Mark Waid

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Mark Waid
Born	March 21, 1962 (age 45) Hueytown, Alabama
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Writer, Editor
Notable works	Flash, Captain America, 52, Kingdom Come

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer.

Contents 1 Career 2 Awards 3 Selected bibliography 3.1 Regular Writer 3.2 Fill-in Writer 3.3 Editor 3.4 Associate Editor 4 External links

[edit] Career

Entering the field during the mid-1980s as an editor and writer with Fantagraphics Books' comic book fan magazine, Amazing Heroes, Waid was soon hired to serve as an editor for DC Comics where he worked on titles such as Secret Origins and Legion of Super-Heroes. He has stated that his comics work was heavily influenced by Adventure Comics #369-370 (1968), a Legion story by Jim Shooter & Mort Weisinger: "It's a blueprint for everything I write." [1]

In 1990 Waid left editorial work for freelance writing assignments. He worked for DC's short-lived Impact Comics line where he wrote The Comet and co-wrote Legend of the Shield.

In 1992 Waid began the assignment which would bring him to wider recognition in the comics industry, when he was hired to write The Flash by then editor Brian Augustyn. The comic starred one of DCs flagship characters, and in an acclaimed eight-year run, Waid and a number of artists, most notably Greg LaRocque and Mike Wieringo and in the final year with Augustyn as co-writer, brought the modern Flash out from the shadow of his predecessors and increased his powers dramatically.

Waid's initial success on Flash was acknowledged by DCs competitor Marvel Comics when Marvel editors Matt Idelson and Mark Gruenwald hired him as Gruenwald's successor as writer on Captain America. Waid's first run on the title, with artist Ron Garney, met with great critical and fan positive reaction, which grew stronger when the stint was ended prematurely after less than a year by Marvel executives to make way for Heroes Reborn, a reinvention of the character by Rob Liefeld.

Although his second run on the character was not as universally praised as his first, Waid's prestige had been boosted by the whole affair and he went on to be one of the most prolific comic writers of the late 1990s.

In 1996, Waid, with artist Alex Ross, released his best-known work, Kingdom Come. This story, set in the future of the DC Universe, depicted the fate of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other heroes as the world around them changed. It was written in reaction to the "grim and gritty" comics of the 1980s and 1990s, and while many of the events in the story were intense, a steady optimism filled the series. Many of the ideas introduced here have been integrated into the present-day DC universe, and Waid himself wrote a less successful follow-up to the series, The Kingdom.

Waid also had acclaimed runs on DC's JLA, the Flash spinoff series Impulse and Crossgen's Ruse.

Among the projects he served as editor for was Grant Morrison's critically acclaimed run on Doom Patrol. Waid and Morrison later tag-teamed on a number of projects that would successfully reestablish DC's JLA to prominence. Waid's contributions included JLA: Year One, as well as work on the ongoing series. The two writers also helped develop the concept of Hypertime to help explain problems with continuity in the DC Universe.

In 2003, Waid re-released a series named Empire (with Barry Kitson), whose protagonist was a Doctor Doom-like supervillain named Golgoth who had successfully defeated all superheroes and conquered the world. The series was originally published by Gorilla Comics, a company formed by Waid, Kurt Busiek and several others, but the company folded after only two issues were produced. Empire was completed under the DC Comics label but is in its own distinct universe.

Waid began an acclaimed run as writer of Fantastic Four in 2002 and by the next year, Waid's fan favorite run on the Fantastic Four was threatened when Marvel executives sought to reinvent aspects of the series. When Waid and artist Mike Wieringo were replaced on the title after refusing to acquiesce to the editiorial changes, fan backlash resulted led to Waid and Wieringo's reinstatement on the title within weeks. The FF backlash was also a contributing factor leading to then Marvel Publisher Bill Jemas leaving his position. Waid and Wieringo have since completed their run on Fantastic Four.

Waid returned to writing Legion of Super-Heroes in December 2004, teaming again with Barry Kitson.

Waid, along with past collaborator Grant Morrison, and other prominent DC Universe writers (Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and Keith Giffen) plays an editorial role in guiding the DC Universe after the events of the company's Infinite Crisis event. Among other projects, the writers will be contributing to a weekly series named 52 that is to last for one year and cover the events that take place between the last issue of the Infinite Crisis mini-series and the issues of all DC Universe titles the following month that will now be set one year later. He has signed an exclusive contract with DC.

