Apollo (DC Comics)
Apollo | |
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Invulnerability Flight Enhanced senses |
Apollo is a superhero who first appeared in the Stormwatch series, but is best known for his role in The Authority. While visually distinct, Apollo is cast in the mould of the Superman archetype.
Apollo is notable for being among the first openly
Fictional character history
Stormwatch
Warren Ellis introduced the character shortly after taking over writing duties on the Stormwatch title, when he had Apollo and Midnighter encounter the then-active Stormwatch team. The story was set in 1998, immediately after Bendix's fall, when Christine Trelane had cracked Bendix's old files and discovered evidence that two rogue former Bendix agents remained alive. In flashbacks, Apollo was introduced as a member of a "black ops" Stormwatch team so secret that no one but the first Weatherman, Henry Bendix, knew of its existence. Apollo's solar-powered abilities—including super-strength, heat vision, and a high degree of invulnerability—were presented as the consequence of Bendix's bioengineering.
The first story arc (collected in the Stormwatch trade paperback A Finer World) described how, of the seven-member team, only Apollo and
The Authority (vol. 1)
In 1999, when Warren Ellis concluded his run on Stormwatch with the Final Orbit storyline which saw the team destroyed, Apollo was one of several Stormwatch characters he retained for his new Wildstorm title, The Authority. In it, Apollo (along with Midnighter) was recruited by Jenny Sparks for a new team, the Authority, under her leadership. The new series picked up themes Ellis had explored in Stormwatch, including the political potential of a team more powerful than world governments and the United Nations.
Apollo featured prominently in early story arcs, producing a miles-long wall of flame to contain super clones attacking London, rescuing civilians from disaster zones, and shooting down invaders from a parallel universe. In The Authority #10, Apollo sterilised the moon, killing the alien parasites that were using it as a base from which to attack Earth. He formed a friendship with leader Jenny Sparks, and his relationship with Midnighter was revealed in The Authority #8, written by Warren Ellis. For the portrayal of Apollo and Midnighter, the Authority received a GLAAD award.
The fourth Authority story arc saw Jenny Sparks die with the end of the 20th century and the Authority join a battle with U.S. government-backed superhumans to secure custody of her successor,
In another Millar-penned story, the Authority faced a rogue Doctor, intent on planetary destruction. Though this Doctor ultimately repented of his crimes, Apollo killed him with his eye-beams. Apollo featured also in the Transfer of Power storyline, in which the Authority was defeated, captured and usurped by sadistic, government-controlled replacements. Apollo was kept aboard the Carrier and brutalised by Midnighter's and his own replacements. The latter tried to rape Apollo before the real Midnighter returned to kill Apollo's assailant. Apollo himself then burned the head off Midnighter's replacement, later doing the same to the Machine, who had taken the powers of the Engineer.
Apollo and Midnighter were married and adopted Jenny Quantum at the end of Millar's run. From this point on, Apollo is referred to as Midnighter's husband, and vice versa.
The Authority (vol. 2)
Apollo received comparatively little attention during this volume, although his friendship with the Engineer was developed and the two became confidants.
Human on the Inside
In this standalone graphic novel, the U.S. President ordered an assault on the Authority which saw them nearly defeated by doubts, depression and human foibles. Each team member's weakness was exploited; in Apollo's case this appeared to be jealousy in his relationship with Midnighter, who confessed to Apollo that he had kissed another man. Apollo, enraged, hit Midnighter hard enough to knock him through several walls. This scene remains the only canonical indication of violence between the two.
Authority: Coup D'Etat and Authority: Revolution
Authority: Coup D'État was a Wildstorm universe crossover event, in which—following a deadly mistake by U.S. leaders—Authority team leader Jack Hawksmoor decided to remove the U.S. executive branch and have the Authority itself run the country. The takeover went smoothly, but the occupation did not go as planned. Shadowy forces intervened to destroy the Authority and put corporate interests back in power. Apollo's part in the story involved traveling with Midnighter to raid the base of Stormwatch: Team Achilles. They arrived to find it booby-trapped. After narrowly escaping with their lives, their next mission was to eliminate the U.S. military's superhuman training camp. Midnighter returned with the declaration that the program was "not so special".
In Authority: Revolution, a 12-part series by
In the battle that followed, it became clear that Henry Bendix had gained control over Midnighter through a Trojan Horse strategy which delivered nanites into Midnighter's body. Midnighter fought with Jenny and then Apollo, regaining clarity for just long enough to beg Apollo to kill him if he got the chance. Apollo refused and was defeated, but Jenny was able to engage Midnighter for long enough for the Engineer to remove the mind-control implants and restore Midnighter.
