Warren Ellis took the reins of WildStorm Universe’s StormWatch series from Image Comics in 1996, and dragged it to new heights – mixing more mature storytelling with a semi-political edge. Following a relaunch that added Bryan Hitch as the title’s semi-regular new artist, Ellis wiped out almost the entire line-up with the FINAL ORBIT crossover with WildCATs and Aliens. But the story he wanted to tell was far from over…
The Authority rose from the ashes of StormWatch, as Ellis repackaged concepts introduced in the cancelled series – Jenny Sparks, the Engineer, the Doctor, Midnighter, Apollo, the Bleed, etc – and brought them kicking, screaming and rabble-rousing into the new millennium. Kicking faces and taking no prisoners, the Authority are here to save the world by any means necessary.
By the time the Authority had launched, the WildStorm Universe had been sold to DC Comics, eventually being acknowledge as part of their multiverse with the reality designated as Earth-50.
Must Reads: Story arcs marked with a ✔ are must-read stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue, so you don’t need to read the other four.
The Authority rise from the ashes of StormWatch. And while Warren Ellis wrote issues 37-50 of the first series and all 11 issues of the second, you don’t need to read his entire run to understand the Authority. In fact, you don’t really need to read StormWatch at all, but it certainly helps!
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| StormWatch #28 (1995) The Weatherman (Henry Bendix) recruits a number of new StormWatch members, including the Swift – a ‘Seedling’ whose powers have not yet fully activated. 1st appearances: Blademaster, Comanche, Flint/Victoria Ngengi, Swift/Shen-Li Men | ||
| ✔ | StormWatch #37-40 (1996) The Weatherman shakes up the StormWatch team, letting many long-standing members go, adding a few new ones and splitting them into three strike teams; new members Jenny Sparks and Jack Hawksmoor are assigned to StormWatch Black, the organization’s covert team, alongside Swift; Swift’s powers are fully unlocked; the unit investigate the assassination of a former StormWatch member, take down illegal superhuman police officers and attempt to apprehend international terrorist dictator Kaizen Gamorra. 1st appearance: Kaizen Gamorra, Jack Hawksmoor, Jenny Sparks, Rose Tattoo, StormWatch Black, StormWatch Prime, StormWatch Red | |
| StormWatch #42 (1996) All three StormWatch teams tackle the superhuman Kodo doomsday cult in Tokyo. | ||
| WildStorm Spotlight #4 (1997) Jenny Sparks cameo; Jenny is among the StormWatch members observing StormWatch Prime’s clash with the Mercs. | ||
| ✔ | StormWatch #44 (1997) Jenny Sparks’ origin is revealed, along with the first mention of Sliding Albion. | |
| StormWatch #46 (1997) Jenny Sparks goes drinking with the other StormWatch teams. 1st appearance: The High | ||
| ✔ | StormWatch #11 (1998) After the fall of SkyWatch and the dissolution of StormWatch, Jenny Sparks finally locates the fugitive Henry Bendix and, with Swift and Jack Hawksmoor, decides to put the world to rights in a far more aggressive way… | FINAL ORBIT |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | StormWatch #48-50 (1997) The first superhuman hero, the High, gathers a group capable of initiating change to the entire world for the better; the High takes out StormWatch Prime before initiating his grand plan; StormWatch face the High’s Changers, including the Doctor and the Engineer; Jenny Sparks confronts Henry Bendix over his questionable actions. 1st appearances: The Changers (Blind, the Doctor, the Eidolon, the Engineer, Smoke) | |
| ✔ | StormWatch #2-3 (1997) StormWatch Black uncover a conspiracy to weaponise superhumans on American soil and find themselves at odds with American International Operations. | WILDSTORM: NEW HORIZONS |
| ✔ | StormWatch #4-6 (1998) StormWatch Prime are sent to recover Apollo & Midnighter – the only two surviving members of Henry Bendix’s StormWatch Zero; as the new Weatherman, Jackson King questions their loyalty to Bendix and considers whether or not to have them eliminated. 1st appearance: Apollo, Midnighter, StormWatch Zero (Amaze, Crow Jane, Impetus, Lamplight, Stalker) | |
