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* DealWithTheDevil: Al's bargain with Malebolgia, whose essentiall a standin for {{Satan}}.
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* DealWithTheDevil: Al's bargain with Malebolgia, whose essentiall who's essentially a standin stand-in for {{Satan}}.
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* AdaptedOut: In the comics, Al Simmons was killed by Chapel, a character from Creator/RobLiefeld's ''Comicbook/{{Youngblood}}'' series. Rights issues made it impossible for Chapel to appear in the movie, so the character Jessica Priest [[CaptainErsatz was created as a replacement]]. [=McFarlane=] ended up [[CanonImmigrant replacing Chapel and inserting Priest into the comics.]]
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* AdaptedOut: In the comics, Al Simmons was killed by Chapel, a character from Creator/RobLiefeld's ''Comicbook/{{Youngblood}}'' ''Comicbook/YoungbloodImageComics'' series. Rights issues made it impossible for Chapel to appear in the movie, so the character Jessica Priest [[CaptainErsatz was created as a replacement]]. [=McFarlane=] ended up [[CanonImmigrant replacing Chapel and inserting Priest into the comics.]]
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* CanonImmigrant: Created to replace [[ComicBook/{{Youngblood}} Chapel]] was Al's murderer, Jessica Priest was incorporated into the comics in ''Spawn'' #61 in the lead-up to the movie -- and Creator/RobLiefeld getting kicked out of Image.
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* CanonImmigrant: Created to replace [[ComicBook/{{Youngblood}} [[ComicBook/YoungbloodImageComics Chapel]] was Al's murderer, Jessica Priest was incorporated into the comics in ''Spawn'' #61 in the lead-up to the movie -- and Creator/RobLiefeld getting kicked out of Image.
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* DragonTheirFeet: After Al [[spoiler:escapes Hell and Malebolgia, the Violator follows him back to Earth to make one final attempt on his life. After failing he laments that his boss will kill him]].
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Simmons seems largely unaware of Wynn's shadier operations, being horrified the one time we see an assassination actually lead to him accidentally killing civilians; The ambiguous look Wynn gives to Priest's body isn't enough to claim this trope either when he could well just be stressed over Simmons' attempting to murder him.
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* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** The First Act goes to great lengths to establish that Al Simmons is a cold blooded killer, but even he's noticeably disturbed by the idea of releasing dangerous chemicals onto a nearby village. He even tries to stop the disaster before he's betrayed.
** "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
** The First Act goes to great lengths to establish that Al Simmons is a cold blooded killer, but even he's noticeably disturbed by the idea of releasing dangerous chemicals onto a nearby village. He even tries to stop the disaster before he's betrayed.
** "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
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A [[https://deadline.com/2018/05/spawn-jamie-foxx-todd-mcfarlane-jason-blum-blumhouse-movie-1202399090/ reboot]] is currently in production, with Creator/JamieFoxx starring in the titular role.
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A [[https://deadline.com/2018/05/spawn-jamie-foxx-todd-mcfarlane-jason-blum-blumhouse-movie-1202399090/ reboot]] is currently in production, is, as of June 2023, [[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/spawn-movie-predicted-2025-release-blumhouse-jason-blum-exclusive close to entering production,]] with Creator/JamieFoxx starring in the titular role.
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* AnchoviesAreAbhorrent: Clown hates anchovies on his maggot-infested pizza.
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* AnchoviesAreAbhorrent: Clown hates anchovies on his maggot-infested pizza. The maggots themselves are his favorite part.
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* DealWithTheDevil: Al's bargain with Malebolgia.
* DevilButNoGod: The movie centers around a character who's been to Hell and several demons, yet no angels or indicators of heaven appear in the movie apart from one character lamenting that God gets all the capable dead. During this Spawn never discusses or even considers the possibility of trying [[{{Heaven}} the]] [[{{God}} other]] [[GoodFeelsGood side]].
* DevilButNoGod: The movie centers around a character who's been to Hell and several demons, yet no angels or indicators of heaven appear in the movie apart from one character lamenting that God gets all the capable dead. During this Spawn never discusses or even considers the possibility of trying [[{{Heaven}} the]] [[{{God}} other]] [[GoodFeelsGood side]].
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* DealWithTheDevil: Al's bargain with Malebolgia.
Malebolgia, whose essentiall a standin for {{Satan}}.
* DevilButNoGod:The Downplayed. While the movie centers around a character who's been to Hell and several demons, yet and no angels or indicators of heaven appear in the movie apart from movie. God and Heaven does exist, as evidenced by one character who is a literal demon lamenting that God gets all the capable dead. During this dead and they had to "recruit" Al Simmons before the other side got to him. Spawn himself never discusses or even considers the possibility of trying [[{{Heaven}} the]] [[{{God}} other]] [[GoodFeelsGood side]].
