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Other DC Universe topics Obscure DCU Characters - Round VIII |
| Author | Topic: Obscure DCU Characters - Round VIII |
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outpost2
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posted June 14, 2003 02:22 PM
Welcome to Round VIII of Obscure DCU Characters. This thread serves as a Q&A forum focusing on DC's many obscure heroes and villains. Rounds I through VII have been archived at http://www.infiniteearths.org/dcu/obscurecharacters_files/obscuredcu.htm and are available for download. If you're new to this topic, take a few moments to check out those previous threads. The Obscure DCU Characters list now stands at 700 characters. Those entries that have yet to be covered are marked with an asterisk. 399 down, 301 to go! |
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outpost2
Member |
posted June 14, 2003 02:28 PM
1. Aaron Burr |
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outpost2
Member |
posted June 14, 2003 03:14 PM
OK, now it's time to stake your claims. I'm grabbing the following: 337. Karkan the Mighty a.k.a. Super-Savage |
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outpost2
Member |
posted June 14, 2003 03:20 PM
SUPERMAN OF 2956 Summarizing an entry from Michael L. Fleisher's Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes vol. 3... Craig King, a mild-mannered telenews reporter for the Daily Solar System, assumes the role of the 30th century Superman at the behest of a delegation of leadings scientists. They provide him with special super-power gadgetry in the hope that he might be able to bring a halt to the mysterious scientific thefts that have been plaguing Metropolis. The devices include concealed jet units for flight and a concealed degravitator to make heavy things light. These enable him to simulate, to some degree, some of Superman's mighty powers. Failing in his attempts to apprehend the criminals, the Superman of 2956 summons the original Superman to 30th century Metropolis to help him. Superman discovers that Vinson Vail, one of the aforementioned scientists, is also the secret leader of the gang. The rash of spectacular scientific thefts were a prelude to the most titanic crime of all time: the theft of the world's power-supply, in the form of the great atomic plant outside Metropolis. It supplies power, by wireless, to every machine, car, and plane on the planet, without which the world would be helpless and ripe for takeover. Superman exposes Vail as the mastermind and swiftly apprehends him. Once the criminals are captured, a relieved Craig King gladly retires from crime-fighting. |
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outpost2
Member |
posted June 14, 2003 03:24 PM
SUPERMAN OF 2020-2021 The Superman of 2020 was introduced in SUPERMAN [first series] #354. Superman I, who appears here to be quiet aged, and Superman II, arrive on a floating city in the sky, New Metropolis, for the unveiling and public debut of Superman III. Down on Earth, in the 21st century city of Megalopolis, Kalel Kent quits his job, then fakes his own death. He has decided that Superman III will be a hero with multiple secret identities! By the end of issue #355, Kalel arrives in New Metropolis and is given his "S" emblem. In SUPERMAN [first series] #357, we find Kalel in his first secret identity, that of Jon Hudson, a computer traffic-controller. Jon is dying to ask out his supervisor, Melodee Sellers, but he is sure she will turn him down. He finally does get up the nerve to ask her, and she says "yes". In issue #361, we learn of Kalel's second secret identity, that of Lewis Parker, professional tennis player. Melodee meets Parker, but doesn't realize he is also Jon Hudson. Issue #364 reveals the secret story of why Superman I looks so old. Thirty years earlier, the original Superman learned that a colossal burst of energy had turned the Sun red, but instead of harmless radiation, the Sun was shooting out lethal red energy. He used two super-explosives to restore the Sun to its natural yellow state, then flew at the dividing line between the red and yellow energies, using his body to repel the deadly red rays into space. Superman tracked down the cause of the trouble, Lex Luthor. Superman stated that he had foiled Luthor's plans, but Luthor responded by saying that his plan all along was to turn the Sun red so he could kill Superman when he lost his powers. By repelling all the red energy, Superman had done Luthor's job for him ... Superman began aging at an accelerated rate! Superman rushed to his Fortress and was able to stop the aging, although it had left him looking twice as old as his 40 years. Now, in 2020, the Sun turns red again. The three Supermen race to the Sun. The original Superman, who is now immune to the aging effect, tackles the red energy band again. Superman III is amazed that even at 70 years of age, he's still the greatest hero in the universe. Later, Superman I surmises that Luthor had originally planted a backup bomb, which had only now gone off. In SUPERMAN [first series] #368, Superman III prevents a disaster at the dawn of the New Year. Finally, in issue #372, the Superman of 2021 helps out his "Uncle Jimmy", the elderly James Bartholomew Olsen, retired reporter for the Daily Planet. |
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outpost2
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posted June 14, 2003 03:30 PM
SUPERMAN OF 2965-2967 Way back in SUPERMAN [first series] #181 (Nov 1965), a new feature was started. Its name ... "Superman of 2965"! This eight-page backup tells the tale of Klar Ken T5477, the 30th century Superman. The year is 2965, and the Superman of that era is about to be deputized by the Federation of Planets as a lawman of all the worlds. Jay Senohl of the Daily Interplanetary News, is one of the reporters covering the important event. In the Hall of Worlds, the capital of the Federation of Planets, Superman is given the power to act as a lawman with unlimited powers by the member worlds, officially beginning a new stage in his career. Later that afternoon, Superman receives a call from Pluto informing him that a rogue planet is entering the solar system, and may collide with Mars or Earth. While Superman diverts the planetoid, scientific criminals, looking to plunder the wonders acquired by Superman, locate his secret Fortress of Solitude satellite. They deduced the location of the satellite, which has a field of refractive force all around it which makes it invisible until you get close to it, and enter the Fortress. They are unable to penetrate the defense mechanisms, and are soon captured by Superman. Superman verifies that none of his souvenirs were taken, including a chunk of green kryptonite, which the later Supermen became immune to. Superman recalls how, years ago, he first encountered his one weakness. Although his father had warned him that the ocean could be fatal to him, he figured a quick peek undersea at the city of Atlantis couldn't hurt. He was immediately paralyzed by the chemical residue left in sea water by a past atomic war, which affects only people of Kryptonian descent. Luckily, the mermen of Atlantis arrived and brought him back to dry land. Superman soon returns to his other identity of Klar Ken T5477, Ultra-News reporter for the Daily Interplanetary News. Jay brings a scoop to the editor, a computer named PW-5598, designed by Per Wye T7357 to honor his ancestor, but the story is rejected. Klar arrives, and PW gives him his assignment ... the criminal Muto has returned, and was photographed robbing a Neptunian treasure-bank. Muto is a human mutant who uses his colossal intellect for crime, and he is one of Superman's greatest foes. As he is about to leave, Klar runs into Lyra 3916. Klar has to cancel their date that night so he can go to Neptune. When he mentions that Superman might show up, she shows her disdain for what she sees as a conceited person. Once alone, Klar changes into Superman and heads to Neptune. The next appearance of that futuristic Superman, set in 2966 AD, was in a two-parter in ACTION COMICS #338 (June 1966) and #339 (July 1966). In that adventure, we learn of past Supermen: Dave Kent a.k.a. Superman IV and Kanton K-73 a.k.a. Superman VII. Interestingly enough, when this tale was reprinted in SUPERMAN [first series] #247-248, the year was changed to 2466 AD, apparently due to the then-popular Legion of Super-Heroes, whose adventures were also set in the 2960s. The first part of this tale begins with the future Superman flying over the city of Metropolis in 2966. When he arrives at work as Klar Ken T5477, he meets up with Lyra 3916, who is about to receive a big assignment from the computer editor, PW-5598. The computer explains that a flash tip was received that Muto was seen in Sector Z-44 of space, then he quickly went into hiding. Klar and Lyra run the micro-reels on Muto to prepare for a background story on the criminal. The Tri-D projection is narrated by the current Superman, who explains that Muto is his arch-enemy, just as Lex Luthor was the arch-foe of the first Superman. They skip to Superman V, who battled his arch-foe, Vyldan. The vid then shows a scene where the current Superman defeats Muto in a previous encounter. After she leaves, Klar begins to change into Superman, but Jay L-3388 bursts in. Klar sends Jay away, then recalls how Superman VII had his identity accidentally revealed by his toddler son. Superman streaks off on his manhunt. Meanwhile, in a hidden base on a world in that space-sector, Muto addresses his three lieutenants. Muto deliberately let himself be seen to draw Superman to him. Yann of the underground people of the planet Waru, Thargo whose race has its own "living radar" sense, and Von-Don from Blax, a world without color, are happy to