The Massive is an American comic book series, created by writer Brian Wood and artist Kristian Donaldson. It was published by Dark Horse Comics between 2012 and 2014, followed by a prequel series, The Massive – Ninth Wave, in 2015. The series concerns the after-effects of a worldwide natural cataclysm called "The Crash", which has seen water levels rise drastically, and the efforts of the conservation activist group The Ninth Wave.
Creation Wood was inspired to create an ecological dystopian storyline due to his anxieties over the future of world for his young daughter. At the 2013 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Wood explained the premise: "Basically if you take all these projections you hear about what's going to happen in 20 years in terms of global warming or whatever, everything happens at once, all at the same time", and termed it "survivalist fiction". He described The Massive as a "stylistic and tonal" follow-up to DMZ.; while he acknowledged the possibility he would be accused of "ranting and soapboxing", Wood decided not to care, feeling he would never change the minds of those who disagreed with his views.
In contrast to his previous creator-owned works, Wood scaled back the research for the project as he felt examination of such in-depth scientific topics would "possibly fall short". He did, however, draw on the ecological non-fiction book Four Fish, the impact of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and consulted maps to ensure the story's geography was accurate. Wood also consulted his sister-in-law, an agent for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He felt the "three big mysteries" of The Massive were the cause of The Crash, the nature of Mary, and the location of The Massive, and felt the resolution would be "polarizing".
Regarding the characters, Wood reflected he found "a lot of pleasure in creating very flawed, very relatable characters and then putting them through the worst situation possible," and felt it was more personal than his work on X-Men and Star Wars. Various terms in the series, including the name of the Ninth Wave organization, were inspired by Norse mythology. Initially he collaborated with Kristian Donaldson, who he had previously worked with on Demo (2003-2004), Supermarket (2006), and issues of DMZ (2005-2012).
Publishing history The series was originally intended to be created for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, coming close to signing contracts, but editorial changes at the company, including the departure of Karen Berger, led Wood to take the project to Dark Horse, which he felt he would provide better control of the rights.
The series debuted in anthology title Dark Horse Presents #8-10, in three eight-page prelude strips. An ongoing series was announced at the 2011 New York Comic Con. John Paul Leon provided covers for the series. which were usually done months ahead of the interior art for the individual issues
The three-part prelude was released on Dark Horse's website on 22 April 2012 to tie in with Earth Day. While Wood felt trade paperbacks were the best format for the series, he put effort into the single issues to provide readers with "bang for the buck". As a result, the first six issues contained written backmatter mini-essays by Wood. The series was structured in three-issue plot-arcs, in contrast to the six-issue pattern of DMZ. Wood felt this allowed denser stories to be fitted into the 30 issues. Wood used flashbacks as a device to swiftly begin the action while providing context and backstory.
Issue 3 saw Garry Brown take over from Donaldson as artist; he would remain for the bulk of the run, with Gary Erskine, Declan Shalvey, and Danijel Žeželj providing fill-in issues for 'one-shot' storylines. Wood deliberately requested widescreen visuals for the series. Brown's attitude towards the series' environmental concerns reflected those of the writer, and at Wood's suggestion watched the documentary series Whale Wars in preparation. He also researched oil rig construction. The wide shots, Wood felt, provided greater scope and context for storytelling.
Ahead of the release of The Massive #7, Wood reflected on the supposed utopia of Moksha Station, "I think human nature -- our base instincts -- always wins out over ideology" Moksha Station was partly inspired by self-proclaimed micronation Sealand. An arc featuring whalers was a deliberate reference to Wood's series Northlanders As the series went on, Wood received plaudits from Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, something he described as "flattering".
After solicitations for The Massive #16 failed to appear there were rumors the title had been cancelled, but after a short delay the series resumed. As the series unfolded, Wood had concerns that the story wouldn't fit as he fleshed out he scripts but was able to stick to his plan for the series and complete the story in 30 issues, and was pleased the twists in the plot hadn't been spoiled for readers. The 30th and final issue served as an epilogue to the series. Garry Brown describing finishing the series as "emotional".
In 2015, Wood and Brown reunited to produce six-issue prequel mini-series The Massive: Ninth Wave, again published by Dark Horse.
Plot The Crash After narrowly avoiding death from rogue waves after a mission to a North Sea oil rig in 1995 as part of private military company Blackbell, mercenary Callum Israel experiences an epiphany. Quitting contract military work in 1997, he tracks down direct-action environmental activist group Ninth Wave, and uses his fortune to equip the group with two ships - the Kapital (a refitted Kingston-class coastal defence vessel purchased in Panama) and Massive (formerly a factory trawler, gifted to them by the South Korean government), renaming it as the Ninth Wave Conservationist Force. He also recruits former comrade Mag Narendha, and forms a relationship with mysterious Ninth Wave member Mary, the only member of the original group to stay on, and who he saw on the oil rig. Callum does not understand her survival, but accepts it, and the pair begin a relationship. He also becomes an avowed pacifist, only allowing a hunting rifle and some shotguns onboard each ship for contingencies. The Ninth Wave achieve celebrity initially, and are profiled on MTV; however, following a blockade of oil tankers in Haifa their fame turns into notoriety, and the organization spend weeks at the top of the FBI and Interpol's most wanted list on suspicion of involvement in the September 11 attacks.
