Wizards (Robert Kirkman)

Wizards is an American sword & sorcery fantasy comic book series created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, who was the artist on the first twenty issues and cover artist for the first twenty four with the art for the remainder of the series being Charlie Adlard.

Publication history
Robert Kirkman first came up with the idea for Wizards after reading Shotaro Ishinomori's manga Cyborg 009 and in an interview revealed what of instead of cyborgs they were turned into wizards and magical beings.

Wizards was first published on June 2000, published by Image Comics, with art by Tony Moore for the first twenty issues and Cliff Rathburn shading the art after issue #5. Charlie Adlard took over as artist on issue #21, after he was approached by Kirkman. Moore also created the cover art for the first 24 issues and the first four trade paperbacks. The remainder were done by Adlard.

Plot
The series features 12 individuals from around the world who are kidnapped by the mysterious Earth Order organization, a shadowy society consisting of wizards, witches, sorcerers and magical beings lead by the mysterious Mortigern the Great who seek to restore magic to the world by wiping out most of Earth's population. Each of the kidnapped individuals were given the Elixir of Earth which turns them into fantasy beings depending on their personalities. The group later escape with the help of Earth Orders most reputable Alchemist Dr. Merlin Pendragon.

The Fellowship
A group of 12 individuals from around the world who were kidnapped by Earth Order and were given the Elixir of Earth which turned them into wizards or magical creatures depending on their personalities.


 * James Rowling - A 20 year old Irish American Wizard who is the leader of the Fellowship and the main protagonist of the comic book. He was found by agents of Earth Order after being left for dead by muggers, whilst being in their custody he was given the Elixir of Earth and was turned into a Wizard due to his love of learning. After escaping with the rest of the Fellowship he became their leader and also formed a romantic relationship with Françoise.
 * Françoise Dubois - A beautiful 19 year old French Elf who is the twin sister of Pierre and James' love interest. She and Pierre were both arrested for their involvement in an environmental protest until they were both bailed out by agents of Earth Order, whilst being held by Earth Order they were both given the Elixir of Earth and were both turned into Elves, due to their love of nature.
 * Jean-Paul Dubois - A 19 year old French Elf and the twin brother of Françoise. One day after being arrested for participating in an environmental protest they were bailed out by agents of Earth Order and were then drugged and taken to one of their facilities, whilst being held by New Salem they were given the Elixir of Earth and as a result both he and Françoise were transformed into Elves due to their love of nature.
 * Herman Grubb - A 21 year old German Satyr and former college student. He was once a party and music loving student from the University of Berlin until he was captured by agents of Earth Order whilst extremely drunk, due to his party and music loving nature he was turned into a Satyr by the Elixir of Earth. Out of the Fellowship he is the most bitter about his transformation believing himself to be a monster.
 * Chang Chung - A 42 year old Chinese Halfling and the Fellowships cook. He was once a famous Chinese chief with his own restaurant
 * Gilbert Brown - A 40 year old Changeling and former Shakespearean actor from Great Britain. Unlike many in the Fellowship he actually prefers his magical form as he can transform into nearly anything he wants. He was once an accomplished stage actor, until his career flopped where upon he become an alcoholic. One night
 * Jason Smith - An 18 year old from Boston who was turned into a Fairy and Tommy's younger brother. Ever since he was a boy he had always dreamed of flying and planned to become a pilot in the United States Air Force, much like Tommy did. However on his 18th birthday his parents threw him out at Billy's request, however just a few hours later he was grabbed by agents of Earth Order and was taken to their facility. Whilst at the facility he was given the Elixir of Earth and was turned into a Fairy due to his love of flight,
 * Rains Wind - A 26 year old Native American and Centaur from New Mexico. He was unable to find work due to widespread racism against Native Americans, he was found by agents of Earth Order and was seemingly offered a good job which he took. Due to his love for both nature and astronomy he was turned into a Centaur, he is the most deep thinking of the Fellowship
 * Paumya - A 22 year old former freedom fighter from West Africa and a Merman who is the Fellowships underwater operative. His homeland of Bawanda was very unstable as it was ruled by a corrupt dictator, whilst he was escaping from prison he was shot by a guard and fell into a river where he was discovered by a group of Earth Order agents who patched him up and took him to their facility. Whilst at the facility he was given the Elixir of Earth, which due to his love of water was turned into a Merman.
 * Brokkr & Eitri - Two Norwegian Dwarf brothers and the mechanics of the Fellowship. They were once respected contractors in their hometown, however the Great Depression hit and the both lost theirs and eventually their house. Just as they were about to give up hope, they were both found by Mortigern who recruited them into Earth Order where they were transformed into Dwarves by the Elixir of Earth.
 * Collie Jefferson - A hillbilly Troll from West Virginia. He was tending to his moonshine one night when he was approached by agents of Earth Order who offered him a job in making moonshine for them, to which he eagerly accepted. However whilst at the Earth Order facility he was given the Elixir of Earth where due to his low intelligence was turned into a Troll, but despite it he didn't seem to put off by it. Despite his low intelligence he does care deeply for his friends and would do anything for them.

