crossgenarchivist

[crossgenarchivist]

Crossgen Short Film: This is a short film by the DAVE School that is an animation of the first two issues of the mini-series Chimera. Overall I thought this was a very good animation of the story. I will be reviewing the comic eventually to explain the story and how it relates to the overall Sigilverse.

[crossgenarchivist]

Crossgen Sigil and its Significance: The Ligis or Mark of Charon (part 3 of 3)

The final marking in the Sigilverse is that of the God-Emperor Charon. Upon his studying of the Sigil he decided to create his own symbol that was the inverse of Solusandra's.

One fact gleaned from his study of the Sigil-bearers was that human DNA was a necessity to imparting a mark of power onto a being. After reviving Javi, Charon brought him to his research facility to help stabilize the genetic code of his Ligis-bearers.

Charon's Mark functions similar to Solusandra's in that the natural abilities of the being are amplified and enhanced. However, the ability to drain the universal energies of the first were never shown in any of the comic books.

Of the Ligis-bearers the first granted power was Shrakti. She gained a more voluptuous appearance once human DNA was grafted onto her genetic code. Once stabilized Charon marked her left thigh. Her powers were of a teleporter who created portals in the shape of the Ligis. It is unknown if her species had a similar ability before she was marked.

The next bearer was Brevus. He gained a mark on his chest that allowed him to become nigh indestructible. Using his strength and speed he was a tank that could handle damage with minimal effort.

Tibian's mark was on his right palm. His abilities included an enhancing of his natural speed and durability. Using his species' claws and his new speed he became an almost unstoppable weapon capable of reducing a field of enemies in seconds.

The final member of the Ligis-bearers was Trocantor. His mark was upon his forehead and enhanced his species' telepathic skills. With his powers he could freeze enemies in their tracks, read memories, link the minds of different beings, and control a person's body.

Upon encountering the classic Sigil-bearers, the Ligis team was outmatched due to tactical match-ups made by Obregon Kaine in regards to which Sigil had the better chance of restraining or defeating a corresponding Ligis.

Charon created the Ligis to have a team that would be able to confront the Sigil-bearers upon the invasion into the "Bright Universe". Since the Negation War was unfinished the ultimate fate can only be understood from interviews with writers and artists and from fan conjecture.

[crossgenarchivist]

Crossgen Sigil and its Significance: Clarity Sigil (Part 2 of 3)

The Clarity Sigil is in fact Danik's Sigil. It is an all-orange symbol, oval in general shape with two arms that imply a spiral galaxy. Danik first grants his sigil to a fellow Atlantean. She in turn decides upon five more Atlanteans who will wield the sigil.

When the Clarity Sigil is given to a fully evolved Atlantean, their powers gain a focus and clarity. Upon waking the ability to breathe water is granted to them with the placement on their left breast. When Gammid goes into the Negation Universe his sigil allows his powers to work by realigning him to that universe's energies. Upon further exploration it was determined that his sigil allowed him to restore the functioning of the classic Solusandra sigils inside Negation space.

Besides the six Atlanteans, there were also two humans that were given the Clarity sigil. One was given to Cassie Starkweather by an aspect of Danik. Upon receiving the mark on the crown of her head, her abilities to see monsters and ghosts blossomed. Eventually she gained the ability to fight these monsters and make others see what she does. Her power needed the clarity of the sigil to work effectively.

The second, human-bearer was Simon Archard. He gained the ability to note small clues and deduce the truth of a crime at a glance. His Sigil was located on his cane, and he could only use his observation skills while holding the cane. He also became able to note time and solve the mystery of what Emma Bishop's power entailed.

Of note with the humans, it was not made clear if Danik's Sigil affected their genetics like Solusandra's. Both Simon and Cassie gained an increase in their natural abilities. So not so much a change as a "clarity" to their own skills.

So of the three Sigils in the Sigilverse, Solusandra's sparked human evolution. Danik's would bring clarity to a person's own powers and allow a functioning of the classic Sigil in the Negation. Stay tuned for the third and final sigil, the Ligis!

