Jab's He-Builds: Beast Man, Trap Jaw, Two-Bad, Bow

[Jabroniville]

And that's it for Godzilla builds (never watched Ultraman, so I couldn't hope to build that crew, sorry)! Next up- Marvel's Foreigners! Complete with mini-bios of each country I can find that has a Marvel hero coming from it!

[Jabroniville]

MARVEL'S FOREIGN HEROES:

-No discussion of Marvel's Foreign Heroes can be held without first referring to the hilarity of one particular cross-over.

-Marvel's "Contest of Champions" has an odd little story behind it. Created to tie into the 1980 Summer Olympics, it debuted a whole swack of new ethnic heroes from around the world, to promote global harmony or something like that. Only America boycotted the games, due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Oops. So Marvel just kinda dropped the series, expecting nothing to come of it. But then the series' inker, a Brazillian with no contact from the office, dropped off his finished pages a couple years later (he'd assumed there was no deadline). The Marvel head office figured "what the hell?" and just released the thing anyways (after some art-edits to update a few costumes to their 1982 versions). The series is interesting for multiple reasons:

-The Grandmaster and a mysterious hooded figure abducted every super-hero on Earth and threw them into a big cosmic scene and forced them to fight each other in three-man groups. Each person selected three individuals, excluding Gods and aliens.
-A whole swack of foreign characters are introduced, none of whom ever became important. Most of them were designed by Mark Gruenwald & John Romita Jr., and were not their best work, to put it delicately. Several members were either stereotypes (the flamboyant Peregrine and lascivious Defensor), based off of stereotypical things (from China, the Collective Man's powers were based around a huge population of Chinese, and Shamrock was just a lucky Irish chick in an all-green outfit), or just plain sucked (Talisman).
-Despite having some of the most powerful Earth-born characters alive as options, the two Cosmic Baddies gathered up a bunch of never-seen and never-heard-of characters in a ridiculous display, so that nearly every country with a super-hero in it was covered. At least Africa had The Black Panther & Storm- poor Australia got stuck with Talisman.
-A few of the fights were actually pretty cool. Wolverine nearly killed Black Panther in a Berserker Rage, Angel had to fight Peregrine, who had a flying suit but was a much better fighter. Iron Fist & Daredevil had their only fight to date, though a handful of these were interrupted.
-The creative team actually screwed up, stating there was a 3-to-1 win for The Grandmaster's side. It should've actually been tied. It didn't get dealt with in-story, though they got TONS of letters about it.
-The hooded figure was revealed as Death, and the game was to play for The Collector's life. The Grandmaster traded his life for his brother's.
-There was a much better sequel written a few years later, in which the two Avengers costal teams had to fight one-on-one for standard "dumb hero reasons" after being led around by The Grandmaster & Collector, who were scheming for ultimate power. THEN the heroes had to fight off the Legion of the Unliving (featuring totally dead characters like Bucky and the Green Goblin... uh, wait) in an epic series of battles (Wonder Man got driven through a PLANET by Evil Hyperion), and the day is ultimately won because Hawkeye is awesome (he offers The Grandmaster the ULTIMATE "game"- his full power up for grabs in a Pick an Arrow game involving which of his arrows has the arrowhead on it. This being Hawkeye, he of course cheats to win and saves the universe).

Foreigners in Comics:

Foreigners in comics are always a tricky thing, and a bit of a double-edged sword, much like minority characters in general. Creators are mocked frequently for their white-washed universes, and told to create minority heroes. They have to make people that are recognizably minorities doing super-hero stuff. But if the character is TOO recognizably a member of his group, he's decried as a stereotype and considered racist (at worst), or just silly (at best). On a similar note, the Five Token Band is such a goofy, obvious attempt at inclusion (Captain Planet, looking right at you here- you too, Extreme Ghostbusters... particularly bad examples of this also have a kid in a wheelchair who is also a computer-whiz- ALWAYS a wheelchair- there's no disabled people with limps or gibbled legs in the universe- it's always paraplegics). This means that obvious Tokenism is ALSO a Dead Horse Trope that just draws laughs these days. There's almost no way to really win, which is why the occasional successful character (Storm, who moved past her "Innocent Fanservice Girl" beginnings to become a truly elite Marvel hero) stands out as such a triumph. The best examples I can think of are of course the Giant-Size X-Men team, with the Canadian, German, Kenyan, German & Russian team members going on to become hugely popular heroes (and the Irish one didn't do so bad either). They had slight stereotypes to them (the Husky Russkie, the rural Canadian), but they were mild, and most of their powers or identities had absolutely nothing to do with their origins.

