| HistoryText
| - Lt. Colonel Albert "Al" Simmons, USMC , was a highly trained CIA assassin, who was murdered by his employer and his former friend Chapel. When Simmons sold his soul to Malebolgia in order to return to earth to see his wife Wanda Blake again, he found he got more than he bargained for. Malebolgia used Al as the reborn Spawn, or Hellspawn, to do his bidding.
Early Life & Military Background
thumb|left|Lt. Colonel Al Simmons (USMC), before his death.
Albert Francis Simmons was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was the second of three children to Bernard Simmons, was a traveling salesman, and Esther Simmons, a devil worshipper. His grandfather, Henry Simmons, knew a Hellspawn called "Gunslinger Spawn". Simmons was a very intelligent and physically strong officer in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He later joined the United States Secret Service and became a highly decorated member. This led to his promotion to the Central Intelligence Agency . In the CIA, Simmons was recruited into a special division known as the U.S. Security Group, a task force with jurisdiction in all domestic and foreign situations, commanded by CIA Director Jason Wynn.
After being murdered during a mission in Botswana by Director Wynn, Simmons is sent to Hell because of his life as an assassin. Making a deal with the devil, Simmons agrees to become a Hellspawn and serve Malebolgia if he is allowed to see his wife, Wanda, one last time. Malebolgia returns Simmons to the living realm, but with only the barest of memories, a badly burned body, and a watch dog, the Clown.
After Death and Rebirth
300px|thumb|right|Al Simmons as Spawn
Spawn arrived on Earth in a daze, off-balance and disoriented. He only had vague recollections of his past and how he came to be. He knew his name was 'Al Simmons' and that he died, but not much more.
Occasionally receiving painful flashbacks, he began remembering making the deal with the devil to come back to see his wife, but he couldn't remember her name. Spawn returned to a world, now alien to him, and realized he had lost five years since his death before returning.
Using CIA files, he tracked down his wife's location to find his best friend, Terry, had married Wanda and they now had a daughter named Cyan.
Spawn soon ran into a fellow Hellspawn who informs him his powers are powered by Necroplasm. Once they are used up, he must return to hell.
Not wanting to return to Hell, Spawn attempted to find out his new purpose in life, while using as little power as possible. Spawn was thrown into several anti-hero adventures where he took down street gangs and organized crime in New York City in brutal fashion. Finding himself thrown against Italian mobsters and eventually killing a pedophillic serial killer, Spawn found a new purpose in stopping evil. This was to Malebolgia's liking as every evil person killed was another body in his army for his future war against Heaven.
Spawn's early battles continued to take a huge toll on him. The Mafia was furious with Spawn as they blamed him for a string of recent mob deaths actually performed by Violator. His first big test was against the cyborg mob enforcer, OvertKill which he had barely survived.
Recognizing the immense threat that this new Hellspawn presented in the living realm, Heaven watched as a freelancer attempted to take him down. Spawn narrowly escaped defeat from Angela when he sent her back to heaven by turning her own Dimensional Lance against her. Recognizing the power, Heaven ordered Gabrielle, the director of the Terran Affairs Headquarters, to dispatch a Redeemer to take care of him before he became too powerful. An Orbital Angel Station picked Jason Wynn to become the new Redeemer but was ultimately defeated by Spawn.
Spawn began forming a close relationship with the local bums living in the Bowery Alleyways. He began calling this his new home and claimed the bums were under his protection, but also becoming his weakness in the process.
left|thumb|200px|Houdini's Flying Car picks up Spawn.
Along the way he meets up with the magician Harry Houdini, and learns about his new found magic powers. During a brief scuffle, Spawn took a bullet to the face for Terry Fitzgerald who began receiving blame for crimes against the CIA that Spawn had actually performed. Bobby the bum helped fix the wound by stitching it shut with a shoelace.
On top of the CIA heat, Antonio "Tony Twist" Twistelli soon mistakenly pegs Terry as the culprit behind the Violator's mob-targeted killing spree. He sends a rebuilt and reprogrammed OvertKill--fresh from an embarrassing defeat in a crossover--after Fitzgerald. Spawn protected his friend and eventually revealed his true identity to Terry. Only a single shot from Twitch's gun, going through OvertKill's ear and disrupting his programming saves the day as the mafia supersoldier heads off to find Badrock.
Youngblood Crossover
Chapel returns to find Al in the alleys and kills his friend Bobby. Chapel has decided he got a raw deal and blows his own head off in front of Spawn so that he can go to Hell and possibly take over. Al uses his powers to bring Bobby back to life.
Angela Mini-Series
However, he is soon teleported to Elysium and caught up in Angela's trial. In Heaven, Spawn finds his suit begins to freak out since it knows it is behind enemy lines. When he attempts to testify for Angela the next day, Heaven revolts and attacks Spawn for violating the treaty. As he and Angela flee, they retreat into his cape which teleport them to Hell. They have a brief moment of intimacy before returning to the fray. Upon leaving via a gate, Spawn finds himself falling from the sky and landing in Alabama.
Spawn's Return to Earth and the Long Journey Home
Upon landing, both Spawn and his suit are severely weakened. He begins a long walk home to New York City to conserve his magic. He has an encounter with the Klu Klux Klan and helps Eddie and Andy Frank with their abusive father while in Georgia.
Spawn's Return to New York City
right|thumb|300px|Spawn and Wanda Blake share a moment after a brutal attack.
Spawn's return to New York was not pleasant. Spawn encountered a religious fanatic The Curse who blew a hole in his chest before he disabled him. He also soon finds himself up against a new Redeemer, Phil Timper. Heaven found a more worthy vessel and Spawn finds this Redeemer significantly more powerful than Jason Wynn. His suit forces Spawn into battle and he finds his friend Bobby being taken away for study. The Redeemer tracked Bobby as he still had residual traces of Necroplasm from being resurrected. His resurrection was noted as the first of its kind. Spawn attacked a bastion of Heaven, the Terran Affairs Headquarters, in the guise of a skyscraper to try to goad Heaven into returning his friend. When the Redeemer appeared again to face him with Bobby, Spawn used his powers to set of a Necroplasm bomb as he jumped out of the window escaping with his friend.
