Spawn: The Animated Series
Season Three
Episode One
the mindkiller
WITHIN EVERY HELLSPAWN, A BATTLE IS WAGED. WHAT
SCRAPS OF HUMANITY CAN THEY HOLD ON TO? WHAT MASTER DO THEY SERVE?
A withered man crawls among the bugs in a cell muttering, don't let the demons
take you. In the alley, a battle takes place within Spawn's tormented mind.
Cogliostro is aware of the battle. He has was once a HellSpawn himself and he
tells Spawn that he must choose which master he serves. For as long as Spawn
lives a life of violence, he serves Malebolgia.
Four street punks, Petey, Bobbie, Frankie and their college-going friend Joey
are out for a night on the town. But things have changed. The youths are on
the verge of becoming men, and for some men, this change comes with the spilling
of blood. After a hit, Joey panics and says he'll go to the cops. Now he must
be killed as well, and the task is handed to Frankie, Joey's best friend. It's
a test. Kill the potential squealer, become a man.
Spawn and Cogliostro attempt to intercede. Spawn wants the punks gone. Cogliostro
points out that the young would-be assassin just wants to be like the HellSpawn,
a killer. Petey and Bobbie think Frankie has chickened out and that means he
is dead as well. Petey fires a bullet at Frankie as the air around Spawn Alley
crackles. Suddenly the bullet freezes in mid-air, inches from Frankie's face.
Time has stopped. Frankie is being given a choice.
A choice Spawn had when he was Al Simmons captured by the enemy. Simmons friend,
Sykes is killed, murdered for information, and all Simmons thought to do once
freed, was kill. Spill more blood. There was one voice of reason that pulled
Simmons back from the brink. Major Fosberg. He tried to tell Simmons not to
let the demons take hold. But Simmons thought only of revenge, and at that moment,
Hell took notice.
The choice is made. Frankie puts the bullet through his best friend's brain.
Tonight he made his bones, leaving Spawn to wonder what ever happened to Fosberg,
the voice of reason from his past. The answer lies in that prison cell. Fosberg
is the old mad driven mad by unseen demons, and there is somebody there to see
him. The visitor is Jason Wynn. He has come for Forsberg.
Episode Two
twitch is down
HOW DOES ONE FIND HUMANITY IN AN ALLEY? HOW DOES
ONE REGAIN ONE'S SOUL...
An abandoned church. Memories rip through Spawn's fragmented mind. Frustrated
with his plight, the HELLSPAWN lashes out, and then turns his rage toward the
alley in search of the old man Cogliostro, the man with the answers. The old
man, once a HELLSPAWN himself, attempts to guide Spawn. The old man reveals
that he was the Black Knight and was also known as Merlin. He tells Spawn that
the curse can be broken, but Spawn must first accept who and what he is, and
abandon the red cloak.
Meanwhile, Jason Wynn is doing some investigating of his own. Using his crooked
chief Banks, Wynn probes the appearance of a red cloaked man in the alley. Wynn
wants the cloaked man found. The cops at the center of the investigation are
Sam and Twitch. Bank orders the duo to find the red cloaked man at all costs.
But the cops and Wynn aren't the only ones on the trail of the HELLSPAWN There
is another, a reporter named Lisa Wu.
Sam and Twitch visit Chapel in his cell. The fallen soldier babbles about dead
men and cloaks and finally coughs up something that grabs Twitch's attention;
the name Al Simmons. The lead brings Twitch and Wu together where they begin
to make connections between alleyway rumors and secret military dead men. Wanda
is interviewed. She too has seen the red cloaked creature and something in her
tells her it is her dead husband, Al.
In the alley, Twitch has found Spawn. Words are exchanged. Truths are exposed.
Spawn implicates Jason Wynn and the NSC who is simultaneously uncovering Twitch's
uncovering of Wynn's unlawful ways. For his trouble, Twitch receives a point
blank shot in the head. The shot is fired by chief Banks.
Episode Three
seed of the hellspawn
Twitch lies wounded in his hospital bed, his memory
as shattered as his brain. The blame for the shooting has been shifted to Spawn
when in fact the shooter is Chief Banks, a Jason Wynn puppet. Spawn finds sanctuary
from the streets with Cogliostro who reluctantly tells Spawn that his scarlet
shroud can be used to turn the HELLSPAWN into any form he requires, including
human. In human form Spawn attempts to visit Wanda, but instead, a wise blind
woman, Granny, knows that the mysterious visitor is her daughters dead husband.
