Spawn (character)
Albert Francis "Al" Simmons, better known as Spawn, is a fictional antihero appearing in a monthly comic book of the same name published by American company Image Comics, as well as in a number of films, television series, and video game adaptations set in the Image Universe. Created by Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1.
Simmons is a government assassin who died and went to Hell for his crimes against humanity. Following a deal with Malebolgia, Simmons is given new life as a hellspawn and the chance to see his wife Wanda once again. The deal is revealed to be a trick, as Simmons is brought back to life five years after his death, unrecognizable to his wife and missing many of his memories. With little other choice, Simmons adopts his new hell-inspired identity as Spawn in an effort to atone for his past sins and use his newfound powers for good.
The series has spun off several other comic books, including Angela, Curse of the Spawn, Sam & Twitch, and the Japanese manga Shadows of Spawn. Spawn was adapted into a 1997 feature film and portrayed by Michael Jai White, an HBO animated series lasting from 1997 until 1999, a series of action figures from McFarlane Toys, and an upcoming reboot film starring Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner. The character appears in annual compilations, mini-series specials written by guest authors and artists, and numerous crossover storylines in other comic books, including Savage Dragon, Invincible, and three DC Comics crossovers with Batman.
Publication history
Todd McFarlane's hobby of drawing began at an early age, and he created the character Spawn when he was 16, spending "countless hours" perfecting the appearance of each component of the character's visual design.Spawn saw a decent amount of popularity upon its initial release in the early 1990s. Comic book collecting was growing exponentially at the time of ‘’Spawn’s’’ release, fueled by the speculator boom looking for the next hot book that would jump in value after its release. McFarlane had enjoyed superstar status among comic fans with his work on Spider-Man, which had featured McFarlane's name prominently as both writer and artist. McFarlane's subsequent break with Marvel Comics and the formation of Image Comics was seen by many as a sea-change event, changing the way in which comics were produced. Wizard, in May 2008, rated "The Launch of Image Comics" as #1 in the list of events that rocked the comic industry from 1991 to 2008.
The first issue of Spawn was very popular, selling 1.7 million copies. During Spawns second year of publication, Wizard noted that "The top dog at Image is undoubtedly Todd McFarlane's Spawn, which, without the added marketing push of fancy covers, poly bagged issues, or card inserts has become the best-selling comic on a consistent basis that is currently being published." Sales slumped around the time of Spawn #25, but by Spawn #45 it was again a consistently strong seller.
The popularity of the franchise peaked with the 1997 Spawn feature film, the pre-release publicity for which helped make Spawn the top-selling comic book for May 1997; in addition, the spin-off Curse of the Spawn #9 came in at fifth best-selling in that same month. However, the film was only a mild commercial success and failed to start a film franchise based on the character. A 2008 issue, Spawn #174, ranked 99th best-selling comic of the month with retail orders of 22,667. In October 2008, issue #185, which marked both a new creative direction and Todd McFarlane's return to the book, sold out at the distribution level and received a second printing. By issue #191 in May 2009, with estimated sales of 19,803 copies, Spawn had dropped below Top 100 titles sold monthly to comic shops as reported by Diamond Comic Distributors. As of September 2010, Spawn was ranked at #115 in the top 300 sales figures chart reported by Diamond Comic Distributors. On the day of its release in 2011, issue #200 sold out. This issue featured work by Greg Capullo, David Finch, Michael Golden, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, Danny Miki, and Ashley Wood. A second printing was released the next month. It received a negative review from IGN. Spawn
Spawn began a resurgence in popularity as the title approached its 300th issue, with the title once again becoming a fixture in Diamond's Top 100. The 300th issue made Spawn the longest-running independent comic book series of all time.
In 2021, McFarlane expanded his Spawn Universe with 3 new ongoing titles and a one-shot titled Spawn Universe No. 1 which sold 211,000 copies. The first spinoff, titled King Spawn, was released in August 2021 having pre-order sales of 497,000 copies and total sales of 520,000 copies. The next title, released in October 2021, Gunslinger Spawn sold 385,000 copies, which made it the biggest launch for a new ongoing superhero title in 25 years. The final new series, The Scorched, was released in January 2022 and sold more than 270,000 copies.
McFarlane also stated in an interview that he wants Spawn to outlive him the same way characters like Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and even Disney have endured past their creators.
Fictional character biography
Origin
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Albert Francis "Al" Simmons is the second of three siblings. His father, Bernard Simmons, is a traveling salesman, and his mother, Esther Simmons, is a devil worshipper. Al Simmons eventually becomes a highly decorated officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel while serving with Force Recon. He later joins the Secret Service, becomes a high-ranking official, and is recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency. Simmons later joins the U.S. Security Group, an umbrella agency encompassing the CIA, NSA, and NSC, commanded by Director Jason Wynn, and becomes a formidable assassin.During a mission in Botswana, Wynn grows tired of Simmons' increasing sense of morality. As a result of this, Simmons' friend and partner Bruce Stinson is secretly hired to kill him. Simmons is burned to death and sent to Hell. Making a deal with the devil Malebolgia, Simmons agrees to become a Hellspawn. After swearing to serve Malebolgia, he is allowed to see his wife Wanda one last time. Malebolgia returns Simmons to the living realm with a severely burned body, and a demonic guardian named the Violator.
