El Mercenario (English: The Mercenary) is a science fiction comics series by the Spanish artist Vicente Segrelles, published beginning in 1980.

An unusual feature for a comic book, every panel is painted in oil, a time-consuming technique.

Although the setting and the style resembles the medieval milieu of classic fantasy tales, it is actually a science fiction story.

Magic is due to advanced technology and aliens, while giants and monsters are natural fauna or the results of radiation.

The only blatant magic is in a set of apocryphal stories told by the Mercenary to impress his companion Nan-Tay (album 10, "Giants").