‘Minor Threats’ and the history of supervillain protagonists in comics
It wasn’t a superhero that launched publisher DC Comics, but rather a supervillain; when Detective Comics (the initials of which give DC its name) debuted in 1937, its cover featured a menacing Asian character resembling the iconic literary supervillain Dr. Fu Manchu. Since then, supervillains have starred in numerous comics, and the excellent Dark Horse Comics series Minor Threats is the latest comic to feature supervillain protagonists.
In the first issue of Minor Threats, paroled ex-supervillain Frankie Follis works at dive bar the Lower Lair, a Twilight City hangout for low-level supervillains like Brain Tease, Pigeon Pete, and Scalpel. Frankie is trying to reform; back in the day, she worked with her criminal mother Toy Queen as the sidekick Playtime, using her skills to build animated toys to aid their crimes.
Frankie wants a fresh start, but her past keeps her from finding a decent job and reconnecting with her young daughter, Maggie; Frankie also has a troubled relationship with her mother, an old woman obsessed with her legacy and proud of the criminal career her daughter shuns. To make matters worse, the supervillain Stickman has killed the sidekick of superhero the Insomniac, and Twilight City’s superheroes are cracking down on every supervillain in hopes of finding Stickman.
To end the superheroes’ shakedown, Frankie proposes that her criminal associates use their expertise to kill Stickman. Crafted by writers Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum, and artist Scott Hepburn (with colors by Ian Herring and letters by Nate Piekos), the comic’s first issue sets up an interesting premise that features supervillain protagonists; while superhero comics mostly celebrate heroic characters, there is a rich history of American comics that showcase supervillains.
Arguably the first supervillain to headline a comic was Fu Manchu; debuting in a 1912 prose story written by Sax Rohmer, the Chinese villain sought to take over the world, and the character’s popularity — a reflection of the racial “Yellow Peril” fears of this period — led to a series of prose novels and appearances in other media, such as radio and comics. Artist Leo O’Mealia adapted Rohmer’s Fu Manchu novels into a comic strip that was collected, along with other strips, in the 1936 publication Wow — What a Magazine! As noted above, the commercial success of Fu Manchu likely inspired the racially cartoonish Asian villain depicted on Detective Comics #1, and O’Mealia’s strip was later serialized in Detective Comics beginning with issue seventeen.
Another notable early comics supervillain featured in a strip is Madam Satan; the deceased femme fatale is returned to Earth and granted supernatural powers (which include a fatal kiss and uncanny seductiveness) by Satan so that she can corrupt and destroy men. The character’s strip, published by MLJ Comics (later Archie Comics) was discontinued after six installments; Madam Satan has the distinction of being replaced by the iconic teen humor character Archie Andrews, but she has since appeared in recent horror comics.
In 1954, comic book publishers responded to public outcry over the perceived negative impact of horror and crime comics on children by adopting a self-censoring Comics Code. Among other restrictions, the Comics Code mandated that “crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal”; crimes were to be “depicted as a sordid and unpleasant activity”; and criminals were not to be “presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates a desire for emulation.” It would be decades before supervillains were again showcased in their own comics.
In 1971, revisions to the Code allowed for depictions of “vampires, ghouls and werewolves” and softened Code restrictions regarding portrayals of villains, requiring that they “not be presented in glamorous circumstances, unless an unhappy end results from their ill-gotten gain, and creates no desire for emulation.”
Taking advantage of these loosened restrictions, in 1972, Marvel Comics published The Tomb of Dracula, featuring the iconic literary vampire villain Dracula. With writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan, the comic became a well-regarded, morally complex horror series that stood out from Marvel’s superhero titles.
In 1975, Marvel published Super-Villain Team-Up, presenting villains Dr. Doom and the Sub-Mariner fighting an assortment of heroes and rival villains. The series would run bi-monthly until its conclusion in 1980.
Also in 1975, DC published The Joker, starring the eponymous murderous nemesis of the superhero Batman. The series struggled to navigate the restrictions of the Comics Code and suffered from inconsistent creative teams; the series ended after nine issues. In 1976, DC published The Secret Society of Super-Villains, featuring criminal characters like Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd, Darkseid, and Sinestro, among others; the series lasted 15 issues.
