R.E.B.E.L.S.
Cover of R.E.B.E.L.S. ’94 #0.
Group publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearance(R.E.B.E.L.S. ’94)
R.E.B.E.L.S. ’94 #0 (October 1994)
(R.E.B.E.L.S. ’09)
R.E.B.E.L.S. #1 (February 2009)
In-story information
Type of organizationParamilitary
Leader(s)Vril Dox
R.E.B.E.L.S.
Series publication information
FormatOngoing series
Genre
Publication date(vol 1)
October 1994 – March 1996[1]
(vol. 2)
April 2009
Number of issues(vol. 1)
18
Creative team
Writer(s)(vol. 1)
Tennessee Peyer
(vol. 2)
Tony Bedard
Artist(s)(vol. 2)
Andy Clarke
Claude St. Aubin
Collected editions
The Coming of StarroISBN 1-4012-2589-6

Revolutionary Elite Brigade to Eradicate L.E.G.I.O.N. Supremacy (R.E.B.E.L.S.) is the name of two separate fictional revolutionary paramilitary groups in the DC Comics Universe. Both incarnations have been L.E.G.I.O.N. adversaries and are led by Vril Dox.

Publication history

R.E.B.E.L.S. '94, R.E.B.E.L.S. '95, and R.E.B.E.L.S. '96 is a comic-book series of contiguous numbering published by DC Comics from October 1994 to March 1996[2] and created by Tom "Tennessee" Peyer. The three "series" consisted of issues #0–2, 3–14 and #15–17.

R.E.B.E.L.S. is a comic-book series published by DC Comics which debuted in February 2009. Writer Tony Bedard and artist Andy Clarke comprise the creative team.[3][4][5] It ended in May 2011 with issue #28.[6]

First team

Background

R.E.B.E.L.S. is a team of ex-lawmen on the run from their former peace-keeping organization, L.E.G.I.O.N. Led by the ruthless Vril Dox, R.E.B.E.L.S. roster includes among others Strata, Borb Borbb, Stealth and Lobo. An alien telepath, who went by the name of 'Telepath' was unwillingly part of the team. At first Telepath was imprisoned but was later let free and assists the team.

Vril Dox's insane, super-smart toddler son had taken over Dox's organization and turned it into a ruthless, brainwashing dictatorship. The group escapes the coup in a semi-sentient ship that literally runs off brain power.

Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, guest-starred in the first issue and was manipulated into killing some of the group's pursuers.

Vril would confront his ex-girlfriend Ignea, who wields flame powers and attempts to burn him to death. John Sin, the leader of a criminal organization called the Blood Circle, causes Vril to become addicted to a certain drug without his knowledge. Vril's shipmates believe he has perished until they hear rumours of his existence from a doctor who had come to treat Garv, the injured husband-to-be of Strata. The Blood Circle is taken down and Sin learns Vril simply plans to replicate the drug until he can wean himself off it.

Further conflict is caused by Borb Borbb who does not know how to keep his romantic feelings for Stealth appropriately restrained.

Captain Comet becomes involved, as he returns to confront what L.E.G.I.O.N. has turned into.

The team is forced to fight old friends, such as Zena Moonstruk, Gigantus and Davroth. Behind the scenes, help comes from old ally Marij'n, who fails in his attempt to stop a brainwashing broadcast. The group also encounters the demon Neron. Borbb willingly sacrifices himself to save the group from brain-harvesting extra-dimensional entities. The team then gains the assistance of a guard captain that had been caught up in their adventures.[7]

The heroes regain control in the last issue of the series. Dox and Stealth retire to take care of Lyrl, while Captain Comet is placed in charge of L.E.G.I.O.N.

Membership

Second team

Promotional cover of R.E.B.E.L.S. '09 #1.

Background

Dox finds his authority of L.E.G.I.O.N. usurped a second time. Hunted by the organization he founded, Dox once again assembles a team in hopes of regaining control of L.E.G.I.O.N.

