Halt Evil Doer! megaverse thread

[Libra]

Thank you Charles.

I'd like to ask on a little information on what the situation r.e the Hidden Lands of Heroic Earth is like during the 80s, particularly what happened in Nestoria and Nautilus.

I would also like to know more about the Quatermain lineage, if possible, as I have several ideas concerning the White Lion and the Red Jaguar, but lack facts on any Red Jaguar other than Peter Quatermain.

Please?

[Charles Phipps]

Here's a quick rundown.

Nestoria

The situation in Nestoria detoriated pretty rapidly from the arrival of the "Hidden Land" into global politics along the period of the 1970s and the 1980s. While the Red Jaguar was interested in their country becoming a part of the world stage, the simple fact was that they had to deal with a lot of global politics that was extraordinarily hostile to them as a whole. Individuals were afraid of the Jaguar-Boom in electronics and microcircuitry making it a new Japan for endangering the world economy and the fact was that it immediately aroused the jealousy of the surrounding African nations.

Peter Quartermain took this issue with little care and left the country mostly in the hands of his brother as a means of handling the constant affairs. In fact, he was compared (unfavorably) to Richard the Lionheart that he preferred adventuring abroad than dealing with the very real racial and economic tensions that Nestoria had to deal with. Several times, the country was invaded by British and American mercenary trained armies lead by P.H.A.N.T.O.M agents (Big Game Hunter being Peter Quartermain's archnemesis during this period). The evil organization being determined to gain control of Nestoria's resources for their own gain.

Paul Quartermain, ultimately assumed the mantle of the Red Jaguar after marrying his brother's intended finace (Bethsheba of the Serpent clan). A powerful witch who had become possessed by her ancestors and encouraged Paul to usurp him. Paul, ironically, was a far better ruler and arguably a better man than his brother but quickly fell under the control of his wife's influences. The United States, France, and Britain supported the usurption due to the promise of an exclusivity agreement for importing electronics as well as advanced resources. The assumption being that Nestoria would become the "African Israel" for being a first world power in a continent known for being third world.

In fact, Peter Quartermain didn't return for five or six years to Nestoria at this time. His initial reaction being to accept his brother was the better man for the job. Only later did he return and the bloody Civil War that lasted for two years occur.

Nautilus

In fact, Atlantis had already been part of the world stage since the early 1960s and was not a problem in regards to most nations being aware of it. While there was always disputes over the concepts of "international waters" vs "unchallenged rule of the seas." In practice, Atlantis generally respected a border about three times the size of the territory they actually inhabited and a willingness to ignore all civilian shipping traffic through their territory. This was due to the charismatic and principled negotiation of Amal Dakkar.

In fact, Atlantis by the 1980s had become deeply mirred in smuggling and murderous intrigues. Amal Dakkar was already the head of a satellite organization of PHANTOM and was a member of the Inner Council. Death Mask III and Amal actually shared something approaching friendship as the murderous Neptune was an intellectual peer (but not enough to challenge Death Mask III) and also a fellow aristocrat.

Atlantean aristocratic culture had fallen to decadence and the rising tide of crime was something that was largely ignored. The murderous sea-based villains Black Harpoon and The Stingray appeared with genetic mutants like Wereshark. Atlantis became synonomous with drug-dealing (especially Kal-Kelp which had an effect similiar but stronger to cocaine), arms trafficing, and even slavery. Unlike Peter Quartermain, King Dakkar was not oblivious to his brother's poisonous influence or the Church of Dagon's support of a hedonistic and decadent corruption but mostly didn't possess the accuem to affect it.

Instead, he focused on big missions that came across as mixtures of Aquaman and James Bond to blow up the bases for the supervillains. He also coped with the fact that his own family was not immune to the temptations of the decadent culture of Atlantis. His sister's near-overdose on Kal-Kelp after becoming a "party girl" is immortalized with the comic cover of Dakkar coming out of the oceans, holding her limp body, and screaming "AMAAAAAAL!" in suitable Kirk fashion.

In the end, the Church was defeated not by King Dakkar but the FOF who exposed its demon worship and destroyed the Godzilla like Manifestation of Dagon that was finally summoned. Proteus and Ariel were heroes of the hour right before Varuna took his revenge by having King Dakkar's family murdered (Ariel surviving thanks to her friends). The heinous crimes cost Dakkar much of his support, though he's since largely convinced everyone that it was a scheme by Tsavong to discredit him (mostly because the people NEED someone charismatic like Amal to believe in).

[Charles Phipps]

There's not much to honestly say about the issue.

Alan Quartermain: Himself died around the effect of 1900, his many and myriad skills being something that didn't protect him from Old Age. Joining with the Earth after his death, the Nestorians occasionally consult his spirit as a Totem Guide (something almost identical to the Catholic Concept of Saints with Alan appearing as a Nestorian Jaguar. Which makes sense given the fact that they are the creatures who "Watch by Night" (see Alan Quartermain's Wiki entry).