The first metamorphosis
Spawn's costume evolved into a more advanced form. The formerly immaculate cape became ragged and shredded, and his costume lost its red coloring and became pure black and white. Spawn's gloves and boots also morphed, becoming heavily armored and covered with spikes. Spawn's costume was now much more powerful, and the cape and chains were capable of shapeshifting to a much greater degree.
Spawn returned to his throne in Rat City tired and exhausted from his journeys. He was ambushed by an electric charge in his chair, knocking him out. Spawn woke up and found himself in another encounter with the Curse, this time as a prisoner at Curse's Castle. The Curse announced he was going to find out the source of his evil and purify him. Spawn's costume was surgically removed from his body. After amputating his own arm to escape, the two were reunited and Spawn found that the costume was going wild on it's own, attempting to take control of him and use him for its own purposes.
right|thumb|200px|Spawn appears to have been defeated by the angel Tiffany.
Spawn rested and used a Black Energy transferal to transfer creatures of darkness' energy into himself. While resting, he was attacked by Tiffany, a Hellspawn slayer who received higher grades than Angela. After using his powers to defeat her, he returned to New York and built walls around his throne so as not to be disturbed.
Over the next few weeks, Spawn found himself cranky and full of hatred. He used brutal techniques to get his ways, including betraying Tremor on a mission where he flew wingman.
left|thumb|200px|Spawn using his superhuman reflexes to deflect bullets with K7-Leetha while helping Tremor.
Spawn mentally wrestled with the costume for weeks, being warned by Cogliostro that prolonged use of his powers while the costume was in this state would result in it returning to Hell, dragging Spawn along with it. He was warned to stop his anger and gain control or he would lose control forever. When Spawn decided to use his powers to cure Wanda's husband, Terry Fitzgerald, of his cancer, the costume responded the way Cog had warned it would.
Trapped in Hell, Spawn fought desperate battles against the denizens of the various circles of Hell, finally arriving at the foot of Malebolgia's throne. Malebolgia gloated that Spawn was becoming everything he'd hoped, and returned him to Earth. Spawn retained mastery of his costume, but was shaken by Malebolgia's taunts.
Threatening Wynn
right|thumb|200px|Spawn and Terry Fitzgerald finally bury the hatchet.
After returning from Hell, Spawn is tracked down by Terry Fitzgerald. They agree to work together to bring down Wynn.
Spawn heads to remote camps around the world to steal evidence that Wynn has been running an illegal arms trade business with terrorists across the world. While setting the camps ablaze, Spawn retrieves guns to tie evidence to Wynn and a man named Major Forsberg who has vital information on Wynn's dealings.
After attempts to capture Wynn politically come to a halt, Spawn decides to take a direct route. He directly teleports to Wynn's room and threatens to kill him. Wynn reveals if he dies, so does Terry and Wanda due to a Executive Discretionary Directive. Anyone close to Wynn die if he does to protect information. Spawn tells him he'll be back the next night and to bring his body guards.
Wynn lines his building with bodyguards and high-tech guards. Spawn easily bypasses his troops and kills his men to make a point. He tells Wynn he's countering his threat and if anything happens to Wanda or Terry, he will die instantly as well.Heap and Greenworld
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Spawn struggled to find a way to free himself from Hell's control and recapture his humanity. Attacks from both Heaven and Hell were coming faster and faster, and Spawn was on the verge of losing himself to the violence and the evil. Salvation arrived in the form of a mound of festering garbage - The Heap, an emissary of the Greenworld, a power equal to Heaven and Hell that Spawn had never encountered before. They endowed him with a host of new abilities that would enable him to overcome the worst both Heaven and Hell had to offer.
While he discovers his powers, he learns he has greater control over all the elements and other aspects of the natural world. It was explained to him that the Greenworld did not care for the war of Heaven and Hell, but were growing increasingly agitated by the destruction brought by it. They inflicted on him the pains of the Earth, and when he returned Spawn became "aware" of the world.
Billy Kincaid Returns
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A host of new murders occurred in New York City. With Spawn now 'aware' of the world, he felt the pain and suffering as his bum friends were being targeted. After stopping the man initially responsible, the murders continued eventually leading to a second murdered, Sarah Frost. However, it was discovered they both bore a mark on their neck. Cogliostro soon discovered the marks represented Serpentine Addendum. A sign that a devil was using mortal bodies to commit heinous crimes. However, not only did the murders send the victims to Hell, so was the vessel body held accountable for their actions. This further strengthened Malebolgia's army in hell.
With the help of his accolades, Sam and Twitch, Spawn tracked down the demon to Billy Kincaid. Billy had returned and planned his revenge against Spawn and anyone associated with him. His new host body was a fellow police officer who was lured to the Dead Zone, a patch of Heaven on Earth. Once lured inside, Cogliostro and the bums formed a circle around Spawn and Kincaid for their fight to the death. The fight was cut short by marksman, Twitch Williams who wanted the madness to end. Once the mortal body bled out, Spawn said he could no longer sense Billy's presence in any realm.
Spawn: The Undead
left|thumb|250px|Spawn finds himself under attack while attempting to free innocent souls from those directly influenced by Heaven and Hell.
The forces of Heaven and Hell began positioning their peaces; each side fought over souls to power their side for the oncoming war of Armageddon. Albert Simmons began interfering with people's lives and let them choose the death instead of being pawns of the afterlife. He passed judgement himself on those that he deemed unworthy of life.
However, Spawn's soul which had already been promised to Hell. Cogliostro met with Epiphani and Mammon at their annual summit to discuss Spawn's fate and role in the upcoming war. Mammon bypassed Cogliostro and met with Spawn directly when Cog refused to bring him back to Hell. He surprised Spawn at the Hellspawn Archives where Spawn was attempting to find Cog. Mammon demanded he continue to fight for Hell and Spawn refused. When he threatened Spawn into compliance, Spawn pulled a Dimensional Lance from the archives. Mammon was surprised he could touch a heavenly forged item and not be harmed. Spawn informed him his journey to the Greenworld changed him and now he follows his own rules. He branded Mammon with a mark on his face so he'd never forget his place and that he should leave him be.