| WildCATs Annual #1 (1998) Jenny Sparks cameo; StormWatch struggle to contain Mister Majestic when he’s infected with a madness-inducing alien bacteria. | ||
| StormWatch #7-9 (1998) Jackson King is introduced to the Bleed – the space between dimensions and realities – when he witnesses an alternate timeline in which Jack Hawksmoor runs StormWatch. 1st appearance: The Bleed |
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the core reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns – just the stories:
- ✔ The Authority (1999) #1-8
- ✔ Planetary/The Authority: Ruling the World
- ✔ The Authority (1999) #9-12
- ✔ Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #1-5
- ✔ The Authority (1999) #13
- ✔ The Authority (1999) #21
- ✔ The Authority (1999) #14-20
- ✔ The Authority Annual 2000 (2000)
- Gen-Active #6 [1/3] (2001)
- Cybernary 2.0 #5-6 (2002)
- Gen13 #66, 68-69 (2001)
- ✔ The Authority (1999) #22-29
- ✔ The Authority: Kev
- The Monarchy #11
- ✔ StormWatch: Team Achilles #4-6
- ✔ The Authority: More Kev #1-4
- ✔ The Authority: Human on the Inside (2004)
- ✔ The Authority (2003) #0-5
- The Authority vs Lobo: Jingle Hell! #1 (2004)
- StormWatch: Team Achilles #19 (2004)
- ✔ The Authority (2003) #6-9
- ✔ Coup D’Etat #1-4
- ✔ Coup D’Etat: Afterword #1
- ✔ StormWatch: Team Achilles #20, 22-23 (2004)
- ✔ The Authority #10-14 (2004)
- The Authority/Lobo: Spring Break Massacre #1 (2005)
- ✔ WildStorm Winter Special #1 [2/2]
- ✔ The Authority: Revolution #1-12
- ✔ Captain Atom: Armageddon #4-9
- ✔ The Authority (2006) #1-2
- ✔ The Authority: The Lost Year #3-12 (2010)
- ✔ Midnighter #1-5
- Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer – WildStorm #1
- StormWatch: Post Human Division #5
- ✔ Midnighter #6-9
- Gen13 (2006) #8
- ✔ Midnighter: Armageddon #1
- ✔ WildStorm: Revelations #1-2
- Countdown: Arena #1-4 (2008)
- Grifter/Midnighter #1-6 (2007)
- DC/WildStorm: Dreamwar #1-6
- DV8: Gods and Monsters #8 (2011)
- Final Crisis #7 (2009)
- ✔ Authority: Prime #1-6 (2007-2008)
- ✔ Number of the Beast #6-8 (2008)
- ✔ The Authority (2008) #1-6
- StormWatch: Post Human Division #18
- ✔ The Authority (2008) #7
- StormWatch: Post Human Division #19
- ✔ The Authority (2008) #8-17
- Justice League of America #43 (2010)
- ✔ The Authority (2008) #18
- ✔ WildCats (2008) #19
- ✔ The Authority (2008) #19
- ✔ WildCats (2008) #20
- Gen13 (2006) #34
- ✔ WildCats (2008) #21
- ✔ The Authority (2008) #20-28
- ✔ WildCats (2008) #22-29
- ✔ The Authority (2008) #29
- ✔ WildCats (2008) #30
- Flashpoint (2011) #5
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Chronology: Every appearance of the Authority from this period is included in chronological order, mapping out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | The Authority #1-8 (1999) Jenny Sparks recruits Apollo and Midnighter, along with a new Doctor and Engineer; with Jack Hawksmoor and Swift, the team become the Authority and defend the World from Kaizen Gamorra’s superhuman clone army and an attempted invasion from the alternate Earth known as Sliding Albion; the Authority set up base aboard the Carrier which constantly journeys through the Bleed. 1st appearance: The Doctor/Jeroen Thorndike, the Engineer/Angela Spica, the Children of Gamorra, Lorenzo Slzfi, Regis Slzfi, the Carrier, Sliding Albion | |
| ✔ | Planetary/The Authority: Ruling the World (2000) The Authority team up with Planetary when a madman unleashes creatures on Earth via the Bleed, including warped versions of the Authority. | |
| ✔ | The Authority #9-12 (2000) Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #1-5 (2000) God returns to the planet he created only to find it not to his liking; the Authority step up to stop God wiping out humanity and starting the World over again, though one member of the team falls in order to claim victory; a funeral is held for the ‘Spirit of the Twentieth Century’ as flashbacks reveal how she brought the team together. 1st appearance: Jenny Quantum | OUTER DARK |
| ✔ | The Authority #13(pp.1-16) (2000) The Authority celebrate the new year aboard the Carrier with Gen13, Mister Majestic and former-members of the WildCATs; the Authority become celebrities; Doctor reveals that Jenny Sparks’ energy has transferred to the newborn ‘Spirit of the Twenty-First Century’. | |