This is thanks to Dave Cockrum, a brilliant character-designer who simply transplanted some ideas he was going to use for DC's Legion of Super-Heroes to a bunch of humans instead (this is why Nightcrawler, his most beloved creation, looks so weird, even for a mutant team). Making their racial identities somewhat secondary (but never ignored- "Unglaublich!"), and giving them a good look with cool powers is very much the way to go here. Hell, even the occasional Claremontisms that befall characters (like how everyone has at least one ethnic saying when they're surprised- "Bozche Moi!" "Droga!" "Madre de dios!") don't hold them back entirely, though they ARE silly as hell.

I think it just makes good sense to have characters of various groups in comics- fans in foreign countries have a potential character to lionize (I know many fellow Canadians who get a kick out of Wolvie for this reason, and I'm sure there are others), and it's purely logical in any case: Why WOULD all super-heroes be white Americans in real life? You're telling me that the U.S. would somehow have a massive monopoly on all industrial accidents, irradiated animals and other disasters (not to mention the X-Gene, which is supposed to show up all over the place)? China has a larger popluation, and the former Communist world (especially Russia) has a lot more accidents & radiation stuff flowing around. It just makes sense in-universe that there would be a few more heroes from other lands. Of course, Americans will still outnumber them, since the main comic book companies ARE American, and are selling primarily to Americans (and Canadians, to a lesser extent), so there's nothing wrong with there being MORE guys from the U.S.

Marvel is... sometimes decent with this, at other times bad. There's been a handful of villainous foreigners from token Evil Empires of days past (Radioactive Man, Crimson Dynamo, The Mandarin, etc.), and a bunch of mostly one-note foreigners based off of silly gimmicks. The Arabian Knight for example is technically no worse than a modern hero based off of a cowboy or Fantasy character like a werewolf or something... it's only silly when you realize that the ONLY Arabic hero of note is based off of part of his nation's past history, while there are dozens of other non-fantasy & history-based heroes from America. The exceptions seem to be the X-verse of mutants, which actually acknowledge that the Mutate Gene obviously wouldn't afflict only Americans, giving us a handful of Five Token Bands (the Giant-Size X-Men & the New Mutants being the most obvious), and TONS of background villains (and a few subsequent X-Men) from different countries. The Acolytes were a pretty lame group, but it's kinda interesting to see people from Sri Lanka (Senyaka), Switzerland (the Kleinstocks) and Belgium (Rem-Ram, apparently) represented in a comic book universe. It kinda just makes things feel BIGGER, y'know? There's a whole wide world out there beyond our continental borders, and it's interesting to get even a minor look at it.

So I'm gonna build all the various Foreign characters I can think of in Marvel Comics (DC's are far, FAR crappier, and a worse example of the negatives of this trope than Marvel could ever hope to have- The New Guardians make Peregrine & Defensor look AWESOME). A few teams will be noted (particularly Canada's big team). And I'll include some miniature notes about each country or region they're from.

[Jabroniville]

FOREIGN COUNTRIES:

Foreign countries are kinda fascinating. I was never a "Geography Nerd" the way I was into animals & dinosaurs and junk, but it's pretty cool to know that there's a kabillion cultures around, all bouncing off of each other and being dicks to each other and stuff. I've always meant to go down the various e-avenues of learning (mostly Wikipedia- it's just wordy enough to be fulfilling, but not so wordy as to require a full-time job to read all of it) and find out stuff about different countries and their histories, so I guess this is as good an excuse as any. These little mini-country bios are as much for my own amusement as anything, as it's a quick little guide to each country (sticking first to ones that feature Marvel heroes & villains coming from them). I'll give their name, "True" name (ie. what they call themselves- though I'll just write it out in English if I can't find the real answer), Population, Capital, Primary Language, and Super-Powered Representatives (or people like Moira MacTaggart and stuff, who are important supporting characters).

Also included are a point-by-point Fun Facts section about the country's history, wars, cultural tropes, stereotypes about them by other nations, etc. It's mostly gleaned from first TV Tropes (which has a very good "Useful Notes" section with entries written about various countries- usually by denizens of them), and then Wikipedia. There's obviously WAY more to each country than six or seven bullet-points, but I have to maintain SOME semblance of a social life here!

