List of correctional facilities in comics

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The following is a list of fictional prisons, asylums, institutions, planets, and alternate dimensions which have been used to imprison humans, superhumans, and nonhumans in various fictional comic book universes.


Crossgen Comics[edit]


A prison-camp on the planet Tcharun. Its inmates are criminals and rebels against the Saurian Hegemony. The Saurian prince Tchlusarud is sent to the prison, but manages to escape and liberate the prisoners, using them as his army against the new ruler Khyradon. Kholyma first appeared in Sigil #22, by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Scott Eaton.

The Prison-world[edit]

A facility in the universe of the Negation, the Prison-world houses 100 prisoners abducted from the Sigilverse, and is overseen by warden High Castellan Komptin. The Negation plans on invading the Sigilverse and constantly tests the prisoners to gather information. The Prison-World is destroyed during an outbreak in Negation #3, killing most inmates. The Prison-world first appeared in Negation Prequel, written by Tony Bedard and with art by Paul Pelletier.

Dark Horse Comics[edit]

Citadel Prison[edit]

See also: The Vault

A prison for superhumans located under the Citadel in Golden City, from Dark Horse's Comics Greatest World imprint. Citadel Prison first appears in Golden City Week 1 as the Vault, and later appeared in issues of Catalyst: Agents of Change as Citadel Prison.

DC Comics[edit]

Abruuk Asylum[edit]

Abruuk Asylum is a prison for the mentally disturbed located in Gorilla City, Africa. It first appears in Secret Society of Super-Villains vol 1 #1.[1]

Alcatraz Island[edit]

See also: Alcatraz Island

In reality, Alcatraz Prison and the island it sits on are now tourist attractions.

In the DC Universe, it is an active metahuman prison. It is first shown in the pages of the Teen Titans vol. 3 #1. It also appears in other stories, such as the Villains United one-shot where there is a massive breakout where it was partly corralled by random superheros.

Arkham Asylum[edit]

Main article: Arkham Asylum

The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane is a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane that appears in the fictional DC Universe, and perhaps the most well known psychiatric hospital in fiction. DC solicitations have also referred to it as a prison.[2] Created by Dennis O'Neil, the asylum first appeared in Batman #258 (October 1974). Len Wein developed much of its back-story during the 1980s. Arkham is located near Gotham City, and is where many of Batman's foes are incarcerated. Ravencroft (see below) is a similar institution in the Marvel Universe.

Basement 101[edit]

HM Prison Basement 101 is introduced in Batman and Robin #7 as Britain's main para-criminal detention facility, the other being Wormwood Scrubs. It is located beneath the Tower of London.[3] Basement 101 is run by the Beefeater; he is the Queen's Jailer and warden of Basement 101. Named prisoners are the Radio Ghost, Dai Laffyn, Big Don Drummond,[4] the Morris Men, the Highwayman, the Pearly King of Crime, and Metalek (an alien "space monster").[5]

Belle Reve[edit]

Main article: Belle Reve

Belle Reve is a fictional prison and sanitarium in the DC Universe. The facility was the original base of operations for the second Suicide Squad. John Economos was the first warden of the Belle Reve prison in Louisiana. The prison psychiatrist under Economos was Dr. Simon LaGrieve, who examined and counseled the various Suicide Squad members stationed there. The current warden is Robert Crichton.[6][7]

Blackgate Penitentiary[edit]

Blackgate Penitentiary (also known as Blackgate Prison) is a fictional prison depicted in the DC Universe, traditionally located near Gotham City. While the local Arkham Asylum may house those in need of mental health services, Blackgate is a high security institution where criminals such as Penguin, Firefly, and Clayface are incarcerated.

In Batman: The Animated Series, this prison was called "Stonegate."

Code Zoo[edit]

The "Code Zoo" is a proprietary magneto-optical data storage unit used to secure any and all artificial intelligences Checkmate has captured, this means entire programs, and or fragments of code. A.I. like the Thinker and the Kilg%re.[8][9]

Concord Federal Penitentiary[edit]

Concord Federal Penitentiary is a maximum security women's prison located in Manhattan, New York. Its most infamous inmate was the original Killer Frost (Dr. Crystal Frost). Killer Frost broke out of Concord, killing the warden and several guards.