Red Jaguar I: Jacob Quartermin was born in 1900's early part and never honestly knew his father. However, the Jacob was gifted with unnatural accuem and the ability to become one with the animals in a way that even his father never was able to match. Eventually, he grew curious about the world outside and left his homeland. During the 1920s, the Red Jaguar journeyed around the world with Eric Weiss and pretended to be his manservant. In fact, the two were good friends and Jacob was intelligent enough to recognize that the outside worlds prejudices were to be understood before they were changed.

The future Red Jaguar befriended numerous Pulp heroes during this time including Doctor Aeon, The Lurking Phantom, and even the well known Captain Cosmos. The Red Jaguar adopted a costume in honor of the Lurking Phantom and garbled stories eventually inspired a very popular and still running newspaper strip about a purple clad hero taking up a mantle passed down from father to son.

Red Jaguar II: Joseph Quartermain, keeping the Biblical naming practices of the family, was the favorite of the Red Jaguar's NUMEROUS sons (12 to be precise). Inheriting the powers of his father, he successfully defeated them all to become the swashbuckling second of the lineage. Ultimately, Jacob chose to walk off into the night rather than challenge his son's kingship and some believe that he might still be alive as a mysterious ghostly prophet communing with the spirits and the Angels of his ancestors.

In fact, Joseph Quartermain didn't honestly get to do much in the ways of the 1960s and 1970s due to the fact that he rarely ventured outside of Nestoria and mostly spent his time trying to protect the land from encrouching evil. His hatred of PHANTOM eventually was his endoing as a younger Big Game Hunter lured him into a trap during the early part of the 80s under the guise of an honorable duel and then stuck an entire army against him. In fact, Joseph defeated a hundred elite troopers of Phantom before he finally died of a dozen bullet wounds that had penetrated his armor and grenade shrapnel.

Red Jaguar IV: The False Red Jaguar by the standards of the lineage, Paul Quartermain was a beneficent ruler for most of the lineage. A bit of a nebbish nerd, he was not the warrior that his father or grandfather or even brother was. However, he was reknowned for his kindness and desire to transform Africa into a land post-Imperialism into a thriving and functional economy. Unlike his brother, he believed negotiation was the best way to do so.

Paul's biggest problem was the fact that he was a man that had no ability to resist the temptations of women and was easily seduced by Bethsheba (bored of waiting for consummation of her wedding with Peter). Afterwards, he fell under her (literal) spell and spent much of his time amidst a fairly expansive harem. Paul would privately begin supporting PHANTOM and efforts to take over the region while militarizing Nestoria on a campaign of conquest.

The actual battle against Peter Quartermain proved fairly weak as Paul was half-insane when he battled him and when Aquarius killed Bethsheba, the spell broke and he literally threw himself on Peter's claws to kill himself. This event traumatized Peter beyond all reason and drove him to seek vengeance against whoever he could blame.

Red Jaguar V (?): Joshua Christopher is an infant and the son of Paul with Bethsheba. While the boy's lineage is seriously in question, especially with the circumstances of the 4th Red Jaguar's demise, there have been powerful portents that "JC" will become a great warrior and save the land in its hour of greatest need.

[Charles Phipps]

Another group that I didn't get to mention in the main book.

The John Smith Society

Captain Cosmos/Captain Aeon: Jonathan Smith Van Helsing. The child of Cynthia Van Helsing and an unknown father. His absurd intelligence points to Alexander Timons as the most likely father but a case could also be made for Jetboy given the man's Anglophilia and piloting skill. Captain Aeon strongly dislikes Alexander Timons and the two are not even on speaking terms, so any accusation of parenthood is met by the Captain raising one eyebrow and staring him down.

Captain Aeon was born after WW2 ended but would be the first man to achieve hyperspace travel through an Earth-created hyperdrive unit that he used to unwittingly travel back a few decades to the 1920s where he took on the mantle of Captain Cosmos, DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE (mostly so he wouldn't be confused with his more famous Aeon relation).

Captain Aeon by the 1980s is in his mid-forties but has zipped across the galaxy and back numerous times in the time altering properties of hyperspace. Wearing his big Prussian influenced red military uniform, wielding a laser sword, and a blast-pistol; he's actually viewed in the galaxy at large as a pirate rather than an international hero. Nevertheless, he's toppled galactic despots and romanced countless willing alien girls.

Ms. Aeon: Jeanette Smith Van Helsing. The twin sister of Captain Aeon, Ms. Aeon is notable for her mini-skirt like costume and the Saturn like symbol on her chest. Actually smarter than her brother by several degrees, Ms. Aeon is the chief designer for the Galactic Avenger and the one who usually reigns in her brother's crazy schemes. She has a signficantly better relationship with Alexander Timons, despite the fact that he's deeply uncomfortable around her for various reasons.

She has an especial distaste for the Captain Cosmos Pulps since she spent almost all of them getting tied up, captured, or otherwise screaming her head off when the actuality was that she was the one who always kept her nerve while Cosmos' girlfriends went hysterical.

Tanya Sirmanova Smith Van Helsing: A Soviet physicist and pilot that fell deeply in love with Captain Aeon during one of their many adventures, she is the mother of Dick and Jane Van Helsing. Originally the bitter and dire rival of Captain Aeon during the Space Race, she ultimately fell for his manly charms and rugged good looks (Her words). The two are no longer married due to elaborate reasons that sound almost like comic book editors wanting Captain Aeon to go back to his flirtaeous skirt-chasing days while not getting rid of his children via convuluted cross-temporal circumstances (and not having heard of the word "divorce").

