Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

s and novels. He is best known for his work at

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...

and

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

in the 1970s and 1980s. His

pseudonyms A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett.

Early life

Steve Englehart majored in psychology at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

, where he was a member of The Kappa Alpha Society, earning his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in 1969. He had served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, but was honorably discharged as a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to objec ...

to the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

Career

Marvel Comics

Englehart's first work in comics was as an art assistant to

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...

on a 10-page story by writer Denny O'Neil in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine '' Vampirella'' #10 (March 1971). After briefly serving as a member of the Crusty Bunkers, Theakston, Greg and Nowlan, Kevin, et al., at Englehart started working as a full-time writer. He began with a co-writing credit, with Gardner Fox, on the six-page, Englehart-drawn "Retribution" in Warren's '' Eerie'' #35 (Sept. 1971). Then, as Marvel editor

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly ...

said in a 2007 interview, Englehart became Englehart said he had first done uncredited co-scripting on a number of stories: This uncredited work included Friedrich's ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'' #97, ''Iron Man'' #45, and ''The Incredible Hulk'' vol. 2, #152, plus two romance comics stories and a Western tale. Englehart then wrote two romance stories under the pseudonym Anne Spencer, in ''Our Love'' #18 (Aug. 1972) and ''My Love'' #19 (Sept. 1972), and, under his own name, a standalone supernatural story in the anthology '' Journey into Mystery'' vol. 2, #1 (Oct. 1972)Englehart official site
"First Marvel Scripts II"
/ref> During his first credited superhero work, on a series starring erstwhile

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

member the Beast in ''Amazing Adventures'' vol. 2, #12–17 (May 1972 – March 1973), Englehart integrated the Patsy Walker character, the star of a teen romantic-

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

series, into the

Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians o ...

alongside the company's superheroes. He and artist Sal Buscema launched '' The Defenders'' as an ongoing series in August 1972 and introduced the

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

to the team in issue #4 (Feb. 1973). Englehart has stated that he added the Valkyrie to the Defenders "to provide some texture to the group." He wrote '' The Avengers'' from issue #105 (Nov. 1972) to #152 (Oct. 1976). During his time on that title, he wrote several major storylines including "The Avengers Defenders War" in issues #115–118 (Sept.–Dec. 1973), crossing over into ''The Defenders'' #8–11 (Sept.–Dec. 1973); "The Celestial Madonna" in #129–135 (Nov. 1974 – May 1975) and ''Giant-Size Avengers'' #2–4 (Nov. 1974 – May 1975); and "The Serpent Crown" in #141–144 (Nov. 1975 – Feb. 1976) and #147–149 (May–July 1976). In the fall of 1972, Englehart and writers

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...

and

Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...

crafted a

metafiction Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and stor ...

al unofficial

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

spanning titles from both major comics companies. Each comic featured Englehart, Conway, and Wein, as well as Wein's first wife Glynis, interacting with Marvel or DC characters at the

Rutland Halloween Parade The Rutland Halloween Parade is an annual event held on (or around) Halloween in the city of Rutland, Vermont, since 1960. The parade has a strong superhero theme and has been the setting for a number of fictional comic book adventures. Local offi ...

Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to: *Rutland (city), Vermont *Rutland (town), Vermont *Rutland County, Vermont *West Rutland, Vermont West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...

. Beginning in '' Amazing Adventures'' #16 (by Englehart with art by

Bob Brown Robert James Brown (born 27 December 1944) is a former Australian politician, medical doctor and environmentalist. He was a senator and the parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens. Brown was elected to the Australian Senate on the Tasma ...

and Frank McLaughlin), the story continued in ''

Justice League of America The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'' #103 (by Wein,

Dick Dillin Richard Allen Dillin (December 17, 1928 – March 1, 1980)Richard Dillin
at the United States

Dick Giordano Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics. Early ...

), and concluded in ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, ...

'' #207 (by Conway and penciler

John Buscema John Buscema (; ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...

). As Englehart explained in 2010, "It certainly seemed like a radical concept and we knew that we had to be subtle (laughs) and each story had to stand on its own, but we really worked it out. It's really worthwhile to read those stories back to back to back — it didn't matter to us that one was at DC and two were at Marvel — I think it was us being creative, thinking what would be really cool to do." Englehart had a potent run on ''

Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...