| ✔ | The Authority #21 (2001) Jackson King confronts Jack Hawksmoor over the Authority’s methods aboard the Carrier. | BULLETS OVER BABYLON |
| ✔ | The Authority #13(pp.17-22) (2000) The Authority #14-20 (2000) The Doctor reveals that Jenny Sparks’ energy has transferred to the newborn ‘Spirit of the Twenty-First Century’ and race to find the child before Jacon Krigstein and the his Americans super-team reach her; a Renegade Doctor turns the Earth against its own inhabitants, facing the wrath of the current Doctor and the Authority. 1st appearance: the Americans (Commander, Hornet, Storm-God, Tank Man, Titan), Jacob Krigstein, Renegade Doctor |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | The Authority Annual 2000 (2000) Apollo and Midnighter’s past comes back to haunt them when they’re faced with zombified versions of Amaze, Impetus & Lamplight of StormWatch Zero who have been raised from the dead by Ghoulgotha. | DEVIL’S NIGHT |
| Gen-Active #6 [1/3] (2001) Authority cameo; Midnighter teams up with Jet to track down a team of superhuman criminals. | ||
| Cybernary 2.0 #5-6 (2002) The Authority work with Kaizen Gamorra’s daughter, Cybernary, to oppose the rise of Gamorra’s CyberNation. | ||
| Gen13 #66, 68-69 (2001) Grunge is used by the Blood Congress to bring a Trojan virus aboard the Carrier when he visits Swift. | ||
| ✔ | The Authority #22-29 (2001-2002) The seven richest governments fund the development of an enhanced superhuman assassin capable of killing the Authority and replacing them with their own G7 Authority; after some time, the Midnighter gathers himself and infiltrates the commandeered Carrier the G7 Authority and the monstrous assassin Seth Cowie alone; Apollo & Midnight get married. 1st appearance: Champlain Action, Seth Angus Billy Cletus Bubba Jamie Clement Cowie, G7 Authority (Colonel, Last Call, Machine, Rush, Street, Surgeon, Teuton), the Golden | |
| ✔ | The Authority: Kev (2002) The Conquernauts of Yoke manipulate failed former SAS soldier and MI5 agent Kev Hawkins into trying to kill the Authority. 1st appearance: Kevin Hawkins | |
| The Monarchy #11 (2002) Jackson King crosses paths with the Authority when the Doctor is drawn into the Monarchy’s war with Chimera. | ||
| ✔ | StormWatch: Team Achilles #4-6 (2002-2003) The Authority order Ben Santini not to take his StormWatch Team Achilles into Chechnya; the Authority head into Chechnya when Santini defies them and end up facing Dhul Fiqar and his terrorists alongside them. 1st appearance: Avi Barak/Seeker | |
| ✔ | The Authority: More Kev #1-4 (2004) Apollo & Midnighter are forced to team up with Kev Hawkins to defend Earth from a threatening alien force; Apollo & Midnighter address Kev’s homophobia. | |
| ✔ | The Authority: Human on the Inside (2004) The American President uses the Furies to lure the Authority into a trap in an effort to dispatch them; the team work with a reluctant Jackson King again. | |
| Sleeper #5 (2003) Authority cameo; the Authority are praised on TV news for retrieving Berlin when it’s sucked into another dimension. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | StormWatch: Team Achilles #9 [2/2] (2003) Sleeper #3 [2/2] (2003) WildCATs 3.0 #8 [2/2] (2003) After taking down Kaizen Gamorra’s new Children of Gamorra, the Authority turn their attention to the iniquitous gambling satellite ViceWorld where patrons are taking bets on the Authority’s activities. [Also collected in Authority #0 (2003)] | HIGH STAKES |
| ✔ | The Authority #1-5 (2003) Interdimensional suicide bombers assault the biggest cities across the Earth; the Authority investigate the reality-hopping Reality Incorporated who are mining other dimensions for their own profits; the Authority tackle a kaiju in Kuala Lumpur. 1st appearance: Wade Walker, Reality Incorporated | |
| The Authority vs Lobo: Jingle Hell! #1 (2004) Jenny Quantum demands the Authority jump over to the DC Universe (New Earth) to punish Lobo for killing Santa Claus. | ||
| StormWatch: Team Achilles #19 (2004) Jack Hawksmoor & Engineer cameo; Hawksmoor refuses to give up control of America’s satellites to assist Ivana Baiul and Team Achilles. | ||