Tanya still carries a torch for Captain Aeon and he as well for her but the two remain just partners on the group.

Dick Smith Van Helsing: Also known as "Kid Aeon." RICHARD Smith Van Helsing was every boy's desire to be given he spent all of his youth on the run from various horrible bad guys and living the Johnny Quest fantasy. Ultimately, Dick briefly became the second Captain Cosmos during the Iron Age and helped his good friend Black Wing II defeat the horrors of the Iron Age. Recently, Dick Van Helsing and his sister (plus his parents) were hit by cross temporal energies that reverted them ten years younger.

He's transformed from a happy go lucky youth into a moody and rebellious sixteen year old, in part because he half-maintains his memories of being a better superhero than his father.

Jane Smith Van Helsing: The Action Girl of the Next Generation! AEON GIRL! Jane Van Helsing is ridiculously gung ho, in part because somehow the absurd intelligence in the family skipped a generation and she's honestly just above average. Rather than let this get her down, Jane has devoted herself to being a adventurer from the time she could walk. Dick has nicknamed her "Jane Probable" and its not a bad description. Her one serious flaw is the fact that she becomes utterly tongue tied and unable to speak much in the presence of boys.

Despite being in her twenties and reverted to sixteen again, she's oddly adjusting better than her brother since her college years had been rather hellish.

[dirkgentry2000]

I continue to be amazed by the amount of information you had to leave out. You could pretty much do a "Handbook to the HED Universe" with the stuff you had to excise for space.

[Charles Phipps]

To be fair, I had outlined a lot of the material for the next four or five books. In any case, once the release of the HED! handbook is out, I may choose to do a couple of more just to finish off the line.

Some of this (like the material for the Golden Age) is original though.

[dirkgentry2000]

have you covered the cosmic heroes in this forum yet?

[Charles Phipps]

have you covered the cosmic heroes in this forum yet?

No, sadly I probably won't. The majority of the bulk information for the world has actually been translated into a new setting for Phipps Studios. One divorced from HED!'s verse.

[dirkgentry2000]

have you covered the cosmic heroes in this forum yet?

No, sadly I probably won't. The majority of the bulk information for the world has actually been translated into a new setting for Phipps Studios. One divorced from HED!'s verse.

ah - when will we see that released?

[Charles Phipps]

Next year sometime.

It's BLACK HOLE.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f350/ ... over-2.jpg

[Libra]

Now that is a most excellent and awesome cover, Charles. Is that art by Storn himself?

Can you tell us anything about the setting, by the by?

Oh and thank you for the information, by the way. I'll be posting The Patriots right after this. I'm not sure that it's one of my better posts, but please feel free to examine and comment anyway. All ideas are welcome.

There will be a hiatus of posts over the weekend - Work - but I should be back on Monday.

[Libra]

The Patriots

Aquarius: After the Second World War, when Lynn Sidon became Queen of Atlantis – a title, incidentally, distinct from that of King, not necessarily bestowed upon the King’s wife - It became the custom that all sons of the Atlantean and Nautilus Atlantean Royal Families were given this advice on encountering their counterparts: “Mock them as you please, then mock them AGAIN! War with your words and WIN! Start no physical fights but if they do FINISH THEM!”

(It is interesting to note that the cheerfully mutual antipathy between the Atlantean Royal Families does not extend to their womenfolk. Perhaps they just don’t want to give their menfolk another excuse for aggressive male bonding.)

Theseus, son of Thallor and Lynn Sidon had – unsurprisingly - taken these teachings to heart. When he first encountered Aquarius he had been pursuing a foe and accidentally infringed upon Nautilus’ territory then demolished several squads of border guards who’d tried to ambush and capture him. The King of Nautilus, informed of this, intervened personally and decisively.

The last thing Theseus remembered for a while was a very large black beard approaching at high speed and a sharp pain in the chin.

When awoken from his ‘slumber’ in the Court of Nautilus he faced criminal charges, a distinct absence of evidence that the criminal he was chasing actually existed in the first place, gratuitous bodily harm at the instigation of a suspiciously smug Neptune, the prospect of having started a War between two City-States if it occurred - and the stern attention of Aquarius himself.

Theseus, son of Thallor may have – by the standards of his famously adamantine father at least – needed to toughen up a bit, but what he lacked in devotion to Atlantis’ famously combative philosophy regarding physical confrontation he more than made up for with a swashbuckling panache and a positive disdain for his own safety. His reaction to the above was to, in short order:

Ignore his prosecutor - Neptune - and the court at large for a series of gallant greetings to the most attractive ladies he could spot in the audience (culminating in an equally gallant attempt to seduce Ariel right there and then) make several off-hand remarks about Neptune’s “fishy stylings” - while ignoring the man completely - that set half the gallery into paralysing laughter and the other half into apoplexy and somehow utterly demolished the prosecutions arguments at the same time, All while addressing Aquarius as an Atlantean Queen.