Mark Waid is also preparing material for a re-imaged version of DC Comics "The Brave and The Bold" (which featured Batman in team-ups with other DC Comic characters). This book, with George Perez as penciller, was originally set to debut sometime in 2006 but was delayed to February 2007 because of the writer's work on the limited series 52.

[edit] Awards

His work in comics has won him several awards, including the Comics Buyer's Guide Award for Favorite Writer in 1997.

[edit] Selected bibliography

[edit] Regular Writer

• The Comet #1-10 (DC Comics [Impact], July 1991-April 1992) - (co-writer #1-6)
• The Comet #12-18 (DC Comics [Impact], June 1992-December 1992)
• The Comet Annual #1 (DC Comics [Impact], January 1992)
• The Legend of the Shield #1-12 (DC Comics [Impact], July 1991-June 1992) - (co-writer)
• Impact Christmas Special #1 (DC Comics [Impact], 1991) - (one-shot)
• Justice League Quarterly #5-6 (DC Comics, Winter 1991-Spring 1992)
• Justice League Quarterly #8-10 (DC Comics, Summer 1992-Spring 1993)
• Justice League Quarterly #12 (DC Comics, Autumn 1993) - (The Conglomerate story)
• Flash #62-129 (DC Comics, Early May 1992-September 1997) - (co-writer #118-129)
• Flash Annual #5-6 (DC Comics, 1992-1993)
• Flash Annual #8 (DC Comics, 1995)
• The Crusaders #1-4 (DC Comics [Impact], May 1992-August 1992) - (co-writer)
• Crucible #1-6 (DC Comics [Impact], February 1993-July 1993) - (co-writer)
• L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 #49-50 (DC Comics, February 1993-March 1993) - (co-writer)
• L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 #52-60 (DC Comics, May 1993-November 1993) - (co-writer)
• L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 Annual #4 (DC Comics, 1993)
• Valor #9 (DC Comics, July 1993)
• Valor #11-19 (DC Comics, October 1993-June 1994)
• DC Universe: Trinity #1-2 (DC Comics, August 1993-September 1993) - (co-writer; mini-series)
• Metamorpho #1-4 (DC Comics, August 1993-November 1993) - (mini-series)
• Justice League Task Force #13-15 (DC Comics, June 1994-August 1994)
• Justice League Task Force #0-20 (DC Comics, October 1994-February 1995)
• Legion of Super-Heroes #59-71 (DC Comics, July 1994-August 1995) - (co-writer)
• Legionnaires #16-19 (DC Comics, July 1994-November 1994) - (co-writer #18-19)
• Legionnaires Annual #1-2 (DC Comics, 1994-1995) - (co-writer)
• X-Men: Alpha (Marvel Comics, 1994) - (one-shot)
• |Deadpool (vol. 2) #1-4 (Marvel Comics, August 1994-November 1994) - (limited series)
• Impulse #1-6 (DC Comics, April 1995-September 1995)
• Impulse #8-17 (DC Comics, November 1995-September 1996)
• Impulse #19-27 (DC Comics, November 1996-July 1997)
• X-Men Omega (Marvel Comics, June 1995) - (one-shot)
• Captain America #444-454 (Marvel Comics, October 1995-August 1996)
• Underworld Unleashed #1-3 (DC Comics, November 1995-Late December 1995) - (mini-series)
• X-Men (vol. 2) #49 (Marvel Comics, February 1996) - (co-writer)
• X-Men (vol. 2) #51-56 (Marvel Comics, April 1996-September 1996)
• JLX #1 (DC Comics/Marvel Comics [Amalgam], April 1996) - (one-shot)
• Super Soldier #1 (DC Comics/Marvel Comics [Amalgam], April 1996) - (co-writer; one-shot)
• Kingdom Come #1-4 (DC Comics, May 1996-August 1996) - (mini-series)
• The Avengers #400-402 (Marvel Comics, July 1996-September 1996)
• Onslaught: X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics, August 1996) - (co-writer; one-shot)
• Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #1-3 (DC Comics, September 1996-November 1996) - (mini-series)
• Onslaught: Marvel #1 (Marvel Comics, October 1996) - (co-writer; one-shot)
• Flash Plus #1 (DC Comics, December 1996) - (with Nightwing; one-shot)
• Robin Plus #1 (DC Comics, December 1996) - (with Impulse; co-writer; one-shot)
• X-O Manowar (vol. 2) #1-13 (Acclaim Comics [Valiant], February 1997-February 1998) - (co-writer)