* DevilButNoGod:
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* DualWielding: Priest saves Wynn from Spawn at the last second by opening fire on him with two automatic rifles.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
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* DualWielding: All over the movie. Al likes to do this, and Priest saves Wynn from Spawn at the last second by opening fire on him with two automatic rifles.
*EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** The First Act goes to great lengths to establish that Al Simmons is a cold blooded killer, but even he's noticeably disturbed by the idea of releasing dangerous chemicals onto a nearby village. He even tries to stop the disaster before he's betrayed.
** "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
*
** The First Act goes to great lengths to establish that Al Simmons is a cold blooded killer, but even he's noticeably disturbed by the idea of releasing dangerous chemicals onto a nearby village. He even tries to stop the disaster before he's betrayed.
** "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
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* SeeYouInHell: As Wynn burns Simmons alive for trying to quit the agency, he proclaims that he'll see him in Hell.
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* SeeYouInHell: As Wynn burns Simmons alive for trying to quit the agency, he proclaims that he'll see him in Hell. Whether or not Wynn knew that Spawn was literally going to hell to become a demonic super soldier is up in the air
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* ObviouslyEvil: Wynn and Priest make no effort to hide that they're bad people, even from Al. This includes sitting in dark rooms, playing with tarantulas and scorpions, and doing an EvilLaugh after every unnecessary monologue.
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* TransformationSequence / GrowingMusclesSequence: Clown turning himself into the Violator.
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* TransformationSequence / GrowingMusclesSequence: TransformationSequence: Clown turning himself into the Violator.
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** Also, "Bite THIS"
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** Also, "Bite THIS"THIS!"
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* ProtagonistTitle
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* ProtagonistTitleProtagonistTitle: The movie's called Spawn, and the main character is a Hellspawn that goes by the same name.
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He was a loving husband in the movie.
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* DevilButNoGod: The movie centers around a character who's been to Hell and several demons, yet no angels or indicators of heaven appear in the movie apart from one character lamenting that God gets all the capable dead. During this Spawn never discusses or even considers the possibility of trying [[{{Heaven}} the]] [[{{God}} other]] [[GoodFeelsGood side]]. While Spawn was sent to Hell, keep in mind it was punishment for murdering innocents and being an abusive husband, so he brought it on himself.
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* DevilButNoGod: The movie centers around a character who's been to Hell and several demons, yet no angels or indicators of heaven appear in the movie apart from one character lamenting that God gets all the capable dead. During this Spawn never discusses or even considers the possibility of trying [[{{Heaven}} the]] [[{{God}} other]] [[GoodFeelsGood side]]. While Spawn was sent to Hell, keep in mind it was punishment for murdering innocents and being an abusive husband, so he brought it on himself.
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* TooDesperateToBePicky: Zack's father has no issues eating food out of the garbage. Zack himself draws a line at eating rotten, maggot-infested food, however.
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Weyland-Yutani reference
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** At the beginning of the film, as Al takes aim at his assassination target, his high-tech scan of the airport tarmac identifies one of the planes as [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Weyland-Yutani]] Flight 426.
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''Spawn'' is a 1997 American superhero [[TheFilmOfTheBook film]] based on the Creator/ImageComics [[ComicBook/{{Spawn}} character of the same name]]. Directed by Mark A.Z. Dippé, the film stars Michael Jai White in the title role, alongside John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen, Theresa Randle, D. B. Sweeney, and Nicol Williamson in his final film role.
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''Spawn'' is a 1997 American superhero [[TheFilmOfTheBook film]] based on the Creator/ImageComics [[ComicBook/{{Spawn}} character of the same name]]. Directed by Mark A.Z. Dippé, the film stars Michael Jai White Creator/MichaelJaiWhite in the title role, alongside John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen, Theresa Randle, D. B. Sweeney, Creator/JohnLeguizamo, Creator/MartinSheen, Creator/TheresaRandle, Creator/DBSweeney, and Nicol Williamson Creator/NicolWilliamson in his final film role.
* AnchoviesAreAbhorrent: Clown hates anchovies on his maggot-infested pizza.
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* StockYuck: Clown hates anchovies on his maggot-infested pizza.
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* DisappointedInYou: Wynn calls him a disappointment for having a conscience as a professional killer.
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* DisappointedInYou: Wynn calls him Al a disappointment for having a conscience as a professional killer.
* LighterAndSofter: It's much less grim than the comic [[WesternAnimation/ToddMcFarlanesSpawn and its animated adaptation]], completely lacking in blood and gore (even in the R-rated cut) and the more horrific imagery associated with Hell in the comics downplayed, Al's domestic abuse of Wanda is omitted, and while the Clown always had a warped sense of humor in the source material, he mostly ends up serving as the PluckyComicRelief all the way through.
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** The homeless kid whom Al befriends after his resurrection.
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** The Zack, the homeless kid whom Al befriends after his resurrection.
