It may seem hard to believe, but the Aliens franchise is actually crucial to understanding the future of James Gunn’s DCU. The DCEU, inaugurated by Zack Snyder’s divisive Man of Steel, came to an end in 2021. In the aftermath, a new DC cinematic universe was launched, with The Suicide Squad director James Gunn at the helm.
So far, Gunn’s new DCU has released two television series: Peacemaker and Creature Commandos, and one film: Superman. More projects have been announced. This year will see the release of Supergirl, Clayface and the first season of Lanterns. Even more projects, such as a new Batman film as well as a Booster Gold TV show, are in the works as well.
One of the many other DCU projects in development is The Authority. Announced with the initial slate of DCU films and shows, The Authority, created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, was the story of a team of super powered beings who fought not only demented supervillains, but tackled social ills as well.
The Authority’s Origins Began With a Crossover With Aliens
The Xenomorphs Ravaged Stormwatch, Leading to the Formation of the Authority
The Authority’s development in the comics is the result of years worth of world-building, a majority of it done outside the DC Universe. The team was an outgrowth of another superhero group: Stormwatch. Stormwatch had been created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi as part of their Wildstorm Universe, then a part of Image Comics.
Yet in 1998’s WildC.A.T.S./Aliens crossover, written by Ellis and drawn by Chris Sprouse, Stormwatch came to a bloody end. During the course of the story, the Xenomorphs slaughter a handful of Stormwatch members, such as Fuji, Hellstrike and Winter. It then fell on the Wildcats to stop the Xenomorph invasion. Even though the Wildcats were successful, Stormwatch was forever altered.
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In the crossover’s aftermath, the Authority was born. While the Xenomorphs were laying waste to Stormwatch in orbit, the offshoot Stormwatch Black team was not on the satellite. This squad, consisting of Jenny Sparks, the Engineer, Midnighter and Jack Hawksmoor, would form the core of the Authority, who debuted in their own book in early 1999.
The Authority Set a New Standard for Super Hero Comics
The Authority Is Currently in Limbo in the DC Universe
Under the direction of Ellis and Hitch, The Authority became one of the decade’s defining comics, and one that continues to influence superhero stories. After Ellis and Hitch departed, a rotating team of creators, including Mark Millar, Frank Quietly, Tom Peyer and Grant Morrison have taken cracks at The Authority, but none have come close to duplicating the magic of the original run.
Yet as The Authority film gets closer and closer to release, fans can expect these characters to return, but seeing where it began might prove difficult.
The Authority is currently missing in action in the DC Universe. The individual members, such as Midnighter, have starred in their own books, and Grifter was last seen hanging around Gotham City. Yet as The Authority film gets closer and closer to release, fans can expect these characters to return, but seeing where it began might prove difficult.
Ownership of the Wildstorm Universe Has Changed Hands Since the 1990s
The Wildstorm Characters Have a Spotty Track Record in the DC Universe
At the time of the publication of WildC.A.T.S./Aliens publication, Stormwatch and the larger Wildstorm Universe were being published by Image Comics, as noted earlier. Formed when Lee left Marvel in 1991, Wildstorm was one of the foundations of the Image universe. It would grow to encompass books like WildC.A.T.S., Stormwatch and DV8.
Then, in 1998, Jim Lee began the process of selling the Wildstorm stable of characters to DC Comics. By the time The Authority #1 hit stands, the sale was complete, making Jenny Sparks, Apollo, the Wildcats, Stormwatch and Gen 13 the property of DC Comics. Wildstorm continued as an imprint until The New 52, when it was incorporated into the DC Universe proper.
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This alone added complications for reprinting WildC.A.T.S./Aliens. The book was a joint publication of Image and Dark Horse Comics. At the time, Dark Horse held the rights to produce comics based on the Alien franchise. Bringing WildC.A.T.S./Aliens back into print meant new contracts had to be negotiated.
The Rights to Make Alien Comics Has Changed Hands As Well
The Rights to Alien Add Another Roadblock to Seeing the Authority’s Origin
Alien comicsCustom Image by Ana Nieves
Further roadblocks to the story seeing print arose in the late 2010s. The Alien franchise was owned by 20th Century Fox, and they awarded Dark Horse the license in the mid-1980s. Indeed, Dark Horse’s early Alien comics helped put the nascent publisher on the map, and set the stage for its later successes.
Yet in 2019, Disney, the parent company of Marvel Comics, acquired 20th Century Fox’s assets, which included not only the film rights to the X-Men, but also franchises such as Predator, Planet of the Apes and Alien. Once the license with Dark Horse expired, Marvel took over publishing comics based on those properties.
Is There a Chance the Authority’s Origin Could See the Light of Day Again? Perhaps.
Marvel and DC Are Once Again Collaborating, Meaning Anything is Possible
Superman and Spider-Man Crossover Art 2026 Marvel:DC
Now, with Marvel producing Alien comics, the chances of seeing the Xenomorphs clash with the Wildcats have possibly dwindled even further. WildC.A.T.S./Aliens has been reprinted only twice, with it last seeing the light of day in a 2016 collection, years before the sale of 20th Century Fox to Disney.
But, with Marvel and DC now working together for the first time in decades, the chances of seeing the return of WildC.A.T.S./Aliens are actually greater than ever. As part of this renewed sense of collaboration, the two publishers are reprinting previous crossovers, such as the legendary JLA/Avengers.
So far, Marvel and DC have released two one-shots and two digital-only books as part of their new series of crossovers.
With this in mind, the crossover that gave the world the Authority could return, just in time for their film debut. Even then, reprinting it could be a tough sell. None of the recognizable Authority characters appear in the crossover, nor does it show the actual formation of the team. Still, it is a noteworthy chapter in comics history.
The Authority’s Origin Was a Rarity Among Crossovers
WIldC.A.T.S./Aliens Had Long-Lasting Consequences for the Wildstorm Universe
Aliens #6, a Xenomorph floating in zero gravity
WildC.A.T.S./Aliens is a rarity among IP crossovers, in that it had lasting consequences. Usually, such meetings are out of continuity, but WildC.A.T.S./Aliens bucked that trend. Prominent, fan-favorite characters met gruesome ends, and were never seen in the books again. The story also cleared the board and allowed the Authority to form.
WildC.A.T.S./Aliens is a rarity among IP crossovers, in that it had lasting consequences.
There is also something incredibly twisted about a majority of Stormwatch being killed off outside their own book. Members such as Fuji and Hellstrike were unceremoniously slaughtered, some even becoming hosts for the Xenomorphs. Ellis and Sprouse strip all dignity away in sweeping Stormwatch away, setting the tone perfectly for The Authority.
The DCU Has Already Started Seeding Members of the Authority
There is No Current Release Date, or Director, for The Authority
The Engineer holding out her hand in her character poster for Superman (2025)
Whether James Gunn’s DCU will take a similar tonal approach to The Authority remains to be seen, but he will not be able to show their true comic book origin. Gunn knows this, and has begun seeding the team in other ways. The Engineer appeared as one of Lex Luthor’s flunkies in Superman, and is set to return for the sequel.
As The Authority nears production, more characters may appear in other DCU productions, but the team’s true origin is off-limits thanks to its association with the Alien franchise. While this is unfortunate, it means The Authority had one of comic’s most interesting origins, and one that is hard to find.