'' (originally with artist Frank Brunner, later with Gene Colan), in which Strange's mentor, the

Ancient One The Ancient One is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was the mentor of Doctor Strange and was his predecessor as Sorcerer Supreme. The character was voiced by Michael Ansara in the 1978 telev ...

, died, and Strange became the new Sorcerer Supreme. Englehart and Brunner, audaciously, also created a multi-issue storyline in which a sorcerer named Sise-Neg ("Genesis" spelled backward) goes back through history, collecting all magical energies, until he reaches the beginning of the universe, becomes all-powerful and creates it anew, leaving Strange to wonder whether this was, paradoxically, the original creation (''Marvel Premiere'' #14). Editor-in-chief

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...

, seeing the issue after publication, ordered Englehart and Brunner to print a retraction saying this was not God but ''a'' god, so as to avoid offending religious readers. The writer and artist concocted a fake letter from a fictitious minister praising the story, and mailed it to Marvel from Texas; Marvel unwittingly printed the letter, and dropped the retraction order. Englehart's ''Doctor Strange'' #14 featured a crossover story with '' The Tomb of Dracula'' #44, another series which was being drawn by Gene Colan at the time. In Englehart's final story for the series, he sent Dr. Strange back in time to meet

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading int ...

. Describing that time, Englehart said in 1998, Englehart and artist Starlin co-created the character Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, though they only worked on the early issues of the series. Englehart reconciled the existence of

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

and sidekick Bucky in Marvel's 1950s precursor,

Atlas Comics Atlas Comics may refer to * Atlas Comics (1950s) Atlas Comics is the 1950s comic-book publishing label that evolved into Marvel Comics. Magazine and paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitud ...

, an anomaly that had been ignored since Captain America's 1964 reintroduction to Marvel presented him as having been in suspended animation since 1945. Englehart's newly retconned history stated that the 1950s Captain America and Bucky had been different characters from the ones who had debuted in the 1940s. This was followed by an extended storyline of Steve Rogers becoming so profoundly disillusioned with the United States that he temporarily abandoned his Captain America identity to become

Nomad A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the po ...

until he decided to refocus his purpose as the defender of America's ideals, not necessarily its government. The Englehart/Sal Buscema run on the ''Captain America'' title saw the series become one of Marvel's top-sellers. In 2010,

Comics Bulletin Comics Bulletin was a daily website covering the American comic-book industry. History Silver Bullet Comicbooks The site was founded in January 2000 as Silver Bullet Comicbooks by its New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice. During thi ...

ranked Englehart's work on ''Captain America'', ''The Avengers'', and ''Doctor Strange'' fourth, eighth, and ninth, respectively, on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels". In March 1976, Englehart had a falling-out with Marvel and left the company.

DC Comics

Englehart, in fact, planned to quit comics altogether and pursue novels, but

publisher

Jenette Kahn Jenette Kahn (; born May 16, 1947) is an American comic book editor and executive. She joined DC Comics in 1976 as publisher, and five years later was promoted to president. In 1989, she stepped down as publisher and assumed the title of edito ...

persuaded him to come to DC. His only previous credited work for the company had been scripting the

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

story "Night of the Stalker!" in ''

Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...

'' #439 (Feb–March 1974). "I said, 'Okay I'll fix '' Justice League f America/nowiki>'' for you, but I'm only going to do this for a year."Englehart in To that end, he wrote ''Justice League of America'' #139–146 and 149–150, with artist

Dick Dillin Richard Allen Dillin (December 17, 1928 – March 1, 1980)Richard Dillin
at the United States

penciler A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...

s Walt Simonson and Marshall Rogers. In this arc, he recreated the Batman as a pulp-oriented, dark character; the Joker's persona as a homicidal maniac; and introduced love interest

Silver St. Cloud Silver St. Cloud is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the vigilante Batman. The character debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #470 (June 1977) and was created by Steve Englehar ...