Simmons, now a Hellspawn, returns to Earth with a lack of understanding of his previous identity. He wanders in a state of confusion with only vague memories of his former life, including his own name, his marriage to Wanda and the fact that he was once deceased. Spawn occasionally experiences painful flashbacks and eventually remembers his deal with Malebolgia. Using CIA files, he tracks down his wife and finds her married to his former best friend Terry, with whom she has a daughter named Cyan. He realizes five years have passed since his death.
Spawn runs into a fellow Hellspawn, who informs him that his powers are fueled by Necroplasm and that once they are depleted, he will return to Hell. Not wanting to return to Hell, Spawn attempts to find a new purpose in life while using as little power as possible. Spawn is thrust into several antihero adventures, taking down street gangs and organized crime in New York City. Battling against various criminals, Spawn finds a new purpose in stopping evil.
Early history
In his early battles, Spawn faces street thugs and gangs, becoming a dark, sadistic antihero, and brutally murders the pedophile and child murderer Billy Kincaid. Spawn gains the attention of police detectives Sam Burke and Twitch Williams, and becomes "King of Rat City", a gathering of alleys populated by the city's homeless. There he meets Cogliostro, who knows much about Spawn and becomes his mentor.Spawn is hunted by the warrior angel Angela, who hunts Hellspawns for sport, and battles the cyborg mob enforcer Overt-Kill. He fights the angelic warrior Anti-Spawn, also known as the Redeemer, who is really Jason Wynn.
First metamorphosis
Following a conflict with the Redeemer, Spawn's costume undergoes a significant upgrade. The upgraded suit features a new cape and chains, which are able to change shape. Additionally, the boots and gloves are replaced with spikes. After this transformation, the suit starts feeding off souls.After this, Tony Twist sends a reprogrammed Overt-Kill after Terry, and Spawn is forced to reveal his identity while saving his friend. A well-placed shot from Twitch Williams brings down Overt-Kill. Spawn is part of Angela's trial and later travels to the South and encounters the KKK and an abusive father of two boys. After returning to New York, he is attacked by a new Redeemer, causing his costume to evolve once more. After another encounter with the Curse, the suit sends him to Hell. Malebolgia later sends him back with full control of the suit.
Spawn wears a living symbiotic costume, Leetha of the 7th House of K. While wearing it, the host assumes a dominant role over the suit. His shroud, spikes, chains and skulls are all part of an organism bonded to his central nervous system that protects Spawn even if he is unconscious.
War of Heaven and Hell
Battle for life
As Spawn struggles to find a way to regain control, he notices that the attacks are coming from both Heaven and Hell. Due to increasing attacks, Spawn begins to lose himself to evil. With help from the Heap, an emissary of the Greenworld, Spawn manages to regain his goal. Greenworld, a dimension whose power is equal to both Heaven and Hell, gives new powers to Spawn to better understand the world and its people. These powers seem to give him control of all of the elements in the world.Spawn is later attacked by Urizen. After recovering, Spawn learns the Greenworld has imbued him with a gift, which he uses to contain Urizen by splitting the ground and imprisoning him inside the earth.
After his battle, Spawn learns Malebolgia had caused Urizen's release in an attempt to start Armageddon and conquer the forces of Heaven. Spawn and Angela journey to Hell to stop him. During the battle, Angela mortally wounds Malebolgia, who kills her in retaliation. Consumed with anger, Spawn takes Malebolgia's head.
King of Hell
Upon killing Malebolgia, Spawn learns Hell's throne is rightfully his when it is offered to him by the demon Mammon. After initially refusing, Spawn deliberates with Cogliostro and decides to turn Hell into a new paradise. During this act, Cogliostrio reveals he is Cain, who was the first person to go to Hell, having murdered his brother in envy. His true goal had always been to take over Hell using a Hellspawn. Having betrayed Spawn, Cogliostrio takes the throne but restores his former student's human form as a parting gift.On Earth, Spawn meets Nyx, a young Wiccan that helps him regain his suit. Using trickery, Mammon usurps Nyx's control over Spawn's union with his suit and removing all of Al's memories. Amnesiac, Spawn wanders the Earth. He releases a group of angels called the Forgotten and stays neutral in the war between Heaven and Hell. He discovers Mammon is a member of the Fallen who was sent to Hell.
Spawn in Armageddon
Spawn regains his memories thanks to the power of the Greenworld. His suit evolves once more and seems one with his body. However, as time progresses, he begins to hate himself. Having been rejected by Heaven and Hell, he now lives in an abandoned warehouse as maggots and other insects crawl inside his body. He returns to the Dead Zone, although a Hellspawn would not be welcomed there. Upon entering, Spawn is confronted by the Disciple, who tears his brain out, throws his heart into the Greenworld, and his body into Hell. Mammon captures and tortures Spawn to learn his secrets.When Spawn's heart falls to the Greenworld, a soul is freed. Chris meets with his mother and travels to Hell along with Sam Burke and Twitch Williams to rescue Spawn from Mammon. Spawn escapes and returns to Earth, where signs of Armageddon begin to appear. Looking for a way to stop it, Spawn discovers Wanda's twin children are responsible. He stops them from killing their entire family but cannot destroy them. Zera reveals Jake is God and Katie is Satan.