Urizen
Several members of an elite Group attempted to sacrifice themselves to a being of ultimate power, Urizen, back to life. Spawn interrupted their ritual to stop them.
right|thumb|300px|Spawn summons a forest to contain Urizen with his new Greenworld powers.
However, soon, the dark god was unleashed on earth by Ab and Zab. Urizen wreaked havoc on the world, and impaled Spawn when he attempted to stop him. The power the Greenworld imbued him with as "gift" kicked in and he found himself drawing energy from the local fauna that quickly engulfed his dying body. After recovering, thanks to Angela removing the piece impaling him, Spawn used his new nature powers to contain Urizen by sprouting a forest around him. Spawn split the ground open and then imprisoned Urizen within the Earth.
Defeat of Malebolgia and Angela
Spawn interrogated Ab and Zab as to who ordered they release Urizen. He learned that the dark god's release was orchestrated by Malebolgia, as part of an elaborate scheme to take total control of all the kingdoms of Hell when Armageddon was prematurely started. Having failed spectacularly, Malebolgia's power is at its lowest ebb. With the help of Angela, Spawn was able to return to Hell and finally destroy his demon master, although Angela's life was lost in the process. Though offered Malebolgia's crown by the sinister Mammon, Spawn declines both it and an offer to enter the gates of Heaven. Spawn instead turns his efforts towards stemming the torment of humanity and defeating the evil that exists on Earth.
The Kingdom
left|thumb|250px|Spawn transfers the sins of others into himself with Soul Manipulation powers.
Spawn was summoned by Twitch and Sam who created a makeshift Spawn signal. He was asked to find Twitch's boy, Max Williams IV, who has run away from home. Spawn was attacked by Simon Pure and warned about an impending doom. He sensed something was brewing beyond the boy gone missing with Simon and ordered Ab and Zab to get to the bottom of what evil was lurking with Simon.
Spawn was later attacked by more Kingdom members, a group of 777 vampires, but they escaped into a their Citadel of the Kingdom that appeared in the middle of New York City. The structure was out of phase with the mortal dimension and only Spawn could see the building. Spawn met with Ab and Zab who presented Wolfram's decapitated head. The head surprisingly could still speak and told them the story of an ancient race of vampires known as the Kingdom who were bent on ruling the world. Spawn headed to the Citadel and was attacked by several members again. When he became overwhelmed, Spawn summoned a tidal wave to distract the members and learned he could only destroy them by completely disintegrating them. Spawn retreated and asked Ab and Zab to share their powers of teleportation with him. They warned there will be consequences. He moved forward with his plan and ordered Twitch and Sam to clear Central Park.
Spawn then absorbed the evil in man's soul to save them from being attacked by the Kingdom who could only harm sinners. Sensing the collection of evil, he was then attacked by all 777 members of the Kingdom in the park. Spawn summoned bats to help fight off the Kingdom members. He called out Simon to battle him and grabbed Simon's head and marked him with an "S", signifying he was a sinner. Simons' own kingdom members turned against him as they now see him as a sinner with the S. At the same time, Ab finished creating the portal per Spawn's plan in the Citadel. An explosion consumed all the Kingdom members in a fire as they were all sent back to Hell. He had Ab save Max Williams IV at the last second, but he was unable to keep him in the mortal realm. Instead he was trapped between Earth and Hell in a limbo dimension which caused grief to Spawn's ally, Twitch Williams.
The King of Hell
Overwhelmed by the darkness on Earth, Spawn turned to his old mentor, Cogliostro. He discovered Cog was dying and was about to use his powers to save him when he was stopped by Cog pleading to leave him be. Spawn decided he would accept the crown of Hell and allow Hell to invade earth. He would then remake Earth in his vision as he had complete control of Hell as its ruler and sweep away all sorrow and sadness on the Earth.
Spawn was suddenly attacked by the Redeemer. Mammon had planted the seeds to convince the Redeemer to wound him so that he would be sucked into hell by demons in a weakened state. There, Spawn battled Violator for the rule of hell.
Realizing the error of his ways, the Redeemer and Cog both assisted Al in claiming absolute control of Hell. Cog than offered Spawn a chance to be with Wanda once more with his Box of Eden, which would create a small patch of heaven for him. When Al relinquished control of the throne of hell, Cog betrayed Spawn taking the crown of Hell for himself. Cog used his newfound power to return Spawn to earth, alive and well, back in the body of Al Simmons without any powers.
Meeting Nyx and Regaining his Powers
right|thumb|300px|The creatures of darkness enter the mortal Albert Simmons' body to restore his strength.
Wandering the Earth in a daze, Al Simmons was confronted by a young witch named Nyx. Nyx sensed a man with no shadow who needed her help and tracked him down. She used her Silver-White Moon Blade to open his chest and stitched his heart together with Shadow Thread. She then marked his heart with a pentagram and kept part of the Shadow Thread for herself. This rebinded Al Simmons with his Shadow Suit.
Later, Spawn woke up furious that she restored his life as Spawn. He attempted to escape into the night. Not sure of what she did, she follows Spawn and brings him back to her apartment. She explained the rules of Greenworld would give back three-fold what you give. She convinces Spawn to begin by giving back to the world.
Spawn heads out to find Major Forsberg who he had left caged. He released him from his prison as a sign of good will. Nyx trained Al on how to use his powers once more.
Saving Max Williams Jr.