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* MythologyGag: The Smiley Face badge on Clown's jacket mirrors the viewing galleries of a mud-wrestling establishment where Spawn murders a drug-dealer in cold blood early on in the comics. The symbolism really kicks in when you realize that this killing was one of the first that showed Spawn that the world is not as simple as he initially believed and that letting his anger control him blinded him to the truth
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* MythologyGag: The Smiley Face badge on Clown's jacket mirrors the viewing galleries of a mud-wrestling establishment where Spawn murders a drug-dealer in cold blood early on in the comics. The symbolism really kicks in when you realize that this killing was one of the first that showed Spawn that the world is not as simple as he initially believed and that letting his anger control him blinded him to the truthtruth.
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* InformedAttribute: According to Wynn, Al is a certifiable psychopath. Despite this, he's disturbed when he finds out that he killed innocent civilians when he blew up the plane, which led to his retirement and subsequent death.
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** In an allusion to ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Clown mentions that [[ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning he loves the smell of burning asphalt in the morning]], plus the obvious — while looking directly at Wynn, played by Martin Sheen — "kickstart the Apocalypse now!"
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** In an allusion to ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Clown mentions that [[ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning he loves the smell of burning asphalt in the morning]], plus the obvious — while looking directly at Wynn, [[ActorAllusion played by Martin Sheen Sheen]] — "kickstart the Apocalypse now!"
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* AdaptedOut: In the comics, Al Simmons was killed by Chapel, a character from Creator/RobLiefeld's ''Comicbook/{{Youngblood}}'' series. Rights issues made it impossible for Chapel to appear in the movie, so the character Jessica Priest [[CaptainErsatz was created as a replacement]]. [=McFarlane=] ended up [[CanonForeigner replacing Chapel and inserting Priest into the comics.]]
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* AdaptedOut: In the comics, Al Simmons was killed by Chapel, a character from Creator/RobLiefeld's ''Comicbook/{{Youngblood}}'' series. Rights issues made it impossible for Chapel to appear in the movie, so the character Jessica Priest [[CaptainErsatz was created as a replacement]]. [=McFarlane=] ended up [[CanonForeigner [[CanonImmigrant replacing Chapel and inserting Priest into the comics.]]
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* CanonImmigrant: Created to replace [[ComicBook/{{Youngblood}} Chapel]] was Al's murderer, Jessica Priest was incorporated into the comics in ''Spawn'' #61 in the lead-up to the movie -- and Creator/RobLiefeld getting kicked out of Image.
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* AbusiveParents: Zack's father almost beats him for coughing back up the food he found in the dumpster because it was rotten. Spawn stops him before he could land a hit on the child.
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[[caption-width-right:300:''[[{{Tagline}} Born in darkness. Sworn to justice]].'']]
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!!This film has the examples of:
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!!This film has the provides examples of:of:
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The 1997 [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] of ''Comicbook/{{Spawn}}''.
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moderator restored to earlier version
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[[caption-width-right:300:''[[{{Tagline}} Born in darkness. Sworn to justice]].'']]
The 1997 [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] of ''Comicbook/{{Spawn}}''.
[[caption-width-right:300:''[[{{Tagline}} Born in darkness. Sworn to justice]].'']]
The 1997 [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] of ''Comicbook/{{Spawn}}''.
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[[caption-width-right:300:''[[{{Tagline}}
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} Born in darkness. Sworn to justice]].'']]
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!!This film has the examples of:
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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spawn-movie-1997-still6_7075.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''[[{{Tagline}} Born in darkness. Sworn to justice]].'']]
The 1997 [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] of ''Comicbook/{{Spawn}}''.
Black Ops operative Al Simmons (Creator/MichaelJaiWhite) is betrayed on his last job before retirement by his boss Jason Wynn (Creator/MartinSheen). The life he lived has him sent straight to Hell, where he makes a deal with its master Malebolgia (Creator/FrankWelker) to return to the land of the living to see his family again. However, his side of the bargain involves him becoming Spawn, the leader for the eventual Armageddon, overseen by the demonic Clown (Creator/JohnLeguizamo). As Simmons adjusts to his resurrection while taking revenge on Wynn, he starts questioning his role in the machinations of Hell, and ultimately rebels.
A [[https://deadline.com/2018/05/spawn-jamie-foxx-todd-mcfarlane-jason-blum-blumhouse-movie-1202399090/ reboot]] is currently in production, with Creator/JamieFoxx starring in the titular role.
----
!!This film has the examples of:
* ActorAllusion: "...kickstart the Film/ApocalypseNow!", said to Creator/MartinSheen.
* AdaptedOut: In the comics, Al Simmons was killed by Chapel, a character from Creator/RobLiefeld's ''Comicbook/{{Youngblood}}'' series. Rights issues made it impossible for Chapel to appear in the movie, so the character Jessica Priest [[CaptainErsatz was created as a replacement]]. [=McFarlane=] ended up [[CanonForeigner replacing Chapel and inserting Priest into the comics.]]