Humans

 * Dr. Merlin Pendragon - One of Earth Orders leading Alchemists and mentor to the fellowship. Whilst dutiful to Mortigern and Earth Order, he was reluctant to accept their intentions to wipe out most of the world's population in order to restore balance and found it to be too extreme. After helping the Fellowship to escape he became their mentor and moral support, it is also revealed that he was a victim of the Holocaust
 * Luke Rowling - The husband of Mary and the father of James and Timothy. After James disappeared
 * Mary Rowling - The wife of Luke and the mother of James and Timothy.
 * Timothy Rowling - James' 14 year old brother and a huge fantasy enthusiast.
 * Harry Tolkien - Mary's father who is the father in law of Luke and grandfather to James and Timothy.
 * Father Thomas O' Leary - A Roman Catholic priest and an ally to the Fellowship. He is one of the few who knows of the Fellowships condition, but isn't put off by their appearances

Camelot

 * King Arthur - The legendary king of sixth century England.
 * Queen Guinevere - The beloved queen and wife of King Arthur.
 * Merlin -
 * Sir Lancelot -
 * Sir Kay -

Others

 * Methuselah - An ancient and wise dragon who is one of the oldest beings on Earth.
 * Silver Mane - A Unicorn who is Fellowships official pet and mascot. He was originally an old race horse who was due to be put down, however after being bought by Earth Order he was given the Elixir of Earth and was turned into a Unicorn. He was liberated when the Fellowship escaped and took him with them, he then became their pet and mascot. He is shown to be wild and refuses to let anyone ride him, however he
 * Durin Ironbeard - A Dwarf Lord and ruler of the Dwarf Kingdom under the Rocky Mountains
 * Tick-Tock - A clockwork mechanical man who was created by Brokkr and Eitri whilst they were held by Earth Order. He was built by them in order to test them in order to see if they still remember their mechanical skills, he later escaped with the Fellowship when they escaped from Earth Order. He was shown to be an innocent being who's desire to see the world can lead him into trouble.
 * The Four Elemental's - Four mythical beings who control the four important elements of nature which include earth, water, air and fire. Due to them being beings of nature they are neither good nor evil, which means that they are not allied to either the Fellowship or Earth Order.
 * Earth Elemental - The most compassionate of the elemental's.
 * Water Elemental -
 * Air Elemental -
 * Fire Elemental - The most temperamental and destructive of the four elemental's.

Earth Order
A mysterious secret society of Eco-Terrorists lead by Mortigern who serve as the main antagonists of the series. The societies members consist of wizards, sorcerers, witches, alchemists, elves, trolls, dwarves, goblins, orcs, faeries and dragons. The goal of Earth Order is to restore magic to the world and to restore society to more simpler times, although their intentions and methods are extreme


