- List of correctional facilities in comics
The following is a list of prisons, asylums, institutions, planets, and alternate dimensions which have been used to imprison humans, superhumans, and nonhumans in various fictional comic book universes. Due to the unusual nature of many inmates, most of these facilities are equally unusual or exotic.
Crossgen Comics
Kholyma
A prison-camp on the planet Tcharun. Its inmates are criminals and rebels against the Saurian Hegemony. The Saurian prince Tchlusarud is sent to the prison, but manages to escape and liberate the prisoners, using them as his army against the new ruler Khyradon. Kholyma first appeared in "Sigil" #22, by writer
Chuck Dixon and artist Scott Eaton.The Prison-world
A facility in the universe of the Negation, the Prison-world houses 100 prisoners abducted from the
Sigilverse , and is overseen by warden High Castellan Komptin. The Negation plans on invading the Sigilverse and constantly tests the prisoners to gather information. The Prison-World is destroyed during an outbreak in "Negation" #3, killing most inmates. The Prison-world first appeared in "Negation Prequel", written byTony Bedard and with art by Paul Pelletier.Dark Horse Comics
Citadel Prison
A prison for superhumans located under the Citadel in Golden City, from Dark Horse's "
Comics Greatest World " imprint. Citadel Prison first appears in "Golden City" Week 1 as the Vault, and later appeared in issues of "" as Citadel Prison.DC Comics
Alcatraz Island
In reality, Alcatraz Prison and the island it sits on are now tourist attractions. In the DC Universe, it is an active metahuman prison, a version of Alcatraz Prison which was first shown in the pages of the "Teen Titans" vol. 3 #1.
=Arkham Asylum= The "Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane" is a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane that appears in the fictionalDC Universe . DC solicitations have also referred to it as a prison [ [http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1228 DC Comics ] ] . Created byDennis O'Neil , the asylum first appeared in "Batman" #258 (October 1974).Len Wein developed much of itsback-story during the 1980s. Arkham is located nearGotham City , and is where many ofBatman 's foes are incarcerated.Ravencroft (see below) is a similar institution in the Marvel Universe.Belle Reve
Belle Reve is a fictional prison and sanitarium in the
DC Universe . The facility was the original base of operations for the secondSuicide Squad . John Economos was the first warden of the Belle Reve prison in Louisiana. The prison psychiatrist under Economos was Dr. Simon LaGrieve, who examined and counseled the various Suicide Squad members stationed there. Current warden Robert Crichton is the facility's third, following Amanda "The Wall" Waller. [ [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=simonlagrieve The Unofficial Simon LaGrieve Biography ] ] [ [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=johneconomos The Unofficial John Economos Biography ] ]Blackgate Penitentiary
Also known as Blackgate Prison. Blackgate Penitentiary is a fictional prison depicted in the
DC Universe , traditionally located nearGotham City . While the localArkham Asylum may house those in need of mental health services, Blackgate is a high security institution where criminals such as The Penguin, Firefly, andClayface are incarcerated. In , this prison was called "Stonegate".Concord Federal Penitentiary
Concord Federal Penitentiary is a maximum security women's prison located in
New York State . Its most infamous inmate was the originalKiller Frost (Dr. Cystal Frost). Killer Frost broke out of Concord, killing the warden and several guards. First appears in Firestorm v.2 #20 (February 1984).Crowley Penitentiary
Crowley Penitentiary (also known as Crowley Prison), is Fawcett City's main superhuman prison.
