The Scorched (2022–Present): Spawn's First Team Book
The Scorched (2022–Present): Spawn's First Team Book
Spawn's first-ever team book, with a revolving cast of Hellspawn and heroes. Here is what we love about the series that turned the Spawn Universe into a shared world.
For decades, Spawn was a solitary figure. Todd McFarlane's Spawn was a very personal, very dark one-man story. Then, around 2021, McFarlane began building a wider universe around him, and The Scorched is where it all came together: Spawn's very first team series, published by Image Comics.
We stock a lot of modern Image titles at Siomic Comics, and The Scorched has been one of the more fun ones to follow, with a fast pace, a changing cast and some surprising reveals. Here is our guide to how it started, who has written and drawn it, and the issues worth knowing about.
The Scorched at a glance
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Run: Launched in 2022 and still ongoing, with dozens of issues so far
- Created by: Todd McFarlane, with Sean Lewis as the first writer
- Main artist: Stephen Segovia on most of the run, with Alessandro Vitti and Raymond Gay later on
- Later writers: John Layman and then Thomas Healy
- Opening line-up: Reaper, Spawn, Redeemer, Gunslinger, Medieval Spawn and She-Spawn
- Team leader: Jessica Priest, She-Spawn
- Part of: The expanded Spawn Universe alongside Spawn's Universe, King Spawn and Gunslinger Spawn
Where The Scorched came from
The Scorched is the culmination of what Image called the Year of Spawn in 2021, when McFarlane launched Spawn's Universe, King Spawn and Gunslinger Spawn. Those books each followed a different Hellspawn or Spawn-related character, and The Scorched brought several of them together on one team. McFarlane described it as a book with a rotating cast of heroes and villains, which meant the creative team could keep introducing new characters.
The first line-up was Reaper, Spawn, Redeemer, Gunslinger, Medieval Spawn and She-Spawn, with more to follow. The first issue arrived with a main cover by Frank Quitely and an unusually long list of variant covers by names such as Greg Capullo, Brett Booth and Mark Silvestri, which made it a big event for collectors of modern Image comics.
The people behind the book
The opening writer was Sean Lewis, working with artist Stephen Segovia, who went on to draw most of the run, issue after issue. From around #25, John Layman took over the writing and kept the book going through to about #47. Later, Thomas Healy became the writer, credited from #51, with artists Alessandro Vitti and then Raymond Gay picking up the pencils.
The story so far
The series is structured as a succession of missions, and the early arcs set the tone:
The first mission
The team lands in Russia and finds a military base hiding some very nasty experiments.
Soul Crusher
A returning enemy turns out to be part of a bigger network of dangerous individuals.
K and the Sin Devourers
In #10 to #12, a mysterious creator called K returns with his Sin Devourers and plans to destroy the team.
Monolith joins
A brutal new recruit arrives in #21, and the rest of the team has to decide whether he is an asset.
The Spawn #350 aftermath
In #27 the story jumps six months after Spawn #350, and by #28 the team is the target of an international manhunt.
Jason Wynn returns
In #31, a man Jessica Priest tried to forget returns, wanting her back under his control.
Jessica Priest at the centre
The heart of the series is Jessica Priest, who leads the team as She-Spawn. Through the story, she tries to hold a very unstable group together, and the book spends a lot of time on whether she can trust the people around her. It makes The Scorched feel more like a character drama than a straight team-up.
Key issues to know
| Issue | Cover date | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2022 | The first issue of Spawn's team book, with a long list of variants |
| #10 | 2022 | The Sin Devourers return, with their creator, K |
| #21 | 2023 | Monolith joins the team |
| #24 | 2023 | First appearance of the Viscerator |
| #27 | 2024 | The aftermath of Spawn #350, set six months later |
| #31 | 2024 | Jason Wynn returns to Jessica Priest's life |
| #42 | 2025 | The truth behind the Redeemer begins to come out |
| #50 | 2026 | A landmark anniversary issue |
The creators behind the comic
Todd McFarlane
Creator of Spawn and the driving force behind the wider universe, with plotting and cover credits across the run.
Sean Lewis
The opening writer who set up the team and its first big arcs.
Stephen Segovia
The main artist of the series, drawing most of the first 50 issues.
John Layman
Wrote the book through the middle part of the run, including the return of Jason Wynn.
Thomas Healy
The later regular writer, credited from #51 onward.
Alessandro Vitti and Raymond Gay
Later artists who followed Segovia.
Curiosities collectors should know
A lot of covers
Almost every issue has multiple variant covers, so a single issue number can mean several different books on the shelf.
A universe-wide book
It was the last of the four new Spawn titles that grew out of McFarlane's Year of Spawn.
Collected editions
The series has been collected in trade paperbacks, with Volume 5 covering #27 to #32 (published March 2025).
A rotating cast
The line-up changes often, which keeps the book unpredictable.
Recent and ongoing
Because it is still running, new key issues keep appearing.
Why this series matters
The Scorched shows how far the Spawn character has come since 1992. What began as a single, brooding horror hero now sits at the centre of a shared universe, and this book is the best place to see how all the pieces fit together.
Where to start reading The Scorched
Start with #1, since the opening arcs introduce the whole team. If you are more interested in the later period, try #27, which is a good jumping-on point after the Spawn #350 storyline, and #31 for the return of Jason Wynn.
The Scorched covers through the years
A look at some of the covers from the run. Tap a cover to see our copy if it's in stock.
#2
#12
#46Browse our The Scorched back issues
These are some of the issues we currently have on the shelf. Every copy is photographed so you can check its condition before buying.
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#1
The Scorched #1
The start of Spawn's team book, in a format with a lot of variant covers.
View our copy -
#10
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#21
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#24
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#25
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#29
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#31
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#50
We also have these issues of the series in stock:
You can also search all our The Scorched comics.
Frequently asked questions about The Scorched
When did The Scorched start?
The Scorched launched in 2022 from Image Comics and is still ongoing.
Who created The Scorched?
Todd McFarlane created the series, with Sean Lewis as the first writer and Stephen Segovia as the main artist.
Who is on the team in The Scorched?
The first team included Reaper, Spawn, Redeemer, Gunslinger, Medieval Spawn and She-Spawn, with Jessica Priest as the leader.
What is the first appearance of the Viscerator?
The Viscerator first appears in The Scorched #24, cover-dated 2023.
Do I need to read Spawn first?
Not necessarily, but the series draws on King Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn and Spawn's Universe, so some background helps.
Where should I start reading The Scorched?
Begin with #1, or jump in at #27, which follows the Spawn #350 storyline.
Condition grades on our listings follow our comic & book condition guide. Have The Scorched comics of your own? See how to sell your comics to Siomic Comics. The Scorched, Spawn and all related characters are trademarks of Todd McFarlane Productions. Cover images are shown for reference.