Due to their hatred of each other and constant fighting, the Mother removed their powers and positions and sent them to Earth. She tells him he cannot stop Armageddon. However, he has the potential to gain the power of a god and preserve the human race.
He has to eat a piece of Forbidden Fruit from the Garden of Eden to gain such power. She tells Spawn he must fight against The Disciple. It is revealed there are 12 Disciples, each one representing one of Jesus. Spawn's power is also weakened because demons cannot enter the Garden. However, with guidance from Cyan, he defeats every Disciple but Judas, who Cyan tells Spawn not to kill. Judas then stabs Spawn in the heart but the Mother gives Spawn a piece of the fruit and resurrects him. He gains an angelic form and greater power.
Spawn returns to Earth, which has been destroyed by Four Horsemen; angels and demons are waiting to fight their final battle. After defeating Zera, Spawn finds dead warriors of Heaven, one of whom is Granny Blake, who is betrayed by her faith. Spawn battles the forces of Satan and God, destroying the forces of Heaven, Hell and humanity. He is then killed by the two, who then fight alone on Earth.
Spawn comes back and resurrects everyone with the knowledge of what happened. He leaves God and Satan to fight in their own little world and closes the doors to Heaven, Hell, and Earth. He asks to be turned into a human by the Mother but later asks to once again become a Hellspawn after remembering that, prior to his first death as Al Simmons, he had beaten Wanda and caused her to miscarry their child. This causes him to conclude he has always been a monster and does not deserve to be human again.
Back in the mortal world
New Clown
After a series of odd murders, Spawn finds the Clown has come back, possessing the body of mortal Barney Saunders, who is having an affair with a woman named Wilma Barbara. Spawn destroys and remakes the world. Saunders is rescued by the Clown so he can use his body. He then brings out the dark urges inside the tenants of an apartment building and uses this to form a doorway to Hell and bring back his brothers. However, before he can form a portal, Wilma shows up and his love for her allows Saunders to take back control. Intending to close the portal, he goes through it, and takes Wilma with him due to being angry over her leaving him in the chute.Zera reappears as a head in a jar. Spawn is summoned by a voodoo priestess named Mambo Suzanne. Zera attempts to take over Nyx's body and fights Spawn. However, she is killed when Suzanne throws Zera's head into the street. Nyx is freed and she and Spawn become friends again.
Ab and Zab create a hell where visitors are forced to view their deepest fears, which are eaten by demons called sin-eaters. While confronting Ab and Zab, Spawn is faced with his own sin against Wanda and his unborn child. Unable to break free from the guilt, Spawn is parasitized by a sin eater. When Nyx interferes, he breaks the sin eater's illusion. Spawn breaks all the other's illusions and comes across Al Simmons' brother Richard.
Spawn decides to allow Richard to feel his sins. Mammon, as Mr. Malefick, had put an influence on Al and Richard Simmons. Only Marc Simmons saved himself from Mammon but was unable to help the others. Richard calls his brothers to help him save the drug dealer's life. Al, instead of calling an ambulance, pulls the knife from Weasel's body and kills him with it. Mammon appears, sending the brothers home while he hides the drug dealer's body.
Nyx and Spawn kill the last sin eater and Spawn discovers Richard cannot remember their parents due to a spell placed by Mammon. Wanting to know more about them, Spawn finds their home under a spell placed by Mammon. His mother planned with Mammon to create the strongest Hellspawn. Al is then given a journal by his father that reveals his ancestor came across a Hellspawn in the past known as the Gunslinger Spawn.
Morana
There, Spawn speaks with Wanda, who cannot forgive Al for the death of their child. However, she still loves the man inside Spawn. Trying to take out Cyan's knife, Spawn somehow suppresses the suit. Cyan and Nyx appear, and K7-Leetha appears and takes over Nyx. Now controlled by the K7, Nyx tries to kill Cyan and Wanda but is halted by Mammon. The entire group goes to a castle, where Mammon explains his plan to make a perfect Hellspawn. He wants the Rapture to occur so Satan, God, and Malebolgia will be gone. He reveals his perfect Hellspawn is Al and Wanda's miscarried child, Morana.After washing herself in virgin's blood, Morana bonds with the uniform and gets ready to consume her parents' souls. Cyan taps into her powers and goes to the future. She talks with an old woman who gives her a message for Al. Returning, she has Spawn summon the last twelve members of the Legion, who are beaten by Morana. Mammon insults Al and disowns Morana. Cyan tells Nyx a spell to trap Mammon and Morana. It works, both demons are sealed away, and the others return home. Al jumps into another dimension to be reborn as a weapon against both heaven and hell.
Endgame
Spawn is soon ready to enter the human dimension. Making his way to the alleys, he blows his head off. Meanwhile, Jim Downing, an amnesiac man healing at a hospital, wakes up. He seems to know Spawn. A janitor tries to make money off Jim's story and calls a lawyer, who later commits suicide. A thug is paid to capture Jim and attacks him with a flaming skull. In the ensuing fight, the hospital is set on fire and Jim transforms into Spawn. After killing his attacker, Jim escapes the burning building in human form, eventually being taken in by firefighters.After being taken to another hospital, he leaves, reunites with his previous nurse Sara, and begins to transform. He calls Sara but leaves before she can see him. Meanwhile, a reporter begins to ask questions about the incident at the hospital. Wandering the city, Jim is attacked and kills his assailants. This draws the attention of Sam and Twitch, who recognize the chaos as Spawn's doings.
