Dennis "Denny"Joseph O'Neil[4] (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020)[5] was an Americancomic book writer and editor, principally forMarvel Comics andDC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for theBatman family of titles until his retirement.
His best-known works includeGreen Lantern/Green Arrow andBatman withNeal Adams. ForBatman, the team is credited with returning the character to his dark pulp fiction roots, in contrast to the campyBatman television series of the 1960s. However, comics historianLes Daniels considers O'Neil's "vengeful obsessive-compulsive" Batman to be an original interpretation that has influenced all subsequent portrayals of the character. It was during this run that O'Neil co-created the Batman villainsRa's al Ghul andTalia al Ghul. During theirGreen Lantern/Green Arrow run, O'Neil and Adams introduced a mature, realistic tone through stories such as "Snowbirds Don't Fly", in whichGreen Arrow's wardRoy Harper is revealed to have become addicted to drugs. They also created and introduced theGreen Lantern character John Stewart in 1971.
As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles beginning in 1986 after returning to DC. In 1989, O'Neil launched theBatman: Legends of the Dark Knight series, and was the writer for the "Shaman" and "Venom" stories. O'Neil led the Batman creative teams for theBatman: Knightfall (1993–1994) story arc. O'Neil co-created the antiheroAzrael (Jean-Paul Valley) in 1992, who temporarily became the new Batman duringKnightfall. After the storyline's conclusion, O'Neil was the writer for an Azrael monthly series that lasted 100 issues.
O'Neil was born into anIrishCatholic household inSt. Louis,Missouri on May 3, 1939.[4][7] His father owned a grocery store.[8] On Sunday afternoons he would accompany his father or his grandfather to the store for some light groceries and an occasional comic book.[1] O'Neil graduated fromSaint Louis University around the turn of the 1960s with a degree centered on English literature, creative writing, and philosophy. From there he joined theU.S. Navy just in time to participate in the blockade ofCuba during theCuban Missile Crisis.[1]
After leaving the Navy, O'Neil moved on to a job with a newspaper inCape Girardeau, Missouri. O'Neil wrote bi-weekly columns for the youth page, and during the slow summer months he filled the space with a series on the revival of the comics industry.[9] This attracted the attention ofRoy Thomas, who would eventually himself become one of the great names in the history of the medium.[1]
When Roy Thomas leftDC Comics to work forStan Lee at Marvel Comics, he suggested that O'Neil take the Marvel writer's test, which involved adding dialogue to a wordless four-page excerpt of aFantastic Four comic. O'Neil's entry resulted in Lee offering O'Neil a job.[1] O'Neil had never considered writing for comics, and later said he'd done the test "kind of as a joke. I had a couple of hours on a Tuesday afternoon, so instead of doing crossword puzzles, I did the writer's test."[9] He had intended to only work in the comics industry for six months to make some extra money, but soon found enjoyment from creating comic book scripts, and abandoned his plans to move back to theMidwestern United States to be a journalist.[10]
O'Neil took the reins for a short-term run of Marvel'sDoctor Strange stories inStrange Tales, writing dialogue and captions for six issues that were plotted by artist Steve Ditko.[11] He also wrote for such titles asRawhide Kid andMillie the Model,[12] and scripted the final 13 pages ofDaredevil #18 over a plot by Lee when Lee went on vacation.[13]
Briefly returning to Marvel a few years later, O'Neil and artistNeal Adams revived theProfessor X character inX-Men #65[14] in one of the creative team's earliest collaborations.[15]
The available jobs writing for Marvel petered out fairly quickly, and O'Neil took a job withCharlton Comics under the pseudonym ofSergius O'Shaugnessy.[1] There he received regular work for a year and a half from Charlton's editorDick Giordano.[1]
"Sergius O'Shaugnessy" is the name of the protagonist of Norman Mailer's 1955 novelThe Deer Park.[16] O'Neil has quoted Mailer's writing in at least one of his comic book scripts.[17] He would continue using the pseudonym occasionally throughout his career.