Has he come back as an angel, or curse?
Twitch tries to remember who shot him while Wynn reams Banks for botching the
hit. If Twitch remembers that the chief was the trigger man, then the cesspool
of Wynn's corruption could be exposed. But the walls are closing in. Terry Fitzgerald
has contacted NSC investigators and hands over information that could bring
down Wynn for good. As Wynn's world crumbles and collapses, an old friend calls
in and informs Jason of Terry's deceit. The tip gives Wynn just enough notice
to evacuate his office before two men come looking for him.
Meanwhile, Spawn's experiments with cloaking in human form have brought him
to the house of Wanda. Spawn comes to her in the form of Terry and makes love
to her, but the lie is short lived. While Wanda sleeps, the effects of the cloak
shift and change and worms erupt from the disguised HELLSPAWN sending him fleeing
into the night.
But Spawn is not the only one wearing masks. Lisa Wu appears to Cogliostro and
we learn that she is much more than a nosy reporter. She is an assassin named
Jade, a bounty hunter who tracks down, seduces and kills HELLSPAWN And now her
sights are set on Spawn. She wants his head. Spawn is tired of the chase, tired
of the masks and the hiding. He welcomes the hunt.
Episode Four
hunter's moon
The full moon illuminates the scum of Spawn Alley
as a predator pimp beats on one of his hookers. Spawn watches the incident and
remembers his own violent past. He remembers when Wanda found his guns and all
he could think to do was strike her. Has he always been a creature of violence?
Did Malebolgia choose correctly when he changed him to a HELLSPAWN?
The pimp attempts to seduce a lost innocent named Lilly. But the beautiful girl's
innocence is as tenuous as her claws are sharp. In a blink, the pimps men are
mangled, snapped and broken and their veins drained of blood. Again, Spawn is
blamed. Twitch, who has begun to come around, knows Spawn has nothing to do
with these murders. The bullet to his head has erased Twitches memory, but now
the cop is having strange visions. Visions that tell him nothing human killed
the pimps lackeys.
Cogliostro learns of Spawns disguised seduction of Wanda and curses the HELLSPAWN
for his lack of honor. Spawn is quick to point out that Cog was a HELLSPAWN
and the innocent blood of women and children is on Cogliostro's hands too. If
the old man can bring Spawn back to humanity, then Cog will be able to rest.
Spawn is less than impressed, and even less so when the old man tells him that
Lisa Wu is actually a bounty hunter named Jade, and her target is his head.
Jade confronts Lilly and tells her that she has no right to hunt the HELLSPAWN,
but Lilly has some news for the hunter. The masters made a deal with the bloodsucking
Lilly. Kill Spawn and be redeemed. Lilly finds Spawn in the church and there
they have a vicious battle; fallen soul against fallen soul. In the end Spawn
wins, but not without sustaining a near fatal wound. Jade appears and she knows
that she could take Spawn's head easily, but she is honorable and lets him go
for the time being. She senses he is different from other HellSpawns. Their
battle can wait. When she kills him she wants him strong.
Episode Five
chasing the serpent
Before hell swindled his life, mercenary Al Simmons
ventured into the heat of the jungle to retrieve Major Forsberg, a fallen soldier
who sought sanctuary in a hidden temple to escape the horrors of war. Sent by
Jason Wynn, Simmons mission was to bring Forsberg back to him alive if possible,
dead if necessary. It does not matter that Forsberg is a trusted friend. Orders
are orders. Simmons betrays his friend without regret.
Cogliostro tells Spawn these memories have meaning. They are defining moments
in Al Simmons destiny as a pawn of Malebolgia. Spawn claims he did not know
what Wynn meant to do with Forsberg, but Cogliostro knows better. What neither
is aware of is that Wynn has kept the major alive for all of these years in
an opium den, in a cell where Forsberg rots. Now Wynn has come to visit the
major in his cell and Wynn wants to know about a mask that was in the temple
when he was captured. It is the war mask of Genghis Khan. The mask possesses
great power, and Wynn wants it.
The war mask is in the possession of a known Chinatown witch named Zhang Lao.
Cogliostro pays him an inquiring visit. Cog wants the Army of Light to spare
the HELLSPAWN But this is not to be. The prophecy is in place. The seed of a
HELLSPAWN has been planted. The seed, Lao explains, is inside Wanda, the former
wife of Spawn. But, while Wanda worries about the whereabouts of her missing
husband Terry, she is also aware of the strangeness growing within her.