After reuniting with Sara and telling him about his transformation, Jim wanders off again and meets Wanda Blake, Al Simmons' ex-wife. She recognizes Jim as the form Al took when he originally returned to earth.
On Wanda's advice, Jim travels to Rat City and finds Spawn's throne and is met by an angel. Jim beats the angel in a fight and leaves. He finds out that a man working for Gilbert Sanchez has been asking questions about him.
The angel Spawn beat is later attacked by Clown, who removes her wings. When Spawn returns, she is powerless and insane and finds Freak and Violator. Despite Freak's warnings, Clown begins to deceive Jim and informs him his suit is a living being and then vanishes. Clown is arrested by Sam and Twitch and meets the leader of a vampire group to attempt to form a unity between the leader, Clown, and Spawn.
Mob members kill Gilbert Sanchez for his information on the new Spawn. Spawn attempts to learn more about Jim but is assaulted and uses his powers on his attacker. Jim later finds the man who had been asking Sara questions. He tracks him to his family's home, which is bombed, killing everyone inside but Spawn. Spawn finds more mob members, questions them further and kills them.
Resurrection
In Resurrection, Spawn is revived and is later told by God in dog form that Wanda has died and is now trapped in Hell, where Al must rescue her. He fights Satan and saves his wife. God and Satan are no longer twins because McFarlane lost the right to use the Man of Miracles character due to a copyright dispute with Marvel. Man of Miracles is retconned out of existence, and God and Satan are based on the Abrahamic story of Creation. After saving Wanda from Satan, she goes to Heaven and Spawn continues to protect the people in Wanda's memory from the forces of both Heaven and Hell, as well as any supernatural threats.Powers and Abilities
Spawn has superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability. He can form metal spikes on his being for defense, conjure up objects, shapeshift, communicate with animal life and transmutate matter. Spawn can also use demonic magic heal and feed off the sins of people, stop time, and teleport. He also has a limit when using necroplasm and exceeding it would cause him to return to hell.In life, Spawn, as Al, was a trained martial artist and weapon master with an expertise in military operations and tactics.
Necroplasm
Necroplasm is a substance from hell and fuel for hellspawns. Spawn can use said necroplasm to create energy blasts.Leetha of the 7th House of K
A symbiote parasite with the ability to adapt that manifests as a suit which conjures demonic chains that Spawn can use as weapons. The red cape can be use to fly and can act as an extra set of limbs to protect Spawn from unexpected attacks.List of comics, spin-offs and crossovers
Original Spin-offs & Crossovers (1994–2021)
ViolatorAngela
Angela & Aria
Angela & Glory
Celestine
Violator vs Badrock
Spawn: Blood Feud
Spawn the Impaler
Medieval Spawn / Witchblade
Curse of the Spawn
Spawn: The Dark Ages
Spawn: Fan Edition
Spawn: Blood and Shadows
Cy-Gor
Spawn: The Undead
Sam & Twitch
Case Files: Sam & Twitch
Sam & Twitch: The Writer
Haunt
Hellspawn
Spawn: Simony
Shadows of Spawn
Spawn Toys
Spawn: Architects of Fear
Spawn: Blood and Salvation
Spawn/Batman
Batman/Spawn: War Devil
The Adventures of Spawn
Misery
It was later released as a mini series.
Spawn/Witchblade
Sam and Twitch True Detectives
However this did not happen and became the ongoing seres Sam and Twitch case files.
Spawn: Resurrection
Spawn Kills Everyone
'Spawn Kills Everyone Too!'''''
Spawn's Universe (2021–2024)
Starting in June 2021, a one-shot titled Spawn's Universe #1 was released. With it came the announcements and introductions to three new Spawn monthly titles. With the release of this one-shot, lead to three new titles being released that same year; King Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn and The Scorched. The first issue for each of these four titles had a positive reception, with each title selling well over 200,000 units each.Spawn's Universe
King Spawn
Gunslinger Spawn
The Scorched
Batman/Spawn
'Spawn: Unwanted Violence '''''
The New U (2024 – present)
Following the events of Spawn #350, a new line-up of titles was announced in February 2024. "The New U" is set to build up on the foundations of Spawn's Universe and launch a new era of Spawn titles. Each title in The New U will have drastically different tones and genres. Ranging from Horror, Drama, Crime, Science-Fiction and Comedy. Each title in The New U retains a price point of $2.99 or $3.99 for first issues, with the rest in the series continuing to be $2.99.The first title to be released in the New U is the miniseries Sam and Twitch: Case Files, a crime/noir detective series following the titular characters Sam & Twitch. Next under the label is Rat City, a sci-fi ongoing series set 100 years in the future releases in April 2024. Monolith a three part mini-series, releases in May the same year. More titles in the New U are set to be released in 2024. In June and July, three four-issue miniseries; Misery, Medieval Spawn, and Spawn Kills every Spawn. In August, a six-issue Violater mini-series and a Knights vs. Samurai are set to be released. In September Deadly Tales, a new ongoing title will launch, and in October, a bi-monthly series No Home Here launches. Other titles announced that are miniseries includeFocus, Spawn: The Dark Ages, She-Spawn, Bloodletter, and Spawn 77.
