Top Cow/ARTIFACTS Contest

Who wants free comics and comic-related prizes? If you're a fan of the Top Cow universe, you should know about the 13 Artifacts. The current mini-series-turned-ongoing dealt with the different ARTIFACTS and we've seen how they re-shaped the entire universe.

We have three prize packs and are going to make it easy for you to win. Of course I need to point out that our lawyers force us to make this contest available only to those in the United States. Our apologies but it's all about customs and that sort of thing. Complaining to us won't change the international laws unfortunately.

Grand Prize

One winner will receive ARTIFACTS #13, covers A-D and F, a deck of Artifacts playing cards as well as volumes 1 and 2 of the trades.

First Prize

Almost as cool as the grand prize. This pack contains ARTIFACTS #13, covers A-D and volume 1 of the trade.

Second Prize

A prize is a prize, right? This prize pack contains ARTIFACTS #13, covers A-C.

How do you win?

It's easy. Head over to the 13 Artifacts page if you're not familiar with them all and choose one you would want to possess. Write a few sentences explaining why you chose the one you did and how you would use it (for good, evil, etc). If you're feeling really creative, you can come up with your own 14th Artifact and explain it.

Winners will be chosen at random for the grand prize and first and second. One entry per person. The contest runs from now until Monday, March 19th, midnight PT. Don't forget to check out ARTIFACTS #15 on this Wednesday, March 14.

I need to live in States....right now.

The Darkness for me, definitely. Eating hearts for health seems like it'd be fun. Plus, you can slash people in half with it and stuff.

This comment makes me sound like a psychopath.

Still haven't read Artifacts 14.

The Spear of Destiny has always fascinated to me. I would use it on horseback in battle paired with a shield. Of course, it could also be used long range, but would require some sort of compatible callback/boomerang power.

The Angelus!!! Cause I like how it's the light and good but she totally batshit crazy!!! if I had it I would feel like a holy crusader call all the angelus warrior to just cause some damage! and hopefully be the first male host!

I need to live in States....right now.

The rapture is the most appealing to me. Nothing feels more awesome than to help someone who is SOL, but to save them from hell? Priceless. I mean a second chance for the hopeless? My pleasure.

I would want the The Wheel of Shadows and use it to make myself eternally 25 so that I could remain at my peak forever and accrue as much knowledge as possible to further the technologies and understanding of man. I know it isn't a very comic booky thing to do but personally that would be my thing.

It may say I live in the UK (which I do atm) but I have a US address and family there so I should be good to enter.

I'm a great fan of tom judge and the rapture, but i think if i were to possess an artifact... i would not choose that one, due to the limitations of you supposed to be in hell for eternity waiting for the Rapture in effect lol. I would want to possess the wheel of shadows, even though its powers have been under utilized in the series; the wheel of shadows is supposed to have control over time, so if you have control over time you can do anything plus the costume looks awesome.

In addition, since i am such a big fan of artifacts i already have alot of what your prize packs are, so If i were to win the grand prize, I would only want cover D (The B&W) and the playing cards. So I would allow you to award the other items to another entrant as another prize pack.

I choose the Angelus. I want my girlfriend to wear it because then she'd be 2x as sexy. So I'd be using it for good and naughty.

Wow, I really gotta give this one to the Thirteenth Artifact just because the full range of its capabilities is unknown and seems to be the central control for all the artifacts combined.

If I was to possess an Artifact, I would want the Witchblade even though I'm a dude. I know a man wielding the whole Witchblade never seems to work out well (see Witchblade #19 to 25 for that fun) so I'd take it a step further and I'd like to split the blade back in two. I would recreate the male equivalent of the blade, Excalibur (the weapon Ian Nottingham wielded in the main series from #50 to 75) and use that to my heart's content fighting crime and causing the occasional mayhem in the streets.

I would definitely wield the darkness. I would use it to rule the night, taking out no good doers (rapists, murderers, thieves, etc.). Snapping necks and cashing checks. When I would grow lonely I would create the most beautiful women that I would obviously sleep with all at once. When i grew bored i would create various creatures to entertain me, griffins, dragons and all sorts. The darkness would be perfect for me for I'm a night owl as it is anyways.

