Image Comics

In 1992 a group of artists, unhappy with Marvel's stance on creator's writes, very publically broke away to set up their own company, Image Comics (whose titles were initially distributed by Malibu Comics). They created a stable of characters, and had one of the biggest launches of comic history.

The experiment wasn't a total success. Some of the participants proved unable to keep to a monthly schedule when they were writing as well as drawing the comic, and creative differences caused tensions too. Eventually Image split, with characters vanishing into the void or going with their owners to other companies. They even had their own version of DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths to celebrate this parting of the ways, called Shattered Image (me, I prefer the title Splitting Image, but I have a sad sense of humour). However, where DC's Crisis had combined the various universes into one, Image's equivalent split their universes up. Only a few of the characters launched at the start are still active, but their legacy lives on. WildC.A.T.S. begat Stormwatch, which begat the Authority. The Savage Dragon and Spawn both continue and thrive.

I don't know too much about most of these characters,  and am likely missing some completely, so if you can fill in the blanks, please feel free to tell me.what you know.

Depending on how well the creators get on, there is still the occasional crossover between the groupings, making it difficult to draw the lines between where one ends and another begins. But in general, when one character was included as part of another's past (such as Supreme being in the WildCATS history) they've been replaced by another, similar character (in Supreme's case Mr Majestic was born to fill the gap he left).

Characters who I couldn't place as belonging to one universe or another are listed below. And if you find that I've placed someone in the wrong "universe", let me know - I find it all very confusing....

Heroes and Villains who seem to share the same overall universe
(e.g. they cameo in one another's books)

Todd McFarlane : Spawn

Jim Valentino : Shadowhawk (Shadowline)

Erik Larsen : Savage Dragon

Noble Causes

Dynamo 5

Jack Staff

Wildguard

Capes

Individual Heroes and Villains not seemingly resident in Image's (semi-)shared universe

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