• Ash #½ (Event Comics/Wizard, April 1997) - (one-shot)
• Ka-Zar #1-14 (Marvel Comics, May 1997-June 1998)
• Ka-Zar: Sibling Rivalry #-1 (Marvel Comics, July 1997) - (co-writer; one-shot)
• Painkiller Jane #1-5 (Event Comics, June 1997-November 1997) - (co-writer)
• Super Soldier: Man of War #1 (DC Comics, June 1997) - (co-writer; one-shot)
• The Life Story of the Flash (DC Comics, 1997) - (co-writer; one-shot)
• Green Lantern/Flash: Faster Friends #2 (DC Comics, 1997) - (mini-series)
• The Flash Secret Files #1 (DC Comics, November 1997)
• Speed Force #1 (DC Comics, November 1997) - (one-shot)
• Captain America (vol. 3) #1-23 (Marvel Comics, January 1998-November 1999)
• JLA: Year One #1-12 (DC Comics, January 1998-December 1998) - (limited series)
• Gog (Villains) #1 (DC Comics, February 1998) - (one-shot)
• JLA #18-21 (DC Comics, May 1998-August 1998)
• Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1-6 (Marvel Comics, September 1998-February 1999)
• Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #8-9 (Marvel Comics, April 1999-May 1999)
• Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #11-12 (Marvel Comics, July 1999-August 1999)
• Flash #142-159 (DC Comics, October 1998-April 2000) - (co-writer)
• Iron Man/Captain America '98 (Marvel Comics, December 1998) - (one-shot)
• The Kingdom #1-2 (DC Comics, February 1999-February 1999) - (mini-series)
• The Kingdom: Kid Flash #1 (DC Comics, February 1999) - (one-shot)
• The Kingdom: Nightstar #1 (DC Comics, February 1999) - (one-shot)
• The Kingdom: Offspring #1 (DC Comics, February 1999) - (one-shot)
• The Kingdom: Planet Krypton #1 (DC Comics, February 1999) - (one-shot)
• The Kingdom: Son of the Bat #1 (DC Comics, February 1999) - (one-shot)
• National Comics #1 (DC Comics, May 1999) - (one-shot)
• Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold #1-6 (DC Comics, October 1999-March 2000) - (mini-series)
• Gatecrasher: Ring of Fire #1-4 (Black Bull Comics, March 2000-June 2000) - (co-writer; limited series)
• Empire #1-2 (Image Comics [Gorilla], May 2000-September 2000) - (limited series)
• JLA #43-58 (DC Comics, July 2000-November 2001)
• JLA #60 (DC Comics, January 2002)
• Silver Age #1 (DC Comics, July 2000) - (Justice League of America story; one-shot)
• Silver Age 80-Page Giant #1 (DC Comics, July 2000) - (Justice League of America story; one-shot)
• Silver Age: Dial H for Hero #1 (DC Comics, July 2000) - (one-shot)
• Gatecrasher #1-6 (Black Bull Comics, August 2000-January 2001) - (co-writer; limited series)
• JLA: Heaven's Ladder #1 (DC Comics, October 2000) - (one-shot)
• Crux #1-12 (CrossGen Comics, May 2001-April 2002)
• Sigil #15-19 (CrossGen Comics, September 2001-January 2002)
• Ruse #1-12 (CrossGen Comics, November 2001-October 2002)
• Negation #Prequel-2 (CrossGen Comics, December 2001-February 2002) - (co-writer)
• Saurians: Unnatural Selection #1-2 (CrossGen Comics, February 2002-March 2002) - (limited series; co-writer)
• Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #60-70 (Marvel Comics, October 2002-August 2003)
• Fantastic Four #500-524 (Marvel Comics, September 2003-May 2005)
  • Vol 1: Imaginauts (reprints #56, 60-66)
  • Vol 2: Unthinkable (reprints #67-70, 500-502)
  • Vol 3: Authoritative Action (reprints #503-508)
  • Vol 4: Hereafter (reprints #509-514)
  • Vol 5: Fourtitude (reprints #515-519)
  • Vol 6: Rising Storm (reprints #520-524)
• Superman: Birthright #1-12 (DC Comics, September 2003-September 2004) - (limited series)
• Teen Titans/Legion Special #1 (DC Comics, November 2004) - (co-writer; one-shot)
• The Legion of Super-Heroes #1-15 (DC Comics, February 2005-April 2006)
• Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #16- (DC Comics, May 2006-present)
• City of Heroes #1-3 (Image Comics [Top Cow], June 2005-August 2005)
• 52 #1- (DC Comics, July 2006-present)

[edit] Fill-in Writer

• "The Puzzle of the Purloined Fortress." Action Comics #572 (DC Comics, October 1985)
• "The Monumental Menace of Metropolis." Action Comics #576 (DC Comics, February 1986)
• "The Pow! Zap! Wham! Contract." Action Comics Weekly #641 (DC Comics, March 7, 1989) - (Human Target story)
• Detective Comics Annual #2 (DC Comics, 1989) - (co-writer)
• Superboy #7 (DC Comics, August 1990)
• "Generations Finale." Flash Special #1 (DC Comics, 1990) - (one-shot)
• Batman #464 (DC Comics, Early July 1991) - (Legend of the Shield promo; co-writer)
• Flash Annual #4 (DC Comics, 1991)
• "Meet Kid Flash." The Flash TV Special #1 (DC Comics, 1991) - (one-shot)
• "High Stakes." The Web Annual #1 (DC Comics [Impact], 1992) - (Shield story)
• "Two Minute Warning." Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #2 (DC Comics, Fall 1992)
• The Crusaders #8 (DC Comics [Impact], December 1992) - (co-writer)
• Justice League America #90 (DC Comics, July 1994) - (co-writer)
• Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #4 (DC Comics, 1994) - (Elseworlds story; co-writer)
• The Ray #8 (DC Comics, January 1995) - (co-writer)
• The Uncanny X-Men #320-321 (Marvel Comics, January 1995-February 1995) - (co-writer)
• "Eye Spy." Spider-Man 2099 Special #1 (Marvel Comics, November 1995) - (one-shot)
• Spider-Man Team-Up #1 (Marvel Comics, December 1995) - (co-writer)
• X-Men Unlimited #10 (Marvel Comics, March 1996)
• Adventures of Superman #536 (DC Comics, July 1996) - (co-writer)
• Action Comics #723 (DC Comics, July 1996) - (co-writer)
• Superman: The Man of Steel #58 (DC Comics, July 1996) - (co-writer)
• Superman #114 (DC Comics, August 1996) - (co-writer)
• "Not a Creature Was Stirring." Marvel Holiday Special '96 (Marvel Comics, 1996) - (Spider-Man story; one-shot)
• Tales of the Marvel Universe #1 (Marvel Comics, February 1997) - (Ka-Zar story; one-shot)
• "Overrun." Showcase '96 #12 (DC Comics, Winter 1997) - (Jesse Quick story; co-writer)
• Superman: The Man of Steel #73 (DC Comics, November 1997) - (co-writer)
• "Present Tense." DC Universe Holiday Bash #1 (DC Comics, 1997) - (Flash story; one-shot)
• Solar, Man of the Atom: Hell on Earth #2 (Acclaim Comics [Valiant], February 1998) - (co-writer)
• "The Speed of Life." Flash 80 Page Giant #1 (DC Comics, August 1998) - (one-shot)
• "Actual Reality." Secret Origins 80-Page Giant #1 (DC Comics, December 1998) - (Impulse story; one-shot)
• "The Lantern's Apprentice." Green Lantern 80 Page Giant #2 (DC Comics, June 1999)
• "Silver Age Elseworlds." Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1 (DC Comics, August 1999)
• JLA #32-33 (DC Comics, August 1999-September 1999) - (co-writer #32)
• "Steam Engine." All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1 (DC Comics, September 1999) - (one-shot)
• "No, Bart, There is No Santa Claus." DC Universe Holiday Bash III #1 (DC Comics, 1999) - (Impulse story; one-shot)
• Shockrockets #1 (Image Comics, April 2000) - (Empire promo)
• Flash #162 (DC Comics, July 2000) - (co-writer)
• "The Secret of the H-Dial." Silver Age Secret Files #1 (DC Comics, July 2000) - (Dial H for Hero story; one-shot)
• "Lost Pages." JLA Secret Files #3 (DC Comics, December 2000)
• CrossGen Chronicles #4 (CrossGen Comics, September 2001)
• CrossGen Chronicles #8 (CrossGen Comics, July 2002)
• "The Dig, Part 1 of 2." Crux #16 (CrossGen Comics, August 2002) - (co-writer)
• "Young Luthor in Smallville." Superman/Batman Secret Files 2003 (DC Comics, November 2003) - (Lex Luthor story)
• "Preview." Wanted #6 (DC Comics, February 2004) - (Hunter-Killer promo)
• "Ride A Deadly Grenade!" DC Comics Presents: The Atom #1 (DC Comics, October 2004) - (one-shot)

