Jump to content

Kingsman (comic series): Difference between revisions

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Referencing unreferenced sections.
Line 3: Line 3:
| limited = y
| limited = y
| image = Kingsman The Secret Service (comics).jpg
| image = Kingsman The Secret Service (comics).jpg
| caption = Cover for the first issue ''The Secret Service''.
| caption = Cover for the first issue of ''The Secret Service''.
| publisher = {{ubl|[[Marvel Comics]]|[[Image Comics]]|[[Dark Horse Comics]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thepopverse.com/kick-ass-kingsman-mark-millar-netflix-millarworld-2023|title=Netflix & Mark Millar break ties with Image Comics and finds new home for ''Kingsman'', ''Kick-Ass'', and more|last=Ruiz|first=Fran|work=[[PopVerse]]|date=5 December 2023|access-date=5 December 2023}}</ref>}}
| publisher = [[Marvel Comics]]<br>[[Image Comics]]
| startyr = 2012
| startyr = 2012
| endyr = 2018
| endyr = 2018
| genre = [[Spy fiction]]
| genre = [[Spy fiction]]
| main_char_team = [[Agent Galahad|Gary "Eggsy" Unwin<br>Caractacus "Jack" London]]<br>[[List of Kingsman characters|List of ''Kingsman'' characters]]
| main_char_team = [[Agent Galahad|Gary "Eggsy" London/Unwin<br>Caractacus "Jack" London]]<br>[[List of Kingsman characters|List of ''Kingsman'' characters]]
| writers = {{ubl|[[Mark Millar]] {{small|(''The Secret Service'')}}|Phillip Huxley {{small|(''Mum's the Word'')}}|Rob Williams {{small|(''The Big Exit'', ''The Red Diamond'')}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/kingsman-golden-circle-comic-books|title=New ''Kingsman'' Comics Arriving Before The Golden Circle Hits Theaters|last=Chapman|first=Tom|work=[[Screen Rant]]|date=25 April 2017|access-date=25 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/books/2017/06/20/new-kingsman-comic-coming-this-fall-will-not-shy-away-from-violence|title=New ''Kingsman'' comic coming this fall will not shy away from violence|last=Holub|first=Christian|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=20 June 2017|access-date=20 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/06/21/kingsman-comic-sequel-announced-with-new-creative-team|title=''Kingsman'' Comic Sequel Announced With New Creative Team|last=Skrebels|first=Joe|work=[[IGN]]|date=21 June 2017|access-date=6 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/frank-quietlys-variant-cover-for-kingsman-the-red-diamond-1-and-a-gibbons-cover-too|title=Frank Quietly's Variant Cover for ''Kingsman: The Red Diamond'' #1 (And a Gibbons Cover, Too)|last=Allen|first=Todd|work=[[Comics Beat]]|date=18 July 2017|access-date=18 July 2017}}</ref>}}
| writers = [[Mark Millar]]
| artists = {{ubl|[[Dave Gibbons]] {{small|(''The Secret Service'')}}|Myron Macklin {{small|(''Mum's the Word'')}}|Ozgur Yildirim {{small|(''The Big Exit'')}}|[[Simon Fraser (comics)|Simon Fraser]] {{small|(''The Red Diamond'')}}}}
| artists = [[Dave Gibbons]]
}}
}}
'''''Kingsman''''' is a comic book series that debuted in 2012 with the first graphic novel, subtitled ''[[#The Secret Service (2012–13)|The Secret Service]]''. Two sequels, subtitled ''[[#The Big Exit (2017)|The Big Exit]]'' and ''[[#The Red Diamond (2017–18)|The Red Diamond]]'', followed in 2017 and 2018 respectively. The series was initially known 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]]. It is set in Mark 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|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/|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 (UPDATE) — Bleeding Cool News And Rumors|date=6 August 2014|publisher=}}</ref> leading to the 2023 crossover event ''[[Big Game (comics)|Big Game]]''.<!--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.-->
'''''Kingsman''''' is a 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|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36345|title=Millarworld Exclusive: Inside "''The Secret Service''"|date=10 January 2012|access-date=12 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112025205/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36345|archive-date=12 January 2012|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|url-status=dead|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.C.L.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|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|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''|date=6 August 2014|access-date=6 August 2014|publisher=[[Bleeding Cool]]}}</ref> leading into the 2023 crossover event ''[[Big Game (comics)|Big Game]]''.<ref>{{cite web|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|title=Mark Millar Announces First Ever Millarworld Crossover Event {{‘}}''Big Game''{{’}} That Will Also Serve As A Sequel To {{‘}}''Wanted''{{’}}|last=Trent|first=John F.|work=[[Bounding Into Comics]]|date=17 May 2023|access-date=17 May 2023}}</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==
==Plot==
===''The Secret Service'' (2012–13)===
===Miniseries===
====''The Secret Service'' (2012–13)====
The first volume, ''The Secret Service'' (2012), is set over the course of three years. [[Agent Galahad|Gary "Eggsy" Unwin]] is recruited by his uncle, [[Agent Galahad|Caractacus "Jack" London]], to work for Kingsman, the [[British Secret Service]]. Eggsy is put on an extensive three-year training course, performing various assassinations and apprehending a [[Colombia]]n drug lord. Whilst 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 in order 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, Eggsy recruits his fellow trainees to an assault mission on Arnold's base, hidden inside a mountain in [[Switzerland]].
<!--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. Whilst 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 in order 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|url=https://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/2012/04/the_secret_service_is_a_thrill.html|title={{'}}''The Secret Service''{{'}} is a thrilling new British tale|last=Kulesa|first=William|work=[[NJ.com]]|date=20 April 2012|access-date=20 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://majorspoilers.com/2012/05/21/review-secret-service-2|title=Review: ''The Secret Service'' #2|last=Peterson|first=Matthew|work=Major Spoilers|date=21 May 2012|access-date=21 May 2012}}</ref>