Aquarius, confronted by this charismatic and lordly young lunatic kept his dignity until Theseus’ last plea to “This magnificently-bearded and follically-luxuriant Queen’s well-known and much respected mustachio. For which. . .” the young man paused.” . . . one may read majesty.”

Aquarius simply grinned and declared “Not Guilty by reason of Insanity.” No-one contested the ruling.

From that day forward their relationship was set. Theseus would treat Aquarius with all the etiquette attached to an Atlantean Queen – advancing the reasoning that since he had struck Theseus’ mother and avoided the extremes of his father’s wrath he must have be another (Bearded) lady.

(Atlantean males are brought up to treat women with the utmost reverence, with the very strictest penalties as the result of acting otherwise. To strike a fishwife is a thing unheard of, to strike a Queen . . . well, in Atlantean ‘regicide’ 'slander' and ‘suicide’ are the same word).

Aquarius, on the other hand, would retort with positively Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness. I shan’t repeat any of it here for the sake of clarity, but calling Theseus “A lachrymose, toddling tearful infantine petite” is his way of calling Theseus a cry-baby.

The two would meet in the United Nations on several occasions during the 1980s after Theseus became King of Atlantis. They would give their respective ambassadors – and those of the other nations – near heart-attacks in a positively blood-curdling series of exchanges with Aquarius defending the United Nations against Sea-Kings most un-diplomatic protests and threats of War, accompanied by much bellowing, thumping of the tables and storming out in sky-high melodrama.

The various ambassadors were quite grateful to Varuna Dakkar for his defence and generally proved quite willing to follow his eminently reasonable suggestions concerning minimising pollution of the Seven Seas afterwards, for a while at least. He may have been an annoyance to several, but better to spend a little political capital to keep him on-side against that madman Theseus. . .

What few realised was that the two were co-operating. Both sought to curb the poisoning of Father Ocean and had decided that the United Nations were the best forum to address this issue, the perfect stage to play a little ‘Good King/Bad King’ – with Aquarius’ status as an actual member of the UN designating him ‘Good King.’ (Somewhat to his dissapointment, it must be said. . .)

The two would form a close political relationship for much of the Eighties, which even spilled over into personal relations more cordial than those between Aquarius and Thallor.

There was even a suggestion that Thetis wed the son of Aquarius himself cementing the diplomatic union of the two Cities of Atlantis, securing peace between the two City-States forever. The initial meetings between the two were very promising and it seemed the suggestion would become a certainty.

It was not to be.

Athena: The Goddess and Adrian Eldrich had known each other ever since the much younger Eldrich arrived on Olympiana to study at their Mystic World-famous Academy.

Eldrich, suitably impressed by the literal Goddess of Wisdom, had been respectful and Athena had appreciated the man’s wit, wisdom and devotion to Justice. While not exactly friends – Adrian mindful of his dignity and role as Master Mage, prefers to maintain distant and correct relationships with the various Pantheons – the two worked together very smoothly on various occasions during the Golden Age and Athena had assisted the Master Mage in his relations with the Olympians during the period between her retirement from and return to the World.

During the 80s however, their relationship became somewhat closer when Adrian requested her assistance (along with that of others) to help form a disparate – and contrarian - team of powerful individuals to hold back the terrors of the World Beyond the Tellurian.

Dubbed ‘the Ditko Street Irregulars’ this team would eventually number members as diverse as Athena, Eldrich, El Gato, Sea King and even the Headless Horseman amongst others. Unsurprisingly they didn’t get on, fighting amongst themselves as fiercely as they fought their enemies.

Indeed had it not been for an enchantment of Merlin – who was not invited to the party and thought that he might get his own back and make sure this 'costumed nincompoopery' did some good without getting in his way – which would assemble them whenever Earth stood at Peril from a threat only they could defeat, it’s quite possible that they would never have worked with each other again after their first ‘excursion.’

Athena still hasn’t quite decided whether this was a Good or a Bad thing.

Black Wing I: The year was 1985, mere months after the Tsavong Invasion, the week in which George Timmons would first meet The Centurion, Divinos and Robin Hood.

George Timmons had received an invitation from Duncan Summers to attend a social occasion at the Summers Residence and decided to accept, quite taken by the idea of meeting a man whose adventurous career he’d followed with some interest and whom he had known slightly in the Early 1960s - though Duncan had never returned to Falconcrest City after that brief visit and George had rather lost interest when Duncan had turned into a ‘psychedelic playboy.’

The fact that Summers was on the short list of possible candidates for the true identity of The Raven which George and Alex Timmons had compiled (amongst their other speculations on the identities of other Freedom City heroes, an exercise in deductive processes and a small diversion for the pair) rather put the icing on the cake.

On arriving Duncan and George had introduced themselves and their dependents to each other – Callie studiedly aloof and Alex rather enchanted by the performance – a bit of verbal fencing passed between all parties, some rather interesting gambling for charity occurred and not a little discrete snooping was observed then headed off by the Summers. It was all quite cosy.

Then the villain showed up. An old foe of The Raven he’d decided to come out of retirement for some reason which made sense only to him, not to mention the night’s take.

When George sought to slip away to change identities he found Duncan waiting for him, a faint smile on his face.

“Follow me George. Black Wing hasn’t joined that superhero team everyone’s talking about yet and it looks a little suspicious if he shows up at the very New York party you’re invited to and disappeared from.”

