Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Devil's Quintet, jack kirby, kirbyverse, satan's six, stan lee

Stan Lee's The Devil's Quintet Reminds Me Of Jack Kirby's Satan's Six

Next year, Tor Books will be publishing the first in a four-book series, Stan Lee's The Devil's Quintet, written by Jay Bonansinga based on ideas by Stan Lee.

In Stan Lee's The Devil's Quintet: The Armageddon Code, the world-famous architect of the Marvel Universe, teams up with New York Times bestselling author Jay Bonansinga to unleash a bold new superhero series on the world. A five-person special ops unit, composed of a diverse assortment of former Navy SEALS from all walks of life, are responding to a terrorist threat deep in the Caucasus Mountains when their mission goes south in a big way. Facing certain death and torture, they're unexpectedly offered a Faustian bargain by the Devil himself, who grants them unearthly powers in order to send evildoers to Hell on his fiendish behalf. But "The Devil's Quintet" do things their own way, fighting to protect America and the world, while trying their best not to let their hellish new abilities corrupt them beyond redemption…

Last year, Jay Bonansinga was quoted as saying "To be able to bring to life one of Stan Lee's original concepts is the sweetest stroke of luck a writer could have. Stan Lee was, and continues to be after his passing, a legend in my field, as well as in my personal literary life and imagination. The story is a riveting, timely, resonant dark fable of Faustian proportions. Stan Lee's The Devil's Quintet: The Armageddon Code will not only surprise and delight Stan's myriad fans, it will also scare the wits out of readers around the world."

But, as its publication date grows closer, I am reminded of nothing more than Jack Kirby's Satan's Six. A concept created by Jack Kirby, with a few pages written and drawn by Jack in the last year of his life, but largely consisting of new material by Tony Isabella and John Cleary with guest inkers including Steve Ditko, Todd McFarlane and Frank Miller. And one more figure than Stan has.

Satan's Six were a team of agents of the Kirbyverse's interpretation of Satan himself, created for the sole purpose of causing chaos in the mortal plane. But the continued incompetence of the members always seemed to be their downfall (and humanity's benefit). Members included: Brian Bluedragon, a doltish knight of Arthur's court, Hard Luck Harrigan, a petty gambler and bookie who worked in the 1930s criminal underworld, Dr. Mordius, a Henry Jekyll wannabe, Kuga the Lion-Killer, a warrior of African origin, Dezira, of ancient Babylon, and Frightful, a demon in Satan's employ whose job it was to keep the members in line….a "drill instructor from Hell", so to speak….

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had a fractious relationship over the years, often coming down to who created what and when, a battle that has been taken up and fought with increased vigour by their respective fanbases since. Might this throw another log onto the fire?

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