[crossgenarchivist]

Crossgen Sigil and its Significance (Part 1 of 3)

The Sigil is a red-and-yellow left-facing Futatsudomoe mark which serves as the original CrossGen company logo and as the source of power for many of its characters. The main characters of most titles possess a Sigil, granting them a range of powers chosen by their personalities, desires, and fates.

The red and yellow symbolizes Houses Sinister and Dexter, respectively, of the First, the gods of the Sigilverse. Accordingly, the colors represent Destruction and Creation, Selfishness vs Selflessness, hate vs love, and a number of other conflicts.

All of the characters who bear this mark were granted it by Solusandra and mentored by an aspect of Danik. This mark allows the bearer to access the universal energies and wield them according to their personalities. Eventually, it was shown that each sigil contained a memory of Solusandra and  would be collected by her.

Further revelation included that the sigil granted the bearer a genetic change that would allow them to regain their powers and abilities if the mark was removed by Solusandra. Basic powers include but are not limited to: transmutation, energy manipulation, teleportation, increased durability of the bearer, the ability to survive in space, communication between bearers, and a form of clairvoyance.

Of the sigil itself, twice has it been passed onto someone not chosen by Solusandra. In both instances the passing went to someone of genetic relation to the deceased and mourning the death. It is unknown if this is always the case or not.

Of all of the sigils one is especially unique. Samandahl "Sam" Rey's sigil is individual in both shape and properties. His sigil shape is incomplete and jagged compared to everyone else's. One explanation given is the region of the universe he is located in has vast untapped energy and upon activation his sigil was unable to contain the change and became distinctive. The property that marks his sigil as different includes being hidden from the view of the First and being untraceable from energy manipulation.

So in summary, the sigil is the symbol of both CrossGen and the power the bearer wields. This mark causes a genetic change that will allow manipulation of universal energies. Each sigil enhances an aspect of the owner. All sigils share similar powers and design except for Samandal "Sam" Rey's. Each symbol contains a memory of its creator Solusandra. When reabsorbed the bearer becomes depowered but will eventually regain their abilities.

[crossgenarchivist]

Sigilverse

The Sigilverse is the home universe of the Crossgen titles. From the space adventure of Sigil to the medieval journeying of Sojourn, this universe had an understanding about what was possible and what wasn't. To help introduce new readers into the stories and characters Crossgen's website helped show what the planets looked like and gave a background on some of the stories and characters. Shown here from a screen capture of Crossgen.com, we have the following comics:

Sigil - battles in space between humanity and the Saurians

Scion - a tale of two kingdoms and the ritualized combat between the them

Meridian - a story of a girl who comes into power both literal and politically

Mystic - what happen when a girl gains the combined knowledge and power of the strongest magical practitioners

The First - the gods of the Sigilverse and their reactions to humans gaining power through their sigils

Crux - Atlantis is real but the sinking was an accident. Five Atlanteans wake to discover humanity has evolved and left Earth empty.

Sojourn - a despot long dead is revived with a sigil and only an archer and her dog can bring about his destruction.

All of these comics helped define and enhance the overall story of the sigil and what that means to a sigil-bearer. Follow Crossgenarchivist for more explanations and understanding of this great comic book saga.

[crossgenarchivist]

Welcome to my start on trying to archive and remember a company that dreamed large. In the year 2000, I was in high school and just getting back into comics. Walking into my local store was fun again. While browsing the racks I came across the Sigilverse. The colors and ability of the artists drew me in but what made me stay were the stories. Specifically the meta-story of the Sigil-bearers and their connections. This company had a creative vision that sucked me in. With comics that were coming out consistently on time and without delays to the references to the rest of the titles; this company was able to make me appreciate comics again. After reading and collecting the issues, the news that Crossgen was going bankrupt hurt my sense of wonder. The stories were left incomplete and my daydreams of those worlds froze. Looking back this makes me appreciate the stories that did come out and the effort I put into trying to find out as much about the company as the comics. With that I will try to express my opinions and comments about the stories, art, and back-stories of as many aspects of Crossgen Comics as I possibly can.