 * Mortigern the Great - A very powerful sorcerer who is the main antagonist of the comic book. As the leader of Earth Order and an environmental terrorist he has made it his mission to restore magic to the world. Despite his intentions he is not truly evil, his devotion to Earth Order's cause steamed from when he was a child when his parents and older brother were tortured and burned at the stake during the Spanish Inquisition by Tomás de Torquemada after he discovered that they were both sorcerers. Years later he married a beautiful woman named Maria and raised a family with her, tragically however she and their children also suffered the same fate at the hands of Tomás de Torquemada. Deeply scared by the deaths of his family, he swore that he would one day restore both magic and its creatures to the world and have people no longer fear them. Despite his intention to wipe out 98% of the worlds population. he feels no joy in having to do it but feels that there's no other option and that Earth's population has to begin again from a lower number.
 * Vermithrax - A female Wyvern who is Mortigern's loyal pet and sometimes his mount.
 * General Grimskull - An Orc who is one of Earth Orders leading military commanders and Mortigern's trusted right-hand man. He is a very loyal and highly intelligent Orc who is devoted to both Earth Orders cause and to Earth Order itself.
 * Blorg - Grimskull's son and one of Earth Orders most skilled soldiers. Like his father he is loyal to Mortigern and devoted to Earth Order and its goal.
 * Mary Williams - A wizard who is one of Mortigern's most trusted lieutenants and one of Earth Orders most senior wizards. She met Mortigern back in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials, she was about to be burned at the stake when Mortigern and Grimskull rescued her from the Pilgrims. Years later she adopted Tommy's son Luke
 * Tommy Smith - A commander of Earth Orders military forces and the father of Luke. When he was 21 he was involved in a car accident and was left in a coma, at first Tina, his parents and Jason visited everyday until they began to loss hope that he'll every awaken and so reluctantly left him at the hospital. When he woke up 6 years later and was discharged he located them but was reluctantly turned away, whilst attempting to commit suicide he was found by Mortigern to took pity on him and recruited him into Earth Order were he was reunited with Luke and soon became one of Earth Orders most high ranking commanders.
 * Luke Smith - Tommy and Tina's 10 year old son. He was born whilst his father was in a coma and was reluctantly placed up for adoption by his mother, unbeknownst to her he was adopted by Mary Williams who brought him to Earth Order where he was reunited with Tommy 6 years later.
 * Patriot - Tommy's Griffin mount.
 * Tom, Dick and Harry - Three Troll brothers
 * Margot - An Elf and a devoted member of Earth Order. She is mostly seen wearing a hooded cloak that covers but does reveal herself when necessary
 * Fjalar and Galar - Two Dwarf brothers who serve Earth Order as the blacksmiths.
 * Robin Redcap - A Goblin assassin
 * J.R.R. Tolkien - A famous British Author who was the writer of the famous fantasy books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings who was also a devoted member of Earth Order.
 * Earth Order Army -
 * Orc Stormtroopers - The main backbone of Earth Orders military forces.
 * Banshees - Female spirits from Irish Mythology who were known as heralds of death, it emanates a loud deafening screech that can render the victim unconscious or even kill them.
 * Redcaps - A group of murderous Dwarves
 * Balarg Riders - A group of Goblins who ride Balargs, a type of giant wolf.
 * Knights - The most well trained of all Earth Orders troops. They dress like traditional medieval knights and wield weapons like swords, axes, fails and shields,

Norse Pantheon

 * Odin - The King of the Aseir gods and the main antagonist of the Ragnarök story arc.
 * Thor -
 * Loki -
 * Freya -
 * Freyr -
 * Týr -
 * Heimdallr -



Humans

 * Billy Thompson - A young man who Tommy knew from before he joined Earth Order. He was originally Tommy's bully throughout his childhood and his later high school years, during which he would bully Tommy mercilessly and due to the fact that he was very talented at everything would get away with it.
 * Tina Wilson - The fiancee of Billy, the former girlfriend of Tommy and the mother of Luke.
 * Tomás de Torquemada - A ruthless Castilian Dominican friar who served as an inquisitor during the Spanish Inquisition. It is revealed that he was responsible for the gruesome deaths of Mortigerns parents, parents, wife and children and whom installed Mortigern's intentions to return magic to the world, it is later revealed that he was cursed by a dying wizard to wander the Earth until the second coming of Christ.
 * Morgana le Fay - A powerful witch and the half sister of King Arthur. She was the daughter of their mother Igraine and her father, Duke Gorlois of Cornwall.
 * President Benedict - The tyrannical president of Paumya's home country of Bwanda.

Others

 * Giants of Britian -
 * Cormoran -
 * Cormelian -
 * Blunderbore -
 * Thunderdell -
 * Galligantus -
 * Baba Yaga - A powerful Russian witch who lives in a hut on chicken legs.
 * The Lambton Worm -
 * Lord Ruthven -



Elixir of Earth
The Elixir of Earth is a mysterious potion made from the esscence found in all magical beings and creatures. When a magical being or creature their essence is released and it randomly floats around looking for a host, however it can be caught and stored in Oak lined containers until it is administered to a host. Once given the given host is placed inside a plant like pod where they undergo a permanent transformation into what ever magical being matches their personality. The Elixir of Earth can be given to both humans and animals.