Biases:
-OK, so I'm a Canadian who holds little political ideology, and generally thinks people are dumb and need a strong hand or else they'll go all wild and start eating each other and stuff. I generally think all people suck, so I have no inherent biases against certain cultures, I'd think. Expect anyone who truly pulls a dick move on another group to get called on it, though. I'm pretty fatalistic and assume the worst in everyone that way .

Regarding Stereotypes:
-It's kind of a fact of life, and unavoidable that people get stereotypes. Obviously if you see enough people in one group acting a certain way, you're gonna come to some conclusions about it. It's silly to think otherwise, and it's not ENTIRELY an evil practise. Obviously, racial stereotyping and CULTURAL stereotyping are different. "All Asians are good at math" is dumb, because Asians clearly do not have a genetic DNA bias towards algebra. Rather, it's more accurate to say that "Asian parents typically put a far-greater emphasis on scholastics- especially math- than most other people". THIS is much more accurate- it's a CULTURAL stereotype, and it's very often true. I mean, all stereotypes come from SOMEWHERE. I have no problem making good-natured jabs and stereotypes of other people over stuff like this. Just so long as you don't go all dumb and figure "ALL of this group are like THIS", or get all mean-spirited about it, you're good.

Some stuff still annoys the HELL out of me in generalized terms. I work retail, so I've had a ton of annoyances with people who are just plain CHEAP, and will do anything for a precious $1.00 discount, and a hell of a lot of these people come from CERTAIN GROUPS. It ain't PC, but any idiot could figure out a trend here. Of course, it isn't all Asians or Jews or what have you (there's not a lot of Jewish people in Edmonton, Alberta anyways), virtually every culture I've come across has stereotyped their immediate neighbors as "Cheap", and usually make fun of them for it, so it's universal. In fact I see so many groups that act very cheap as a whole that I'm starting to think I'M one of the weird ones, and Middle Class White People could be properly stereotyped as more spend-thrift than the average! It's all in how people were raised, and the cultural mores prevalent in certain areas- some people are taught from childhood to be really tight-fisted and careful with their money, and to always haggle. That's fine- just like it's fine for me and my fellow poor retail workers to be annoyed with it.

There's nothing wrong with pointing out most stereotypes- certain things have a tendency to be common among ANY group, not just ethnic or cultural ones. Stuff like "South Park" and "The Daily Show" pretty much showcase my exact opinions with this- it's funny to point things out, especially when it's in jest, especially if it's not entirely negative stuff. Like when they showed an Israeli TV network and Samantha Bee openly joked "FINALLY- a television network run by JEWS!" That's FUNNY. And hell, it's an accurate joke, and something everyone acknowledges as true- Jews DO have a disproportinate amount of people in Hollywood. "The Daily Show- EARTH" book has a funny bit where they make fun of their two-page spread on Judaism, which got as much space as Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, etc., despite their own admission that there's like 1/100th the Jewish population as any of these other groups. The comedian Russel Peters has some great bits about different groups as well- the cheapness of his own Indian people, the bad driving of asians (I know several asian people who admit to this one, and I've personally witnessed it in a few asian acquaintances SEVERAL times), etc.

Hell, I wouldn't even be embarassed by showing negative stuff like Arabic Terrorists, cuz let's face it- the world has some of that. There's a line- stuff like "Palestina the Terrorist" is ridiculous (not kidding- Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling had a character named this), and painting an entire race as terrorists because of this is also wrong. The whole "Muslims Hate Women" thing is also easily-disproven by all the female elected heads of state various Muslims countries have had, as well as the fact that more Muslim majority nations BAN veils than REQUIRE them- which isn't to say CERTAIN Muslim countries (especially the frickin' theocracies and kingdoms) don't have a deplorable history of that sort of thing, and should pull their heads out of their asses. Bill Maher (himself very un-PC) has a great bit about the "Path to the East" being undertaken in the West (the one that led to North America's rediscovery) had everything to do with that region being FULL OF INSANE PEOPLE.

In all, certain cultural groups lean a certain way. It's reality, and it's naiive to assume otherwise. As long as you're not dumb and don't think it's true for EVERYBODY, or feature huge deplorable stereotypes (like the blackface charicatures in '40s comics), you're fine.