O'Neil's first assignments involved two strategies for bolstering DC's sales. One approach centered on the creation of new characters, and O'Neil scripted several issues ofBeware the Creeper, a series starring a new hero, theCreeper, created by artistSteve Ditko. From there, DC moved O'Neil toWonder Woman andJustice League of America. With artistMike Sekowsky, he took away Wonder Woman's powers,[19] exiled her from the Amazon island of Themiscyra, and set her off, wearing boutique street clothes rather than her superhero uniform, into international intrigues with her blind mentor, I Ching. These changes did not sit well with Wonder Woman's older fans, including feminists such as Gloria Steinem,[20] who successfully lobbied DC to return the character to her roots,[21][22] and O'Neil later acknowledged that de-powering DC's most well-known superheroine had unintentionally alienated readers.[23] InJustice League, he had more success, scripting socially and politically themed stories that presaged his later work onGreen Lantern/Green Arrow.[1] He and artistDick Dillin made several changes to the membership of the JLA by removing founding members theMartian Manhunter and Wonder Woman.[24]
Following the lead set byBob Haney andNeal Adams in aBrave and the Bold story that visually redefined Green Arrow into the version that appeared in comics between 1969 and 1986, O'Neil stripped him of his wealth and playboy status, making him an urban hero. This redefinition would culminate in the character that appeared inGreen Lantern/Green Arrow (with many stories also drawn by Adams), a socially conscious, left-wing creation that contrasted and debated with the establishment liberal, law and order advocating, Green Lantern.[1][25] It was during this period that the most famous Green Arrow story appeared, inGreen Lantern #85–86 ("Snowbirds Don't Fly"), when it was revealed that Green Arrow's wardSpeedy was addicted toheroin.[26][27] As a result of his work onGreen Lantern and Green Arrow, O'Neil recounted, "I went from total obscurity to seeing my name featured inThe New York Times and being invited to do talk shows. It's by no means an unmixed blessing. That messed up my head pretty thoroughly for a couple of years. ... Deteriorating marriage, bad habits, deteriorating relationships with human beings – with anything that wasn't a typewriter, in fact. It was a bad few years there."[9] O'Neil and Adams also created Green LanternJohn Stewart, who debuted inGreen Lantern vol. 2 #87 (December 1971/January 1972).[28]
O'Neil's 1970s run on the Batman titles, under the direction of editor Julius Schwartz,[29] is perhaps his best-known endeavor. Along with fellow writer Frank Robbins, he returned the stories to the character's darker roots after a period dominated by the campiness of the1960s TV series.[30] Comics historianLes Daniels observed that "O'Neil's interpretation of Batman as a vengeful obsessive-compulsive, which he modestly describes as a return to the roots, was actually an act of creative imagination that has influenced every subsequent version of the Dark Knight."[31] O'Neil and Adams' creationRa's al Ghul was introduced in the story "Daughter of the Demon" inBatman #232 (June 1971).[32] O'Neil and artistBob Brown also createdTalia al Ghul.[33] During this period, O'Neil frequently teamed up with Adams (with Giordano often assisting on inks) on a number of memorable issues of bothBatman andDetective Comics. The creative team would reviveTwo-Face in "Half an Evil" inBatman #234 (Aug. 1971)[34] and revitalize theJoker in "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!" inBatman #251 (Sept. 1973), a landmark story bringing the character back to his roots as a homicidal maniac who murders people on a whim and delights in his mayhem.[35][36] O'Neil and Giordano created the Batman supporting characterLeslie Thompkins in the story "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" inDetective Comics #457 (March 1976).[37] O'Neil and artistDon Newton killed the original version ofBatwoman inDetective Comics #485 (Aug.–Sept. 1979).[38] He wrote a short Christmas story, "Wanted: Santa Claus – Dead or Alive", forDC Special Series #21 (Spring 1980) which featuredFrank Miller's first art on a Batman story.[39]
