Jonah Hex

Superherobox|

caption=Jonah Hex from "Jonah Hex" Vol.2 #1 2005 relaunch
Luke Ross, artist
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name=Jonah Hex
real_name=Jonah Woodson Hex
publisher=DC Comics
debut="All-Star Western" #10
(Feb-Mar 1972)
creators=John Albano
Tony DeZuniga
alliance_color=background:#cccccc
alliances=Apache and Navajo tribes Confederate States of America military Kiowa tribes
aliases=The Mark of the Demon, Hex
powers=He is highly resourceful and intelligent, and a highly skilled physical combatant. Seemingly as strong as three men or 'dudes'. Uses one or a combination of the following weapons: 1873 Colt Peacemaker .45 LC, Colt Dragoon .44, Colt Navy .36, Winchester Rifle cal. 45-70.|

Jonah Hex is a fictional character, a Western comic book anti-hero created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga and published by DC Comics. The right side of his face is horribly distinctly scarred. He was an officer for the Confederacy during the American Civil War, fought at Gettysburg and is normally shown wearing a tattered Confederate States Army jacket. Hex is surly and cynical, and is in many ways similar to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name or The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Publication history

The character first appeared in a revived series, "All-Star Western" (Issue #10, 1972), which was renamed as "Weird Western Tales" for its twelfth issue. Jonah Hex all but dominated the new title right up until issue #38, at which point Scalphunter took over the spotlight while Jonah moved into his very own self-titled series, "Jonah Hex" in 1977. The series lasted for 92 issues with Michael Fleisher as the main writer.

"Jonah Hex" was cancelled during "Crisis on Infinite Earths" (in which Jonah also appeared along with Scalphunter and other western heroes, issue #3, 1985), but in the same year Jonah moved to a new eighteen-issue series titled "Hex", also penned by Michael Fleisher. In a bizarre turn of events, he found that he had been transported to the 21st century and became somewhat of a post-apocalyptic warrior reminiscent of Mad Max. The series had mediocre success in the United States but was critically acclaimed and well received in Great Britain, Italy, Spain and JapanFact|date=February 2007.

Three Jonah Hex mini-series have been published under DC's Vertigo imprint. These series, written by Joe R. Lansdale and drawn by Tim Truman fit more into the western-horror genre, as Hex interacts with zombies ("Two-Gun Mojo" #1-5, 1993), a Cthulhoid monster ("Riders of the Worm and Such" #1-5, 1995), and spirit people ("Shadows West" #1-3, 1999).

In November 2005, DC began a new monthly "Jonah Hex" series written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti with interior art by Luke Ross. In assorted postings on their message board [http://www.paperfilms.invisionzone.com/index.php] , Grey and Palmiotti have stated their intent to depict various adventures from across the full length of Hex's life and career. The main artistic difference is that the series is published without the external restraints of the Comics Code which allows for harder edged stories without having to keep with the Vertigo imprint's dark fantasy themes. Famous Hex artist Tony DeZuniga has pencilled two issues of the book (#5 & #9) and may do more in the future. J. H. Williams III drew "Jonah Hex" #35 [ [http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090804-JHWilliamsHex.html JH Williams: On Drawing Jonah Hex] , Newsarama, September 4, 2008] and has stated an interest in doing more, saying "I certainly want to do more issues myself or even a graphic novel if the opportunity and schedule presented itself." [ [http://www.eyeoncomics.com/?p=317 Jonah Hex’s Good Luck] Eye on Comics, August 21, 2008]

Fictional character biography

Throughout the character's history, the western genre conventions have been heavily subverted. Jonah has battled alcoholism, and as an adult faced his mother's turn to prostitution. Though he traveled extensively throughout the American West, he also ended up in South America and China. At one point he quit bounty hunting, got married and had a son, and took up farming, though it didn't last.

