View source for Kingsman (comic series)

{{Short description|Comic book series}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox comic book title
| title          = Kingsman
| limited        = y
| image          = Kingsman The Secret Service (comics).jpg
| caption        = Cover for the first issue of ''The Secret Service''.
| publisher      = {{Plainlist|
* [[Marvel Comics]]
* [[Image Comics]]
* [[Dark Horse Comics]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ruiz |first=Fran |date=5 December 2023 |title=Netflix & Mark Millar break ties with Image Comics and finds new home for ''Kingsman'', ''Kick-Ass'', and more |url=https://www.thepopverse.com/kick-ass-kingsman-mark-millar-netflix-millarworld-2023 |access-date=5 December 2023 |website=[[PopVerse]]}}</ref>
}}
| startyr        = 2012
| endyr          = 2018
| genre          = [[Spy fiction]]
| main_char_team = {{Indented plainlist|
* [[Agent Galahad|Gary "Eggsy" London/Unwin<br />Caractacus "Jack" London]]
* ([[List of Kingsman characters|List of ''Kingsman'' characters]])
}}
| writers        = {{Indented plainlist|
* [[Mark Millar]] ({{Abbr|''TSS''|''The Secret Service''}})
* Phillip Huxley ({{Abbr|''MtW''|''Mum's the Word''}})
* Rob Williams ({{Abbr|''TBE''|''The Big Exit''}}, {{Abbr|''TRD''|''The Red Diamond]]''}})<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Tom |date=25 April 2017 |title=New ''Kingsman'' Comics Arriving Before The Golden Circle Hits Theaters |url=https://screenrant.com/kingsman-golden-circle-comic-books |access-date=25 April 2017 |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Holub |first=Christian |date=20 June 2017 |title=New ''Kingsman'' comic coming this fall will not shy away from violence |url=https://ew.com/books/2017/06/20/new-kingsman-comic-coming-this-fall-will-not-shy-away-from-violence |access-date=20 June 2017 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Skrebels |first=Joe |date=21 June 2017 |title=''Kingsman'' Comic Sequel Announced With New Creative Team |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/06/21/kingsman-comic-sequel-announced-with-new-creative-team |access-date=6 July 2017 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Todd |date=18 July 2017 |title=Frank Quietly's Variant Cover for ''Kingsman: The Red Diamond'' #1 (And a Gibbons Cover, Too) |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/frank-quietlys-variant-cover-for-kingsman-the-red-diamond-1-and-a-gibbons-cover-too |access-date=18 July 2017 |website=[[Comics Beat]]}}</ref>
}}
| artists        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Dave Gibbons]] (''TSS'')
* Myron Macklin (''MtW'')
* Ozgur Yildirim (''TBE'')
* [[Simon Fraser (comics)|Simon Fraser]] (''TRD'')
}}
}}
'''''Kingsman''''' is an American comic book series that debuted in 2012 with the first graphic novel, subtitled ''[[#The Secret Service (2012–13)|The Secret Service]]''. Three sequels, subtitled ''[[#Mum's the Word (2016)|Mum's the Word]]'', ''[[#The Big Exit (2017)|The Big Exit]]'', and ''[[#The Red Diamond (2017–18)|The Red Diamond]]'', followed in 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively. The series, following the recruitment of [[Agent Galahad|Gary London]] (later renamed Eggsy Unwin), into a secret [[Private intelligence agency|spy organization]] by his uncle, Jack London, and his subsequent world-saving adventures, was initially published simply as '''''The Secret Service''''' before being rebranded following the release of the [[Kingsman: The Secret Service|first film adaptation of the series]].<ref group="NB">In newer collected editions of the first volume of the series, the book ''The Secret Service'' was renamed after the film adaptation ''Kingsman: The Secret Service'' and all references to MI6 were replaced by "Kingsman".</ref> The series was created by [[Mark Millar]] and [[Dave Gibbons]] from a concept by Millar and an uncredited [[Matthew Vaughn]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phegley |first=Kiel |date=10 January 2012 |title=Millarworld Exclusive: Inside "''The Secret Service''" |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36345 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112025205/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36345 |archive-date=12 January 2012 |access-date=12 January 2012 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |quote='''[[Mark Millar]]:''' "This education of a 21st Century super-spy forms the structure of the story. I can't give too much away because [[Matthew Vaughn]] and I co-conceived the thing with [[Dave Gibbons|Dave [Gibbons{{no italic|]}}]], and Vaughn is literally right now writing the screenplay of the movie, so we're on a [[non-disclosure]] agreement for a little while yet. But basically, if I had to say anything else about it, I would say that this is our version of [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]] or [[U.N.CL.E.]] or any of those brilliant super-spy concepts, but seen through that skewed perspective we brought to superheroes in {{'}}''[[Kick-Ass (film)|Kick-Ass]]''.' It feels very, very fresh. I don't think there's ever been a comic like this and all three of us are very excited about it. I've wanted to work with Dave since I was sixteen [so] it had to be something big."}}</ref> and set in Millar's [[shared universe]], the [[Millarworld]], with the celebrity kidnappings taking place in the first volume being referenced in [[Kick-Ass: The Dave Lizewski Years – Book Four|''Kick Ass: The Dave Lizewski Years'' Book Four]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |author-link=Rich Johnston |date=6 August 2014 |title=Mark Millar Explains How All The Millarworld Books Tie-In Together — ''Wanted'', ''Kick-Ass'', ''Jupiter's Legacy'', ''Superior'', ''Nemesis'', ''MPH'', ''Supercrooks'' And More — But No News Yet On ''The Unfunnies'' |url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/08/06/mark-millar-explains-how-all-the-millarworld-books-tie-in-together-wanted-kick-ass-jupiters-legacy-superior-nemesis-mph-supercrooks-and-more-but-no-news-yet-on-the-unfunnies |access-date=6 August 2014 |publisher=[[Bleeding Cool]]}}</ref> leading into the 2023 crossover event ''[[Big Game (comics)|Big Game]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trent |first=John F. |date=17 May 2023 |title=Mark Millar Announces First Ever Millarworld Crossover Event {{'}}''Big Game''{{'}} That Will Also Serve As A Sequel To {{'}}''Wanted''{{'}} |url=https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/05/17/mark-millar-announces-first-ever-millarworld-crossover-event-big-game-that-will-also-serve-as-a-sequel-to-wanted |access-date=17 May 2023 |website=Bounding into Comics}}</ref>