“I have – “

“No idea what I’m talking about and are searching for a nice safe bolthole. Well that’s my story as well and a not a bad one if you can stomach the disdain. You can use it and be welcome to do so, but that’s a manoeuvre that puts you at risk and I wouldn’t want to put my guests at risk for their good deed, so wait a minute.”

Summers uncovered a concealed elevator and indicated that Timmons should follow him.

- At that very moment Alex Timmons was wondering where Callie Summers had got to. They’d left the party together, but had somehow become separated. While it was a relief, since it meant he could change into his real party suit, he was rather worried she’d been caught. When he reached his room, discovered the ‘Party Pocket’ of his suitcase empty and cursed fluently and at some length, he suspected that would be the least of her problems.

“What am I supposed to do, let him get away with this? I’m prepared to accept the risk. Stop the lift and I’ll get to business.”

The Elevator stopped and the doors opened. Duncan stepped out as briskly as his crippled leg allowed, while George looked around in well-concealed awe.

“You can do that” said Duncan Summers as he unlocked the door of his old arming chamber and threw it open with a theatrical flourish revealing a well-known costume that hasn't been seen in too long a while. “Or you can listen to my alternative.”

The Raven Returns.

Divinos: While The Centurion and Divinos were aware of each other and indeed worked together rather well on several occasions, it’s a sad fact that they never really knew each other.

The truth is that this was mostly due to the Centurion avoiding him. The 1980s were a painful time for the Centurion, the death of his beloved wife and the descent of his equally beloved hometown into an abyss taking their toll even on Mark Leeds. Emotionally vulnerable he preferred to throw himself into his duties as a superhero to help work through this, preferring to avoid unnecessary contact with superheroes and membership on any of the new teams – Although you can be dead certain that he made sure they lived up to the morals and example he expected from heroes.

When he looked at Divinos Mark Leeds saw the son he and Laurie could - and now would - never have. He also saw a grown man more than capable of doing his duties as a superhero and doing them well. To Mark Leeds way of thinking he didn’t need the advice and encouragement Centurion would have liked to give him and that would make any contact with the man outside of business unnecessary and overly self-indulgent.

Mark Leeds refused to contact Divinos simply so that he might indulge thwarted paternal instincts and so the two soldiered on apart and Mark Leeds remained separate - and alone.

At least until Angel Girl showed up. That’s a happier tale altogether.

Janet Hermes: One of the first superheroes to register with the British Ministry of Powers, it’s little surprise that Janet Hermes was well-acquainted with Troy Griffin. It’s somewhat more of a surprise that – at his request – she visited Freedom City to briefly lend her assistance to the Eyes of Night.

It was even more of a surprise when Black Wing asked her to assist the Justicars on a mission against August Roman, Kenneth Kane and a mysterious third party. (Taurus, but the heroes never realise that.)

Disguised in a more civilian costume, she helped the dynamic duo hunt down the Fearsome – while almost simultaneously helping the Justicars operate against the Circuit Maximus - and RIOT when they showed up - in full costume.

Let’s just say it was a busy night. She wasn’t even surprised when Johnny Rocket the First showed up to say hello, although she was grateful for the help.

Queen Isis the Incredible: While she did visit Adrian Eldrich on several occasions – pointed there by a discrete, unsigned letter in beautiful Arabic which arrived at her desk one morning, attached to a package which the letter said would act as her introduction and pass into the home of the Master Mage, who would furnish teachings which she might find valuable – Isis never really got on with him.

She was, in truth, rather intimidated by Eldrich, awed by his power, shocked by his polite disinterest in her attempts to remonstrate with him about his consumption of alcohol and not a little ticked off by his antiquated attitude and behaviour.

She got on rather better with Sallah, her fellow-countryman and one who treated her more correctly – in her own opinion – and who had always been rather better at getting along with people than Adrian. She would often spend more of her time with the Manservant than with the Master Mage, listening to his gentle suggestions, often more eager to follow his advice than that of Adrian.

Which did not escape the Master Mage, who had always preferred to adapt to, rather than dismiss, his student’s needs. Besides, he was quite grateful to Isis for putting him in touch with his old friend again, even if only briefly.

Red Jaguar: As part of his self-imposed penance for the despicable actions of his father, the current White Lion’s Grandfather announced that he would marry a daughter of the House of Quatermain and that she would be his Great Royal Wife, the only acknowledged mother of his children.

This would have ruffled the manes of the Lion far more had Jacob Quatermain not fallen in love with and married the sister of M’Chka, which somewhat soothed them. Their King might have yielded his rights to the throne of Nestoria in perpetuity, but the blood of the Lion would hold the throne none-the-less.

Joseph Quatermain and M’Zele father of M’Balla were born together and none could ever tell who had come into this world first. Men looked at them as they grew up together and said that the Angels themselves must have been confused by this double birth, having evidently decided to distribute twin brothers between two mothers.

The two were quite inseparable, even studying abroad from their beloved homeland together, until the time came for Joseph’s succession. M’Zele rejoiced for his friend, but had been stricken by a desire to see more of the World outside Nestoria, particularly Freedom City, from which came tales that enthralled and fascinated him.