* AdaptationDistillation: Besides cutting out the connections to the other Creator/ImageComics because that would take too long to explain, the movie cuts out a lot of pointless supporting villains and makes it all about Simmons versus Wynn, and gets rid of all the mystery surrounding Simmons and explains his history right away.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: While it may veer into WhatMeasureIsANonCute, it says a lot about Wynn that he uses his pet scorpions' terrarium as an ashtray. He doesn't actually extinguish his cigar on any of the scorpions, but the implication is obvious.
* BadassBiker: Spawn rides a bike, even though he really doesn't need to.
* BigBad: Malebolgia, while Clown aka Violator serves as TheHeavy.
* BigNo: Spawn gives one out after finding his locket, combined with DramaticThunder.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Cogliostro can turn his arm into a glowing sword.
* TheCameo: The policemen arresting Wynn are supporting characters Sam and Twitch, who got their own spinoff book. In the party scene, eagle-eyed viewers can also spot Angela (in her iconic green dress and spawn earrings) as one of the party guests.
* CarFu: Clown drives a truck into Spawn, who protects himself with his cape.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Spawn runs into his human daughter Cyan after secretly observing a lecture given by his former fiancé Wanda. The little girl isn't afraid of the imposing figure and innocently notes his weird (burned and scarred) face before exchanging names.
* CultSoundtrack: The soundtrack paired rock bands with electronica groups (Music/{{Filter}} and Music/TheCrystalMethod, Music/ButtholeSurfers and Music/{{Moby}}, Music/{{Korn}} and Music/TheDustBrothers, etc.) and remained on the ''Billboard'' charts for 6 months, arguably having a longer appeal than the film itself.
* DeadMansSwitch: CIA director Jason Wynn had a device installed near his heart that, if his heart ever stopped, would send a signal out to an automated system designed to release a devastating virus all over the earth. Oddly, even the "normal" members of the CIA are shown thinking that this was a good idea ("Now, no one will ''dare'' kill you, sir!). It apparently never occurred to anyone to think about what would happen if he got into a car crash or had a heart attack.
* DealWithTheDevil: Al's bargain with Malebolgia.
* DevilButNoGod: The movie centers around a character who's been to Hell and several demons, yet no angels or indicators of heaven appear in the movie apart from one character lamenting that God gets all the capable dead. During this Spawn never discusses or even considers the possibility of trying [[{{Heaven}} the]] [[{{God}} other]] [[GoodFeelsGood side]]. While Spawn was sent to Hell, keep in mind it was punishment for murdering innocents and being an abusive husband, so he brought it on himself.
* DisappointedInYou: Wynn calls him a disappointment for having a conscience as a professional killer.
* DualWielding: Priest saves Wynn from Spawn at the last second by opening fire on him with two automatic rifles.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
* ForcedToWatch: After Clown's plan is foiled in the climax, he prepares to rape Wanda in front of a beaten Spawn and forces him to watch. Cogliostro intervenes to prevent this, prompting Clown to retreat to Hell.
* {{Gasshole}}: Clown.
-->''(imitating [[Film/ItsAWonderfulLife Clarence]])'' Uh, well, well, every time somebody farts, uh, a demon gets his wings! ''(farts twice)'' Oops! Twins!
-->''(farts)'' Oops! A wet one! I hope I didn't stain my underwear...Look at that, skid marks.
* GiveMyRegardsInTheNextWorld: Spawn says to Violator, just after [[OffWithHisHead decapitating him]], "Give my regards to your boss. Tell him he's next."
* GroinAttack: Defied. Jessica Priest attempts a groin attack on Spawn, but his skull-shaped belt buckle [[http://www.headinjurytheater.com/spwn%20my%20crotch%20is%20biting%20you%202.jpg stretches out and bites her leg hard]].
* GunsAkimbo: Priest fights Spawn with a machine gun in each hand. Spawn then switches to this before killing her and fighting the police.
* GunsAreWorthless: Violator just shrugs off bullets that Spawn fires at him. Cogliostro points this out later on, even saying "guns are useless", and shows Spawn how to use his own powers properly.
* HealingFactor: Spawn got the ability to heal wounds as part of his deal with Hell. He notes this with satisfaction when Jessica pumps him full of lead.
-->'''Spawn:''' ''Damn...''
* HeroStoleMyBike: Spawn rides off on a bike as the owner runs out of a bar angrily after him.
* ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning:
-->'''Clown:''' I love the smell of burning asphalt in the morning.
* InvisibilityCloak: Spawn's red cape is shown being capable of rendering him invisible. He then makes the mistake of turning it off while the cops are still looking for him, so recommence gunfight.
* KickTheDog: Clown literally applies this trope when he attempts to eat Spawn's dog Spaz to get one back at him.
* {{Knighting}}: Clown does a comical, hellish version of this when Spawn gets his armor, striking him on the shoulders with a shovel and proclaiming:
-->'''Clown:''' In the name of the people and things of Hell, I dub thee... Spawn, general of Hell's armies. Arise, Your Crispness! Arise, Duke of Deep-Fried! Sultan of Sizzling! Emir of Ooey-Gooey!