join with Muto. Although they all hate Superman, Von-Don asks Muto why he hates him more than anyone else. Muto explains that this Superman's father made him the super-brained freak that he is. It happened years ago when that Superman was on a mission in space. He spotted a comet which would hit an inhabited world, so he smashed the solid nucleus to dust. Superman was unaware that the terrific electrical power released by the comet ripped a hole in space nearby. A space-warp opened and caught a spacecraft in its vortex. The ship would remain trapped in that other-dimensional space until the warp closed again. Muto's mother was on that trapped ship and he was born on it ... born in that alien dimension. Although the baby wasn't normal looking, he was soon displaying terrific mental abilities, such as levitation of small objects, a result of being born in a world of strange forces. Shortly after his birth, the space-warp closed and the ship was hurled back to normal space. Muto is determined to exact vengeance on the entire Superman line. Superman arrives in the space sector where Muto was sighted. He immediately heads to one particular world ... the Weapons World. When the Planetary Federation outlawed war, all the weapons of the universe were brought there for safe-keeping. He is determined to guard the planet against Muto. Unfortunately he is too late, Superman spots the criminals with his telescopic vision, stealing the weapons. Superman confronts Muto, who uses his ability to shift atoms into new patterns to form a mighty crystal prison around his enemy. Superman bursts out, but finds himself in a maze made of similar substance. He breaks through the top of the prison just in time to see the villains escaping in their rocketship. Superman uses his x-ray vision to discover that the ship is an empty decoy. He heads back to the surface and locates Muto once again. Muto transforms rocks into green kryptonite, which have no effect on Superman. While Superman believes Muto has forgotten that his only weakness is a chemical fallout which settled in the seas of every planet following a past atomic war, Muto is actually keeping knowledge of that vulnerability as a surprise. Muto taunts Superman by telling him that he too has one weakness, that Superman will never know. Superman follows Muto into the weapons citadel, where Muto releases a deadly alien fungus into the air. While Superman deals with the fungus, Muto escapes to another planet in a nearby solar system. Superman uses his telescopic vision to follow Muto's trail. He arrives to find Muto transforming part of a rock cliff into vapor, which is now allowing the ocean into a small valley. Superman spots small children about to be engulfed by the flood, and has no choice but to face the harmful sea water to save them. Superman reaches the children, only to find that they are lifeless androids planted by Muto. Superman is engulfed by the wave and is paralyzed. Muto and his henchmen gloat on the rock cliff, stating that Superman will soon be dead. Now, with his mental powers and the war machines, Muto will be able to conquer the universe! The tale continues in the next issue with Superman paralyzed on the ocean floor. The hero thinks fast and uses his heat-vision to change the androids' programming. The android children carry him out of the deadly trap. Later, Superman receives a telepathic message from Earth. The mermen of Atlantis have combined their telepathic power to reach him and warn him that Muto has set up an undersea base on Earth. Superman returns to Earth, and barely avoids one of Muto's traps, with the aid of a flying-jet belt. With the help of the Atlanteans, Superman retrieves the undersea base. Inside he finds Von-Don, who he imprisons. Superman returns to his Klar Ken identity, and again studies the micro-reel file on Muto. While looking over the circumstances of Muto's birth, Klar believes he has figured out Muto's one vulnerability. Suddenly, Lyra 3916 bursts in to tell Klar that Muto has interrupted all broadcasts with a message. Together with Jay L-3388 and PW-5598, they witness Muto's threat. To convince all worlds to acknowledge his rule and pay him tribute, Muto will bring a special doom on Metropolis! Klar suggests they separate to find Superman. As Superman, he locates Muto hidden in a cloud, wielding one of the stolen weapons. Superman approaches Muto, who only laughs as he transforms the cloud into sea water, immediately paralyzing Superman. As Superman plummets Earthward inside the falling water, his flying-jet belt kicks in, saving him. However, Superman is too late to stop Muto from turning the weapon on the city. Superman is horrified to find that Muto has used the expander-ray, one of the most diabolical weapons of past wars. The residents of Metropolis all begin to grow at an accelerated rate. Superman rushes to the Museum World and retrieves a relic that was created to counter the effects of the expander-ray, returning the citizens to normal. Superman soon locates Muto and his two remaining henchmen, racing away in a rocketship, getting ready to launch more weapons at him. They blast Superman with a helium bomb, the most powerful in the universe, but it has no effect on him. The last bomb, however, is filled with compressed water, which sends him hurtling to the sea. Superman's flying-jet belt automatically kicks in, saving him once again. When Superman disables the rocketship, Muto escapes. Superman hurls the incapacitated craft into space, trapping the two other criminals, then goes after Muto. Superman chases Muto to the icy Antarctic, who he spots hiding in his base under the ice cap. He is sure that Muto will change the ice into tons of sea water, something even his jet belt couldn't save him from. He gets wise and refuses to proceed into the trap. Superman fashions a giant rod which he plants in the ground, then draws storm clouds together with his vacuum breath. A bolt of lightning strikes the rod, prompting Muto to come out of hiding. Muto knows what Superman is up to and is determined to stop him. He is too late, however. The titanic discharge of electrical force opens a space-warp into another dimension, the one that gave Muto his powers. Muto is drawn into the rift, as a nail is drawn to a magnet. The warp closes, trapping Muto on the other side. The final appearance of this Superman was in WORLD'S FINEST COMICS [first series] #166 (May 1967). It is a year later, 2967. A spaceship streaks toward a mining planet, Kaltarus. Its cargo is a hundred robot heads, worth millions. The crew spot Muto outside the ship without a spacesuit. Muto uses his mental power to turn the craft's door to gas. He levitates the robot heads to his ship, which is hidden behind an asteroid. As Muto continues his theft, another space raider appears. Hidden by the asteroid, the clever crook quietly maneuvers his ship between the robot heads and Muto's ship, causing the cargo to land in his own craft. When the transfer is complete, the raider speeds away, leaving only his calling card behind. Muto discovers that his loot is missing, but finds a playing card instead ... the trademark of the Joker! Muto uses his hyper-radar to track the Joker. The Joker sees that Muto is catching up to him so he lands on a nearby planetoid. Confident that Muto is helpless outside his ship, the Joker threatens to finish him. Instead, Muto uses his mental powers to blast the Clown Prince of Crime. During their battle, the Joker mentions that he will stop Muto as he once stopped Superman. Realizing they have a common enemy, Muto stops the fighting. The Joker explains that he has fought Superman many times. His ancestors' arch-foes were always the Batman family, but his father killed the last caped crusader years before. Since he began his own criminal career, Superman has been a thorn in his side. Muto suggests that they team up to finish Superman once and for all. The next day, the Joker attacks the guards at the nuclear fusion plant that supplies Metropolis its power, while Muto steals the core. Superman spots the robbery with his telescopic vision and rushes to the scene. Superman grabs Muto, but the Joker blasts him with sea water. The two villains escape in their craft. Superman heads to his Fortress of Solitude, which he has moved to the center of the Sun, to look for something to use against the deadly duo. Superman passes through his hall of villains and heroes, stopping to look at the statue of Batman. He remembers how the original Superman and Batman used to team up. That tradition continued from generation to generation. The sixth Superman and Batman defeated a space-giant who invaded Earth. Batman XV joined Superman XV to keep an interplanetary crime syndicate from taking over the solar system. Superman wishes that Batman was alive today to help him. Suddenly, Superman sees a figure ... it is Batman ... alive! Superman exclaims that Batman was killed long ago. This Batman explains that he is Bron Wayn E7705, the son of Batman XIX. Years ago, that Batman was attending a public ceremony, when the Joker XIX appeared and killed him in an explosion. The blast also killed several spectators, including Bron's mother and the rest of his family. He was only a baby then, and wasn't taken to the cemetery. Thus, when he grew up, there was no one to tell him of his heritage, and the Batman line seemingly ended. Then, one day, he returned to Wayn Manor, on the asteroid Baltorr, the property of the Wayns for two centuries, and stumbled on the secret entrance to the latest Batcave! He investigated, learned of his parents murder, and vowed revenge. Although his parent's killer vanished year ago, he swore he would find him through his son, the present day Joker. He trained strenuously and mastered all the amazing gadgets in the utility belt. With his brain-wave tracer, he followed Superman to his