Later, Twitch Williams spots the mortal Albert Simmons walking around New York City. He pulled over and tied up in the abandoned building he had attempted to commit suicide in earlier. Twitch reminded Al he stopped him from killing himself. He rebuked him for taking Max Williams IV from him. He put a bullet in the gun to play Russian Roulette with Al as he blamed him for losing his son and life. Al eventually had enough and transformed into Spawn and broke free of his binding. Twitch fired a shot and hit Spawn but it doesn't slow Spawn down. Spawn told Twitch that people move on once they experience loss. He saw it with Wanda, and Twitch could one day see it with his son. When he threatens to drop him off a roof, Twitch choose life and begged to live. Twitch began crying having realized what he's become. Spawn transformed back to his mortal form and offered him a chance to save his son. However, Al suddenly collapsed as he was bleeding from his wound he sustained as Spawn in his mortal form.
Later, Spawn recovered and took Twitch to Boston. Inside the home Spawn fought with several ghosts and opened a portal to hell. Spawn saved Max as one of the ghosts and reunited him with his family.
Violator Returns
Later, Al recovered on top of the New York City skyline and used the evil creatures to see the entire city by sharing their vision. He eventually found Jason Wynn. He had painted Violator make-up on himself again and cornered a woman who looked like Wanda as he was on a killing spree. Spawn burst onto the scene and quickly overpowered Wynn. He pulled back his mask to reveal he was Al Simmons and wanted him to remember who brought him down. Spawn was confused as Wynn began talking to himself when he was having an internal mental battle with the Violator who was controlling him. The clown broke free from Wynn as Wynn threw himself from the building. Spawn was left speechless watching him mentally break down.
Al later was kept up at night, he was sensing an evil presence as did his friend, Nyx. The next day, Nyx asked him what hell was like. Rather than tell her, he showed her with his powers. This convinced Nyx to speak with Al's enemy, Mammon, as he had her friend trapped in hell and he wanted to barter her soul in exchange for betraying Spawn.
Al leaped into the night to chase down the evil he sensed. The Violator overpowered him and tied him up with a throned crown on his head in the Dead Zone. Spawn layed battered and unable to recover due to the Dead Zone's neutralizing affects on his powers. One of the Clown's followers got too close and Spawn grabbed him and threatened to kill him if he was not released. Violator laughed and cut the man's head off. He ordered his followers to grab the man and throw him on the dinner table for food. Spawn began to realize how evil the Violator had truly become.
While unattended, Spawn temporarily transforms into his mortal form of Al Simmons but quickly changes back after excruciating pain from his injuries of being tortured by Violator. However, the transformation loosened his shackles and he pulled himself out of the Dead Zone so his powers could heal him. He immediately headed to where he heard the Clown's music. He pulled back a curtain and found the Violator waiting for him. He stood in the middle of a circus ring and welcomed Spawn to challenge him to a fight in front of his converted clown army. The Violator easily beat the weakened Spawn as his followers cheered.
left|thumb|300px|Mortal Al is in a coma.
After being beaten, he was released as Violator's clown army was terroizing New York City. Spawn forged into the night to stop Violator's clown army. He found himself over powered and gave up on trying to save the people. He used his guns and grenades to attack them but was still over-powered by their sheer number. He pulled the pin on a grenade killing many innocent people as he himself is flung from the explosion and lands outside in a coma. He reverted back to his mortal form and was rushed to a hospital.
Nyx's Betrayal
While he layed in a coma at the hospital, Nyx cast a spell to steal his powers and place them in her Shadow Thread. She used this to enter hell in her attempt to save her friend. After returning, Spawn woke up with his powers once more. He instantly healed and ventured out to find Nyx and question her loyalty.
right|thumb|300px|After cutting off the Redeemer's wings, he realizes his friend Eddie Frank was inside.
However, upon finding her, they were soon attacked by Redeemer who was brought back to Earth by Nyx. The two battle and Spawn was severely injured in the fight. He cut off the Redeemer's wings are realized he knew him as Eddie Frank, the boy he once helped save. Mammon arrived and laughed at Spawn's weakened state. He informed him he tricked Nyx into barganing control over him in exchange for allowing her to enter Hell and pull out one soul, the Redeemer. He also admitted that he used Violator to batter him and weaken him. In return, Mammon finally gained control over Spawn. He told Al he was going to remove his memories and send him back to earth as a mortal.
Mortal Al Again
Al wanders the Earth, searching for something he feels, but cannot remember. During this wandering, Al unwittingly unleashes a band of angels known as the Forgotten, angels who were neutral, taking neither the sides of Heaven or Hell during the Fall. Al learns that Mammon is one of the Forgotten, and is far more powerful than Malebolgia ever was.
Armageddon
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With the aid of the Greenworld, Spawn regains his lost memories, and something more. His costume metamorphoses again, seemingly becoming one with his necroplasmic body. Spawn is captured by Mammon and his demonic minions, and tortured horribly so that the secrets his body contains can be revealed. Spawn's discarded heart, torn from his chest in an earlier battle with the Disciple, Heaven's Warrior, transforms into a young boy named Chris. Chris, together with Sam and Twitch, rescue Spawn from Mammon's clutches and return him to Earth. Spawn learns that thousands of human souls are contained within his body, each one capable of being summoned in the form of a Hellspawn. As signs of the end of days wreak havoc across the world, Spawn must find a way to stave off Armageddon, and learn the true nature of Heaven, Hell, and the Earth.
Spawn learns that Wanda's twin children are the ones responsible for Armageddon. The twins, who have been displaying destructive and sadistic tendencies for months now, attempt to murder their entire family, when Spawn arrives to stop them. Spawn is unable to destroy the twins, and the unexpected arrival of Zera, the Queen of the Seraphim, reveals the awful truth - Jake Fitzgerald is God, and Katie Fitzgerald is Satan.
It is revealed that both God and Satan were removed from their respective kingdoms and reincarnated as human children by the all-powerful being known as Mother. Mother is the creator of the universe and all its worlds, and God and Satan are two of her many children. She regards them as disappointments, being consumed with destructive hatred towards one another. Mother, who has aided Spawn in the past under the guises of Kali, the Keeper of the Greenworld, and the Man of Miracles, warns Spawn that he alone has the potential to rise above God and Satan, and preserve the human race. She also warns that Armageddon cannot be stopped - it is Earth's destiny.
