Archer & Armstrong

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caption=Archer and Armstrong.
Cover to issue #0, art by Barry Windsor-Smith.
comic_color=background:#035DC3
character_name=Archer and Armstrong
real_name=Archer and Armstrong
publisher=Valiant Comics
debut=Archer and Armstrong" #0 (July, 1992)
creators=Jim Shooter, Bob Layton and Barry Windsor-Smith
alliance_color=background:#035DC3
status=Active
alliances=
previous_alliances=
aliases=
relatives=
powers=Archer is the worlds greatest martial artist. Armstrong is immortal.|

"Archer & Armstrong" was a comic book series by Valiant Comics, with sales of 350,000 books a month. The first series featured writing and art by comic great Barry Windsor-Smith. When Valiant Comics was purchased by video game giant Acclaim Entertainment for $65 million, the revamped versions of the characters appeared in the "Eternal Warriors" series. Valiant Entertainment are the current owners of the Valiant catalog (including Archer & Armstrong).

Characters

Obadiah Archer ("Archer") is the world’s greatest hand-to-hand fighter, an expert marksman, a combat-imitative harbinger and a seeker of truth and righteousness. Since his parents attempted to murder him, Archer has committed himself to vanquishing the evils of the world.

Aram "the Other" ("Armstrong") is an immortal reprobate with the strength of a battalion. A libertine who abandoned naive idealism thousands of years ago, Aram spends his days wandering the world - drinking, fighting, and telling stories of his adventures.

Plot

As a child, Obadiah Archer discovers that his evangelist parents are using their position in the church to abuse young parishioners. In an attempt to cover their tracks, they burn down their own home, leaving their son unconscious inside. Archer is left clinically dead, but miraculously returns to the land of the living - longing for vengeance.

Running away to escape further attempts on his life, he travels to Ladakh, India, where he is trained to become the greatest living martial artist. Returning to America many years later, Archer is sought out by Mahmud, a devotee of the Sect - an ancient cult that has been hunting an individual called "he whose name is never spoken" since the late XIIth century. Archer agrees to help the sect only to discover their great Satan is actually Armstrong.

Born Aram, Armstrong is the youngest of three immortal brothers. The others are Ivar, the Timewalker, and Gilad, the Eternal Warrior. Archer quickly realizes that the Sect is the true evil and attempts to help Armstrong escape. Unfortunately, the two are captured and taken to Vatican City where Armstrong is to be ritually killed. In the fight, Armstrong loses his satchel and the age-old magical items it carried. Archer & Armstrong must retrieve the satchel before it falls into the wrong hands.

Pursued across the globe by the Sect they hide at Armstrong’s home where Archer meets Armstrong's beautiful wife, Andromeda – the Greek goddess. But the Sect is everywhere and once again the pair must flee. Finally returning to Los Angeles, they find that Sect leader Mahmud now wields enormous power, derived from the mysterious items within the satchel, and he intends to use them to destroy Armstrong.

Series Creative Staff Information: The following is a list of those who contributed to the creation of the series. When repeated, only last names will be used.

"Archer & Armstrong: First Impressions"

Valiant Entertainment will release a third deluxe hardcover collection in September collecting the first seven issues of Archer & Armstrong. The collection has been digitally recolored and "remastered" from the original material and includes a new "Formation of the Sect" story by Jim Shooter, one the title's original creators.

The press release from Valiantfans.com states:

The most unlikely traveling companions are back! This digitally recolored Valiant special edition collects the full Archer & Armstrong origin story from issues #0-6 for the first time ever, and includes an all-new "Formation of the Sect" story by series co-creator Jim Shooter and illustrator Sal Velluto, and an all-new cover by legendary artist Michael Golden! When Archer’s preacher parents betray and try to murder him, he goes in search of enlightenment returning as the world’s greatest hand-to-hand fighter seeking revenge. Instead of revenge he finds Armstrong, the centuries old immortal wanderer who spends his time drinking, fighting and spinning tales of his hedonistic adventures throughout history. When a ruthless cult and its bumbling agents try to enlist Archer to kill Armstrong, the one they believe to be the devil, the two most unlikely traveling companions turn the tables and team up to face down the threat that could destroy the world! Features groundbreaking art by series co-creator Barry Windsor-Smith!

Merchandise

To promote the book, Valiant Comics released a special Christmas promotional items to comic stores - Armstrong Ale, which was a bottle of beer featuring Armstrong on the label together with a Christmas card.

External links

* [http://www.valiantentertainment.com/ Valiant Entertainment official website]
* [http://www.valiantentertainment.com/wiki/index.php/Archer_%26_Armstrong Archer and Armstrong entry at the Valiant Comics Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5852 "Valiant Days, Valiant Nights - A Look Back at the Rise and Fall of Valiant]