The Darkness sounds like my kind of artifact. I like to stay up at night, so it fits right into my schedule. I'd enjoy having minions to fight for me and protect me. I'd likely do a mix of bad and good with the artifact. Killing bad guys is cool, but I don't think I'd be able to resist partaking in a bit of mischief.

I would like the Glacier stone. Because i could use it as an enforcer. It will be cool to freeze people and to shatter them into a million piece. The only disadvantage is i cant fit into the door.

I would definitely choose the thirteenth artifact. Probably because no one actually knows its limitations. Also I would probably be left alone because no one would want to anger the person that holds the most important artifact and kills people because of the deaths of his friends. It just seems awesome.

If I had to make a 14th artifact, it would probably be have to deal with controlling weather. Maybe call it The Eye of the Storm.

I like the idea of taking a power that would best suit a super villain but using it for good. So I would choose Pandora's Box, because it has the power make people violent and want to kill each other. I could takedown criminal organizations like gangs, terrorist, and drug cartels by simply being near them and still keep my hands clean. What better way to get away with being a valiantly.

I would have to go with the 13th, because it would be intense to be able to discover what it's powers are, it's like picking a mystery box, you don't know what it does, it may be really lame, or extremely powerful. It's a mystery waiting to be solved.

I'd like the Darkness but the whole celibacy thing doesn't work for me so I'd have to go with the Angelus :P Main reason being that I would love to create minions to do my bidding and the flying and teleporting abilities would really improve my love life and get me out of the house more cause I enjoy traveling :D

If I could choose any of the thirteen artifacts I would probably choose the Wheel of Shadows. The real appeal of the Wheel of Shadows (to me anyway) is that while it may not turn the wielder into a walking juggernaut/one man army like most of the other items it seems to have the biggest range of possibilities. Many of the other items also seem to have a related artifact that exists to counter it (i.e. Angelus/Darkness and Glacier/Ember) the Wheel of Shadows is sort of unique in that it has the two opposite abilities. While it may not be the strongest in direct combat the ability to accelerate or reverse the aging process is a great power that can be used both as an offense and a defense. If the Wheel is used in an effective way it can be used to help others (and the user) in ways the other artifacts can’t.

The rapture, being able to free those condemned to hell just seems to be most practical choice. You can use it for completely selfless reasons, releasing those who you've truly felt have learned from the experience, or use it on family or friends.

And being able to give hope, there is no end to what you could truly do. You could improve countless lives of the hopeless and downtrodden.

Such a shame, heading to the US right away :p

I would try to get all of them!

I would take The Wheel of Shadows it makes you look cool and spooky, as for how I would use it I think I would use it mostly in subtle ways like when a D-bag is leaning on some thing age it until it decays and they fall or go to the old folks home and de-age the nice ones stuff like that as well as keeping my self and my friends young.

I would like to have the rapture because I have a very well and long drawn out plan for it. First I will open the gates of heaven and hell. Doing this will make the soldiers of heaven and hell battle each other, while they are fighting I will flim the battle and make a movie off of it. The battle will be so amazing that everyone would go see it. Then I would make a lot of money off it, probably trillions maybe even more. Anyway I will buy out a small country and make it a very great and powerful nation. I will then start conquering other countries and eventually conquer the world. Don't get me wrong this isn't for my gain or any evil ideas. I'll conquer the world to improve it. Like in the Bad Religion song I Want To Conquer the world I will give all the idiots a brand new religion, put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil, promote equality in all my decisions, expose the culprits and feed them to the children, do away with air pollution and then I'll save the whales. We'll have peace on earth and global communion!

I WANT TO CONQUER THE WORLD!

Artifact: The Heart Stone

Reason: The mysterious and underrated power of the Heart stone is very alluring. It has the ability to identify the pure from the evil. Not only would I have the ability to see the true character of a person but also the power to descriminate the good from the evil. Now whether I would use it for good or evil is an even bigger mystery. On one hand It allows for true salvation to be directed to those who deserve it. On the other, I could use it for a personal gain and direct damnation to those who oppose. I think the cognitive quarrel of whether to use it for good or evil is another fascinating factor about this artifact. This is why my artifact of choice would be The Heart Stone.

