The Men in Black
The Men in Black - first issue. Cover art by Max S Fellwalker
Publication information
Publisher	Aircel Comics Malibu Comics Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Mini-series One-shots
Publication date	January-March 1990 May-July 1991 1997
Number of issues	3 3 4
Creative team
Writer(s)	Lowell Cunningham
Artist(s)	Sandy Carruthers
Creator(s)	Lowell Cunningham
Collected editions
The Men in Black	ISBN 0944735606

The Men in Black was a comic book created and written by Lowell Cunningham, illustrated by Sandy Carruthers, and published by Aircel Comics. Aircel would later be bought out by Malibu Comics, which itself was bought out by Marvel Comics. Three issues were published in 1990, with another three the following year.

It was adapted into a film which resulted in a sequel and various spin-offs, as well as a number of tie-in one-shot comics from Marvel.

Contents 1 Publication history 2 Fictional history 3 Adaptations 4 Collected editions 5 Notes 6 References

[edit] Publication history

The first series consisted of three issues and was published in 1990 by Aircel Comics. After being acquired by Malibu Comics a second series appeared in 1991.

Malibu was bought by Marvel in 1994 and Men in Black was one of the properties they developed. So when the first film appeared Marvel published a number of one-shots in 1997, including two prequels,^[1][2] a sequel,^[3] and a movie adaptation.^[4]

[edit] Fictional history

The Men in Black are a secret organization that monitors and suppresses paranormal activity on Earth (which includes aliens, demons, mutants, and other such beings), while keeping the populace ignorant of its happenings. Notable members include, in the movie and the animated series, Zed, Jay, and Kay. An agent named Ecks went rogue after learning the truth behind the MiB: they seek to manipulate and reshape the world in their own image by keeping the supernatural hidden.

An agent will use any means necessary, including murder and destruction, to accomplish a mission. All agents sever every tie with their former lives, and as far as the world is concerned, they do not exist. Agents who go rogue, such as Ecks did, are hunted down and eliminated.

[edit] Adaptations

They inspired the 1997 film Men in Black and its sequel and spin-offs, including a soundtrack with an award-winning song, the TV show Men in Black: The Series, a novelization of each film, video games, and an amusement park ride.

A major difference in the film version is that the secret organization was created only to police and monitor extraterrestrial activity on Earth and there is no mention of any other paranormal element. The organisation isn't portrayed as violent, as in the comic, instead using memory erasers rather than murder to suppress witness. They don't have an insane secret purpose, they're only devoted to their mission.

[edit] Collected editions

The first series has been collected into a trade paperback (June 1990, ISBN 0944735606).

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

v • d • e Men in Black Series Film and Television Men in Black  · Men in Black II  · Men in Black III  · Men in Black: The Series Characters Agent K  · Agent J  · Frank the Pug Related topics Lowell Cunningham · Song  · Amusement park ride  · Video game  · Popular culture  · Men in White