Story

Vril Dox, upon losing control of his L.E.G.I.O.N. robots is forced to flee and is followed to Earth by a team of bounty hunters (one of which turns out to be Amon Hakk, an ex-member of Vril's original team). He finds Supergirl and has her heat vision encrypt a file onto a CD. Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes had contacted his ancestor and told him to do so. Upon uploading the disc, Brainiac Five contacts Vril directly and offers him the entire data catalogue on the Legion of Super-Heroes in order for Vril to set up a new team and to guarantee the survival of the Brainiac lineage into the 31st century. Instead of using the heroes, Vril Dox decides to use the data of their villains. The Omega Men are also seen fleeing from attacking L.E.G.I.O.N. robots.[8] Vril manipulates Hakk into shooting the other bounty hunter. He seizes a device that was used to control Tribulus (a giant simian beast strongly resembling Validus of the Fatal Five) and implants the device into his own head. Vril gains control over Tribulus and they take the bounty hunter ship as their new headquarters.[9] Vril finds the next member of the team, Wildstar, old and sick and convinces her that he can heal her. After luring her onto his ship he shoots her with an energy gun, leaving her in an energy form and trapped in a containment suit. Wildstar contemplates killing Vril, but instead helps him escape her home planet and the two of them hunt down Strata and Bounder. Strata tries to convince Wildstar that she will be turned on soon enough if she stays with someone like Vril Dox. The Omega Men discover a secret plot involving Starro.[10][11]

Membership

Reception

Comics Bulletin found the writing in the first issue "uninspired" but was more impressed by the "excellent" art. They felt that "[i]t is so good that it brings all of the glaring weaknesses of the book to the surface".[12] Comic Book Resources is more positive, saying that the first issue is "a compelling opening chapter, and one that's worth taking a gander at".[13]

Collected editions

The original 1994-96 series has never been collected.

The 2009 series was collected into four trade paperbacks:

  • Volume 1: The Coming of Starro (collects R.E.B.E.L.S. #1–6, 144 pages, January 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2589-6)[14]
  • Volume 2: Strange Companions (collects R.E.B.E.L.S. #7–9 and Annual #1, 128 pages, August 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2761-9)[15]
  • Volume 3: The Son and the Stars (collects R.E.B.E.L.S. #10–14, 144 pages, December 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2911-5)
  • Volume 4: Sons of Brainiac (collects R.E.B.E.L.S. #15–20, 144 pages, February 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3017-2)
  • Volume 5: Starstruck (collects R.E.B.E.L.S. #21–28, 160 pages, December 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3286-8). This volume was cancelled and has never been published.

Notes

  1. ↑ The title in the indicia ended with the year of publication ('94, '95, and '96).
  2. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 242. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  3. ↑ Tony Bedard Cries a R.E.B.E.L.S. Yell, Comic Book Resources, November 20, 2008
  4. ↑ REFLECTIONS: Tony Bedard, Comic Book Resources, February 10, 2009
  5. ↑ ROBOT 6: Talking R.E.B.E.L.S. with Tony Bedard, Robot 6, Comic Book Resources, April 13, 2009
  6. ↑ DC Comics Solicitations for May 2011, Comic Book Resources, February 14, 2011
  7. ↑ R.E.B.E.L.S. #15 (Jan. 1996)
  8. ↑ R.E.B.E.L.S. #1
  9. ↑ R.E.B.E.L.S. #2
  10. ↑ R.E.B.E.L.S. #3
  11. ↑ This Ain't Your Father's Starro: Tony Bedard on R.E.B.E.L.S., Comic Book Resources, May 12, 2009
  12. ↑ Review of R.E.B.E.L.S. #1, Comics Bulletin
  13. ↑ Review of R.E.B.E.L.S. #1, Comic Book Resources
  14. ↑ R.E.B.E.L.S., Volume 1: The Coming of Starro at DC Comics
  15. ↑ R.E.B.E.L.S., Volume 2: Strange Companions at DC Comics

References

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