Sam and Twitch: Case Files
Sam and Twitch: Gangland
Rat City
Monolith
Misery
Medieval Spawn
Spawn Kills Every Spawn
Violator: Origin
Knights vs. Samurai
Deadly Tales of The Gunslinger
The Curse of Sherlee Johnson
Focus
I Saw Santa
Spawn: The Dark Ages
She-Spawn
Spawn '77
Bloodletter
The Freak
'Black Ritual: The Book of NYX '''''
Legal disputes
Dispute with Neil Gaiman
In 1993, McFarlane contracted Neil Gaiman to write Spawn #9. While doing so, Gaiman introduced the characters Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn. All three characters were designed and co-created by Todd McFarlane and continued to be featured in the series after Gaiman's involvement, and some had tie-ins with McFarlane's toy company. Cogliostro had a prominent role in the live-action movie in 1997. McFarlane had agreed that Gaiman was a co-creator of the characters and paid him royalties for reprints, graphic novels, and action figures. After a few years, he ceased the payment of royalties and gave Gaiman notice that he owned all rights to the characters, citing the copyright notice from #9 and claimed that Gaiman's work had been work-for-hire and that McFarlane was the sole owner.In 2002, Gaiman filed suit against McFarlane and, in response, McFarlane counter-sued. Gaiman had partnered with Marvel Comics to form Marvels and Miracles, LLC, which bankrolled the lawsuit. The main goal was to determine the issue of ownership for another character Gaiman felt he had a stake in, Miracleman, which at the time McFarlane was believed to hold a sizable stake in after his buyout of the assets of Eclipse Comics. This issue was thrown out. Instead, the court chose to rule on the breach of contract issue, the rights of ownership and the copyrightability of the characters from Spawn #9. Several arguments were presented by McFarlane and all were rejected, leading to a sizable judgment against McFarlane and Image Comics. The matter went to appeal and the judgment was upheld in a 2004 decision.
Gaiman's rights as co-creator and co-owner of Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn were acknowledged. The court's view was that Gaiman and McFarlane's collaboration led to each contributing half of the work. Gaiman wrote the story while McFarlane illustrated the character; because of this, each held a 50% stake in the characters. Issue 9 was reprinted for the first time since the lawsuit was filed in the hardcover edition of Spawn Origins: Volume 1. In a reprint collection of the first twelve issues of Spawn, the contentious issue was excluded, but both issues have been reprinted in the hardcover and deluxe editions of Spawn Origins Collection: Volume 1, and the black and white 2012 softcover omnibus Spawn Compendium 1, collecting Spawn issues #1–50. In 2012, McFarlane and Gaiman settled their dispute, and Gaiman was given full ownership of the character Angela. Gaiman, in turn, sold all rights to the character to Marvel Comics.
Tony Twist lawsuit
Todd McFarlane created a mob enforcer character named "Antonio 'Tony Twist' Twistelli", who McFarlane acknowledged was named after hockey player Tony Twist. Twist won a $15 million verdict in 2004 when a jury found Todd McFarlane Productions had profited from Twist's likeness. The verdict was upheld after two appeals in June 2006, but the two later settled out of court for $5 million.Creative teams
Writers- Todd McFarlane
- Brian Holguin
- David Hine
- Jonathan David Goff
- Paul Jenkins
- Erik Larsen
- Darragh Savage
- Rory McConville
- Todd McFarlane
- Greg Capullo
- Angel Medina
- Philip Tan
- Brian Haberlin
- Whilce Portacio
- Erik Larsen
- Szymon Kudranski
- Jonboy Meyers
- Jason Shawn Alexander
- Carlo Barberi
- Brett Booth
- Alan Moore
- Neil Gaiman
- Dave Sim
- Frank Miller
- Grant Morrison
- Andrew Grossenberg
- Tom Orzechowski
- Julia Simmons
- Steve Niles
- Robert Kirkman
- Scott Snyder
- Marc Silvestri
- Tony Daniel
- Dwayne Turner
- Nat Jones
- Lan Medina
- Bing Cansino
- Mike Mayhew
- Rob Liefeld
- Khary Randolph
- Robert Kirkman
- Michael Golden
- J. Scott Campbell
- Jerome Opeña
- Clayton Crain
- Ken Lashley
- Jim Muniz
Collected editions
Many issues of Spawn have been gathered together in various trade paperbacks collections since the mid-nineties. The original US and UK trade releases contain issue 9, but not 10.Each containing four to five issues, the original Spawn trade paperbacks started in 1995 under a different trade cover design, going up to three volumes only. After the live-action 1997 movie, a new trade cover design was created, with Brent Ashe providing new covers for Books 1–7, and Ashley Wood for Books 8–12. These reissues were retitled with subtitles. The sequential trades stopped after Book 12, but several new volumes appeared in 2006–2008, collecting various story arcs. Beginning in 2009, a new series of volumes was released, collecting the "Endgame" storyline. From 2015 to 2020, with "Resurrection", "Satan Saga Wars", "Hell on Earth", "Dark Horror", "Enemy of the State", and "Vengeance" volumes, the trade paperbacks have started in sequential order again collecting issues #251–297.
