Mark Hazzard: Merc is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics under their New Universe imprint. The series ran for twelve issues in 1986 and 1987, plus one annual.
Publication history
Mark Hazzard: Merc is one of four New Universe titles created by Archie Goodwin. The initial writer for the series was Peter David, but he left after only four issues and was succeeded for the rest of the run by Doug Murray. Whereas David's run dealt with Mark Hazzard's struggles between his family and his military background, Murray focused almost entirely on Mark Hazzard's mercenary career. Though Mark Hazzard: Merc never secured a stable art team, nearly half the issues were penciled by Gray Morrow.
With the series due to be cancelled, Murray had the title character killed in Mark Hazzard: Merc Annual #1, which was published before the final issue (#12) of the regular series. As such, issue #12 was retitled simply Merc on the cover, and featured a cast of Mark Hazzard's associates in the starring role. Of the four New Universe titles that were cancelled at the end of the imprint's first year (the others being