The Human Defense Corps are a comic book military organization published by DC Comics . They first appeared in Human Defense Corps #1 (July 2003), and were created by writer Ty Templeton and artist Clément Sauvé .
41-638: Human Defense Corps is a six-issue limited series published by DC Comics in 2003, written by Ty Templeton and drawn by Clément Sauvé. The series did not sell well, and the concept was allowed to disappear until Superman and Justice League of America writer James Robinson began to feature the Corps in Superman vol. 3, starting with a passing mention of the events in the limited series in The Coming of Atlas ( Superman #677, August 2008) and followed by
82-496: A boy, so had treated Lois as a surrogate son, when he was present at all. This version first appeared in The Adventures of Superman #424 (January 1987), the first retitled issue of the former Superman title. He became a more significant character following Lois' engagement to Clark Kent, being highly unimpressed with the mild-mannered reporter despite his obvious commitment to Lois. When Lex Luthor became President of
123-402: A comic book series with a clear beginning, middle and end". Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics refer to limited series of two to eleven issues as miniseries and series of twelve issues or more as maxiseries, but other publishers alternate terms. A limited series can "vary widely in length, but often run from three to ten issues. They can usually be distinguished from ongoing series by having both
164-525: A seance held by HDC Head Chaplain Charlie Graham ascertains that the members of the Corps who were assumed killed in the incident are in Hell but not actually dead and the "vampires" they fought were actually demons. Interrogating Calcabrina, a captive demon from the incident, they discover a Bulgravian mage had made a deal for his village to be spared the ravages of civil war in exchange for 66 souls and
205-446: A sentient gorilla from Gorilla City , which experiments on captured extraterrestrials and demons, although its location has recently been moved off-Earth. Their first mission comes when the 1st Special Armoured Division are sent on a reconnaissance trip to the former Soviet satellite Bulgravia to support Government troops who had encountered shape-shifting aliens with high firepower weaponry and assumed to be Durlans. They are attacked in
246-599: A single creative team, but in cases where there are changes, it is usually the writer who remains constant throughout the run, while the artist(s) may change. The number of issues is usually determined by some combination of the writer's plotting and editorial mandate. In 1979, in the process of recovering from the DC Implosion , publisher DC Comics experimented with a new format in the World of Krypton "miniseries", as DC termed such short-run works. The new format allowed
287-480: A very damaging story, Sam has Lois taken into custody. The two finally meet face to face much to Lois' displeasure. Sam tells Lois the only reason he's being lenient with her is that she is his daughter. He threatens to make her disappear forever in a place where not even Superman can find her. To make his point Sam shoots Lois' laptop containing her story. He realizes that she has back up copies but he has made his point. When General Zod declares war on Earth after it
328-459: Is actually working directly for General Lane on Lane's own agenda - the destruction of all Kryptonians, including Superman . Reactron kills Colonel Hazard for opposing him in this. The whereabouts of most of the original Corps team is currently unknown, although Sgt. Kelly is currently learning spell-casting with his team within Project 7734. Most of the current membership of Human Defense Corps
369-492: Is dead, Lois and Lucy still grieve for their father. Lucy decides to try and honor her father's memory and give him the soldier he was denied by joining the U.S. Army. Lucy is wounded during the Amazon's attack on Washington, D.C., and is secretly rescued and brought to a secret facility. General Sam Lane finally reveals himself alive and in charge of a covert operation called Project 7734 . Lucy volunteers to become Superwoman and
410-446: Is finite and determined before production, and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues. The term is often used interchangeably with miniseries ( mini-series ) and maxiseries ( maxi-series ), usually depending on the length and number of issues. In Dark Horse Comics ' definition of a limited series, "this term primarily applies to a connected series of individual comic books. A limited series refers to
451-475: Is given a mystically-powered costume that allowed her to pass as Kryptonian . Lucy is to infiltrate Kandor and gathering intelligence on the Kryptonians and New Krypton . Lucy appears to die battling Supergirl when her suit is ruptured but returns to life with Kryptonian Powers, ready to serve her country again. General Lane drafts the imprisoned Lex Luthor into a secret operation against Superman and
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#1732801961193492-720: Is later seen as the official U.S. military representative when a nationwide crisis arises. Along with others such as Mr. Bones, Steve Trevor, Waller and Father Time they try and defeat the threat with technological means. This fails with a mystically powered alternate universe Bruce Wayne crashes through the wall and brainwashes the entire group. In Doomsday Clock , Sam Lane is seen pulling his troops out of Qurac. General Sam Lane appeared in Grant Morrison 's All-Star Superman . In his sole appearance in Issue 1, he talks to Luthor about how he pulled him out of prison to work for
533-500: Is now a news producer instead of a reporter. Following the death of US Senator Hume, Sam Lane was chosen as his replacement and has now become a member of the US Senate. In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called " DC Rebirth " which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Sam Lane is seen conferring in a bunker under Gotham City with Amanda Waller and Hugo Strange . He