Hex's facial injuries can be traced back to being sold into slavery by his father to the Apache for safe passage. Jonah eventually saved the chief from being killed by a mountain lion and was made an honorary member of the tribe. He was soon betrayed by the envious son of the chief while on a raid. He returned years later to challenge him in a sacred tomahawk battle. But the chief's son sabotaged Jonah's tomahawk and Jonah used his knife in self defense when the tomahawk broke. The tribe saw this as breaking the rules of the sacred battle and sentenced Jonah to wear the mark of the demon by pressing a searing hot tomahawk to his face. They said his honorary relationship to the chief was the only thing that saved him from death.

In 1904, Jonah was shot in cold blood during a card game (but not before he was transported into the future for the "Hex" series). His corpse was stolen, stuffed, mounted, and dressed in a ridiculous singing cowboy costume, then put on display in a traveling circus. The circus owner was eventually murdered and Jonah's body was stolen yet again. It would pass through various hands before finally being acquired by the restaurant "Planet Krypton", owned by Booster Gold.

Recurring villains

Being a "non-superhero", Jonah did not have a "Rogues gallery" comparable to Batman or The Flash, though he had a few adversaries who returned from time to time. The first and most notable of these to date was Quentin Turnbull, known at first as simply the man with the eagle-topped cane.

Turnbull was the father of Hex's best friend, Jeb Turnbull. During the American Civil War, Jonah actually surrendered himself to the Union forces, but refused to betray where his fellow soldiers were camped. A Union soldier was able to determine the location of that camp by examining the dirt in the hooves of Jonah's horse. The Union soldiers captured all of Jonah's fellow soldiers and then later massacred most of them, framing Jonah as a turncoat. Turnbull's son was one of those slaughtered and Turnbull vowed his vengeance upon Jonah.

Turnbull hired an unnamed stage actor to impersonate Hex and help "destroy Hex". This actor, naming himself "The Chameleon", was eventually hideously scarred in a fire started by Hex, and vowed vengeance upon Hex.

El Papagayo was a Mexican bandit running guns. Hex was hired by the United States Secret Service (actually a man hired by Turnbull to pose as an agent) to infiltrate El Papagayo's band and bring him to justice. Hex was unsuccessful and he and Papagayo met several more times over the years.

ignificant dates in Jonah's life

The majority of Jonah's adventures were never given actual dates, however, some significant events were given year references. The ones listed here are actually mentioned or calculated using dialogue or other references.

November 1st, 1838: Jonah is born. ("JH" V1, #50 & reference in #57)

June, 1848: Jonah's mother runs away with a traveling salesman. ("JH" V1, #57)

July, 1851: Jonah's father, a physically abusive alcoholic, sells him into slavery to the Apache in exchange for either a pile of pelts ("JH" V1, #7) or safe passage through Indian land ("JH" V2, #14). The two Jonah Hex series have different explanations, and it is unclear which is the correct version of the story.

1853: At the age of fifteen, Jonah saves the tribe's chief from a puma. The chief expresses his gratitude by adopting Jonah as his second son. Jonah eventually exceeds the chiefs son, Noh-Tante, in the chief's eyes. ("JH" V1, #7)

1854: Jonah & Noh-Tante, in a tribal ritual of manhood, raid a nearby Kiowa village to steal ponies. Noh-Tante ambushes Jonah and leaves him to the Kiowas and tells the chief that Jonah is dead. Jonah is either 'rescued' by scalphunters who slaughter the Kiowas and shoot Jonah, leaving him for dead and a trapper finds him and nurses him back to health ("JH" V1, #7), or Jonah manages to defeat the Kiowas but does not return to the Apache village. ("JH" V2, #14) Once again, the records are conflicting.

1859: Jonah is engaged to Cassie Wainwright but she is killed by Indians the day before their wedding. ("JH" V1, #65)

Dec 25th, 1861: Jonah and Turnbull's son Jeb give Quentin Turnbull an eagle-topped cane. ("JH" V1, #55; "WWT" #29)

Jan. 1863: Jonah surrenders to the Union forces at Fort Charlotte. Jonah's platoon is subsequently captured and then slaughtered during an attempted escape known as the Fort Charlotte Massacre. Jonah is accused by the survivors of being a turncoat. ("WWT" #29, "JH" V1, #36)

May 2nd, 1863: Jonah accidentally shoots Stonewall Jackson as the General returns from a reconnaissance, inflicting the wound which cost him his arm & precipitated his death shortly after due to sepsis.

