Cerebus #5
In *Cerebus* #5 ("The Idol"), Dave Sim's aardvark warrior finds himself at the center of a bizarre religious mystery when a tribe of savages, upon seeing him, declare him a living god. Drawn into their subterranean kingdom, Cerebus confronts a statue eerily like himself—only to reject the role with furious defiance, smashing the idol and fleeing into the open air. A bold, self-aware moment in Sim’s early work, this issue stands out for its surreal premise and the raw, unfiltered voice of its creator, with every line and panel rendered by Dave Sim himself—writer, artist, inker, letterer, and cover artist.
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Cerebus is out on border patrol when he is discovered by near-naked savages. At first hostile, the savages become strangely obsequious when they get a good look at the aardvark. They bring Cerebus to their subterranean kingdom and their leader, Bran Mak Mufin, who reveals an ancient statue that strongly resembles Cerebus. Clearly (to them), Cerebus is the incarnation of their god. Left alone with the statue, though, Cerebus is seized with rage at the whole idea. He is unique, not just another god! Cerebus smashes the statue and flees to the outside.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).