Ibac ,Sabbac ,Captain Nazi ,Black Adam , andDoctor Sivana have all been imprisoned within its walls.The Dark Tower
The "World of the Dark Tower" is the other-dimensional home of Lord Joshua Coldrake, the master of "Anti-Magic". Coldrake has the power to negate magic, so his home dimension is used by the
Shadowpact to store dangerous magic using criminals until they can be rehabilitated. Coldrake is bound to the world of the Dark Tower for the next few thousand years due to socially inappropriate actions in his youth. The "Dark Tower" itself is a massive castle of black stone. Former prisoner theWarlock's Daughter , was released after serving a one year sentence. First appears in "Shadowpact" #5 (November 2006).Devil's Island of Space
In the pre-Crisis Silver Age,
Lex Luthor , Brainiac, and the Legion of Supervillains were once trapped on the Devil's Island of Space. The name is a reference to the real worldDevil's Island prison. The Devil's Island of Space first appeared in an eight-page Tommy Tomorrow story from "World's Finest Comics " #117 (May 1961), which was later reprinted in "From Beyond the Unknown" #10 (April 1971). Its final chronological appearance was "Jimmy Olsen " #87 (September 1965). [ [http://www.dcuguide.com/chronology.php?name=tommytomorrow The Unofficial Tommy Tomorrow Chronology ] ] [ [http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2006/03/luthors-evolution.html Silver Age Comics: Luthor's Evolution ] ]Eddleton Federal Women's Penitentiary
Location unknown, somewhere within driving distance of
Gotham City . Introduced in "Birds of Prey" #98.Enclave M
The
Sonora Desert Special Adjunct Holding Facility is located in the Sonora Valley. It is noted as "Belle Reve 's Bad Brother". First appearance was in "Villains United " #4.Golden Boughs
The Golden Boughs Retirement Village was introduced in the ongoing
Jack of Fables series from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The village is overseen by a man known only as Mr. Revise who considers it his duty to capture and neuter Fables. Some of the Fables imprisoned at Golden Boughs areThe Tin Man ,Mother Goose ,The Cowardly Lion , andPaul Bunyan . First appears in Jack of Fables #1 (July 2006).The Gulag
In the pages of Kingdom Come, future versions of
Mister Miracle andBig Barda assist Superman in creating and policing the Gulag, an inescapable prison for the future's meta-humans. Superman designatesCaptain Comet as warden. The massive penal colony is constructed in theKansas wastelands. The prison is filled to capacity almost as soon as they build it.Gull Island
The Earth Two version of Blackgate Prison. notable for a prison riot led by Lionmane, former henchman of Selina Kyle (Catwoman), mother of Earth Two's Huntress. First seen in Huntress (Helena Wayne) backup stories from
Wonder Woman v.1 #277-285.Haven Security Village
A special prison for mad scientists in the DC universe. Prisoners appear to live inside a residential suburb, which is a facade hiding a high tech security system. "52" #2 shows
T.O. Morrow to be a resident inmate.Iron Heights
Iron Heights is a
fictional maximum-securityprison in which many of the Flash's rogues gallery and other metahuman criminals ofKeystone City and Central City are imprisoned. Iron Heights first appeared in "Flash: Iron Heights" (2001 ). The current warden is Gregory Wolfe.Located about three miles north of Keystone City, Iron Heights is known for its vicious treatment of its prisoners. The metahuman and supervillain prisoners are jailed in an area known as the Pipeline.