Regarding Political Correctness:
-Stop it. Just STOP IT. Cripes, I'm pretty left-leaning myself at times (though I'm more of a "you can stay in power until you screw up" political guy), but Political Correctness is one of the dumbest things ever created. It's unhelpful, it ruins both humor AND discourse- you can't make a joke, a comment, or even have a damn conversation without somebody correcting you or trying to add a gazillion hyphens to everything. I'm talking about crap like "African-American" to describe black people who are five generations removed from Africa, or not even American at all (God as my witness, I've heard someone refer to a black guy in CANADA as an "African-American"). People who insist upon calling people "Cisgender" to imply that they are straight, maintain their original gender, and are heteronormative (again, not making this up). It is INSANE. People will always get offended by stupid crap, so I think everyone's better off just ignoring it and moving on. The key phrase here is "Dude, don't be a dick", and that should be the end of it.

I mean, you should be able to freely point out that "damn, girls are catty sometimes", and that the dynamics of a whole group of people can be totally thrown off by adding a girl into the mix who doesn't get along with the other girls- this is often a FACT. One of my friends is a cop, and one of the girls in his squad flat-out admitted that they shouldn't add another girl to the squad because "we can be really catty, and currently all the girls get along". It'd be brain-dead to figure otherwise sometimes.

Me, I'm just about EQUALITY. Prejudice and holding people to different levels of accountability is dumb. But everyone has the equal right to get offended, or be made fun of. Tough- deal with it. I mean, stuff like renaming "blackboards", "black coffee" ... where does it end? What's next- calling "White Trash" "caucasian culturally-disadvantaged"? This is especially bad with cultural relativism and "all cultures are equally awesome except for ours" crap- it's stuff like this that causes people to vilify Nazi Germany because they're white people, but totally gloss over what Imperial Japan did in the same era (despite it being equally as bad in MANY areas, and WORSE in others!) because they're non-white and therefore worth more than people with White Liberal Guilt, and they don't want to risk offending anyone who's a "minority". Or the groups that defend that one Pacific Island tribe that is based around taking away young boys and raping them "for their own good" (not making that up- they think the semen of older men will help the boys grow strong) because all cultures are equal. That is MESSED UP.

It's this same mentality that leads to "the white guy" being the dumb one in large groups- because OF COURSE you can't have a MINORITY be a comic relief! Poor Wheeler in "Captain Planet"... and Christy Marx (head writer of "Jem") was explicitly told the new villainous character couldn't be black, as if she was crazy for even bringing it up.

The use of the term "retarded" is an interesting matter. See, it's part of the Euphemism Treadmill- initially the various forms of mental retardation used terms like Idiot, Moron & Imbecile- these were SCIENTIFIC NAMES for people of different levels of intellect. Eventually, these words all became used entirely as perjoratives. Currently, it's Un-PC to use the word "retarded", because it's offensive- but really, ALL words involving mentally-retarded people become this way! I mean they're a group of people whose brains don't work as well as anyone else's- OF COURSE they're going to become synonymous with insults! Look at how the modern PC terms like "Special Needs" have also become insults- "he's special". You're just better off accepting it as an inevitability than trying to come up with new terms for it.

I mean, the terms "mentally retarded" is fine- it means their held back mentally- it's a literal term. "Retard" is a little outright mean, and I'm trying to stop using the expression myself (it's no easy- it's entered our cultural lexicon VERY intently), simply because it's mean to people who, let's face it, have it bad enough. It's not like it's their fault they're retarded. Using the phrase "retarded" to describe things that suck is a trickier matter- I know we SHOULDN'T say it, but frankly it's just a fun word to say and I have a hard time not using it. Just being honest, here- it rolls right off the tongue. I certainly won't use the term "Gay" as a perjorative anymore- it'd not like implying a situation or thing has intercourse with it's own gender makes any sense- then you're just being a tool who denigrates gay people.

OK, off soapbox now . Back to Country-based mini-bios.

[Yojimbo28]

Stephen Grant once wrote in a column on CBR (I think) about Contest of Champions. He's the guy who came up with the name "Defensor" because he thought all the ethnic stereotyping of foreign superheroes was pretty stupid. So he came up with the most generic Generic Man name he could. And then he saw the art, and how they turned Generic Man into Conquistador Man. I'm paraphrasing, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Grant facepalmed.

[Jabroniville]

Hah, that's as big a fail as the "Power Girl was originally created as a feminist super-hero" thing.

[Jabroniville]

In general, if you don't want to read endless facts about every nation, here's the history of every place on Earth:
1) Scattered tribes that are pretty much alike.
2) Someone unites, and starts being a cock to their neighbors.
3) Empire is forged by the guys who were being cocks. They overwhelm everybody in their path, until A) another Empire comes along, or B) there's a succession crisis.
4) Empire splits apart, getting either scattered into various mini-Empires, or getting overtaken by the other Empire.
5) Repeat.

