Last year, did you know, marked the 25th anniversary of Death’s Head, the bounty-hunter (um, freelance peacekeeping agent) I co-created with artist Geoff Senior. An anniversary that sadly passed without so much as a ripple of acknowledgment. But that’s all set to change for 2013! From humble beginnings (as a bit-part player in issue #113 of Marvel UK’s Transformers comic… not to mention his solo debut in the one-page strip “High Noon, Tex”), ol’ Death’s Head has featured in his own comic (and original graphic novel), guest-starred in Doctor Who, Dragon’s Claws, She-Hulk, Fantastic Four, and others, graduated (or regressed, depends on your point of view) to Death’s Head II and Death’s Head 3.0, and spawned various little Deaths (Metal, Wreck) along the way. And he’s still going strong! After his support role in the tragically short-lived S.W.O.R.D., writer (and all-round nice/talented guy) Kieron Gillen is now featuring him in none other than Iron Man! Yep, Death’s Head is back… with a vengeance! Throw in a cameo in Avenging Spider-Man #17, a HeroClix figure and a Marvel Universe action figure, and 2013 is set to firmly re-establish Death’s Head in the Marvel Universe. Do not — repeat, do NOT miss an issue of Iron Man. You can check out the preview of issue #9 here.
simon furman 
Nice to know Kieron has your blessing. It was great to see DH back in his terrifically fun S.W.O.R.D. title and now he’s getting a Marvel Universe figure too? Excellent news!
I’m mega excited about this, yes? I’m really pleased that Marvel are using the character again! Here’s hoping these appearances are leading up to something… maybe a new title, yes? 😉
Hopefully the figure comes out soon.
It wasn’t shown at Toy Fair, and apparently the Hasbro guys there weren’t sure on its status.
(Still wish he was 6″ though so that he would go on a shelf next to one’s TFs all the better.)
I wonder which look they’re going for too. Original TF design or the better-known look from his solo series and US appearances? Or the look he’s currently sporting? Enquiring minds must know!
I would guess it’ll be his current Marvel appearance, even though I like the classic head design more..
I’m so happy about this. I just bought a copy of The Body In Question off Ebay. The one I had as a kid fell apart. Bring it on, yes?
Brilliant news. Slightly bittersweet at the moment; it’ll take me a while to get used to the new look. But at least it’s closer to the original than the other characters sporting the DH name. Long live Death’s Head, huh?
I bought a new Spider Man book today because he was in it. I also understand he will be in Iron Man. I’d love to see DH II show up and team up with him. Death’s Head needs his own book!
He absolutely needs his own book. Y’know, the more appearances he makes in books of characters that have movie franchises, well… you never know, the film studios may be reading… I’d be happy with an appearance in the Avengers cartoon for him, to be honest, but one can dream, right?
Apart from Transformers this was my favourite comic back in the 80’s. A brilliant character but I always wanted him and Galvatron to finish what they started. Sadly that seems impossible now.
Just please don’t bring back Death’s Head II!!
Darren
There’s just so much that can be done with this character. I’ve loved him for all his 25 year history and it pleases me to see Marvel pushing him again. He’s been a recurring name once more since the Unnatural Selection story. I very much consider that story to be a kind of updated origin for the original (as the first, Lupex based story would require the involvement of Transformers and Doctor Who which Marvel can no longer support) and I’d be delighted to see a storyline which links Unnatural Selection to this new look “old school” version we’ve seen in S.W.O.R.D and Iron Man. In any event, DH needs more exposure, Marvel.
Delightful fiancee and financer supreme just released the funds to allow me to get these! Any chance we might see you scripting DH in the near future Simon?
Spider-man has memories of Death’s Head? How so?
Dunno. You’d have to ask whoever wrote it.
Well, here’s a stab at an explanation:
(Superior) Spider-man names Death’s Head, but he doesn’t actually say he remembers him or that he’d met him, he says that “Parker encountered something similar once… a robotic bounty hunter from the future.” So, presumably, that’s a reference to Spider-man’s encounters with Death’s Head II *puttup!* and he recognised the original because he’d seen him in the Fantastic Four’s files at some point. (Presumably after Reed mentioned they’d encountered the original a few times.)
Don’t know Minion too well, don’t even like him too much (naturally). Only read the mini, the Incomplete run and the What if? – maybe it was you showed them. Didn’t know he encountered Spidey.
Another thing though, while we are at it. Ock Dock removing his head should not kill him, as Ironman did the same before. Though i guess given you never know from which time period comes DH, you can argue that he improved himself after THIS incident.
Oh, apparently Simon Williams threw in a couple of DH background cameos in the UK Spider-man title too, so I guess there’s a legit reason why he might remember him – http://soulmaninc.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/deaths-head.html
This is awesome news , finally Marvel is doing something with him . He is a very original character that deserves more credit . Wish IDW could use him in The Transformers comics …..YES .
Great news! DH has always been my favorite comic book character, so it’s exciting to see him ‘back in business’!! 🙂
Just a wonderful character: my favourite outside of the TF universe. [sic]
I was at the signing session in Virginia Galleries in Glasgow for issue 1 – back in December ’88 – where Geoff Senior showed up late, and met Bryan and you as well (and also Steve White). Was stunned to meet you guys; it wasn’t the last time.
I thought what happened to Death’s Head with Minion was the biggest pile of shit possible: the way they tried to pitch their own new character whilst stealing – that’s not too strong a word – a readily available persona/market niche; I guess they thought that there wouldn’t be too much of a fuss, what with him being a “minor” player in the Marvel universe.
Honestly, just one of the most insulting things, if not the most insulting thing, to ever happen in any comic.
And even though I’m (clearly) a lot older, I’d say whatever it takes to get the proper death’s head back, do it.