574-461: Is re-introduced in the relaunched Action Comics where he is seen attempting to catch Superman believing him to be a menace. He was willing to help Superman after Lois and a portion of Metropolis was shrunken and taken away by the Collector. In his next appearance, he has Kryptonite Man released from custody, believing he is necessary to help keep Superman in check. Kryptonite Man agreed under
615-456: Is revealed Lex Luthor (through one of his robot doubles) aided Brainiac in attacking New Krypton as seen during the "War of the Supermen" storyline, Lane puts his plans into action. The imprisoned Reactron reveals that he allowed himself to be captured as part of Lane's plan. The Luthor robot tampers with Reactron's body chemistry, causing him to explode. The resulting chain reaction leads to
656-502: Is supposed killed by the demon he killed two years before in Galatz Forest - but discovers he has demon blood in him as a result of the incident and cannot die and is now blood related to the demon clan. He claims the staff of the demon clan's leader Lord Scarmiglione in battle, takes his place and the Corps rescue the 66 men. The five men who are killed in the sortie now also have demon links and unspecified powers and Sgt. Kelly and
697-584: Is the father of Lucy Lane and Lois Lane and the father-in-law of Clark Kent / Superman . Denis Arndt and Harve Presnell portrayed the character in the series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman , Michael Ironside in Smallville , Glenn Morshower in Supergirl , and Dylan Walsh in Superman & Lois ; and Joel de la Fuente voiced him in the animated series My Adventures with Superman . Sam Lane, along with his wife Ella
738-463: Is unknown as of January 2010, with the exception of Sgt. Kelly. The following have been mentioned as members of the Corps at some time: Limited series (comics) In the field of comic books , and particularly in the United States , a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues
779-505: The Justice League: Gods and Monsters prequel comic. This version was a war physician who died amidst a battle that Superman was involved in. Chad Derdowski of Mania.com felt that Sam Lane would have been a formidable villain to use for a Zack Snyder Superman film, stating that "Lane would provide a little more dramatic oomph for the film, driving a wedge between the relationship of Clark Kent and Lois Lane and turning
820-544: The Legion of Super-Heroes , and the Green Lantern Corps . With the success of the miniseries format, DC followed by experimenting with longer stories and concepts outside their universe of superheroes. Debuting in 1982, Camelot 3000 was the first limited series to run to 12 issues. DC coined the term "maxiseries" as a promotional description for this. It did not take long for other publishers to begin using
861-584: The US Government , but Luthor again threatens to kill Superman, before he dies. Lane then has Luthor incarcerated in Stryker's Island . Sam Lane appears in the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event. In this version, Lane was the officer in charge of Project: Superman. He attempts to bond with Kal-El during the latter's time in captivity. When Neil Sinclair is freed from captivity and trashes
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#1732801961193902-765: The World Wide Web . The remaining Kryptonians, led by Ursa and Zod himself, begin attacking the Earth, ravaging the planet. When confronted by an angered Supergirl and his daughter Lois - particularly after Lois points out to him that he has become the monster he claimed the Kryptonians were, as he is one man who destroyed a planet, while Supergirl defies his perception of her people as "rabid dogs" by sparing his life when it would have been easy for her to kill him - Lane commits suicide rather than be made accountable to an international court. In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Sam Lane
943-653: The Corps presence in the DC Universe in a 10-page Human Defense Corps feature in Adventure Comics (vol. 2) #8 (March 2010), directly linking it with the other stories featured in the title as part of the lead up to DC Comics' major War of the Supermen event for summer 2010. In the DC Comics universe, the Human Defense Corps is a branch of the military established by then President of
984-464: The Forest of Galantz by vampiric aliens invisible to special tech weapons but not ordinary eyesight, and all but Sgt. Montgomery Kelly of the forward platoons, sixty-six men, are killed in the skirmish, some by blanket bombing of the area with 'holy napalm', a cross between holy water and fire-retardant gel which destroys the vampires. Sgt. Kelly and Colonel Reno Rosetti, who designed the weapon and ordered
1025-543: The Human Defense Corps team had stumbled in and taken their place. The demon clan took them alive to feed on their energy - which is more powerful than the energy of the dead - as part of a plan to extend their power in Hell. Guided by Calcabrina, the Third Special Armoured Division invade Hell (code-named Trans-Dimensional Interactive Zone 4 - T-Zone 4 ) to recover the 66 Corps members. Sgt. Kelly
1066-429: The Kryptonians of Kandor. The U.S. government believes the aliens to be a risk for world's security and begins to create countermeasures against them. Though the full implications of the operation are yet known, Lane has apparently been monitoring the activities several new superhumans that have appeared following the most recent Crisis. One of the superhumans of particular note is Icon . After Lois prepares to release
1107-574: The United States Lex Luthor to reduce government dependency on superhumans when a major alien crisis breaks out, act as back-up to Earth's superheroes, and specifically counter any alien threat to Earth. Membership of the Corps is open to 'Decorated veterans of alien campaigns only'. The Corps has bases all over Earth, including below the sea (Human Defense Base Area 53) and in space (Fort Olympus Orbital Defense Station). The sea-base included scientific facilities run by Doctor Zaius,