Spawn is entered into one last final test to prove if he is worthy to preserve the human race: The Disciple. Before his final test, the Mother told Spawn to trust Cyan because she is "wise beyond her years". She also reveals that The Disciple is actually the guard of the portal to the Garden of Eden, where Spawn must eat the Forbidden Fruit in order to save humanity. After Spawn blasts The Disciple into Eden and killed him, it is revealed that there are actually 11 more Disciples, who are based off the Twelve Apostles. Also, because Hellspawns are never meant to enter into the Garden of Eden, Spawn's life will fade away the longer he is in the garden. This is shown through a video game like counter, which Cyan sees through a laptop. With the help of Cyan and the souls within him, Spawn fights each of The Disciples, killing them off one by one as the counter continues to drop to zero until the final Disciple left is Judas, whom Spawn is about to kill. However, Cyan yells to Spawn to not kill him. Spawn, listening to what the Mother said and trusting Cyan, did not deal the final blow to Judas. Then Judas stabs Spawn through the heart and his counter reaches zero.
As Spawn lies slain, Mother appears and plucks a piece of fruit from the Tree of Life. She speaks with Judas, revealing that when she took the form of Jesus, Judas was his most beloved disciple, the only one who had the courage to betray him. For without his death, the life of Jesus would have had no greater meaning. Mother gives the power of the Forbidden Fruit to the lifeless Spawn, resurrecting him in a new form - his cloak and chains are gone, replaced with shining white wings. Mother explains that Cyan was right; Spawn needed to die in order to be resurrected and gain the power to rival God and Satan. Returning to Earth, Spawn finds New York totally destroyed by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The slain population of the Earth have become possessed by angels and demons, who are gathering for the final battle. As Spawn races to the place where Armageddon will be fought, he confronts Zera, the Queen of the Seraphim.
During this battle, Spawn shows Zera his true power as an equal to both God and Satan. Spawn defeats Zera and returns to the battle between Heaven and Hell with her head as a trophy. Spawn arrives at the battle as the last of Heaven's warriors are slain. He believes that he knows one of them. Searching the battle field, Spawn discovers that he knows one of the soldiers as Granny Blake. She realizes that she has been betrayed and mislead by her faith in God. Spawn faces off against the Hellspawn of Satan's army, declaring that the Earth is his. Calling him a traitor for breaking his oath, the Hellspawn from all the ages converge on their "brother." Spawn battles the Hellspawn, calling upon the earth to swallow them, returning them to Hell. Hearing of this, Satan sends all of his remaining warriors after Spawn. Fearing that Spawn will unbalance Armageddon, God does the same. These events are watched by Mammon and a cloaked figure, whom Mammon responds to as a subordinate. During their exchange it is implied that all is going according to their plan, and Mammon says that he should have never been doubted. As Heaven and Hell attack Spawn, he calls to himself all the power given to him by the Mother, and in a single display of power destroys the armies of Heaven and Hell, along with the rest of humanity.
Laughing, he dismisses his act as a way to halt the Armageddon itself, leaving God and Satan without soldiers to use in their battle. He then asks the Mother to restore his children to their former glory and powers, but refuses to fight them. They eventually incinerate Spawn, then proceed their endless battle... fighting by themselves, in a barren, scorched Earth.
The Reconstructed World
Spawn, now given the powers of a god and the protection of the Mother, gains the power to recreate Earth, restoring everyone to life, but leaving humanity every memory of the Rapture. Both God and Satan have no role in the "new" Earth, because they're trapped in their perception of a barren Earth until they cease their seemingly endless fight, and Spawn, with his last act as a god himself, closes every door between Hell, Heaven and Earth.
He then asks the Mother to turn him back into Al Simmons, convincing her into letting the former Spawn have the chance to win back Wanda and becoming a fatherly figure for Cyan. A now fully human Simmons returns to his former home, but facing the memories of the miscarriage he inflicted upon Wanda by beating her the last night before dying, he relinquishes humanity once more, accepting to go on in his death as the monster he was always thought to have been in life.
Realizing how Al Simmons himself, not Mammon, claimed the Hellspawn role as penance, Spawn, again in his "red-cowled" costume, once more takes residence in a deserted and barren Rat Alley.
Later a robed figure would tell Mammon of Spawn's defeating of Clown and closing the portal to hell, which he had wanted Spawn to do, and calls Spawn "my good and faithful servant."
Zera has returned. She is seen again now as a rotting decapitated head immersed in preservative liquids within a glass container. As she was one of God's favorites, she was granted immortality by God. Spawn is summoned by Voodoo priestess Mambo Suzanne while Zera is trying to possess Nyx. Zera uses Nyx's body to successfully do battle with Spawn. Mambo Suzanne, however uses the conflict as a distraction to shatter the glass containing Zera's head and throw the head to streets below. There, demon dogs devour the head until there is nothing left, thereby freeing Nyx from Zera's possession. This issue leads to the recovery of Nyx and Spawn's friendship as well as Nyx's recovery of her powers.
A tale of three brothers
In the next arc, "A Tale of Three Brothers" composed of the latest few issues but was the title that ran through issues #170-173, Ab and Zab create a literal hell house where visitors are forced to face their most heinous sins, due to demons called sin eaters that feed on the guilt by making their prey face the evil that they had done. A woman and a minister within the house are both caught in the delusions caused by the sin eaters, and slowly fed on by the demons. Spawn confronts Ab and Zab, but is faced with his own sin against Wanda and his unborn child. Unable to break free from the guilt, he is slowly fed on by a sin eater. Nyx however decides to intervene, overcoming a sin eater and breaking a sin eater's illusion that was subduing Spawn . Spawn then tears apart many of the other sin eaters until he comes upon the minister who is being fed on by a sin eater.
