Caballistics, Inc.
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Caballistics, Inc is a horror/fantasy comic strip, set in the present day, that has been running in the weekly British anthology comic 2000AD since December 2002. The strip was created by writer Gordon Rennie and artist Dom Reardon (the latter of whom has been the sole artist on the strip since its inception).
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[edit] Plot
The initial plot of Caballistics, Inc. has "Department Q", a Ministry of Defence department dealing with the supernatural, being privatised by the British government. The Department, which by now consists only of the crusty paranormal historian Dr Jonathan Brand and his assistant Jennifer Simmons, is bought up by Ethan Kostabi, a reclusive multi-millionaire pop star of the 1970's, clearly modelled to a certain extent on David Bowie. Kostabi announces that he has contracted their services as part of a new private ghost-busting outfit, to be known as Caballistics, Inc., and introduces them to their teammates Hannah Chapter and Lawrence Verse. Even before the official press release for the new company can be sent out, the team is called to deal with a major paranormal infestation on the London Underground, where they meet the fifth member of the team, the powerful and seemingly evil Solomon Ravne.
Caballistics, Inc. has an extremely dark tone. Several recurring characters have been unexpectedly killed off, and there is a degree of brutality unusual for the 2000AD comic. Early in the series, Jennifer Simmons was possessed by a powerful demon, a state that continues to this day. More recently, Jonathan Brand, usually identified by fans as the "good" member of the team, was pushed under a Tube train by another member, Mikey Ness.
Many references hint that the world of Caballistics is the same as that of Doctor Who (and also Quatermass, reflecting a fan theory that the two series share a universe). The strip also contains many eclectic references to other cult television, film and literary mythologies alongside various religious traditions. Among the many mentions are Gnosticism, Kabbalah, the Rosicrucians, the Tetragrammaton, Opus Dei, Zoroastrianism, the Illuminati, paranormal warfare in World War II, the Thule Society, Aleister Crowley, Faust, Grant Morrison's Zenith, The Omen, The Exorcist and references to the works of Clive Barker, Robert W. Chambers, Roger Corman, William Hope Hodgson, Shaun Hutson, H.P. Lovecraft, Palo Mayombe, Kim Newman, Edgar Allan Poe and Hammer studios.
[edit] Major characters
[edit] Ethan Kostabi
Aka: Citizen Strange, David Smith [real name], possibly aka Nyarlathotep.
- 1970's rock star, turned New Media Entrepreneur / Internet Guru / Venture Capitalist
- Owner & Founder of Caballistics Inc.
- Lives in Berne, Switzerland
- Also owns Abraxas Research Facility (Wenley Moor, Yorkshire), Ludgate Studios and multiple & diverse other holdings (legal and otherwise)
- Was possibly possessed by the spirit of a mummified Emmanuel Konterman (previously of Q Department circa WWII) in 1960.
[edit] Mr. Howard Slater
- Manager of Caballistics Inc. / Legal Representative of Ethan Kostabi (12 years)
- Sexuality: Severe S&M, Peeping Tom
- Seemingly deceased following the events of Krystallnacht, Slater has recently re-emerged seemingly being kept in suspended animation by Solomon Ravne.
[edit] Solomon Ravne
Aka: Der Teufel [The Devil], Master Raven, Dominus
- De facto leader of the Caballistics team, due to his knowledge and magical powers.
- Over 300 years old & has no soul (his admission).
- Known to have been a denizen of Prague, 1672, he was subsequently reported living in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1737, Germany, 1945-46 (where he was SS Obergrupenfuhrer of Sonderkommando Thule (Nazi Occult Warfare Division, Operation Doppelgänger, Peenemunde, 1945)), Bangkok, Thailand in 2003, and London, England, 2003-.
- Hobbies: Bathing in fresh human blood; Tantric rituals with slaves Gustav and Gretchen.
- Special Kit: Hand of Power; Lamp of Alhazred; Infernal Pocket Watch; Healing & regeneration tank
[edit] Doctor Jonathan Brand
Aka Professor Brand, Brainiac
- Now deceased
- Paranormal Historian, Q Department (sold; formerly British Government Ministry of Defence)
- Pipe smoker
- Has written a book: "History of the British Rocket Group".
[edit] Miss Jennifer Simmons
Aka Jen/Jenny, Demon Jenny, Edwina Scissorhands, Baarish-Shammon, She Who Stalks By Night, Fear, Despair
- Possession: Jenny was possessed by a demon which claims that she is dead. Ravne insists that she is still alive but may be insane.
- Paranormal Historian, Q Department (sold; formerly British Government Ministry of Defence)
[edit] Mr Lawrence Verse
Aka Father Lawrence
- Originally teamed up with Hannah Chapter as freelance paranormal consultants
- Employment: Priest / Exorcist (defrocked following "chainsaw exorcism") Martinique 1995; freelance with Chapter (inc. Guatemalan Were-Jaguar Cult: 1999; Zagreb, Croatia); 2-year freelance contract with Caballistics Inc.
- Weaponry: shotgun, taser, stake / holy cross hybrid, shades
- Sexuality: celibate
[edit] Miss Hannah Chapter
- Employment: Majored in Cryptozoology at Arkham University. American Government [specialist work: colleagues: Warren (alive), Perconte (alive), Charteris (dead), Niland (dead)], freelance with Verse (inc. Guatemalan Were-Jaguar Cult: 1999; Zagreb, Croatia); 2-year freelance contract with Caballistics Inc.
- Weaponry: Spook Detector, 2 pistols (9mm parabellum steel-jacketed / armour-piercing / hollow point Vatican silver), shades
- Sexuality: Lesbian
- Favourite tipple: Double Jack Daniels & black, straight up.
- Has written (unpublished) book: Mixed-Up Flicks For Mixed-Up Chicks
[edit] Mr. Mikey Ness
Aka The Nessy Monster, Bravo Two Zero
- Employment: SAS, Gulf War, 1991; mental hospital patient (sectioned), 1991-2003; Caballistics employee, 2004-
- Has murdered a British Cabinet minister and Jonathan Brand
- Heavy Glasgow accent
- Weaponry: expert in many kinds, but prefers a knife.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Comics
All installments have been written by Gordon Rennie and drawn by Dom Reardon:
- Caballistics, Inc.:
- "Going Underground" (in 2000 AD #1322-1326, 2002)
- "Moving In" (in 2000 AD #1331-1333, 2003)
- "Breaking Out" (in 2000 AD #1337-1340, 2003)
- "Downtime 1 - Chapter" (in 2000 AD #1363, 2002)
- "Downtime 2 - Verse" (in 2000 AD #1364, 2002)
- "Downtime 3 - Ness" (in 2000 AD #1365, 2003)
- "Downtime 4 - Jonathan & Jennifer" (in 2000 AD #1366, 2003)
- "Downtime 5 - Ravne" (in 2000 AD #1367, 2003)
- "Downtime 6 - Kostabi" (in 2000 AD #1368, 2003)
- "Krystalnacht" (in 2000 AD prog 2004, 2003)
- "Picking Up The Pieces" (in 2000 AD #1400, 2004)
- "Safe House" (in 2000 AD #1401-1408, 2004)
- "Weird War Tales" (in 2000 AD prog 2005, 2004)
- "Northern Dark" (in 2000 AD #1443-1448, 2005)
- "Strange Bedfellows" (in 2000 AD prog 2006, 2005)
- "Changelings" (in 2000 AD #1469-1474, 2006)
[edit] Collections
Rebellion have released two trade paperbacks:
- Caballistics Inc.: Going Underground (February 2006, 128 pages, ISBN 1-904265-74-X)
Contains the Going Underground through Downtime stories.
- Caballistics Inc.: Creepshow (January 2007, 144 pages, ISBN 1-905437-06-4)
Contains the Krystalnacht through Changeling stories.
[edit] Novels
So far there has been one novel adaptation:
- Caballistics, Inc.: Hell on Earth (by Mike Wild, Black Flame, August 2006, ISBN 1-84416-386-5)
[edit] Trivia
Being a British company, the Caballistics business should not be named "Caballistics, Inc.", as "Inc(orporated)" is used in the United States, not the United Kingdom, to denote a stock corporation. The equivalent UK term is "Limited"; thus, the strip should therefore technically have been called "Caballistics, Limited".