hidden lair. The molecular diffuser built into the Batship enabled him to enter the Sun unharmed. The two form a partnership. The next day, the villains' craft lands on Ondo, the Carnival World, which has high receipts from Charity Day. The Joker is to keep the police busy, while Muto steals the zarianite core to power his crime machines. As the Joker attempts to rob the receipts, he is shocked when he is attacked by Batman, who he believes was killed by his father. As Muto attempts to draw the zarianite from the ground, Superman bursts from the ground and punches him. Muto thinks fast and sprays Superman with sea water from his ship, paralyzing him. He then uses his mental powers to hold Batman at bay while the Joker climbs aboard the ship. Batman uses his flying-jet belt to follow the escaping craft, and makes his way on board. The villains succeed in dumping Batman out of their ship. Luckily, Superman has recovered and catches him. Batman tells Superman that while he was aboard their ship, he took a mento-graph of their brain-waves. He can track them anywhere they go. The two heroes climb aboard the Batship and follow the escaping criminals. Superman disables the criminals' ship with a single blow, forcing them to the planetoid called Thorum, a world of constant lightning and thunder. The villains plan on landing and splitting up, the electrical storms shielding their escape. Superman spots Muto, who unsuccessfully tries to drawn lightning to stop his pursuer. Muto then enters a cave which drips with sea water. Superman is unable to follow, so he starts to generate a small earthquake. Fearing that he'll be trapped in the cave, Muto runs out, right into Superman's clutches. Superman quickly puts a specially designed helmet on his foe, which cuts off Muto's super-brain emanations, leaving him helpless. Meanwhile, Batman chases the Joker to an abandoned weather tower. They battle atop the tower, with lightning crashing down all around them. Batman demands that this Joker reveal the location of his father, Joker XIX. The Joker surprises Batman and stuns him. He then grabs a lightning force attractor to smash Batman with. As he holds the device over his head, he is struck by lightning and killed, robbing Batman of his revenge. |
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outpost2
Member |
posted June 14, 2003 03:46 PM
SUPERMAN OF 2999 The Superman of 2999 is merely an updated version of the Superman of 2965. His tale begins in SUPERMAN [second series] #136 (July 1998). Klar Ken 5477, the latest Superman, debuts in the year 2999 AD. It is stated that he is the son of Superman XVIII, who perished several years earlier bringing his nemesis Luthor to justice. Superman's first public act is to attempt to stop a FedLex transport ship arriving from Andromeda from crashing. He only succeeds in making matters worse. Luckily, a GlobaLex craft arrives and saves the ship with an experimental stasis field device. Superman meets Lena Luthor, daughter of his father's enemy, who colonized the Andromeda system. Lena insists that GlobaLex has been legitimate ever since her father was brought to justice, however Superman has his doubts. After Superman leaves, Lena talks with a mysterious cloaked stranger, telling him they should have anticipated the eventual emergence of a Kryptonian descendant. Later at Ultra News, Klar meets with his co-workers, Lyra 3916 and Jay L 3812. Lyra says the world now has technology that has made Superman redundant. Their discussion is broken up by their robot editor XL37 a.k.a. Perry. Later at his apartment, Klar talks with his teen-age sister Kara, reminding her that college comes before capes. Then, while Superman tends to a report of hovercar sabotage, Kara is visited by Lena Luthor, who wants to warn reporter Klar Ken of a world-threatening danger. Superman saves a crashing hovercar, only to discover Lyra inside. Superman suspects that Lyra caused the disaster in order to interview Metropolis' new hero. Suddenly, Superman is blasted to the ground. He learns his attackers are ordinary robots, who are all programmed not to harm any person. Jay arrives to tell Lyra that before he could disable the distress device in her car, the robots running the hovercar system sabotaged it! As Superman continues his fight against the robots, a warp opens. It is the evil Muto, leading a horde of robots under his control! In this issue, we learn that Superman III invented a cure for cancer and Superman VIII invented the world's first dependable artificial eye. Also, mention is made of a mysterious bat creature in Gotham, the Green Lantern Corps, and Aquaman. In SUPERMAN [second series] #137 (Aug 1998), Superman has been battling robots for more than 36 hours, destroying over 8,500 of them already. Reports from all over the globe indicate a world-wide invasion, with casualties estimated in the millions! Just then, a figure resembling a bat descends and drops an incendiary bomb on Superman and the robots he is battling, destroying them. Before the inferno can cause much damage to Metropolis, a green energy in the form of a drill digs deep enough to reach sea water, which puts out the blaze. Superman collapses, a victim to the sea water, his one weakness. A green energy claw rescues him from the water. He then meets his saviors ... the Bat from Gotham, Aquaman from the Sydney oceanic community, and the Green Lantern, protector of Space Sector 2814 for the past 312 years. A communiqué comes in from the Thanagarian called Hawkman, who warns that he has learned that the robots are targeting the world's greatest cities with nukes. Superman takes the heroes to a safe place to plan, his Fortress of Solitude, hidden in space by a refraction field. As the heroes assess the state of the world, Kara arrives in a Supergirl costume. Supergirl tells Superman she has sources which have already informed her about Muto, and that he has already conquered the Andromeda system. Suddenly, Muto appears in the Fortress through a warp, having followed the unique energy trail left by Green Lantern. The heroes then realize they are frozen in place, unable to move. Muto explains his origin and motives. Years ago, when Muto was only an infant, the previous Superman destroyed a comet with strange radioactive properties that was headed toward Earth. The comet's destruction opened a warp door to another dimension. The ship carrying Muto and his parents were drawn into the vortex. Sentient robots performed experiments on the small child, mutating the baby into the creature that would later be known as Muto. Muto forces Superman to play a modified game of chess, with the heroes as the chess pieces. Lena Luthor appears, blasting Muto with a hand weapon. Supergirl had brought her along and told her to keep out of sight. After a short tussle, Green Lantern captures Muto. In this issue we learn that Superman XII's genes were altered in the Pollution War, and that sea water is now lethal to all of his descendants. In addition, Klar's teen-age sister Kara becomes this era's Supergirl. In SUPERMAN [second series] #138 (Sep 1998), the citizens of the Earth celebrate World Victory Day. Superman XIX gathers other heroes from around the galaxy and forms the Justice Alliance. Team members are Superman, Supergirl, Aquaman, Hawkman, Green Lantern, the Bat, and other unnamed heroes (who appear to be a female Robin, Wonder Woman, a green-skinned Captain Marvel, the Flash, Green Arrow, Ms. Miracle, Starman, a giant, and a dwarf). Superman erects an obelisk bearing an "L" symbol, stating that Muto's attack proved the need for all civilized worlds to unite under an umbrella of protection. From now on, an attack on any world bearing one of these spires will be interpreted as an attack on the Justice Alliance! Lena Luthor arrives and thanks Superman for ridding the Andromeda system of Muto's army. After that, reality begins to change, due to an underlying war between the cosmic being called Kismet and the evil Dominus. The world of Superman 2999 fades. |
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
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posted June 14, 2003 06:54 PM
Dibs on: 45. Atom-Master ... for now. --Rich |
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
Member |
posted June 14, 2003 10:55 PM
THE COSSACK The Cossack was sent by the Soviet Union to retrieve Lt. Valentina Vostok after she defected to the United States. He was monitored in his mission by KGB agent Igor Brunovich. Vostok, now Negative Woman of the New Doom Patrol, was caught unawares by the huge man, who was armed with a glowing energy sword and a flying horse. Negative Woman was short-circuited by his sword, and the Cossack also made fairly short work of the rest of the team in his quick attack and kidnapping of Negative Woman. The New Doom Patrol caught up with the Cossack, and Negative Woman got away from him. A power blast from Tempest revealed that they were fighting a sophisticated robot and not a human being or metahuman, so unfettered by that fact, the team destroyed the Cossack in short order. Brunovich was knocked out and captured by Lt. Matt Cable, who had been on hand to take Vostok into protective custody (but did not, because of the circumstances). Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
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posted June 14, 2003 10:57 PM