- Gavin Sweetin

I would totally want the Rapture. With it, I would travel the world and bring hope to those that have none. At the same time, I would take away the hopes of the wicked, driving them to change their ways or commit suicide. Those I showed the way to could provide what I would need temporarily as I move on. Unfortunately, to bring good to the Earth, there would be much torment on myself. Seeing the true nature of the world would most likely be nearly unbearable, but I could balance this with the feeling of joy I bring to those in need and the the maniacal satisfaction of bringing despair to the scum of the Earth.

I'd want The Coin of Soloman, because I think it must have other more interesting powers than "regenerative properties". Perhaps it's wielder has control over all coin operated machines and can "Fonzie" jukeboxes at will.

I've gotta' go with The Darkness. The celibacy requirement wouldn't be an issue, because after a long night of taking out scumbags in all sorts of brutally imaginative ways, I could just hook up with the current bearer of the Witchblade. Win/Win.

I would choose the Wheel of Shadows. It seems to, so far, be an underused artifact. It grants the user the power to transverse time itself. I personally would use this artifact for good, ferrying souls lost to the sands of time to meet their final judgement. I would be an arbiter, a silent observer until I was needed. I believe that the Wheel of Shadows goes along with the Witchblade; it is another form of balance in the universe.

I want the Wheel of Shadow so I can travel in time... Put things right that once went wrong... and hope that the next leap, will be the leap home. wait...

Artifact: The Whisper Shroud

Description: A black cloak-like cloth made of soft and light silk. Usually seen with a hood.

Orientation: Depends on the wielder

Ability: Grants the user with invisibility and the ability to phase through solid objects. Also gives the user the ability to give "suggestions" to others without their knowledge, also known to affect other artifact users.

History: Woven in the times of the samurai, this was given to the shogun's daughter to hide herself from enemy assassins. She was told it was made from a single silk spider whose threads were naturally black. A season passed before the shogun was murdered in his sleep, yet the shroud kept his daughter completely unseen even though she almost ran into one of them. Realizing the power of the shroud she escaped her pursuers and found a small town nearby to rest and discover what other powers it contained.

Several years passed and a new order settled in, but one night the servants discovered the new shogun dead from the act of seppuku.

Reason: I wanted to make an artifact that wasn't battle oriented, but still had great influence. I really liked the concept of acting without being seen. Oh, and since some artifacts stick with a specific gender, I wanted to make this available to both so anyone can use it.

My Artifact would be called The Crown of Insanity

Abilities include Telepathy, Telekinesis, Illusion Casting, Empathy, Pyshce Blast and when the host/bearer reach full potential it unlocks its most powerful ability Warp Reality.

It's look like big Colorless Diamond with gold outline depending on the Wielder it take shape of a crown/tiara/headpiece( when used the color of the diamond changes to emotion of the host)

The Wielder Can be either Male or Female but if the crown feel the wielder is unworthy it drives them Insane.

The Origin of the Crown dates back to the early Ancient Sumerian time said to be a gift from the gods to the royal bloodline proving their Divine power the crown Has seen Many Kings, Queens, Emperors, And One Actress(Philip,Marie Antoinette, Jules Cesar, Marilyn Monroe)

The Crown Itself has No gender but takes a gender chosen by the Wielder

My concept for The Crown Has Always resented the Other artifacts,Claiming that it is the only one that truely cares for it Hosts. It also view the Artifacts As only tool with no true purpose without a Host and only wants to fulfill Its Host wish's if Worthy of its power.

I would choose the Wheel of Shadows. First of all it has the best name of the bunch, in my opinion. Second, I would love to have control over time. While I find time travel to be a headache, the ability to manipulate the passage of time around me would be so much fun and so interesting to explore. If I had that artifact I would do whatever I wanted with it. I could heal the innocent by reversing their time, age fine wine and cheeses in an instant, restore objects to former glory, and punish the truly guilty with an unending eternity of agony. All in all it would be a whole lotta fun.

Don't forget, this contest ends TONIGHT at midnight!

Whoever won this?

I apologize for the delay in the the announcement of the winners. With WonderCon last weekend and beginning to process the video footage plus getting settled into our new office, I'm a little behind. I should announce and contact the winners today. At least that's my hope!

Oh gosh don't apologize to us! Including with the wondercon!

Is everyone ready for the winners?

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

BloodTalon

wieldermoo2

voidmelder

Congrats! I will be pm'ing you shortly for your info. Everyone else, thanks for playing.

And let me point out the winners were in that order. Grand, First and Second.