It is then revealed that the minister is Al Simmons' brother, Richard, who was reliving his own worst sin. Spawn, who up to that moment had not yet recovered all his memories as Al Simmons since he became a Hellspawn, decides to allow Richard to relive his sin so that he can peer into his own past. It is then revealed that Mammon, under the guise of a man, Mr. Malefick, had a profound influence on Al Simmons' childhood. It was Mammon/Mr. Malefick that tutored Al Simmons to torture and murder small animals at a very young age as well hurt his own body, seemingly grooming him to become his servant, who would feel neither glee nor pity in taking another being's life. Malefick had also influenced Richard Simmons to take drugs as well as introducing him to the drug dealer Weasel. It was only Marc Simmons that seemingly was able to save himself from Mammon's influence, but was unable to help his brothers. Richard Simmons' vision of his past climaxed with him stabbing and gravely injuring Weasel while intoxicated with drugs. Richard calls his brothers to come and help him in his predicament. Al Simmons, not wanting him and his brothers to be implicated in the crime, decides against calling an ambulance that could save the drug dealer's life and instead pulls the knife from Weasel's body and kills him with it. Mammon/Malefick then appears sending the brothers home while he hides the drug dealer's body.
Finding that the sin eater was already killing Richard Simmons, Nyx breaks the illusion while Spawn kills the last sin eater. Spawn then asks Richard about their parents, finding that Richard had neither thought of nor heard from them in years, Spawn determines that Mammon had blocked the memory of their parents and prevented the brothers from even thinking about their parents. Spawn then leaves, but not before Nyx places a spell preventing Ab and Zab from leaving the building and Spawn promises to come back for his brother. Spawn then finds his parents' home which Mammon had hidden under a spell and within it his parents, who were trapped there for many years. There, he is greeted by his mother, who recognizes Al Simmons even in the form of Spawn while Al Simmons' father is shocked.
Al Simmons' mother had conspired with Mammon to give birth to a Hellspawn that would be greater than those which came before, that would remake the world and place all of existence under Mammon/Malefick's power. Al Simmons' father falls into grief for not being able to stop his wife from what she and Mammon had done to his son. When Spawn wonders why his father was chosen to bear him, his father points out a journal from his great-grandfather, passed down from generation to generation... a journal that Al Simmons' mother had prevented her husband from showing their children.
As Spawn is given the journal by his father, Richard Simmons is seen providing the demons Ab and Zab some food, then retiring to his quarters to recall a time in his childhood when he would pretend to be asleep and his father would come weeping and reciting a prayer beside his bed. Mammon/Malefick then appears. Feeling that there can be no redemption for himself, Richard follows Mammon down to a door whereupon entering, Richard is swallowed into the bowels of hell.
Gunslinger Spawn
Spawn #174-175 tells the story that is found in the journal. Francis Parker , Al Simmons' great grandfather, was a deserter who was to be lynched alongside another man, Jeremy Winston, in the town of Bane. Winston, a preacher, had been framed for murdering his family and was condemned to death. Mammon approached both men offering them a chance for revenge against those who have wronged them, an offer which Parker refused but Winston accepted. During the proceedings of the execution, Mammon causes a malfunction that ultimately saves Parker's life, however, Winston is killed. A short time thereafter, Winston is resurrected as the Gunslinger Spawn and he proceeds to slaughter every resident in the town of Bane, sparing only Francis Parker, whom Mammon ordered be kept alive. The Gunslinger Spawn confines Parker to a pine casket belonging to a now deceased resident of Bane, Henry Simmons, and floats the coffin down a river to an awaiting Mammon, who tells Parker that one of his descendants will become the Hellspawn that destroys the world.
The Monster in the Bubble
The story returns to the Simmons house where the television reports mysteriously reveal a new case involving the death of American comic book artist. The artist was a deformed teenager named Kenneth Erskine, a man that had been unable to leave the protection of a bubble dome due to a medical affliction. Though he didn't die during the end of the world, he was affected by a leak inside his sterile bubble that gives him the power to project anything he draws as real. Al's brother, Marc, is the lead detective of the case, and the only one not to be corrupted by Mammon's influence. Nyx and Al leave to assist Marc, believing that it was Mammon who sent the transmission to the television about the case. As soon as Al and Nyx leave, Mammon and a figure in a cloak with visible vampire-like fangs suddenly appears in the house and proceeds to drain Al's father of blood. The cloaked figure's identity seems to be known by Simmons' mother as she smiles after Mammon asks her if she knew who the creature is. Spawn fails to save the Erskine's next victim. The last frame of the final part of the arc leaves Spawn doubting himself, unable to save a few people from dying - much less the entire world.
The continuation of "The Monster in the Bubble" from the last issue left Spawn utterly helpless against Erskine's psychic projection of a tentacled creature, that had impaled him multiple times. Erskine's projection suddenly shows features of Mammon, continually coaxing and tempting Spawn to accept death. Nyx intervenes by stabbing the creature with a sword, gaining the creature's attention, but leading her to become the creature's next target. She then telepathically contacts Marc Simmons, begging him to shoot Erskine. Erskine relents and ceases his attack causing the creature to disappear, allowing Nyx and Al to go to the hospital where Erskine is held. Spawn is faced with the predicament however of whether or not to cause Erskine's death, threatening to enter the bubble dome if Erskine does not reveal the whereabouts of Mammon, whom Spawn believed was pulling the strings. Mammon then appears to complicate the situation allowing Erskine to complete his last murder using a psychic projection of a woman to attack the last victim in his home. Mammon reveals that it was he who taught Erskine to use his powers. Upon killing his last victim, Erskine then proceeds to commit suicide, leaving his worldly possessions in the name of the doctor who had taken care of him. Spawn then proceeds to attack Mammon, and ask what Mammon wanted from him. Mammon then says that he wants nothing from Spawn, saying that Spawn had lost everything that made him special, only wanting Spawn to accept that it is his time. It is then revealed that Mammon had been using Erskine's powers to project a psychic projection of himself, and he was actually in another location. As the psychic projection melts away, Spawn is left kneeling, accepting the belief that whatever he tries to do goes wrong, that he is no longer needed by the world.