First appears in Firestorm vol. 2 #20 (February 1984).

Crowley Penitentiary[edit]

Crowley Penitentiary (also known as Crowley Prison) is Fawcett City's main superhuman prison. Ibac, Sabbac, Captain Nazi, Black Adam, and Doctor Sivana have all been imprisoned within its walls.

The Dark Tower[edit]

The World of the Dark Tower is the other-dimensional home of Lord Joshua Coldrake, the master of Anti-Magic. Coldrake has the power to negate magic, so his home dimension is used by the Shadowpact to store dangerous magic using criminals until they can be rehabilitated. Coldrake is bound to the world of the Dark Tower for the next few thousand years due to socially inappropriate actions in his youth. The "Dark Tower" itself is a massive castle of black stone. Former prisoner the Warlock's Daughter, was released after serving a one year sentence. Teenage mass murderer Kid Karnevil later escaped the Dark Tower, as the anti-magic did nothing to diminish his savagery. First appears in Shadowpact #5 (November 2006).

Devil's Island of Space[edit]

In the pre-Crisis Silver Age, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and the Legion of Supervillains were once trapped on the Devil's Island of Space. The name is a reference to the real world Devil's Island prison. The Devil's Island of Space first appeared in an eight-page Tommy Tomorrow story from World's Finest Comics #117 (May 1961), which was later reprinted in From Beyond the Unknown #10 (April 1971). Its final chronological appearance was Jimmy Olsen #87 (September 1965).[10][11]

Eddleton Federal Women's Penitentiary[edit]

Although its location is unknown, Eddleton Federal Women's Penitentiary is somewhere within driving distance of Gotham City. Introduced in Birds of Prey #98.

Enclave M[edit]

The Sonora Desert Special Adjunct Holding Facility is located in the Sonora Valley. It is noted as "Belle Reve's Bad Brother". First appearance was in Villains United #4.

Fort Rozz[edit]

Fort Rozz was a holding facility for Kryptonian criminals, pending their sentenced exile to the Phantom Zone. The prison and the planet Krypton were both destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion.[12]

Glacier Point[edit]

Glacier Point is a 31st-century minimum security prison located in Antarctica. The facility was often visited by the Legion of Super-Heroes.[13]

Golden Boughs[edit]

The Golden Boughs Retirement Village was introduced in the ongoing Jack of Fables series from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The village is overseen by a man known only as Mr. Revise who considers it his duty to capture and neuter Fables. Some of the Fables imprisoned at Golden Boughs are The Tin Man, Mother Goose, The Cowardly Lion, and Paul Bunyan. First appears in Jack of Fables #1 (July 2006).

The Gulag[edit]

In the pages of Kingdom Come #3-4, future versions of Mister Miracle and Big Barda assist Superman in creating and policing the Gulag, an inescapable prison for the future's meta-humans. Superman designates Captain Comet as warden. The massive penal colony is constructed in the Kansas wastelands. The prison is filled to capacity almost as soon as they build it.

Gull Island[edit]

Gull Island is the Earth Two version of Blackgate Prison. notable for a prison riot led by Lionmane, former henchman of Selina Kyle (Catwoman) and mother of Earth Two's Huntress. First seen in Huntress (Helena Wayne) backup stories from Wonder Woman v.1 #277-285.

Hangar 44[edit]

Hangar 44 is a facility on Edwards Air Force Base that tried to reverse engineer the vessel Abin Sur crash landed on Earth. Later, it would become a prison for enemies of the Green Lanterns of Earth.


Haven penal facility constructed for political prisoners that resisted Anathema's control of Competalia, the prisoners of Haven would dub themselves the Alliance, retrofit the prison into a space-faring vessel and land on Earth where they were given asylum.

Haven Security Village[edit]

Haven Security Village is a special prison for mad scientists in the DC universe. Prisoners appear to live inside a residential suburb, which is a facade hiding a high tech security system. 52 #2 shows Hector Hammond and T.O. Morrow to be the resident inmates.

Iron Heights Penitentiary[edit]

Iron Heights is a fictional maximum-security prison in which many of the Flash's rogues gallery and other metahuman criminals of Keystone City and Central City are imprisoned. Iron Heights first appeared in Flash: Iron Heights (2001). The current warden is Gregory Wolfe.

