The Invisibles

AUTHOR: Morrison, Grant

ARTIST: Mark Buckingham (penciller); Tommy Lee Edwards (penciller); Phil Jimenez (penciller); Paul Johnson (penciller); Michael Lark (penciller); Grant Morrison (penciller); Dean Ormston (penciller); Arnold Pander (penciller); Jacob Pander (penciller); Steve Parkhouse (penciller); Warren Pleece (penciller); Frank Quitely (penciller); Ivan Reis (penciller); John Ridgway (penciller); Cameron Stewart (penciller); Ashley Wood (penciller); Philip Bond (penciller and inker); Jill Thompson (penciller and inker); Chris Weston (penciller and inker); Steve Yeowell (penciller and inker); Rian Hughes (penciller and cover artist); Sean Phillips (penciller and cover artist); Keith Aiken (inker); Dennis Cramer (inker); Kim DeMulder (inker); Glyn Dillon (inker); Dick Giordano (inker); Marc Hempel (inker); Ray Kryssing (inker); Mark Pennington (inker); Jay Stephens (inker); John Stokes (inker); Kevin Somers (colorist); Rick Taylor (colorist); Daniel Vozzo (colorist); Ellie DeVille (letterer); Todd Klein (letterer); Annie Parkhouse (letterer); Clem Robins (letterer); Brian Bolland (cover artist)

PUBLISHER: DC Comics

FIRST SERIAL PUBLICATION: 1994-1996 (series 1), 1997-1999 (series 2), and 1999-2000 (series 3)

FIRST BOOK PUBLICATION: 1996

Publication History

First published in September, 1994, The Invisibles follows Grant Morrison’s rise to popularity and acclaim after his break into the American comics scene in 1988 with Animal Man, for Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics. More important, The Invisibles is Morrison’s first full-length, creator-owned series as well as the first conscious effort by Morrison to combine, in a nonrestrictive fashion, his love of mainstream, superhero-style narratives with the surrealist, counterculture influences that appear in his earlier publications. Morrison has also admitted that The Invisibles was heavily influenced thematically by his Spider-Man and Zoids stories from the mid-1980’s, published by Marvel UK, and consequently shaped by his “alien abduction” experience in Kathmandu. In many ways, The Invisibles also represents Morrison’s own personal quest to understand these varied experiences within the safe realm of fictional and metafictional narratives, especially the notions of magic and the connectivity between reality and fiction, as Morrison is represented by the character of King Mob in the series.

Never produced with a consistent team of artists, The Invisibles served as a rotating and revolving showcase of British and American talent who had become key collaborators with Morrison throughout his varied career. Collaborators with Morrison from his time with British publications such as 2000 AD or Revolver—Steven Yeowell, Rian Hughes, Chris Weston, Sean Phillips, Philip Bond, Brian Bolland, and Frank Quitely—represented artists from Morrison’s past, present, and future. However, perhaps the most iconic and recognizable illustrations in The Invisibles come from Phil Jimenez, who transformed the series from one with a decidedly British feel to one that represented a more action-oriented, American style. The Invisibles’ transitions between worlds, environments, and time required varied and diverse artists such as Cameron Stewart and Quitely to interpret and give life to Morrison’s scripts, and as a result, the series is a testament to the creative energies of the writer and visual storytellers.

Plot

Much of The Invisibles is guided and directed by Morrison’s own life experiences and interests; thus, it largely reflects an autobiographical attempt by the author to come to terms with either elements from his childhood and past or issues that were affecting him in the early 1990’s. Shaped by his own family’s antinuclear protest movements and the covert, governmental operations to protect atomic industries, Morrison centers The Invisibles around the notions of a conspiracy theory of a hidden world just beyond everyday life where all the answers are located.

The Invisibles is influenced by British popular culture such as the James Bond films of the 1960’s, which featured action-oriented superspies combating forces determined to dominate the world, or television programs such as The Prisoner (1967-1968), with its own brand of pop surrealism that characterized the 1960’s counterculture; however, pinpointing or identifying all the contingent strains that gave birth to Morrison’s magnum opus is difficult. At the core, however, is Morrison’s own fascination with myths and the power of myth to shape life and culture. As such, any answers within The Invisibles are those that can be articulated and comprehended in humanity’s shared reality only, and it is the process of coming to that realization that drives the series.

The central plot device concerns a cadre of subversive radicals calling themselves the Invisible Army. They are fighting against the coercive measures employed by an alien force of otherworldly gods known as the Archons of the Outer Church, who are determined to control and suppress mankind.

