Savage Dragon

AUTHOR: Larsen, Erik; Eliopoulos, Chris

ARTIST: Erik Larsen (illustrator); Chris Eliopoulos (penciller, inker, and letterer); Nikos Koutsis (penciller, inker, colorist, and letterer); Jose Arenas (colorist); Antonia Kohl (colorist); Xan Micka (colorist); Abel Mouton (colorist); Steve Oliff (colorist); Lea Rude (colorist); Reuben Rude (colorist); Mike Toris (colorist); Gregory Wright (colorist); John Zaia (colorist); William Zindel (colorist); Bill Crabtree (colorist and cover artist); Tom Orzechowski (letterer); John Workman (letterer)

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

FIRST SERIAL PUBLICATION: 1992; 1993-

FIRST BOOK PUBLICATION: 1996-

Publication History

The character of Savage Dragon is based on one creator Erik Larsen would sketch when he was a child. He toyed with renditions of the character known as Dragon before the official launch of The Savage Dragon in 1992. Early manifestations of Dragon appeared during the 1980’s in Larsen’s self-published series Graphic Fantasy and Megaton. However, the character’s continuity, as part of the Image Comics Universe, came in The Savage Dragon three-issue miniseries in 1992. The popularity of the miniseries helped to secure a series that, as of 2011, was still running.

Between 1991 and 1992, Erik Larsen and other comics creators, including Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefield, left major publishers DC Comics and Marvel Comics to form their own comics publishing house that guaranteed rights and protection for the creators. The Savage Dragon was the first title Larsen launched with Image and is second only to Spawn (1992- ) as the longest-running Image Comics series. Larsen has one of the longest tenures of any artist or writer on a full-color comics series. Larsen’s run with The Savage Dragon has not been without some challenges, particularly during his stint as the publisher of Image Comics from 2004 to 2008. Though he continued to work on The Savage Dragon during this time, there were often time gaps in the monthly series.

Plot

Discovered in a burning field by Lieutenant Frank Darling, Dragon has no recollection of his past. Darling enlists him to fight crime in Chicago against a rising wave of “superfreaks” (superpowered villains) and help him root out the Vicious Circle, a major crime syndicate of superfreaks. However, in manipulating Dragon into joining the police, Darling himself becomes a pawn of the Vicious Circle. Thus, the major ongoing story arc of the series concerns Dragon attempting to destroy the Vicious Circle while trying to figure out who he is; all the while, Darling loans him to other departments around the country. Dragon’s transience leads to a range of collaborations with other characters in the Image Comics Universe and beyond, such as with Mirage Studios’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Dragon is added to Freak Force, a collection of superpowered characters, to fight the increasing super-freak threats in Chicago and beyond. Though the team does not last, Dragon develops a relationship with the team member Rapture, who later has his child (unknowingly to Dragon). Eventually, Dragon does manage to confront and kill Overlord, the leader of Vicious Circle, but not without significant collateral damage to people and to his waning reputation.

Dragon soon finds himself on another team, the government-run Special Operations Strikeforce (S.O.S.). Shortly into Dragon’s tenure with the group, the members encounter Darklord, a tyrant of a parallel, decaying Earth who is trying to infiltrate Dragon’s Earth. In the battle with Darklord on the alternate Earth, Rapture is killed and Dragon and another team member, Jennifer Murphy, also known as Smasher, must find their way back to their Earth without their team. The adventures lead them to other planets and eventually back to Earth and Chicago, specifically, where an epic showdown with an evil mystic bonds the bodies of Dragon and William Johnson. While lacking the inherent power of the Dragon, Johnson and Dragon attempt to solve lesser crimes while She-Dragon, a prior companion of Dragon, protects Chicago. Upon being returned to his body, Dragon dates Jennifer Murphy, who, like previous partners, is ultimately killed by Dragon’s enemies. Dragon adopts Murphy’s child, Angel.

Later, Dragon comes to discover not only that Jennifer is alive, but also that Rapture’s child is alive and is known as Malcolm. Dragon encounters a series of increasingly fantastic challenges from another Darklord, evil politicians, and a planet-destroying being. Just as events simmer down, Murphy is presumed dead again and Dragon is left to care for the two superpowered children. This turn of events leads him back to the police force, and soon enough, another Overlord has arisen within the Vicious Circle.

When a superfreak with the power to absorb the life force of another being attacks Dragon, the result turns the superfreak into a replica of Dragon; Dragon is temporarily knocked out of commission, while Malcolm and Angel defend of the city in his stead. Injured seriously by a series of confrontations and mortal wounds, Dragon eventually recovers, but with his full memory intact, including events prior to the fire. He reveals that Dragon was Emperor Kurr, an alien despot who wanted to lay siege to Earth to make his home but who was sabotaged by two of his own race. As Kurr, Dragon sets to destroying the world, only to be destroyed by Damien Darklord. In Dragon’s wake, Malcolm and Angel seek to keep the balance within Chicago.

Volumes

•Savage Dragon: A Force to Be Reckoned With (1996). Collects issues 1-6 of the ongoing series. Dragon teams with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, meets Rapture, and makes progress in determining how to strike the Vicious Circle, with Darling finally onboard in the mission to get the Overlord.