Located about three miles (5 km) north of Keystone City, Iron Heights is known for its vicious treatment of its prisoners. The metahuman and supervillain prisoners are jailed in an area known as the Pipeline.

Kulani Prison[edit]

The fictional Kulani Prison is based on Kulani Correctional Facility a real life minimum security criminal detention center of the same name. The fictional Kulani is located on the East side of Hawaii. The villain known as King Shark broke out of Kulani killing several guards as seen in Superboy v. 3 #0 (October 1994).


The Labyrinth is a special 30th Century rehabilitation facility created during volume 3 and 4 of the Legion of Super-Heroes. It was never re-introduced after the Zero Hour event reset the Legion's future. Labyrinth was created as a replacement for Takron-Galtos, to imprison the future's worst criminals. The facility was linked to a red dwarf star by a stable plasma arc. Notable prisoners were Roxxas, Spider Girl and Mekt Rannz (Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 #10).

Lockdown 6[edit]

Lockdown 6 is a S.T.A.R. Labs special holding chamber in the waters near Metropolis. The chamber once held a being known as the Unimaginable as seen in the pages of the second Supermen of America mini-series.

Peña Duro[edit]

Peña Duro is an infamous prison located in Santa Prisca, a fictional caribbean country in the DC Comics universe. It was where the Batman villain known as Bane was born, raised, and eventually addicted to the drug known as Venom.

Penitenciaria de San Pedro Sula[edit]

Penitenciaria de San Pedro Sula is a real world prison located in Honduras, known for its overcrowded conditions, excessive violence, and out of control drug trade, appeared as a metahuman prison in the DC Universe in Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1.[14]

Phantom Zone[edit]

Main article: Phantom Zone

In the pre-Crisis DC Universe, the Phantom Zone is an extra-dimensional "zone", which was discovered by Jor-El and used on the planet Krypton as a method of imprisoning their most dangerous criminals. The Phantom Zone criminals first appeared in the Superboy stories and soon began appearing in the Superman stories. When cast into the Phantom Zone the inmates reside in a ghostlike state of existence from which they may only observe, but not interact with, the DC universe. Inmates do not age or require sustenance in the Phantom Zone; furthermore, while there, they are telepathic and are mutually insubstantial.

In the post-Crisis DCU, the Phantom Zone first appeared when the semi-sentient Kryptonian artifact known as the Eradicator attempted to recreate the planet Krypton on Earth. The extradimensional space in which the Eradicator found the necessary Kryptonian materials was called the Phantom Zone. A Phantom Zone Projector is part of Superman's current Fortress, and it has been used to trap villains such as the White Martians.


See also: DC One Million

In the 853rd century, the Batman is aided by a robot called "Robin The Toy Wonder". This Batman's parents were guards on the prison planet of Pluto and died in a prison riot. First appears in DC One Million #1 (November 1998).

The Science-Cells of Oa[edit]

The Science-Cells of Oa is a prison on Oa designed and built by the Guardians of the Universe to contain inter-galactic criminals apprehended and detained by members of the Green Lantern Corps. As of recently, the Death Penalty has been applied to some of the more dangerous criminals, who now reside in Death-Row.

The Slab[edit]

The Slabside Island Maximum Security Prison (also known as the Slab) is a prison for metahumans. It used to be in New Jersey, but it is now located in Antarctica as depicted in the Joker's "Last Laugh" crossover. The facility's first warden was Shilo Norman.

First appears in Green Lantern Volume 3, # 51 (May 1994).

Source Wall[edit]

Main article: Source Wall

The Source Wall' lies on the edge of the known universe, in the Promethean Galaxy. Beyond the wall lies what is known as The Source, a cosmic essence or being which, according the residents of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, is the "source" of all that exists. While the wall may be theoretically passable (the Flash has apparently done so in an issue of Super-Team Family), usually those who try have become inexorably trapped in it. Over time it has accumulated the trapped forms of many would-be conquerors and curiosity seekers.


Starlag is a planetary prison for superhuman enemies of the Alien Alliance. Ir was last seen in the pages of Invasion. Starlag II is later introduced in the pages of Valor by writer Robert Loren Fleming. Starlag II's most powerful prisoner, a being known only as the Unimaginable, was accidentally freed by the Blasters.[15]

State Penitentiary[edit]

This unnamed State Penitentiary is featured in Steve Gerber's DC Focus series, Hard Time.

