You'll Never Understand Mission Impossible's Ethan Hunt Without a Piece of Lost Media

Thanks to Tom Cruise’s long-running film series, Mission: Impossible has grown into one of the world’s biggest franchises. Yet there is one story that has been lost to the ages: a digital comic released in conjunction with the home video release of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation in 2015. While the short piece could be considered a throwaway story, it actually fills in some key details from the film that otherwise go unexplained.

Based on a story by Rogue Nation writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, the tie-in comic comes from writer Dylan Kussman and artist Owen Freeman. Originally released on WIRED.com, the eight-page comic fills in the blanks of what Ethan Hunt was up to in the six-month gap when he was on the run from the CIA after being framed by villain Solomon Lane.

Mission Impossible Torn Asunder 1 Doctor with Needle — Mission Impossible Torn Asunder 1 Ethan Hunt gets a bullet taken out

The story sees Hunt going after the Syndicate, on the trail of the mysterious Lane. While readers get to see Hunt’s actions firsthand, an off-screen conversation between CIA director Alan Hunley and IMF agent William Brandt shows the two discussing whether Hunt has truly gone rogue.

Mission: Impossible – Torn Asunder Fills in the Gaps of Ethan Hunt’s Story

Rare Digital Comic Provides Important Context for Rogue Nation

Mission Impossible Torn Asunder 2 Ethan Hunt on the run

The comic is an interesting look at Ethan Hunt, showing how the IMF agent is still driven to do the right thing even when he’s on the run after being framed. It also hints that Brandt may have been secretly helping Hunt after the IMF was disbanded and absorbed into the CIA, which adds a layer of context otherwise not present in Rogue Nation. Although short, the comicstill manages to pack in all the action and intrigue of the movie, as Ethan Hunt keeps trying to prevent Solomon Lane from his acts of terrorism, only to arrive on the scene too late.

Aside from some tie-in comics to the original 1960s TV series, the only other Mission: Impossible comic was released in 1996 by Marvel Comics, to tie with the first M:I film.

The comic is unique for a few reasons. First is the screen-accurate depiction of Ethan Hunt. Cruise is notoriously protective of his likeness, as several toys, video games and other ephemera have generally not utilized a screen-accurate portrayal of Ethan Hunt. But there is no mistaking that Freeman’s art of Hunt is clearly based on Cruise’s likeness. The participation of McQuarrie also allows the comic’s story to seamlessly fit in with Rogue Nation’s story-line, making it an important piece of the franchise lore rather than some cheap, throwaway tie-in.

Publishers, Pay Attention: There Should Be More Mission: Impossible Comics

Torn Asunder Shows That There's a Possibility for More

Mission Impossible Torn Asunder 7 Ethan Hunt draws his gun and gets a delivery

With the release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning this summer, the franchise may be put to rest on the big screen for a time. If that proves to be the case, then the perfect way to keep the franchise alive would be through comics. There is a lot to explore throughout the entire history of the IMF, whether it’s the days of the original team in the 1960s series or seeing what all the various agents who have appeared throughout the franchise are up to after their respective films. Whatever the future holds, hopefully fans will get more Mission: Impossiblecomics.

Mission: Impossible

Created by: Bruce Geller, David Koepp, Steven Zaillian, Robert Towne, Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise
First Film: Mission: Impossible
Latest Film: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning
Upcoming Films: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
First TV Show: Mission: Impossible
Latest TV Show: Mission: Impossible

The Mission: Impossible franchise is an American action spy series that began with the 1996 film Mission: Impossible and has since become one of the most successful and long-running franchises in Hollywood. The films follow Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), as he takes on various high-stakes missions around the world, often involving intricate heists, double-crosses, and death-defying stunts. The franchise is renowned for its intense action sequences, particularly those performed by Tom Cruise, who insists on doing many of his own stunts.

First Episode Air Date: September 17, 1966
Cast: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Czerny, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby
TV Show(s): Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible