Assassin's Creed (Titan Comics)

Assassin's Creed, also known as Assassin's Creed: Assassins, is a comic series published by Titan Comics. An with a planned duration of at least three years, the first issue was released in October 2015.

The first story arc takes place in the late 17th century, during the Salem witch trials, with the parallel modern-day part featuring an espionage tale. The second story arc takes place during the Inca Empire in the past, running parallel with the modern day story featuring Erudito.

Press release
Titan Comics is thrilled to announce it has secured the license to publish Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed comics!

''Assassin's Creed is one of the most popular franchises in the video game industry, with more than 93 million units sold since its inception in 2007. Over time, Assassin's Creed has broadened its reach into numerous media beyond games, enriching the Assassin's Creed lore for the joy of many fans.''

Titan comics will soon expand the realm of Assassin’s Creed visual storytelling with the creation of a brand new comic series.

''"We're so excited to be working with Ubisoft on this fantastic new adventure, said Lizzie Kaye, editor, Titan Comics. "Assassin's Creed is one of the most notoriously beautiful games on the market, and the team at Ubisoft have created a world that is perfect for us to explore, expand and inhabit with a raft of new characters in new settings. We're really hoping to surprise readers with the direction for this new series."''

The first 5-part arc will be illustrated by the artist of Doctor Who: Four Doctors – Neil Edwards!

Trial by Fire
14/10/2015 - Solicit: Charlotte de la Cruz is over-educated and underemployed, wasting her time in a dead-end job in San Diego, and spending her free time chasing down conspiracy theories on the dark side of the internet.
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When a real-life conspiracy crashes into her life, she's pulled into the orbit of the Assassins, a mysterious organisation of principled killers with roots stretching back thousands of years - and users of the stolen Animus technology, which allows them to experience the memories of their ancestors as if they were there!

''Charlotte has a secret in her blood... the genetic memory of an ancestor who was in Salem at the time of the infamous witch trials: Tom Stoddard, an Assassin who witnessed a dark act with repercussions for the present day!''

''As Charlotte is trained in the Assassins' art, and as she begins to investigate the life of her ancestor... the forces of the Templar Order move against her. Will Charlotte learn the skills she needs to survive, and the truth she needs to prove her worth - before the Templars silence her forever?!''

1852: The California Gold Rush. A female Assassin is pursuing John Sutter on horseback in the Great Basin Desert. Using her rope launcher, she mounts his carriage and dispatches the drivers. She informs him the Maidu want the gold he stole returned, before firing her rifle at an incoming rider.

2015: San Diego. Charlotte de la Cruz is playing this memory on her Helix, while chatting to another player. He invites her to meet, but she is creeped out that he knows that she lives in San Diego. She heads to a job application for the charity World Share, which ends with her storming off when she realizes her interviewer will probably give the position to her own daughter.

Back behind her desk at Malta Banking Corporation, Charlotte transfers ten thousand dollars to Ms. Morehead so she can pay for her daughter's healthcare. Charlotte instantly regrets her decision, realizing she will be fired. Returning home dejected, she is shocked to see Xavier Chen and Galina Voronina standing in her apartment. However, when they introduce themselves as being from the "Brotherhood", she rejoices, explaining she knows about them after trawling conspiracy websites.

Just as she declares she will join them, a group of Templars knock at her door. Assuming they have come about the money transfer, she opens her door, enabling them to barge through. A thug grabs Charlotte, but Galina rescues her by throwing a knife through his head. She then jumps off the apartment balcony onto the next building, urging Charlotte to follow. After hesitating, Charlotte jumps...

...and wakes up greeted by a seagull. Xavier and Galina greet her, having taken her to their cell's hideout in the Salton Sea. They introduce her to their technician Kody, who was the one who found her online, and the Animus. They explain an Assassin named Joseph, whom they believed dead, reemerged at the Templars' headquarters, promising to reveal the location of an object they want. Joseph messaged them, explaining that it was a ruse to draw out a top Templar in San Diego. They need Charlotte to relive her ancestor's memories to verify what Joseph told the Templars: that the object was hidden in Salem during the witch trials.