In The Invisibles: Say You Want a Revolution, the majority of the narrative transpires in England, as Invisible Army leader King Mob recruits a young Dane McGowan into the conflict. Trained by a homeless mystic, Tom O’Bedlam, Dane is instructed in his new identity, Jack Frost, although he has great difficulty accepting Mob and O’Bedlam’s education. The first volume primarily deals with sight and the perception of reality, one that is constructed and shaped by the Archons and that Jack Frost must help unveil and ultimately overturn. Readers also learn that the conflict between the Invisible Army and the Archons has been ongoing for many centuries, as historical characters, including the Marquis de Sade, are conscripted by Morrison into the story. Thought-driven and lighter on the big-budget action characteristic of American comics, the first volume establishes the conceptual foundation for the entire series.

Although action and adventure increases with the second volume, The Invisibles: Apocalipstick, the bizarre and mystical nature of the series is only reinforced, as shamanism and voodoo practitioners enter into the series. The major revelations of this volume are the introduction of Jim Crow and Sir Miles and the insidious efforts by the Archons to bring forth the Moonchild. The history and background of Brazilian transvestite and shaman Lord Fanny also forms a crucial plot thread in this volume, as Jack Frost learns of Sir Miles’s intentions and experiences the power and mystery of “Barbelith.”

The third volume in the first series, The Invisibles: Entropy in the U.K., is the major turning point in The Invisibles, as artist Jimenez helps create a more lucid and flowing visual portrait for the series than present in the first series. Pulling elements from Morrison’s own Gideon Stargrave stories and British intelligence operatives, this volume features Sir Miles’s capture, torture, and interrogation of King Mob in what is perhaps the most entertaining and exciting portion of the entire book. As Mob battles Sir Miles and the Invisible Army attempts to rescue their captive comrade, Jack Frost comes to terms with his own role in this metaphysical, metafictional universe. “Entropy” also introduces the next major villain of the Archons, Mister Quimper.

Continuing Jimenez’s visual representation seamlessly into the second series, The Invisibles: Bloody Hell in America (dubbed Volume 4) transports the team to the United States and alters the tone and conceptual atmosphere of the book. Here, the Invisible Army learns much more about its ally Ragged Robin during an assault on a secret, underground government installation below the New Mexico desert. The members of the Invisibles learn the power of Quimper, at great danger to themselves and their cause.

Volume 5, The Invisibles: Counting to None, deals with the fallout of the New Mexico incursion but, with the introduction of the Invisible College, also reveals more about King Mob’s abilities. Time travel and connections to Invisible Army members both past and present form the crux of this volume, as Lord Fanny and Jack Frost embark on the quest to find the Hand of Glory and the cast of the Invisible Army is expanded even more with the misadventures of Boy.

In Volume 6, The Invisibles: Kissing Mister Quimper, the battle turns, as Quimper orchestrates and controls members of King Mob’s team, turning them against each other during their return quest for the Magic Mirror substance in New Mexico. The mystery at Dulce is revealed, as is Ragged Robin’s mission and involvement with King Mob.

The final installment, The Invisibles: The Invisible Kingdom, focuses on the final battle between the Invisibles and the Archon Moonchild. Revelations abound as the divisions between and perceptions of good and evil are shattered and Jack Frost rightfully assumes his preordained role in humanity’s quest for enlightenment and transcendence.

Volumes

•The Invisibles: Say You Want a Revolution (1996). Collects issues 1-8 of the first series. Discusses the nature of reality and sets the context for the entire series.

•The Invisibles: Bloody Hell in America (1998). Collects issues 1-4 of the second series. The story moves to the United States. The Invisible Army discovers a secret in the New Mexico desert.

•The Invisibles: Counting to None (1999). Collects issues 5-13 of the second series. Features the quest for the Hand of Glory and reveals more about King Mob.

•The Invisibles: Kissing Mister Quimper (2000). Collects issues 14-22 of the second series. King Mob’s team turns on each other because of the influence of Quimper.

•The Invisibles: Apocalipstick (2001). Collects issues 9-16 of the first series. Lord Fanny’s background is revealed. This volume focuses on the spiritual and the mystical.

•The Invisibles: Entropy in the U.K. (2001). Collects issues 17-25 of the first series. Features the art of Jimenez for the first time. King Mob is tortured by Sir Miles.

•The Invisibles: The Invisible Kingdom (2002). Collects all issues of the third series. Jack Frost assumes his destined position, and the Invisibles fight against Archon Moonchild.