April 23rd, 1865: Jonah surrenders (once again) to Union forces at the federal stockade in Lynchburg, Virginia, two weeks after Lee surrendered to Grant. ("JH" V1, #30) It is assumed, but not yet chronicled, that Jonah returned to the Confederacy after the Fort Charlotte massacre.

1866: Jonah locates his old tribe and tells the chief how Noh-Tante betrayed him years before. The chief decrees that this must be settled by a tomahawk battle. Noh-Tante secretly sabotages Jonah's tomahawk so that the handle will break. In an act of desperation during the fight, Jonah pulls a knife and kills Noh-Tante. As punishment for breaking the rules, Jonah is bound and the chief presses a heated tomahawk to the right side of Jonah's face giving him "The Mark of the Demon". The tribe then banishes Jonah. ("JH" V1, #8)

Winter, 1866: Jonah takes his first job bounty hunting by tracking down an old Confederate buddy, Eddie Cantwell ("JH" V1, #30-31)

1874: While tracking down the kidnapping of Laura Vaden, Jonah once again comes in contact with the Apache chief and is captured. The chief admits to taking Laura and announces that he will kill Hex at sunrise. Jonah is rescued by White Fawn, his former girlfriend and widow of Noh-Tante. The chief kills White Fawn and Jonah kills the chief before he rescues Laura Vaden. ("JH" V1, #8)

1875: Jonah marries Mei Ling and promises to give up bounty-hunting and gunfighting.

Spring, 1876: Jonah's son, Jason, is born. A month later, Mei Ling takes Jason and leaves Jonah. ("JH" V1, #51-53)

1899: Jonah meets his grown son, Jason, in Mexico. Jonah learns that Mei Ling has died, but leaves before finding out that he now has a grandson, Woodson Hex. ("JH" V2, #25)

1904: Jonah is gunned down and killed by George Barrow. Despite some reports to the contrary, Jonah was not killed during a gunfight, nor was he shot in the back. Jonah was sitting playing cards in a local establishment. As he took off his glasses to clean them, George Barrow stormed into the establishment and shot Jonah in the chest with both barrels of a shotgun. Barrow was then confronted by the local law. Barrow dropped his weapon and surrendered but the local sheriff killed Barrow in cold blood. ("Jonah Hex Spectacular")

Appearances

Core series

The following are publications in which Jonah Hex is the central character.

*"All-Star Western" (#10-11; 1972)

*"Weird Western Tales" (#12-14, #16-38; 1972-1977)

*"Jonah Hex" (Vol. 1 #1-92; 1977-1985)

*"Jonah Hex Spectacular" (#1; 1978/Fall)

*"Hex" (#1-18; 1985-1987)

*"Secret Origins" (Vol. 3 #21; 1987/12)

*"Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo" (#1-5; 1993)

*"Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such" (#1-5; 1995)

*"Jonah Hex: Shadows West" (#1-3; 1999)

*"Jonah Hex" (Vol. 2 #1-Present; 2005-Present)

Other appearances

*"Batman" (#237; 1971/12): Jonah shown on advertisement for All Star Western comic

*"Justice League of America" (#159, 160, [http://jonahhex.blogspot.com/2008/10/justice-league-of-america-198-once-upon.html 198] , 199; 1978-1982)

*" [http://jonahhex.blogspot.com/2006/12/special-jonah-hex-christmas.html Super Star Holiday Special] : DC Special Series" (Vol. 4 #21; 1980/Spring)

*"Comic Reader" (#194; 1981/09)

*"Crisis on Infinite Earths" (#3-5; 1985/06)

*"DC Challenge" (#2-3, #11; 1985-1986)

*"Swamp Thing" (#46; 1986/03)

*"Legion Of Super-Heroes" (#23; 1986/06)

*"Swamp Thing" (#85; 1989/04)

*"Time Masters" (#2-3; 1990)