Kulani Prison
The fictional Kulani Prison is based on [http://www.hawaii.gov/psd/corr_home.php Kulani Correctional Facility] a real life minimum security criminal detention center of the same name. The fictional kulani is located on the East side of
Hawaii . The villain known asKing Shark broke out of Kulani killing several guards. As seen inSuperboy v. 3 #0 (October 1994).Labyrinth
A special 30th Century rehabilitation facility created during volume 3 and 4 of the
Legion of Super-Heroes , it was never re-introduced after the Zero Hour event reset the Legion's future. Labyrinth was created as a replacement for Takron-Galtos, to imprison the future's worst criminals. The facility was linked to ared dwarf star by a stable plasma arc. Notable prisoners were Roxxas,Spider Girl and Mekt Rannz (Legion of Super-Heroes v.4 #10).Lockdown 6
A
S.T.A.R. Labs special holding chamber in the waters near Metropolis. The chamber once held a being known as the Unimaginable as seen in the pages of the second "Supermen of America " mini-series.Peña Duro
Peña Duro, is an infamous prison located in Santa Prisca, a fictional
caribbean country in the DC Comics universe. It was where the Batman villain known as Bane was born, raised, and eventually addicted to the drug known as Venom.Penitenciaria de San Pedro Sula
This real world prison located in
Honduras , known for its overcrowded conditions, excessive violence, and out of control drug trade, appeared as a metahuman prison in theDC Universe in "Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special" #1. [ [http://www.laprensahn.com/pais_nota.php?id04962=443&t=1136613600 La Prensa - Sitio no encontrado ] ]Phantom Zone
In the pre-Crisis
DC Universe , the Phantom Zone is an extra-dimensional "zone", which was discovered byJor-El and used on the planet Krypton as a method of imprisoning their most dangerous criminals. The Phantom Zone criminals first appeared in theSuperboy stories and soon began appearing in theSuperman stories. When cast into the Phantom Zone the inmates reside in a featureless state of existence from which they may only observe, but not interact with, the DC universe. Inmates do not age or require sustenance in the Phantom Zone; furthermore, while there, they are telepathic and are mutually insubstantial.In the post-Crisis DCU, the Phantom Zone first appeared when the semi-sentient Kryptonian artifact known as the Eradicator attempted to recreate the planet Krypton on
Earth . The extradimensional space in which the Eradicator found the necessary Kryptonian materials was called the Phantom Zone. A Phantom Zone Projector is part ofSuperman 's current Fortress, and it has been used to trap villains such as theWhite Martians .Pluto
In the 853rd century, the Batman is aided by a robot called "Robin The Toy Wonder". This Batman's parents were guards on the prison planet of
Pluto and died in a prison riot. First appears in "DC One Million" #1 (November 1998).The Science-Cells of Oa
A prison on
Oa , designed and built by theGuardians of the Universe to contain inter-galactic criminals apprehended and detained by members of theGreen Lantern Corps . As of recently, the Death Penalty has been applied to some of the more dangerous criminals, who now reside in Death-Row.The Slab
The Slabside Island Maximum Security prison for
metahuman s (also known as the "Slab") is now located inAntarctica , as depicted in the Joker's "Last Laugh" crossover. The facility's first warden wasShilo Norman . First appears inGreen Lantern Volume 3, # 51 (May 1994).ource Wall
The Source Wall lies on the edge of the known universe, in the Promethean Galaxy. Beyond the wall lies what is known as The Source, a cosmic essence or being which, according the residents of
Jack Kirby 's Fourth World, is the "source" of all that exists. While the wall may be theoretically passable (the Flash has apparently done so in an issue of "Super-Team Family"), usually those who try have become inexorably trapped in it. Over time it has accumulated the trapped forms of many would-be conquerors and curiosity seekers.tarlag
A planetary prison for superhuman enemies of the Alien Alliance, last seen in the pages of Invasion. Starlag II is later introduced in the pages of "Valor" by writer Robert Loren Fleming. Starlag II's most powerful prisoner, a being known only as the Unimaginable, was accidentally freed by the Blasters [ [http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/comics-index-lists/comics-slist-intro.php?topic=comics-slist-1989 Superman Homepage ] ] .