* LargeHam: Clown, who could give [[Film/Batman1989 Jack Nicholson's Joker]] a run for hammiest MonsterClown ever.
* LoadBearingBoss: Jason Wynn sets himself up as the ''ultimate'' load-bearing boss: He attaches a heart-rate sensor to himself, which will set off dozens of virus-bombs all over the world in the event of his death to deter assassinations (though how a would-be killer is supposed to know this ahead of time is anyone's guess). [[spoiler: Spawn uses [[AWizardDidIt his nifty magic powers]] to just pull the sensor out of his body before turning him over to the cops.]]
* MonsterClown: Clown, much to his chagrin. His real form is actually a towering, emaciated demon called Violator, but Malebolgia apparently didn't give him any options what his "human" disguise would look like.
-->'''Clown''': The master and I are going to have words. He knows I hate clowns. God, I hate them. I hate them all. I hate Bozo, Ronald, Chuckles with their freakin' dumb noses and their lousy party hats!
* MoralityPet:
** The homeless kid whom Al befriends after his resurrection.
** Cyan is this to Spawn as well. [[spoiler: Jason invokes this to keep Spawn from killing him and setting off Heat-16.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Jason:''']] IF YOU KILL ME, YOU'LL KILL HER!!!
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Spawn pretty much says this when seeing the locket with the picture of him and Wanda.
* MythologyGag: The Smiley Face badge on Clown's jacket mirrors the viewing galleries of a mud-wrestling establishment where Spawn murders a drug-dealer in cold blood early on in the comics. The symbolism really kicks in when you realize that this killing was one of the first that showed Spawn that the world is not as simple as he initially believed and that letting his anger control him blinded him to the truth
* NeckSnap: Al does this to a North Korean guard during his final mission.
* NoYou:
-->'''Simmons''': You touch [Wanda], and you're a dead man!
-->'''Wynn''': ''You're'' the dead man. *sets Simmons on fire* See you in hell, Al!
* OneWingedAngel: Clown's Violator-form.
-->'''Clown''': No more clowning around. I'm not the Vindicator, or the Victimizer, or the Vaporizer or the Vibrator! I'm... '''THE VIOLATOR!'''
* PretenderDiss: Clown isn't impressed by three moronic [[HollywoodSatanism Satanists]].
-->'''Clown''': How come God hogs up all the good followers, and we get all the retards?
* PrettyLittleHeadshots: Spawn kills Jessica this way with just a single bullet.
-->'''Jessica:''' ''(defiantly)'' [[YouWouldntShootMe You don't have the guts!]]\\
''[Spawn shoots her]''\\
'''Spawn:''' [[ExactWords You're right.]]
* ProtagonistTitle
* PsychoForHire: Jessica Priest is an even darker assassin than Al Simmons. She seems to be in it mainly for the joy of hurting people, as Simmons balks at how she always leaves a huge bodycount of innocent bystanders on her missions. Later, she sadistically burns Simmons to death on Wynn's orders. Clown/Violator is also this to Malebolgia as he's a blood-thirsty and sadistic demon with a sick love for carnage and mass murderers ("I always say destroy the cosmos ask questions later").
* RaceLift: Terry is now a Caucasian. [[WordOfGod Todd McFarlane has gone on record]] as saying that this was done by the studio to avoid having too many black leads. They were worried that would create a perception the film was aimed at just a black target audience. It was also said that, with white villains, they didn't want to look racist.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Spawn's eyes usually glow green. They blaze red just as he's about to kill someone. The Violator also has a pair of these in his true demonic form.
* {{Retirony}}: Al Simmons goes on one last mission before he can retire with his wife to start a family. Burned to death.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Averted and then Invoked. After Al realizes that he's been dead for five years, he lets out a primal scream. Clown then says "Aww, c'mon! You scream like a little girl! Scream like a man! Here, like this!" and then lets out a very shrill, high-pitched, feminine shriek.
* SeeYouInHell: As Wynn burns Simmons alive for trying to quit the agency, he proclaims that he'll see him in Hell.
* ShoutOut:
** Clown spews out lot of references to pop culture, which include ''Series/{{ER}}'' and ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.
** In an allusion to ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Clown mentions that [[ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning he loves the smell of burning asphalt in the morning]], plus the obvious — while looking directly at Wynn, played by Martin Sheen — "kickstart the Apocalypse now!"
** "[[Film/JasonGoesToHellTheFinalFriday See you in Hell, Jason!]]"
** In another scene Clown introduces himself by saying [[Film/TheShining "Here's Clowny!"]]
* SpotlightStealingSquad: Clown, played with [[LargeHam scenery-chewing gusto]] by Creator/JohnLeguizamo.
* StockYuck: Clown hates anchovies on his maggot-infested pizza.
* SuperWindowJump: Done by Spawn, his costume and cape acting as armor and being undead and thus unharmed even by bullets.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Clown/Violator hates "weekend satanists".
