Urizen (comics) - Free at Last

Free At Last

Unknown to Spawn, someone else had a plan for Urizen. Two minor opener-demons, Ab and Zab, were sent to earth and possessed two bodies from a car crash outside the town of Malice, Pennsylvania. They went to a nearby diner and waited until they had 13 innocents to sacrifice. They executed them and took them to a nearby hill where they painted a mystical emblem on the ground and burned the bodies, completing an opening spell that released Urizen from his banishment and allowed him to return through the smoke. As they worked they referenced that Urizen had been forgotten over time. Only a few really knew of his existence, and only limited information. Blake was one such person and he wrote about him in The Book of Urizen, but like the cult most of what Blake believed was wrong.

Spawn sensed that a great power had arisen and headed to face Urizen, but was easily defeated. Spawn was then pulled into Greenworld where he was given a gift of great power to return to Earth with and confront Urizen. Angela was there when Spawn awoke, eager to aid him in his fight. She had captured Ab and Zab and found out what they were up to. Urizen was laying waste to the land and the forces of Heaven were about to go to Earth to stop him. This would have jumpstarted the Apocalypse, since it would have also permitted Hell to invade. Angela went to distract the Angels while Spawn fought Urizen. Angela returned, and Spawn used his new powers to create a wall of trees to slow Urizen down. With the Chains of Hell, the Ribbons of Heaven and the Gift of Greenworld (a powerful energy blast charged with the four forces of nature) Urizen was defeated and the Earth opened up to swallow and imprison him. Interrogation of Ab and Zab led Spawn and Angela to find that Malebolgia had been the one who had sent them on their mission in the hopes that Heaven would come to Earth in a bid to stop him. This act would give Hell an excuse to go to Earth en masse as well, starting Armageddon early. With all of Hell's armies on Earth, Malebolgia then planned to usurp the other kingdoms of Hell from their absent lords, setting himself up as the supreme ruler of all the Inferno. Urizen's defeat led to Malebolgia's failure, and all of his allies withdrew their support from him and his kingdom in anger, leaving him at his weakest. This led to the confrontation between Spawn, Angela and Malebolgia in issue 100.