tate Penitentiary
The unnamed prison in Steve Gerber's
DC Focus series, "Hard Time".tryker's Island
Stryker's Island is a maximum security federal prison that serves the
DC Comics city of Metropolis. It is located on an island in the West River between New Troy and Queensland Park. Stryker's Island first appeared in "Superman " #9 (September 1987). The name is a play on the similarly locatedRiker's Island prison inNew York .Takron-Galtos
A prison planet in the 30th Century setting of the
Legion of Super-Heroes whose prisoners include that era's superhuman criminals. It first appeared in "Adventure Comics " #359 (August, 1967).Timepoint
The Timepoint is a prison at the end of time. It was originally used by Epoch, a time traveler who, after gaining his powers in the year one billion AD, began confining criminals to a "pocket dimension" similar to the
Phantom Zone .Transformation Island
Transformation Island is a small island near the
Themyscira n coast which served as a rehabilitation facility for reforming criminals like Queen Atomia, Baroness Paula von Gunther, and the Cheetah using Amazonian psychotherapy. As seen in Wonder Woman vol. 1 #21, (January 1947). [ [http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/html/ww_21_c13_h.html Wonder Woman ] ] [ [http://www.wonderwoman-online.com/goldenage_ww.html The Wonder Woman Pages: Golden Age ] ] [ [http://my.execpc.com/~icicle/WONDERWOMAN.html JSA Members: Wonder Woman ] ]Van Kull Maximum Security
The Van Kull Maximum Security Facility, is a metahuman prison located just outside of Metropolis. It was introduced in "" #1 from (March 2002).
Vũng Tàu (Con Dao Island)
Vietnam's superhuman prison seen in "Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special" #1. Based on the real world Con Dao Island facility in
Vũng Tàu Vietnam. [ [http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/travel/stories/28.htm Revolutionary revisits ‘hell on earth’ ] ]Wormwood Scrubs
England's superhuman prison as depicted in the "Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special" #1. Presumably based on the real world HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, built between
1875 and1891 by convict labour.Image Comics
Hell of Mirrors
From
Alan Moore 's Supreme series. Located in the Citadel Supreme, it is used bySupreme to hold some of his deadliest enemies, including the Televillain, Shadow Supreme and The End. The Mirror Prison first appears in Supreme #53 (September 1997). [http://original.platinumstudios.com/titles/awesome/characters/hell_of_mirrors.php] It is based on the Phantom Zone.Miskatonic Institute
The "Miskatonic Institute for the Homicidally Distressed" is a feature of Alan Moore's Supreme series.
Professor Night 's greatest foes, such as Jack-A-Dandy, the Lounge Lizard, and Fakeface, have all been incarcerated there. It first appears in "Supreme" #53 (September 1997). [http://original.platinumstudios.com/titles/awesome/characters/miskatonic_institute.php] It is based on Arkham Asylum, complete with a name fromH. P. Lovecraft .Marvel Comics
Alcatraz
California n island prison, operational 1859-1963, held superhuman criminals in the 1940s. First mentioned in "Marvel Mystery Comics" #26 (1941), when the androidHuman Torch 's foe the Parrot was being transported there. Later seen in Human Torch #8 (1942), when the Python escaped.Almagordo
New Mexico nuclear testing facility that held the Armageddon Man and perhaps others in suspended animation. First appeared in "X-Men" vol. 2 #12 (1992).Anvil
Penal colony on the planet Annoval XIV. It was the site of an attempted breakout by Nebula. First appeared in "
Silver Surfer " #74 (1993).The Cage
Based on a remote island in international waters, the Cage uses a special forcefield to deprive inmates of their superhuman powers. Created by writer Frank Tieri and artist Sean Chen in the pages of "Wolverine" #164 (2001).
Crossmore
Her (Britannic) Majesty's Ultimate Security Prison. Previously known as Crossmoor.
