Vanguard #2

History

Vanguard as a character predates Image Comics entirely: co-creators Gary Carlson and Erik Larsen introduced him in Carlson's self-published anthology Megaton in 1983, making it Larsen's first professional comics work. When Larsen co-founded Image in 1992 and launched Highbrow Entertainment as his studio imprint, he and Carlson retooled Vanguard for the new shared universe, launching the six-issue 1993 mini-series — though internal text in the final issue suggests it was originally conceived as an ongoing. Issue #2, cover-dated November 1993, was written by Carlson with Jason Pearson on pencils and Karl Story on inks for the main story, and featured a backup by Carlson, Chris Ecker, and Rob Haynes; Larsen and Jannie Wong shared editorial duties throughout the run.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance of Modem (real name Stacy Swan): a scientist at Loop University who is accidentally transformed into a superpowered technokinetic villain when Vanguard materializes inside her teleportation laboratory during Wally's rescue attempt.
• First appearance of Lurch: the shape-shifting Morphling drone used by Wally as a decoy to impersonate Vanguard in his prison cell, enabling the escape attempt that goes wrong and triggers Stacy Swan's transformation.
• The backup story, written by Gary Carlson and Chris Ecker with art by Rob Haynes, introduces Johnny Lee Raeburn and depicts his alien encounter aboard the NASA 'Seeker' spacecraft — the origin event for the villain Deathwatch, who would later appear as an antagonist in the Image volume of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Main story credits: Gary Carlson (writer/co-creator), Jason Pearson (penciller), Karl Story (inker), Brad Vancata (colorist), Chris Eliopoulos (letterer), Erik Larsen (co-creator/editor), Jannie Wong (editor).
• The issue includes two bonus pin-ups: a Vanguard & Modem piece by Jason Pearson, and a Vanguard solo pin-up by Tomm Coker and Jim Sinclair.
• The Vanguard character originated in Gary Carlson's pre-Image anthology Megaton (1983), co-created with Erik Larsen — making the Image series a deliberate continuity reboot rather than a continuation, with Supreme replacing Mighty Man as the hero who initially defeats and imprisons Vanguard.
• Roxanne Wells, the reporter who inadvertently ends up teleported to Vanguard's ship when Wally locks onto his missing translator helmet, continues her role as the series' central human supporting character, deepening the comedic-misunderstanding dynamics that drive the first arc.
• The six-issue series was apparently intended to be an ongoing before various production challenges — including a revolving door of artists — led to it being concluded as a mini-series, with the Vanguard character continuing in Savage Dragon, Freak Force, and eventually Vanguard: Strange Visitors.

Cast · 18 characters

Full credits