*"Justice League Europe Annual" (#2; 1991/01)

*"Books of Magic" (#4; 1991/02)

*"Armageddon: Alien Agenda" (#3; 1992/01)

*"Zero Hour" (#0; 1994/09)

*"Green Lantern" (#195-196; 1995)

*"Kingdom Come" (#4; 1997)

*"Unlimited Access" (#1; 1997)

*"Superboy" (#54-55, #71-75; 1998-2000)

:In 1998, a female character named Hex was introduced in the pages of "Superboy". She first appears as a temperamental supermodel until an agent of the Agenda slices the right side of her face, at which point she started claiming to be Jonah Hex. She adopts his voice and manner of speaking, and displays his sharpshooting skills with a pistol. She has the ability to shoot "psionic bullets" from any kind of gun when in her "Jonah Hex" mode; otherwise she was powerless. It was hinted that the Agenda had either performed experiments on her or that she had been created by them; but nothing has been confirmed. She was last seen flying out of Cadmus riding atop Grokk, the Living Gargoyle.

*"Guns of the Dragon" (#3; 1998/12)

*"The Kingdom" (#2; 1998)

*"The Kents" (#8, #10; 1998)

*"Wild Times: Deathblow" (1999/08)

*"World's Funnest" (2000)

*"Hawkman" (#7; 2002/11)

*"Superman & Batman: Generations" (Vol. 3 #8; 2003/10)

*"The Legion" (#29; 2004/03)

*"Another Nail" (#3; 2004/8)

*" [http://jonahhex.blogspot.com/2008/07/supermanbatman-16.html Superman/Batman] " (#16; 2004/12)

*"Deadshot" (#4; 2005/03)

*"Superman/Batman" (#18; 2005/02)

*"Infinite Crisis" (#6; 2006/04)

*"Justice League Unlimited" (#19; 2006/005)

*"Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters" (#3; 2006/11):Jonah Hex makes a cameo appearance, escorting the Navajo back to the Canyon DeChelly, after the Long Walk of the Navajo was over. It appears that Jonah is escorting the Navajo on to the Long Walk, but this was an artist error, as indicated by the author [http://www.paperfilms.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=2428&st=0&p=15142&#entry15142 on his Forum]

*"Booster Gold" (#2; 2007/11): Minor cameo at end of book

*"Booster Gold" (#3; 2007/12)

Collected editions

Various trade paperback collections are being released, both of the ongoing second series and Jonah Hex's original appearances:

* "Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex":
** "Volume 1" (written by John Albano and Michael Fleisher; art by Tony DeZuniga, Doug Wildey, José Luís Garcia-López and others; 526 pages, collects "All-Star Western" #2-8 and #10-12, "Weird Western Tales" #12-14 and #16-33, November 2005, ISBN 1-4012-0760-X)
** "Volume 2" (written Michael Fleisher; art by José Luís Garcia-López and others; 528 pages, collects "Weird Western Tales" #34-38 and "Jonah Hex" #1-22, December 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1561-0)

* "Two Gun Mojo" (Joe R. Lansdale, 1994, ISBN 1-56389-162-X)

* "Jonah Hex" (second series):
** "Face Full of Violence" (written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; art by Luke Ross, and Tony DeZuniga; 144 pages, collects "Jonah Hex" #1-6, Titan Books, December 2006, ISBN 1-84576-408-0, DC, September 2006, ISBN 1-4012-1095-3)
** "Guns of Vengeance" (written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; art by Luke Ross, Dylan Teague, Tony Dezuñiga, Phil Noto, David Michael Beck, Paul Gulacy, Jimmy Palmiotti, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Art Thibert; 144 pages, collects "Jonah Hex" #7-12, DC, April 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1249-2)
** "Origins" (written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; art by Jordi Bernet, Phil Noto, and Val Semeik; 144 pages, collects "Jonah Hex" #13-18, DC, November 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1490-6)
** "Only the Good Die Young" (written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; art by Jordi Bernet, Phil Noto, and David Michael Beck; 144 pages, collects "Jonah Hex" #19-24, DC, April 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1689-7)
** "Luck Runs Out" (written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; art by Russ Heath, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Jordi Bernet, John Higgins, Stefano Landini, and Rafa Garres; 144 pages, collects "Jonah Hex" #25-30, DC October 2008, ISBN 9-7814-0121-9604)

In other media

*Talk of a live action movie has circulated since the late 1970s without much progress beyond pre-production, though it has been reported that John Albano's exit from writing for the character was the result of a dispute over payment for film rights.

