Nearly 50 Years Later, The Original Spawn Is Confirmed For A Comeback

If there is one thing for certain about Spawn, it is that few comic book characters are as easily recognizable as him. The hellish antihero boasts one of the most striking and distinctive looks in the medium's history.

However, creator Todd McFarlane had a largely different look in mind for Spawn when he first imagined the character years before his career got off the ground. Now, the world will witness his original vision of the character in an upcoming series.

Spawn 77 Brings The Character's Original Design To Life

In the fall of 2026, Image Comics will present Spawn 77, a new limited series that expands on the mythology of the iconic character. The title refers to the year in which Todd McFarlane first designed his best-known creation when he was just a teenager.

"Going back to my roots of when I first developed Spawn as a high school kid, when I was just beginning to feel deeply passionate about collecting comics, and being able to use some of those ideas now 50 years later is really a personal treat for me."

The plot of Spawn 77 is being kept under the cape for the time being, but Image has already released an early look at the stunning artwork from the 64-page debut issue. The series is illustrated by McFarlane's co-writer on the project, Mark Spears, who has brought all kinds of unsettling creatures to life with his distinctive, photorealistic style in his acclaimed Monsters series.

The creator cites McFarlane as a major inspiration for his career as a writer and artist and recalls how he "read every book, watched every video, and studied every panel he created" growing up. To be able to create something new with his idol is "something [he's] dreamed about ever since [he] picked up Spawn #1 off the rack at [his] local comic book store."

The main cover for Spawn 77 #1 is designed by Spears, who, along with McFarlane, contributes to the slew of variant covers that will be available when the comic launches. However, there will also be additional artwork provided by Spanish writer and illustrator Emma Ríos, who is known for her Eisner Award-nominated work on her and writer Kelly Sue DeConnick's Image Comics horror series, Pretty Deadly.

Spawn Was Definitive Character For '90s Comics

It was not until 15 years after a young Todd McFarlane dreamed up the idea for Spawn that the character was first unleashed. His debut, linked to the founding of Image Comics in 1992, ushered in a new era for the comic book medium that defined the decade.

Spawn is the alter ego of government assassin Al Simmons, who is murdered and sent to Hell, where he score a deal with a demon that allows him to return to Earth, which he discovers is a cruel façade. This inspires him to rebel against the underworld's powers that be and use his newly acquired abilities as a hellspawn for good on a personal mission for redemption.

The action-horror comic would inspire multiple spin-off series, including one led by the angelic bounty hunter Angela and the fantasy crime drama series, Sam and Twitch. Spawn has also starred in a number of notable crossover events, including three that pair Spawn with Batman.

The comic was first adapted for the screen in 1997 with the live-action feature film, Spawn, starring Michael Jae White in the title role. However, most fans and McFarlane himself prefer HBO's Keith David-led animated series, which is regarded as one of the finest animated superhero TV shows of all time. A big screen reboot, tentatively titled King Spawn and set to star Jamie Foxx, has been in development for more than a decade.

Spawn 77 #1 hits the shelves in Sept. 2026.