1148-489: The United States , he made Lane Secretary of Defense . This inevitably led to Lois, as an investigative journalist trying to prove Luthor was crooked, opposing her father, especially during the buildup to the Imperiex War . During the fight against Imperiex, General Lane was apparently killed by an Imperiex probe, when he detonated the nuclear engine of his tank to crack the shell of the probe and give Black Lightning
1189-516: The attack on the drop site, are decorated as a result. Some time afterwards the Corps are involved in a 'centaur attack in Turkey', of which nothing is known, and are also pursuing a drawn-out war against a mole-like race of underground people called the A'Corti, specifically in London, England . Two years later, after dreams of the Galatz Forest incident affect a number of soldiers who were not there,
1230-447: The chance to get through its armor. Set at Halloween , Sam Lane's ghost appeared to Lois while she was trapped in a car, enabling them to talk through their unresolved issues. The last scene of the issue showed the "ghost" leaning against a wall and watching the sunrise, suggesting that General Lane had found lasting peace. Some have also interpreted this as a sign that Sam Lane is somehow still alive. While believing that their father
1271-457: The company to tell stories that may not have fit into an ongoing series and to showcase characters in a short story without the risk and obligations of an ongoing monthly. In 1980, DC followed World of Krypton with the three-issue series The Untold Legend of the Batman , by Len Wein , John Byrne , and Jim Aparo . DC produced three more limited series in 1981, featuring another Krypton series,
Human Defense Corps - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-510: The condition that General Sam Lane helps him locate his wife. Sam Lane is also seen in the relaunched Superman comics which chronologically takes place five years later in the present day, and his relationship with Superman is not that much different, right to the point where he accuses Superman that his presence in Metropolis is what attracts all the super-powered menaces and for that reason his daughter will always be in danger even though she
1353-405: The current issue number and total issue number on the cover and/or in the indicia ". The limited series has a single story to tell. It follows the standard plot set-up of beginning, middle and end. Usually, all plot points are covered by the end of the series. There have been limited series done in an anthology format, but only a few of these have been produced. Limited series are often done by
1394-480: The destruction of New Krypton and most of the remaining 100,000 Kryptonians, including Supergirl 's mother Alura . Under Lane's orders, Luthor transforms the Earth's sun from yellow to red to rob the Kryptonians of their powers. Flamebird neutralizes this countermeasure and the sun reverts to yellow and restores everyone's power. At the same time, Jimmy Olsen and his associates save Natasha Irons and transmit all of General Lane's activities to news sites all over
1435-467: The five form a diplomatic link between Hell and Earth. Seven years later General Sam Lane , Lois Lane's father - who is assumed dead but, obsessed by alien invasion and 'the Kryptonian threat', has been working covertly on a programme for the U.S Government called Project 7734 - has taken external command of Squad K of the Human Defense Corps under Colonel Hazard as part of the Project and moved
1476-412: The gradual introduction of Project 7734 from Superman: New Krypton Special (December 2008), Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1 (December 2008), and Action Comics #871 (January 2009) by Geoff Johns , building through the more recent issues of Superman and Action Comics and the associated Superman titles Supergirl and Jimmy Olsen Special #2 (October 2009). DC Comics later extended
1517-563: The idea of a major event affecting the Marvel Universe; crossovers were introduced in limited series form before the concept of multi-title crossovers was even conceived. This would be taken further with the 12-issue Secret Wars saga in 1984 and by DC's saga Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985-1986. Sam Lane (comics) Samuel Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . He
1558-535: The lab, Lane sacrifices himself by pulling himself and Sinclair into the Phantom Zone. The two eventually emerge from the Phantom Zone onto a far away island, and Sinclair murders Lane before leaving the island. In Earth-Two , Sam Lane is a member of the World Army . He works with Robotman to create Red Tornado before being killed in a cave-in. An alternate universe incarnation of Sam Lane appears in
1599-624: The limited series format. In 1982, Marvel Comics published its first limited series, Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions , followed shortly thereafter by miniseries' featuring the X-Men 's Wolverine and the Avengers ' Hercules , and then The Vision and the Scarlet Witch . At first, Marvel used the limited series format to feature popular characters from team titles and put them in solo adventures. Contest of Champions brought forth
1640-475: The main base of Project 7734 to the home planet of another dimension. The Corps now has a new motto and insignia Ad Infernos et Retrorsum (loosely meaning 'To Hell and Back') and suit technology and weaponry designed specifically to deal with Kryptonians. Squad K has nominally been created to neutralise and disarm specific Kryptonian threats , but this has been allocated to Major Krull, the villain Reactron, who
1681-405: Was introduced in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #13 (November 1959) as a horse farmer in the town of Pittsdale. He was created by Robert Bernstein and Kurt Schaffenberger . Following Crisis on Infinite Earths he was reinvented as a hard-bitten and outspoken US Army General , with an awkward relationship with his daughters. It was explained that Lane had wanted his eldest child to be