After ambushing and battling Arnold's troops, freeing the captured celebrities, including [[Pierce Brosnan]], [[Patrick Stewart]] and [[David Beckham]], Eggsy 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 Eggsy's colleagues having changed the frequency, people worldwide begin to have sex with one another. Eggsy then kills a confused Arnold.
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, Eggsy 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 Eggsy's mother, informing Eggsy to take good care of his gadget-laden car, or he will "come back and bloody haunt him." As Eggsy reports to Kingsman Headquarters, Sir Giles briefs him about a mission that concerns "trouble in [[Moscow]]".
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|url=https://www.tcj.com/this-week-in-comics-41013-the-pathos-of-things|title=This Week In Comics! (4/10/13 – The Pathos of Things)|last=McCulloch|first=Joe|work=[[The Comics Journal]]|date=9 April 2013|access-date=9 April 2013}}</ref>


===''The Big Exit'' (2017)===
====''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|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/09/05/kingsman-the-red-diamond-1-review|title=''Kingsman: The Red Diamond'' #1 Review|last=Schedeen|first=Jesse|work=[[IGN]]|date=7 September 2017|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>
⚫
A stand-alone six page [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]], subtitled ''The Big Exit'', was published in the September/October 2017 issue of ''[[Playboy|Playboy Magazine]]'', written by Rob Williams and drawn by Ozgur Yildirim. Set shortly after [[Brexit]], ''The Big Exit'' follows [[Agent Galahad|Eggsy Unwin]] as he is tasked with safeguarding the controversial "divorce fee" on its journey to [[Brussels]], consisting of £100 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 |url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/kingsman-the-big-exit/# |title=Feature: ''Kingsman: The Big Exit'', By Rob Williams with Illustration by Özgür Yildirim — September 7, 2017 — ''Playboy — Entertainment for All'' |access-date=2017-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922100432/http://www.playboy.com/articles/kingsman-the-big-exit# |archive-date=2017-09-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

⚫
===''The Red Diamond'' (2017–18)===
⚫
The second volume of ''Kingsman'', subtitled ''The Red Diamond'', 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|Eggsy Unwin]] 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 that was 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.