THE FORGOTTEN VILLAINS (Pre-Crisis) The Forgotten Villains were: Mr. Poseidon, foe of the Sea Devils (SEA DEVILS #2). He has pointed ears and a ring that allows him to shrink, as well as numerous other scientific devices. Ultivac, a giant robot that battled the Challengers of the Unknown (SHOWCASE #7). Poseidon claimed that Ultivac had the greatest computer mind ever devised, and the super-strong and durable robot was armed with a variety of powerful weapons, including a vibration beam, and could fly. The Enchantress, former heroine and foe of Supergirl (STRANGE ADVENTURES #187,191,200, SUPERMAN FAMILY #204). She had a variety of potent magicks available to her. Speaking the name "Enchantress" would transform her between being the heroine/villainess and her alter-ego, June Moone. She appeared as a blonde woman in a gown-like costume for her one chronicled adventure with the Forgotten Villains. The Atom-Master, foe of Superman and Batman (WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #101). Atom-Master had a helmet that could create pretty much anything out of thin air, from animate creatures to a winged back-pack allowing him to fly. Kraklow, foe of Rip Hunter (RIP HUNTER ... TIME MASTER #28). Kraklow was a Polish sorcerer that Rip Hunter encountered on a visit to the 18th Century. He, like the Enchantress, had various powerful spells that he could use for various effects. He also used a "magic clay" to transform people and animals into other creatures and control them. The Faceless Creature/Hunter from Saturn was a giant alien who menaced the Earth on several occasions (STRANGE ADVENTURES #124,142,153). Chun Yull was from the world of Kalamar, which existed in an atom in the rings surrounded the planet Saturn. He had the power to 'absorb all he touched and turn it into a weapon of destruction' (i.e., touching the side of a mountain and causing rocks to fly out of his other hand). After his last defeat at the hands of his mortal enemy Klee Pan, he was imprisoned within the inescapable Spheres of Light until the Enchantress used her magic to grant his freedom in return for his help in traversing the stars. Yggardis, a living planet (MYSTERY IN SPACE #60). Yggardis was a sentient living being with a command of sorcery and wizardry. Mr. Poseidon was able to get into the Fortress of Science outside of Metropolis and reactivate the giant robot known as Ultivac. The two flew over Metropolis, attracting the attention of the Forgotten Heroes, who were attending a luncheon ceremony. Ultivac's weapons made short work of the seven heroes (Animal Man, Cave Carson, Rick Flagg, Congo Bill, Rip Hunter, Dolphin, and Immortal Man), then they flew off to meet up with the Enchantress. The sorceress was working with the 18th century wizard Kraklow to form a triad of wizards to consolidate their lust for power. At the same time, Atom-Master was robbing the Midtown Bank, only to be confronted by Superman. Ultivac's sensors noted the power of his helmet and Mr. Poseidon ordered the robot to bring Atom-Master to their cavernous headquarters. The robot grudgingly complied, teleporting the fleeing criminal just as Superman was about to capture him. Unfortunately for the villains, the Man of Steel's super-vision was able to track the unique radiation of Atom Master's helmet. The Enchantress, who had been communicating with Kraklow in the past, was not pleased that Mr. Poseidon had decided to recruit another person, and Atom Master was about to demonstrate his abilities when Superman crashed through the wall of the cave. Mr. Poseidon immediately called on Ultivac to attack the Kryptonian, and used his vibration beam to momentarily disorient the hero, allowing the villains to make their escape. Superman, having heard Kraklow talk to the Enchantress about Rip Hunter, contacted the Forgotten Heroes. Believing that the villains had gone back in time to join Kraklow, Superman joined the team in Hunter's time bubble for a trip into the past (stopping briefly to pick up Cave Carson's Mighty Mole). Immediately upon arriving, Superman was transformed into a giant green dragon, courtesy of Kraklow's magic clay. Animal Man went out to confront the changed Man of Steel, while the others retreated into the future to find some sort of weapon to help their situation. Animal Man duplicated the Dragon's powers and was able to knock Superman out. The heroes returned (after Congo Bill used his magic ring to swap minds with Congorilla) with Dane Dorrance of the Sea Devils, and the team set out to find a way into Kraklow's castle. Animal Man, Dolphin, and Dorrance entered the castle via a river, while the others traveled through the ground itself in Cave Carson's Mighty Mole. (It should be noted that Dane Dorrance, after entering the castle, suddenly and completely disappeared from the adventure between panels, never to be seen again.) As the Forgotten Heroes confronted Kraklow, the Superman Dragon also attacked them. Rick Flagg grabbed the magic clay from Kraklow and tossed it into a lit brazier, causing Superman to return to his normal form. Kraklow used magic that the Enchantress had given him to transport all the heroes outside (and possibly both off-planet and into the future, it's a little unclear) to battle the Faceless Hunter of Saturn. The Faceless Hunter shot a hail of boulders at the heroes, and Immortal Man was killed protecting Dolphin. The others managed to knock over the giant, and the Faceless Hunter explained how he had gotten involved with the Forgotten Villains. He told them where the sorcerous triad was to be completed that day, and told them about the third member - Yggardis, the Sorcerers' Planet. Immortal Man was resurrected, this time in the body of a young boy. The team turned the Faceless Hunter back over to his keepers and Superman flew the Forgotten Heroes into deep space. They were forced to detour onto a water planet called Quaria when Superman saw that the closest path to the Sorcerers' Planet they were seeking was through a red star system (where he would lose his powers). While the Quarians lacked space travel technology, one offworlder on the planet was able to help the team - the Space Cabby (from MYSTERY IN SPACE #21,24,26-47).Meanwhile, the triad of Kraklow, the Enchantress, and Yggardis had begun the spell to give them ultimate power. First, they directed their combined might at their enemies, assailing Space Cabby's ship with powerful energy beams that caused it to crash-land and explode, though everyone got out safely. Space Cabby did manage to send out a distress signal before they went down, which attracted the attention of The Pioneer and it's captain, Chris KL-99 (from STRANGE ADVENTURES #1-3,5,7,9,11,15). Chris, with his assistants Halk and Jero, beamed Superman and the Forgotten Heroes on board. "The Columbus of Space" volunteered to fly them to their destination. The Pioneer closed in on the planet Yggardis, only to be attacked by the planet itself, sending out long tentacles to entwine the spacecraft. Superman allowed a tentacle to take him so he could battle the planet from within, but then realized that the planet's magic abilities could kill him. The Forgotten Heroes again rushed to his rescue. Meanwhile, the Enchantress and Kraklow were using their newfound supreme powers to inflict misery on their worlds and time periods. The Atom-Master and Mr. Poseidon watched as the Enchantress slipped into madness, and Atom-Master used his helmet to create a giant being to attack her. Mr. Poseidon also commanded Ultivac to attack her, causing her to lose her concentration at "the most important moment". The Forgotten Heroes found and rescued Superman from the depths of the planet, and Chris KL-99 had an idea to free their ship, by returning to the Pioneer and causing the surface of Yggardis to heat up. Their efforts broke up the triad, returning everything to normal and forcing the Enchantress to teleport away from her two attackers. The Forgotten Heroes and Superman headed back to the past to Hunter's time bubble, and also discovered that Kraklow was gone and his laboratory was destroyed. The Forgotten Heroes retrieved their equipment and they and Superman returned to the present. (This story can also be noted as being one of the few direct lead-ins to the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS limited series.) Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
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posted June 14, 2003 11:13 PM
THE FORGOTTEN VILLAINS (Post-Crisis) The history of the Forgotten Villains after the effects of the Crisis on Infinite Earths seems to be somewhat the same, with two major points of difference. Vandal Savage was now leader of the Forgotten Villains (or rather, they acted as his agents). It does not appear that Mr. Poseidon was a member of this incarnation of the team. Ultivac is instead referred to as the robot slave of Atom-Master in the one adventure of the Forgotten Villains that we have seen detailed so far. The Enchantress also appeared in her original costume for this adventure, rather than the gown and blonde hair she had adopted in DC COMICS PRESENTS. The Forgotten Heroes (Rick Flagg, Cave Carson, Immortal Man, Dolphin, Animal Man, Rip Hunter, Dane Dorrance, and Congorilla) were in the Pliocene era, as Vandal Savage searched there for another fragment of the primordial meteor. Animal Man occupied the Faceless Hunter, with a stampeding herd of wooly mammoths, while Rip Hunter used his time technology to give himself the upper hand against the wizard Kraklow. Congorilla faced off against both Atom Master and Ultivac, diverting attention away from a rearguard strike by Dorrance. Carson, Flagg, and Dolphin were inundated by a blizzard from the Enchantress, but Dolphin's ability to hold her breath under the snow allowed her to knock the villainess out. Immortal Man proceeded to a cave by some hot springs where he caught Vandal Savage off-guard before he had obtained the primordial meteor fragment, part of the object that had created both immortal beings. Immortal Man was attacked by a giant sabretooth tiger, and used the power of the fragment to save himself. Unfortunately, this left Savage with an opportunity to attack, and he knocked his ancient foe unconscious and took the fragment. Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
Member |