Stryker's Island[edit]

Main article: Stryker's Island

Stryker's Island is a maximum security federal prison that serves the DC Comics city of Metropolis. It is located on an island in the West River between New Troy and Queensland Park. Stryker's Island first appeared in Superman #9 (September 1987). The name is a play on the similarly located Riker's Island prison in New York.


Main article: Takron-Galtos

Takron-Galtos is a prison planet in the 30th Century setting of the Legion of Super-Heroes whose prisoners include that era's superhuman criminals. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #359 (August, 1967).


The Timepoint is a prison at the end of time. It was originally used by Epoch, a time traveler who after gaining his powers in the year one billion AD began confining criminals to a "pocket dimension" similar to the Phantom Zone.

Transformation Island[edit]

Transformation Island is a small island near the Themysciran coast which served as a rehabilitation facility for reforming criminals like Queen Atomia, Baroness Paula von Gunther, and Cheetah using Amazonian psychotherapy as seen in Wonder Woman vol. 1 #21, (January 1947).[16][17][18]

Van Kull Maximum Security Facility[edit]

The Van Kull Maximum Security Facility is a metahuman prison located just outside of Metropolis.

It was introduced in Power Company: Bork #1 from (March 2002).

Vũng Tàu[edit]

Vũng Tàu (AKA Con Dao Island) is Vietnam's superhuman prison seen in Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1. Based on the real world Con Dao Island facility in Vũng Tàu Vietnam.[19]

Wormwood Scrubs[edit]

Wormwood Scrubs is England's other superhuman prison as depicted in the Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1. Presumably based on the real world HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, built between 1875 and 1891 by convict labour.


Xebel is a forgotten extradimensional penal colony for an ancient group of separatist Atlanteans, they were locked behind a sealed portal in the Bermuda Triangle. Queen Mera of Atlantis was once incarcerated in Xebel. Mera's sister Siren was also a resident of Xebel.[20]

Image Comics[edit]

Hell of Mirrors[edit]

From Alan Moore's Supreme series. Located in the Citadel Supreme, it is used by Supreme to hold some of his deadliest enemies, including the Televillain, Shadow Supreme and The End. The Mirror Prison first appears in Supreme #53 (September 1997).[21] It is based on the Phantom Zone.

Miskatonic Institute[edit]

The Miskatonic Institute for the Homicidally Distressed is a feature of Alan Moore's Supreme series. Professor Night's greatest foes, such as Jack-A-Dandy, the Lounge Lizard, and Fakeface, have all been incarcerated there. It first appears in Supreme #53 (September 1997).[22] It is based on Arkham Asylum, complete with a name from H. P. Lovecraft.


Seen in the pages of Dynamo 5, Tartarus is a US government-sponsored prison for superhumans that hovers several miles above the ground of an unnamed, apparently desert, area.

Stronghold Penitentiary[edit]

A prison that holds supervillains caught by Invincible and The Guardians of the Globe. The prison has become such a recurring site for supervillain battles that they accepted Atom Eve's offer to keep Invincible on retainer for protection. Currently The Wolf-Man has been incarcerated in the prison.

West Central Prison[edit]

The prison nearby Woodbury, GA inhabited by Rick Grimes's family and fellow survivors as a refuge from the zombie apocalypse in Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead. The prison is renamed the West Georgia Correctional Facility on the television series based on the comic.

Marvel Comics[edit]


Alcatraz is a Californian island prison that was operational in 1859-1963. It held superhuman criminals in special section in the 1940s; the designation "the Alcatraz Annex" has been used in various Marvel handbooks to distinguish it from Alcatraz in general. First mentioned in Marvel Mystery Comics #26 (1941), when the android Human Torch's foe the Parrot was being transported there. Later seen in Human Torch #8 (1942), when the golden age Angel's foe the Python escaped.

During the Dark Reign storyline, Alactraz was occupied by H.A.M.M.E.R. where they used it as a detention center for the mutants that the Dark Avengers have apprehended.


Alamogordo is a New Mexico nuclear testing facility that held the Armageddon Man and perhaps others in suspended animation. First appeared in X-Men vol. 2 #12 (1992).


