Summaries

An elite mercenary is killed, but comes back from Hell as a reluctant soldier of the Devil.

An assassin named Al Simmons is double-crossed and murdered by his evil boss Jason Wynn. Al makes a deal with the devil and returns to earth as Spawn to see his wife. He is ordered by the devil's minion, The Clown, to kill Wynn. Wynn has made a deal with the Clown too and is supposed to destroy the world with a deadly virus that will help start Armageddon and allow Hell to attack Heaven. Spawn must choose between Good and Evil.—Keith Haney <[email protected]>

After seeking his soul to the Devil, US Secret Agent Al Simmons will return to the Earth as Spawn: the leader of Hell's Army. Al has other plans though: he seeks the man who betrayed and killed him: Jason Wynn, who's also made a deal with the Devil in secret. It's a battle to the death: it's demon versus demon.—Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187

Al Simmons is a hit-man who works for the government. One day, someone sets him up and he is killed. Of course, he goes to Hell, where Malebolgia - the Devil himself - offers him a deal. Al will come back to life with a certain amount of "energy", but when it runs out, he will return to Hell as a Hellspawn, and help in the war against Heaven. Al accepts the offer, because of the love for his wife Wanda, but when he arrives back on Earth he sees that the Devil has cheated him - His face is horribly distorted, his body covered with a living suit, and the worst of all; he finds Wanda married to his best friend. Shattered, the Spawn starts wandering in New York's alleys.—Chris Makrozahopoulos <[email protected]>

Lieutenant Colonel Al Simmons who is a secret agent of an organization called A-6, run by Jason Wynn. However, during an operation, Simmons was double-crossed by Wynn himself and was killed and sent to the devil's world. The devil kept Simmons secluded for 5 years, then sent Simmons back as "Spawn", having very little memory, only remembering his wife, Wanda, and Wynn. He is sent to kill Wynn. Meanwhile, Wynn is secretly planning for world domination, and has ordered special doctors to implant a detonator for a deadly virus into his heart if anybody kills him. Then, Spawn finds out that it is a plan by the devil to kill everybody in the world. So that the devil's army is purified and they can destroy heaven. Spawn must stop Wynn and Clown (the devil's assistant) from destroying the world.—John Wiggins

Details

Keywords
  • based on comic book
  • clown
  • hell
  • image comics
  • devil
Genres
  • Action
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Crime
  • Drama
Release date Jul 31, 1997
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) PG-13
Countries of origin United States
Language English
Filming locations Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Production companies New Line Cinema McFarlane Films Pull Down Your Pants Pictures

Box office

Budget $40000000
Gross US & Canada $54870175
Opening weekend US & Canada $19738749
Gross worldwide $87840042

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 36m
Color Color
Sound mix Dolby Digital SDDS
Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Synopsis

Al Simmons (Michael Jai White), a military soldier/assassin, is betrayed by the head of a covert government agency, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen). Wynn assigns Simmons a mission to take out a Bio-Chem plant in North Korea while ordering his top assassin, Jessica Priest (Melinda Clarke), to assassinate him. After Simmons dies from a gas fire caused by Wynn, he arrives in Hell, where Malebolgia (Frank Welker), the Devil, offers him a Faustian deal. If Simmons becomes his eternal servant and leader of his army in Armageddon, he will be able to return to Earth to see his fiancée, Wanda Blake (Theresa Randle). Simmons accepts the offer and is returned to Earth.

When he returns, Simmons learns that five years have passed. Wanda is now married to his best friend, Terry (D. B. Sweeney) and living the life he longed for, including the daughter he never knew, Cyan (Sydni Beaudoin). He encounters a strange clown-like demon called The Violator (John Leguizamo), who acts as a guide, setting "Spawn" onto the path to evil. He also meets a mysterious old man named Cogliostro (Nicol Williamson), a fellow Hellspawn who freed his soul and now fights for Heaven. Jason Wynn has become a high-class weapons dealer and developed the ultimate biological weapon, "Heat 16". During a reception Simmons attacks Wynn, kills Jessica and escapes, instinctively using Spawn's strange armor.

Following Simmons' attack, The Violator convinces Wynn to have a device attached to his heart that will trigger the worldwide release of Heat 16 should his vital signs flatline. The device is supposedly a safeguard against assassination attempts, but Malebolgia actually wants Simmons to kill Wynn and trigger the apocalypse. Spawn confronts The Violator, who turns into his demonic form and beats him down. Cogliostro rescues him and teaches him how to use his necroplasm armor before Spawn learns that Clown and Jason are going to kill Terry.

Meanwhile, Terry has just finished texting a fellow newsman who sent him evidence exposing Jason Wynn. After the transmission, Cyan enters the room, with Jason right behind her. Jason destroys Terry's computer and takes the family hostage. When Spawn arrives, he ends up almost killing Jason Wynn, despite his warning that his death will launch the Heat 16 bombs. Only after realizing that Jason's death would ultimately mean the death of Cyan does he relent. Instead, he extracts the device from Wynn's body before destroying it. His plans foiled, Clown draws Spawn and Cogliostro into Hell, where Spawn tells Malebolgia that he will never lead his army. He escapes with Cogliostro just before they are overwhelmed and returns to the real world. The Violator follows and there is a final battle between him and Spawn, ending with Spawn severing the demon's head with his chains. Jason Wynn is arrested and Spawn, realizing there is no place for him in Wanda's world anymore, dedicates himself to justice rather than succumbing to his lust for vengeance.

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