-->'''Clown''': How come God always pick up the good followers and we're left with all the retards !?
* SyntheticPlague: Heat-16. According to Wynn, it "Makes the Ebola virus look like a skin-rash!" and he intends to use it to conquer Earth, while Hell means to ''wipe out'' Earth with it.
* TastesLikeChicken: This is paired with YouTasteDelicious as Clown/Violator licks Wanda's face.
* TestedOnHumans: Wynn, on Clown's orders, blows up a North Korean chemical plant to see how its experimental toxins will affect the nearby inhabitants. Several diseases that had been wiped out suddenly re-emerge in the world population.
* TransformationSequence / GrowingMusclesSequence: Clown turning himself into the Violator.
* VerbThis:
** "Eat THIS!"
** Also, "Bite THIS"
* VillainousBreakdown: Upset that Malebolgia chose Spawn to lead the armies of the damned instead of him, Violator throws a hissy fit, whining that it isn't fair. He catches himself in the middle of his rant, realizing that his whining really isn't making him look any better in front of his boss. This growing frustration with this apparent snub, his own hatred of the Clown guise, and Spawn's constant refusal to cooperate eventually drives Violator to ditch all subtlety and just beat Spawn into submission with his true power.
* WallCrawl: While trying to escape from the cops, Spawn does the Spider-Man routine on the side of a building when he finds that his hand can turn into a sucker.
* YouTasteDelicious: Clown in his Violator-form licks Wanda's face with his demon tongue, exclaiming that she TastesLikeChicken.
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[[caption-width-right:300:''[[{{Tagline}} Born in darkness. Sworn to justice]].'']]
The 1997 [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] of ''Comicbook/{{Spawn}}''.
Black Ops operative Al Simmons (Creator/MichaelJaiWhite) is betrayed on his last job before retirement by his boss Jason Wynn (Creator/MartinSheen). The life he lived has him sent straight to Hell, where he makes a deal with its master Malebolgia (Creator/FrankWelker) to return to the land of the living to see his family again. However, his side of the bargain involves him becoming Spawn, the leader for the eventual Armageddon, overseen by the demonic Clown (Creator/JohnLeguizamo). As Simmons adjusts to his resurrection while taking revenge on Wynn, he starts questioning his role in the machinations of Hell, and ultimately rebels.
A [[https://deadline.com/2018/05/spawn-jamie-foxx-todd-mcfarlane-jason-blum-blumhouse-movie-1202399090/ reboot]] is currently in production, with Creator/JamieFoxx starring in the titular role.
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!!This film has the examples of:
* ActorAllusion: "...kickstart the Film/ApocalypseNow!", said to Creator/MartinSheen.
* AdaptedOut: In the comics, Al Simmons was killed by Chapel, a character from Creator/RobLiefeld's ''Comicbook/{{Youngblood}}'' series. Rights issues made it impossible for Chapel to appear in the movie, so the character Jessica Priest [[CaptainErsatz was created as a replacement]]. [=McFarlane=] ended up [[CanonForeigner replacing Chapel and inserting Priest into the comics.]]
* AdaptationDistillation: Besides cutting out the connections to the other Creator/ImageComics because that would take too long to explain, the movie cuts out a lot of pointless supporting villains and makes it all about Simmons versus Wynn, and gets rid of all the mystery surrounding Simmons and explains his history right away.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: While it may veer into WhatMeasureIsANonCute, it says a lot about Wynn that he uses his pet scorpions' terrarium as an ashtray. He doesn't actually extinguish his cigar on any of the scorpions, but the implication is obvious.
* BadassBiker: Spawn rides a bike, even though he really doesn't need to.
* BigBad: Malebolgia, while Clown aka Violator serves as TheHeavy.
* BigNo: Spawn gives one out after finding his locket, combined with DramaticThunder.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Cogliostro can turn his arm into a glowing sword.
* TheCameo: The policemen arresting Wynn are supporting characters Sam and Twitch, who got their own spinoff book. In the party scene, eagle-eyed viewers can also spot Angela (in her iconic green dress and spawn earrings) as one of the party guests.
* CarFu: Clown drives a truck into Spawn, who protects himself with his cape.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Spawn runs into his human daughter Cyan after secretly observing a lecture given by his former fiancé Wanda. The little girl isn't afraid of the imposing figure and innocently notes his weird (burned and scarred) face before exchanging names.
* CultSoundtrack: The soundtrack paired rock bands with electronica groups (Music/{{Filter}} and Music/TheCrystalMethod, Music/ButtholeSurfers and Music/{{Moby}}, Music/{{Korn}} and Music/TheDustBrothers, etc.) and remained on the ''Billboard'' charts for 6 months, arguably having a longer appeal than the film itself.
* DeadMansSwitch: CIA director Jason Wynn had a device installed near his heart that, if his heart ever stopped, would send a signal out to an automated system designed to release a devastating virus all over the earth. Oddly, even the "normal" members of the CIA are shown thinking that this was a good idea ("Now, no one will ''dare'' kill you, sir!). It apparently never occurred to anyone to think about what would happen if he got into a car crash or had a heart attack.
