Product Code Database
Killraven ( Jonathan Raven) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a freedom fighter in several post-apocalyptic alternate futures. Created by co-plotters Roy Thomas and Neal Adams, scriptwriter Gerry Conway, and penciller Adams, the character first appeared in Amazing Adventures vol. 2, #18 (May 1973). The series featured the first dramatic interracial kiss in American color comic books.
After this, the book became the province of writer Don McGregor for an acclaimed runIn addition to contemporaneous reviews in the 1970s, latter-day reviews include:
from #21 (Nov. 1973) to the final issue, #39 (Nov. 1976). Pencillers were Herb Trimpe, Rich Buckler, Gene Colan, and, most prominently, P. Craig Russell from issue #27 on.
Two of its characters, Carmilla Frost and the African American M'Shulla Scott, shared color comic books' earliest known dramatic interracial kiss, in issue #31 (July 1975), page nine, final panel.One previous interracial kiss occurred not in a color comic book but in Warren Publishing's black-and-white comics magazine Creepy #43 (Jan. 1972), in "The Men Who Called Him Monster", by the same writer, Don McGregor, and artist Luis Garcia. The earliest known humorous interracial kiss was in the story "Home Cooking" in Premier Magazine's satirical comic book Nuts #1 (March 1954), per its listing at the Grand Comics Database.
Aside from McGregor, with whom the character became associated, other writers include Bill Mantlo (a fill-in Amazing Adventures and a Marvel Team-Up with Killraven and a future-flung Spider-Man); (2025). 9780756692360, DK Publishing. ISBN 9780756692360 Joe Linsner (a 2001 Marvel Knights one-shot, Killraven, set in 2020 New York City, at odds with the original series' locale by that fictional year); and Alan Davis (also artist), in a 2002 parallel universe miniseries, Killraven vol. 2. An Essential Marvel volume in 2005 reprinted all the character's appearances except that Davis story.
McGregor and Russell, however, remain the series' signature creative team; more than two decades after the original series' end, comics historian Peter Sanderson wrote that:
Some planned elements of the "Killraven" saga were incorporated into the Eclipse Comics series Sabre, McGregor"Don McGregor Says..." (interview), Comics Interview #3 (May 1983), p. 16: "Some of the elements that I had been leading up to in 'Killraven' when — especially the material dealing with Yellowstone National Park — I had written about six months previously for Sabre." and RussellP. Craig Russell interview, Comics Interview #3 (May 1983), p. 10: "Don always had a very strong structure worked out several years in advance, but when he didn't think he'd be doing 'Killraven' again, he used some of the ideas and settings in other stories — such as the Disney World setting used in Sabre...." each said in 1983.
The character made latter-day appearances in Marvel Zombies 5 #2 (April 2010) where the war against the Martians is concluded, and in The Avengers vol. 4, #4-6 (Aug.-Oct. 2010), the latter in the present day after time-traveling. Killraven appears in Claws II (Aug. 2011), in which the superheroes Wolverine and Black Cat meet him in the future fighting Martians.
In 2014, Killraven also makes a cameo appearance in All-New Invaders Issue # 12 in a modern retelling of the War of the Worlds.
In the mid-1990s, Grant Morrison and Mark Millar considered tying in Marvel's 2099 imprint, making Ravage a descendant of Killraven: "Our idea was that the Killraven stories had actually happened, but Earth somehow got itself back together. It's now one hundred years later, and the Martians are attacking again, meaning that all the superheroes were going to have to deal with them". Galactus then arrives, and devours Mars along with the Martians.Cronin, Brian. "Grant Morrison and Mark Millar Had a Pitch for a Revamp of Marvel's 2099 Line of Comics" , "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed" (column) #67, Comic Book Resources, n.d. WebCitation archive
In 2005, writer Jim Valentino said his aborted plans for the Marvel comic Guardians of the Galaxy involved Killraven, in his 50s, joining the team and forming an attraction to Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara). Valentino said he would have established Franklin Richards as Killraven's father.Guardians of the Worlds: Archive of Image.com's Jim Valentino annotations, "Jim Valentino's Guardians of the Galaxy Retrospective" (dead link as of at least June 15, 2010)
Writer Robert Kirkman and artist Rob Liefeld announced in August 2007 they were creating a five-issue alternate universe Killraven miniseries planned for release in 2008, but the project never went into production. "Kirkman on 'Killraven'" (archive), WizardUniverse.com (Aug. 10, 2007), by Jim Gibbons and Sean T. Collins. Per Kirkman, "This is really just another Killraven from another universe. The original Killraven is still out there".Brady, Matt. "WW Chicago - Robert Kirkman Talks Killraven w/ Liefeld" , Newsarama, August 10, 2007
From 2018 to 2020, Killraven and his companions travel across the eastern portion of North America, from New York City to Cape Canaveral while searching for Killraven's lost brother. Pursued by the cyborg Skar, the Freemen encounter various victims of Martian transhuman experiments, as well as emotionally and psychologically scarred survivors.