The Cube
A prison for super-powered beings. Its location is undisclosed and only high-ranking
S.H.I.E.L.D. -agents know of its existence. It has a special program where prisoners are brainwashed to become obedient soldiers. The Cube was created by writerGrant Morrison and artistJ.G. Jones in "Marvel Boy" #6 (2000). When last seen in" Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways" #4 Noh Varr (Marvel Boy) had taken control of the entire facility.The Kyln
The Kyln were a series of artificial moons at the edge of known space, which served both as a superhuman prison and a source of nearly unlimited power. Operations at the Kyln were overseen by the
Nova Corps . All life on the Kyln moons was extinguished in "Annihilation Prologue" #1.Lang Memorial Penitentiary
Also known as the Pym Experimental Prison #1. Inmates in this prison are shrunk down using
Pym Particles for cheaper storage and easier control. Also known as the Ant-Hill. Known guests of the facility were the Mandrill, Titania, theGrey Gargoyle [ [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Grey_Gargoyle Grey Gargoyle - Marvel Universe: The definitive online source for Marvel super hero bios ] ] , Tiger Shark [ [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Tiger_Shark Tiger Shark - Marvel Universe: The definitive online source for Marvel super hero bios ] ] , and theAbsorbing Man . [ [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Absorbing_Man Absorbing Man - Marvel Universe: The definitive online source for Marvel super hero bios ] ]Negative Zone Prison Alpha
Introduced in "" #5, it is a prison originally constructed to house super-villains but which acted as a holding facility for unregistered heroes during the civil war. The portal to the prison is operated by
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The prison itself is an automated facility. Designed byReed Richards and built by Stark Enterprises and Fantastic Four Inc., it is located in theNegative Zone . The inmates call the facility "Fantasy Island ", probably because prisoners who are unable to manipulate technology to their own ends are connected tovirtual reality systems.It is also referred to as "File 42" due to it being the 42nd item on a list written by
Tony Stark ,Reed Richards andHank Pym of ways to make a world with super-powered beings safer. The prison is an extremely secure, clean facility with cells custom-designed for each inhabitant. Notable inmates during the war include Daredevil stand-in Danny Rand,Robbie Baldwin and Cloak & Dagger. After the war, it is now used for super-villains, and was known to house at the very leastTaskmaster andLady Deathstrike until Taskmaster made a deal with Camp Hammond to become an instructor and Lady Deathstrike somehow escaped as she appeared in X-Men: Messiah Complex.Project Pegasus
Created in "Marvel Two-in-One" #42 (August, 1978) by writers
Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio, Project: Pegasus was originally intended to research alternative (and unusual) forms of energy, but is also used as aprison for super-powered individuals with energy-based powers. It is located in theAdirondack Mountains ,New York .The Raft
The Raft is a fictional
prison facility forsuper-human criminals (predominantlysupervillain s) in theMarvel Universe . Created by writerBrian Michael Bendis and artistDavid Finch , it first appeared in "New Avengers" #1 (2005) as the "Maximum-Maximum Security" wing of the Ryker's Island Maximum Security Penitentiary. The Raft is introduced as the setting of a large-scale prison break.Ravencroft
Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane was a maximum security
prison for the mentally ill (not unlikeArkham Asylum of theDC Universe ). Many insane murderers and supervillains, such as Carnage and Venom, were kept at Ravencroft. The institute was first mentioned in "Web of Spider-Man" #112, written byTerry Kavanagh . The institute is officially opened in "Web of Spider-Man Annual" #10 (1994 ). Dr. Ashley Kafka was the founder and first director of Ravencroft. John Jameson was head of security. Both were fired in "Spectacular Spider-Man" #246 and Dr. Leonard Samson became Ravencroft's new director. The institute hasn't appeared since and in Leonard Samson's recent appearances, he owns a private practice. Also, Chameleon is listed as being held there in Christopher L. Bennett's book Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder.Ryker's Island
"Ryker's Island" is the Marvel Universe counterpart to the real-world
