The Incal

The Incal (L'Incal)
2014 hardcover trade collection of The Incal
Date	1981-2014
Main characters	John DiFool
Creative team
Writers	Alejandro Jodorowsky
Artists	Jean Giraud, Zoran Janjetov, José Ladrönn
Colourists	Yves Chaland
Original publication
Published in	Les Humanoïdes Associés
Date of publication	1981–1988
Language	French
Translation
Publisher	Epic Comics, Les Humanoïdes Associés
Date	1988
Chronology
Followed by	Before the Incal (1988–1995) After the Incal (2000) Final Incal (2008–2014)

The Incal (French: L'Incal) is a French graphic novel series written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and originally illustrated by Jean Giraud. The Incal, with first pages originally released as Une aventure de John Difool ("A John Difool Adventure") in Métal hurlant and published by Les Humanoïdes Associés, introduced Jodorowsky's "Jodoverse" (or "Metabarons Universe"), a fictional universe in which his science fiction comics take place. It is an epic space opera blending fantastical intergalactic voyage, science, technology, political intrigues, conspiracies, messianism, mysticism, poetry, debauchery and satire.The Incal includes and expands the concepts and artwork from the abandoned film project Dune directed by Jodorowksy and designed by Giraud from the early 1970s.

Originally published in installments between 1981 and 1988, and followed by Before the Incal (1988–1995, with Zoran Janjetov), After the Incal (2000, with Jean Giraud), and Final Incal (2008–2014, with José Ladrönn) has been described as a contender for "the best comic book" in the medium's history. From it spin-off related series Metabarons, The Technopriests, and Mégalex.

The story is placed in the dystopian capital city of an insignificant planet in a human-dominated galactic empire, wherein the Bergs, aliens who resemble featherless birds and reside in a neighboring galaxy, make up another power block. It starts in media res with DiFool tossed off by a masked group from the Suicide Alley down to the great acid lake, luckily saved by a police cruiser. During the questioning he denied that he received the Light Incal, a crystal of enormous and infinite powers (it guides and protects those who believe in it), from a dying Berg. The Incal is then sought by many factions: the Bergs; the corrupt government of the great pit-city; the rebel group Amok (led by Tanatah); and the Church of Industrial Saints (commonly referred to as the Techno-Technos or the Technopriests): a sinister technocratic cult which worships the Dark Incal. Animah (an allusion to anima), the keeper of the Light Incal, seeks it as well. During the journey DiFool and Deepo are joined by Animah, The Metabaron, Sunmoon, Tanatah (sister of Animah) and Kill Wolfhead, with a task of saving the universe from the forces of the Dark Incal, and the Technopriests manufactured and launched into outer space sun-eating Dark Egg. As the darkness is overcome, DiFool is brought before Orh, the father-like divinity, who told him to he must remember what he witnessed. As DiFool falls away, he finds himself where he was at the beginning, falling down the shaft.