1692: Salem Village. Charlotte is reliving the memories of Tom Stoddard, who arrives to witness the hanging of Bridget Bishop. Stoddard walks away, and Charlotte's attempt to intervene causes her to desynchronize. As she pukes onto the floor, Xavier and Galina argue, as the latter has decided Joseph is a traitor. Charlotte declares she is going back in.

11/11/2015 - Solicit: ''Events in Salem turn terrifying as Assassin Tom Stoddard faces the townspeople’s rising hysteria while they bay for the blood of supposed witches. Viewing his memories, Charlotte witnesses how deep the feud with the Templars goes — and how brutal the choices to be made in her new life will be!''
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1692: Salem Village. Charlotte de la Cruz relieves the genetic memories of her ancestor, the Assassin Tom Stoddard, as he prepares for a meeting, having recently arrived at Salem from London. When two men walk in Stoddard greets them and explains that he brought goods from China for sale, to which one of the men asked if he had spices, specifically cassia. Stoddard suspects something is wrong and asks them for a way to travel to Andover, to which the men answered horseback, revealing that they did not know the counterphrase. At this moment Stoddard attacks the men and quickly dispatches them, however a third man approached from behind with a knife. Before he manages to attack Stoddard, he is strangled by another Assassin. The Assassin recites the counterphrase, "Forest Dark", and introduces herself as Jennifer Querry. However before she can finish her introduction, Stoddard interrupts her and berates her as they could have only learned the first part of the counterphrase from her.

Querry claims that she has a lead on the artifact that Stoddard is pursuing, and she and Stoddard climb to the top of a building, when Charlotte realized that Querry must be Joseph's ancestor. Querry introduces the town to Stoddard and explains the local situation: starting in January, a girl came down with an illness unexplained by the doctor, then other girls started having seizures, which she claims were faked, leading to the church claiming the illnesses resulted from the devil, after which hysteria took the city and people started accusing each other of witchcraft to settle grudges. She then explains that the Templars later arrived to see if there was something more to the incident.

Querry claims the Templars believe some of the girls' behaviors to be genuine. She asks Stoddard if he is truly an expert at finding Pieces of Eden, which he confirms. She then explains that she's allowed near the girls due to her being a nurse and that this is the first assignment for the Brotherhood. Stoddard suddenly stops and hides, asking Querry about a couple of men walking near them: Reverend Samuel Parris, a Templar under whom the accusations of witchcraft incremented tremendously and Justice William Stoughton, who orders the hangings of those Parris accuses. Here, Querry and Stoddard overhear a conversation between the two: due to bodies found at the docks, more Guards will be posted. Stoddard once again berates Querry for allowing this to happen and demands the location of the girls.

Later, at night, Querry shows Stoddard the location, explaining that even though she's been inside the building as a nurse, she cannot account for the amount of women that go in but don't come out alive or dead. Skeptical, Stoddard still enters the building to find them using a rope to enter the building through a window, killing a guard inside. Shortly, Querry enters the building as well to find it mostly empty. Here she discovers a secret entrance behind a lit fireplace, leading deep underground. In the basement, Stoddard and Querry find women in cages, which Querry wants to free but Stoddard refuses, telling her to focus on the mission. Stoddard asks a boy called David, though the girl next to him, Dorothy Osborne, explained that he was mute and that she could show Stoddard the Piece of Eden. This prompts him to free both, as she leads them further down the basement.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Parris and Stoughton discus the happenings, having allowed Stoddard to track the Piece of Eden as they believe that he would lead them to it. Following this, the men head outside to a growing crowd and incite them, claiming that the Devil was inside the building. Back inside, Stoddard and Querry follow Dorothy to a dead end as the villagers begin storm the building. At the dead end, Stoddard threatened Dorothy for leading him there, promising to let the villagers kill her first.