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]].
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. Whilst 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.
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. Whilst 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 |url=https://www.cbr.com/mark-millar-introduces-a-new-generation-of-creators-with-millarworld-annual |title=Mark Millar Introduces A New Generation of Creators With "Millarworld Annual" |access-date=June 6, 2016 |date=June 6, 2016 |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 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|url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/kingsman-the-big-exit/#|title=Feature: ''Kingsman: The Big Exit'', By Rob Williams with Illustration by Özgür Yildirim — September 7, 2017 — ''Playboy — Entertainment for All''|date=7 September 2017|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922100432/http://www.playboy.com/articles/kingsman-the-big-exit#|archive-date=22 September 2017|website=[[Playboy|Playboy Magazine]]|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/09/theres-a-kingsman-comic-all-about-brexit|title=There's A ''Kingsman'' Comic All About Brexit|last=Whitbrook|first=James|work=[[Kotaku Australia]]|date=7 September 2017|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>


==Adaptations==
==Adaptations==
{{See also|Kingsman (franchise)#Films}}
{{See also|Kingsman (film series)}}
In 2014, a film series was launched with an [[Kingsman: The Secret Service|adaptation of ''The Secret Service'']].<ref>{{cite web|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]]|date=27 March 2013|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.}}</ref> To date, it has been followed by a direct sequel ''[[Kingsman: The Golden Circle]]'' in 2017,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/kingsman-the-golden-circle-friend-request-lego-ninjago-box-office-weekend-1202174929|title={{'}}''Kingsman: The Golden Circle''{{'}} Ropes $38M+; {{'}}''Ninjago''{{'}} Dulls Sword To $21M; {{'}}''Friend Request''{{'}} A Loner With $1.8M|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=23 September 2017|access-date=23 September 2017}}</ref> and a spin-off prequel ''[[The King's Man]]'' in 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 March 2021|title=Pixar's {{'}}''Luca''{{'}} to Skip Theaters and Debut as Disney+ Exclusive|first=Brian|last=Welk|website=[[TheWrap]]|url=https://www.thewrap.com/pixars-luca-to-skip-theaters-and-debut-as-disney-exclusive|access-date=23 March 2021|language=en-US}}</ref> with more sequels and spin-offs planned.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Millar|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Millar|user=mrmarkmillar|number=909460754360864768|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.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Jirak|first=Jamie|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]]|date=2 July 2022|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>
⚫
In 2015, a film series was launched with an [[Kingsman: The Secret Service|adaptation of ''The Secret Service'']]. To date, it has been followed by a sequel ''[[Kingsman: The Golden Circle]]'' in 2017 and a spin-off ''[[The King's Man]]'' in 2021, with more sequels and spin-offs planned.


== Collected editions ==
== Collected editions ==

Revision as of 01:30, 9 December 2023

Kingsman
Cover for the first issue of The Secret Service.
Publication information
Publisher
FormatLimited series
GenreSpy fiction
Publication date2012 – 2018
Main character(s)Gary "Eggsy" London/Unwin
Caractacus "Jack" London
List of Kingsman characters
Creative team
Written by
  • Mark Millar (The Secret Service)
  • Phillip Huxley (Mum's the Word)
  • Rob Williams (The Big Exit, The Red Diamond)[2][3][4][5]
Artist(s)
  • Dave Gibbons (The Secret Service)
  • Myron Macklin (Mum's the Word)
  • Ozgur Yildirim (The Big Exit)
  • Simon Fraser (The Red Diamond)

Kingsman is a comic book series that debuted in 2012 with the first graphic novel, subtitled The Secret Service. Three sequels, subtitled Mum's the Word, The Big Exit, and The Red Diamond, followed in 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively. The series, following the recruitment of Gary London (later renamed Eggsy Unwin), into a secret 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 first film adaptation of the series.[NB 1] The series was created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons from a concept by Millar and an uncredited Matthew Vaughn,[6] 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,[7] leading into the 2023 crossover event Big Game.[8]

In 2014, a film series was launched with an 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 first volume, The Secret Service (2012–13), written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, is set over the course of three years. Gary London is recruited by his uncle, 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 Colombian drug lord. Whilst 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 in order 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.[9][10]

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".[11]

The Red Diamond (2017–18)

The second volume, Kingsman: The Red Diamond, written by Rob Williams and illustrated by Simon Fraser, was released through Image Comics in September 2017, taking place over the course of one week. After knocking out Prince Philip following saving him from a group of Greek terrorists ignorant of the fact that the prince is Greek himself, Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (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 (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.[12]

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 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 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. Whilst 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, Kingsman: The Secret Service: Mum's the Word, written by Phillip Huxley and illustrated by Myron Macklin, was published in the anthology annual Millarworld Annual 2016 in June 2016. Set sometime after The Secret Service, Mum's the Word follows 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 Queen Elizabeth on her birthday earlier that day, whom he kills while his mother is out of the room.[13]

The Big Exit (2017)