•Savage Dragon: The Fallen (1997). Collects issues 7-11. Dragon loses a battle with Overlord and is significantly hurt. His recovery reveals his ability to regenerate. His relationship with Rapture moves forward and he comes face-to-face with the Fiend.

•Savage Dragon: A Talk with God (1997). Collects issues 27-33. Rapture reveals she is pregnant with Dragon’s child. Dragon is sucked into Hell to battle the Fiend and witness a battle between God and the Devil before returning to Earth. He discovers that his child died in birth.

•Savage Dragon: Possessed (1998). Collects issues 12-16 and WildC.A.T.s, issue 14. Under the mind control of Horde, Dragon destroys Chicago. After battling Mace, Dragon comes to his senses and realizes the death and destruction he has caused.

•Savage Dragon: Revenge (1999). Collects issues 17-21. Dragon battles the Dragon Slayer, a machine created by a newspaper editor gone mad. This volume also contains an epic showdown between Dragon and Overlord, with Dragon emerging as the victor.

•Savage Dragon: Gang War (2000). Collects issues 22-26. With Overlord dead and Dragon severely injured, the city is left in chaos, as rival groups vie for power. Dragon recovers slowly, while Cyberface emerges as the new leader of Vicious Circle.

•Savage Dragon: Baptism of Fire (2002). Collects the original three-issue miniseries and an excerpt from Image Comics, issue 0. Dragon battles to discover his identity and his destiny while pulling his life together after awakening in a burning field with no memory of his past.

•Savage Dragon/Hellboy (2002). Collects issues 34-35. Brainiape calls upon the undead legions to cause havoc for Dragon and Hellboy. With the help of Hellboy’s team, the two finally catch and destroy Brainiape.

•Savage Dragon: This Savage World (2002). Collects issues 76-81. Dragon awakens in a dark version of Earth, where he is wanted by Vicious Circle, Martians, and Atlanteans. He slips in and out of each group while encountering parallel versions of his friends.

•Savage Dragon: Terminated (2003). Collects issues 34-40. Dragon is captured by Cyberface, who crucifies him and causes Dragon’s companions to launch a full assault on Vicious Circle. Dragon wins but is suspended from the police force, from which he eventually quits. He joins the government team S.O.S.

•Savage Dragon: Worlds at War (2003). Collects issues 41-46. S.O.S. is sent to deal with an alternative Earth trying to take over the primary Earth. Rapture is killed. Dragon and Jennifer Murphy are stuck in the parallel universe and must find a way back to their original Earth.

•Savage Dragon: Endgame (2004). Collects issues 47-52. Dragon returns to Chicago to help end Vicious Circle. During the fighting, Cyberface is killed and Dragon kills Horde. Then, Dragon is obliterated by Abner Cadaver and She-Dragon serves as the story’s center for a few issues.

•Savage Dragon: Resurrection (2005). Collects issues 53-58. Dragon is bound to William Johnson, and the two go about fighting crime in a limited fashion, aiding She-Dragon. Eventually, Dragon regains his body but not with the death of Johnson.

•Savage Dragon: United We Stand (2010). Collects issues 139-144. Dragon must join with other major Image heroes to defeat Solar Man, who has gone mad and is destroying everything in sight.

•Savage Dragon: Back in Blue (2010). Collects issues 145-150. Returning to the Chicago police, Dragon tries to balance family life with the emergence of a new Overlord. This volume also contains the Dragon’s story before awaking from the fire.

•Savage Dragon: Identity Crisis (2010). Collects issues 151-156. Dragon’s consciousness moves into a psychopath, and his body is used to fuel an army of demented Dragons for the Overlord.

•Savage Dragon: Dragon War (2010). Collects issues 157-162. Dragon returns to eliminate the nefarious dragons, but he has reclaimed his previous memories as the world conqueror, Emperor Kurr. His menacing ferocity leads the New Overlord and others to band together to fight Kurr.

•Savage Dragon: Emperor Dragon (2011). Collects issues 163-168. Kurr destroys life on Earth. Dragon’s consciousness pleads for Damien Darklord to undo Kurr’s actions. With Earth saved, Darklord also kills Dragon’s consciousness, leaving Malcolm Dragon to carry on the mantle.

Characters

•Savage Dragon, the protagonist, is a large, green-scaled alien with a fin on his head. For much of the series, he acts as a police officer and hero, protecting the citizens of Chicago with superstrength and superspeed. He also possesses the ability to heal fast.

•Lieutenant Frank Darling is the police lieutenant who hired Dragon for the police force. Though he had to work as Overlord’s spy for a while, he was a close ally of Dragon until Darling’s death.

•Alex Wilde, the police officer originally paired with Dragon, was close with Dragon throughout the series. Wilde departed when it became clear that nothing romantic would become of the two.

•Overlord, the leader of the Vicious Circle and major antagonist to Dragon, maintains power largely through his armor and ruthless tactics. There have been at least three Overlords: Antonio Seghetti, Vic Nixon, and an unknown user.