The two kinsmen parted on good terms and Joseph took the opportunity to, in effect, use the White Lion as his secret agent in relations with the wider World. While M’Zele would scrupulously refer to his homeland as ‘Dakana’ (Not hard, since the White Lions and their kin have always referred to Nestoria as such, although it nowadays is used mostly in relation to the extensive territories of the White Lion) and only describe the lands of his fathers, rather than the whole Kingdom, he would be - in essence - Joseph’s ambassador plenipotentiary to the UN, the face of Nestoria abroad.

When the old White Lion was murdered and rule in Dakana usurped, The Red Jaguar would duel the Usurper on several occasions, preventing him from following his dreams of conquest, holding back only so The White Lion might depose the usurper himself.

When M’Zele regained his rightful throne, the two men resumed their close working relationship, working side by side to keep Nestoria safe, M’Zele ever Josephs most trusted councillor.

Unfortunately this close friendship would not extend to Peter Quatermain, who disliked and distrusted the man who was his father’s most beloved brother, despite the fact they had not shared the same womb. The major reason for this was his mother.

While relations between the White Lion and the Queen of Nestoria were ever correct and M’Zele accorded her the appropriate honour in public and private, the two disliked each other and it was not hard to notice. The Lion Tribe and the Clan of the Jackal have never been friends - the former respecting, but never trusting the latter, due to the unfortunate example and influence of Black Anubis – and M’Zele had fought the Jackal Queen on numerous occasions prior to her marriage to the second Red Jaguar.

This less than friendly attitude engendered, a dislike for M'Zele and what he represented in Peter Quatermain and would be a significant factor in Red Jaguar assuming a position with the Patriots.

He desired to take the leading role in Nestorian relations with the outside world into his own hands - and perhaps subconsciously to prove a greater and more effective on the World Stage than M’Zele ever had.

The results of this fateful decision would show themselves in good time and they would be unpleasant.

Robin Hood: It should come as little surprise that the Beaumont and Locksley families are linked, given the resemblance in their basic methods - although not their application, at present.

Indeed there are old family legends that the Beaumonts themselves are descended from Robin Hood. As the Locksley family is well aware, these legends are both true and false, given that Robert, Lord Beaumont was the second Robin Hood, having assumed that mantle after the death of Robin of Locksley at the bolts of the Sheriffs men.

There are even old blood ties between the families and the connection was not forgotten after the less fortunate Beaumonts emigrated to America after the English Civil War was lost.

(Fletcher Beaumont the First was most grateful to Jack MacNeil-Locksley – more humble than his grandson, but even more eccentric. What else do you call a man who uses a bow on the battlefield throughout the Second World War? - For his instruction in Archery and a few of his families other tricks.)

While James MacNeil-Locksley would never admit it, he was at least partially inspired by the example of the dashing Bowman to take up the mantle of his long-ago ancestor in an entirely new way, so it’s no surprise that he was eager to visit Freedom City with the Justicars and test his mettle against Archer - whom he saw as rather a disappointing black sheep of the Bowman lineage.

He got on moderately well with Fletcher Beaumont the First and even better with Fletcher Beaumont the Second – closer in spirit and temperament to James, although not so extreme and rather subdued at this point in his life.

While he took great joy in giving the Moore Administration fits, he had rather less fun when Archer caught up with him while he was attempting a rather delicate bit of ‘espionage’ (For which read 'off-the-superhero-clock robbery’) against the Moore Administration.

Though Archer had no problem with seeing Moore and his cronies made poorer, Archer was all too aware of the fact that the Administration would simply squeeze the money out of Freedom City, rather than soak the loss. That’s not even mentioning the police reprisals and press mudslinging against the ‘Murderous and now Thieving Metamen!’ of Freedom City.

So he thwarted Robin Hood. He quite enjoyed being matched against a challenging near-equal opponent who wasn’t a psychopath – although he would never admit this – and took even more pleasure in dressing-down the ‘Titan of the Twanging Bow.’

Rob took rather less pleasure from the experience, not least because Keller - a man he had considered a thuggish vigilante madman – beat him and made him feel about three inches high with nothing more than a few sentences and his Moral Superiority.

It’s no wonder Robin Hood has seldom been seen in Freedom City since.

Samson: It was a surprise to no-one that Ragnarok and Samson hated each other’s guts. All too similar in character and powers, yet completely different in their use of them, the two would fight on multiple occasions during the 80s and 90s, Samson regularly beating Albrecht like a drum - Although taking not a few lumps in return himself.

Wilhelmson eagerly awaits the day he can “feed that Hebrew swine-herder his own teeth, tongue and-“

(It’s generally at this point that Overshadow tells him to shut up and stop being a fool lost in his fantasies, then shove him back towards building a moonbase so his serially reincarnating supervillain father can conquer the world with his Clone Legions.)

The Centurion was rather perturbed by his first meeting with Samson, which didn’t go very well and which he would, all in all, much rather forget. He found it rather disturbing to fight a (possibly) biblical figure.

Samson was equally perturbed, although rather unconscious, having met one of the few strongmen who matched - even exceeded - him for sheer strength.