WhenJulius Schwartz became the editor ofSuperman with issue #233 (Jan. 1971), he had O'Neil and artistCurt Swan streamline the Superman mythos inThe Sandman Saga (unrelated to any the DC heros of the same name) starting with the elimination ofkryptonite.[40] In 1973, O'Neil wrote revivals of two characters for which DC had recently acquired the publishing rights. A new series featuring the originalCaptain Marvel was launched with a Februarycover date and featured art by the character's original artistC. C. Beck.[41] Later that same year, O'Neil and artistMichael Kaluta produced an "atmospheric interpretation" of the 1930spulp hero inThe Shadow series.[42] In 1975, O'Neil wrote a comic book adaptation of the 1930s herothe Avenger.[43] A revival of theGreen Lantern title was launched in 1976 by O'Neil and artistMike Grell.[44] Reuniting with Adams, O'Neil co-wrote the oversizeSuperman vs. Muhammad Ali (1978) which Adams has called a personal favorite of their collaborations.[45] In World’s Finest #263 (1980), he wrote "Final Secret of the Super-Sons", which wrapped up theSuper-Sons stories by exposing them to be just characters inside a computer in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, with Superman then ordering them to commit suicide by jumping into the Fortress' disintegration pit after they escape their computer simulated world.[46]
Upon O'Neil's return to Marvel Comics in 1980, he took on the scripting chores forThe Amazing Spider-Man, which he did for a year. O'Neil wrote two issues ofThe Amazing Spider-Man Annual, both drawn byFrank Miller. The 1980Annual featured a team-up withDoctor Strange[47] while the 1981Annual showcased a meeting with thePunisher.[48] He and artistJohn Romita Jr. introducedMadame Web inThe Amazing Spider-Man #210[49] andHydro-Man in #212.[50] O'Neil was the regular scripter forIron Man from 1982 to 1986 andDaredevil from 1983 to 1985. During his run onIron Man, O'Neil introducedObadiah Stane, later the Iron Monger, plunged Tony Stark back into alcoholism, turned Jim Rhodes into Iron Man,[51] and created the Silver Centurion armor. O'Neil's run onDaredevil bridged the gap betweenFrank Miller's two runs on the title, usually withDavid Mazzucchelli as artist. He introduced Yuriko Oyama during his stint, who would later become the villainLady Deathstrike.[12] While working for Marvel, he helped write the original character concept forThe Transformers, and is credited as the person who namedOptimus Prime.[52][53]
After returning to DC Comics in 1986, he became the editor of the various Batman titles and served in that capacity until 2000.[54] In February 1987, O'Neil began writingTheQuestion ongoing series which was primarily drawn byDenys Cowan.[55] Between the years of 1988 and 1990, O'Neil would return toGreen Arrow by writing theAnnuals, while Mike Grell wrote the monthly title. Because he was also in charge ofThe Question, he would appear in all threeAnnuals that he wrote. TheBatman: Legends of the Dark Knight series began in 1989 with the five-part "Shaman" storyline by O'Neil and artistEd Hannigan.[56] The series was the first new Batman title in almost fifty years, and the first issue sold almost a million copies.[57]Armageddon 2001 was a 1991crossover event storyline. It ran through a self-titled two-issue limited series and most of theAnnuals DC published that year from May through October. Each participating annual explored potential possible futures for its main characters. The series was written by O'Neil andArchie Goodwin and drawn byDan Jurgens.[58] He and artistJoe Quesada created the characterAzrael, who was introduced in the four-issue miniseriesBatman: Sword of Azrael in 1992.[59] That same year, O'Neil wrote theBatman: Birth of the Demon hardcover graphic novel.[60] Another DC one-shot issue that O'Neil wrote in 1992 wasBatman/Green Arrow: The Poison Tomorrow.[61]
Azrael temporarily assumed the role of Batman duringKnightfall. Art byJoe Quesada.
O'Neil led the Batman creative teams for theBatman: Knightfall (1993–1994) story arc, during which Azrael temporarily became the new Batman. In 1994, O'Neil wrote a novelization ofKnightfall. In the opening of the novelization, O'Neil stated that part of the reason "Knightfall" was written was due to the recent popularity of more "ruthless" heroes such as theTerminator andJames Bond in films, as editors were starting to wonder if readers would prefer a Batman who was willing to kill his opponents.[62]
After the conclusion ofKnightfall, O'Neil wrote the 100-issueAzrael comic series, chronicling Valley's battles against the Order of St. Dumas, between 1995 and 2003. O'Neil modeled the series onArthurian legends, comparing Azrael's quest to discover the truth about himself to theHoly Grail.[63] The series was originally intended to conclude with Azrael's death. However, after O'Neil suffered a heart attack in September 2002, editor Mike Carlin decided it wouldn't be appropriate to have a character O'Neil created be killed off. O'Neil instead left Azrael's fate vague, preferring to let readers decide what happened to him.[64]
O'Neil wrote several novels, comics, short stories, reviews and teleplays, including the novelizations of the filmsBatman Begins[65] andThe Dark Knight.[66] Under the pseudonymJim Dennis with writer Jim Berry,[2] O'Neil scripted a series of novels about akung fu character namedRichard Dragon, and later adapted those novels to comic book form for DC.[2][67]
