History Comicbook / Spawn

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* AbuseMistake: During a stint in the Deep South, Spawn encounters a physically abusive father who manages to hide what he's doing to his sons through a combination of his great reputation as a local hero and by handwaving the bruises his kids get as stemming from their playing contact football.

While ''Spawn'' was really popular during UsefulNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}}, holding the title of best-selling independent comic for 15 years, the writing was full of {{Retcon}}s and {{Snap Back}}s. Spawn's Power Counter that informed the reader of how much Green Goo energy he had left before he had to return to Hell was also abandoned after a few issues, angering many fans. It's definitely gotten [[GrowingTheBeard much better]] over the years. There were definite cases of ScheduleSlip, but far less so that most of the initial Creator/ImageComics.

It later had [[WesternAnimation/ToddMcFarlanesSpawn an animated adaptation]] for {{Creator/HBO}} that viciously battered the AnimationAgeGhetto, and is often seen as being of [[AdaptationDistillation higher quality than the comic]]. [[Film/Spawn1997 The 1997 movie adaptation]] placed Creator/MichaelJaiWhite in the lead role, Theresa Randle as his wife, Creator/MartinSheen as Wynn and Creator/JohnLeguizamo as cartoonish arch-foe Clown/Violator. He's also appeared as a GuestFighter in a few games: he was an exclusive character to the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} version of ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur II]]'', where he was voiced by Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson, while Creator/KeithDavid reprised the role when he was added as a DownloadableContent GuestFighter to ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''.

* BigBad:Malebolgia,Mammon,and Sinn/Cogliostro.

** The effects of the war mask, at least in the HBO series, are possibly a reference to ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure,'' where a similar mask results in vampires.

* SpinOff:Angela,Violator,King Spawn,Gunslinger Spawn,The Scorched,and many others,

* TheCowl: Probably the best example other than Franchise/{{Batman}} himself.

** Spawn is more or less a demonic version of ComicBook/{{Venom}} (another [=McFarlane=] co-creation) with Comicbook/GhostRider's [[ChainPain chains]] and supernatural powers, topped off with a [[BadassCape big scary cape]] resembling the Prowler's. Even though [=McFarlane=] has claimed to be Venom's creator in the past, the character was the result of many writers, editors, and at least one other artist (Mike Zeck, the designer of the black costume that Venom would later wear). [=McFarlane=]'s influence was limited to Venom's monstrous appearance - his claws and famous grin - and the name only. Interestingly enough, the third incarnation of Venom, Mac Gargan, was drawn as having glowing green eyes inside the symbiote's white eye-patches, making ''him'' an expy of Spawn.

** Sam is pretty similar to [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Harvey Bullock]].

A new ''Spawn'' movie is in development, written and directed by [=McFarlane=] himself and starring Creator/JamieFoxx, though [[DevelopmentHell it's taking a while to get here]] ([=McFarlane=] having made mention of working on it as early as 2015).

'''"Damn''' ''his lies. He accepted [[DealWithTheDevil the deal]]... on '''''his''''' terms. His rules. His ways. And somewhere in time he bust a gut laughing"''.

-> ''"I don't belong. Not here, not now. I have to get back there. The bet was rigged, he made me believe. Now there's darkness in my soul. I want to die...again. But I chose to come back. [[AmnesiacHero Why?]]"''\\

'''"Damn''' ''his lies. He accepted [[DealWithTheDevil the deal]]...on '''''his''''' terms. His rules. His ways. And somewhere in time he bust a gut laughing"''.

''"I remember there was someone. Someone to'' '''''love'''''. ''Someone to'' '''''hate'''''. ''And I was something. Something'' '''''special'''''. ''And'' '''''proud''''' ''of it. For a time. Then they turned on me.'' '''''He''''' ''turned on me. I remember...dying. And'' '''''Her'''''. ''Oh, God, she's so beautiful. I needed. He gave. I'' '''''had''''' ''to. All I could think of was her. So I promised, and he accepted. All because of her."''\\

--> ''"I don't belong. Not here, not now. I have to get back there. The bet was rigged, he made me believe. Now there's darkness in my soul. I want to die...again. But I chose to come back. [[AmnesiacHero Why?]]"''
--> [...]
--> ''"I remember there was someone. Someone to'' '''''love'''''. ''Someone to'' '''''hate'''''. ''And I was something. Something'' '''''special'''''. ''And'' '''''proud''''' ''of it. For a time. Then they turned on me.'' '''''He''''' ''turned on me. I remember...dying. And'' '''''Her'''''. ''Oh, God, she's so beautiful. I needed. He gave. I'' '''''had''''' ''to. All I could think of was her. So I promised, and he accepted. All because of her."''

--> '''"Damn''' ''his lies. He accepted [[DealWithTheDevil the deal]]...on '''''his''''' terms. His rules. His ways. And somewhere in time he bust a gut laughing"''.
---> OpeningMonologue, '''Spawn #1'''.