Anvil is a penal colony on the planet Annoval XIV. It was the site of an attempted breakout by Nebula. First appeared in Silver Surfer #74 (1993).

The Big House[edit]

The Big House is a really small prison designed by Hank Pym(Ant-Man). It uses Ant-Man's Pym particles (particles Ant-Man created that can shrink items. It is the same type of technology used in Ant-Man's belt) to shrink villains and keep them there. It is usually located in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier.

There is also a different Big House called the Lang Memorial Penitentiary.

The Cage[edit]

Based on a remote island in international waters, the Cage is a prison that uses a special forcefield to deprive inmates of their superhuman powers.

The Cage was home to four prison gangs: a group of Maggia loyalists, the Skulls (a white supremacist gang that is loyal to Red Skull), the Brothers (a black prison gang), and the Cruisers (a cabal of sexual predators who preyed on the other inmates as best as they could). The Cage was later shut down and its role was replaced by the Raft.

Mystique was imprisoned in The Cage for one day before she escaped in All-New X-Men #14.

Created by writer Frank Tieri and artist Sean Chen in the pages of Wolverine #164 (2001).

Crossmore Prison[edit]

Main article: Crossmore

Crossmore Prison is Her (Britannic) Majesty's Ultimate Security Prison. Previously known as Crossmoor.

Deadpool and Juggernaut were known inmates here.

The Cube[edit]

The Cube is a prison for super-powered beings such as Hulk, Abomination, Absorbing Man, and Leader. Its location is undisclosed and only high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D.-agents know of its existence. It has a special program where prisoners are brainwashed to become obedient soldiers.

The Cube was created by writer Grant Morrison and artist J. G. Jones in Marvel Boy #6 (2000).

When last seen in Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #4, Noh Varr (Marvel Boy) had taken control of the entire facility. During the Dark Reign storyline, the Cube served as the base of operations for The Thunderbolts.

In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Cube is a prison for gamma-powered supervillains.

Ice Box[edit]

The Ice Box is a Canadian maximum security prison. The Ice Box held a crime lord named Ivan the Terrible.

The Ice Box first appeared in Maverick #8.

The Kyln[edit]

Main article: Kyln

The Kyln were a series of artificial moons at the edge of known space, which served both as a superhuman prison and a source of nearly unlimited power. Operations at the Kyln were overseen by the Nova Corps. All life on the Kyln moons was extinguished in Annihilation Prologue #1.

Lang Memorial Penitentiary[edit]

Also known as the Pym Experimental Prison #1 (and ironically dubbed "The Big House"). Inmates in this prison are shrunk down using Pym Particles for cheaper storage and easier control. It is also known as the Ant-Hill due to operators using versions of the Ant-Man helmet to influence ants to act as security within the prison.

Known inmates of the facility were 8-Ball, Absorbing Man, Dragon Man, Electro, Figment, Grey Gargoyle, Mad Thinker, Mandrill, Rhino, Sandman, Scarecrow, Scorpion, Silencer, Southpaw, Titania, Tiger Shark, the U-Foes (Ironclad, Vapor, Vector, X-Ray), Vermin, Whirlwind, and the Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball).

Negative Zone Prison Alpha[edit]

Introduced in Civil War: Frontline #5, it is a prison originally constructed to house super-villains but which acted as a holding facility for unregistered heroes during the civil war. The portal to the prison is operated by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The prison itself is an automated facility. Designed by Reed Richards and built by Stark Enterprises and Fantastic Four Inc., it is located in the Negative Zone. The inmates call the facility "Fantasy Island" and "Wonderland", probably because prisoners who are unable to manipulate technology to their own ends are connected to virtual reality systems.

It is also referred to as "File 42" due to it being the 42nd item on a list written by Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Hank Pym of ways to make a world with super-powered beings safer. The prison is an extremely secure, clean facility with cells custom-designed for each inhabitant. Notable inmates during the war include Daredevil stand-in Danny Rand, Robbie Baldwin and Cloak & Dagger. After the war, it is now used for super-villains, and was known to house at the very least Taskmaster and Lady Deathstrike until Taskmaster made a deal with Camp Hammond to become an instructor and Lady Deathstrike somehow escaped as she appeared in X-Men: Messiah Complex. However, the prison was later overrun by Negative Zone ruler Blaastar.

