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James Gunn and Peter Safran came barrelling out of the gate today when they announced their upcoming slate for DC Studios. Labeled “Gods and Monsters”, the slate ranges from well-known heroes such as Superman to more obscure heroes such as the Creature Commandos. But one particular announcement stood out: The Authority. Based on the Wildstorm comics by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, The Authority is a marked constrast to the rest of the DC Universe, and provides fertile ground for James Gunn and Peter Safran to expand upon their initial plans.
What Is The Authority?
The Authority was born out of Stormwatch, another title that Ellis had penned. The initial roster consists of hyper-skilled tactician Midnighter; solar fueled powerhouse Apollo; the Engineer, whose blood consists of microscopic nanites; the winged warrior woman Swift; Jack Hawksmoor, whose draws superhuman abilities from cities; and the Doctor (not that Doctor), a shaman connected to the energies of the Earth. Leading them was Jenny Sparks, the electrically powered spirit of the 20th Century.
Sparks formed the Authority to protect the world by any means necessary, and during Ellis & Hitch’s 12-issue run she kept her word. The Authority often used lethal measures to defeat their enemies – and unlike other heroes, they weren’t above causing collateral damage in the process. They answered to no nation, and traveled the world through the interdimensional pocket known as the Bleed. In a way, Ellis and Hitch were presenting their own take on “what if the Justice League existed in the real world?” Taking this even futher, both Midnighter and Apollo are clearly meant to be expies of Batman and Superman, but are in a romantic relationship together – making them two of the most prominent LGBTQ+ superheroes in the genre.
The Authority’s Lasting Impact
The Authority also introduced a number of new techniques into comics, which permeated both Ellis’ future comic work and other entires in the genre. Chief among them was the popularity of the “widescreen” model of comics, where artists would draw pages that resembled the bombastic action that often took place in a summer blockbuster. Hitch excelled at this type of work, and would later carry it over to JLA: Heaven‘s Ladder and The Ultimates (which inspired elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even featured a future Authority writer in Mark Millar.)
But perhaps the biggest influence is in the now-classic Superman story “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” that took place in Action Comics #775. The Man of Steel finds himself face to face with the Elite – a group of vigilantes who, like the Authority, take lethal measures when dealing with enemies. Eventually, the Elite’s leader Manchester Black and Superman come to blows over their differing ideologies, with Superman emerging victorious. Writer Joe Kelly clearly modeled the Elite after the Authority, with Black being British and possessing immense power like Spark did. And like its predecessor, Action Comics #775 grew in popularity to the point where it recieved an animated adapation in Superman VS The Elite. David Ajala would also play Black on Supergirl.
Superman and The Authority
The Authority would recieve a 21st century makeover courtesy of Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin, who penned the Superman and the Authority miniseries. Superman reforms the Authority, which consists of Black, Midnighter, Apollo, the latest iteration of O.M.A.C. (One Man Army Corps), the supersonic Lightray, Natasha Irons – who took up her uncle’s mantle of Steel – and the Enchantress. The Man of Steel was slowly losing his powers, and entrusted the Authority to protect the world in his stead.
Under Superman’s hand, the Authority would travel to Warworld to liberate it from the tyrannical rule of Mongol. While Superman battles in the gladitoral pits, the Authority does everything they can to sabotage Warworld and free its people. Eventually they succeed and Superman is even repowered! Gunn has said that Superman: Legacy, which he is penning, will lead directly into the Authority film – which could mean that he’s drawing inspiration from these comics.
With The Authority, a Wildstorm Is Coming
Gunn & Safran have also said that The Authority would be a stepping stone to introducing more characters from the Wildstorm Universe in live-action and animation. While previous Wildstorm titles, including W.I.L.D.Cats and Gen13, received animated adapatations back in the ’90’s their inclusion in the new DC Studios slate could open up the door for a multitude of films. It’s also a case of life mirroring fiction: in the original Flashpoint miniseries, the Wildstorm and Milestone universes were folded into the main DC Universe. With The Flash set to be a reset for DC Studios, the time is ripe for the Authority and other heroes to take the limelight.
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