Gunslinger Spawn has recently reappeared in the pages of Spawn with an origin story linking him to Al Simmons and an impending confrontation.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Spawn #308-309, by Todd McFarlane, Ken Lashley, Tom Orzechowski, and Peter Steigerwald, on sale now.
Todd McFarlane’s current Spawn comics are still telling the same types of engaging, violent stories that they have been for years. Earth has been caught in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell. As a result, Spawns of generations past have infiltrated the Earth with disastrous consequences. Recently, Spawn battled Medieval Spawn in a battle to the death, which had previously been thought taboo. While Medieval Spawn’s body was still warm, Gunslinger Spawn appeared in Spawn #308. This gun-toting hellspawn is a favorite among fans, and his return is sure to complicate the life of Al Simmons.
Gunslinger Spawn’s backstory was told in David Hine and Brian Haberlin’s Spawn #174-175. Jeremy Winston, who was originally a priest, was framed for the murder of his family in the Old West. Sentenced to death, the priest’s mind swelled with thoughts of revenge. Alongside Winston was the great-grandfather of Al Simmons, Francis Parker. Both Parker and Winston were approached by Mammon, an agent of Malebolgia, and given an opportunity to be imbued with powers beyond their wildest dreams. Parker denied the offer, but Winston accepted.
With Mammon’s interference, Parker made his escape while Winston died. The priest was resurrected as Gunslinger Spawn. He took his revenge against his hometown of Bane but left Francis Parker alive. Mammon spoke to Parker one more time, informing him that one of his descendants would become the most powerful Spawn ever created.
This would be the last appearance of the character for quite a while. His backstory became quite popular, as did his demonic ten-gallon hat and devilish red jacket. The origin story implied that Gunslinger Spawn and Al Simmons were connected by Winston and Parker’s brief friendship, but that promise went unfulfilled until the Gunslinger reemerged in Spawn #308-309.
At the end of Spawn #308, a man named Javier sat in the aftermath of a violent bar fight. All of a sudden, Cogliostro, Al Simmon’s former mentor, appeared in the bar and revealed that Gunslinger Spawn was inhabiting the body of Javier. As strong as he might have once been, Gunslinger Spawn needed a different host. Possessing Javier’s body was always a temporary plan, since a human body cannot handle the power of a Spawn. Cogliostro and Gunslinger Spawn agreed that a more permanent solution was necessary, but they disagreed about how to obtain that solution.
Gunslinger Spawn discovered, as Al Simmons has many times, that Cogliostro is not to be trusted. He tricked Gunslinger Spawn into possessing a weaker body, while giving a stronger one the powers of a hellspawn. Cogliostro made his creature attack in an effort to control the powers of Gunslinger Spawn. When all seemed lost, Gunslinger Spawn tricked the half-breed into handing over its powers. After subsequently decapitating Cogliostro, a revitalized Gunslinger Spawn began to make plans to unleash his power onto Earth.
Gunslinger Spawn told Cogliostro he wanted to be left alone, so it doesn’t seem like he is looking to make alliances any time soon. His new power is not likely to go unnoticed, and Spawn has proven that he is willing to destroy others like him. Almost 200 years ago, Mammon linked the fates of Jeremy Winston and Al Simmons. However, it doesn’t seem like this Earth is big enough for the both of them. With the rules thrown out the window, their impending clash is sure to be fatal.