Rikers Island ,New York City 's largest jail facility, which also includes the 415-acre (1.7 km²) island on which it sits. The fictional Ryker's houses both conventional criminals and costumed offenders lacking superpowers. Daredevil is held there after his arrest in "Daredevil" vol. 2 #80. Others held there includePunisher , Bullseye, and Kingpin. Ryker's Island has a special branch for dangerous superhuman criminals called the Raft.The Vault
The
United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals., known as The Vault, is a defunctprison facility forsuper-human criminals (predominantlysupervillain s) inMarvel Comics 'Marvel Universe . It first appeared in "Avengers Annual" #15 (1986) and figured prominently in the 1990 Marvel crossover "Acts of Vengeance". It was destroyed in "Heroes for Hire " vol. 1 #1 (February 1997).Wildstorm Comics
Biro Island Prison
From Kurt Busiek's
Astro City . First appears in the "Tarnished Angel" storyline from Astro City vol. 2 #14-20. Named after golden age comic book writerCharles Biro , who helped create "Crime Does Not Pay ".Castle Baaleskine
from the Albion mini-series used by the British government to confine of
England 'sIPC Media /Fleetway superheroes and villains from Britain's Bronze Age of comics, using special high tech cells. Characters such as theSteel Claw ,Fishboy and the Spider were interred at Baaleskine. First appears in Albion #1 (August 2005).Halo Corporation
Homebase of the WildC.A.T.s. While not an official prison, the Halo Corporation's
New York office contains several cells to contain superhuman prisoners. Within these cells, prisoners are put into avirtual reality environment that repeats scenarios until the prisoner's criminal behavior improved. The criminal Ladytron undergoes a similar procedure before becoming a member of the WildC.A.T.s. The villain T.A.O. frees all other prisoners to cover his own escape. Whether the new Halo Building inLos Angeles contains similar holding facilities is unknown.Purgatory Max
A prison for superhumans based in
Antarctica . Officially known as "Purgatory Maximum Security Prison for Metahuman Criminals", it is introduced in "Backlash" #1. A terrorist group destroys the prison and free most inmates in "Gen-Active" #4.kywatch
Skywatch is an orbital satellite that functions as the base of Stormwatch. It also is an official prison with holding facilities for superhuman prisoners. Its most dangerous inmates are the WarGuard, who double as living weapons of mass destruction, only to be freed in the most desperate of times. Most prisoners are kept comatose with
cryonics . Skywatch is destroyed in "WildC.A.T.s/Aliens " #1.Independents
Colony
The Colony prison facility is a planetary prison from
Bob Layton 's self-publishedwebcomic of the same name. The series is written by Layton and illustrated byDick Giordano . Colony was originally known as planet Erus. [ [http://www.boblayton.com/Archive/July%2006/jul06editorial.htm jul06.editorial ] ] [ [http://www.boblayton.com/Archive/June%2006/june06colonyfeature.htm june06.colonyfeature ] ]References
External links
* [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=simonlagrieve DCU Guide entry on Simon LaGrieve]
* [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=johneconomos DCU Guide entry on John Economos]
* [http://www.laprensahn.com/pais_nota.php?id04962=443&t=1136613600 La Prensa: San Pedro Sula Prison]
* [http://www.marrder.com/htw/2005jun/national.htm Honduras this Week: Amnesty reports human rights violations in Honduras]
* [http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/travel/stories/28.htm Vietnam News Agency: Con Dao Island]
* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Grey_Gargoyle Marvel Universe: Grey Gargoyle]
* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Tiger_Shark Marvel Universe: Tiger Shark]
* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Absorbing_Man Marvel Universe: Absorbing Man]
* [http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/comics-index-lists/comics-slist-intro.php?topic=comics-slist-1989 Superman Comics Index 1986]
* [http://www.dcuguide.com/chronology.php?name=tommytomorrow DCU Guide: Tommy Tomorrow chronology]
* [http://www.boblayton.com/Archive/July%2006/jul06editorial.htm Jazma Online Interview with Bob layton about Colony]
* [http://www.boblayton.com/Archive/June%2006/june06colonyfeature.htm Bob Layton's Colony homepage]
* [http://original.platinumstudios.com/titles/awesome/timeline/part4.html Alan Moore's Awesome Comics Universe Timeline Part 4]
* [http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzing24/hoj.shtml Fanzing: Batman One Million]
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