2015: San Diego. Charlotte struggles to stay inside the Animus as she fails to synchronize with Stoddard's methods, although Kody attributes her struggle to her being inexperienced with the process. Galina Voronina and Xavier Chen meanwhile, discuss her progress, with Galina implying that Charlotte would not be able to synchronize with Stoddard and Xavier disagreeing with her. Galina in turn compares her to Joseph, saying that people can't change who they are, and that Joseph was finally showing his true colors by allying with the Templars. Kody reports that Charlotte has stabilized but if she continues to struggle she could damage herself.

1692: Salem Village. Tom Stoddard struggles with David as he attempts to help Dorothy, but Stoddard pushes him away, striking him against a wall. Dorothy tells Stoddard to leave him alone and she would show him what he was looking for. Dorothy then says that there is no Piece of Eden, before she falls back, her eyes turn white as she speaks to Thomas, reciting the last words his father said, a passage from Dante Alighieri's work. Realizing that Dorothy herself is the "artifact" they were looking for, Stoddard informs Querry and tasks her with finding them a way out as the villagers attack and he fights them off.

09/12/2015 - ''Desperate to escape from the horrors of Salem, Tom must place his trust in the hands of a stranger, and go against every instinct he has as an assassin, and man, to save the terrified travelers relying on him. For Charlotte, time's running out as the Templar threat moves closer...''
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2015: Galina and Xavier continue to argue over how to utilise Charlotte. It is revealed by Kody, the team technician, that Joseph is being held by Didier Hawking, a high level Templar with a specialisation in memory hacking.

It is feared that Joseph will reveal their location, as such the team decides to load the Animus to a van to allow Charlotte to keep searching whilst they relocate.

1692: Tom manages to fight off the angry mob, whilst Jennifer finds a hidden passageway to escape the dungeon.

They are chased into the surrounding woodland, where Jennifer is shot whilst trying to carry the boy David. Tom chooses to escape with Dorothy, putting the mission first.

Once clear of pursuers, Dorothy falls into a trance and declares that she is Consus - a First Civilization entity - whom is inhabiting the body. Consus leaves a message for Charlotte to seek out "The Ones with great knowledge."

Jennifer eventually catches up with Tom, as Templars follow shortly behind her. Tom and Jennifer are captured.

Setting Sun
16/03/2016 - ''A brand new historical period, and a brand new character in the second arc of the Assassin's Creed comic! Join Charlotte de la Cruz as she leaps into her genetic memories of the Inca empire, searching for the secret hidden in her past that could lead the Assassins into the future...''
 * -|Issue 6=

2016: Charlotte, Galina, and Kody are now hiding out in a hotel in Mexico City.

It is confirmed that Galina has in fact broken her leg, and a couple of local Doctors are brought in to assess her. Galina immediately executes one, as they are seemingly a Templar. The other is innocent, but after Charlotte's plea, Galina chooses to knock the Doctor out instead.

The three retreat to a different hotel across from the previous - this way they can keep track of whom approaches their former exposed position. Galina chooses to rest up with morphine.

Charlotte tries to understand the message from Consus to seek the "Keepers of Knowledge", and subsequently takes to the darknet to find the elusive Erudito - a hacker group well known for their attacks on Abstergo. She manages to track down a hint to their supposed next meeting, which leads her to ask Kody to once more hook her into the Animus in search of a secret hidden within the great Incan Empire.

1536: Peru. Charlotte's ancestor in this time is a woman called Quila, a chasqui of the Inca Empire. Chasqui are a series of couriers, who would free run messages (Quipu) and items across the Empire, often by relay points.

Quila prides herself on being the fastest runner that she knows, and strives to impress the elders of her village. Many do not share her enthusiasm for the position, and believe she should simply be a 'proper wife'. She has a young apprentice called Turi, who is also a chasqui.

After a courier refuses to give Quila his package, she takes the initiative and steals it from him amidst a group of men. Curious as to its contents, she discovers that it is a communication about an assassination plot for the Emperor Manco. Whilst trying to steal a horse, she is struck down by a stone, and surrounded by the men from before.

