Powerless (comics)
| Powerless | |
|---|---|
 Cover of Powerless TPB (2005), trade paperback collected edition, art by Alex Maleev | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Format | Limited series |
| Publication date | August 1, 2004 — January 1, 2005 |
| No. of issues | 6 |
| Main character(s) | William Watts Peter Parker Logan Matt Murdock Frank Castle Bruce Banner Norman Osborn Wilson Fisk Gwen Stacy |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Matt Cherniss Peter Johnson |
| Artist(s) | Alex Maleev |
| Penciller(s) | Michael Gaydos |
| Colorist(s) | Lee Loughridge |
Powerless is an American comic book published by Marvel Comics. The six-issue limited series – written by Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson, and illustrated by Michael Gaydos – began its monthly publication on August 1, 2004 and ended on January 1, 2005.
Plot summary
A psychologist named William Watts wakes up in a hospital after a three-day coma. Fresh in his mind is the world of Earth-616, which he experienced while asleep. As William returns to his mundane daily life, he encounters three familiar faces: Peter Parker, a high-school student who is pressured by Norman Osborn to conduct industrial espionage on Stark Industries; a blind lawyer, Matt Murdock, who battles an uphill case against the Kingpin to absolve Frank Castle of murder; and an amnesiac soldier named Logan, who is led to believe he murdered Charles Xavier. Inspired by Matt's conviction, William leaves his bystander position and begins to act to help the three: he helps reveal Charles' murder was done by a third party, citing Logan to investigate Eric Magnus; he convinces Castle to reveal vital information to Matt's case; and he acts by calling the cops to assist Peter in arresting Osborn. After Castle's trial, the Kingpin murders Murdock. Castle assassinates Kingpin in retaliation, which places him on the road to becoming the real-life Punisher. The series ends with William contemplating how the coma has shaken him from the stupor of life, as he reflects on his coma identity as Uatu.
Creators
- Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson – writers
- Michael Gaydos – penciller
- Lee Loughridge – colorist
- Alex Maleev – cover artist
- Axel Alonso – editor
- Joe Quesada – Editor-in-Chief
Publication history
Powerless began its monthly publication with the release of its first issue on August 1, 2004,[1] and concluded with the launch of its sixth and final issue on January 1, 2005.[2]
Issues
| Issue | Publication date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | August 1, 2004 | [1] |
| #2 | September 1, 2004 | [3] |
| #3 | October 1, 2004 | [4] |
| #4 | November 1, 2004 | [5] |
| #5 | December 1, 2004 | [6] |
| #6 | January 1, 2005 | [2] |
Collected editions
| Title | Material collected | Date Released | ISBN | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powerless | Powerless #1–6 | January 5, 2005 | ISBN 0-7851-1511-0 | [7] |
References
- ^ a b "Powerless (2004) #1". Marvel.com. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "Powerless (2004) #6". Marvel.com. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "Powerless (2004) #2". Marvel.com. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "Powerless (2004) #3". Marvel.com. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "Powerless (2004) #4". Marvel.com. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "Powerless (2004) #5". Marvel.com. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "Powerless (Trade Paperback)". Marvel.com. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 6, 2025.