posted June 15, 2003 08:33 AM
THE ATOM-MASTER The Atom-Master was an unnamed criminal mastermind who invented a special helmet that could create incredibly realistic illusions. His first use of his invention was to attack Metropolis and Gotham City with illusions of Superman and Batman turning on the general populace - Superman was shown emptying a cage of huge, horrific beasts onto the streets of the city, while Batman and Robin flew the Batplane low through Gotham and gleefully tossed out sticks of dynamite - both of which caused a general panic in each city and naturally caught the attention of the real heroes. Superman easily solved the problem of a major traffic jam in Metropolis, while the Dynamic Duo managed to calm the citizenry and disavow their doubles' actions. The Atom Master then assembled a gang of criminals to steal money to finish the final phase of his plan, using his illusions to keep the heroes busy while his men robbed and looted various stores and banks. The criminals did, however, leave a clue at their final robbery that allowed the Batman to determine where the Atom-Master's headquarters was located (in an old pottery plant outside Gotham City). In the meantime, the Atom-Master finished his improved device, a Super-Ray Machine that, instead of just creating illusions, could rearrange the atoms in dust to materialize solid matter in the shape of his projected thought image illusions. Superman, Batman, and Robin suddenly burst into the Atom-Master's hideout. Activating the Super-Ray, the mastermind captured the Dynamic Duo in the beam and threatened to have his men turn it on full power and doom them if Superman came any closer. Superman acquiesced, but a large dinosaur formed out of the Super-Ray, attacking the Atom-Master's men. Superman was able turn off the device, freeing Batman and Robin, and was able to capture the thugs. Superman had used his super-speed to knock out the Atom Master. The dinosaur had been an illusion of his own creation. After serving a prison sentence for his crimes, the Atom-Master used a mini-helicopter and an improved device (now a more compact helmet) to begin a crime spree in Metropolis, robbing the Midtown Bank. Superman came to apprehend him, but his monstrous creations kept the Man of Steel at bay. Superman destroyed the mini-helicopter the villain was flying in, but Atom Master's helmet allowed him to create a set of wings on his back to continue his escape. Superman did almost catch him, until the villain disappeared in a ray of light. The ray had come from the robot Ultivac, who had been ordered by Mr. Poseidon to retrieve Atom-Master, so as to hopefully shift the balance of power in his favor in his dealings with the Enchantress and Kraklow (in a loosely-knit criminal organization known as the Forgotten Villains). The Enchantress was not happy with Poseidon's recruiting efforts, and blamed Atom Master for leading Superman to her headquarters (having followed the unique radiation signature of his helmet). After escaping, the Enchantress used her magic to torture the villain until he managed to convince her that the power of his helmet could help in her efforts to form the triad of sorcery with fellow wizards Kraklow and Yggardis. After several fights between the Forgotten Villains and the Forgotten Heroes (with Superman), the Enchantress saw her wishes come true and her powers increased accordingly. The Atom Master, seeing the villainess descend into madness, attacked her with creatures created by his helmet. Mr. Poseidon joined the attack by ordering Ultivac to use his weaponry on the Enchantress as well, causing her to lose her concentration at an inopportune moment, which broke the triad and her power. The Enchantress teleported away, swearing revenge on Atom-Master and Mr. Poseidon. In the Post-Crisis DC Universe, Atom-Master was assembled as one of the Forgotten Villains again, this time acting as agents of Vandal Savage in a search for fragments of the primordial meteor that gave both Savage and Forgotten Heroes' leader Immortal Man their powers and immortality. Atom Master was also in control of the giant robot Ultivac (instead of Mr. Poseidon). He and Ultivac were stopped by a combined attack by Congorilla and Dane Dorrance of the Sea Devils. Appearances (pre-Crisis):
Appearances (post-Crisis):
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
Member |
posted June 15, 2003 10:15 PM
THE GREEN TEAM The Green Team was a group of boy millionaires, based at the Millionaire's Club in an unnamed city (though it may be presumed to be Metropolis). They invested in "adventure projects" that required the "participation of adventurous boys" around the world (as well as the need for at least a million dollars). The three original members were Commodore Murphy, shipping magnate; J. P. Houston, oil baron, and Cecil Sunbeam, known as the Star Maker. After seeing a number of crackpot projects come through the door, the Green Team was introduced to shoeshine boy Abdul Smith, who wanted to join any club, but particularly he wanted to join the Green Team. However, he didn't quite meet the requirement of having a million dollars to join (he had $32 in his bank book). Later that day, armed with the goal of getting that million, Abdul took his latest five-dollar deposit to the bank. The bank's computer, however, recorded the deposit over and over until he had the princely sum of $500,000. The next day, he went to the floor of the Stock Exchange to shine shoes. He asked if he could join the club, and was scoffed at until they saw his bankbook. A quick phone call confirming the amount had the stockbrokers selling Abdul shares of Amalgamated Spacecraft, which they had a good tip on. Abdul was back at the Green Team's office with his million-dollar bankbook in hand the next day (he had made a million and a half on the stock market before the bank had discovered its error and taken the original $500,000 back), becoming the fourth member of the group. The first conference that Abdul sat in on was with Professor Apple, a brilliant scientist who wanted funding to develop his Great American Pleasure Machine. The device was touted to replace television, the movies, television and Broadway, and would allow a person to "come for weeks at a time and take a timeless journey through the thrills of the universe" stored in Apple's computer banks. The one thing that their money couldn't buy was happiness, so the Green Team financed the invention to give it a try, building it on a piece of real estate that they had recently acquired. The GAP (Great American Pleasure) project was not without controversy, as Broadway producer David D. Merritt organized a protest against it, refusing to allow construction to continue and trapping the Green Team in their own skyscraper. Merritt came to negotiate and they found that he only wanted a pay-off for himself, not caring about the entertainment workers he had rallied to his supposed cause. The Green Team rejected Merritt's offer and he swore they would never experience their GAP Machine and continued to lay siege to the building. The Green Team donned their "Action Uniforms" (which included a wristwatch tickertape, a chain of keys to unlock the groups various holdings, and a million dollars in four pockets that could only be opened by the combination lock on their belt buckles), and headed to the rooftop and their helicopter. Unfortunately, Merritt had hijacked their chopper and was heading for the GAP machine himself. In order to get out of the building and follow, the Green Team tossed upwards of a million dollars off the roof of the building to divert the angry mob surrounding it. Merritt, in the meantime, had arrived at the GAP and locked himself inside the machine, which activated and sent him on a ten-day trip. The Green Team was able to watch Merritt's progression through the GAP on a television monitor over the following days, but the screens suddenly went black about a week later. They got Merritt out of the GAP and took him to the emergency room, where they found he had been driven insane by too much pleasure. The guys decided to give Commodore Murphy's battleship another workout and destroy the GAP Machine before it hurt anyone else. The Green Team next helped out Superman. Two gangs in Metropolis's Suicide Slum had been fighting over the abandoned Goldberg Theater. Both the Newsboy Legion and the Dingbats of Danger Street wanted to use the building as their clubhouse, and had fought numerous squabbles over it. Superman called in the Green Team to invest in the building, converting it into a proper youth center that both gangs could use. The Green Team also made an obviously non-continuity appearance in AMBUSH BUG #3, in which Richard Rich told Ambush Bug that the Green Team had disbanded because of Affirmative Action (they had to accept any millionaires and "Lotto killed 'em"). Rich also lamented that he had never joined the team because he had never gotten over the death of his dog Dollar and recalled how he used to spike the Green Team's Kool-Aid with whiskey. Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
Member |
posted June 15, 2003 10:22 PM