. Englehart claims this storyline was adapted as the first Batman film in 1989, with Englehart providing uncredited development. The Englehart and Rogers pairing was described in 2009 by comics writer and historian Robert Greenberger as "one of the greatest" creative teams to work on the Batman character. DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz noted that "Arguably fans' best-loved version of Batman in the mid-1970s, writer Steve Englehart and penciller Rogers's ''Detective'' run featured an unambiguously homicidal Joker...in noirish, moodily rendered stories that evoked the classic Kane-Robinson era." In their story "The Laughing Fish", the Joker is brazen enough to disfigure fish with a rictus grin, then expects to be granted a federal

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from ot ...

on them, only to start killing bureaucrats who try to explain that obtaining such a claim on a natural resource is legally impossible. The ''Detective Comics'' storyline was reprinted in trade paperback in 1999 as ''Batman: Strange Apparitions''. Englehart and Rogers had a short run on DC's revived ''

Mister Miracle Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. Publication history Mister Miracle debuted in ...

'' series as well. His run on ''Justice League of America'' included another unofficial crossover between DC and Marvel in issue #142 by reworking his character Mantis into the DC Universe as a character named "Willow". Other contributions to the series were crafting a new origin for the team and the induction of the character Hawkwoman into the team's membership. Englehart temporarily left comics at this juncture, moving to Europe before his first issue of ''Detective'' was published. During this time he wrote a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

novel, ''The Point Man'', which was republished in 2010. A 25-page Englehart-Rogers story featuring

Madame Xanadu Madame Xanadu is a comic book mysticism, mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Lady of the Lake, Nimue, the magician (fantasy), sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Thomas Malory, Sir Thomas Malory's ''Le Mo ...

, originally commissioned for ''Doorway to Nightmare'', sat in inventory for years before being published as the

one-shot One shot may refer to: Film and television * One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so * ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake * ''One Shot'' (2 ...

''Madame Xanadu'' in 1981, in DC's first attempt at marketing comics specifically to the "

direct market The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for American comic books. The concept of the direct market was created in the 1970s by Phil Seuling. The network currently consists of: * four major comic distributors: ** Lunar ...

" of fans and collectors.

Return to Marvel

In 1983, Marvel's creator-owned imprint

Epic Comics Epic Comics (also known as the Epic Comics Group)Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins: The Truth About the Epic Comics Group!" Marvel comics cover-dated November 1982. was an imprint of Marvel Comics from 1982 to 1996. A spin-off of the publisher's ...

published ''

Coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...

'', a series he had earlier created at

Eclipse Comics Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was ...

with Rogers, in collaboration with artist Steve Leialoha. Among those he collaborated with on the title was a young Todd McFarlane, whom Englehart hired on the basis of McFarlane's ''Coyote'' art samples, which was McFarlane's first comic book work.Vaughan, Kenton (Director, 2000)
''The Devil You Know: Inside the Mind of Todd McFarlane''

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...

.Kershner, Jim (June 3, 1997)
"'Spawn' Storm Spokane Artist Todd Mcfarlane Always Wanted To Create His Own Comic Book Series, And When He Finally Did, It Became The Hottest Title Of The Decade"
''

The Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base i ...

''.McFarlane, Todd (November 2012). ''The Art of Todd McFarlane: The Devil's in the Details''. Todd McFarlane Productions/Image Comics. McFarlane would go on to become one of the industry's most prominent and successful artists and publishers, a toy-company founder, and a Grammy Award- and Emmy Award-winning animator.

Groth, Gary Gary Groth (born September 18, 1954) is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of ''The Comics Journal'', a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, and founder of the Harvey Awards. Early life Groth is the son o ...

(August 1992)
"'…That's the Spice of Life, Bud': The Todd McFarlane Interview"
''

The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...

'' #152. Englehart returned to mainstream Marvel comics later that decade with stints on '' West Coast Avengers'', the second '' Vision and the

Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 19 ...

'' limited series (with artist

Richard Howell Richard Howell (October 25, 1754April 28, 1802) was the third governor of New Jersey from 1794 to 1801. Early life and military career Howell was born in Newark in the Colony of Delaware. He was a lawyer and soldier of the early United States ...

), '' Silver Surfer'' (again with Rogers), and ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 (cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first s ...

'' (during which editorial disputes led to his using the pseudonym John Harkness, a name he had first used on his last issue of ''Mister Miracle''). Englehart was going to be the regular writer of ''

Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...