| ✔ | The Authority #6-9 (2003-2004) The Authority are accused of immorality by superhuman spiritual leader Jonn Clay who encourages his followers to become superhuman themselves to oppose them; public opinion turns against the Authority. 1st appearance: Godhead/John Clay, Church of the Shaman, Church of Transcendence | |
| ✔ | Coup D’Etat #1-4 (2004) Coup D’Etat: Afterword #1 (2004) Tao of the criminal organization the Syndicate cooperates with the US Government in an attempt to destroy the Carrier while it’s in the Bleed; when they fail, but their efforts result on the deaths of millions of innocents on Earth, the Authority take over America; StormWatch Team Achilles go on the run from the Authority; Jack Marlowe of the Halo Corporation warns the Authority about the consequences of their actions; President Patrick Kent fights back against the Authority; 1st appearance: Baron Chaos/ Kemeny Zsigmond von Chaos | COUP D’ETAT |
| ✔ | StormWatch: Team Achilles #20, 22-23 (2004) In the weeks following the Authority’s takeover of America, the they pursue the fugitive Team Achilles and discover Baron Chaos is still alive. | |
| ✔ | The Authority #10-14 (2004) The existence of Jenny Fractal – Jenny Quantum’s twin sister – is revealed; Fractal tries to take Quantum from the Authority just as they’re settling into the role at the rulers of the world; Jack Hawsmoor investigates a murder. 1st appearance: Jenny Fractal | |
| The Authority/Lobo: Spring Break Massacre #1 (2005) Midnighter realises Lobo is still in their universe and the Authority interrupt his hunt for the Easter Bunny to return him to New Earth. | ||
| ✔ | WildStorm Winter Special #1 [2/2] (2005) Pluto & Daylighter travel from their universe to the WildStorm Universe get help from Apollo & Midnighter when an idea-plague threatens their reality. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | The Authority: Revolution #1-12 (2004-2005) World War II-era superteam the Sons of Liberty are manipulated into attacking the Authority; the team receive a warning from future Apollo; Henry Bendix returns with Rose Tattoo and murders a member of the Authority; Jenny Quantum rapidly ages herself into a teenager and learns the history of the Jennies; Habib Bin Hassan becomes the new Doctor and joins the Authority; Midnighter has to fight his own teammates to get to Henry Bendix. 1st appearance: The Doctor/Habib Bin Hassan, Sons of Liberty (Dyno-Mite the Human Hand-Grenade, Fallout, Maiden America, Paul Revere, Johnny Rocketman) | |
| ✔ | Captain Atom: Armageddon #4-9 (2006) Captain Atom was cast from New Earth into the WildStorm Universe when he destroyed a Kryptonite asteroid; while the Authority work to find a way to send him back home, Captain Atom becomes involved with the Engineer; Nikola Hanssen gains the full power of the Void from Captain Atom and uses it to destroy and recreate the WildStorm Universe (which becomes Earth-50 – a part of the DC Multiverse). | WORLDSTORM |
| ✔ | The Authority #1 (2006) No Authority appearance; in a world without superpowers, a Norwegian Navy sub discovers an impossibly large object in the Norwegian Sea; Midnighter kills terrorists off-panel. | WORLDSTORM |
| ✔ | The Authority #2 (2007) The Authority – now led by Jenny Quarx – are revealed to have crash-landed on an alternate Earth without superhumans. New identity: Jenny Quantum as Jenny Quarx | WORLDSTORM |
| ✔ | The Authority: The Lost Year #3-12 (2010) While stranded in the powerless alternate universe, the Authority try to save that world from a gigantic Lovecraftian parasite; the Authority are transported to another, more technologically-advanced universe where they meet a sinister parallel Authority and clash with the League of Nasty Bastards; next, they jump to an alternate Earth in which they remained in power and put all other superhumans into camps; the team finally find a way back home. | |
| ✔ | Midnighter #1-5 (2007) Midnighter is drawn through time to World War II when Anton Paulus tries to undo his family’s fate at the hands of Adolf Hitler by changing the past though the mission ends in disaster | WORLDSTORM |
| Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer – WildStorm #1 (2007) The Challengers From Beyond (Green Lantern/Kyle Rayner, Red Hood/Jason Todd, Donna Troy & Bob the Monitor) travel to Earth-50 in search of the missing Atom/Ray Palmer, only to end up clashing with the Authority. | COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER | |
| StormWatch: Post Human Division #5 (2007) The new Doctor resurrects StormWatch’s Fahrenheit, Fuji, Hellstrike & Winter (unknowingly with an assist from a Monitor). | WORLDSTORM | |
| ✔ | Midnighter #6 (2007) No Authority appearance; in an alternate universe, the Midnighter is the greatest swordsman in feudal Japan, though he has no memory of his past; his shogun’s senior minister sends 200 ninja to kill Midnighter and his beloved Apollo. | |
| ✔ | Midnighter #7-9 (2007) Midnighter tackles a band of bionic super soldiers to get to a rogue industrialist; Jack Hawksmoor raises the issue of Midnighter’s increased levels of violence when he confronts the Suicide King and scientist Spencer Carlton who utilises Gamorran cyber-technology; rogue black ops agent Jennifer Norton tricks Midnighter into obtaining the alien Hercules Virus from the Nautilus space station. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| Gen13 #8 (2007) The Authority attempt to apprehend Gen13 when they visit Tranquillity, believing they pose a threat to the entire multiverse. | ||
| ✔ | Midnighter: Armageddon #1 (2007) WildStorm: Revelations #1-2 (2008) Void warns Midnighter that the Authority’s Carrier will crash into London in the near future when Jenny Quarx takes the baby universe that powers it, though the Authority themselves seem unconcerned about the warning; the Authority investigate an attempted terrorist bombing by the Children of Gamorra which brings them into conflict with Backlash, Nemesis & Savant, unaware that it’s part of their plan to obtain information from the Carrier. | WILDSTORM ARMAGEDDON |
| Countdown: Arena #1-4 (2008) Apollo is among the superhumans tested in Monarch’s arena on Earth-51 as he builds an army capable of taking on the Monitors. 1st appearance: Captain Atom Brigade, Scarab (Earth-26) | COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS COUNTDOWN ARENA | |
| Grifter/Midnighter #1-6 (2007) The Authority investigate who’s been experimenting on the Midnighter; with diminished powers, Midnighter teams up with Grifter to take on the alien Zee and her shapeshifting species. | ||
| ✔ | Midnighter #10-20 (2007-2008) Midnighter gets the opportunity to finally find out about his past and discovers the existence of the secret paramilitary agency Anthem controlling Harmony, Indiana; Midnighter faces off against another Midnighter. 1st appearance: Anthem New identity: Tank Man/Jose Delgado as Bellweather | |
| DC/WildStorm: Dreamwar #1-6 (2008) The Justice League are mysteriously transported to Earth-50 where they clash with the Authority; as heroes fall, they begin to realise they being toyed with. 1st appearance: Chimera | ||
| ✔ | The Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor #1-6 (2008) Jack Hawksmoor is seriously injured on a mission in Kiev with the Authority; he recalls his personal history while he recovers. | |
| DV8: Gods and Monsters #8 (2011) Midnighter cameo; Midnighter brings Jackson King aboard the Carrier to interview the captive Gem of DV8. | ||
| Final Crisis #7 (2009) Apollo fights against Ultraman, Mandrakk & Darkseid as a member of the Supermen of the Multiverse. 1st appearance: Earth 23 (President Superman/Kalel/Calvin Ellis (Earth 23), Wonder Woman/ Nubia of Themyscira) | FINAL CRISIS | |
| ✔ | Authority: Prime #1-6 (2007-2008) Number of the Beast #6-8 (2008) Rose Tattoo joins the Authority; a clone of Henry Bendix is activated when William Bendix probes into his father’s Memory Tower; a devastating battle between the Authority, the new StormWatch Prime and Apollo & Midnighter clones ensues; Rose Tattoo’s time with the Authority ends; the Authority join the fight against General William Somerset and Doctor Sin; Void’s predictions about the Carrier come true, along with colossal planet-wide devastation. 1st appearance: Midnight Rider/Vanessa, Slyxx | WILDSTORM ARMAGEDDON |
