Savage Dragon #102
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSavage Dragon #102 (August 2002) holds a firm place in Image Comics history as the earliest published comic to carry a preview of Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker's Invincible — a five-page sequence that is effectively the opening pages of Invincible #1, introducing Mark Grayson, his mother Debbie, and his alter ego a full five months before the series launched in January 2003. The issue also marks the debut of Mother Mayhem, herald to the cosmic Devourer of Worlds, a villain whose introduction escalated the scale of Erik Larsen's long-running narrative at a pivotal moment. Because Invincible went on to anchor Image's superhero revival and spawn an acclaimed Amazon animated series, this issue functions as the tangible starting point for one of the most significant superhero franchises to emerge from the independent comics world in the twenty-first century.
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The issue was written and illustrated entirely by Erik Larsen — Image Comics co-founder and Savage Dragon's sole ongoing auteur — with colors by Reuben Rude and letters by Chris Eliopoulos, following the consistent creative arrangement that had defined the series from its earliest days. The five-page Invincible preview tucked into the back of the issue was produced by Kirkman and Cory Walker as promotional material for what Image was positioning as the flagship title of a deliberate new-superhero-line relaunch; Walker had been developing the character alongside Kirkman after the two collaborated on the indie Battle Pope. The issue also contains a 'Comic Bits' strip by Chris Giarrusso, a recurring comedic feature that appeared throughout the Savage Dragon run during this era. Larsen's choice to host the Invincible preview in Savage Dragon — his own title — reflects both the collegial cross-pollination that characterized the early-2000s Image Universe and his institutional role in shepherding new talent onto the platform.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Contains the earliest published preview of Invincible — a five-page sequence presenting Mark Grayson (Invincible), Debbie Grayson, and Omni-Man (Nolan Grayson) — predating the next known Invincible preview (Tech Jacket #1, November 2002) by three months and the series launch (Invincible #1, January 2003) by five months.
- Invincible was co-created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Cory Walker; Walker drew the first seven issues of the ongoing series before Ryan Ottley assumed ongoing art duties.
- First appearance of Mother Mayhem (also known as Afterbirth), the herald of the cosmic Devourer of Worlds, who becomes a recurring threat in the Savage Dragon mythology.
- First appearance of Universo, another new villain introduced in the same issue.
- The issue carries two separate stories: 'Child Warfare' (12 pages, set in the Savage World) and 'Suffer the Children' (10 pages, set in the Image Universe), both written and drawn by Erik Larsen with colors by Reuben Rude and letters by Chris Eliopoulos.
- In 'Suffer the Children,' Debbie Harris (from the Darkworld continuity) dies in the story — a notable character death within the ongoing Malcolm Dragon subplot.
- Collector and database sources identify this as the first cameo/preview appearance of several Invincible supporting cast members as well, including Debbie Grayson and Omni-Man in their published comics debut.
Cast · 28 characters
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