was a former member of the Air Force.[17] Grell is caricatured in The Warlord's first appearance, 1st Issue Special #8, sporting The Warlord's signature shaggy goatee.[18] Grell and editor Jack C. Harris made a metafictional appearance in the story "Gambit" in The Warlord #35 (July 1980).[19]

Volume 4 of the series begins with an explorer finding perfectly preserved dinosaur remains in the Himalayas. She takes the head of one to a doctor and an expedition is set up to retrieve more samples. The team is spotted by the Chinese government and flee into the caves after losing several members. They discover a portal and after walking through find themselves in Skartaris, where they encounter Travis Morgan. Travis Morgan is attacked by a giant bird and kills it with the help of Shakira. Refugees enter Shamballah and Morgan discovers that a new god has taken over the Shadow Kingdom and has overrun the Kingdom of Kiro, Machiste's homeland. One of the refugees is injured and he surprisingly carries a gunshot wound.[20]

The machinations of Deimos' return pit Travis Morgan against Tinder. Just as Morgan realizes that Tinder is in fact his son Joshua, he becomes distracted and Tinder mortally wounds him. Travis Morgan's final words were "I thought I'd have more time". Morgan is cremated and Tinder becomes the new Warlord.[21]

Joshua Morgan becomes the new Warlord. His costume is reminiscent of Travis Morgan's black outfit when he first arrived in Skartaris. Instead of carrying a sword and a gun as Travis did, Tinder carries a sword, a dagger, a quiver of arrows and a bow.[22]

Other versions

An alternate universe incarnation of Warlord appears in Flashpoint. This version is a pirate captain.[23] [24]

In other media

Television

The Warlord appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Chaos at the Earth's Core", voiced by Paul Guilfoyle.[25]

Film

An illusionary Warlord appears in , voiced by Teddy Sears.[26] [27] [28]

Video games

Warlord appears as a character summon in .[29]

Merchandise

Popular culture

The Warlord issue #89 (Jan. 1985) appears on a magazine rack in a convenience store in a deleted scene from The Goonies DVD.[31]

