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Lucifer (DC Comics)

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Lucifer
Lucifer #16
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics/Vertigo
First appearance(dream) Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #65 (December 1962), (historical): DC Special Series #8 (February 1978), (modern) The Sandman #4 (April 1989)
Created byNeil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg
In-story information
Alter egoSamael
Team affiliationsThe Host, the Triumvirate of Hell
Notable aliasesLucifer Morningstar, Lightbringer, Atse'Hashke, the Maker, the Mocker
Abilitiesnigh-omnipotence, infinite will

Lucifer is a comic book published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

Template:Spoiler The series concerns the adventures of the fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar on Earth, in heaven and through other realms of creation. In the earlier related series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, Lucifer abandoned his lordship over Hell. While Lucifer had previously appeared in various stereotypical guises in earlier DC books, Gaiman's version was unique and premised on English poet and prose writer John Milton's Paradise Lost. In the Sandman series, Lucifer had ruled as lord of Hell for ten billion years. Over that time, he had manipulated the various demons of Hell against each other, provided a place for dead mortals to be tormented, and lead the war against Heaven. However, at some point during his rule, he had become bored with his existence. He became tired of the various stereotypes that mortals held of the devil, such as the idea that he purchased and traded for souls, that were largely untrue. He had become tired of his reign over Hell, and felt it an unfair punishment that he should have to rule there forever simply because he once rebelled. In the Sandman story Seasons of Mist, Lucifer expels all demons and damned souls from Hell before locking Hell's gates and handing over the key to Hell to Dream of the Endless, the title character of The Sandman series. Eventually, control of Hell was handed over to two Angels, Duma (the angel of silence) and Remiel ("who stumbled rather than fell"), while Lucifer simply retired to Earth.

Written by Mike Carey, Lucifer's story continues. Now running a piano bar (an element introduced in the Sandman story The Kindly Ones) called "Lux" in Los Angeles with the assistance of his Lilin female consort, Mazikeen, Lucifer is portrayed as sophisticated and almost charming, similar to the stereotypical Christian devil. Beneath his charisma, however, Lucifer is a deadly and Machiavellian character, with no regard for human life or indeed anyone or anything but himself: a proud and vindictive fallen angel who has no qualms using powers second only to those of his father, Yahweh. In fact, during the fourth book of the Sandman series, Lucifer is described as having been the wisest, most beautiful and most powerful of all the angels in heaven. Despite his egotistic and narcissistic tendencies, he does follow something akin to a code of honor, refusing to lie (which he considers crass and undignified), insisting on paying back debts, and keeping his word.

As the series opened in 1999, Lucifer's "restful" retirement was disturbed by a series of associates from his past, and after various catalytic events, he endeavored to create a universe in competition with (and presumably against the wishes of) his father, Yahweh. This puts him on a collision course with several powerful mystical entities that have a vested interest in the new creation and draws the angelic host into the fray - including his brother, the archangel Michael Demiurgos.

The series ended in June 2006 with issue #75 and has thus far been collected in ten books, with a standalone story (Lucifer: Nirvana) published as a smaller graphic novel. The series' parent title, The Sandman, also ran for 75 issues.

Collections

Lucifer has so far been collected in the following volumes:

  • Lucifer: The Devil In The Gateway, contains introductory 3-issue miniseries The Sandman Presents: Lucifer, and issues 1-4 of the ongoing series (ISBN 1-84023-299-4)
  • Lucifer: Children and Monsters, issues 5-13 (ISBN 1-84023-391-5)
  • Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned, issues 14-20 (ISBN 1-84023-470-9)
  • Lucifer: The Divine Comedy, issues 21-28 (ISBN 1-84023-693-0)
  • Lucifer: Inferno, issues 29-35 (ISBN 1-4012-0210-1)
  • Lucifer: Mansions of the Silence, issues 36-41 (ISBN 1-4012-0249-7)
  • Lucifer: Exodus, issues 42-44, 46-49 (ISBN 1-4012-0491-0)
  • Lucifer: The Wolf Beneath the Tree, issues 45, 50-54 (ISBN 1-4012-0502-X)
  • Lucifer: Crux, issues 55-61 (ISBN 1-4012-1005-8)
  • Lucifer: Morningstar, issues 62-69 (ISBN 1-4012-1006-6)

And also:

  • Lucifer: Nirvana, one-shot special

Notes

In Weird Mystery Tales #4 (Jan-Feb 1973), a story by Jack Oleck and Rubeny depicts Lucifer, looking much like his present incarnation, save for a few panels in which he appeared as a more traditional devil, held prisoner by an order of monks. It also presents a prisoner switch trick not unlike the one performed in The Sandman: Season of Mists, in addition to being hosted by Destiny. This story may or may not be considered in continuity, or have been an influence on Gaiman and Carey. In the story, Lucifer gave Philip Burton his form in order to trade places with him and fulfill his wish for immortality. Lucifer walked away in the body of the elderly Burton.

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