When DC acquired WildStorm in the mid-'90s, DC acquired the rights to Stormwatch and The Authority, and, in turn, the rights to Midnighter and Apollo. The two characters first appeared to be a pastiche of Batman and Superman in Stormwatch, and they were core members of The Authority, which is equal parts a satire of traditional superhero teams and over-the-top, cinematic action. While they might initially appear to be fascinating characters in their own right, they're also in one of comics' most prominent same-sex relationships.

Under the WildStorm banner, Apollo and Midnighter exploded in popularity as The Authority become the most hyped comic on stands. Since then, they went through numerous relaunches before ending up in the main DC Universe. Now, CBR is taking a look back at Apollo and Midnighter's shared history and their long path to the DCU.

MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO IN THE AUTHORITY

Authority Widescreen

Both Midnighter and Apollo debuted in Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's critically-acclaimed run on the WildStorm title Stormwatch, where they were survivors of a black-ops team that fought crime together. However, the characters truly came into their own in Ellis and Hitch's The Authority, where team founder Jenny Sparks recruits them as part of an attempt to establish order and peace on the planet.

Apollo is a solar powered superhero who is often confused for a god, while Midnighter is a human with a lot of gadgets. a few mild superhuman abilities and martial art skills. The characters were shown to have a close friendship until The Authority #8, where we learned the two were indeed in love.

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While both characters are satirical reflections of Superman and Batman, the two are distinct in how they both support and care for one another above all else. Neither are caricatures or played for laughs, and their relationship is taken entirely seriously. Both heroes are absolutely devoted to one another.

Although Midnighter leaves the Authority after he is convinced by what he believes to be a future version of Apollo that the team will bring about a global fascist dictatorship, the two eventually wed and adopt the young superhero Jenny Quantum.

Controversy and Acclaim

The Authority is subject to a lot of critical acclaim and controversy, depending on who was writing the title. Ellis and Hitch's run on The Authority earned a GLAAD award for the positive portrayal of Midnighter and Apollo's same-sex relationship.

During their tenure on the title,  Mark Millar and Frank Quitely included  several major moments in the couple's history. But not all of these moments are necessarily highlights. In The Authority #14, Apollo is attacked by a Thor-pastiche named Storm God. Apollo is brutally beaten, which culminates in what is strongly implied to be sexual assault. In retribution, Midnighter uses a jackhammer against the Storm God similarly. These scene was part of a larger fight sequence between the Authority and an Avengers-like team that was censored for its ultra-violent content.

After Millar's tenure on the title ended, Apollo and Midnighter were fixtures of the WildStorm Universe until it folded in 2010.

APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER IN THE DC UNIVERSE

The WildStorm Universe became part of the DC Multiverse as of 52, and Midnighter, Apollo and the rest of the WildStorm Universe were folded into the main DC Universe in the wake of the New 52 relaunch. . Midnighter and Apollo debuted in the New 52's relaunch of Stormwatch. Here, the two characters met for the first time, without any of their prior relationship even being hinted at. However, over the course of the first 18 issues, the two begin to realize their attraction for one another. Eventually, the two reverted to their original WildStorm selves, remembering everything that had happened pre-New 52.

The couple ends up breaking up when Apollo starts to feel overly disturbed by Midnighter's increasingly violent actions. But the two end up reuniting following DC Rebirth, with Midnighter going to Hell to save Apollo's soul from the demon Neron in typical DC Universe fashion.

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One curious element of DC and WildStorm blending is that Midnighter and Apollo exist in the same space as the characters they were originally a response to. And, oddly enough, Midnighter has seemingly been assimilated into the extended Bat Family.

During the series Grayson, super-spy Dick Grayson forms a working relationship with Midnighter, with the two working together to take down crime. In an odd turn of events, the satire has become part of the thing that he was created to respond to in the first place.

After co-starring in a miniseries in 2017, both Midnighter and Apollo appeared in The Wild Storm, which offered a new take on the heroes in another alternate universe. However, regardless of the changes to the world around them, Apollo and Midnighter have always found their way back together.