The two would eventually meet on somewhat better terms, shortly before the Terminus Invasion. Centurion was, in fact, one of the first to suggest that Samson might do better to live in Israel, rather than America.

[SilentMan]

the descent of his equally beloved hometown into an abyss

Administration would simply squeeze the money out of Freedom City, rather than soak the loss. That’s not even mentioning the police reprisals and press mudslinging against the ‘Murderous and now Thieving Metamen!’ of Freedom City.

This also shows why it is wrong for superheroes to practice any sort of self-restraint. Who benefits from that restraint ? Their enemies, that`s who.

IMHO, superheroes should be MORE ruthless and aggressive than their enemies.

[dirkgentry2000]

the descent of his equally beloved hometown into an abyss

Administration would simply squeeze the money out of Freedom City, rather than soak the loss. That’s not even mentioning the police reprisals and press mudslinging against the ‘Murderous and now Thieving Metamen!’ of Freedom City.

This also shows why it is wrong for superheroes to practice any sort of self-restraint. Who benefits from that restraint ? Their enemies, that`s who.

IMHO, superheroes should be MORE ruthless and aggressive than their enemies.

It's a really a question of what tone the creator wants for the setting/characters.

If the writer wants an Iron Age sort of feel - you're dead on.

If you're trying to do something more Silver or Bronze Age - - not so much.

[Charles Phipps]

I actually liked this write-up Libra a great deal but I do think it's a bit up and down from previous entries, so I'll insert some of my own additions. Mostly, it's an issue of focusing on too many of the direct comparisons than the whole.

Aquarius

The various ambassadors were quite grateful to Varuna Dakkar for his defence and generally proved quite willing to follow his eminently reasonable suggestions concerning minimising pollution of the Seven Seas afterwards, for a while at least. He may have been an annoyance to several, but better to spend a little political capital to keep him on-side against that madman Theseus. . .

As a note, I accidentally screwed up the names in the previous entry. In fact the U.N. ambassador was AMAL Dakkar who was friends with Death Mask and a secret head of PHANTOM. That was a mistake I'm sure that must have had you puzzled. However, in general, Amal has always come off as the moderate of the family by comparison. Though compared to the Atlanteans, Varuna Dakkar is more moderate than them.

I very much enjoyed the humor of the weird exchanges and amusements by the two monarchs against one another. I'd also suggest that the marriage prospects probably included Nereid and Ariel as potential mates for the other's monarchs or heirs. Ironically, the two of them are quite close friends since as Atlanteans (the Nautilus being effectively identical despite the fact that they were born human) they age at a slightly different rate and are mentally close in age despite the differences. Ariel has always been a bit of a "big sister" to young Nereid and an example of Princess rebellion.

Nereid, of course, utterly despises Amal Dakkar who has kidnapped her on more than one occasion. On the man's fall from grace and the fact he's obviously an enemy of Nautilus prevented the two powers from going to war. There's also the fact that with PHANTOM's underwater power, destroying him would not be easy. Proteus has an attraction he's sublimating for Nereid while she can't imagine falling for the son of the monstrous Neptune.

Athena

Athena still hasn’t quite decided whether this was a Good or a Bad thing.

In fact, some have hinted that there might have genuinely been more with the Goddess of Wisdom and Eldrich. The simple fact is that Athena, despite statements to being a Virgin goddess, has always been attracted to mortals of great wisdom. Eldrich certainly qualifies. Ironically, it is the fact that Eldrich is very 19th century in attitudes and the idea of a woman as a spouse as powerful as Athena....intimidates him to a bit....so her flirtings have caused him often to become quite tongue tied. Ironic, given his Pulp-ish adventures which have brought him against Many female Dark Lords and Master Mages who tend to be very forward sexually.

Athena was one of the superheroines who attempted to reach out to the beleaguered Freedomers on several occasions. Post his visit to Terra-Roma and the acknowledgement of what 'Cosmic Eternals' were (he never referred to them as Gods), Athena and the Centurion developed a very close friendship. Unlike she and Divinos, this was never remotely in danger of becoming romantic but she often gave him advice on his situation. Athena having a great deal of experience being immortal and trying GENTLY to point out that he was likely to live centuries and see MANY lovers/wives pass on (a concept that did little to reassure him).

There's an amusing tail that for six months, Athena lost her powers in San Angelo and ran a trendy clothing store (why? Athena just wanted a change). Teaming up with a member of the White lotus society, she fought more down to Earth criminals. Oddly, she became aquainted with Captain Thunder during this time who didn't realize she was Athena. For some reason, he still gets embarrassed about the whole thing when he talks.

Black Wing I

It hurts to be human and George Timons biggest problem is that, despite his best efforts, he was very human. Pro-Athletes, especially in contact sports like football, have a "set life" of a certain number of years before the wounds start catching up with them. Thanks to Isis' magic and advanced Olympiana science, George Timons was able to recover from several crippling injuries during his ten year non-stop run of crime fighting. Still, he and the Raven shared an unspoken understanding. He'd eventually face what Duncan Summers had.