| ✔ | The Authority #1 [1/2]-5 [1/2] (2008-2009) The Authority help survivors in UnLondon; an alien virus – Warhol Fever – unleashed after the Armageddon is giving people uncontrollable superpowers as Incubites for 15 minutes before they die; the Authority tackle these Incubites, while Midnighter clashes with the Eidolon’s Army of the Mad; Swift falls pretty to the Golden, the Jump Jets and their master; Jack Hawksmoor’s fate following Armageddon is revealed. 1st appearance: Incubites | WORLD’S END |
| ✔ | The Authority #6 [1/2] (2009) StormWatch assist the Authority by reactivating the Carrier, but it draws the attention of the Eidolon. | WORLD’S END GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER |
| StormWatch: Post Human Division #18[1/2] (2009) StormWatch assist the Authority by reactivating the Carrier, but it draws the attention of the Eidolon | WORLD’S END GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | The Authority #7 [1/2] (2009) StormWatch and the Authority join forces against the Eidolon and his Army of the Mad; Midnighter is drawn to a pocket realm. | WORLD’S END GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER |
| StormWatch: Post Human Division #19[1/2] (2009) StormWatch and the Authority join forces against the Eidolon and his Army of the Mad. | GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER WORLD’S END | |
| ✔ | The Authority #8 [1/2]-11 [1/2] (2009) The Authority #12-16 (2009) The Authority #17 [1/2] (2009) The rest of the Authority are pulled into the pocket realm controlled by Meantime, but soon realises it threatens to destroy the timestream; flashbacks reveal how the Authority dealt with the Armageddon; a member of the Authority is infected with Warhol Fever; the Authority have their final showdown with Kaizen Gamorra and his surprising ally; the Authority are opposed by a former Doctor. 1st appearance: The Burn, Meantime | WORLD’S END |
| Justice League of America #43 (2010) Apollo cameo; the WildStorm Universe is one of the universe glimpsed by Chair, Hunter, Neon Black, Obsidian and Tender Mercy. | RISE AND FALL | |
| ✔ | The Authority #18 (2010) WildCats #19 (2010) The Authority #19 (2010) WildCats #20 (2010) An energy source restores the Carrier to full power and it begins leaving Earth’s orbit; the Authority, WildCats, Gen13 and StormWatch gather together to oppose an invasion by the Knights of Kherra, led by Sebastian (Sebaeos). 1st appearance: River Baldwin, Sir Edwin Randall Makepeace | THE RED BLADE |
| Gen13 #34 [2/2] (2010) Apollo cameo; Apollo is seen among those fighting the Knights of Kherra. | THE RED BLADE | |
| ✔ | WildCats #21 (2010) The Authority, WildCats and Gen13 make their stand against the Kherran invasion. | THE RED BLADE |
| ✔ | The Authority #20-28 (2010) Those aboard the Carrier now make up the Authority, including Grifter, the High, Deathblow, Flint, Freefall, Rainmaker and Christine Trelane, along with original members the Engineer, Jack Hawksmoor and Swift; the Authority battle vampires, Mondregon and the alien Karibna aboard the Carrier. | |
| ✔ | WildCats #22-25 (2010) On Earth, Apollo and Midnighter work alongside the other teams to try to get the world back on track; Midnighter’s long-standing issues with Zealot come to a head when she begins building an army; Aeon emerges, promising to save the world. New identity: Jeremiah Cain as Aeon | |
| ✔ | WildCats #26-29 (2010-2011) The Authority #29 (2011) WildCats #30 (2011) Aeon’s true intentions are revealed when he uses Gaia to channels the world’s magical energy in an effort to destroy the planet; a former member of the Authority returns to combat Aeon alongside Apollo & Midnighter; the Carrier returns to Earth as Swift takes a new role. | BAD MEDICINE |
| Flashpoint #5 (2011) Apollo & Midnighter cameo; the WildStorm Universe is one of the realities witnessed by the Flash as he attempts to return to his true timeline. | FLASHPOINT |
When the WildStorm Universe ended in 2011, the DC Universe was restarted with new continuity only a few months later. Many of the WildStorm characters would be integrated into the new Prime Earth version of the DCU. We’ll run reading orders for those characters in future entries.