Spawn: Pre-Endgame
Cyan, the daughter of Wanda Blake and Terry Fitzgerald, is having terrible visions. Her visions seem to be targeted mostly at her mother. Cyan sees her mother covered in blood every time they see each other. She envisions the pain that her savior, Spawn, is suffering through. Her visions are confirmed to be true.
Spawn, having been infected by the vampire Severin, struggles with his symbiotic costume inside his own conscience while Nyx and Marc stand by unable to help in any way. The costume insists that although Spawn is the host, the costume has always been in control of the Hellspawn's powers. The costume is angered by Spawn's actions, namely deciding to throw away the powers of a god. The costume begins fighting with Spawn, now returned to his Al Simmons form. The costume tries to convince Simmons that his wife Wanda Blake had betrayed him while they were married. The costume insists that Wanda decided not to have Simmons' child because she hated Simmons. The costume continues to taunt Simmons, bringing up Wanda's marriage to Simmons' best friend Terry Fitzgerald. Eventually, Simmons' accepts what the costume has been saying and returns to consciousness.
The setting shifts to Mammon's residence where it is revealed that Mammon was guiding Spawn's costume into turning against him. Mammon is accompanied by Morana and Morana's foster parents Lucian and Daciana, leaders of the original vampires. Mammon orders Morana to prepare himself for what he must do next, which is unknown at this point.
The scene shifts back to Cyan's bedroom. There, her visions tell her that something terrible is about to occur. For the first time in the story she is afraid of Spawn, fearing his return will be to murder someone close to her. Cyan stands, approaches her closet door , she opens the door and finds Spawn standing before her. Cyan looks at him and asks, "You're going to kill my mom, aren't you?"
Forewarned by Granny Blake, Cyan plunges a knife wrapped with the shoelace once bound to Spawn's face into him. The knife, mystically charged, is able to rip a wound into the symbiotic entity, plunging Simmons in a delusional world, based on his memories with Wanda, to settle his unresolved issues with her in a more peaceful manner.
They are transported into a boat in a lake, similar to the location where Al Simmons and Wanda Blake once had a boat ride together. Spawn talks with Wanda, stating that he wished to move on, but couldn't due to their connection and what he had done. Wanda asks if Spawn could move on if she forgave him for the miscarriage of their child to which Spawn responds to do it. But Wanda states that she couldn't forgive him, but also that if anything of her late husband is within him, that she loves him. Spawn, contemplating what to do, feels the pain of the knife that Cyan had stabbed on his chest and attempts to extract it, but upon doing so finds hanging from the shoelace, his wedding ring, the symbol of his bond with Wanda. Al Simmons is then able to reject his costume and bring the boat to the side of the lake, finding that both Cyan and Nyx were able to follow them into that location. But upon getting on shore, the symbiote resurfaces and attacks Nyx.
The symbiote is revealed as retaining its sentience and independence, and to have always worked for Mammon, offering full collaboration to his efforts to breed a perfect Hellspawn in exchange for being free to roam the Earth. Since Al Simmons is no longer needed, K7-Leetha merges with Nyx, in retaliation for its past enslavement, gaining full control over Nyx's actions and torturing her by imposing its will on hers. The symbiote attempts to kill Wanda and Cyan, but Mammon stops it by promising to bestow it with new powers and a new host if it keeps obeying. Mammon then leads the whole party, now formed by the new She-Spawn, Al Simmons in a human, unscarred, body, Wanda and Cyan, to a distant castle. He then unveils how Wanda and Al were part of a master plan to breed the perfect Hellspawn, thus connecting Al Simmons to all previous Hellspawns, coming from Al and Wanda's bloodlines, and the Armageddon was simply a convenient way to put Malebolgia, God and Satan out of the picture, paving the way for his rule over the Universe.
On the way to the castle, Mammon reveals that Al Simmons has now outlived his usefulness, as a new, better host is already prepared to take his place, loyal to his plans and more powerful than Al Simmons ever was. The host is finally unveiled to Wanda and Al Simmons as Morana, their miscarried child, stolen by Mammon the day in which Al Simmons brought Wanda to the hospital after beating her.
Morana, now a full grown woman, waits in the castle, bathing in the blood of virgin youths as a part of her coming of age rite. After that, Morana is restored to her human self, ready to meet her parents for the first time. Renouncing them as she claims they've abandoned her, she takes over the K7-Leetha symbiote from Nyx and plans to feed over Wanda's and Al's souls.
Since Nyx is powerless, and the Mother of Miracles is away from the earthly plane for ten thousand years, Cyan is pressured by Grandma Blake's apparition to push her precognitive powers to the limits, where she meets an old woman writing down a book in a dilapidated house. Ready to die, yet willing to help Cyan in her role, she gives Cyan a message for Spawn.
Returned to Limbo, Cyan pressures Spawn into calling down the Legion, or at least the still living souls of it, numbering a mere dozen. Even if Christopher claims that this new incarnation of the Legion is made by the strongest members, stronger even than the Hellspawn, Cyan shares with Nyx how her plan actually involves the Legion being soundly defeated by Morana.
The events unfold the way the old wise woman is writing them in her book, and despite their impressive powers, the Legion are slayed in front of a guilty, helpless, Cyan, until only Christopher is left, ready to go on in a new afterlife, beyond Heaven and Hell. Al Simmons, taunted by Mammon about his losses, from the happy family he could have had up to his life, denounces Morana, refusing her as his daughter. In retaliation, Morana savagely attacks her own servants, and her father.
Using the distraction in her favor, Cyan teaches a binding spell to Nyx, so powerful to be able to trap Morana and Mammon in Limbo for eternity. In an ontological paradox, Cyan claims the spell was taught to her by the wise old woman, who received the words by an older Nyx, in the future. The spell is successful, and Morana is left trapped, and pleading Wanda to be saved.