'' in 1986 but left after only one issue due to an editorial conflict. Simultaneously, Englehart wrote DC Comics' '' Green Lantern'', overseeing the title's name change to ''Green Lantern Corps.'' During that time he also wrote both the DC weekly crossover series ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

'' (Jan–Feb 1988) and the first two issues of the spin-off

The New Guardians The New Guardians were a DC Comics superhero team featured in the short-lived eponymous series ''The New Guardians''. It was a spin-off from the ''Millennium'' event and ran for twelve issues, from 1988 through 1989, before being canceled. It is ...

. Issue #2 was notable for featuring the villain SnowFlame, a superpowered human who derived his powers from cocaine.

Other comic work

In 1992,

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comi ...

hired Englehart to write for

Valiant Comics Valiant Comics is an American comic books, comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim E ...

where he scripted issue #1–4 of ''X-O-Manowar'' and the first issue of '' Shadowman''. Also in 1992, he co-created the Ultraverse comics universe for Malibu Comics and wrote '' Night Man'' and the superhero-team series '' The Strangers''. ''Night Man'' was later adapted for a syndicated television series which ran for two seasons. Englehart wrote three episodes of the television series. He also wrote issues of other Malibu comic series like ''

Freex FreeX GmbH (usually styled freeX) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Lenggries and previously located in Egling. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of paragliders in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft.Bertrand, Noel; ...

'', '' Hardcase'' and ''Prototype''. For Claypool Comics, he wrote the supernatural series ''Phantom of Fear City'' #1–12 (May 1993 – May 1995) and, for Topps Comics, several ''

Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...

'' limited series in the years 1993 to 1995.

Return to Marvel and DC

In the early 2000s, Englehart returned to comics to write the miniseries '' Hellcat'', ''Fantastic Four: Big Town'' and '' Avengers: Celestial Quest'' for Marvel and stories for ''The'' ''Batman Chronicles'' and ''Legends of the DC Universe'' for DC. In 2005, he reunited with Rogers and Austin on the

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

''Batman: Dark Detective'', elements of which he alleged were adapted into the Batman film '' The Dark Knight''. The next year, he wrote a storyline featuring the Detroit Era Justice League and the

Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...

that ran in ''

JLA Classified The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'' #22–25 and ''

JSA Classified The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...

'' #14–16 for DC, and the one-shot ''Strange Westerns starring the Black Rider'' for Marvel.

Novels

Starting in 1994, he wrote a series of young adult books for Avon, including the ''DNAgers'' series (with his wife, Terry) and the ''Countdown'' series. ''Countdown to Flight'' was selected by

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

for its school curriculum on the Wright Brothers. In the mid-2000s, Englehart turned his 1980 novel, ''The Point Man'', into Book Zero for a series concerning its hero, Max August. The first sequel, ''The Long Man'', was published in 2009, ''The Plain Man'' in 2011, and ''The Arena Man'' in 2013. In the series, Max became immortal in 1985 and is dealing with the consequences two decades later in real time. He has admitted to writing the novel ''Hellstorm'' in the TALON Force series under the house pseudonym Cliff Garnett.Steve Englehart official site: Prose - ''Hellstorm''
/ref>

Film & TV

For producer Michael Uslan, Englehart wrote early treatments and served as script doctor for the ''Batman'' film that was based on his comics series; it was later scripted by Sam Hamm and directed by

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...

. He wrote three episodes of the television series '' Night Man'', an adaptation of the comic series of the same name that he had created for Malibu Comics. Englehart also worked in animation, with episodes of '' Street Fighter'' and ''

G.I. Joe Extreme ''G.I. Joe Extreme'' is a line of military-themed toys that was sold in retail from 1995 to 1997. The toys were produced by Kenner following their acquisition by former competitor Hasbro and was intended to succeed the '' G.I. Joe: A Real America ...

'', and wrote one of the three episodes in Disney's '' Atlantis: Milo's Return'' film. His screenplay for an unproduced film, ''Majorca'', was published as a book by Black Coat Press. In 2014, the film '' Guardians of the Galaxy'' starred his creation, Star-Lord. Its 2017 sequel, ''

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ' ...

'', again starred Star-Lord and, in addition, featured Mantis, another Englehart creation. Both characters appear in 2018's '' Avengers: Infinity War'' as well. In 2021, the film ''

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' is a 2021 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Shang-Chi. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 25th film ...

'' starred his creation, Shang-Chi.

Music

in 2019, Steve Englehart appeared in the music video for "Welcome To My World" by ZorDonofDoom. In 2021, Englehart created titles and themes based on Shang-Chi for the album ''Prism Club'' from InRage Entertainment.