After a two-year gap, the line resumed with three volumes released in 2022: "Spawn: Record Breaker", Spawn: Aftermath and Spawn: Omega, between them collecting Spawn issues #298-314.
- Book 1, "Beginnings", 1–5
- Book 2, "Dark Discoveries", 6–9, 11
- Book 3, "Book 3", 12–15
- Book 4, "Book 4", 16–20
- Book 5, "Death and Rebirth", 21–25
- Book 6, "Pathway to Judgement", 26–30
- Book 7, "Deadman's Touch", 31–34
- Book 8, "Betrayal of Blood", 35–38
- Book 9, "Urban Jungle", 39–42
- Book 10, "Vengeance of the Dead", 43–47
- Book 11, "Crossroads", 48–50
- Book 12, "Immortality", 51–54Spawn: Capital Collection – contains issues 1–3 Spawn: The Armageddon Collection Part 1 – contains issues 150–155Spawn: The Armageddon Collection Part 2 – contains issues 156–164Spawn: The Complete Armageddon Collection – contains issues 150–164Spawn: New Flesh Collection – contains issues 166–169, plus a short story from Image Holiday Special 2005
''Spawn Collection''
In 2005, the entire Spawn series began to appear in massive trade paperback releases under the title Spawn Collection – each volume containing approximately twenty issues, except for the first one, which contains ten. Released after the Gaiman lawsuit, these editions do not contain either Issue 9 or Issue 10.Spawn Collection Volumes 1 and 2 were published in both hardcover and trade paperback formats, while Volume 3 onward were only released as trade paperbacks. As of 2009, Spawn Collection Volume 1 is currently out of print, with its fourth printing released in June 2007. In 2009 it was announced that the Spawn Collection would end with Volume 6, to be replaced by a new TBP format that includes soft- and hardcover versions, reprinting the entire Spawn series from the early issues once again.Spawn Collection Volume 1 – contains issues 1–8, 11–12 Spawn Collection Volume 2 – contains issues 13–33 Spawn Collection Volume 3 – contains issues 34–54 Spawn Collection Volume 4 – contains issues 55–75 Spawn Collection Volume 5 – contains issues 76–95 Spawn Collection Volume 6 – contains issues 96–116
Spawn Collection Volume 1 was ranked 17 in the top 100 graphic novels for December 2005 period, with pre-order sales of 3,227.
''Spawn Compendium''
In 2012, in celebration of Image Comics' then 20 years as a publisher and Spawn being one of their longest running titles, Spawn Compendium was released, reprinting Spawn issues #1–50 at 1136 pages in black and white, though this volume does not collect the individual issues' covers. The book went to a second printing in March 2016.A new edition of this volume, collected now in full color, was released in February 2021 with a different front cover art. As with the previous edition, this book does not collect the individual issues' covers. Subsequent volumes have been released since collecting every 50 issues per tome.
| Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date | ISBN |
| Spawn Compendium 1 | Spawn #1–50 in black and white | 1136 | 2012 | |
| Spawn Compendium 1 Color | Spawn #1–50 | 1136 | March 2, 2021 | |
| Spawn Compendium 2 | Spawn #51–100 | 1084 | December 28, 2021 | |
| Spawn Compendium 3 | Spawn #101-150 | 1136 | August 16, 2022 | |
| Spawn Compendium 4 | Spawn #151-200 | 1136 | December 20, 2022 | |
| Spawn Compendium 5 | Spawn #201-250 | 1080 | September 12, 2023 | |
| Spawn Compendium 6 | Spawn #251-301, Resurrection 1 | 1144 | August 20, 2024 | |
| Spawn Compendium 7 | Spawn #302-350 | 1096 | September 9, 2025 |
''Spawn Origins Collection''
In 2009, a line of newly redesigned and reformatted trade paperbacks was announced, replacing the Spawn Collection line and once again collecting the early issues of Spawn. These new trades feature new cover art by Greg Capullo, recreating classic Spawn covers. In addition to the 6 issue trade paperbacks, this line features three oversized 12–13 issue hardcovers, and two large 25-issue limited slipcased deluxe editions. The 12-issue hardcover edition of Volume One was the first to reprint both Issues 9 and 10, and the 25-issue deluxe editions did as well. Spawn Origins Collection Volume 20 trade paperback was the final volume released in 2014, collecting issues #117–122.In May 2019, a new edition of Spawn Origins Collection Volume 1 TPB was published at the low cover price of US$9.99. The book went back to press again for a seventh printing a few months later in September 2019.