O'Neil wrote a four-part column series for Marvel's 1978The Hulk! magazine, under the pseudonymJeff Mundo. "Jeff Mundo's Dark Corners" ran from issue #21 through issue #24 and covered various pop culture topics.[3]
Joining Marvel's editorial staff in 1980, O'Neil editedDaredevil during Frank Miller's run as writer/artist.[1] He fired writerRoger McKenzie so that Miller could both write and pencilDaredevil, a decision which then-Marvel editor-in-chiefJim Shooter says saved the series from cancellation.[69] O'Neil encouraged Miller to develop a believable fighting style for Daredevil, and according to Miller, this directly led to his incorporating martial arts intoDaredevil and laterRonin.[70] In the early to mid-1980s, O'Neil edited such Marvel titles asAlpha Flight,Power Man and Iron Fist,G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, andMoon Knight.[71]
In 1986, O'Neil moved over to DC as an editor, becoming group editor for the company's Batman titles.[54] Speaking about his role in the death of characterJason Todd, O'Neil remarked:
It changed my mind about what I do for a living. Superman and Batman have been in continuous publication for over half a century, and it's never been true of any fictional construct before. These characters have a lot more weight than the hero of a popular sitcom that lasts maybe four years. They have become postindustrial folklore, and part of this job is to be the custodian of folk figures. Everybody on Earth knows Batman and Robin.[72]
O'Neil said that he saw editing as a support role which should be invisible to the reader, and that if it were his choice his name would not appear in the credits when working as an editor, only when working as a writer.[9]
After graduating college, O'Neil taught English in theSt. Louis public school system for one year.[10] O'Neil spent several years in the late 1990s teaching a Writing for the Comics course at Manhattan'sSchool of Visual Arts, sometimes sharing duties with fellow comic book writerJohn Ostrander.[73]
O'Neil was married to Marifran O'Neil, until her death.[74] He was the father of writer/director/producer Lawrence "Larry" O'Neil, best known for the 1997 filmBreast Men.[75]
O'Neil died of cardiopulmonary arrest on June 11, 2020, at the age of 81.[4][76] The animated featureBatman: Soul of the Dragon was dedicated in his memory.[77] The following year, Larry O'Neil wrote a six-page tribute to his father, "Tap Tap Tap," which was illustrated by Jorge Fornés and published inGreen Arrow 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 (August 2021); the story summarizes O'Neil's life from childhood to death without any written dialogue, instead using logos and other pictograms.[78]
O'Neil's work won him a great deal of recognition in the comics industry, including theShazam Awards for Best Continuing FeatureGreen Lantern/Green Arrow,[79] Best Individual Story for "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight" inGreen Lantern #76 (with Neal Adams),[79] for Best Writer (Dramatic Division) in 1970[79] for Green Lantern, Batman, Superman, and other titles, and Best Individual Story for "Snowbirds Don't Fly" inGreen Lantern #85 (with Adams) in 1971.[80]
O'Neil was given aGoethe Award in 1971 for "Favorite Pro Writer"[81] and was a nominee for the same award in 1973. He shared a 1971 Goethe Award with artistNeal Adams for "Favorite Comic-Book Story" for "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight."[82]
O'Neil received anInkpot Award in 1981[83] and in 1985, DC Comics named O'Neil as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publicationFifty Who Made DC Great.[84]
InThe Batman Adventures—the first DC Comics spinoff ofBatman: The Animated Series—a caricature of O'Neil appears as The Perfesser, one of a screwball trio of incompetent supervillains that also includes the Mastermind (a caricature ofMike Carlin) and Mr. Nice (a caricature ofArchie Goodwin). The Perfesser is depicted as a tall, pipe-smoking genius who often gets lost in his own thoughts; his name is likely derived from Cosmo "Perfessor" Fishhawk ofShoe, which O'Neil was a known reader of.[85][86][87]
^Sanderson, Peter; Gilbert, Laura, eds. (2008). "1970s".Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 145.ISBN978-0756641238.Writer Dennis O'Neil revealed that it was not Xavier who had perished but a shape-shifter called the Changeling... This epic tale provided an appropriately grand finale for the work of legendary artist Neal Adams.
^O'Neil, Denny (writer); Adams, Neal (artist); Adkins, Dan (artist) (September 1970). Schwartz, Julius (ed.). "Ulysses Star Is Still Alive!".Green Lantern.79: 22.