Fugitives from the Martians, Killraven and his Freemen — his African American "mud-brother" , the cynical and bitter Native American Hawk, and the slow-witted strongman Old Skull — meet and incorporate into their group the feisty scientist Carmilla Frost and Grok, her deformed, apelike clone. Amazing Adventures #20-21 (Sept. & Nov. 1973) The Freemen ally with the human/plant hybrid Mint Julep, and battle Abraxas, Rattack and his rats, the High Overlord, and Skar. Amazing Adventures #22-25 (Jan.-July 1974) Killraven tames a mutated serpent-horse to use as his mount, and his Freemen battle Pstun-Rage in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this encounter, the antagonists' names are anagrams of the Battle Creek-based Kellogg Company's breakfast cereals. Amazing Adventures #26 (Sept. 1974) The Freemen meet the flirty and sensual Volcana Ash, who helps them battle Atalon and the Death-Breeders. Amazing Adventures #27-29 (Nov. 1974 - March 1975) After learning that his brother Joshua (Deathraven) is still alive, Amazing Adventures #30 (May 1975) Killraven fights Martian slaves alongside a time-traveling Spider-Man, Marvel Team-Up #45 (May 1976) The Freemen eventually reach the Everglades, where they encounter a military cadre of survivors and the butterfly-like Mourning Prey. Amazing Adventures #39 (Nov. 1976, the final issue)
Still later, the Freemen encounter Killraven's brother, Deathraven, and discover he has become a Martian collaborator. Killraven, Warrior of the Worlds ( Marvel Graphic Novel #7, 1983)
In November 2020, the Martian occupation is over when Killraven unleashes a zombie plague on the Martians' food supply (humans and human infants). Marvel Zombies 5 #2 (April 2010)
Killraven is also a superb hand-to-hand combatant, and a highly skilled swordsman, wrestler, and martial artist. He is a master of most hand weaponry, especially shuriken. He is a master strategist in guerrilla warfare. Killraven possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of human history, art, and science predating the Martian invasion of A.D. 2001, implanted in his mind by Keeper Whitman.
As artist P. Craig Russell described, "Killraven has a sort of extrasensory ability to counterbalance his gladiatorial skills. He is very much the barbarian type, yet at the same time he has this seed planted in his brain that is the history of the human race — a racial memory of everything that has been obliterated by the Martians. It's almost a magical ability.... It was what removed him from being just another sword-wielding gladiator type."Russell, Comics Interview, pp. 10-11
Killraven wears bulletproof fabrics and leather. He is armed with various weapons as needed, and usually carried a sword and shuriken. He sometimes rides a mutated serpent-horse, or appropriated Martian vehicles and aircraft.
| + !Title !Material collected !Published date !ISBN | |||
| Essential Killraven Volume 1: War Of The Worlds | Amazing Adventures (vol. 2) #18-39, Marvel Graphic Novel #7, Marvel Team-Up #45, Killraven (vol. 1) #1 | July 2005 | |
| Marvel Masterworks: Killraven Vol. 1 | Amazing Adventures (vol. 2) #18-39, Marvel Graphic Novel #7 | October 2018 | |
| Killraven Epic Collection: Warrior Of The Worlds | Amazing Adventures (vol. 2) #18-39, Marvel Graphic Novel #7, Marvel Team-Up #45 | October 2021 | |
| Killraven | Killraven (vol. 2) #1-6 | June 2007 |
|
|
