Running in the UK anthology magazine 2000AD from 1987 to 1992, Zenith presented a very different take on the deconstruction of superheroes than those we’d previously seen in the ‘80s – one that retained a more hopeful tone, despite some seriously dark story elements. Unlike its predecessors, the story of unlikely hero Robert McDowell forced him to choose between his career as a pop star and his role in the war against the Many-Angled Ones who threaten all realities.
Created by Grant Morrison, Brendan McCarthy and Steve Yeowell, the Eagle Award-winning story is considered by some to be one of the greatest superhero events of all time!
Look for more guides to stories and characters from 2000AD in future entries! If you’re looking to read Zenith, head on over to the official 2000AD site for the digital collection.
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.
Chronology: All appearances of Zenith and his related cast from this period are included in chronological order, laying out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released – unless a flashback story (such as the interludes) makes more sense to read in release order.
Anthology Issues: As an ongoing anthology series, it goes without saying that the ‘Zenith’ story in the Progs listed below are the ones that are relevant to this reading order.
Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
Did we miss something? Let us know!
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the core reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns – just the stories:
- ✔ 2000AD Prog 535-550
- ✔ 2000AD Prog 558-559
- ✔ 2000AD Prog 589-606
- ✔ 2000AD Winter Special 1988
- ✔ 2000AD Prog 624-634
- ✔ 2000AD Prog 650-662
- ✔ 2000AD Prog 667-670
- ✔ 2000AD Annual 1990
- 2000 AD Winter Special 1990
- ✔ 2000 AD Prog 791-806
- 2000 AD Prog 2050
- ✔ 2000AD Prog 2001 Annual
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| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances |
| ✔ | 2000AD Prog 535-550 (1987) Phase One – Tygers: Over 40 years after the fateful confrontation between British superhero Maximan and Nazi super-soldier Masterman during World War II, the villain is resurrected and murders the super-team Cloud 9; the only surviving member, Ruby Fox, seeks out the son of two of her deceased teammates who now uses his abilities to promote his own career as the pop star Zenith; gaining more allies, Ruby and Zenith discover the truth behind Masterman’s resurrection. 1st appearance: Cloud 9, Lloigor/Many-Angled Ones, Mandala/Peter St John, Masterman/Iok Sotot, Maximan/William Whitlock, Eddie MacPhail, Red Dragon/Siadwell Rhys, Voltage/Ruby Fox, Zenith/Robert Neal Cassady McDowell |
| ✔ | 2000AD Prog 558-559 (1988) Interludes One & Two: Flashing back to 1944, the moments leading up to Maximan’s confrontation with Masterman are revealed; Dr Michael Peyne thinks back over the decades and his reasons for creating the ‘Tygers’ – his nickname for the superhumans he’s empowered. 1st appearance: Dr Michael Peyne, Spook/Penelope Moon |
| ✔ | 2000AD Prog 589-606 (1988) Phase Two – The Hollow Land: Zenith’s plans to launch his American tour are dashed by the arrival of Phaedra Cale of the CIA who needs his help; Peyne’s plans for the superhumans start to take a dark turn; the Lloigor initiate their plans for Zenith’s reality. 1st appearance: Blaze, Phaedra Cale, Chimera, DJ Chill, Lux/David Cambridge, Shockwave, Scott Wallace, Warhead |
| ✔ | 2000AD Winter Special 1988 (1988) Interlude Three: At the Axis Mundi, Mantra updates the Maximan of Alternative 23 on the fate of Zenith and the other Alternates who have fallen foul of the Lloigor. 1st appearance: Mantra, Maximan (Alternative 23) |
| ✔ | 2000AD Prog 624-634 (1989) Phase Three – War in Heaven: The alternate Maximan recruits Zenith, the Cloud 9 survivors and heroes from other realities, including the Amazing Three (the Blue Magician, Oakman & Tanya), Black Archer, Captain Miracle, Cat Girl, Electro Man, Fishboy, Ace Hart, Leopard from Lime Street, Miracle Man, Robot Archie, Steel Claw, Streamline, Thunderbolt Jackson and Tri-Man to oppose the Lloigor; Zenith meeting his alternate counterpart Vertex; the heroes barely survive their encounter with the Lloigor. 1st appearance: Ben, Domino, Hotspur, Vertex (Alternative 300) Note: The heroes recruited by Maximan listed above (aside from Vertex) are pre-existing characters, largely from Silver Age UK comics. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances |
| ✔ | 2000AD Progs 650-662 (1989-1990) Phase Three – War in Heaven: Having divided into two teams to carry out missions on Alternative 666 and Alternative 257, the heroes encounter more Lloigor than expected; a traitor among the heroes reveals a key player may not be all they originally believed. |
| ✔ | 2000AD Progs 667-670 (1990) Phase Three – War in Heaven: The heroes suffer major losses as the ‘War in Heaven’ draws to a close; does the final sacrifice mean the threat to all realities is finally over? |
| ✔ | 2000AD Annual 1990 (1990) Interlude Four: A flashback reveals Mandala’s refusal to breed to produce more soldiers for Cloud 9. |
| 2000 AD Winter Special 1990 (1990) Tales of the Alternative Earths: Arthur Montgomery shares his thoughts on superheroes. Note: Prose story by Mark Millar | |
| ✔ | 2000 AD Progs 791-806 (1992) Phase Four – Jerusalem: Cloud 9’s grand plans are now clear; superhumans are hunted down by the Horus Foundation; the Lloigor make their final move to dominate the universe; Zenith finally decides between his role as a hero and his pop music career. |
| 2000 AD Prog 2050 (2017) Permission to Land: Zenith is interviewed by InSIGHT Magazine. Note: Prose story by Martin Howe | |
| ✔ | 2000AD Prog 2001 Annual (2001) zzzenith.com: Zenith’s career continues into the new millennium, but false accusations mark him for death at the hands of a former-ally. |
Further appearances of characters appearing in the War in Heaven produced by Rebellion:
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances |
| 2000AD Action Special #1 (1992) Practice: Following on from his time fighting in the ‘War in Heaven’, Steel Claw is revealed to have become an assassin for the government. | |
| 2000AD Prog 1280 (2002) A Night 2 Remember: A single page story featuring Zenith appears as part of 2000AD’s 25th anniversary celebration, though he appears to be from outside pervious Zenith continuity. | |
| The Vigilant #1 (2017) Despite his death in the ‘War in Heaven’, the Leopard from Lime Street returns as a member of the Vigilant. | |
| The Vigilant: Legacy #1 (2019) Cat Girl, Robot Archie, Steel Claw and Tri-Man are all revealed to be members of an earlier version of the Vigilant. |
Other collected editions exist, but these are the more official and complete versions.
Find them in digital format HERE
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Zenith: Phase One | 2000AD Progs 535-550, 558-559 |
| Zenith: Phase Two | 2000AD Progs 589-606 2000 AD Winter Special 1988 |
| Zenith: Phase Three | 2000 AD Progs 626-634, 650-662, 667-670 2000 AD Annual 1990 |
| Zenith: Phase Four | 2000 AD Progs 791-806, 2001, 2050 2000 AD Winter Special 1990 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide, 2024
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