Characters

•King Mob, the protagonist, is the leader of the Invisibles cell in the series. With a bald head and various facial piercings and often armed, King Mob is a suave, superagent adept in martial arts, tantric sex rites, and metaphysical combat. His appearance and demeanor were based on the author, and in turn, Morrison adopted many of King Mob’s characteristics. His true power and identity are revealed during his incarceration and torture by Sir Miles of the Archon.

•Ragged Robin, protagonist, is a telepathic witch, a member of King Mob’s Invisibles cell, and a time traveler. With a white-painted face adorned with bright red circles on her cheeks, she is visualized in many styles, including black leather, fishnets, and elegant dresses, to suit her whimsical personality. During one of King Mob’s absences, she assumes control of the group. She is also infiltrated by Mister Quimper, who assumes control of her mind in an effort to destroy Mob and the team.

•Jack Frost, a.k.a. Dane McGowan, a protagonist, is short with razor-cut blond hair. A British punk and prophesized as the future Buddha or Messiah, he is not only the youngest and newest member of the Invisibles cell but also, potentially, the most powerful because of his godlike and near infinite abilities. He joins the team after being sent to a boarding school administered by members of the Archon, who hope to control and subvert his independence and will. Able to wield and control the Magic Mirror substance, he cures King Mob after his abduction by Sir Miles and even aids Sir Miles in his own recovery. The balance to the radicalism of the Invisibles and the oppressive methodologies employed by the Archon, he plays the most important role in the series’ conclusion.

•Lord Fanny, protagonist, is a Brazilian shaman and transvestite. Usually elegantly dressed and wearing a blond wig, or devoid entirely of gender-specific clothing, Lord Fanny shares a traumatic experience with the Archons that is revealed in The Invisibles: Apocalipstick. Fanny aides King Mob during his capture by Sir Miles, assists in an underground dance to retrieve the mystical Hand of Glory with Jack Frost, and helps Ragged Robin defeat Mister Quimper.

•Boy, a.k.a. Lucille Butler, a protagonist, is an African American member of the New York Police Department. Illustrated with either closely cropped hair or short curls, she learns that she is in fact unaware of her true mission, allegiance, identity, and intentions, as she is controlled by forces beyond herself.

•Sir Miles Delacourt, antagonist, is an operative of the Archon of the Outer Church. Although there are many Archon agents in The Invisibles, each with his or her own powers and abilities, he figures prominently in the narrative. As an intelligence agent, his main goal is to infiltrate the British monarchy with a member of the Archon. He leads the interrogation of King Mob and battles Jack Frost after failing to recruit him into the Outer Church. He is portrayed as a stately, well-dressed, well-groomed noble gentleman.

•Mister Quimper, antagonist, is the dwarf fiend who manages a sex club where members perform sexual acts with alien beings. Shown in a full white suit and wearing a porcelain mask to hide his grotesque face, he infiltrates Ragged Robin in an effort to manipulate her as a weapon against King Mob.

Artistic Style

In a series such as The Invisibles, it is rather difficult to identify a single or even multiple artistic style because of both the rotating nature of artists on the title and the fractured and fragmented aspect of the book’s various atmospheres and environments. In the beginning, the artistic design of the book reflected the British setting of the series, not only in the utilization of British artists such as Yeowell, but also in the line work and weight of lines familiar to readers of 2000 AD. Yeowell had been Morrison’s collaborator on Zenith in the 1980’s for Britain’s 2000 AD.

Interestingly, while colorist Daniel Vosso remained with the series throughout its publication span, he adapted his own separations, tones, and gradients to suit each penciller’s holding lines and layouts. Under Yeowell and Jill Thompson, the characters and settings had decisively angular designs and were reflective of the raw and experimental nature, the scratchier etching quality most audiences associated with Vertigo books of the period. Although American audiences had been introduced to various British writers during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, this influx of British artists, which included Weston and John Ridgway, was in stark contrast to the static and mostly overly rendered pencils of the spandex, superhero genres.

An aspect of continuity came to The Invisibles with the arrival of Jimenez in 1996; he joined the title near the conclusion of the first series. While most of his experience had been with DC Comics’ superheroes, Jimenez, with inker John Stokes, gave Morrison’s characters their distinctiveness, which was almost photorealistic in some depictions. In fact, it is Jimenez who achieved Morrison’s concepts of multiple dimensions in the second series, when the team assaults the underground base in New Mexico. Jimenez’s use of space, curved panels, and altered layouts transformed completely the often stale, two-dimensional nature of most comics at the time. He had such a profound impact on the artistic style of the book that even subsequent artists, such as Weston, who had worked on the first series, reflected this tonal shift in character design.