^"Contributors: Dick Giordano".The New Teen Titans Archives, Volume 1. New York, New York:DC Comics. 1999.ISBN978-1563894855.
^McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1960s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 131.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.Carmine Infantino wanted to rejuvenate what had been perceived as a tired Wonder Woman, so he assigned writer Denny O'Neil and artist Mike Sekowsky to convert the Amazon Princess into a secret agent. Wonder Woman was made over into an Emma Peel type and what followed was arguably the most controversial period in the hero's history.
^Steinem, Gloria (1972). "Introduction".Wonder Woman. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston: unpaginated.
^Mangels, Andy (August 2006). "Catsuits and Karate: Diana Prince Leaves Wonder Woman Behind!".Back Issue! (17). Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing:35–43.
^McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 133 "In less than a year on theJustice League of America series, scribe Denny O'Neil and artist Dick Dillin had made major changes to the team. Two issues after Wonder Woman left the JLA, the Martian Manhunter did the same."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 139 "Real-world politics have always gone hand-in-hand with comics and their creators' own personal perspectives. Yet this was never more creatively expressed than when writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams paired the liberal Green Arrow with the conservative Green Lantern."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 146 "It was taboo to depict drugs in comics, even in ways that openly condemned their use. However, writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams collaborated on an unforgettable two-part arc that brought the issue directly into Green Arrow's home, and demonstrated the power comics had to affect change and perception."
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 288.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^Greenberger, Robert; Manning, Matthew K. (2009).The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:Running Press. p. 26.ISBN978-0-7624-3663-7.Editor Julius Schwartz had decided to darken the character's world to further distance him from the camp environment created by the 1966 ABC show. Bringing in the talented O'Neil as well as the innovative Frank Robbins and showcasing the art of rising star Neal Adams...Schwartz pointed Batman in a new and darker direction, a path the character still continues on to this day.
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 143 "Artist Neal Adams and writer Denny O'Neil rescued Batman from the cozy, campy cul-de-sac he had been consigned to in the 1960s and returned the Dark Knight to his roots as a haunted crime fighter."
^Daniels, Les (1995). "Revamping the Classics The Old Guard Gets a New Look".DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes. New York, New York:Bulfinch Press. p. 157.ISBN0821220764.
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 145: "Writer Denny O'Neil once stated that he and artist Neal Adams 'set out to consciously and deliberately to create a villain...so exotic and mysterious that neither we nor Batman were sure what to expect.' Who they came up with was arguably Batman's most cunning adversary: the global eco-terrorist named Ra's al Ghul."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 145 "Before Batman first encountered one of his greatest adversaries, Ra's al Ghul, he met his daughter, the lovely but lethal Talia [in a story by] writer Denny O'Neil and artist Bob Brown."
^Manning, Matthew K. (2014). "1970s". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).Batman: A Visual History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 111.ISBN978-1465424563.Two-Face was reintroduced for the Bronze Age in this collaboration by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams.
^Greenberger and Manning, p. 161 and 163 "In 1973, O'Neil alongside frequent collaborator Neal Adams forged the landmark 'The Joker's Five-Way Revenge' inBatman #251, in which the Clown Prince of Crime returned to his murderous ways, killing his victims with his trademark Joker venom and taking much delight from their sufferings."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 156: "After decades as an irritating prankster, Batman's greatest enemy re-established himself as a homicidal harlequin in this issue...this classic tale by writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams introduced a dynamic that remains to this day: the Joker's dependence on Batman as his only worthy opponent."
^Greenberger and Manning, p. 30: "It was Dick Giordano who, among many other similar feats, drew the March 1976 fan-favorite issue #457 ofDetective Comics to illustrate the fabled Denny O'Neil yarn 'There is No Hope in Crime Alley'."
^Manning "1970s" in Dougall (2014), p. 131: "The original female counterpart to Batman, Batwoman Kathy Kane was seemingly murdered...in this issue's lead feature written by Dennis O'Neal and illustrated by Don Newton."