A series of environmental disasters hit Earth in rapid succession. After a number of violent storms devastate the Cook Islands, the World Meteorological Organization created new storm categories (Cat. 6–9) to classify them in January; the following month magnetic storms bring down most of the planet's orbital satellites, while record snowfall hits Canada. Falling water levels see the Suez Canal abandoned in March, oil platforms are set on fire by underwater landslides and pollute the Baja California peninsula, and Hong Kong is devastated by an earthquake in May. The following month Iceland is effectively destroyed when the volcano Grímsvötn erupts, while the Eastern Seaboard of the United States loses power permanently, the Cortes Bank is drastically changed and a United States Navy battlegroup is sunk by the sudden release of methane from the sea floor. Taiwan is submerged by September, and in October a damaged Royal Navy nuclear submarine explodes in the Strait of Magellan. On November 11 the global economy crashes, while mass bird deaths are reported. The Ninth Wave's vessels report on mass emigration by whales and the break-up of Antarctic ice. Callum initially wants the group to put its resources towards rescue efforts at the nearest port but is out-voted by Mary and Mags, who believe they will just be absorbed and wasted in any government response and can do more good by weathering the crisis at sea. Instead they resupply at the remains of Hong Kong, where Cal and Mary narrowly survive a mugging. Despite Mags' belief they now need to be armed, Cal and Mary vote to retain the organization's Nonviolence Charter
Landfall The effects of the Crash separate Kapital from Massive on November 29. Callum, Mags and Mary are all on board the smaller Kapital at the time, which is captained by Lars. The search for Massive brings them to the coast of Siberia, where they are attacked by pirates. Mary takes one of the ship's launches to draw them off, but loses contact with the Kapital. Cal reluctantly orders the pursuit of the Massive to continue without her, and they seemingly make radio contact with the larger ship. However, when the Kapital closes on the signal all they find is an abandoned launch with a radar transponder, broadcasting a pre-recorded distress signal. In deep fog, the Kapital stumbles on to the pirates' base and is forced to flee East. Callum correctly deduces Mary's launch is heading towards Unalaska, site of a secret US military supply dump, and they are reunited. On board the Kapital, technical expert Georg is unable to break most of the code running from the transponder, something Mag orders him to keep secret.
Black Pacific Needing a base of operations, the Kapital sails to Somalia, where Cal strikes a supply deal with a shady black market figure in Mogadishu. He also meets with Arkady, a former Blackbell comrade now providing security in the city, overseeing shark fins, now a valuable commodity. He warns Cal he plans to take control of the Kapital. Mary and American Ninth Wave member Ryan are then landed at Coats Land to collect pure ice for drinking water from boreholes. However, they find the facilities have been compromised and are captured by looters, who plan to kill them by dropping the pair in the sub-zero boreholes. Mary is somehow able to get them to the drill's underwater cabin and revive Ryan, and after they recover uses the same technique to get them back to the surface, where Mag has arrived by helicopter. Mary secures the station, effectively claiming it for the Ninth Wave. Near the Marshall Islands, the Kapital finds the Caledonia-Ursk, a seemingly drifting container ship. With some reluctance Cal allows Mag to go on board to see if it is abandoned and a legitimate target for salvage. He and Georg board the vessel armed with contraband automatic weapons, but the latter is shot by a sniper moments later. The tanker is under S.A.S. guard and escorted by an Archer-class patrol vessel, but Mags is able to persuade the guards to give them some food to avoid the Ninth Wave giving away the Caledonia-Ursk and its valuable British government supplies. Cal remains unaware of the combat onboard however, and Mags has Ryan treat Georg's bullet wound in secret.
Subcontinental A few weeks later, the Kapital reaches Moksha Station - a new society located in international waters at the Indian Ocean made up of mobile oil rigs that has declared itself a neutral sovereign nation. The ship and its crew are received warmly by the settlement's chief superintendent director, Sumon, but the station is put into lockdown when a cyclone approaches. Cal returns to the ship to supervise it being moved to safety, but Mary disappears. With Callum unable to return, Lars attempts to move the Kapital out to sea, only to find Moksha's forces blocking him. Meanwhile, Mary sabotages the station's radio system before plunging into the sea, with Sumon's security forces believing she is dead until they recover her alive. Concurrently Mag, Georg and Ryan take the transponder from the Massive to Yusup, an old acquaintance based at the station and expert engineer, for investigation. Cal visits Mary, but she asks to see Mag; a furious Sumon has Cal beaten unconscious, and when he wakes, Mag tells him Mary is planning to defect to Moksha, taking the Kapital with her.