Why The Authority Is The Next DC Superhero Team Who Deserves A Movie
Up until the recent announcement of DC Studios, the new film division at Warner Bros. Discovery to be headed up by auteur James Gunn and producer Peter Safran, it kind of seemed like the DC Universe was lacking direction. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a bit too streamlined, the DCU had the opposite problem and had become increasingly unwieldy. DC's future in films was seeming quite uncertain, with not much revealed beyond the few sequels we already knew are on the way. The only new hero on the horizon is "Blue Beetle," whose future has been in doubt since what happened to "Batgirl" — I'm still not over it. Seriously, give Babs her movie!
DC has already adapted the comic company's big guns, so now it's time to go digging into the back issues. I recently wrote about how awesome an Animal Man movie could be, which got me thinking about other DC characters who deserve their time in the spotlight. Things haven't worked out so well for the Justice League on the big screen, and while I do love that team in comics, there's another that I can't stop imagining in live-action: The Authority.
Although the team wasn't created for DC Comics, with Wildstorm being incorporated into DC continuity after the imprint folded, the Authority is fair game. So, who is the Authority and why do they deserve a movie adaptation? Let's discuss.
From Wildstorm to DC
Initially an independent company founded by beloved comics creator Jim Lee — currently Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics — Wildstorm was bought by DC Comics in the late '90s. For a time, Wildstorm remained a completely separate universe from DC, publishing some excellent titles that included "Planetary," "Ex Machina," and "The Boys" (which was later revived by Dynamite Entertainment). However, the imprint folded in 2010 and when DC launched "The New 52," certain Wildstorm characters came along for the ride.
"The Authority," created by Bryan Hitch and Warren Ellis (who has some very serious allegations against him), was one of Wildstorm's flagship books, first released in 1999. Several members of the team actually originated in Ellis' earlier run on "Stormwatch," which was about a black-ops group comprised of superheroes that were funded by the United Nations. After that team was shut down, the Authority formed in its place. While certain villains from "Stormwatch" also appear in "The Authority," the book does a pretty good job getting the reader up to speed.
Who are the members of The Authority?
Jenny Sparks is the team leader who gathered the members in the first place after realizing how vulnerable the world was without Stormwatch. She is "the spirit of the 20th century," a woman who can not only manipulate electricity on a massive scale, but also who hasn't aged a day since she turned 19. Jenny was born in 1900 and the way the world was shaped over the course of the century was largely influenced by her existence. You do not want to mess with her.
There's also Jack Hawksmoor, known as the King of Cities. He can tap into any city he's in and derive power from it. The bigger the city, the greater his abilities become. Next up, we have Angie Spica, aka the Engineer. Instead of blood pumping through her veins, she has liquid metal full of nanobots that she controls. Angie can interface with all machinery, but she can also create solid objects from the liquid metal, which she typically uses to coat her entire body.
We also have Jeroen Thornedike, aka The Doctor, a recovering addict (sometimes) who also happens to be the latest in a long line of shamans who grow more powerful each time they are reincarnated. The Doctor can do pretty much anything, except perhaps piece his life back together. Then, there's Shen Li-Men, aka Swift, who has wings and talons and is also incredibly fast.
Midnighter and Apollo
Lastly, my favorites: Apollo and Midnighter. They are basically analogs of Superman and Batman, respectively, but these men have personalities that are very much their own. Apollo's tremendous powers come from solar energy and his abilities include flight, speed, and invulnerability. Midnighter may resemble the Dark Knight, but he's had some major upgrades that include enhanced senses, healing, and perhaps most crucially, his ability to predict how a battle will play out before it begins. So, he's not only a brilliant tactician, but he's also impossible to beat in a fight.
Did I mention Midnighter and Apollo are married? They were a couple throughout "The Authority," finally tying the knot in #29.
Midnighter and Apollo are together from the very beginning of "The Authority," though it doesn't truly become apparent until #8. While it's never a focus of the book, theirs is definitely the central relationship of the series. These two love each other above all else. In 2022, we would expect so much more from this couple on the page, but what exists was quite groundbreaking in 1999. If you've ever wondered what a romance between the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight would look like — and really, who hasn't? — this is the story for you. Honestly, half of my desire for an Authority movie is the Midnighter and Apollo TV show spin-off that I'm hoping could come out of it. They did get their own comic miniseries in 2016 from Steve Orlando and Fernando Blanco.
Although DC's TV shows have made much more of an effort, this type of representation is seriously lacking in superhero movies. Fans are expected to jump for joy at the most minor hints that queer characters exist in the MCU or the DCU. Apollo and Midnighter are the gay superhero duo we need on the big screen!
Where are The Authority's headquarters?
The Authority has pretty much the coolest base of operations ever. They live on a sentient spaceship known as the Carrier. This craft is capable of moving through the Bleed, which is basically the place between dimensions. So, it exists beyond time and space. Grant Morrison said the ship looks like a dog's nose in their intro to the first volume and now I can't unsee it.
The Carrier has thoughts and feelings all its own, though it doesn't typically communicate them. It's an enormous and extremely powerful craft, fueled by a caged baby universe. It can also open a door between any two points in space if a member of the team just says, "door." This enables the team to move anywhere on Earth or even between universes and always return to the ship by uttering a single word aloud. As you can imagine, this has gotten the Authority out of some pretty impossible situations.
Why The Authority deserves a movie
I'm going to level with you. Some of "The Authority" has not aged well: certain villains, some jokes, and even a plot point or two. That said, these characters deserve a movie. Both Jenny Sparks and Angie are particularly well-rendered characters, as two incredibly powerful women.
There's a reason everyone listens to Jenny and it's not just because she could fry them. She's a great leader. Then, there's Angie, whose abilities are basically boundless, limited only by her imagination — though they do keep her from connecting the way she'd like to. There's also the delightful dynamic between Apollo and Midnighter. They bicker like an old married couple but are always looking out for one another, and they balance each other out perfectly.
The Doctor's super interesting as well, serving as a perfect example of how debilitating addiction can be. Even with all the power in the world, this is one foe Jeroen struggles to vanquish. As for Jack, his power set, the way that he pulls whatever abilities he needs from the city he's in, is very original. He's kind of a jerk, but you'll root for him anyway.
Sadly, Swift is the only member of the team who lacks any real characterization. I can't really speak much about her, other than to say she's a badass woman with wings and talons. That's cool and all, but she's the only one who's never really developed.
Time for a new Authority
They may be a team of superheroes, but the Authority certainly is not the Justice League and its members are determined to save the world by any means necessary. It's not that the team lacks a moral compass, but they are a bunch of cynics who ultimately only answer to themselves. They also really like to party.
"The Authority" was quite innovative in its time, both for its treatment of superheroes, and Hitch's cinematic art style — the book is honestly worth reading for his artwork alone. The rest of this run is continued by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, among others, and while I love Quitely's art, some of Millar's writing has aged particularly poorly — the book is very much a product of its time. There are several volumes that follow after that as well.
Although "The Authority" was hugely influential, the comic has been largely forgotten, though DC has repurposed several team members since folding Wildstorm into its continuity. The Authority is different from any other superhero group we've seen on the big screen thus far, both in attitude and the type of threats they face. With stakes that are always high and only get higher as the series progresses, the Authority isn't interested in continuing the status quo, particularly when it's terrible.
I'm not saying we need another dark, gritty story about people with superpowers, because I'm fairly certain we do not. But these are great characters, and with some updating, there's a truly unique movie in there. This team not only wants to change the world, but they have the actual firepower to do it. I'd love to see them change the face of superhero movies next!