Al Simmons convinces Wanda to return to the earthly plane with Cyan and Nyx, and after giving her a last farewell, and an apology for the life they never could have had together, he stays behind, searching for a way to be reborn as a new individual, no more a tool of Heaven and Hell. Journeying in a hellish dimension paved with discarded souls, Simmons begins his last voyage, a voyage described by the wise old woman, who's revealed to be an older Cyan, as a path of retribution, turning Spawn in the biggest anti-hero known on Earth, both hero and villain, destined to bring on the final downfall of Heaven and Hell, and enact his final vengeance over God and Satan.
Endgame
As Al traverses the land of discarded souls he prepares to enter the human world. Escaping Hell, he arrives back in the alleys of New York City. Al Simmons searches for one spot in particular , once he finds the spot he is looking for he gathers his remaining Hellspawn energy and blows his own head off. The one "true" way to effectively kill a Spawn.
Image United*
thumb|Al Simmons as Omega Spawn
The * denotes possible non-canonicity
Al Simmons is reborn as the "Omega Spawn", he has unlimited Necro-power and a brand new, super-powerful, female sybiote costume. He has been given complete and total control over all of Hell by Satan and he plans to combine the forces of Hell and Earth to destroy Heaven and imprison God. He has released all the super-vilians from Hell and all over the world they are attacking the heroes of Earth including The Witchblade host, Sara Pezzini, The Darkness and the Youngblood Group. Omega Spawn First contacts Jim in his apartment, Jim senses him and transforms into Spawn. Al explains himself and his plans to Jim and also recognizes Jim`s suit as K7-Leetha . Al attacks Jim after offering him a seat at his side and said that he, along with all the heroes of the world will suffer as Hell rules supreme and Heaven is destroyed and God is imprisoned. During the fight Jim teleports to a hospital. He eventually makes his way to the other heroes and explains the situation. Meanwhile, all the villains of Hell including Chapel and The Curse converge on Liberty Island.
The remainder of this storyline was never written, and it may even be considered non-canon for now.
Spawn Resurrection
left|thumb|250px|Spawn with his new aggressive look as he goes on the offensive.
In Limbo, Al Simmons was hung on a crucifixion cross. God approached him in the form of a dog he had when he was nine years old. She told Al about the creation of the universe and how she created man with flaws as a perfect world was pointless. As a result, man has free-will and Demons will always haunt them because of this. God then showed Al how Wanda Blake has been killed in a freak mob riot. She then gave Al the Sword of the Spirit and sent Al back to Earth and hoped he would make the right decisions based on free-will.
Upon arriving back on Earth, Al spotted a man tailing him and approached him. Suddenly, they were attacked by several Demons. Upon defeating them, he interrogates them until they admit their boss, Belial, had taken Wanda. Al unleashes his Sword to vanquish them.
Al then headed to Elysian Apartments, where he meets the man who was tailing him named Mike. He learns he is Al's new angel who will watch over him. Mike explains Belial was an Angel who was punished by God, and in retaliation joined Hell. He postulates he took Wanda to get back at God. Mike shows Al that his suit is now made up of the souls.
right|thumb|100px|Spawn is approached by Satan's minions.
Spawn soon heads to find his dad, Bernard Simmons, who was suffering a terminal cancer. He arrived in time to tell him he needed to escort him to the judgement point as Belial would soon come take him to get back as Al. After a brief encounter with Belial where he was threatened and told he had big plans for Bernard, Spawn was able to escort Bernard to where he would be judged.
Spawn is approached by one of Satan's changelings. She offers him a chance to save innocent souls who died in the R.M.S. Titanic sinking. Spawn realizes the trickery involved with changing time and turns down the offer. In return, the changeling tells him he's passed the first test. She offers him an exchange of Wanda's trapped soul for his suit. Spawn takes her to the Dead Zone and slashes her arm off and face as a message. He tells her to tell her master he's coming for her.
Spawn later approaches Terry Fitzgerald and placed a protection spell on him and his family so they wouldn't be bothered by the forces of hell. In return Terry told him that Wanda was on the way to a TV interview when she was attacked. Spawn went to the TV station and threatened a demon who was falsely parading as a human. The demon revealed that Wanda was being held in the Tunnel.
Spawn went back to visit his angel guide, Mike the Messenger. Mike revealed he would need a demon and angel guide to open the gates to the Tunnel. Spawn then sough out the Violator to help in open the gate. In exchange, Spawn agreed to give the Violator some of his power so that he may shape-shift one again. Unknowingly, the Violator already had this ability and just craved more power. They entered the Tunnel where Spawn prepared to face Satan.Satan Saga
Spawn blasted his way though all of Hell's army and demanded to face Satan. As Spawn sparred with Satan, he was once again propositioned a chance to trade his suit for Wanda's life. Spawn realized if he made the trade, he would be vulnerable and killed immediately. He turned down Satan's offer. Spawn then used an energy blast to distract Satan and attempted to escape with Wanda in the process. However, at the same time, Hellion had noticed Wanda was looking for something when he first abducted her. He split off and discovered Wanda's unborn child, buried underneath some rubble in Hell. He returned and found Satan and Spawn, still locked in battle. He threatened Al on final time, and told her he'd kill both the unborn child and Wanda if he didn't relinquish the suit to Satan.
Appearance
left|thumb|250px|The Evolution of Spawn and his Appearances!!
* Skin: African-American as Al Simmons, black with a white stripe as The Hellspawn
* Eye Color: green as The Hellspawn, brown as Al Simmons
* Costume: Black Armor with "M" shaped white stripe on chest and backside, red cloak, skull emblems, and chains. After having his memory wiped by Mammon, the suit has morphed again, taking on a more organic appearance. The suit is capable of evolving and there is no telling how it may change over time or how powerful it may become.
He has kept a hole in his chest given to him by The Curse as a ruse to other villains who hit him in to same spot.
In recent issues, Spawn has transformed yet again. His flowing red cape is gone, replaced with a pair of angelic white wings. The suit still covers his entire body, but has taken on a much more organic appearance. The suit does not apear to produce chains anymore, but still creates spiked gauntlets around his hands and forearms area.
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