Personal life

Englehart married Marie-Therese (Terry) Beach in 1975. They have two sons, Alex and Eric.

Awards

* 1977: nominated for Favourite Comicbook Writer at the Eagle Awards * 1978: Favourite Writer at the Eagle Awards * 1978: Roll of Honour at the Eagle Awards * 1978: nominated for Favourite Single Story at the Eagle Awards for ''Detective Comics'' #472: ''I am the Batman'' with Marshall Rogers * 1978: nominated for Favourite Continued Story at the Eagle Awards for ''Detective Comics'' #471–472 with Marshall Rogers * 1979: Inkpot Award * 1979: nominated for Best Comic Book Writer (US) at the Eagle Awards * 1979: nominated for Best Continued Story at the Eagle Awards for ''Detective Comics'' #475–476 with Marshall Rogers

Bibliography

Comics work includes:

Antarctic Press

* '' Warrior Nun Areala: Scorpio Rose'' #1–4 (1996–1997)

Claypool Comics

* ''Phantom of Fear City'' #1–12 (1993–1995)

DC Comics

* ''

'' #311 (1979) * ''

The Batman Chronicles ''The Batman Chronicles'' is a series of comics published by DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is ...

'' #19 (2000) * ''Batman: Dark Detective'' #1–6 (2005) * '' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' #109–111 (1998) * '' Congorilla'' #1–4 (1992–1993) * '' DC Comics Presents'' #8, 12, 88 (1979–1985) * ''

'' #439, 469–476 (1974–1978) * '' Green Lantern'' vol. 2 #188–200 (1985–1986) * ''

Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing ...

'' #201–223 (1986–1988) * '' Heroes Against Hunger'' #1 (1986) * ''

'' #22–25 (2006) * ''

'' #14–16 (2006) * ''

'' #139–146, 149–150 (1977–1978) * '' Kamandi'' #51 (1977) * ''Legends of the DC Universe'' #26–27 (2000) * ''

'' #1 (1981) * ''

'' #1–8 (1988) * ''

'' #19–22 (1977–1978) * ''

New Guardians The New Guardians were a DC Comics superhero team featured in the short-lived eponymous series ''The New Guardians''. It was a spin-off from the ''Millennium'' event and ran for twelve issues, from 1988 through 1989, before being canceled. It is ...

'' #1–2 (1988) * ''

Secret Origins ''Secret Origins'' is the title of several comic book series published by DC Comics which featured the Origin story, origin stories of the publisher's various characters. Publication history ''Secret Origins'' was first published as a One-shot ( ...

'' vol. 2 #7 (1986) * '' Starfire'' #6–7 (1977) * ''Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual'' #2 (1986) * ''

Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September–October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was ...

'' #50, 60, 73 (1977–1979) * ''

World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...

'' #256 (1979)

Deluxe Comics

* ''Wally Wood's

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday peop ...

'' #1–2 (1984–1985)

Eclipse Comics

* '' Eclipse Magazine'' #1–8 (1981–1983) * ''The Foozle'' #3 (1985) * ''Scorpio Rose'' #1–2 (1983)

Malibu Comics

* ''Break-Thru'' #1–2 (1993–1994) * ''

'' #6 (1993) * '' Hardcase'' #4 (1993) * ''

Mantra A mantra ( Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ...

'' #12 (1994) * '' Night Man'' #1–23 (1993–1995) * ''Night Man: The Pilgrim Conundrum Saga'' #1 (1995) * ''

Prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...

'' #5 (1993) * ''

Solitaire Solitaire is any tabletop game which one can play by oneself, usually with cards, but also with dominoes. The term "solitaire" is also used for single-player games of concentration and skill using a set layout tiles, pegs or stones. These game ...

'' #3 (1994) * ''Solution'' #5 (1994) * ''

Strangers A stranger is a person who is unknown to another person or group. Because of this unknown status, a stranger may be perceived as a threat until their identity and character can be ascertained. Different classes of strangers have been identified f ...