Jade, the bounty hunter is troubled as well. Hidden in Lao's Chinatown shop,
Jade tells of the fading division between good and evil, and the sympathy she
has begun to feel for the HELLSPAWN Meanwhile, Terry attempts to stab Wynn,
but winds up a prisoner of the opium den. Wynn finds the war mask in Lao's shop
and learns two valuable lessons: Lao is more powerful than he seems, and the
mask is not to be worn by just anyone. Wynn is badly burned by the mask and
retreats to lick his wounds. All the while, Wanda locates Terry in the opium
den and attempts to rescue him, but they are surrounded, badly outnumbered by
Wynn's henchmen. But, they are not alone. Spawn is there on a mission to free
Forsberg, and stumbles upon the escape and lends a demonic hand.
While Wanda, Terry and the Major escape, Spawn takes the form of Terry and waits
for the disfigured Jason Wynn. Spawn springs his trap and tries to kill Wynn,
but Wynn's henchmen are packing heavy heat and blow the HELLSPAWN into bloody
submission. Jade appears at the last second and saves Spawn, and makes way for
everyone to escape. Later in the church, when Spawn asks Jade why she saved
him, she has no answer. Instead she removes his mask and embraces the HELLSPAWN
in a passionate kiss.
Episode Six
prophecy
THE HELLSPAWN STANDS CLOSER TO HIS DESTINY. HE
LIES CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO FORCES, HEAVEN AND HELL, A PRISONER IN A SCHEME THAT
IS NOT HIS OWN.
Heaven's bounty hunters appear outside the sanctuary. Spawn learns that if he
does not reclaim his humanity, Wanda is in danger because when Spawn made love
to her, he made her a pawn in the game, a weapon in the war. Spawn is confused.
Cog is enraged.
IT IS THE PROPHECY. HELLSPAWN WOULD PLANT HIS SEED IN A HUMAN WOMAN. A CHILD
WOULD BE BORN. THAT CHILD WOULD DECIDE THE OUTCOME OF ARMAGEDDON. THE FINAL
BATTLE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL!
Malebolgia has tricked Spawn again. It was never about him. It was always about
the prophecy, and the child Spawn would bring into the world.
Downtown Officers Sam and Twitch are dealing with their own double-cross. Somebody
shot Twitch in the head. At first they thought Spawn was the assailant. Now
they know it was an inside job. Chief Banks tries to throw up a smoke screen
by telling Sam that an investigation is underway that may expose a cop on Jason
Wynn's payroll. He also informs Sam that Twitch is through as a policeman. It
is then that Twitch remembers the shooter...Chief Banks. Now it is Twitches
turn to act. Twitch arranges to meet Banks in the subway. With Sam's help, Banks
is exposed as the shooter and Wynn's puppet, but being that he is still a cop
they allow Banks one last chance. They allow him to kill himself.
Meanwhile, Wanda is worried about her mysterious pregnancy and she reveals to
Granny that she is considering aborting the child. Granny is a wise, blind woman
and she knows the child is not Terry's, but still she begs Wanda not to abort.
Shortly after the conversation, Granny suffers a heart attack. It is not fatal,
and when she wakes Spawn has stopped by for a visit. They speak freely to one
another, and Spawn tells the old woman about his regrets and she speaks of her
missing her dear husband Jack, that all she wants is to see the love in his
eyes one last time.
In the graveyard Spawn tells Jade about the bounty hunters, but she knows. They
have come for her because of her betrayal when she spared the HellSpawn's life.
She tells Spawn that his only chance for a new life is for him to use his shroud
for something good and decent. The Bounty hunters attack. Jade is hit. Spawn
wants to help her, but doesn't want her to die. If the Hunters kill her, she
will go to Hell. If HELLSPAWN does the deed, she will ascend to the heavens
where warriors go. As painful as it is for him, Spawn kills Jade with her own
sword. The hunters take her body and inform Spawn that they will be back for
the child.
Following Jade's inspiration, Spawn uses his shroud to grant Granny her wish.
He allows the dead to speak, and the blind to see. For a moment Granny is young
again and with her husband Jack. They look into each others eyes and Jack tells
her that he is waiting for her at the gates of heaven. Spawn returns to Cogliostro
where he says the words that have been smoldering in his blackened soul for
years...
...I want my humanity back.