^Manning "1980s" in Dougall (2014), p. 136: "One of the most important creators ever to work on Batman, writer/artist Frank Miller drew his first Bstman story in this issue. While it featured five self-contained tales, the story 'Wanted: Santa Claus – Dead or Alive', written by Denny O'Neil and penciled by Miller was the standout."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 144 "New editor Julius Schwartz, new scripter Denny O'Neil, and regular artist Curt Swan removed the Man of Steel's greatest weakness from the face of the Earth."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 155Shazam! #1 (Feb. 1973) "In 1972, DC acquired the rights to Captain Marvel and in 1973 they launched the seriesShazam!, which re-established the Captain Marvel mythos." " Responsible for resurrecting the lightning-charged champion, writer Denny O'Neil and original artist C. C. Beck together explained Cap's absence."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 157The Shadow #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1973) "Writer Denny O'Neil and artist Mike Kaluta presented their atmospheric interpretation of writer Walter B. Gibson's pulp-fiction mystery man of the 1930s."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 163 "DC again translated pulp fiction into comics with a revival of the icy-eyed 1930s hero, the Avenger. Writer Denny O'Neil and artist Al McWilliams adapted the novelJustice, Inc. by "Kenneth Robeson" (a.k.a. writer Paul Ernst)."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 171 "After a four-year hiatus, Green Lantern's ongoing series made a triumphant return to DC's publishing schedule...Returning writer Denny O'Neil partnered himself with artist Mike Grell, choosing to focus the title on sci-fi and super-heroics."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 178: "Writer/artist Neal Adams proclaimed thatSuperman vs. Muhammad Ali was "the best comic book" he and co-writer Denny O'Neil had ever produced."
^Manning, Matthew K. (2012). "1980s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 114.ISBN978-0756692360.Writer Denny O'Neil and artist Frank Miller...used their considerable talents in this rare collaboration that teamed two other legends – Dr. Strange and Spider-Man.
^Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 120: "Writer Denny O'Neil teamed with artist Frank Miller to concoct a Spider-Man annual that played to both their strengths. Miller and O'Neil seemed to flourish in the gritty world of street crime so tackling a Spider/Punisher fight was a natural choice."
^Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 116: "Writer Denny O'Neil's newest contribution to the Spider-Man mythos would come in the form of psychic Madame Web, a character introduced with the help of artist John Romita, Jr."
^Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 118: "In this issue, award-winning writer Denny O'Neil, with collaborator John Romita Jr., introduced Hydro-Man."
^DeFalco, Tom "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 211: "Jim was the natural choice to replace [Stark] as Iron Man when Tony's problem's with alcohol prevented him from doing the job. Jim continued in his role untilThe Invincible Iron Man #199 (Oct. 1985)."
^Cronin, Brian (October 12, 2006)."Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #72".Comic Book Resources.Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. RetrievedJune 29, 2013.Give Denny O'Neil credit for that. He started it by naming Optimus Prime. Generally, Hasbro wanted more literal names for most of the toys, but for some of the really major toys, they preferred names with more grandeur to them.
^Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 227 "Formerly part of the Charlton Comics line, the Question carved his mysterious niche into the DC Universe with the help of writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Denys Cowan."
^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 241: "Written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Edward Hannigan, 'Shaman' helped jump-start this popular new title."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 250: "Armageddon 2001 was the DC Comics event of the summer...Written by Archie Goodwin and Denny O'Neil, and drawn by penciler Dan Jurgens."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 255: "Azrael, one of the most important characters of the modern Batman mythos, was dropped right under the noses of an unsuspecting reading populace in the debut issue ofBatman: Sword of Azrael by esteemed bat-scribe Denny O'Neil, talented young penciler Joe Quesada, and inker extraordinaire Kevin Nowlan."
^Manning "1990s" in Dougall (2014), p. 198: "The third and final installment of the Ra's al Ghul hardcover trilogy arrived in this origin volume by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Norm Breyfogle."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 163 "Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter was based on the 1974 novelDragon's Fists by "Jim Dennis" (the shared pseudonym of comic book writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Jim Berry)."
^abcWells, John (December 2010). "Green Lantern/Green Arrow: And Through Them Change an Industry".Back Issue! (45). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:39–54.
^Marx, Barry, Cavalieri, Joey and Hill, Thomas (w), Petruccio, Steven (a), Marx, Barry (ed). "Denny O'Neil The Emergence of Relevance" Fifty Who Made DC Great, p. 39 (1985). DC Comics.
^O'Neil, Dennis (w), Janson, Klaus and DeZuniga, Tony (a), Gold, Mike (ed). "Fables, Part I: The Monkey Trap" Detective Comics Annual #1 (1988). DC Comics.This story, scripted by O'Neil, namesthe Penguin's attack eagles "Shoe" and "Perfesser" afterShoe's two leads.
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