Collected editions

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Cowsill . Alan . Irvine . Alex . Korte . Steve . Manning . Matt . Wiacek . Win . Wilson . Sven . The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe . 2016 . DK Publishing . 978-1-4654-5357-0 . 324.
  2. Eury . Micheal . Mike. Grell. Back Issue! . 2011 . 46 . 19. TwoMorrows Publishing. Off My Chest: From Savage Empire to the Warlord.
  3. Book: McAvennie, Michael. Dolan. Hannah. 1970s. DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. 2010. London, United Kingdom. 978-0-7566-6742-9 . 165 . Writer/artist Mike Grell elevated the sword-and-sorcery genre to new heights with the Warlord..
  4. Abramowitz. Jack. 1st Issue Special: It Was No Showcase (But It Was Never Meant To Be). Back Issue!.
    1. 71
    . 44. TwoMorrows Publishing. April 2014. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  5. Web site: Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #54!. Brian. Cronin. June 8, 2006. Comic Book Resources. https://web.archive.org/web/20140821114145/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2006/06/08/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-54/. August 21, 2014. live.
  6. Web site: The Warlord. Don. Markstein. 2008. Don Markstein's Toonopedia. https://archive.today/20240527130148/https://www.webcitation.org/6bZIrkPM1?url=http://toonopedia.com/warlord.htm. May 27, 2024. live. mdy-all. The Warlord lasted a surprisingly long time. But it finally wound down after 133 issues, the last dated Winter 1988–89..
  7. Web site: The Warlord · Mike Grell. 2021-10-17. www.mikegrell.com.
  8. Catron. Michael. Michael Catron. Thomas's Indian/Viking to Roam Medieval Europe. Amazing Heroes.
    1. 1
    . 29–30. Fantagraphics Books. Stamford, Connecticut. June 1981. Arak, Son of Thunder, described as an 'Indian/Viking', makes his debut in a preview insert in Warlord #48, on sale in May..
  9. Catron. Michael. Dragon Sword. Amazing Heroes.
    1. 2
    . 18. Fantagraphics Books. July 1981. Dragon Sword, a new sword-and sorcery series created and scripted by Paul Levitz and pencilled and inked by Tom Yeates will debut as the back feature in Warlord #51, on sale in August [1981]..
  10. Greenberger. Robert. Robert Greenberger. New Talent and Bonus Babies. Back Issue!.
    1. 71
    . 71–73. TwoMorrows Publishing. April 2014. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  11. Web site: SDCC '08 - Mike Grell: The Return of Warlord. Chris. Arrant. July 27, 2008. Newsarama. https://web.archive.org/web/20130727035448/http://www.newsarama.com/631-sdcc-08-mike-grell-the-return-of-warlord.html. July 27, 2013. live. August 16, 2008.
  12. Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 338: "Mike Grell was back at the helm for the return of DC's greatest sword-and-sorcery hero - Travis Morgan, the Warlord".
  13. Grell, Mike. Hardin, Chad; Grell, Mike. Hardin, Chad; Grell, Mike. Next.... The Warlord. 4.
    1. 10
    . March 2010.
  14. Fleisher, Michael. Randall, Ron. Randall, Ron. The Citadel of Fear. The Warlord.
    1. 115
    . March 1987.
  15. Burkett, Cary. Jurgens, Dan. Adkins, Dan. Hail To the Chief. The Warlord.
    1. 84
    . August 1984.
  16. Grell, Mike. Jurgens, Dan. Giordano, Dick
    McLaughlin, Frank
    . Siege. Green Arrow. 2.
    1. 28
    . January 1990.
  17. Greenberger. Robert. Robert Greenberger. From Skartaris to Sable: A Chat with Storyteller Mike Grell. Comics Scene.
    1. 9
    . Comics World Corp. 1983. https://web.archive.org/web/20131203053837/http://www.mikegrell.com/thewarlord/articles/skartaristosable.html. December 3, 2013. live.
  18. Grell, Mike. Grell, Mike. Colletta, Vince. Gambit. The Warlord.
    1. 35
    . July 1980.
  19. Web site: Jack C. Harris Interview (Pt. 2). Bryan D.. Stroud. 2010. TheSilverLantern.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20120901223812/http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/harris2.shtml. September 1, 2012. dead. March 20, 2011. The Warlord goes into a sort of parallel world where it's like a Dungeons and Dragons game and at the end of the story we pull back and the two guys playing Dungeons and Dragons are me and Grell. Which I thought was great and as we're playing the game this other guy comes in to scold us for not doing our work and it's Joe Orlando..
  20. Grell, Mike. Prado, Joe. Wong, Walden. The Warlord. 4.
    1. 1
    . June 2009.
  21. Grell, Mike. Grell, Mike. Grell, Mike. Sunset. The Warlord. 4.
    1. 12
    . May 2010.
  22. Grell, Mike. Hardin, Chad. Hardin, Chad. Son Rise. The Warlord. 4.
    1. 13
    . June 2010.
  23. Palmiotti, Jimmy. Bennett, Joe. Dell, John. Separation Anxiety. Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager.
    1. 1
    . August 2011.
  24. Palmiotti, Jimmy. Bennett, Joe. Shasteen, Tony. Red Tide. Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager.
    1. 2
    . September 2011.
  25. Web site: Travis Morgan Voice - Justice League Unlimited (TV Show) . July 26, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  26. Web site: Couch . Aaron . April 27, 2023 . 'Justice League: Warworld' Cast Unveiled (Exclusive) . July 26, 2024 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  27. Web site: Deckelmeier . Joe . July 25, 2023 . SDCC 2023: Justice League Warworld Creative Team On Reinventing Iconic Characters & Getting R-Rated . July 27, 2023 . ScreenRant . en.
  28. Web site: Warlord / Travis Morgan Voice - Justice League: Warworld (Movie) . July 26, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  29. Web site: Eisen . Andrew . October 2, 2013 . DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide . July 26, 2024 . IGN . en.
  30. Web site: Warlord action figure. n.d.. ToyArk.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20140304104321/http://news.toyark.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2010/07/mattel-update-00109_1279923126.jpg. March 4, 2014. live. February 16, 2012.
  31. http://8144140051860092405-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/jeffrywith1e2/GOONIESouttakeWarlordimage.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7crkeZPWeBJfmdsvefd59nEaD_doq7RDxBZbXMa-xqrUPPykPCVMBCg50PxFlzP--SzFrJN4hg63e62-yl6gtRE2ue1V2JzdycSb4ub3zOG-mtrkajoR3BHXNNLFJ3VKd1j98tURMw_BFTiqMy_KbbBI5rWSb8KmW-cgcpdVwLJwM3dlPtbuMJiM5JwaaQv5wIsxf4d7W1oKk8AYB5-wAi0yBnMjRg%3D%3D&attredirects=0 Screen capture

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Warlord (DC Comics)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.