12 Shocking Real-Life Incidents That Affected Comics

6. The Gunpowder Plot And V For Vendetta

Whilst this entry requires delving into a much earlier historical incident it is included due to its continued relevance and for the fact that it is the one entry on the list that could also be included in an article entitled €œ12 Comics That Shaped Real Life Incidents€. When Alan Moore wrote his V For Vendetta appendices €œBehind The Painted Smile€ he included a list of influences that he hoped to bring to V and his world. Whilst Guy Fawkes was not amongst the list, which included Judge Dredd, Batman and The Prisoner, John Lloyd€™s depiction of V in a Fawkes-like costume led to the influence of the Gunpowder Plot being central to the anti-establishment tone of the series. The incident also acts as the basis for one of the comic€™s key scenes where V atones for Fawkes€™s earlier failing by successfully destroying the Houses of Parliament. With the activist group Anonymous later adopting the V/Fawkes mask as their symbol, V for Vendetta has become one of the greatest examples of the interchange between reality influencing a cultural artefact, which subsequently goes on to influence reality.
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Contributor

As well as the odd article, I apply my "special mind" to scriptwriting for Comics, Films and Games... Oh and I cut down trees, I skip and jump, I like to press wild flow'rs, I put on women's clothing, and hang around in bars. Follow me on Twitter @DrRobertOtnik