•Rapture, a fellow superfreak, is Dragon’s lover early on and can generate and absorb large amounts of electricity. She gave birth to Dragon’s son, Malcolm, before later being killed by Darklord.

•Jennifer Murphy, a fellow teammate on S.O.S., has superhuman strength and nearly indestructible skin. Besides working with Dragon, she later became his wife, only to be killed. Her daughter, Angel, was adopted by Dragon.

•She-Dragon, a friend and crime-fighting partner to Dragon, is woman who at times appears very similar in appearance to Dragon, with green scales and a fin head, though her power is derived from other sources. At times, she fills in for Dragon when he is missing.

•Malcolm Dragon, son of Dragon, is similar in appearance and ability to Dragon, but he has the additional power to generate electricity like his mother, Rapture. After Dragon’s death, he takes up the heroic role of his father.

•Angel Murphy, daughter of Jennifer Murphy, is normal in appearance but has superhuman strength and invulnerability like her mother. She was adopted by Dragon after her mother’s murder and now works with Malcolm to fight crime in Chicago.

Artistic Style

As the major contributor to the art throughout the entire series, Larsen has been rather consistent. His style represents the superhero genre art of the 1980s and 1990s, with increasingly disproportionate bodies, particularly for heroes and sexualized females. In the later issues, his art has become evocative of Jack Kirby’s work, with thick lines, emphatic action, and extensive onomatopoeia. Larsen switches back and forth from white and black paper, depending on the emotional setting of the narrative. Exposition or lighter moods will often be planted on white paper, while tense moments and climactic battle scenes have the black background.

Overall, Larsen’s work is not particularly cutting edge, but it is highly effective for the genre. He keeps a strong balance between prose and action, rarely inundating panels with words but not making the comic so light on words that one moves through it in minutes. His best work is usually found in action scenes and battles, but he can also create emotional atmosphere for characters. He regularly makes use of splash-pages for the pitched moment within the story. His panel positioning is mixed well within any given issue, employing standard layout but also playing with a variety of panel juxtapositions and overlaps, though he largely steers clear of experimentation. At times, his covers have invoked other series, or have even referenced previous covers in the series, and have largely been done by him or with an assistant.

The major deviation from Larsen’s style is the occasional added chapters at the end of individual comics. He has enlisted other writers and artists to write short stories in a variety of artistic styles that purposefully differ from Larsen’s approach.

Themes

A major driving element until issue 150 was the uncertainty of Dragon’s identity. This question went largely unresolved and was left lingering in the minds of many. This seemed contrary to most standard superheroes, whose origin would be established often in the first year, never mind the first decade.

One of the reoccurring motifs is the line between good and evil. Many times, Dragon serves as judge, jury, and executioner over the villains he battles. This is in contrast to his own experiences, where, possessed by someone or something, he commits significant violence and destruction. Additionally, moral ambiguity is what pushes Darling to manipulate Dragon into the police force. This question of right and wrong is further emphasized when it is discovered that the “real” Dragon is a ruthless emperor who had wanted to destroy Earth but was sabotaged by his crew. This turn of events resulted in him continually defending Earth from destruction.

Love and death are also intertwined within the series. From early on, Dragon’s lovers are often killed by his nemeses, either intentionally or by accident. Any attempt to have a family or love becomes the moment at which tragedy hits for Dragon.

The three themes also work together to illustrate the theme of the outsider. Besides his outward appearance, which provides fodder for jokes through the series, no one knows where he is from, and he has committed acts of violence that further alienate him. Being an outsider as well as losing a string of lovers makes Dragon a lonely creature.

Impact

The Savage Dragon is among the first series launched by Image Comics, a fledgling publisher in 1992 that would become the third highest-selling comics publisher by the end of the decade. Early on, The Savage Dragon received moderate acclaim from fans and comics magazines such as Wizard. As a series, it has been recognized as one of the longest-running series with the same writer and artist. It builds upon many different ideas about the postmodern superhero (first introduced in the 1980s with Alan Moore’s Watchmen and Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns). However, perhaps the most interesting aspect of The Savage Dragon is the lack of the main character’s origin story for more than seventeen years.

Television Series

The Savage Dragon. Directed by Craig Wilson. Lacewood Productions/Universal Cartoon Studios, 1995-1996. This animated series starred Jim Cummings as the voice of Savage Dragon, Kath Soucie as the voice of Alex Wilde, and Tony Jay as the voice of the Overlord. The show largely overlapped the series; Larsen served as a writer for twenty-five of the twenty-six episodes. The biggest difference between the comics series and the television series is the level of violence and language.

Further Reading

Bendis, Brian Michael, and Michael Avon Oeming. Powers (2000- ).

Kirkman, Robert, et al. Invincible (2003- ).

McFarlane, Todd. Spawn (1992- ).

Bibliography

Khoury, George. Image Comics: The Road to Independence. Raleigh, N.C.: TwoMorrows, 2007.

Lopes, Paul D. Demanding Respect: The Evolution of the American Comic Book. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2009.

Wolk, Douglas. Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean. Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2007.