In general, Black Wing I had every bit the respect that Duncan Summers had from his fellows but was often frustrated with his older associates. The mythical Graywing had encountered the original Raven during one of his many missions ("The Story of the Gray Ghost") and had become an associate for Duncan. It was an ironic family that was formed, each sharing their advice about how to pass on the next legacy. Ironically, Jose predicted Callie and Alex would take up their mentors example well before both did.

In truth, Callie Summers owes a great deal to Black Wing I. When she first started out on her crusade, she couldn't turn to her father and erroneously believed that the World's Greatest Detective (Black Wing I and Dawn Wing I would dispute this as would Michelle Holmes) would miss it. Instead, with Duncan's secret permission given him, Callie went to Falconcrest City to study under the Cowled Crusader. Duncan hoped exposure to the worst elements of the City of Crime would convince her otherwise.

Ironically, it just convinced her that a Raven was needed. It also explained why her debut in Freedom City was delayed until she was in her twenties.

Dawn Wing: A swift note about Dawn Wing's role in the Patriots before his larger one discussed in the FOF. Dawn Wing's association with the Next Generation of Heroes was actually quite notable. The most notable relationship was with Archer. Despite the fact they had numerous team ups across the late 80s and early 90s, the simple fact was that the pair hated each other.

Oddly, this was not nearly due to Archer and Force Ops. methods as people would think. Dawn Wing realized, if most superheroes did not, Archer was different from the later immitators that would come behind him. That, while he used lethal force, it was a lot more discriminating than some of the others on his team. Dawn Wing also shared the view, even though he took far more precautions to make sure subjects could be taken alive if possible.

Ironically, their mutual anitpathy stemmed from the man's treatment of Fletcher Beaumont Jr. Dawn Wing would often visit the man (and the Atom Family) when visiting Freedom City. Dawn Wing was remarkably forgiving of the Bowman's many demons and admired the Silver Age heroes of Freedom City even if he disagreed with them on several points. Simultaneously, Archer despised the fact Dawn Wing seemed content to wear the costume of being a boy sidekick despite being in his 20s.

Ironically, Archer and he were still able to work together because Dawn Wing didn't dismiss the man out of hand as a criminal nor did Dawn Wing stand for any of Archer's frequent condemnations, giving as good as he got defending "The heroes who abandoned Freedom City in their hour of need.". As Rocket Boy said "They work very well together once you get past the constant never ending snark and venom."

Dawn Wing, oddly, got along better with at least some of Force Ops and had a brief affair with either Kismet or El Gato (sources confirm it was at least one but it's not sure which).

Divinos: Divinos and the Centurion never got to speak much, which is ironic because he dearly needed SOMEONE to talk to. Humans were such fragile and violent creatures, superheroes seemed the only people who were altruistic enough to be able to communicate with. Ironically, Divinos met one of his closest and dearest friends during this time when he faced down a madman controlling lightning that was attempting to detonate a nuclear power plant.

"No! Not you! This is to attract Captain Th..." *KER POW*

The Captain found Divinos soon after, standing over the tied up (with steel girders) Doctor Stratos and soon began their close friendship. Captain Thunder wasn't as powerful as Divinos but fully shared the views of the Mithran (despite being lessons adopted from the Silver Age). While Divinos found the Captain a bit strange at time, like announcing his attacks before hand and staying behind to make public service announcements, the two were close enough to be bossom buddies. In fact, Divinos invited him to join the Patriots well before he joined the Freedom League.


The Captain, ultimately, decided that he'd had enough of government work.

Kenneth Kane kept Divinos out of the City of Freedom through a rather nasty method. One learned from a former associate of his. Whenevr, Divinos came to the City of Freedom to help, a disaster would be sprung somewhere else in the world. This helped disguise Kenneth's massive money laundering and banking fraud to help build SpartaCorp (being allowed in the city). Ironically, his greatest help to the city was in his VERY short-lived secret identity as the Detective Jim Johnson who donated a huge number of old comics and reprints to the city's disadvantaged youth. Including of the Centurion.

Janet Hermes: In fact, the female Speedster has maintained a motherly affection towards Johnny's successor or perhaps "Auntie" would be better. While Johnny gets rather annoyed with her occasional comments about his sexuality (British jokes about them being far less venomous), he's relied on her several times to take care of his newly acquired young offspring. Being one of Hermes' messangers and being able to ring her up via Seven is really one of the least odd things about Johnny's life.

I'm very fond of your Isis, Robin Hood, and Samson write ups, as is.

Isis: Isis is a member in good standing of the Order of Light rather than the White Lotus Society. She is especially fond of Siren, despite her near retirement, and Siren views her as a Loa in the same respect that she is. Isis can't quite reconcile Voodoo with her Islamic beliefs but finds the woman quite charming.

Robin Hood: Robin Hood is arguably the person closest to Freedom City's eventual champion, Captain Thunder. While Fletcher Beaumont Junior never left Freedom City in his career, Robin Hood frequently would travel across the country and his brief career as a Patriot was enough to get him reasonable respect from Captain Thunder when he took up residence in San Angelo.

While Robin Hood's sticky fingers always troubled Captain Thunder, Robin Hood did cause him to seriously question a lot of his assumptions about working for the government and his mantle as a superhero and what that really means. Ultimately, it was Captain Thunder who made Robin hood decide to be more superhero than Anti-Hero glory hound.