In 2014, a [[Kingsman (film series)|film series]] was launched with an [[Kingsman: The Secret Service|direct adaptation of ''The Secret Service'']], starring [[Taron Egerton]] and [[Colin Firth]] and directed by Vaughn, followed by the original storyline sequel ''[[Kingsman: The Golden Circle]]'' in 2017 and prequel ''[[The King's Man]]'' in 2021, starring [[Ralph Fiennes]], with more sequels and spin-offs planned.

==Plot==
===Miniseries===
====''The Secret Service'' (2012–13)====
<!--The Kingsman organization was originally [[MI6]] in the original version of the series. The character of Eggsy was originally "Gary" in the original version of the series.-->The first volume, ''The Secret Service'' (2012–13), written by [[Mark Millar]] and illustrated by [[Dave Gibbons]], is set over the course of three years. [[Agent Galahad|Gary London]] is recruited by his uncle, [[Agent Galahad|Caractacus "Jack" London]], to work for Kingsman, the [[British Secret Service]]. Gary is put on an extensive three-year training course, performing various assassinations and apprehending a [[Colombia]]n drug lord. While investigating a series of celebrity kidnappings perpetrated by Dr. James Arnold, a very wealthy cellphone entrepreneur who plans to use a satellite signal to make the poor of humanity slaughter each other to solve the overpopulation problem, London is killed by Arnold for sleeping with his girlfriend, unaware of his Kingsman allegiance. Horrified by his uncle's death, and learning that Arnold is supported by higher-level members of Kingsman, Gary recruits his fellow trainees to an assault mission on Arnold's base, hidden inside a mountain in [[Switzerland]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kulesa |first=William |date=20 April 2012 |title={{'}}''The Secret Service''{{'}} is a thrilling new British tale |url=https://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/2012/04/the_secret_service_is_a_thrill.html |access-date=20 April 2012 |website=[[NJ.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Matthew |date=21 May 2012 |title=Review: ''The Secret Service'' #2 |url=https://majorspoilers.com/2012/05/21/review-secret-service-2 |access-date=21 May 2012 |website=Major Spoilers}}</ref>