THE JUSTICE ALLIANCE OF EARTH-D Earth-D was one of the last universes to be destroyed by the Anti-Monitor before he centered his efforts on the major universes of the DC Characters (Earths-One, Two, Four, S, X). Earth-D was very similar to Earth-One during the height of the Silver Age, especially in temperament, and its heroic population appeared to be much more racially diverse than that of any other DC Universe. The major super-hero team of Earth-D was the Justice Alliance of America, which was headquartered in an underwater base. The following heroes were on the team: Superman and Supergirl: (Kal-El and Kara) Husband and wife Kryptonians who had arrived on Earth-D three years earlier. Superman died saving Supergirl from one of the Anti-Monitor's Shadow Demons. Supergirl was later killed, buying time for the heroes from Earth-One to return home. Batman and Robin: Father and son Dynamic Duo (the Batman of Earth-D has a wife and two other children as well). Robin was killed trying to save an elderly woman from the Anti-Monitor's anti-matter wall. Wonder Woman: (Diana) Amazon warrior who died saving a small child from the advancing anti-matter wall. The Flash: (Tanaka Rei) Asian-American who, married to Hoshi, was inspired by the comic book adventures of Barry Allen, the Earth-One Flash. The Atom: Tiny titan in possession of a jet pack, various technological devices, and an "atomic punch". Aquaman: An Atlantean much like the Earth-One Aquaman, except for his appearance, which included pointed ears, pale skin, and external gills. Green Arrow: Green Arrow appeared to be a Native American archer. Martian Manhunter: (J'Onn) This Martian Manhunter adopted a slightly more alien appearance than his Earth-One counterpart. Hawkman and Hawkgirl : (Kat and Shay). Brother and sister (presumed) Thanagarians who were killed by Shadow Demons. They were the first heroes to ever be killed on Earth-D. Green Lantern (Captain Jose Hernandez): Brazilian fighter pilot who received his power ring from dying Green Lantern Tagin Sur, whose ship had been damaged by Shadow Demons and crashed. Green Lantern was killed saving Supergirl from a Shadow Demon shortly after he received the power ring. Barry Allen was the first hero to encounter the denizens of Earth-D. He had been living in the 30th Century with his wife Iris when the effects of the Anti-Monitor's anti-matter wall began to destroy that time period. Deciding he needed help to combat this threat, he relaxed the internal vibration that kept him in the time period to return to the present to get the Justice League. This time however, he was shunted into the dimension of Earth-D (apparently as a result of the energy of the anti-matter wall), finding himself in Central City and watching this world's Flash battle an African-American Mirror Master. He followed this Flash to his home, where he was met by his wife Hoshi, and Barry Allen suddenly realized he had left his own wife to die in the future. In New York City on Earth-D, several members of the Justice Alliance of America battled the combined menace of Medulla and Mollusk the Marauder on the Statue of Liberty. At the same time, Pariah and Lady Quark, two other survivors of worlds destroyed by the Anti-Monitor, appeared (Pariah had saved Lady Quark from the anti-matter wall that killed her husband and daughter, and Pariah had been forever cursed to travel to worlds about to be destroyed). As the JAA tried to get Medulla to surrender, Lady Quark blasted him in the back, much to the dismay of the team, who didn't use such harsh methods. Pariah was left to sort things out, and to warn the heroes about the danger their world was about to face. Meanwhile, the Flash met the Flash of Earth-D face-to-face for the first time, where he found that he himself was a comic book character on this world and had inspired Tanaka Rei to take up the identity of the Flash (much in the same fashion as Jay Garrick had inspired him). He asked for help in returning to his own world, which Tanaka Rei was glad to give, and took him to the base of the JAA to see if they could help. There, the Flash, Pariah, Lady Quark, and the JAA all discussed the situation, as the red skies announcing the arrival of the Anti-Monitor's energy were starting all over the world. The area around the JAA's underwater base began to shake and crumble as the effects of the skies became greater, and everyone was forced to flee for their lives, regrouping at Superman's Fortress of Solitude. While they talked about their options, Pariah went to Earth-One to try to get help. He returned soon after with Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Green Lantern John Stewart, Nightwing, Cyborg, Firestorm, Starfire, and Dawnstar. After some brief introductions, the Anti-Monitor and the Psycho-Pirate watched their efforts. The villain sent a time bomb to Earth-D, as well as unleashing his Shadow Guard on the world. The Shadow Demons attacked the Fortress of Solitude, in a battle that cost the lives of Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Superman. After a ceremony in which Supergirl buried her husband, the heroes of the JAA decided to return to their loved ones one final time before what they presumed would be the final battle. The other heroes (along with the Earth-D Supergirl) surveyed the damage that the Shadow Demons were causing. Meanwhile, in the skies above Brazil, a jet fighter flown by Captain Jose Hernandez was being pursued by the Shadow Demons. At the same time, a spacecraft piloted by Green Lantern Tagin Sur was entering the atmosphere above South America, only to be attacked and disabled by the Shadow Demons. Hernandez saw the craft crash and rushed in to assist. The dying alien Sur found Hernandez to be a suitable subject and gave him his power ring and battery, making the young pilot the planet's first Green Lantern. The anti-matter wall continued to pass over the world. In the city the JAA and the Earth-One heroes were trying to defend, both Robin and Wonder Woman died saving civilians from the disintegrating power. With the arrival of the new Green Lantern, the heroes regrouped and the Flashes decided to build a large version of the Earth-One Flash's Cosmic Treadmill, to try and shift as many people from Earth-D to Earth-One as possible in the time they had left. The heroes quickly managed to put together the device, powered by both Flashes, both Supergirls, the Earth-One Superman, and the Earth-D Martian Manhunter. A portal was opened on the Earth-D version of the Brooklyn Bridge and cars began to slowly go through the opening, with the people presumably merging with their Earth-One doppelgangers. The Shadow Demons chose that moment to renew their attack, so the other heroes did their best to protect the speedsters and get more people through the portal. The Anti-Monitor, watching the events, teleported the Earth-One Flash to his dimension, where he would later be tortured by the Psycho-Pirate and eventually give his own life to save the remaining universes. Without the other Flash to filter out the other speedsters conflicting vibrations, the Cosmic Treadmill began to spark and malfunction, so the Flash ordered everyone off while he continued to keep up the pace and allow more people to get to safety. While the Flash ran, the others kept the Shadow Demons busy, though the new Green Lantern was killed saving Supergirl. As the Flash began to slow down, he told the Earth-One heroes to return to their world while they could, but the Justice Alliance decided to stay to defend their homeworld to the end. Supergirl laid down her life to allow them time to get through the portal when the Shadow Demons renewed their attack once again. Green Arrow, the Atom, the Flash, Batman, the Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman (along with their old foe Mollusk) spent the last 39 seconds of their lives protecting their world. The other heroes ended up on the Monitor's satellite, where Alexander Luthor and Harbinger had summoned the heroes of four worlds to begin planning an end to the destruction. Appearances:
And now for a few more not on the list, but just as obscure ... |
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
Member |
posted June 15, 2003 10:32 PM
THE SKY PIRATE Miles Lydecker was a scientific genius who graduated from Metropolis Poly-Technic at the age of 19. His specialty was hypersonics, and he devised a way to use hypersonic vibration to lift and move things. The U.S. Government wanted to use his research for weapon development, so Lydecker went underground with his research, working for "the cause" as a member of the Merry Men, a secret organization protesting the military-industrial complex. To prove what they could do, the Merry Men used one of Lydecker's devices to destroy an empty airplane, and later stage a series of daring airplane robberies, in which Lydecker jumped out of the plane with the money and no parachute, relying instead on his unique technology. The media began calling him the "Sky Pirate", which his associate Lawrence Carbo believed was good, since it gave the authorities a figure to latch onto so their other activities could be more effective. After awhile though, Carbo told him that he would have to leave the country to get the heat off the organization, so in 1970, Lydecker took a plane to Chile and continued his research in a village in the Andes. Twenty years later, Lydecker had still believed his sacrifice was for "the cause", until he happened upon a magazine that had been used as packing material. It proclaimed Lawrence Carbo to be a wealthy yuppie who apparently had the Midas touch with his projects. Lydecker returned to the U.S. to get his vengeance on his former "friends", resuming his identity of the Sky Pirate, though this time adopting a costume as well, and a special vehicle and weapons to fit the persona. He used his hypersonic devices to break into Carbo's Philadelphia skyscraper and install a time-release destruct device that would destroy all of the data in his computer system unless he was paid a million dollars within twelve hours. The Sky Pirate didn't know that, for some reason, the use of his hypersonic devices somehow affected the fledgling super-hero known as the Black Condor, who had a sensitivity to the vibration that caused him extreme pain. He tracked the erstwhile villain down to the skyscraper, where his questions about what was going on were ignored by the Sky Pirate. When he tried to get answers from him, the Sky Pirate shot him with one of his hypersonic discs and turned it on, forcing the Condor to fall from the sky. The Condor was able to make it to the river, where the water muffled the vibrations and he was able to remove the device. Meanwhile, Lydecker called Carbo to make arrangements for the payoff (not realizing that Carbo was planning to have him killed after he turned over the codes to the device on the computer) and returned to his hotel room. The Black Condor was inside waiting for him, but wasn't going to take him to the authorities, since he felt that what the Sky Pirate was doing was his own personal business. The Condor did however trail him to the meeting place, just in case things got out of hand. Lydecker met his old friend Ariel on the roof, and Carbo burst onto the scene as well, with an assassin in a helicopter gunning for Lydecker. Carbo claimed that he was fighting the system on the inside, but still ordered his man to shoot when Lydecker scoffed at him. The assassin's shot went wild and struck Ariel. The Condor swooped in and disarmed the assassin and the pilot, while the Sky Pirate attacked and knocked out Carbo. The Condor found that Ariel was still alive, and flew her to a nearby hospital, but not before cautioning Lydecker on not doing anything to Carbo he would regret later. The Sky Pirate tied Carbo to the top of the flagpole on Independence Hall, and Carbo's computers began transmitting information that left him in a world of trouble. The Sky Pirate himself disappeared completely. Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
Member |
posted June 15, 2003 10:35 PM
JOHNNY DUNE Johnny Dune was a Vietnam veteran who had returned home after being wounded during the Battle for Firebase Bravo. He had originally aspired to be a musician, but was also one of the head toughs for a local gang. While on reconnaissance in Nam, he and his team were pinned down by machine gun fire and Dune was hit several times. The pain of his wounds opened up a new channel within him and he screamed at his attackers to stop killing him. Amazingly, they did so, and Dune was able to mow them down with his own gun. He was awarded a silver medal for his actions that day, but he also had discovered that he was a mutant with a powerful voice. Dune did not find many opportunities after he returned home, and started up his music career again, using his vocal powers to great advantage in his performances. He appeared at a festival in Prospect Park that also featured Green Arrow and the Atom. Dune had recently been double-crossed by the city's political boss, who had promised to back Dune for Mayor, but reneged on the deal after Dune had spent the summer performing and getting the word out to the voters. On this platform, Dune used his voice to get the crowd riled up and into a fury over the political situation. He ordered several men to attack Green Arrow and the Atom when they started approaching the stage. The two heroes were overwhelmed and the Atom hit his JLA signal device before he passed out. Because of a situation in space that had Hawkman, the Flash, and Green Lantern trapped on the planet Rann (and a malfunctioning JLA transporter) Batman and Black Canary were the only ones able to respond to their distress call, finding Dune leading a large parade of "disciples" into the city. Dune had several men attack the two heroes, but was unable to control them over the noise of the crowd. He instead sent Green Arrow and the Atom into the fray (even though he called GA "Lantern") and they subdued their two friends. All four were bound for use as hostages to get past the authorities. Unfortunately, Dune's "Pied Piper" powers were limited and soon the crowd was beginning to rampage of its own accord. When people started destroying property, Dune freed Green Arrow and ordered him to use his arrows to herd the others back into line. After he reluctantly shot a smoke arrow and Dune was distracted, Green Arrow ripped some of the stuffing out of a boxing glove arrow and plugged his ears so that he couldn't hear Dune's commands. He then let a suction cup arrow fly over Dune's mouth and knocked the young man out so that they could straighten things out. Unfortunately, without Dune's control the crowd began rioting. Dune, not wanting the young people to be hurt, screamed that they all should direct their anger at him. They unfortunately did, battering Dune to the ground. The Justice Leaguers got to him too late, and were only able to hear Johnny Dune relent that power didn't work the way he had hoped, before he succumbed. Batman carried the young man to the emergency ward, and the heroes were happy to learn that Dune would survive, if only by his sheer determination. That final scream had cost Dune his powers, but he still planned to go into politics to try and make a difference by winning votes the hard way - "the clean way". Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
Member |
posted June 15, 2003 10:41 PM
THE SEPARATED MAN The Separated Man had been an alter-ego assumed by Professor Brian Holmes in Midville. The scientist had devised a method of transforming himself into a molecular giant that could separate and control (from a distance) its various body parts. Unfortunately, the process also turned him evil (or at least made him completely unable to control himself), and he went on a rampage through Midville until he was stopped and imprisoned. His son Tommy was elected "teen mayor for a day", which coincided with a reappearance of the Separated Man, as a giant hand began ripping the roofs off of houses. The townspeople believed that Tommy was behind it, to gain vengeance on the town for imprisoning his father. The boy pleaded his innocence, and called in the Teen Titans to help clear himself and stop the new menaces. Kid Flash, Robin, Aqualad, and Wonder Girl arrived to help Tommy, who had also almost been stomped to death by the giant hand (along with his girlfriend Martha). As he finished detailing the history of the Separated Man to the Titans, two giant feet began treading toward the clubhouse, one of which had Tommy's father clinging to the ankle. Wonder Girl's magic lasso "tripped" the monster feet, which took off running away with Professor Holmes still clinging to the side of one. Tommy told them that since his father was in his human form on the foot, he couldn't actually be this Separated Man. The Titans and all the kids headed for Midville, where the giant hand was still causing a lot of damage. Robin, Wonder Girl, and the teens lassoed the hand and pulled it out of town with the combined force of all of their motor scooters. As the hand was pulled out of town, a giant eyeball appeared over the town and started crying tears of flame. Holmes also showed up in town, much to the chagrin of the Mayor. Kid Flash used his super-speed to put out the fire and drive the eye away, and brought Holmes out to where the hand was tied down. Holmes explained that he hadn't unleashed the Separated Man, but rather his former cellmate, Jake Trask, had done so after watching Holmes work on his formula in prison (he was trying to devise one which did not have the criminal tendencies his original one did). He had also devised an anti-serum to transform the Separated Man back to normal. Unfortunately, Trask overheard their plans with a laughably giant ear hidden behind a rock outcropping. The teenagers turned on their transistor radios real loud and deafened the ear with the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand", which then fled the area. Wonder Girl flew after the ear, only to find the giant eye watching her. The mouth caught up to her and screamed with such a gale force that she was blown away. She managed to plug the mouth with a billboard and continued her search for the rest of the Separated Man. Kid Flash came upon the feet crushing a forest and tried to chase them, but got caught in a bog. Aqualad also could find no sign of the creature at sea. Holmes let Robin know that, in case anything happened to him, his old laboratory was in the abandoned lighthouse on the beach, a fact that was also overheard by the ear of the Separated Man. The ear fled, and Robin told everyone to meet him at the beach. A complete Separated Man appeared at the beach, tossing boats at Tommy and Martha as they waited for the others, but soon gave up and waded out to the lighthouse. The teenagers surfed after him, propelled by a wall of water created by Aqualad and a bunch of whales. Wonder Girl lassoed the Separated Man's hand as he drew back to swat the kids who were ramming him with their surfboards, but found that even she could not halt the creature's progress. The Separated Man rose out of the water and onto a pier as Robin and Holmes arrived. Holmes told the Boy Wonder that he had given the creature a false tip, since the Laboratory wasn't really at the lighthouse. The pier collapsed, knocking Holmes out (though Aqualad and a manta ray managed to save everyone from any serious harm). While the creature's attentions were focused on Wonder Girl, who was trying to tie its giant arms together, Robin dove in the water and rammed a giant needle directly into the Separated Man's heart. The serum forced Trask to revert back to normal. Holmes went peacefully back to his cell to finish out his term, and the authorities apprehended Trask. Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
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posted June 15, 2003 10:45 PM
