Lucifer (DC Comics)
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Template:Superherobox Lucifer is a comic book published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.
The series concerns the adventures on Earth (and beyond) of the fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar, who had abandoned his lordship over Hell earlier in the related series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. While Lucifer had previously appeared in various stereotypical guises in earlier DC books, Gaiman's version was unique and premised on English poet and prose writer John Milton's Paradise Lost. In the Sandman series, Lucifer had ruled as lord of Hell for ten billion years. Over that time, he had manipulated the various demons of Hell against each other, provided a place for dead mortals to be tormented, and lead the war against Heaven. However, at some point during his rule, he had become bored with his existence. He became tired of the different sterotypes that mortals held of the devil, such as the idea that he purchased and traded for souls, that were largely untrue. He had become tired of his reign over Hell, and felt it an unfair punishment that he should have to rule there forever simply because he once rebelled. He then expelled all demons and damned souls from Hell before locking Hell's gates and handing over the key to Hell to Dream of the Endless, the title character of The Sandman series. Eventually, control of Hell was handed over to two Angels, Duma and Remiel, while Lucifer simply retired to Earth.
Written by Mike Carey, Lucifer's story continues where he improbably runs a piano bar called "Lux" in Los Angeles with the assistance of his demonic female consort, Mazikeen. He is portrayed as sophisticated and almost charming, similar to the stereotypical Christian devil. Beneath his charisma, however, Lucifer is a deadly and Machiavellian character, with no regard for human life or indeed anyone or anything but himself: a proud and vindictive fallen angel who has no qualms using powers second only to those of his father, Yahweh. In fact, during the fourth book of the Sandman series, Lucifer is described as having been the wisest, most beautiful and most powerful of all the angels in heaven. Despite his solipsistic, narcissistic tendencies, he does follow something akin to a code of honor, refusing to lie (which he considers crass and undignified), insisting on paying back debts, and keeping his word.
As the series opened in 1999, Lucifer's "restful" retirement was disturbed by a series of associates from his past, and after various catalytic events, he endeavored to create a universe in competition with (and presumably against the wishes of) his father, Yahweh. This puts him on a collision course with several powerful mystical entities that have a vested interest in the new creation and draws the angelic host into the fray - including his brother, the archangel Michael Demiurgos.
The series, as of March 2006 is still in progress, and has thus far been collected in nine books, with a standalone story (Lucifer: Nirvana) published as a smaller graphic novel. The series will end with issue #75, to be published in June 2006.
Collections
Lucifer has so far been collected in the following volumes:
- Lucifer: The Devil In The Gateway, contains introductory 3-issue miniseries The Sandman Presents: Lucifer, and issues 1-4 of the ongoing series (ISBN 1840232994)
- Lucifer: Children and Monsters, issues 5-13 (ISBN 1840233915)
- Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned, issues 14-20 (ISBN 1840234709)
- Lucifer: The Divine Comedy, issues 21-28 (ISBN 1840236930)
- Lucifer: Inferno, issues 29-35 (ISBN 1401202101)
- Lucifer: Mansions of the Silence, issues 36-41 (ISBN 1401202497)
- Lucifer: Exodus, issues 42-44, 46-49 (ISBN 1401204910)
- Lucifer: The Wolf Beneath the Tree, issues 45, 50-54 (ISBN 140120502X)
- Lucifer: Crux, issues 55-61 (ISBN 1401210058)
- Lucifer: Morningstar, issues 62-69 (ISBN 1401210066)
And also:
- Lucifer: Nirvana, one-shot special