After ambushing and battling Arnold's troops, freeing the captured celebrities, including [[Pierce Brosnan]], [[Patrick Stewart]] and [[David Beckham]], Gary engages in a fist fight with Arnold's henchman and former Kingsman agent Gazelle, and leaves to confront Arnold. Arnold activates the satellite signal and waits for the people to slaughter each other, but instead, due to one of Gary's colleagues having changed the frequency, people worldwide begin to have sex with one another. Gary then kills a confused Arnold.

In an epilogue, Gary reads his uncle's will, revealing that two-thirds of Jack's estate will go to the [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] and the [[British Heart Foundation]], the final third going to Gary's mother, informing Gary to take good care of his gadget-laden car, or he will "come back and bloody haunt him." As Gary reports to Kingsman Headquarters, Sir Giles briefs him about a mission that concerns "trouble in [[Moscow]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCulloch |first=Joe |date=9 April 2013 |title=This Week In Comics! (4/10/13 – The Pathos of Things) |url=https://www.tcj.com/this-week-in-comics-41013-the-pathos-of-things |access-date=9 April 2013 |website=[[The Comics Journal]]}}</ref>

====''The Red Diamond'' (2017–18)====
The second volume, ''Kingsman: The Red Diamond'', written by Rob Williams and illustrated by [[Simon Fraser (comics)|Simon Fraser]], was released through [[Image Comics]] in September 2017, taking place over the course of one week. After knocking out [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip]] following saving him from a group of Greek terrorists ignorant of the fact that the prince is Greek himself, [[Agent Galahad|Gary "Eggsy" Unwin]] ([[Retroactive continuity|retconned]] to have the same surname as his film counterpart) is put on a week-long leave of absence. Returning to Kingsman headquarters to retrieve a pill to treat his little brother Ryan's [[norovirus]], an alert comes in from the [[South African Secret Service|South African Secret Service (SASS)]] regarding an encrypted message sent to a wanted hacker named Alias at [[Times Square]] in [[Manhattan]]. As the only agent present, Eggsy is sent out on a rocket to find Alias before the SASS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schedeen |first=Jesse |date=7 September 2017 |title=''Kingsman: The Red Diamond'' #1 Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/09/05/kingsman-the-red-diamond-1-review |access-date=7 September 2017 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref>

Upon finding him, Eggsy is confronted by Kwaito – a SASS agent, and Ingot – a Red Diamond agent. Upon restraining Alias, Alias explains that he was trying to shut down the servers in the financial district to protect them from a virus released by the Red Diamond's agent. Ingot kills Alias and makes his escape, trapping Eggsy and Kwaito. Once he leaves, the virus is unleashed worldwide, causing a global blackout. The [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister of Britain]] receives a [[Betamax]] tape from the head of the Red Diamond, self-made South African mining magnate Jakobis Du Preez, who explains his plans to replace the world's physical money with gold and jewels; in a separate tape, he invites the "Kings and Queens of the new material world" to a remote location in the [[Hunan|Hunan Province]], [[China]].

