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| Section 8 | |
|---|---|
 Panel fromHitman #18. From left to right: Defenestrator, Friendly Fire, Sixpack, Shakes, Jean de Baton-Baton, Dogwelder, Bueno Excellente, Flemgem; art byJohn McCrea. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Hitman #18 (September 1997) |
| Created by | Garth Ennis John McCrea Steve Dillon (Dogwelder only) |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Gotham City |
| Member(s) | Sixpack Bueno Excellente The Defenestrator Dogwelder Friendly Fire Jean de Baton-Baton Flemgem Shakes |
Section 8 is afictional comic book team ofsuperheroes appearing in books published byDC Comics. Created by writerGarth Ennis and artistsJohn McCrea andSteve Dillon (for the character Dogwelder only), the team first appeared inHitman #18 (September 1997). The team is named after the military designation for "mentally unfit for duty".
The team is based in The Cauldron, the Irish section ofGotham City, and is led by Sixpack. They apparently have some sort of heroic history (though this is questionable, as several of their members seem prone to complicated hallucinations) prior to the events ofHitman. The team is headquartered on an artificial island in a sewer, however they are shown to have relocated to Noonan’s Bar as of the events inSixpack and Dogwelder: Hard-Travellin' Heroz. As of the start of the series, the team is split up, although they are all still located within Gotham City. Friendly Fire, Shakes, and Jean de Baton-Baton had retired; the Defenestrator was inArkham Asylum after throwing a cop through the same window fourteen times; Dogwelder and Flemgem were still stalking the streets of Gotham; Sixpack was a regular at Noonan's, believing his drunken dreams of superhero work were real.[1]
The team reforms to provide critical support forTommy Monaghan and his crew during the "Ace of Killers" storyline. Collectively, they kill many mafia soldiers that were trying to kill Tommy, Natt the Hat, Detective Tiegel and Catwoman. The group later aids Tommy during his encounter withLobo. Specifically, they aid Tommy in creating material blackmailing a stunned Lobo with the help of Bueno Excellente which prevents Lobo from taking revenge against any of them.[2] Sixpack makes several solo appearances inHitman as comic relief and an ally in some battles.
In their next appearance, the team was starting to split up again after Friendly Fire pointed out how pathetic they were and that all they did was meet once a month and achieve nothing. Sixpack is left distraught when Friendly Fire points out, in anger, that all his 'superhero' missions are just drunken dreams. However, when the demonicMulti-Angled Ones arose in Gotham, Section 8 rallied to fight them. Their attempt was completely unsuccessful: most of the team die or accidentally kill themselves. The Many-Angled Ones become interested in Sixpack when the flames from an explosion don't touch him, and when he tells them that he would be willing to die standing against them because "that's what superheroes do". The demons are left amused and a deal is made where Sixpack will leave with them and try to battle against them for his own soul, in exchange for leaving Earth alone.
Sixpack has a statue built in a park in his honor of his sacrifice, though he is shown still alive in New York City at anAlcoholics Anonymous meeting, implying that his "battle for his soul" is facing his addiction to alcohol. Bueno Excellente survived the battle as well and avenges their loss on the scientist responsible for releasing the Many Angled Ones.[3]
In June 2015, DC began publishing "All-Star Section Eight", by Ennis and McCrea.[4]
When Sixpack has a near-death experience, thePhantom Stranger reveals that the dead members of Section Eight were sent toLimbo, with the exception of Dogwelder, who was condemned to Hell.[5]
Later, in 2016, a limited series was run, titled "Sixpack and Dogwelder: Hard-Travellin' Heroz", starring Section Eight in a mission to save the world. It included other DC characters such as the Spectre, John Constantine, and introduced new members to Section Eight: Baytor and Guts. On top of this, it featured the newly-replaced Dogwelder who, as shown in All-Star Section Eight, is the predecessor to the Dogwelder once on the team. The team saves the world with the help of John Constantine, travelling to Sirius, the Dog Star, in order to weld it with its dwarf to stop a world-ending collision. Dogwelder is sacrificed during this process.
Following Sixpack's accidental return to alcoholism, he assembles a new Section 8 to combat a mysterious (and possibly imaginary) threat. Sixpack convinces Bueno Excellente to reenlist, brings in five new members, and attempts to fill the vacant eighth position with someone from theJustice League.[6]
| DC Comics and Vertigo | |
|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | |
| Avatar Press | |
| Image Comics and Top Cow Productions | |
| Dynamite Entertainment | |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Other | |