In 1987, DC launched Suicide Squad with writer John Ostrander and various artists; the popular, long-running series showcased incarcerated supervillains recruited by the U.S. government to neutralize superhuman threats in exchange for reduced prison sentences, although these missions carry a high risk of death. The series ran for 66 issues, with subsequent revivals, and has inspired two live-action films.
As the restrictions of the Comics Code waned and eventually disappeared, villainous protagonists became more frequent. Marvel’s Thunderbolts title debuted in 1996, featuring villains posing as heroes in a scheme to gain public trust. DC’s 2008 Secret Six series sees a team of villains go up against more morally repugnant characters. Writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo deftly examine prominent DC villains in Lex Luthor: Man of Steel (2005) and Joker (2008).
Comics created by writer Mark Millar, in collaboration with various artists — Wanted (2003), Nemesis (2010), and Supercrooks (2012) — all feature supervillain protagonists. Writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips’ Incognito (2008) is a noir exploration of the life of an ex-supervillain in a witness protection program. In 2002, Brubaker also crafted an acclaimed Catwoman series with various artists, including the celebrated Darwyn Cooke.
DC is currently publishing a Black Adam series by writer Christopher Priest and artist Rafa Sandoval, featuring the titular character who debuted in comics as an antagonist to Captain Marvel/Shazam; a movie is set to release this year starring Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam.
In addition to the comics discussed above, there are numerous other titles that showcase supervillains, an indication of their popularity. Unlike superhero protagonists, who generally act nobly and unselfishly, the moral ambiguity and questionable motives of supervillains drive interesting, uncertain narratives as the villains take action. Supervillains also present creators with the challenge of making an unlawful, morally unsavory character relatable to readers.
In Minor Threats, the creative team makes good use of this story potential. Frankie is an engaging character not just because of her colorful past, but because she is working so hard to put it behind her. She wants to reform, but lives in a society that makes such efforts very hard, with only her criminal associates giving her such an opportunity (a strong commentary on the real-world challenges of parole and recidivism).
Frankie notes that the superheroes help the more prosperous regions of Twilight City, while shunning the economically distressed Redport neighborhood she calls home, highlighting real-world concerns regarding how economic factors and the societal neglect of whole communities can encourage crime.
And the contrast between Stickman and the working-class criminal crew Frankie assembles provides a classic narrative device found in supervillain-focused comics — the morally ambiguous bad guys have to confront a worse, morally repugnant, irredeemably evil villain.
The artwork of Hepburn and Herring captures the story’s poignant character moments, while also providing lush details of Frankie’s world; little artistic details, like costume masks hanging over the bar and kaiju guts on the streets, make the comic’s setting well-realized and engaging.
Minor Threats features compelling characters and gorgeous eye-catching art, offering readers an emotional story with superhuman action; this series is an excellent addition to the multitude of comics that feature supervillain protagonists.
NOTES AND FURTHER READING:
DISCLOSURE: As works published by DC Comics are referenced in the above article, it should be disclosed that the article’s author is a former DC Comics contributor. There are no current financial arrangements between the author and DC Comics.
Minor Threats #1 (Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Scott Hepburn, et al.; Dark Horse Comics, August 2022)
Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Trial by Fire (John Ostrander, et al.; DC Comics, 2015)[This collection contains the first eight issues of the 1987 Suicide Squad series, and Secret Origins #14.]
American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s (Edited by Jason Sacks and Keith Dallas; TwoMorrows Publishing, 2014)[This source contains information regarding The Tomb of Dracula and The Joker series discussed above.]
American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s (Bill Schelly; TwoMorrows Publishing, 2013) [This source contains information regarding the original 1954 Comics Code language quoted above.]
The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood (Edited by Gina Misiroglu and Michael Eury; Visible Ink Press, 2006)
“Comics Code Revision of 1971” (www.cbldf.org) [This post from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund site contains information regarding the revised Comics Code discussed above.]
Pep Comics 16–21 (MLJ Comics/Archie Comics, 1941) [The Digital Comic Museum site (digitalcomicmuseum.com) has scans of comics (but not necessarily characters) believed to be in the public domain; scanned copies of the Madam Satan strip in Pep Comics can be found at this site.]
Attention, Secret Dictionary Club members — use Code Seven to decipher the following message: DL OHCL ILLU BUHISL AV SVJHAL AOL HNLUAZ DOV BZLK VBY LEWLYPTLUAHS PUCPZPIPSPAF ZLYBT.
POST-CREDITS SCENE:
THE BLACK TERROR WILL RETURN…
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