Each artist contributed something innovative and original to The Invisibles. However, two of the most memorable issues of the series were the final installments of the third series, in which multiple artists worked alongside each other. Reinforcing not only the transformative thematic nature of the book but also the recognition of the series’ history and previous artistic contributions, these issues are the most experimental and fascinating in a book that often shocks and defies convention. Whether through two stark and hard-lined introductory pages by Yeowell or a single retro-styled portrait page done by Rian Hughes in issue 3 of the last series or the arrival of newcomer Stewart’s and Morrison’s artwork in issue 2—as conceptions of past, present, and future are shattered in seemingly cartoon fashion—these issues are breathtaking in their diversity and yet simultaneously seamless in their ability to visualize Morrison’s script. Rounding out the series, penciller Quitely, who had worked with Morrison on Flex Mentallo (first published in 1996), offers a bookended conclusion to the title with his distinctive exaggerations of anatomy and form.

Themes

In many ways, The Invisibles is a diary of Morrison’s life, a series with which he was personally involved, at times dangerously so. Following the success of Arkham Asylum, Animal Man, and Doom Patrol, Morrison’s star was on the rise within the comics industry. As such, while still a freelancer, he was more financially secure than before, based in large part on the popularity and acclaim for Arkham Asylum. Following this, Morrison drastically altered his appearance by shaving his head and began traveling around the world, consuming alcohol and experimenting with narcotics for the first time in his life, and experiencing situations that were later referenced in The Invisibles, such as the underground fetish clubs in San Francisco. Although Morrison was slightly introverted and often silent prior to The Invisibles, the collective toll from these endeavors became the fuel and thematic inspiration for the series. Socially and professionally mischievous, Morrison interwove many of his experiences directly into the plot.

The central, thematic concern for Morrison is awareness and appreciation of the unseen and unknown world around the characters, of raising and achieving different levels and states of consciousness both individually and collectively. This is also inherent in the bond between the text and the reader: the shared division of those two worlds and breaking those artificial constructs. As such, many of the themes within The Invisibles cannot be disassociated with Morrison’s own life. For example, in the early 1990’s, Morrison went to dance clubs as a transvestite just for the experience. At the same time, he experimented with LSD and even conversed with demons during a Vertigo tour in San Francisco in 1993, where the foundation for The Invisibles was set.

Seeking to produce a book that would cover his interests in mythology, counterculture subversion, fashion, and music and would be the spell or the magic to evoke an evolutionary awakening of the audience, Morrison began work on the title in 1994. In fact, seeking to forge new connections between the reader and the text, Morrison utilized the letters page for a “how to” guide on conducting a magical sigil that culminated in a grandiose masturbation experiment.

Awareness, awakening, and the altering of perception are best exemplified in Jimenez’s layouts in The Invisibles: Bloody Hell in America. The fixed grid pattern and border layouts of traditional comic page panels are discarded, and the page achieves a multidimensional, nearly magical feel.

Impact

Unlike other British comics imports who entered the American comic scene in the 1980’s and 1990’s, such as Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, and Jamie Delano, Morrison had a decisively different interpretation of comics, particularly superheroes. Rejecting the cynicism and darker psychology inherent in Moore’s work, Morrison, instead, exhibited a renegade positivism in the face of darkness. Although not a superhero story, The Invisibles reflects this approach, as comics transitioned from the sober, internal nightmares that so characterized the previous generation of comic writing.

At the same time, The Invisibles represented a paradigm shift, as Morrison achieved the fame and notoriety that would land him work with DC and Marvel, contributing to mainstream books such as Justice League of America and X-Men and, eventually, Superman and Batman. Also, while Morrison had explored the tenuous bonds between fiction and reality in Animal Man and even Doom Patrol, The Invisibles is his greatest experiment in this regard.

Further Reading

Fraction, Matt. Casanova: Luxuria (2006-2008).

Morrison, Grant. Animal Man (1988-1990).

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Doom Patrol (1989-1993).

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. The Filth (2002-2003).

Way, Gerard. The Umbrella Academy (2007- ).

Bibliography

Morrison, Grant. “Inside the Creative Mind: Behind the Scenes with Grant Morrison.” Interview by Nathan Wilson. Graphic Novel Reporter, April 5, 2011. http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/inside-creative-mind-behind-scenes-grant-morrison-interview.

Salisbury, Mark, ed. “Grant Morrison.” Writers on Comics Scriptwriting. London: Titan Books, 1999.