Of all the superhero teams that DC has published over the years, hardly anybody would have guessed The Authority would be getting a feature film anytime soon. Yet James Gunn announced as part of his new plan for the DCU, titled Chapter 1, “Gods and Monsters,” that The Authority would be a launch title for the new initiative. Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch in 1999 in the pages of WildStorm Comics (which was purchased by DC), the Authority focuses on a group of superheroes who will do whatever is necessary to get the job done.
Similar to the Guardians of the Galaxy or Suicide Squad characters when they were first announced as films, there is a good chance most people, even die-hard comic book fans, may not know who these characters are. The team has had a big roster, featuring characters from various other teams like Stormwatch, Gen13, and Team 7. The Authority is a team filled with a lot of characters that have the potential to be breakout hits. Here is a breakdown of the heroes that make up The Authority.
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Jenny Sparks
DC Comics
Jenny Sparks is the founder and first team leader of The Authority. Born on January 1, 1900, she is called the Spirit of the 20th Century and has the ability to control electricity and turn herself into electricity. She had a major influence over many key moments in history during the 20th century and died at midnight on January 1, 2000, as the 21st century dawned.
Apollo
Apollo is nicknamed the Sun God and is a parallel to Superman. His real name is Andrew Pulaski; he draws his powers from the sun and posses flight, super strength can release solar energy from parts of his body like his hands or even a heat vision-like substance, and is nearly invulnerable. Apollo is also in a relationship and later marries fellow team member Midnighter, and the two are one of the most prominent gay couples in comics.
Midnighter
Midnighter’s real name is unknown, and he has rarely been shown outside his costume. Midnighter is modeled after Batman but has enhanced abilities that include super strength, enhanced reflexes, and resilience. He is a skilled technician and seems to be able to predict his enemies’ attacks before they make them. Midnighter is married to Apollo.
The Doctor
The Doctor, real name Jeroen Thornedike, is a Dutch drug addict and shaman who possessed the combined powers of the hundreds of shamans who came before him. Nicknamed “The Shaman,” the power grows with each reincarnation. The character sadly dies from a drug overdose but the mantle of “The Shaman” is taken up by his successor, Habib bin Hassan.
Swift
Swift’s powers are very simple — she possesses bird-like wings that give her the ability to fly and has sharp talons. Swift’s origin is a mystery, but her real name is Shen Li-Min, and she had a brief romance with The Authority’s leader Jenny Sparks. She was formerly a pacifist, but following the death of her original team Stormwatch she put aside those beliefs to fight for a better world regardless of the cost.
The Engineer
The Engineer is in fact Dr. Angela Spica and possesses a liquid metal body due to her experimentation on herself injecting nanites into her blood. She can create solid objects out of any part of her body. She took on the mantle of the Engineer after the first one, who was a member of the team The High Changers, was killed. She has had an on-and-off relationship with Jack Hawksmoor.
Jack Hawksmoor
Jack Hawksmoor is known as “The King of Cities” or “God of Cities” and draws his powers from the city, with larger cities giving him more power. He gained his powers from being experimented on by time travelers from the future who wanted Jack to have the power to save the world. He takes over as the leader of the team following the death of Jenny Sparks. He can communicate with cities and even control them, having them move around and can animate them to attack enemies.
Jenny Quantum
Jenny Quantum was born on January 1, 2000, at the same time Jenny Sparks died. Jenny Quantum became the spirit of the 21st century. She is the adopted daughter of Apollo and Midnighter and eventually becomes the leader of the Authority. She has the ability to manipulate reality on a quantum level and even aged herself up.
The Shaman
Habib bin Hassan takes up the mantle of The Doctor and The Shaman following the death of Jeroen Thornedike. He was a young Palestinian suicide bomber. He possesses all the abilities of his predecessor. He is responsible for turning former enemy Rose Tattoo into an ally.
Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo was originally an enemy of The Authority, before being changed to one of their own members by Habib bin Hassan. Originally nicknamed “The Spirit of Murder,” she became “The Spirit of Life.” Rose is the living incarnation of murder and was a master in weapons combat.
Synergy
Synergy’s real name is Christine Trelane, and she has the ability to activate or temporarily remove powers from “seedlings” which are people with latent superhuman abilities. She was the team’s second in command for a short time when the Authority underwent a major roster change.
Deathblow
Deathblow aka Michael Cray is a former member of the military superhuman group Team 7. A former special forces operative, he possesses an accelerated healing factor that prevents him from dying and the ability to manipulate fire. It is suggested he could heal himself from just a scrap of his DNA, effectively making him immortal.
Flint
Flint, real name Victoria Ngengi, is a former member of Stormwatch, which was the superhero team that proceeded The Authority. Born in Kenya, Flint has rock-hard skin which makes her invulnerable, and possesses superhuman speed. She develops a romantic relationship with the character Grifter from The WildC.A.T.S.
Freefall
Freefall is a young superhero who has the power to manipulate gravity. Her real name is Roxanne Spaulding and was originally a member of the other popular WildStorm superhero team Gen13. Her father Alexander Fairchild was a member of Team 7 alongside Deathblow.
Grifter
Grifter is a popular WildStorm hero and has been a member of The WildC.A.T.S. and Team 7 before joining the Authority. His real name is Cole Cash, he is a master with firearms and hand-to-hand combat and an accelerated healing factor. He developed a romantic relationship with Flint. Notably, he was featured in the DC storyline Flashpoint when the various realities of the DC multiverse merged and was then brought into the main DC Universe for The New 52.
The High
The High is a man named John Cumberland who was one of the first superhumans active in America during the 1930s and 40s. He was believed to be a myth and his origin is very similar to the immigrant story of Superman, as he was brought to Earth on an alien spaceship and found and raised by American farmers.
Rainmaker
Rainmaker, like Freefall, is a former member of Gen13. Her real name is Sarah Rainmaker and is the daughter of Team 8 member Stephen Callahan. Her powers to control the weather were activated when she was living on the San Carlos reservation in Arizona. Rainmaker is both half-Apache and also bisexual.
