Mitch Shelley, also known as Resurrection Man, is a character appearing in stories published by DC Comics. The character was created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett, and Jackson Guice, and first appeared in Resurrection Man #1 in 1997. The character does not identify himself as a superhero but often involves himself in cases where he protects people from criminals and super-villains. Due to sub-atomic technology in his bloodstream, Shelley cannot be permanently killed. No matter how he is killed or how much damage is done, he always resurrects fully healed. With each resurrection, he also has a different additional new super-power (while whatever super-power he had previously disappears). In some cases, there is a physical transformation element to his resurrection (in one case, he resurrected as a living shadow, while another time his body altered into a woman's form).
The character has been connected to DC's immortal characters Vandal Savage and the Immortal Man. In the crossover DC One Million, a future timeline shows Mitch Shelley still alive in the 853rd century, operating with the superhero team Justice Legion A and now armed with a "Resurrector" device that controls his resurrection ability.
Publication history
Resurrection Man was created by British comic book writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (frequently known as DnA in their collaborations) and American artist Butch Guice. The initial idea came to them while working for Marvel Comics in the early 90s. Abnett and Lanning had considered reviving the Great Lakes Avengers, a superhero team led by a character called Mr. I or Mr. Immortal. Both felt it was boring that immortality was Mr. Immortal's sole power, and Lanning suggested it would be more interesting if the hero gained a different superpower with every resurrection. When the writing team moved to DC Comics, they proposed the concept to the editors and it was accepted. It was decided that the character Mitch Shelley would be a reluctant hero who did not emulate traditional superheroes, deciding not to wear a costume and often avoiding team-ups with DC's more famous characters such as Superman or the Justice League. To add mystery, the character was introduced as an amnesiac who was uncertain about the nature or origins of his resurrection ability.
Mitch Shelley made his debut in Resurrection Man #1 (1997). The monthly series was structured to follow a grand story arc planned by Abnett and Lanning, with stories following Shelley as he wandered America, having adventures while searching for the truth behind his past and his transformation. During this, he is pursued by "the Lab", its former director Hooker, and the bounty hunters known as the Body Doubles. The first volume of Resurrection Man was critically acclaimed and earned a dedicated fanbase but did not become a commercial success. The series ended in 1999 after 27 issues, with one issue being numbered Resurrection Man #1 Million (taking place in the 853rd century and tying into the DC One Million crossover). While the series answered many questions about Shelley's life and powers, some mysteries were left unresolved regarding the revelation that he had fought evil and villains such as Vandal Savage across history by reincarnating many times and somehow recalling the memories of his past lives. Following the series cancellation, Mitch Shelley made only occasional guest appearances and cameos in other DC Comics stories.
In 2011, DC ended its mainstream superhero titles and relaunched its superhero universe across 52 new series, leading to the New 52 rebooted timeline. Editor Eddie Berganza asked Abnett and Lanning to revive Resurrection Man as an ongoing title. The new monthly series debuted in September, with Fernando Dagnino Guerra as the artist. Rather than act as a sequel to the original stories, this series rebooted the character as an amnesiac searching for his origins, pursued by the Lab, the US government, and an angel who took issue with his constant resurrections. With 52 new superhero titles being published simultaneously, DC Comics acted quickly to cancel books that did not sell well enough to warrant their continuation. Due to mediocre sales, Resurrection Man volume 2 ended after 13 issues (the final issue being numbered #0, wrapping up the series while revealing the new origin story).