Spawn is a 1997 American superhero film directed and co-written by Mark A.Z. Dippé, based on the comic book character of the same name created by Todd McFarlane. The movie stars Michael Jai White in the lead role, alongside John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen, and Theresa Randle.
The film opens with Al Simmons, an assassin working for a corrupt government agency called A6, being murdered by his boss, Jason Wynn and his cohorts. Simmons finds himself in hell, where he makes a deal with the demon Malebolgia to return to Earth in exchange for leading Hell's Army in the battle against heaven. Malebolgia grants Simmons extraordinary powers, including the ability to shape-shift, and provides him with a costume and weapons.
Simmons finds himself in New York City, five years after his death, where he comes to understand that his wife, Wanda, has remarried his best friend, Terry Fitzgerald, and has a daughter with him. Simmons is also haunted by memories of his past life, and Malebolgia continues to manipulate him, urging him to fulfill his destiny and destroy mankind.
Simmons befriends a homeless man named Cogliostro, who teaches him to control his powers, and reveals that Malebolgia is using him as a pawn in his plan to conquer Earth. Simmons also encounters Violator, a demonic servant of Malebolgia, who is sent to keep an eye on him.
As Simmons decides to take on his former boss, Wynn, and his company, he discovers that they have been experimenting with a deadly virus called Heat-16, which they plan to release on the world. Simmons also saves Wanda and her daughter, Cyan, from kidnappers working for Wynn.
In the climactic battle between Spawn and Violator, Cogliostro reveals that he is actually an exiled angel, sent to Earth to stop Malebolgia's plans. Spawn finally realizes that his true purpose is to save humanity and not destroy it, and he destroys Malebolgia and saves the world from the virus.
The movie received mixed reviews from critics but was a moderate commercial success, grossing $87.8 million worldwide against its $40 million budget.