A stand-alone six-page one-shot, Kingsman: The Big Exit, was published in the September/October 2017 issue of Playboy Magazine, written by Rob Williams and illustrated by Ozgur Yildirim. Set shortly after Brexit, The Big Exit follows Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (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 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.[14][15]

Adaptations

See also: Kingsman (film series)

In 2014, a film series was launched with an adaptation of The Secret Service.[16] To date, it has been followed by a direct sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2017,[17] and a spin-off prequel The King's Man in 2021,[18] with more sequels and spin-offs planned.[19][20][21]

Collected editions

Title Material collected Published date ISBN
The Secret Service: Kingsman The Secret Service #1–6 March 2014 978-1781167038
Kingsman: The Red Diamond Kingsman: The Red Diamond #1–6 April 2018 978-1534305090

Notes

  1. ^ 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".

References

  1. ^ Ruiz, Fran (5 December 2023). "Netflix & Mark Millar break ties with Image Comics and finds new home for Kingsman, Kick-Ass, and more". PopVerse. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  2. ^ Chapman, Tom (25 April 2017). "New Kingsman Comics Arriving Before The Golden Circle Hits Theaters". Screen Rant. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  3. ^ Holub, Christian (20 June 2017). "New Kingsman comic coming this fall will not shy away from violence". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  4. ^ Skrebels, Joe (21 June 2017). "Kingsman Comic Sequel Announced With New Creative Team". IGN. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  5. ^ Allen, Todd (18 July 2017). "Frank Quietly's Variant Cover for Kingsman: The Red Diamond #1 (And a Gibbons Cover, Too)". Comics Beat. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  6. ^ Phegley, Kiel (10 January 2012). "Millarworld Exclusive: Inside "The Secret Service"". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012. 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], 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.C.L.E. or any of those brilliant super-spy concepts, but seen through that skewed perspective we brought to superheroes in '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."
  7. ^ Johnston, Rich (6 August 2014). "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". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  8. ^ Trent, John F. (17 May 2023). "Mark Millar Announces First Ever Millarworld Crossover Event 'Big Game' That Will Also Serve As A Sequel To 'Wanted'". Bounding Into Comics. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  9. ^ Kulesa, William (20 April 2012). "'The Secret Service' is a thrilling new British tale". NJ.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  10. ^ Peterson, Matthew (21 May 2012). "Review: The Secret Service #2". Major Spoilers. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  11. ^ McCulloch, Joe (9 April 2013). "This Week In Comics! (4/10/13 – The Pathos of Things)". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  12. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (7 September 2017). "Kingsman: The Red Diamond #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  13. ^ "Mark Millar Introduces A New Generation of Creators With "Millarworld Annual"". June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016. 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" (by writer Ricardo Mo and artist Ifesinachi Orjiekwe), "Kingsman" (by writer Philip Huxley and artist Myron Macklin), "Starlight" (by writer Deniz Camp and artist Pracheta Banerjee), "American Jesus" (by writer Cliff Bumgardner and artist Steve Beach), "Chrononauts" (by Writer Shaun Brill and artist Conor Hughes) and "Hit-Girl" (by writer Mark Abnett and artist Ozgur Yildirim).
  14. ^ "Feature: Kingsman: The Big Exit, By Rob Williams with Illustration by Özgür Yildirim — September 7, 2017 — Playboy — Entertainment for All". Playboy Magazine. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  15. ^ Whitbrook, James (7 September 2017). "There's A Kingsman Comic All About Brexit". Kotaku Australia. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  16. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (27 March 2013). "Fox Wins Rights To Matthew Vaughn's Next Pic 'The Secret Service', Sets November 2014 Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (23 September 2017). "'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' Ropes $38M+; 'Ninjago' Dulls Sword To $21M; 'Friend Request' A Loner With $1.8M". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  18. ^ Welk, Brian (23 March 2021). "Pixar's 'Luca' to Skip Theaters and Debut as Disney+ Exclusive". TheWrap. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  19. ^ Millar, Mark [@mrmarkmillar] (September 17, 2017). "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" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Jirak, Jamie (2 July 2022). "Kingsman 3: Taron Egerton Says Sequel Starts Shooting Next Year". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  21. ^ Peralta, Diego (15 October 2023). "Matthew Vaughn's 'The King's Man' Sequel, 'The Traitor King,' Will Take on the Rise of Hitler [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Kingsman_(comic_series)&oldid=1189000904"