THE STYLIST The Stylist was a paid assassin who attacked the martial artist known as Richard Dragon, wishing to test his skills against the famed "kung-fu fighter". The Batman, who thought that Dragon was a mugger, interrupted their battle in Gotham City. The confusion allowed the Stylist to escape. A limousine pulled up before Batman and Dragon as they left the park, and Dragon received a key to a safe deposit box in Las Vegas and a quarter, which Batman determined to be from eccentric billionaire Calvin Curtis. Dragon had helped Curtis a year earlier by fixing his bicycle and defending him against some thugs. The Stylist returned the next day and tricked Batman into beating him up in front of some TV cameras, in hopes of getting him out of the way to continue his match with Dragon. Later that night, the Stylist again faced off against Richard Dragon, but soon sensed something was wrong, as Batman had taken the martial artist's place. The Stylist escaped, but injured a policeman in the process. Through an associate of Dragon's, the two heroes trail the Stylist to Matanzas, Yucatan, which was a "crime city" in the Central American jungles run by Carlos Esteban, the crooked former partner of Calvin Curtis. The Stylist had returned there to return the fee that Esteban had paid to kill Dragon, the criminal believing that Curtis had left Dragon most of his fortune out of gratitude for saving his life. Esteban was about to kill the Stylist, when the Batman and Dragon burst in on them. During the battle, the Stylist prevented an assassin from killing Dragon from behind and then escaped into the jungle, where he tried to reclaim his lost honor by walking into quicksand. A week later, the Batman and Dragon visited the safe deposit box in Las Vegas to find Curtis's will, which left everything to charity, and Dragon's bicycle pump. Appearances:
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
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posted June 15, 2003 10:56 PM
Okay, still working on ... 517. Scarab II New entries in the works: Duplicate Man (WF #106) --Rich |
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outpost2
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posted June 16, 2003 08:24 AM
Great job, Rich! But slow down, we wouldn't want you to burn yourself out! BTW, you forgot the two Green Team stories from Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #1. http://www.comicfandom.com/green_team1.htm http://www.comicfandom.com/green_team2.htm |
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continentalop
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posted June 16, 2003 08:50 AM
Here's one I can cover: WHIRLICANE / THUNDER & LIGHTNING Emilio Storme, a brilliant but mentally unstable scientist specializing in biotechnology and climate control research, was intent on building a "storm-bomb" that could devastate entire cities to help him achieve world conquest. Storme left his post at S.T.A.R. Labs to adopt a criminal identity as a menace who combined the power of the whirlwind and the hurricane: the Whirlicane! Created by Gerry Conway and Curt Swan, he debuted in ACTION COMICS #457 wearing a garish green, purple, and white uniform with a pointed mask and striped leggings. This costume enabled him to generate and focus powerful winds by spinning around in place, and he could channel bursts of air to pulverize walls or even momentarily stun Superman. (How he avoided making himself dizzy is unknown.) Whirlicane recruited a small gang of henchmen and, riding a futuristic hovercraft, they began a series of robberies in Metropolis that brought them into conflict with Superman. Whirlicane was forced to flee their first encounter by spraying the Man of Steel with a coating of molten lead that blocked his x-ray vision, but fought him again while hijacking a cargo jet. Superman used his flying power to push the jet so high into the stratosphere that Storme's wind-controlling uniform froze into uselessness from exposure to the intense cold. Conway and Swan brought Whirlicane back in SUPERMAN #303 a few months later. Storme had been released into the custody of S.T.A.R. Labs to continue his research, but, unsurprisingly, he was as power-mad as ever and resumed his criminal ways. He created an android servant capable of shifting between two forms: Lightning (who had electrical powers) and Thunder (a massive giant who could generate shockwaves). For unknown reasons, Whirlicane programmed it to believe that it was actually an ordinary human being given super-powers by its master. Storme sent the android to raid S.T.A.R. for meteorological equipment he needed to create the storm-bomb, but it was continually thwarted by Superman, who trailed it back to the Whirlicane's hidden lab. There he confronted Lightning with the knowledge that it had never truly been human. Unable to cope, the android detonated its own body in a massive explosion that utterly destroyed the lab and, apparently, the Whirlicane as well. (Oh, by the way, Superman survived.) |
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continentalop
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posted June 16, 2003 09:07 AM
Another long forgotten bunch: THE MEN OF THE MASK Created by Steve Ditko, they first appeared in Charlton's BLUE BEETLE #4. An ancient cult residing in a small coastal nation of Asia, the Men of the Mask were based deep in a hidden lair within the much-feared Mountain of Mider, named for a demon or god that had once been offered human sacrifice. This mountain was actually atop a long-dormant volcano, and jets of volcanic gas and flame were still harnessed within for the cult's sinister purposes. In the modern day, the cult membership was made up of former soldiers, slavers, prisoners, and merchants(!) hiding out from the law. They greedily coveted a fabulous treasure said to reside somewhere in the bowels of the mountain. The cultists wore flowing robes and demonic-looking masks (hence the name). The rank-and-file wore the Red Masks of Violence; their leader, the White Mask of Death. Searching for his old mentor, archaeologist Dan Garrett (who was the original Blue Beetle), Ted Kord journeyed to the tiny Asian nation and stumbled across the cult. As the Blue Beetle, Ted was captured and interrogated by the cult's leader, who revealed that most of their fearsome reputation was a sham and that the modern cult was mainly common criminals. The Beetle was pitted against a giant statue of Mider whose many swinging "arms" were animated by volcanic gas channeled from below. After freeing himself and learning that the "Garrett" captured by the Men of the Mask had been an impostor, the Beetle barely escaped the destruction of the cult's headquarters, when a cache of explosives reawakened the volcano and the entire mountain erupted in flames. Apparently the entire membership was trapped within and suffered a grisly death. |
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continentalop
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posted June 16, 2003 09:31 AM
BARON TYRANO Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Tyrano first appeared in GREEN LANTERN v2 #54. Presumably the descendant of European nobility, Baron Tyrano was bald, wore a monocle... and was permanently confined to a massive iron lung, being paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe unaided. Tyrano became a criminal mastermind and assembled a network of agents to do his bidding in the outside world. Upon discovering that Hal Jordan was secretly the super-hero Green Lantern, Tyrano launched a scheme to project his own mind into the Lantern's body and escape the prison of his own existence. GL was temporarily split into two separate beings by Tyrano's futuristic technology, but managed to reunite the Jordan and Green Lantern halves and crush the villain's plan. Much later, Tyrano created a group of powerful androids to replace his human agents. Being totally immobile, he had spent most of his time in the past few years watching television, and so he created some of these in the image of characters he had loved. One "gunman" resembled Tyrano as Yul Brynner's "gunslinging robot" character from the movie WESTWORLD, while Tyrano's "girlfriend" looked like Joan Collins of DYNASTY. Tyrano sent these agents to battle the seven members of the Green Lantern Corps then based on Earth (GREEN LANTERN CORPS #204). When the GLC overloaded the mentally-controlled androids, Tyrano was left comatose. Probably unable to tell the androids to feed him, Tyrano may have starved to death since then. |
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
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posted June 16, 2003 04:19 PM
I'll be adding an addendum for the Green Team now that I can finally read those stories ... nice little site there. |
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Greg_Saunders_Fan
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posted June 16, 2003 04:22 PM
THE GRAVITRONIC MAN AND GRAVITY LORD Supergirl investigated the destruction of the home of Professor Rudolph "Rudi" Clements. As Linda Lee Danvers, she had gone to school with the Nobel Prize-winning physicist. A massive earthquake hit the area when Supergirl arrived, and Clements climbed out of the crater and remains of his home, clad in a suit of reflective red armor and calling himself the Gravitronic Man. He attacked Supergirl and sped away at the speed of light using the forces his devices could harness, not realizing that they were also causing untold destruction in their wake as the force of gravity was disrupted, causing things to fly off the ground and to make Supergirl lose control of her flight ability. Supergirl regained control of her flying abilities through sheer willpower and saved everyone who was falling uncontrollably upward. At the same time, the New Doom Patrol was on vacation in London when a huge explosion rattled the area they were in. They set about rescuing injured people, and Cliff Steele (Robotman) noticed a man in bluish-silver armor near the edge of the explosion crater. Cliff and Tempest cornered the man in an alley and the man, calling himself the Gravity Lord and espousing a lot of hatred for Americans (and Rudi Clement in particular), he fired a gravitronic ray at the heroes that crushed th |