Dawn is an American

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

character created by writer/artist Joseph Michael Linsner. Dawn was first envisioned by Linsner in 1987;Linsner bio
''Lambiek's Comiclopedia''. Retrieved May 17, 2022. she first appeared in an official publication in 1989.

Publication history

Dawn was first featured on the cover of ''

Cry for Dawn ''Cry for Dawn'' was an American Horror comics, horror-anthology comic book that ran nine issues from 1989 to 1992. The book was primarily written by Joseph Michael Linsner and Joseph M. Monks with artwork by Linsner. The series featured guest ...

'' #1 (Cry for Dawn Productions, Dec. 1989), and appeared on all the covers of ''Cry for Dawn'' (9 issues in all) from 1989 to 1991. In 1994, she was featured in her own one-shot drama from new publisher

Sirius Entertainment Sirius Entertainment is an American comic book company that operated from 1994 to . Sirius Entertainment was founded by Robb Horan and Larry Salamone and was dedicated from the outset to publishing creator-owned properties. Originally based in ...

, and then the Sirius limited series ''Dawn: Lucifer's Halo'' and ''Dawn: Return of the Goddess''. The character moved to

Image Comics Image Comics is an independent American American comic book, comic book publisher and is the third largest direct market comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry by market share. Its best-known publications include ''Spawn (comics) ...

for ''Dawn: Three Tiers'', ''Dawn: Not to Touch the Earth'' (2010), and ''Dawn: The Swordmaster's Daughter'' (2013). In 2014–2015, she was featured in the five-issue limited series ''Dawn/

Vampirella Vampirella () is a vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of '' Creepy'' and ''E ...

'', published by

Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded in 2004 by Nick Barrucci in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, known for publishing comic book adaptations of licensed feature film properties, such as ''Army of Darkness'', '' Terminator ...

Fictional biography

Dawn is the goddess of birth and rebirth.Brady, Matt. "Dawn of a New Era," '' Wizard'' #49 (July 1996), pp. 42-43
Archived at JitterbugFantasies.com
She is the guardian of all the witches on Earth, and the goddess to whom they pray. Dawn is immortal, immune to gunfire, and capable of traveling to various dimensions and planes of reality. She is shown in many different facets, shapes, sizes, and colors; her appearance depends on who is viewing her.McLaughlin, Jim. "Red Dawn" (Interview with Joseph Michael Linsner), ''Wizard'' #92 (April 1999), pp. 40-42. She is generally depicted as a young, red-haired woman with three "tears" running from her left eye (and one running from her right eye, which is usually hidden by her long hair); during the

witch hunt A witch hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. Practicing evil spells or Incantation, incantations was proscribed and punishable in early human civilizations in the ...

, witches were discovered to only cry from their left eyes. She also has a rose on her right wrist and a chain on her left. The rose represents Hell, and although it has beauty, it only pricks and hurts a person; the chain represents Heaven because a person can only go so far before they are stopped short by its restrictions. Dawn's lover is

Cernunnos Cernunnos is a Celtic god whose name is only clearly attested once, on the 1st-century CE Pillar of the Boatmen from Paris, where it is associated with an image of an aged, antlered figure with torcs around his horns. Through the Pillar of the ...

(sometimes also known as the

Horned God The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in Wicca and some related forms of Neopaganism. The term ''Horned God'' itself predates Wicca, and is an early 20th-century syncretism, syncretic term for a horned or antlered anthropomorp ...

), the god of death, who has incarnated himself in the mortal form of Darrian Ashoka. Darrian, unaware of his true origins, lives in a post-apocalyptic New York City when he first meets Dawn. She leads him on his path of true identity and self-discovery.

Collected editions

*''Cry for Dawn'' (Cry for Dawn Productions, 1989–1992). 9-issue anthology. Dawn only appears on the covers. *''Dawn: Lucifer's Halo'' (

, 1995–1997). 6-issue limited series, originally published as ''Dawn''. *''Crypt of Dawn'' (Sirius Entertainment, 1996–1999. 6-issue anthology. *''Dawn: Return of the Goddess'' (Sirius Entertainment, 1999–2000). 4-issue limited series. *''Dawn: Three Tiers'' (

, 2003–2005). 6-issue limited series. *''Dawn: Not to Touch the Earth'' (Image Comics, 2010) One-shot. *''Dawn: The Swordmaster's Daughter & Other Stories'' (Image Comics 2013). One-shot. *''Dawn/

'' (

, 2014–2015): 5-issue limited series; collected in ''Dawn/Vampirella'' (Dynamite Entertainment, 2019)

In other media

*Dawn is featured on the

Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the New wave music, new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two st ...

CD album ''Dawn'', released in the UK as ''Sacrifice''). *For several years, a Dawn lookalike contest was held at

Dragon Con Dragon Con (previously Dragon*Con and sometimes DragonCon) is a North American multigenre convention, founded in 1987, which takes place annually over the Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. , the convention draws attendance of over 80,000. ...

. *In the fall of 2010, in conjunction with the

Hero Initiative The Hero Initiative, formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, is a Nonprofit organization, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers, and artists in need. Founded in late 2000 by a consortium of ...

and Joseph Michael Linsner,

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, also known as BPAL, is an online retailer of indie perfumes. BPAL is owned by Elizabeth Moriarty Barrial and Brian Constantine and is based in Philadelphia. Influences and inspirations Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's perfum ...

released four Dawn-inspired

perfume Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...

oils. Proceeds from the sale of those oils go to the Hero Initiative. In 2012, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab released another Dawn-inspired perfume: Dawn: Mourning Victory; part of the proceeds again went to the Hero Initiative.CBR staff
"Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Debuts 'Cyborg,' 'Dawn,' 'Magdalena' Scents,"
''CBR'' (Feb. 27, 2012).

References

{{reflist Comics characters introduced in 1989 Female characters in comics Fictional goddesses Mythology in comics Sirius Entertainment titles Witchblade characters