Who is Devlin Waugh?
12th February 2024
He’s a charming occult investigator, worldwide celebrity, and full-time vampire, as well as one of the first openly gay characters in British comics. But what else do we need to know about Devlin Waugh?
Created in 1992 and debuting in Judge Dredd Megazine 21, Devlin Waugh was the invention of writer John Smith (Indigo Prime) and artist Sean Phillips (Criminal). Best described as a mix of Noel Coward and Arnold Schwarzenegger, he is a witty and verbose character, who tracks down rare art pieces in between dispensing justice on otherworldly and demonic foes. He enjoys both body-building and flower arranging, and is one of the most famous (and lusted-after) gay celebrities in the world.
Devlin is a part of Judge Dredd’s world, hailing from Brit-Cit, which is the name given to what remains of Great Britain following a worldwide nuclear war. Freelancing for the Vatican as an exorcist, Devlin does what he wants to do first and foremost, making him a challenging and difficult character to predict: Devlin has the mental and physical strength to overcome almost any problem he comes up against… but he won’t take on the challenge unless he wants to!
Devlin’s first story appearance was in “Swimming in Blood”, which saw him sent on a mission to an underwater prison with a vampire problem, known as Aquatraz. Whilst trying to stop the vampires who had overrun the facility he was bitten by one of the creatures, and gained vampiric abilities as a result. Although the vampirism gives him extra strength and the occasional appetite for tucking into a neck or two, it doesn’t define him as much as his powerful moustache and impeccable sense of style.
Smith, himself a gay writer who has written some of 2000 AD’s most singular stories (including Tyranny Rex and Revere) would continue to write Devlin’s adventures for years, mixing mega-violence with witty and camp entendres in equal measure. Devlin greets each new villainous threat with a raised eyebrow and tongue firmly in cheek, making him one of our most popular characters. He’s been illustrated by an all-star lineup of artists including Phillips, Steve Yeowell, Colin MacNeil and John Burns.
After a few years away from comics, Devlin returned in 2018 with the new creative team of Rory McConville (Spawn) and Mike Dowling (Unfollow) sending him off to a distinctly demonic casino in order to try and free his brother Freddy from a sinister debt. Their run was followed by writer Aleš Kot (Suicide Squad), who has been writing Devlin ever since for the Megazine.
After meeting a filth demon, Devlin would go on to inadvertently create a new friend – trapping the demon inside a dildo, he carries around the ahem, marital aid with him ever afterwards. Titivillus, who can talk and frequently chooses to, becomes Devlin’s constant travelling companion as the pair head off round the world, getting into supernatural trouble and occasionally saving the day.
You can read Devin Waugh’s adventures across four collected editions, all available through the 2000 AD webstore. Devlin’s first adventures can be found in “Swimming in Blood”, with his further Smith-written stories (including a sexually-charged meeting with Judge Dredd) collected in “Red Tide”.
Following those two, for the modern adventures of Devlin Waugh try reading “Blood Debt” and finally “The Reckoning”, which bring the character into the current era!
You can also find Devlin’s first story collected as part of Best of 2000 AD Volume 5, alongside Thrill-powered instalments of Zombo, Judge Dredd, and more!
Devlin Waugh is many things: a vampire, a freelancer, a proudly gay man, an art collector, an exorcist, and a body builder. But he’s also one of 2000 AD’s most popular characters, and his adventures remain some of the most incredibly entertaining, shocking, and inventive ever seen in comics!