Eggsy and Kwaito independently go undercover to the event only for Du Preez to set off a bomb to get rid of "the competition". Retrieving a map to the Red Diamond base from Ingot and crashing into a forest with Kwaito, Eggsy and Kwaito make love. Later finding civilization and a phone to use, Eggsy discovers that Kwaito has stolen the map. Having memorized it, Eggsy travels to [[Guam]] where he is reunited with Kwaito. Making their way inside the base, the pair find Du Preez sitting naked on a hill of jewels and gold bars. Du Preez explains that they cannot kill him lest a fail-safe he attached to his heart open the airlocks and kill everyone. After a confrontation with Ingot, Eggsy shoots Du Preez with a poisonous spy-dart which will slowly kill him, and makes his escape with Kwaito and Treeman, a hacker held captive by Du Preez. While fleeing, Treeman gains access to a Red Diamond computer and uploads an override to delete the Red Diamond virus. In the epilogue, a ceremony is held in Eggsy's honour. Several esteemed guests are invited—including Prince Philip, who wants to apologise and shake Eggsy's hand. However, Eggsy instead takes his family and Kwaito to his favourite pub.

===One-shots===
====''Mum's the Word'' (2016)====
A stand-alone five-page [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]], ''Kingsman: The Secret Service: Mum's the Word'', written by Phillip Huxley and illustrated by Myron Macklin, was published in the [[anthology]] [[Annual publication|annual]] ''Millarworld Annual 2016'' in June 2016. Set sometime after ''The Secret Service'', ''Mum's the Word'' follows [[Agent Galahad|Gary "Eggsy" London]] as he visits his mother to find a Russian assassin (Billy) waiting for him, after he had foiled his terrorist group's attempt to assassinate [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth]] on her birthday earlier that day, whom he kills while his mother is out of the room.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phegley |first=Kiel |date=6 June 2016 |title=Mark Millar Introduces A New Generation of Creators With "''Millarworld Annual''" |url=https://www.cbr.com/mark-millar-introduces-a-new-generation-of-creators-with-millarworld-annual |access-date=6 June 2016 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |quote=Under a cover from artist Satine Zillah, the [[Image Comics]]-published ''Annual'' features stories starring [[Millarworld]] characters written and drawn by a combination of established and aspiring comic creators Millar handpicked from scores of online submissions. The comics include [[Kick-Ass (comics)|"''Kick-Ass''"]] (by writer Ricardo Mo and artist Ifesinachi Orjiekwe), [[Kingsman (franchise)|"''Kingsman''"]] (by writer Philip Huxley and artist Myron Macklin), [[Starlight (comics)|"''Starlight''"]] (by writer Deniz Camp and artist Pracheta Banerjee), [[American Jesus (comics)|"''American Jesus''"]] (by writer Cliff Bumgardner and artist Steve Beach), [[Chrononauts (comics)|"''Chrononauts''"]] (by Writer Shaun Brill and artist Conor Hughes) and [[Hit-Girl (comic book)|"''Hit-Girl''"]] (by writer Mark Abnett and artist Ozgur Yildirim).}}</ref>

====''The Big Exit'' (2017)====
A stand-alone six-page [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]], ''Kingsman: The Big Exit'', was published in the September/October 2017 issue of  ''[[Playboy|Playboy Magazine]]'', written by Rob Williams and illustrated by Ozgur Yildirim. Set shortly after [[Brexit]], ''The Big Exit'' follows [[Agent Galahad|Gary "Eggsy" Unwin]] ([[Retroactive continuity|retconned]] to have the same surname as his film counterpart) as he is tasked with safeguarding the controversial "divorce fee" on its journey to [[Brussels]], consisting of £100&nbsp;billion in solid gold bars, from a group of pro-Brexit terrorists, "The Union Jacks", disguised as French activists to steal the gold back for the UK. It is eventually revealed that Eggsy's mission is in fact a decoy so that Kingsman themselves can destroy "The Union Jacks" and swipe the gold from both the British Parliament and the European Union and use it to fund hospitals and education services back in England.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 September 2017 |title=Feature: ''Kingsman: The Big Exit'', By Rob Williams with Illustration by Özgür Yildirim — September 7, 2017 — ''Playboy — Entertainment for All'' |url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/kingsman-the-big-exit/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922100432/http://www.playboy.com/articles/kingsman-the-big-exit |archive-date=22 September 2017 |access-date=21 September 2017 |website=[[Playboy]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitbrook |first=James |date=7 September 2017 |title=There's A ''Kingsman'' Comic All About Brexit |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/09/theres-a-kingsman-comic-all-about-brexit |access-date=7 September 2017 |website=[[Kotaku Australia]]}}</ref>