 * Intelligence & Stories - Wizards
 * Love of Nature - Elves
 * Malicious Prankster or Thief - Goblins
 * Angry or Warlike - Orcs
 * Industrious or Hardworking - Dwarves
 * Peace Loving & Food - Halflings
 * Debauchery - Satyrs
 * Acting or Theatrical - Changelings
 * Low Intelligence or Greed - Trolls
 * Love of Water - Merpeople
 * Good Nature Prankster - Hobgoblins
 * Nature & Astronomy - Centaurs
 * Unknown - Giants
 * Unknown - Gnomes
 * Unknown - Kobolds
 * Cruel or Cannibalistic - Ogres
 * Crocodiles & Komodo Dragons - Dragons
 * Horses - Unicorns
 * Unknown - Griffins
 * Wolves - Balargs
 * Unknown - Phoenixes
 * Squids & Octopuses - Krakens
 * Snakes - Sea Serpents

Magical Beings

 * Conjurers - The name for the collective of humans with magical powers. They come in three groups, the wizards, the sorcerers/sorceresses and the witches.
 * Wizards - Individuals who learn magic later in life. Wizards are men and women are born normal and without magic powers, however they can learn magic later in life from either spell books or being mentored by another wizard or a sorcerer/sorceress. Once gaining magic powers, their aging is slowed down
 * Sorcerers/Sorceresses - Individuals who born with magic. Because they are born with magic they are more powerful then wizards
 * Witches - Female individuals who practice dark magic.
 * Elves - Magical humanoids who resemble humans except with pointed ears, pale skin, long lived and perpetual youthfulness.
 * Half-elves - The result of a union between humans and elves.
 * Dwarves - Short, stout and bearded humanoids who dwell under mountains and the earth. They are legendary for their industrious skills which include mining precious gems and metals and crafting swords and axes that never lose their sharpness.
 * Redcaps - A subgroup of violently murderous dwarves from Scotland.
 * Orcs - Muscular green skinned humanoids who are well known among the magical world as being a brutal but proud warrior race. Contrast to popular belief, Orcs whilst barbaric aren't truly evil as they are known to have a very strong sense of honor and very loyal to whom they serve. Its because of this that they make perfect warriors and soldiers to a variety of leaders from evil sorcerers to good kings.
 * Goblins - Green skinned humanoids who have a reputation among the magical world as being skilled thieves and tricksters. They are however quite skilled at what they do, they can slip in and out of places without being seen.
 * Trolls - Large hulking humanoids who are known for their strength but low intelligence.
 * Cave Trolls -
 * Forest Trolls -
 * Ice Trolls -
 * Faeries -
 * Satyrs -
 * Changelings -
 * Halflings -
 * Gnomes -
 * Merpeople -
 * Ogres -
 * Giants - A race of very powerful humanoids who resemble gargantuan humans.
 * Hobgoblins -
 * Kobolds -
 * Banshees -
 * Vampires -
 * Elementals -
 * Treants -

Magical Creatures

 * Dragons - Large fire breathing reptilian beasts who are among the most powerful magical beasts on Earth. They come in three varieties which include the four legged and highly intelligent drake, the bipedal Wyvern and the serpentine Wyrm. They have thick armored skin that is quite difficult to penetrate
 * Drakes - The giant winged, four legged dragon of common depiction. They are highly intelligent and capable of wisdom and speech, however they also have a love for gold and can sometimes be quite arrogant or even evil. They are also the only species of dragon capable of speech and rational thought.
 * Wyverns - The winged bipedal dragon. Unlike Drakes, Wyverns are feral beasts with no speech or sentience.
 * Wyrms - Wingless serpentine dragons with four eight legs. Unlike Drakes or Wyverns, Wyrms cannot breath fire, however they do make up for it with their poisonous breath that can kill if someones comes into direct contact with.
 * Unicorns - The most well known magical creature after dragons. Unicorns are beautiful white horses with silver manes and a golden horn on their foreheads, which has for centuries been known to cure a myriad of illnesses once ground into powder. Tragically it was because unicorns were ruthlessly hunted and were nearly wiped out. Despite their gentle appearance unicorns are actually quite aggressive and would either gore or trample anyone whom they deem a threat to either them or their foals, however if a unicorns trust is gained then they will become a very loyal steed.
 * Balargs -
 * Griffins -
 * Phoenixes -
 * Sea Serpents - Giant sea dwelling serpents
 * Krakens -

Television Adaptation
During an appearance at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con Robert Kirkman annouced that a live-action Wizards television series was in development at AMC studios.