*A live action movie has been announced for release in 2010. This movie appears to be based on the Vertigo series and will have Jonah fighting zombies and other such creatures.Fact|date=June 2008 On October 10, 2008, it was announced at the Internet Movie Database website, that Josh Brolin was in contract talks to play Hex in the film.

*He has appeared in animated form, first in "" in the episode, "Showdown" (voiced by William McKinney), where he hunted for Arkady Duvall (voiced by Malcolm McDowell) son of Ra's al Ghul in the 1800s. Hex's second DCAU appearance was a "Justice League Unlimited" episode, "The Once and Future Thing", this time voiced by Adam Baldwin. Jonah makes reference to his "Hex"-era adventures by guessing that Batman, Wonder Woman and John Stewart are time travelers; when Batman asks why Hex thinks that, Jonah replies "Experience. I've had an interesting life." Hex's appearance in "Showdown" took place in 1883, while in "The Once and Future Thing, Part 1: Weird Western Tales", the year was 1879. The Jonah Hex of Showdown looked considerably older than his later appearance despite only four years difference, although this may have been the result of the corruption of the timestream.

*The Post-Apocalyptic Hex made an appearance in a solo game module of "DC Heroes" titled "Hex: Escort to Hell".

*The 1994 HBO TV-movie "Blind Justice" is claimed to have been partially inspired by the Jonah Hex comic book character. The western film follows a near-blind Civil War survivor, played by Armand Assante, as he travels across Mexico with a baby he has sworn to protect. [cite encyclopedia|last=Stanley|first=John|title=Blind Justice (1994)|booktitle=Creature Features: The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Guide|pages=p. 52|publisher=Berkley Trade; Updated Edition|date=2000|id=ISBN 0425175170]

*Jonah Hex will appear in the upcoming animated series "". [ [http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=25153 Toon Zone - Your Source for Toon News! ] ]

Lawsuit

In 1996 Johnny and Edgar Winter filed suit against DC and the creators of "Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such" claiming, amongst other things, defamation as two characters named the Autumn Brothers in the series strongly resemble them. [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=2841&highlight=Joe+Lansdale THE WINTER BROTHERS VS. JONAH HEX GOES SUPREME] , Newsarama, January 25, 2003] Joe Lansdale said on the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund site:

The judge agreed and ruled in favour of the defendants, saying parody was covered by the First Amendment. The briefs were refiled in June 2002 through the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation and while the decision was upheld, the comic was deemed to not be "transformative" raising possible future problems for parody. In 2003 the California Supreme Court sided with DC. [ [http://www.tcj.com/254/n_winters.html The Comics Journal: Newswatch ] ]

ee also

*"Deadwood"
*"Bat Lash"
*"Loveless"
*"High Moon"
* Western genre in other media
* Weird West

Notes

References

*gcdb series|id=2378|title="Jonah Hex" (1977)
*gcdb series|id=2979|title="Hex"
*gcdb series|id=14588|title="Jonah Hex" (2005)
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/jonahhex.htm Jonah Hex] at Don Markstein's Toonopedia

External links

* [http://www.erikweems.com/comic_atomic/z010_jonah_hex_13.html The Coarse Whisper of Jonah Hex] Reviews of the recent DC Comic series revival
* [http://www.sequentialtart.com/reports.php?tartID=117 Ginger Mayerson's Jonah Hex reviews at Sequential Tart] Jonah Hex reviews from All Star Western #10 and up
* [http://jonahhex.blogspot.com Matching Dragoons] A weekly review of every Jonah Hex appearance