After an eight-year gap, the line resumed in April 2022 with Spawn Origins Collection Volume 21 collecting issues #123–128. Spawn Origins Collection Volume 22 collecting issues #129–134 was published in September 2022.
| Title | Material collected | Original Publication date | ISBN |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 1 | Spawn #1–6 | May 2009 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 2 | Spawn #7–9, 11–14 | July 2009 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 3 | Spawn #15–20 | December 2009 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 4 | Spawn #21–26 | January 2010 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 5 | Spawn #27–32 | May 2010 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 6 | Spawn #33–38 | July 2010 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 7 | Spawn #39–44 | September 2010 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 8 | Spawn #45–50 | November 2010 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 9 | Spawn #51–56 | February 2011 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 10 | Spawn #57–62 | March 2011 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 11 | Spawn #63–68 | June 2011 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 12 | Spawn #69–74 | September 2011 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 13 | Spawn #75–80 | January 2012 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 14 | Spawn #81–86 | March 2012 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 15 | Spawn #87–92 | June 2012 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 16 | Spawn #93–98 | September 2012 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 17 | Spawn #99–104 | February 2013 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 18 | Spawn #105–110 | May 2013 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 19 | Spawn #111–116 | September 2013 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 20 | Spawn #117–122 | February 2014 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 21 | Spawn #123–128 | April 2022 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 22 | Spawn #129–134 | September 2022 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 23 | Spawn #135–140 | October 2022 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 24 | Spawn #141–146 | January 2023 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 25 | Spawn #147–152 | June 2023 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 26 | Spawn #153–160 | August 2023 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 27 | Spawn #161–166 | September 2023 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 28 | Spawn #167–172 | February 2024 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 29 | Spawn #173–178 | August 2024 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 30 | Spawn #179–184 | February 2025 | |
| Spawn Origins Collection Volume 31 | Spawn #185–190 | September 2025 |
Hardcover edition
The Spawn: Origins Hardcover collections are the same size as US standard comic book deluxe editions, and typically collect 12 issues of Spawn.| Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date | ISBN |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 1 | Spawn #1–12 | 300 | March 30, 2010 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 2 | Spawn #13–25 | 328 | November 2, 2010 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 3 | Spawn #26–37 | 328 | March 8, 2011 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 4 | Spawn #38–50 | 325 | September 27, 2011 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 5 | Spawn #51–62 | 325 | January 3, 2012 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 6 | Spawn #63–75 | 325 | May 1, 2012 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 7 | Spawn #76–87 | 320 | September 18, 2012 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 8 | Spawn #88–100 | 368 | April 9, 2013 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 9 | Spawn #101–112 | 384 | September 10, 2013 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 10 | Spawn #113–125 | 352 | October 11, 2016 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 11 | Spawn #126–138 | 352 | November 30, 2022 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 12 | Spawn #139–151 | 368 | April 19, 2023 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 13 | Spawn #152–163 | 312 | October 24, 2023 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 14 | Spawn #164–176 | 320 | July 23, 2024 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 15 | Spawn #177–188 | 296 | December 31, 2024 | |
| Spawn: Origins Collection, Book 16 | Spawn #189–200 | 312 | June 25, 2025 |
Deluxe edition
The Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Editions are wider and taller than normal deluxe editions. Each book comes with a slipcase for the book.| Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 1 | Spawn #1–25 | 704 | First printing: June 9, 2010 Latest printing: December 27, 2022 |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 2 | Spawn #26–50 | 712 | First printing: December 8, 2010 Latest printing: December 27, 2022 |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 3 | Spawn #51–75 | 710 | First printing: November 21, 2012 Latest printing: December 27, 2022 |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 4 | Spawn #76–100 | 710 | First printing: November 27, 2013 Latest printing: December 27, 2022 |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 5 | Spawn #101–125 | 715 | December 28, 2022 |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 6 | Spawn #126–150 | 720 | July 4, 2023 |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 7 | Spawn #151–175 | 680 | June 4, 2024 |
| Spawn Origins Collection: Deluxe Edition Volume 8 | Spawn #176–200 | 680 | May 20, 2024 |
UK releases
These releases were originally published in fifteen 5–6-issue volumes in the UK by Titan Books, with titles named by religious themes. The following books contained original series issues 1–82, with the exception of the previously mentioned Issue 10.Creation – contains issues 1–5Evolution – contains issues 6–9 and 11Revelation – contains issues 12–15Escalation – contains issues 16–20Confrontation – contains issues 21–25Retribution – contains issues 26–30Transformation – contains issues 31–36Abduction – contains issues 37–42Sanction – contains issues 43–48Damnation – contains issues 49–53Corruption – contains issues 54–58Devastation – contains issues 59–64Termination – contains issues 65–70Resurrection – contains issues 71–76Ascension – contains issues 77–82''Spawn Universe'' and related collections
King Spawn
King Spawn is the first ongoing spin-off of Spawn, written by Sean Lewis then Rory McConville with art by Javier Fernández and Yıldıray Çınar.Trade Paperbacks
| Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date |
| King Spawn Volume 1 | King Spawn #1 - 6 | 168 | May 31, 2022 |
| King Spawn Volume 2 | King Spawn #7 - 12 | 144 | March 28, 2023 |
| King Spawn Volume 3 | King Spawn #13 - 18 | 144 | October 3, 2023 |
| King Spawn Volume 4 | King Spawn #19 - 24 | 144 | March 5, 2024 |
| King Spawn Volume 5 | King Spawn #25 - 30 | 144 | September 24, 2024 |
| King Spawn Volume 6 | King Spawn #31 - 36 | 144 | April 1, 2025 |
King Spawn Origins
Just like the Spawn: Origins hardcover collections, the King Spawn Origins are the same size as US standard comic book deluxe editions, and typically collect 12 issues of King Spawn. Starting in October 2025, the series started to be collected in oversized hardcovers.
| Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date |
| King Spawn Origins Vol. 1 | King Spawn #1 - 12 | 320 | Oct 1, 2025 |
Spin-off trade paperback collections
Several Spawn-related mini-series has been collected in trade paperback editions.Angela – collects Neil Gaiman's Angela issues 1–3 and the 1995 one-shot.Spawn: Bloodfeud – collects Spawn: Bloodfeud 1–4 Hellspawn: The Ashley Wood Collection – collects Hellspawn issues 1–10, replaces pages from issue 10 originally drawn by Ben Templesmith with new art by Ashley WoodSpawn: The Undead – collects Spawn: The Undead issues 1–9Medieval Spawn / Witchblade – collects Medieval Spawn / Witchblade 1–3 Violator vs. Badrock – collects Alan Moore's crossover miniseries issues 1–4Shadows of Spawn Collection – collects the Spawn manga Spawn: Book of the Dead Released in both hardcover and softcover editionsAlan Moore: Wild Worlds – collects Spawn/WildC.A.T.S. 1–4One-shot editions
Spawn: Blood and Shadows Spawn: Blood and Salvation Spawn: Simony Spawn: Architects of Fear Spawn: The Movie Spawn: The Book Of Souls ASIN: B0039ODNQWSpawn: Bible ASIN: B001M0G3NKSpawn Adult Coloring BookSpawn: GodslayerSpawn/Batman Batman/Spawn: War Devil Spawn & Batman: Inner Demons Spawn/Savage Dragon: Newsstand edition of Savage Dragon issue 30Angela SpecialAngela/GloryGlory/AngelaGlory/Celestine- ''Aria-Angela Blank & Noir''
Spin-off hardcover collection
A few Spawn-related mini-series have been collected in HC editions.Spawn: The Dark Ages Complete Collection – collects issues 1–28 Hellspawn: Complete Collection – collects issues 1–16 Batman/Spawn: The Classic Collection – collects Batman/Spawn: War Devil and ''Spawn/Batman''''Curse of the Spawn''
Most of the Curse of the Spawn – spin-off series has been collected in trade paperback editions.Curse of the Spawn: Book 1: Sacrifice of the Soul – issues 1–4Curse of the Spawn: Book 2: Blood and Sutures – issues 5–8Curse of the Spawn: Book 3: Shades of Grey – issues 9–11, 29Curse of the Spawn: Book 4: Lost Values – issues 12–14, 22The Best of Curse of the Spawn – contains issues 1–8, 12–16 and 20–29 without the coloringIn other media
Television
- Spawn made his animated debut in the HBO animated series Todd McFarlane's Spawn in which Spawn is voiced by Keith David. The series won two Emmys and two Golden Reel Awards.
- In 2011, Spawn starred in the Death Battle! episode "Kratos vs. Spawn", in which he faced off against Kratos from the God of War franchise, defeating him in the series' titular duel to the death, complimented by Inverse as "cute".
- * In 2025, Spawn returned to fight against Ghost Rider, who he would also defeat.
- In 2019, McFarlane revealed that there will be two animated shows based on the character, one for kids and the other for adults.
Film
- In 1997, a film adaptation featured Michael Jai White as Spawn. As a result, White became the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture. The film received generally negative reviews.
- In early 2015, McFarlane announced a new Spawn film adaptation. In February 2016 McFarlane confirmed he had completed the script for the film with a larger-than-normal page count because he was "putting in details for self" in conjunction with his hopes to direct. In July 2017, it was confirmed that McFarlane would direct the film, which is being produced under Jason Blum's production company Blumhouse. In May 2018, it was reported that Jamie Foxx would portray the title character. In July 2018, the working title was revealed to be Tony Dynamite. In November 2019, the film restarted development due to the financial success of the R-rated comic book film Joker. In August 2021, it was revealed that Broken City screenwriter Brian Tucker had been hired to rewrite McFarlane's screenplay. In October 2022, McFarlane announced that Scott Silver, Malcolm Spellman, and Matthew Mixon had been hired to rewrite the screenplay. In June 2023, Jason Blum announced that he is aiming for a 2025 release date. On July 22, 2024, McFarlane announced on his Twitter page that the script was completed, and that the film would be retitled King Spawn.
- Spawn appears in Ready Player One. He also appears as an avatar fighting the forces of IOI on Planet Doom during the final battle.
Video games
Spawn has starred in several video games:Todd McFarlane's Spawn: The Video Game Spawn: The Eternal Spawn: The Ultimate Spawn voiced by Scott Keck.Spawn: In the Demon's Hand voiced by Maurice Dean Wint.Spawn: Armageddon voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.Soulcalibur II voiced by Akio Otsuka in the Japanese version and by Kevin Michael Richardson in the English dub.Soulcalibur II HD Online : Mortal Kombat 11 with Keith David reprising his role. In his ending, he sends Kronika and Malebogia to hell for eternity and, with Scorpion's and Sub-Zero's assistance, makes a new goal to purge the eight Hells left.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II with Keith David reprising his role. Spawn headlines the battle pass of Season 6, with multiple other in-game operators receiving skins themed around characters related to Spawn.Merchandising
- At the time of the release of the live action film, Spawn appeared in several commercials for Taco Bell.
- In 1994, McFarlane Toys released the first line of Spawn toys produced, in later years the series would include alternate timeframes and different takes on the classic characters with toyline series.