Resource:

• List of The Authority: World's End Characters

Overview:
Following the cataclysmic conclusion to NUMBER OF THE BEAST comes the dawn of a whole new age: WILDSTORM WORLD'S END! The heroes failed to save the planet from destruction and now struggle to survive in a brutal, post-apocalyptic environment...but with humanity largely dead and the Earth broken, what does the term "hero" even mean?

The arrogance is gone, the self-confidence shattered, they are broken: both in spirit and body. Some of their powers have gone or have changed beyond recognition. Their authority has been undermined. The world ended on their watch. They are to blame. They failed the world.

The Authority: World's End

The Authority: World's End #1	The Authority: World's End #2	The Authority: World's End #3	The Authority: World's End #4
The Authority: World's End #5	The Authority: World's End #6	The Authority: World's End #7	The Authority: World's End #8
The Authority: World's End #9	The Authority: World's End #10	The Authority: World's End #11	The Authority: World's End #12
The Authority: World's End #13	The Authority: World's End #14	The Authority: World's End #15	The Authority: World's End #16
The Authority: World's End #17	The Authority: World's End #18	The Authority: World's End #19	The Authority: World's End #20

Collections:

The Authority: World's End-Book 1

The Authority: Rule Brittania

Publishing History

It has been announced that in the new World's End status quo, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will be take over the writing duties, accompanied by artist Simon Coleby. Senior Wildstorm editor Ben Abernathy has also stated that four issues have already been completed by the new team - "I can say honestly, based on the four issues of script and art that are already in-the-can, people will NOT be disappointed!"

Ben Abernathy on the new creative team & direction:

In planning out the creative teams for the World's End books, I had a pretty good idea going in who I'd like to see on each book writer-wise. Approaching Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning to write THE AUTHORITY seemed like a no-brainer, considering their breadth of unique and thoroughly enjoyable work over the years (to this day, they penned the only LEGION work I followed on a regular basis—quite a feat!). I'd worked with them on eight issues of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and they proved adept at handling the dark and macabre as easily as straightforward super-hero work. And what we wanted for THE AUTHORITY definitely fell into that category!

Incredibly, TCM was also responsible for artist Simon Coleby landing on my radar. Andy was friends with Simon and had suggested him as a potential artist for a TCM one-shot, sending me some samples and getting the two of us in contact. After an email or two—mostly my complimenting the 2000AD work that Andy had sent me—Simon agreed to do a Leatherface piece for me to show New Line. Unfortunately, I only ended up editing nine issues of the series and never had the opportunity to work on TCM with Simon. But those samples and his wicked-cool Leatherface piece (which maybe I'll try and track down to post later) convinced me he might be great for something darker and edgier on the super-hero front. Besides, Simon was such a great fellow, he'd made my "must work with" list. It was around that time (summer of 2007) that ARMAGEDDON was hatched.

While planning ARMAGEDDON, I wanted to create some synchronicity with the artists for the forthcoming World's End (hence, Coleby and Leandro Fernández—who drew the MIDNIGHTER and STORMWATCH issues respectively—are now drawing the monthlies). I thought Simon was up to the task (if you ever get a chance to see his various work for 2000AD, you'll see what I mean) and we began talking about it and he even worked up some character designs (maybe we'll include them in the tpb!). Pretty soon, he was drawing a post-apocalyptic London with a shattered Authority clawing out a meager survival—and the stars aligned, as what you're (hopefully) holding in your hand is proof that it was the right decision.
And to think I owe it all to Andy Lanning and Leatherface…

Following the announcement that they would be writing The Authority, Abnett & Lanning signed a Marvel-exclusive contract. However, they stated that they would fulfill their 15-issue commitment to The Authority.

News:

• CBR: Mapping the WildStorm Universe: The Authority

• Comixfan Forums: Analysing DnA part 2: Establishing a new Authority