Known inmates of Prison 42 are Bison, Blizzard II, Cloak and Dagger, Condor, Devos the Devastator, Diablo, Dragon Man, Dreadface, Gorilla-Man II, Grey Gargoyle, Hydro-Man, Iconoclast, Iron Fist (posing as Daredevil), Jack Flag, Kang the Conqueror, Klaw, Lady Deathstrike, Mad Thinker, Mahkizmo, Mandrill, Megaman, Miek, MODOK, Molecule Man, Mole Man, N'Kantu, the Living Mummy, Occulus, Overmind, Prodigy (Ritchie Gilmore), Prowler, Psycho-Man, Puppet Master, Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, Robbie Baldwin, Ruined (B'arr, Exalt, Stem), Skeleton Ki, Sphinx, Staak, Stegron, Taskmaster, Terrax, Threska, Tinkerer, Trapster, Typeface, and Wizard.

Project Pegasus[edit]

Created in Marvel Two-in-One #42 (August, 1978) by writers Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio, Project: Pegasus was originally intended to research alternative (and unusual) forms of energy, but is also used as a prison for super-powered individuals with energy-based powers. It is located in the Adirondack Mountains, New York.

The Raft[edit]

The Raft is a fictional prison facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillains) in the Marvel Universe.

Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Finch, it first appeared in The New Avengers #1 (2005) as the "Maximum-Maximum Security" wing of the Ryker's Island Maximum Security Penitentiary. The Raft is introduced as the setting of a large-scale prison break.

The Raft was later converted into Spider-Island Two by The Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body).

Known inmates of the Raft include Alistair Smythe, Answer, Armadillo, Badd Axe, Beetle, Black Mamba, Blackout, Blizzard, the Blood Brothers, Boomerang, Bushwacker, Carnage, Centurius, Controller, Corruptor, Crossbones, Crusader I, Cutthroat, Dark Beast, Doctor Octopus, Equinox, Ghost, Grey Gargoyle, Griffin, Grizzly, Hydro-Man, Hyperion, Icemaster, Jack O'Lantern, Jigsaw, Juggernaut, Lady Mastermind, Lightmaster, Lizard, Mac Gargan, Man-Bull, Man-Killer, Mister Fear, Mister Hyde, Molecule Man, Moonstone, Morbius, the Living Vampire, Norman Osborn, Ox, Powderkeg, Purple Man, Quicksand, Razor Fist II, Razorhead, Romulus, Ruby Thursday, Sauron, Scarecrow, Schizoid Man, Shocker, Shockwave, Silk Fever, Skeleton Ki, Slug, Squid, Super-Skrull, Supercharger, Tabitha Smith, Tiger Shark, Titania, Troll, Typhoid Mary, the U-Foes (Ironclad, Vapor, Vector, X-Ray), Vermin, and the Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball).


Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane was a maximum security asylum for the mentally ill. Many insane murderers and supervillains were kept at Ravencroft.

The institute was first mentioned in Web of Spider-Man #112, written by Terry Kavanagh.

The institute is officially opened in Web of Spider-Man Annual #10 (1994). The institute is featured in a number of Spider-Man storylines. Dr. Ashley Kafka was the founder and first director of Ravencroft. John Jameson was head of security. Both were fired in Spectacular Spider-Man #246 and Dr. Leonard Samson became Ravencroft's new director. In Leonard Samson's next appearance, he owned a private practice instead of running the institute. The institute reappeared in Vengeance of the Moon Knight #3, apparently holding mostly non-superpowered psychopaths and looking more like Arkham Asylum than ever before - even adding an imposing metal gate with the name of the asylum on it, similar to the one used in countless establishing shots of Arkham Asylum.[editorializing]

Known patients at Ravencroft include Carnage, Chameleon, D.K., Doctor Octopus, Electro, Gale, Jackal, Massacre, Mayhem, Mysterio, Prism, Pyromania, Ramon Grant, Shriek, Venom, Vulture, and Webber.

Ravencroft has appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated TV series, having housed Electro, Doctor Octopus, Cletus Kasady, John Jameson, and Venom. Also, Chameleon is listed as being held there in Christopher L. Bennett's book Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder.

