Alt★Hero is a comic book published by Castalia House under the Arkhaven Comics imprint. It was crowdfunded in 2017 and launched the following year. White nationalist and conspiracy theorist Vox Day is the creator and writer, with art by Cliff Cosmic and Richard Bonk. Given the author's extremist political views, it's not surprising that his worldview bleeds into the very foundation of the comic. The name itself comes from the "alt-right" movement, an American Neo-Nazi movement that came to prominence in the 2010s.
The comic is set on an alternate history Earth and focuses on superhumans, aka "specials", who are classified as a separate sub-species, Homo Sequens. Two international bodies have been created to keep them in check. The Global Justice Initiative recruits them to serve the greater good; the Superhuman Protection Council, a United Nations body, polices them. There is some resistance to these bodies, from superhumans and regular people alike.
There are two main parallel story arcs. One is set in Europe and revolves around the Global Justice Initiative; the other is set in the US and deals with the SPC. A third arc was introduced in the web version (see below) about a Chinese super team operating in America and a secret super team brought in to combat them.
Alt★Hero is available in both print and webcomic format. Originally, Day published the web version on Webtoon before moving it to his own platform, Arkhaven. You can read it free here
, albeit in a different publication order from the print run.
Crowdfunding for a film adaptation was successful, but the money was lost in a scam and is presumed lost, with no further plans to adapt the series to screen.
The comic has spawned two spin-offs: Chuck Dixon's Avalon and Shade.
Alt★Hero provides examples of:
- Alliterative Name: Janelle Jeanneret; Michael Martel; Soulsight.
- A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read: Soulsight can glimpse moments of people's past and feel their resulting pain. "Poor bastard," remarks Martel. It could be worse though: at least he can't actually see people's souls.
- As the Good Book Says...: Immotus quotes Ecclesiastes 3:1, telling the resistance "there is a season for everything". He himself calls it "the Good Book".
- Author Tract: Part of the appeal of the comic is that it serves as one for the author, being an opportunity to share his disdain for the globalists and liberals and champion everything from Christianity to the Confederacy.
- Badass Boast: Martel. "One hundred percent genuine American badass. With a fastball!"
- Blunt "No": Shade, when Dynamique excitedly asks if she can drive his car.
- Bullet Catch: In her first scene, Janelle does this with a tranquiliser dart and taser electrodes, using the latter to shock the hapless shooter.
- Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: Invoked and defied by Durand. When Captain Europa's appearance causes some of the Paris protesters to lose heart, Durand tells them it's time the French fought back instead of fleeing all the time. Despite being physically outmatched, he faces and beats the Captain, inspiring the nationalists to rout their Antifa opposition.
- Company Cross References: To Castalia House publications:
- Dreamforge gives his fellow dissidents copies of their new "warfighting manual", 4th Generation Warfare Handbook by William S. Lind and Gregory A. Thiele.
- Dr Nano offers to liven up a road trip with an audio book implied to be C.R. Hallpike's Ship of Fools: An Anthology of Learned Nonsense About Primitive Society. His fellow passengers are less than enthused.Nano: At least you learned something.
Rainbow: Yeah, never let you pick the audiobook.
- Dreamforge gives his fellow dissidents copies of their new "warfighting manual", 4th Generation Warfare Handbook
- Darker and Edgier: The American SPC storyline has a considerably more serious tone than the European arc. The dissident specials are ready to kidnap and even kill to protect their families and themselves, the art is less cartoonish, and there is less humour and more internal conflict.
- Designated Girlfight: Averted. When preparing to apprehend the dissidents, Sparassi volunteers to take on Hammer, leaving Kelvin Nought to deal with Rebel.
- Destructive Savior: Ryu No Seishin, with Fairytail's help, rescues Hammer and Rebel by using her fire power to put Nought and Sparassi to flight. Unfortunately this takes place at a motel, and the resulting blaze claims six innocent lives. Ryu does not take it well.
- Distinction Without a Difference: Durand did not beat Captain Europa. He just took him by surprise. Cue Aside Glance from Dynamique.
- Double-Meaning Title: Volume Two, entitled "Rebel's Cell", introduces an anti-SPC cell of rebel superhumans. They rescue Shiloh, who later adopts the name Rebel, from a prison cell.Shiloh: You want Bama? You want Bama? You got Bama!
- Gilded Cage: Trying to draw Shiloh and her allies out, the SPC take her parents into custody. They are unharmed and given all the comforts of home, but are still prisoners.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Shiloh's reaction to the police car signaling her is "Well, fudgesticks!"
- Hero Antagonist: Kelvin Nought is introduced as a heroic man of integrity, soon recruited by the SPC to help apprehend the rebel specials.
- Invulnerable Knuckles: Played straight a lot, due to the characters' super-powers, but averted in "The Dark Hunt". A haymaker from Dynamique sends a huge wolfman flying, and leaves her clutching her wrist in pain and envying Shade's thick gloves.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Michael's surname and alias match eighth century French (Frankish) leader Charles "The Hammer" Martel, best known for his victory at the Battle of Tours.
- Politically Incorrect Hero: Hammer. Prior to joining the resistance he targets criminals who are illegal immigrants. He repeatedly addresses female special Raptor with Your Little Dismissive Diminutive, and tells her American-born Korean partner "You have to go back!"
- Rhymes on a Dime: Rainbow likes to drop rhyming couplets into his conversations.Rainbow: I've been in London, I've been in France, I've been in beaucoup underpants!
- Shipper on Deck: Rebel, for Hammer and Ryu No Seishin. At one point she gets so playfully zealous that she and Hammer draw the attention of the police and consequently the SPC. Tragedy ensues.
- Shout-Out to Shakespeare: Shade heralds Rainbow's arrival with "Something wicked this way comes."
- Steven Ulysses Perhero: Kelvin Nought has ice powers and his name means the temperature at which all matter would freeze.
- Strong, but Unskilled: Or at least, strong but inexperienced at first. Hammer can punch through walls and take down half a dozen armed thugs, no trouble. Yet the first homo sequens he faces in a fight, Fragile Speedster spider-woman Sparassi, overcomes him with ease.
- Trust Password: Durand and Foucault must reply to "Avanti" with the countersign "Azzurri", completing the battle cry of Italian football (soccer) fans. Possibly chosen because no other self-respecting Frenchman would respond this way, or maybe just to troll them.
- Welcome Episode: Volume One for Janelle/Dynamique. Volume Two introduces the American-based resistance cell, and Michael/Hammer who joins them. Shiloh also meets the dissidents in Volume Two but does not join them as Rebel until the next volume.
- You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: After Martel beats up a gang of Antifa thugs who confronted him, Immotus informs him that one of them is the son of the Lieutenant Governor. Martel is unfazed until he learns his actions will attract the SPC's attention.
