This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(June 2018) |
Mark Hazzard: Mercis acomic bookseriespublished byMarvel Comicsunder theirNew Universeimprint.The series ran for twelve issues in1986and1987,plus one annual.
| Mark Hazzard | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 |
| Created by | Archie Goodwin |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Mark Hazzard |
| Abilities | West Pointgraduate Years ofcombat experience |
Publication history
editMark Hazzard: Mercis one of four New Universe titles created byArchie Goodwin.The initial writer for the series wasPeter David,but he left after only four issues and was succeeded for the rest of the run byDoug Murray.Whereas David's run dealt with Mark Hazzard's struggles between his family and his military background, Murray focused almost entirely on Mark Hazzard's mercenary career. ThoughMark Hazzard: Mercnever secured a stable art team, nearly half the issues were penciled byGray Morrow.
With the series due to be cancelled, Murray had the title character killed inMark Hazzard: Merc Annual#1, which was published before the final issue (#12) of the regular series. As such, issue #12 was retitled simplyMercon the cover, and featured a cast of Mark Hazzard's associates in the starring role. Of the four New Universe titles that were cancelled at the end of the imprint's first year (the others beingCodename: Spitfire,Kickers, Inc.,andNightmask),Mark Hazzard: Mercwas the only one to publish an annual.
An eight-page special was printed in February 2006 as a backup story inAmazing Fantasy #18as part of anUntold Tales of the New Universeevent, which was created to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the New Universe and to serve as a preamble for Warren Ellis'newuniversalre-imagining. The story was a Mark Hazzard adventure set at an unspecified time during the first half dozen issues ofMark Hazzard: Merc.
Fictional character biography
editMark Hazzard's father was a career soldier who was very demanding of Mark; although Mark was generally very successful academically and as a football player, his father was perpetually disappointed in him for not being "the best". Inhigh school,Mark met and fell in love with his future wife, Joan. After graduating from high school, he went toWest Point,where he was a cadet officer. Fed up with his father - notably his disapproval of Joan - Mark dropped out, got married, and enlisted in theUnited States Army.Hazzard spent three tours inVietnam,discovering something at which he was among the best: combat. While "in country", Hazzard met his future accomplices Louis "Treetop" Barrington and Sgt. Major Peel. Returning home, Mark and Joan produced a son, Scott, but Hazzard couldn't find work. Mark finally became a mercenary, then a mercenary commander. Under Hazzard's leadership, his mercenary crew tended to be more scrupulous than most in its choice of clients. Mark was happy, but his wife wasn't; she gave him an ultimatum, to choose between his life as a merc or their marriage.
After their divorce, Joan married a lawyer named Gordon. Convinced that Joan and Scott both still loved Hazzard more than him, Gordon arranged for Hazzard to be captured in Iraq. Hazzard was rescued by his merc crew, and then investigated his betrayal. Tracking it back to Gordon, Hazzard strangled him but not before Gordon was able to inflict a fatal injury on Hazzard. Taken to a hospital, Hazzard was removed from life support at Scott's request; Scott believed his father would prefer it that way.
Mark's Shop
edit- Louis "Treetop" Barrington -pilotduring the Vietnam War.
- The Doc - South Vietnamese army field medic, after the war she moved to America.
- Lincoln "Stryker" Griffin - formerNavy SEAL,during the Vietnam War, now used his skills with Mark Hazzard.
- Sgt. Major Peel - a man who found himself in mercenary work after the Vietnam War. He hired Mark Hazzard to help teachAfghanistaninsurgents to fight in 1980's.
- The Priestess - a fourteen years old runaway whose life was saved by Mark Hazzard.
- Ritter - ex-Air Force who now used his skills for personal profit.
- Mal Rossi - Mark Hazzard's oldest and best friends, aNew Zealanderwho could not deal with "regular" life, became alcoholic and lecherous, but was saved by Mark, who gave him a regular paying job using his combat skills.
Writers
edit- Peter David-Mark Hazzard: Merc#1-4 (November 1986-February 1987)
- Doug Murray-Mark Hazzard: Merc#5-12 (March 1987-October 1987);Mark Hazzard: Merc Annual#1 (1987)
- Tony Lee-Mark Hazzard: MercAmazing Fantasy #18 (February 2006)
Pencilers
edit- Gray Morrow-Mark Hazzard: Merc#1-2, 8, 10-11 (November 1986-December 1986, June 1987, August 1987-September 1987)
- Alan Kupperberg-Mark Hazzard: Merc#3-4 (January 1987-February 1987)
- Mark Beachum-Mark Hazzard: Merc#5 (March 1987)
- Vincent Giarranno -Mark Hazzard: Merc#6, 12 (April 1987, October 1987)
- Val Mayerik-Mark Hazzard: Merc#7 (May 1987)
- Andy Kubert-Mark Hazzard: Merc#9 (July 1987)
- Vincent Waller-Mark Hazzard: Merc Annual#1 (1987)
- Leonard Kirk-Mark Hazzard: MercAmazing Fantasy #18 (February 2006)
References
edit- Mercat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)