DC Introduces a New Version of a Fan-Favorite Authority Member
Jenny Crisis was just introduced in DC's Outsiders #4.
The Authority have gradually become a bit of a powerhouse in the DC mythos, even heading to the big screen in their own live-action movie under James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe. The group, which had originally been introduced under the Wildstorm universe, have begun to cross paths with a number of other heroes and villains. The latest issue of DC's current Outsiders run was no exception, ushering in a new iteration of a beloved Authority character and giving them some surprising new allies. Spoilers for Outsiders #4 from Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Robert Carey, Valentina Taddeo, and Tom Napolitano below! Only look if you want to know!
Initially, the issue doesn't center around a member of The Authority's main trio — Kate Kane / Batwoman, Luke Fox, and Drummer — instead telling the origin story of an entirely new protagonist. Born at the very beginning of the turn of the century, this young girl became the latest "Century Baby", who boasts metahuman abilities and the opportunity to — intentionally or not — impact the world around them. As this new Century Baby grew up, her anxiety and emotions began to effect the world in massive ways, which led to her catching the eye of the Outsiders. After they corner her on a street corner in England, she is able to make her powers into a physical manifest, and introduces herself as Jenny Crisis. This makes her the latest Century Baby to be introduced in recent years of canon, including The Authority's Jenny Sparks, as well as other characters like Jenny Quantum and Jenny Fractal.
What Is DC's Outsiders About?
In Outsiders, following the fallout of DC's Gotham War event, Kate Kane's Batwoman and Luke Fox will become disillusioned with the idea of established superheroing methods. This will lead them on an exciting new journey, not of superheroism, but of archaeology, as this team-of-two delve deep into the history (and, in fact, many histories) of the DC Universe.
"What we saw with Luke and Kate was they are two characters who are ready to step outside of that framework," Kelly explained in a previous interview with ScreenRant. "They've seen coming out of Gotham War, coming out of the shadow of the Bat in a very real way. They're over it. They've seen the superheroes and how the superhero system functions: you put them in jail, they get back out… it's just a giant circle. So how do we break that and the same way we break any criminal cycle is with empathy. Is with understanding the victims who are then, in turn, the perpetrators. How do we break that cycle? And that is what the Outsiders are really going to be about."
What Is The Authority About?
The Authority is a team of antiheroes that, in the comics, includes characters like Apollo, Jenny Quantum, Jenny Sparks, Midnighter, Deathblow, Engineer, Flint, Freefall, Grifter, Jack Hawksmoor, Rainmaker, and Swift. Plot details surrounding The Authority movie are currently under wraps, although Gunn has teased that it will be an unconventional superhero tale. The Authority movie does not currently have a director or a confirmed release date.
"This is a big movie and I don't know how many of you know are familiar with The Authority," Gunn told reporters when announcing the DCU slate in 2023. "The Authority is a very different kind of superhero story. They are basically good intentioned, but they think that the world is completely broken. And the only way to fix it is to take things into their own hands, whether that means killing people, destroying heads of state, changing governments, whatever they want to do to make the world better. We'll see how that journey goes for them."
What do you think of DC's Outsiders introducing Jenny Crisis? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!