- WildStorm Reading Order: Prime Earth (2011-present)
Notable parody or multiversal versions of the Authority:
| Universe | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| WildStorm Universe | Gen13 #10-13 (2007) The Authoriteens – a band of teenagers clearly inspired by the Authority – clash with Gen13 in Tranquillity, aiming to erase them from existence. |
| DC Universe: New Earth | Action Comics #775 (2001) Action Comics #795 (2002) JLA #100 (2004) Superman clashes the no-nonsense super-team the Elite (a parody of the Authority) and their leader Manchester Black, though he ultimately proves that true heroism wins over needless, unrelenting aggression; following a second clash with Superman, the Elite return once more to face the entire Justice League. |
| The Wild Storm | The Wild Storm #1-24 (2017-2019) Jenny Sparks, Angela Spica, Midnighter, Apollo, Jack Hawksmoor & Shen-Li Men are reimagined as a group of super-humans working together to save the world, though they aren’t an official super-team like the Authority. |
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A list of Collected Editions that bring The Authority: WildStorm Years together…
Absolute Authority vol.1-2
The Authority – Book One, Book Two
- The Authority (1999) #1-29
- The Authority Annual 2000
- Planetary/The Authority: Ruling The World
- WildStorm: A Celebration of 25 Years HC (part)
- WildStorm Summer Special #1 (part)
The Authority Omnibus
- The Authority (1999) #1-29
- The Authority Annual 2000
- Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #1-5
- Planetary/The Authority: Ruling The World
- WildStorm: A Celebration of 25 Years HC (part)
- WildStorm Summer Special #1 (part)
Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority
- Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #1-5
The Authority: Relentless
- The Authority (1999) #1-8
The Authority Under New Management
- The Authority (1999) #9-16
The Authority: Earth Inferno and Other Stories
- The Authority (1999) #17-20
- The Authority Annual 2000
- WildStorm Summer Special #1 (part)
The Authority: Transfer of Power
- The Authority (1999) #22-29
The Authority: Harsh Realities
- The Authority (2003) #0-5
Coup D’etat
- Coup D’etat #1-4
The Authority: Fractured Worlds
- The Authority (2003) #6-14
The Authority by Ed Brubaker & Dustyn Nguyen
The Authority: Revolution vol.1-2
- The Authority: Revolution #1-12
Captain Atom: Armageddon
- Captain Atom: Armageddon #1-9
The Authority: The Lost Year vol.1
- The Authority (2006) #1-2
- The Authority: The Lost Year #3-7
Midnighter: The Complete WildStorm Series
- Midnighter #1-20
- Midnighter: Armageddon #1
Midnighter: Killing Machine
- Midnighter #1-6
Midnighter: Anthem
- Midnighter #7, 10-15
Midnighter: Hard
- Midnighter (2007) #7-8
- Midnighter (2015) #8-12
- Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine’s Day Special (part)
Midnighter: Assassin8
- Midnighter #16-20
The Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor
- The Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor #1-6
Number of the Beast
- Number of the Beast #1-8
The Authority: Prime
- The Authority Prime #1-6
The Authority: World’s End
- The Authority (2008) #1-7
The Authority: Rule Britannia
- The Authority (2008) #8-16
Reading Order ©OmniverseComicsGuide 2023
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