'Barbalien: Red Planet,' co-written by property co-creator Jeff Lemire, will tell the origin of the closeted gay hero Mark Markz.

The full origin of the hero of Spiral City will be revealed for the first time in a new five-part miniseries spinning out of the critically acclaimed Black Hammer this summer, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal. Dark Horse Comics’ upcoming Barbalien: Red Planet will shed new light on the inner life of the former warlord of Mars.

Set during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Red Planet sees Mark Markz — a martian shapeshifter who splits his time on Earth between being a superhero and disguising himself as a human cop — struggle with his closeted sexuality and his growing relationship with Miguel, an activist who makes him question his own actions. To make matters more complicated, as all of this is unfolding, Markz is being hunted by an old enemy from Mars who’s determined to bring him back to the red planet, dead or alive.

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