* DealWithTheDevil: Al's bargain with Malebolgia.
* DevilButNoGod: The movie centers around a character who's been to Hell and several demons, yet no angels or indicators of heaven appear in the movie apart from one character lamenting that God gets all the capable dead. During this Spawn never discusses or even considers the possibility of trying [[{{Heaven}} the]] [[{{God}} other]] [[GoodFeelsGood side]]. While Spawn was sent to Hell, keep in mind it was punishment for murdering innocents and being an abusive husband, so he brought it on himself.
* DisappointedInYou: Wynn calls him a disappointment for having a conscience as a professional killer.
* DualWielding: Priest saves Wynn from Spawn at the last second by opening fire on him with two automatic rifles.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: "Loved" may (or may not) be overstating, but Wynn is actually saddened when [[spoiler: Priest's body is wheeled away after she's killed by Spawn]].
* ForcedToWatch: After Clown's plan is foiled in the climax, he prepares to rape Wanda in front of a beaten Spawn and forces him to watch. Cogliostro intervenes to prevent this, prompting Clown to retreat to Hell.
* {{Gasshole}}: Clown.
-->''(imitating [[Film/ItsAWonderfulLife Clarence]])'' Uh, well, well, every time somebody farts, uh, a demon gets his wings! ''(farts twice)'' Oops! Twins!
-->''(farts)'' Oops! A wet one! I hope I didn't stain my underwear...Look at that, skid marks.
* GiveMyRegardsInTheNextWorld: Spawn says to Violator, just after [[OffWithHisHead decapitating him]], "Give my regards to your boss. Tell him he's next."
* GroinAttack: Defied. Jessica Priest attempts a groin attack on Spawn, but his skull-shaped belt buckle [[http://www.headinjurytheater.com/spwn%20my%20crotch%20is%20biting%20you%202.jpg stretches out and bites her leg hard]].
* GunsAkimbo: Priest fights Spawn with a machine gun in each hand. Spawn then switches to this before killing her and fighting the police.
* GunsAreWorthless: Violator just shrugs off bullets that Spawn fires at him. Cogliostro points this out later on, even saying "guns are useless", and shows Spawn how to use his own powers properly.
* HealingFactor: Spawn got the ability to heal wounds as part of his deal with Hell. He notes this with satisfaction when Jessica pumps him full of lead.
-->'''Spawn:''' ''Damn...''
* HeroStoleMyBike: Spawn rides off on a bike as the owner runs out of a bar angrily after him.
* ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning:
-->'''Clown:''' I love the smell of burning asphalt in the morning.
* InvisibilityCloak: Spawn's red cape is shown being capable of rendering him invisible. He then makes the mistake of turning it off while the cops are still looking for him, so recommence gunfight.
* KickTheDog: Clown literally applies this trope when he attempts to eat Spawn's dog Spaz to get one back at him.
* {{Knighting}}: Clown does a comical, hellish version of this when Spawn gets his armor, striking him on the shoulders with a shovel and proclaiming:
-->'''Clown:''' In the name of the people and things of Hell, I dub thee... Spawn, general of Hell's armies. Arise, Your Crispness! Arise, Duke of Deep-Fried! Sultan of Sizzling! Emir of Ooey-Gooey!
* LargeHam: Clown, who could give [[Film/Batman1989 Jack Nicholson's Joker]] a run for hammiest MonsterClown ever.
* LoadBearingBoss: Jason Wynn sets himself up as the ''ultimate'' load-bearing boss: He attaches a heart-rate sensor to himself, which will set off dozens of virus-bombs all over the world in the event of his death to deter assassinations (though how a would-be killer is supposed to know this ahead of time is anyone's guess). [[spoiler: Spawn uses [[AWizardDidIt his nifty magic powers]] to just pull the sensor out of his body before turning him over to the cops.]]
* MonsterClown: Clown, much to his chagrin. His real form is actually a towering, emaciated demon called Violator, but Malebolgia apparently didn't give him any options what his "human" disguise would look like.
-->'''Clown''': The master and I are going to have words. He knows I hate clowns. God, I hate them. I hate them all. I hate Bozo, Ronald, Chuckles with their freakin' dumb noses and their lousy party hats!
* MoralityPet:
** The homeless kid whom Al befriends after his resurrection.
** Cyan is this to Spawn as well. [[spoiler: Jason invokes this to keep Spawn from killing him and setting off Heat-16.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Jason:''']] IF YOU KILL ME, YOU'LL KILL HER!!!
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Spawn pretty much says this when seeing the locket with the picture of him and Wanda.