20/07/2016 - ''Cuzco is under attack from the invading Conquistadors, and Quila and Don Gonzalo Pardo face a bitter fight to reach the Emperor-God before the city falls. For Charlotte, the clue she’s been searching for is finally revealed, but it leads to a bigger surprise than she could ever have imagined!''
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1536: Ayur professes that he loved Quila, and he still does. He promptly defeats the men surrounding her, aiding her and Pardo's escape. They immediately set out to warn the Emperor of the plot, but Pardo's elects to remain behind in solace before offering them his horse Felipe. Upon arriving at the capital, they manage to sneak inside using the horse as a distraction. Searching the fortress, Quila comes across the Emperor with Ayur's father. Knocking aside a cup she suspects is poisoned, a fight ensues where Pardo reappears to assist. The Emperor is saved, and Quila becomes official messenger for him. Pardo says that she would always be welcome to join the Brotherhood, but to use the password "Don Gonzalo Pardo" amongst them.

2016: Charlotte rises from the Animus, calling out the password. She immediately logs in to a PC, and uses it on the Erudito page. Sure enough, it works and a set of co-ordinates in Argentina are shown. She agrees to meet the Templars as requested, leaving Galina and Kody to escape. However, as the Templars arrive an armed force of cartel open fire eliminating them all. Galina explains that she brokered a deal with the cartel, and they could not leave without Charlotte as she is one of the team.

Taking a flight to Argentina, the three find a gentleman holding a calling card for "Don Gonzalo Pardo" and are led to a secluded room with a woman at the end of a long table. As the Assassins finally come face to face with Erudito, Charlotte realises that the woman is in fact her Grandmother Florencia!

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Homecoming
24/08/2016 - ''A brand new arc! And an explosive new secret! While Charlotte is reeling from the meeting with Erudito, it is time for the Assassin cell headed by Brotherhood stalwart Galina Voronina to pull her team together... but will she be able to do it alone, or is it time for reinforcements?''
 * -|Issue 11=

Modern Day:

A meeting of the leaders of Erudito has been called. The debate turns as to why Charlotte and her team were invited into discussions, with the topic turning quickly to that of Consus. It is quite clear the entity is of special reverance to the hacker collective, as the fact that Charlotte heard his voice is of great interest to them. Charlotte discovers the story behind Juno and the Phoenix Project, and that Erudito believed only Giovanni Borgia had been contacted by Consus - thus their interest. It turns out that they believe Giovanni has a second memory of Consus, that has been hidden from Abstergo. Fortunately for Charlotte, her ancestor Hiram Stoddard was in contact with Giovanni in 1516.

Erudito calls for a vote amongst its members, with Charlotte's grandmother calling for the creation of Hive bases across the globe, and cross training their own agents. Counter arguments are made for Erudito to stay out of events, and with the votes on a knife edge, Charlotte elects to stand in - offering a team up between the Brotherhood and Erudtio. In exchange for Galina training and assisting their agents, Erudito will help track down Joseph Laurier. Charlotte will also seek Consus and answers within an Animus. The votes agree, and the course is set.

Galina leaves for Somalia, hugging Charlotte on her way out - the two finally getting along now. Before Charlotte can sit in the Animus, she reveals she was injured by Templar agents - Florencia thus insists on a full body scan to check for tracing chemicals or chips. Mid scan, Kody wakes her to express his concerns about entering Hiram's memories - he fears the meeting with Consus did something to seriously derange his mind, and worries what it will do to Charlotte...

Historical Era:

Florence, Italy, 1516. Hiram Stoddard enters a building, and finds Giovanni Borgia hiding in wait. Whilst he dodges a thrown dagger, he is taken down by a swift kick from Hiram. Hiram then puts a sword to his throat...

Collected editions

 * Assassin's Creed Volume 1: Trial by Fire
 * Assassin's Creed Volume 2: Setting Sun
 * Assassin's Creed Volume 3: Homecoming