'' #1–24 (1993–1995) * ''Strangers: The Pilgrim Conundrum Saga'' #1 (1995) * '' Ultraverse Origins'' #1 (1994) * ''Ultraverse Premiere'' #0 (1993)

Marvel Comics

* '' Amazing Adventures'' vol. 2 #12–17 (1972–1973) * ''Amazing High Adventure'' #1–3 (1984–1986) * '' The Avengers'' #105–144, 147–152 (1972–1976) * '' Avengers: Celestial Quest'' #1–8 (2001–2002) * ''Avengers: The Ultron Imperative'' #1 (2001) * ''

'' #153–167, 169–186 (1972–1975) * '' Captain Marvel'' #33–46 (1974–1976) * ''

'' #237 (1986) * '' Deadly Hands of Kung Fu'' #1–2 (1974) * '' The Defenders'' #1–11 (1972–1973) * ''

Doc Savage Doc Savage is a fictional character of the competent man hero type, who first appeared in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. Real name Clark Savage Jr., he is a doctor, scientist, adventurer, detective, and polymath who "rights w ...

'' #1–5 (1972–1973) * ''

'' vol. 2 #1–2, 4–18 (1974–1976) * ''

'' #304–333, ''Annual'' #20–21 (1987–1989) * ''Fantastic Four: Big Town'' #1–4 (2001) * ''Giant-Size Avengers'' #2–4 (1974–1975) * '' Hellcat'' #1–3 (2000) * '' Heroes for Hope Starring the X-Men'' #1 (1985) * '' Hero for Hire'' #5–14, 16 (1973) * '' The Incredible Hulk'' #159–171 (1973–1974) * '' Journey into Mystery'' vol. 2 #1 (1972) * ''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'' #2–5, 7 (1986–1987) * '' Kull the Destroyer'' #12–15 (1974) * '' Marvel Fanfare'' #51 (1990) * '' Marvel Premiere'' #9–14 (1973–1974) * '' Marvel Preview'' #4 (1976) * ''Marvel Westerns: Strange Westerns'' #1 (2006) * '' Master of Kung Fu'' #17–19 (1974) * '' Monsters on the Prowl'' #15 (1972) * ''My Love'' vol. 2 #16, 19 (1972) * ''Night Man'' #∞, #1–4 (1995–1996) * ''Night Man vs.

Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...

'' #0 (1995) * ''Our Love Story'' #15, 18 (1972) * ''Power Man'' #26 (1975) * ''

Savage Sword of Conan ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of American company Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. ''Savage Sword of Conan'' starre ...

'' #2 (1974) * '' Silver Surfer'' vol. 3 #1–20, 22–31, ''Annual'' #1–2 (1987–1989) * ''

Skull the Slayer Skull the Slayer (James Patrick Scully) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character debuted in his own book in August 1975. Publication history Skull the Slayer had his own ongoing series s ...

'' #4 (1976) * ''Special Marvel Edition'' #15–16 (1973–1974) * '' Super-Villain Team-Up'' #5–8 (1976) * '' Thor Annual'' #5 (1976) * '' The Vision and the Scarlet Witch'' vol. 2 #1–12 (1985–1986) * '' West Coast Avengers'' vol. 2 #1–29, 31–37, 39, ''Annual'' #1–3 (1985–1988)

Epic Comics

* ''

'' #1–16 (1983–1986)

Star Reach

* ''Star Reach'' #7 (1977)

Topps Comics

* ''

: Raptor'' #1–2 (1993) * ''Jurassic Park: Raptors Attack'' #1–4 (1994) * ''Jurassic Park: Raptors Hijack'' #1–4 (1994) * ''Return to Jurassic Park'' #1–4 (1995)

Valiant Comics

* '' Shadowman'' #1 (1992) * '' X-O Manowar'' #1–4 (1992)

Warren Publishing

* '' Creepy'' #84, 104 (1976–1979) * '' Eerie'' #35, 46 (1971–1973) * '' Vampirella'' #21–23 (1972–1973)

Television and Film Credits

* Street Fighter: The Animated Series eps 17, 21 (1996) *

S2 ep.10 (1997) * Night Man eps 13, 37, 39 (1998–1999) * Atlantis: Milo’s Return (2003 movie)

References

External links

* . *
Steve Englehart interview at Fantastic Four Headquarters

Steve Englehart
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Englehart, Steve 1947 births 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers American comics writers American male novelists Inkpot Award winners Living people Marvel Comics writers Novelists from Indiana United States Army soldiers Wesleyan University alumni Writers from Indianapolis