Ravencroft is also mentioned as being used to institutionalize Rhona Burchill in Iron Man: Armored Adventures.

Ravencroft appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where Dr. Kafka is in charge and both Electro and Harry Osborn are prisoners.[23] Set photos indicate that the State University of New York Maritime College is being used to represent Ravencroft Institute in the movie.[24] A plaque dedicated to the memory of Thomas Warren has been seen on the set.[25]

Ryker's Island[edit]

Ryker's Island is the Marvel Universe counterpart to the real-world Rikers Island, New York City's largest jail facility, which also includes the 415 acre (1.7 km²) island on which it sits.

The fictional Ryker's houses both conventional criminals and costumed offenders lacking superpowers. Daredevil is held there after his arrest in Daredevil vol. 2 #80.

Others held there include Alistair Smythe, Blacklash, Black Tarantula, Blizzard, the Brotherhood of Mutants (Avalanche, Blob, Destiny, Mystique, Pyro), Bullseye, Carnage, Chemistro, Cheshire Cat, Cobra, Commanche, Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton, Enforcers (Fancy Dan, Montana, Ox II), Griffin, Hood, Jigsaw, Kingpin, Melter, Mister Hyde, Mr. Fish II, Nitro, Punisher, Rhino, Sandman, Spear, Spider-Man, Turk Barrett, Ulik, Venom, Vin Gonzales, Wizard, and the Wrecking Crew (Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, Wrecker).

Ryker's Island has a special branch for dangerous superhuman criminals called the Raft.

Seagate Prison[edit]

Seagate Prison (also called "Little Alcatraz") where Carl Lucas, a wrongly convicted man, accepted to test Dr. Noah Burstein's experiments that made him a super-being. He changed his name to Luke Cage.

Known inmates of Seagate Prison are Beetle, Commanche, Crimebuster (Eugene Mason), Noah Burstein, Plantman, Robert Rackham, Shades, Justin Hammer and Trevor Slattery.

(The latter two when the prison appeared on-screen in the Marvel One-Shot short, All Hail the King.)

The Vault[edit]

Main article: Vault (comics)

The United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals., known as The Vault, is a defunct prison facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillains) in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. It first appeared in Avengers Annual #15 (1986) and figured prominently in the 1990 Marvel crossover "Acts of Vengeance". It was destroyed in Heroes for Hire vol. 1 #1 (February 1997).

Wildstorm Comics[edit]

Biro Island Prison[edit]

From Kurt Busiek's Astro City. First appears in the Tarnished Angel storyline from Astro City vol. 2 #14-20. Named after golden age comic book writer Charles Biro, who helped create Crime Does Not Pay.

Castle Baaleskine[edit]

From the Albion mini-series, used by the British government to confine England's IPC Media/Fleetway superheroes and villains from Britain's Bronze Age of comics, using special high tech cells. Characters such as the Steel Claw, Fishboy and the Spider were interred at Baaleskine. First appears in Albion #1 (August 2005).

Halo Corporation[edit]

Homebase of the WildC.A.T.s. While not an official prison, the Halo Corporation's New York office contains several cells to contain superhuman prisoners. Within these cells, prisoners are put into a virtual reality environment that repeats scenarios until the prisoner's criminal behavior improved. The criminal Ladytron undergoes a similar procedure before becoming a member of the WildC.A.T.s. The villain T.A.O. frees all other prisoners to cover his own escape. Whether the new Halo Building in Los Angeles contains similar holding facilities is unknown.

Purgatory Max[edit]

A prison for superhumans based in Antarctica. Officially known as Purgatory Maximum Security Prison for Metahuman Criminals, it is introduced in Backlash #1. A terrorist group destroys the prison and free most inmates in Gen-Active #4.


Skywatch is an orbital satellite that functions as the base of Stormwatch. It also is an official prison with holding facilities for superhuman prisoners. Its most dangerous inmates are the WarGuard, who double as living weapons of mass destruction, only to be freed in the most desperate of times. Most prisoners are kept comatose with cryonics. The prisoners are killed as a side-effect of the Weatherman's escape. Skywatch is destroyed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens #1.



The Colony prison facility is a planetary prison from Bob Layton's self-published webcomic of the same name. The series is written by Layton and illustrated by Dick Giordano. Colony was originally known as planet Erus.[26][27]


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