Earth-50
In 2006–2007,
- "Because Majestic is more or less the Superman analogue from Wildstorm. Of all the Wildstorm characters, I wanted Apollo in the book and, with Superman spoken for, the best match we could come up with was The Ray due to the solar-powered connection. It doesn't necessarily mean Apollo is a Ray analogue, just that Monarch grouped him together with the other two".[2]
Final Crisis #7 depicts Apollo and
World's End
The 2008 Number of the Beast Wildstorm miniseries described the devastation of Earth and set the scene for a new Authority ongoing series, World's End, by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. In this series, Apollo is separated from Midnighter and the rest of the Authority when a thick layer of smog covers the Earth, preventing sunlight from reaching the surface. Apollo is forced to remain in the photosphere to absorb the radiation he needs to survive, visiting the surface only briefly to help the team. While on the surface, environmental conditions sap his powers, giving him a gaunt appearance and limiting his ability to fight.
He is later infected by the Warhol Fever, a superpower-inducing virus, that evolves and becomes sentient by incubating in his body. Claiming to be The Burn, the virus overrides his mind and attempts to escape into The Bleed. The Authority is forced to put Apollo in suspended animation, frozen and in an anaerobic room to keep the infection from spreading. He is eventually cured when Midnighter feeds him a piece of fruit he receives from the Century Baby, Gaia Rothstein.
When the Authority reorganises and takes the Carrier into space, Apollo elects to stay on Earth, as he might be powerless during extended space travel. Midnighter stays with him.
The New 52
Following the events of
Beginning with the new Midnighter series of 2015, Apollo and Midnighter are no longer a couple, due to conflicts over Midnighter's violent nature. They remain friends, however, with Midnighter sending Apollo a photo of himself as a boy when he discovers a file on his secret origin.
DC: Rebirth
The character appears again along with his boyfriend,
Writer
Powers and abilities
Apollo's powers include superhuman strength, flight, and near invulnerability (the character has been shown entering a lava flow to deactivate a volcano, and walking on the surface of the Sun). His eyes are constructed to concentrate solar energy into laser-like blasts. Apollo can also release his solar energy from other parts of his body (hands, mouth, etc.) or in an omnidirectional flare, but these moves are taxing. He can fly fast enough to circle the globe in just under 30 seconds.
Like Superman, Apollo's powers are dependent on sunlight, but Apollo's powers diminish rapidly when he is not exposed to sunlight whereas Superman's powers diminish at a negligibly slow rate. From the point of exhaustion, he can regain the capacity for flight from 20 seconds of sun exposure. Two hours in sunlight restores him to full capacity. Transporting (using the Carrier's 'Door' system) into close proximity with the Sun allows him to recharge more quickly.
Since Apollo's energy derives entirely from the sun, he can survive in anaerobic environments indefinitely. He was shown in early issues of The Authority flying without protective equipment in space, explaining he could do so by the simple method of not breathing. He also does not require food or drink, though he apparently enjoys both.
Apollo has been described a number of times as a Majestic-class superhuman, suggesting that his powers are near the level of
Alternative versions
Wildstorm Winter Special 2005
In Wildstorm Winter Special 2005, a story called Apollo & Midnighter: Two Dangerous Ideas features their alternate reality analogues, Pluto and Daylighter, with inverted color schemes to match. At first the real Midnighter believed that Daylighter was homophobic, but later learned that Pluto and Daylighter were a former couple that had broken up.
Gen13
In Gen13 vol. 4 #11 (written by Gail Simone), a teenage version of Apollo is a part of a team called "The Authori-teens" named Kid Apollo in the town of Tranquility, a fictional town in California. He and the teenage Midnighter, Daybreaker, would not appear to be out of the closet, although their romantic feelings for one another are still apparent.
Midnighter
In Midnighter #6, an alternate universe single-issue story set in feudal Japan, Apollo appeared as a peaceable but skillful swordsman and lover of a samurai Midnighter.
See also
References
- ^ Emmet Furey, "Homosexuality in Comics – Part I" Comic Book Resources, 16 July 2007
- ^ Champagne Wishes 2.0: Arena #2 Blogger.com
- ^ Flashpoint (vol. 3) #1 (September 2011)
- ^ Stormwatch (vol. 3) #1 (September 2011)
- ^ Midnighter and Apollo #1-6 (December 2016-May 2017)
- The Advocate. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ The New 52: Futures End #4 (2014)
External links
- The Apollo action figure
- Apollo character writeup
- The Authority team member listings
- Reaction to the "Nativity" storyline
- Interview with Mark Millar on the Apollo rape scene