The Authority, vol. 1 List of The Authority story arcs

1 authority, vol. 1

1.1 circle (#1-4)
1.2 shiftships (#5-8)
1.3 outer dark (#9-12)
1.4 nativity (#13-16)
1.5 earth inferno (#17-20)
1.6 tomorrow s parties (#21)
1.7 brave new world (#22, 27-29)
1.8 transfer of power (#23-26)

the authority, vol. 1
circle (#1-4)

the authority make first public appearance stop kaizen gamorra, old enemy of stormwatch, wants take advantage of stormwatch s breakup take revenge upon world. uses engineered supersoldiers destroy first moscow , part of london. authority not manage stop attack on london, predicts third , final attack in los angeles averted heavy civilian casualties. midnighter uses carrier destroy superhuman clone factory on gamorra s island.

shiftships (#5-8)

the authority have stop invasion parallel earth, parallel britain called sliding albion. turns out, jenny sparks has met them before when shiftships first appeared in 1920. sliding albion world open contact between aliens (the blues) , humans during 16th century led interbreeding , imperialist culture similar victorian british empire. after authority repel initial wave of attacks, jenny takes carrier sliding albion universe destroy london , italy , s left of blues regime along it. in all-frequencies message, tells people take advantage of second chance , authority. behave.

it during arc apollo , midnighter s relationship revealed, though had been hinted @ before.

outer dark (#9-12)

during closing days of 1999, strange alien creatures begin building unknown structures in africa , on moon. prompts previous doctors reveal current doctor vital secret: original creator of earth, closest thing concept of god exists, has returned grand tour of universe find humanity unwanted infestation in retirement home . god terraforming earth habitable (and uninhabitable humans) in time arrival of person, immense pyramid-shaped object size of moon.

the engineer convinces carrier leave earth orbit. authority pilot carrier approaching god through pore , manage navigate brain. on route encounter being s immune system civilization has evolved parasites on billions of years. during closing minutes of december 31, 1999, jenny sparks carries out final act spirit of twentieth century, electrocuting creature s brain death before dying in jack hawksmoor s arms.

nativity (#13-16)

now under jack hawksmoor s leadership, authority try fail capture jenny quantum, newborn spirit of twenty-first century, proven more powerful sparks ever was. instead, taken superhero-creating mastermind, dr. jacob krigstein, wants jenny can shape next century through her. swift cuts deal custody of jenny krigstein, granted lab space aboard carrier, , chance exercise imagination reforming dictatorships authority overthrows.

earth inferno (#17-20)

the authority face earth itself, catastrophically reverse magnetic poles, spurred on former doctor stripped of powers when went renegade. in exchange 1 hour s worth of full power current doctor, renegade agrees save humanity. no other options, authority evacuate entire population of earth alternate earths, agree exchange. renegade takes on , destroys authority new power before full scope of powers , experience catches him, , overwhelmed empathy living creatures left on earth. apollo , engineer kill him , earth s population returns home, thrilled adventures.

tomorrow s parties (#21)

jackson king , christine trelane attend party on carrier. issue acts prologue monarchy miniseries.

brave new world (#22, 27-29)

tired authority s interference activities of governments, g7 nations decide replace them group more subject interests. send secret weapon, american hillbilly named seth whom turned monstrous superhuman stated have on thousand super powers, attack authority. seth neutralizes of authority except midnighter, manages escape baby jenny.

transfer of power (#23-26)

the ideals of original authority give way unprincipled new team, work directly g7 nations, not question orders, , have can wish for. new team possess same powers and/or distinctive appearances original team, , take variations of names. electrically powered, union flag-clad colonel (britain) patterned after jenny sparks, swift replaced rush (canada), doctor replaced surgeon (france), engineer replaced machine (japan), apollo replaced teuton (germany), midnighter replaced last call (italy), , hawksmoor replaced street (usa).

on first ride in carrier, new team discover thousands of refugees whom previous authority had been sheltering on board ship, of them still alive. dump them out realm called re-space, discover cost re-space allows people re-imagine world—the refugees take g7 leaders wealth own, attack carrier , reimagine authority, transforming newcomers original team. last call s homophobia surges when re-imagined apollo touches him; break free , return earth way before.

brave new world continues previous members of authority having been mind-wiped , forced humiliating new lives. midnighter, 1 have escaped, infiltrates carrier. frees imprisoned boyfriend apollo , between them kill rest of new authority, leaving seth deal with. @ g7 reunion, swift finds herself freed mind control due death of machine in time find out seth s off-button code phrase. original authority regroup seth again takes them down, leaving baby jenny—who speaks aloud code phrase , turns seth defeated human.

the story, , first volume of authority, close apollo , midnighter marrying, , adopting baby jenny.

contrary popular opinion, first recorded instance of 2 gay superheroes getting married misattributed superhero northstar. whom of marriage depicted 10 years after apollo , midnighter s union.