[edit] Editor

• Secret Origins Annual #2-3 (DC Comics, 1988-1989)
• Secret Origins #31-49 (DC Comics, October 1988-June 1990)
• Secret Origins Special #1 (DC Comics, 1989)
• Who's Who Update '88 #1-4 (DC Comics, August 1988-November 1988) - (limited series)
• Christmas with the Super-Heroes #1-2 (DC Comics, 1988-1989)
• Action Comics Weekly #636-641 (DC Comics, January 24, 1989-March 7, 1989) - (Phantom Lady story)
• Action Comics Weekly #642 (DC Comics, March 14, 1989)
• Doom Patrol #26-32 (DC Comics, September 1989-May 1990)
• Legion of Super-Heroes #1-6 (DC Comics, November 1989-April 1990)

[edit] Associate Editor

• Secret Origins #24-30 (DC Comics, March 1988-September 1988)
• Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #1-7 (DC Comics, April 1988-November 1988) - (limited series)
• Infinity, Inc. #50-53 (DC Comics, May 1988-August 1988)
• Infinity, Inc. Annual #2 (DC Comics, 1988)
• Crimson Avenger #1-4 (DC Comics, June 1988-September 1988) - (limited series)
• Wonder Woman #36-40 (DC Comics, November 1989-March 1990)

[edit] External links

• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
• Crimson Lightning, an online index to the comic book adventures of the Modern Age Flash.

Preceded by None	The Comet writer 1991–1992 (with Tom Lyle in 1991-92)	Succeeded by None
Preceded by None	The Legend of the Shield writer 1991–1992 (with Grant Miehm)	Succeeded by Grant Miehm & Adam Blaustein
Preceded by William Messner-Loebs	Flash writer 1992–1997 (with Brian Augustyn in 1996-97)	Succeeded by Grant Morrison & Mark Millar
Preceded by Barry Kitson	L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 writer 1993 (with Barry Kitson)	Succeeded by Tom Peyer
Preceded by Robert Loren Fleming	Valor writer 1993–1994	Succeeded by Kurt Busiek
Preceded by Michael Jan Friedman	Justice League Task Force writer 1994–1995 (with Christopher Priest in 1995)	Succeeded by Christopher Priest
Preceded by Tom McCraw	Legion of Super-Heroes writer 1994–1995 (with Tom McCraw)	Succeeded by Tom Peyer & Tom McCraw
Preceded by Tom Bierbaum & Mary Bierbaum	Legionnaires writer 1994 (with Tom Peyer)	Succeeded by Tom Peyer
Preceded by None	Impulse writer 1995–1997	Succeeded by William Messner-Loebs
Preceded by Mark Gruenwald	Captain America writer 1995–1996	Succeeded by Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb
Preceded by Scott Lobdell	X-Men (vol. 2) writer 1996	Succeeded by Scott Lobdell
Preceded by Terry Kavanagh	The Avengers writer 1996	Succeeded by Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb
Preceded by Bob Layton	X-O Manowar (vol. 2) writer 1997–1998 (with Brian Augustyn)	Succeeded by Brian Augustyn
Preceded by Mike Carlin (in 1985)	Ka-Zar writer 1997–1998	Succeeded by Christopher Priest
Preceded by James Robinson	Captain America (vol. 3) writer 1998–1999	Succeeded by Dan Jurgens
Preceded by Grant Morrison	JLA writer 1998	Succeeded by Grant Morrison
Preceded by Mark Millar	Flash writer 1998–2000 (with Brian Augustyn)	Succeeded by Pat McGreal
Preceded by Grant Morrison	JLA writer 2000–2001	Succeeded by Joe Kelly
Preceded by None	Crux writer 2001–2002	Succeeded by Chuck Dixon
Preceded by Barbara Kesel	Sigil writer 2001–2002	Succeeded by Chuck Dixon
Preceded by None	Ruse writer 2001–2002	Succeeded by Scott Beatty
Preceded by None	Negation writer 2002 (with Tony Bedard)	Succeeded by Tony Bedard
Preceded by Adam Warren	Fantastic Four writer 2002–2005	Succeeded by Karl Kesel