* MythologyGag: The Smiley Face badge on Clown's jacket mirrors the viewing galleries of a mud-wrestling establishment where Spawn murders a drug-dealer in cold blood early on in the comics. The symbolism really kicks in when you realize that this killing was one of the first that showed Spawn that the world is not as simple as he initially believed and that letting his anger control him blinded him to the truth
* NeckSnap: Al does this to a North Korean guard during his final mission.
* NoYou:
-->'''Simmons''': You touch [Wanda], and you're a dead man!
-->'''Wynn''': ''You're'' the dead man. *sets Simmons on fire* See you in hell, Al!
* OneWingedAngel: Clown's Violator-form.
-->'''Clown''': No more clowning around. I'm not the Vindicator, or the Victimizer, or the Vaporizer or the Vibrator! I'm... '''THE VIOLATOR!'''
* PretenderDiss: Clown isn't impressed by three moronic [[HollywoodSatanism Satanists]].
-->'''Clown''': How come God hogs up all the good followers, and we get all the retards?
* PrettyLittleHeadshots: Spawn kills Jessica this way with just a single bullet.
-->'''Jessica:''' ''(defiantly)'' [[YouWouldntShootMe You don't have the guts!]]\\
''[Spawn shoots her]''\\
'''Spawn:''' [[ExactWords You're right.]]
* ProtagonistTitle
* PsychoForHire: Jessica Priest is an even darker assassin than Al Simmons. She seems to be in it mainly for the joy of hurting people, as Simmons balks at how she always leaves a huge bodycount of innocent bystanders on her missions. Later, she sadistically burns Simmons to death on Wynn's orders. Clown/Violator is also this to Malebolgia as he's a blood-thirsty and sadistic demon with a sick love for carnage and mass murderers ("I always say destroy the cosmos ask questions later").
* RaceLift: Terry is now a Caucasian. [[WordOfGod Todd McFarlane has gone on record]] as saying that this was done by the studio to avoid having too many black leads. They were worried that would create a perception the film was aimed at just a black target audience. It was also said that, with white villains, they didn't want to look racist.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Spawn's eyes usually glow green. They blaze red just as he's about to kill someone. The Violator also has a pair of these in his true demonic form.
* {{Retirony}}: Al Simmons goes on one last mission before he can retire with his wife to start a family. Burned to death.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Averted and then Invoked. After Al realizes that he's been dead for five years, he lets out a primal scream. Clown then says "Aww, c'mon! You scream like a little girl! Scream like a man! Here, like this!" and then lets out a very shrill, high-pitched, feminine shriek.
* SeeYouInHell: As Wynn burns Simmons alive for trying to quit the agency, he proclaims that he'll see him in Hell.
* ShoutOut:
** Clown spews out lot of references to pop culture, which include ''Series/{{ER}}'' and ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.
** In an allusion to ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', Clown mentions that [[ILoveTheSmellOfXInTheMorning he loves the smell of burning asphalt in the morning]], plus the obvious — while looking directly at Wynn, played by Martin Sheen — "kickstart the Apocalypse now!"
** "[[Film/JasonGoesToHellTheFinalFriday See you in Hell, Jason!]]"
** In another scene Clown introduces himself by saying [[Film/TheShining "Here's Clowny!"]]
* SpotlightStealingSquad: Clown, played with [[LargeHam scenery-chewing gusto]] by Creator/JohnLeguizamo.
* StockYuck: Clown hates anchovies on his maggot-infested pizza.
* SuperWindowJump: Done by Spawn, his costume and cape acting as armor and being undead and thus unharmed even by bullets.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Clown/Violator hates "weekend satanists".
-->'''Clown''': How come God always pick up the good followers and we're left with all the retards !?
* SyntheticPlague: Heat-16. According to Wynn, it "Makes the Ebola virus look like a skin-rash!" and he intends to use it to conquer Earth, while Hell means to ''wipe out'' Earth with it.
* TastesLikeChicken: This is paired with YouTasteDelicious as Clown/Violator licks Wanda's face.
* TestedOnHumans: Wynn, on Clown's orders, blows up a North Korean chemical plant to see how its experimental toxins will affect the nearby inhabitants. Several diseases that had been wiped out suddenly re-emerge in the world population.
* TransformationSequence / GrowingMusclesSequence: Clown turning himself into the Violator.
* VerbThis:
** "Eat THIS!"
** Also, "Bite THIS"
* VillainousBreakdown: Upset that Malebolgia chose Spawn to lead the armies of the damned instead of him, Violator throws a hissy fit, whining that it isn't fair. He catches himself in the middle of his rant, realizing that his whining really isn't making him look any better in front of his boss. This growing frustration with this apparent snub, his own hatred of the Clown guise, and Spawn's constant refusal to cooperate eventually drives Violator to ditch all subtlety and just beat Spawn into submission with his true power.
* WallCrawl: While trying to escape from the cops, Spawn does the Spider-Man routine on the side of a building when he finds that his hand can turn into a sucker.
* YouTasteDelicious: Clown in his Violator-form licks Wanda's face with his demon tongue, exclaiming that she TastesLikeChicken.
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