Grant Morrison, also known as The Writer, was an adversary of Animal Man. He could alter reality by writing a story.
History
Deus Ex Machina
He wrote about the life of Animal Man with tragic results, as Buddy's family was brutally killed. Animal Man was able to reach Morrison's home, where they discussed the nature of Buddy's existence. Grant explained that he controlled every aspect of Animal Man's life, showing him the comics he had written. Buddy became angry, knowing that Morrison was responsible for the death of his family. The writer was remorseless, noting that the drama of the story made the comic more realistic. Grant explained that the real world is far more bleak than the comic book reality, and that he has used the comic as a mouthpiece for his own concerns about animal rights.
Eventually, Grant revealed that this was his last issue of Animal Man, and that there would be a new writer soon. Buddy was incredulous, demanding that Morrison bring back his family. The writer simply commented that the discussion had become boring, and provided Buddy with some villains to fight as a distraction. Animal Man was defeated by the villains, while Grant thanked the editors and artists who helped make the book, and named some specific readers who wrote in and inspired him.
Morrison noted that it's only a comic, and Buddy was actually all right. Before leaving, he seemed to have a sudden change of heart about Buddy's family, and as he disappeared from the page, he told Animal Man to forget they ever met. Suddenly, Buddy was in his home, his family was alive and well, and he cried tears of joy.[1]
War of the Gods
During the War of the Gods, the Writer was pressed into service in the Suicide Squad. He mentioned that once he had written about himself as a comic book character, he had been introduced into the continuity, and another person was controlling him. In the middle of the war against Circe's army, the Writer was not able to write quick enough, and was killed by a Beastiamorph.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Writer's Block
- Other Writers: When inside his comic book creations, the Writer is subject to the rules of the world, including the contributions of any subsequent writers.
Notes
- Though the Writer is an analogue of the real-life Animal Man writer Grant Morrison, who came out as non-binary in October 2020 and now currently uses gender neutral "they/them" pronouns, for our purposes on this website, this character is technically a separate fictional interpretation of Morrison at the time, one that used masculine pronouns and died in 1991. Therefore, to reflect this fictional (albeit outdated) interpretation, "the Writer" is identified as male, though this does not reflect Morrison's contemporary identity.
Related
- 9 Appearances of Grant Morrison (New Earth)
- 2 Images featuring Grant Morrison (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Grant Morrison (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Grant Morrison (New Earth)
Footnotes
  This character is or was primarily an enemy of Animal Man. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Animal Man Villains." |
  Suicide Squad member |
This character exists under the Vertigo Imprint which is intended for Mature Readers.Their continuity takes place within the context of Vertigo titles although they may cross over into regular DC continuity.