Aquila

A Roman gladiator-slave who cheats death through a sinister pact with ancient gods, Aquila is cursed with dark immortality and unholy power, battling his way across a brutal Roman Empire in this sword-and-sorcery series set in the ancient world.

Born in the pages of 2000 AD's 2012 Christmas Annual, Aquila is a Modern Age creation from the formidable team of Al Ewing and John Higgins — a character who made their debut in one of British comics' most beloved anthologies and carved out a distinctive niche within Rebellion's celebrated stable. Running through the mid-2010s, this is a character who shares their world with some of 2000 AD's heaviest hitters, rubbing shoulders across issues with Judge Dredd himself, Chief Judge Hershey, and the intriguingly named Ichabod Azrael. With 31 catalogued appearances spread across both the main 2000 AD title and its Christmas Annual, Aquila may not be the most voluminous presence in the Tharg's universe, but the pedigree — Ewing's sharp storytelling, Higgins's vivid art — makes every appearance worth seeking out for any serious collector of British comics' modern era.