==Adaptations==
{{Main|Kingsman (franchise){{!}}''Kingsman'' (franchise)}}
In 2014, a film series was launched with an [[Kingsman: The Secret Service|adaptation of ''The Secret Service'']].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=27 March 2013 |title=Fox Wins Rights To Matthew Vaughn's Next Pic {{'}}''The Secret Service''{{'}}, Sets November 2014 Release Date |url=https://www.deadline.com/2013/03/fox-wins-rights-to-matthew-vaughns-next-pic-the-secret-service |access-date=15 September 2013 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> To date, it has been followed by a direct sequel ''[[Kingsman: The Golden Circle]]'' in 2017,<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=23 September 2017 |title={{'}}''Kingsman: The Golden Circle''{{'}} Ropes $38M+; {{'}}''Ninjago''{{'}} Dulls Sword To $21M; {{'}}''Friend Request''{{'}} A Loner With $1.8M |url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/kingsman-the-golden-circle-friend-request-lego-ninjago-box-office-weekend-1202174929 |access-date=23 September 2017 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> and a spin-off prequel ''[[The King's Man]]'' in 2021,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Welk |first=Brian |date=23 March 2021 |title=Pixar's {{'}}''Luca''{{'}} to Skip Theaters and Debut as Disney+ Exclusive |url=https://www.thewrap.com/pixars-luca-to-skip-theaters-and-debut-as-disney-exclusive |access-date=23 March 2021 |website=[[TheWrap]] |language=en-US}}</ref> with more sequels and spin-offs planned.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=909460754360864768 |user=mrmarkmillar |title=Just saying to Matthew [Vaughn wha]t a cool post-cred[its-scene it] would have been [in] HIT-GIRL ringing Eggsy's door-bell, [the] audience knowing imminent shit [is about] to go down. |first=Mark |last=Millar |author-link=Mark Millar}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jirak |first=Jamie |date=2 July 2022 |title=''Kingsman 3'': Taron Egerton Says Sequel Starts Shooting Next Year |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/kingsman-3-taron-egerton-says-sequel-starts-shooting-next-year |access-date=2 July 2022 |work=[[ComicBook.com]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peralta |first=Diego |date=15 October 2023 |title=Matthew Vaughn's {{'}}''The King's Man''{{'}} Sequel, {{'}}''The Traitor King'',' Will Take on the Rise of Hitler [Exclusive] |url=https://collider.com/kings-man-sequel-plot-title-matthew-vaughn-comments |access-date=16 October 2023 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Collected editions ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Title
! Material collected
! Published date
! ISBN
|-
| ''The Secret Service: Kingsman''
| ''The Secret Service'' #1–6
| March 2014
| {{ISBNT|978-1781167038}}
|-
| ''Kingsman: The Red Diamond''
| ''Kingsman: The Red Diamond'' #1–6
| April 2018
| {{ISBNT|978-1534305090}}
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=NB}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://www.marvel.com/comics/series/16288/secret_service_2012_-_2013}} at [[Marvel.com]]
* [http://www.comicvine.com/the-secret-service/4050-47946/ The Secret Service (Volume) – Comic Vine]
* {{Marveldatabase|Secret Service Vol 1|Secret Service Vol 1}}

{{Kingsman}}
{{Mark Millar}}
{{Icon Comics}}
{{Image Comics}}
{{Portal bar|United Kingdom|2010s|Comics|Speculative fiction|Disney}}
[[Category:2013 comics endings]]
[[Category:2017 comics debuts]]
[[Category:American comics adapted into films]]
[[Category:Comics by Mark Millar]]
[[Category:Icon Comics titles]]
[[Category:Image Comics titles]]
[[Category:Kingsman (franchise)]]