That's pretty much it. Every dictatorship or kingdom ends badly eventually, and eventually, no matter where you're from, your ancestors committed an atrocity to someone near them. People are generally bastard-coated bastards with a bastard filling. Ain't the world grand? :)

THE AMERICAS:

-The history of this region is pretty much "bunch of natives who get curb-stomped by invading Europeans". You REALLY don't want to be a Stone Age culture in a land full of gun-using people looking for clean shores.



BRAZIL
Actual name: República Federativa do Brasil
Population: 190 million
Capital: Brasilia
Primary Language: Portuguese (the only country in the Americas where this is the case, giving them a sense of national identity regarding it)
Super-Powered Representatives: Sunspot, Defensor
Fun Facts:
-The stone-age native tribes at war with each other were conquered by the Portuguese quickly upon colonization in the 1600s. Brazil would declare it's independence from Portugal in 1822.
-Contains the Amazon River System, the largest in the entire world. Massive flooding occurs every year in this area, with unique biodiversity (the largest in the entire world, actually) as a result.
-Contains the world's eighth largest economy, and is easily the largest country in South America.
-About half the population considers themselves white, and 43% are "brown" (multiracial- a history of slavery plus native contact mixed things up considerably).
-Football (aka "Soccer") is far and away the most popular sport, and their team is one of the best in the world.
-The major cities are Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the latter of which has the famous "Carnival" celebration, but a violent reputation in the poorer parts.
-One of the Top Twenty most dangerous countries to live in in terms of violent crime (usually surrounding drugs and gangs). Typically has 45,000-52,000 homicides per year.
-Has the largest number of "unencountered" peoples in the world, with several tribes spread out through the rainforests.
-For all of it's size and global status, has a really poor showing of superhumans. Sunspot is a great character, but a second-string New Mutant at-best.



THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Actual name: The United States of America
Population: 308.8 million
Capital: Washington
Primary Language: English
Super-Powered Representatives: Pretty much everyone else not already mentioned.
Fun Facts:
-Was populated by scattered Native American tribes (as opposed to huge empires in the South) for millennia prior to Ponce de Leon's "discovery" of Florida. Settlers soon came in force, forming the Thirteen Colonies. Things ended... badly for the Natives, who were basically a Stone Age people facing proto-Industrial Revolution settlers with muskets. Alliances were made (then broken), genocide was had, and basically Europeans (especially the British) ended up dominating the entire continent.
-The Revolutionary War started between Americans and the British, with America winning thanks to some help from Napoleon's France, and a Republic was born, with the first-ever Constitutional document signed.
-Settlers soon expanded westward, eventually hitting the coast. Texas and much of the "South" was taken from Mexico by war, other lands were ceded (Florida & California by Spain), and eventually the whole thing was "America", soon to include fifty states.
-The American Civil War occured (see "American South" below), splitting the nation politically (and emotionally) for years. To this day, there is still a bit of a divide, with the South favouring religion and right-wing politics, and the North favouring secularism (to a point- even non-religious Americans tend to be more religious than most Europeans or Canadians) and the left-wing approach.
-Became an Imperial Power of sorts, capturing the Phillippines and other lands, but was a late-comer and gave most of it's territories up eventually.
-Had a generally "hands-off" approach with the rest of the world, taking several years to get into World Wars I & II. Their arrival (with unlimited monetary resources) in both wars was quite integral in tipping the balance, especially with the Axis powers in both wars being heavily-tired-out by constant war with the rest of Europe (and Canada!).
-World War II pretty much... saw the end of the "hands off" approach, to put it lightly. Japan & Germany both seriously underestimated both American firepower, and their will to win. Both nations took an ass-kicking as a result, though Japan (who were especially rotten to captured American soldiers, which was noted frequently and shown to the American people) got the worst of it, and took the bad end of a nuclear attack. And thus, the globe had a new World Power.
-Various Presidents took a MAJOR interest in foreign politics. The threat of Communism and the Cold War set off a firestorm- wars in Korea & Vietnam to prevent Communism from taking hold, propping-up of dictators of a different sort occured all over the world. The U.S. deliberately knocked over a few anti-American leaders in South & Central America, then placed more friendly individuals onto the seats of power. One of these was Augusto Pinochet in Chile. Panama, Cuba, Iran, The Phillippines, Egypt... some ended better than others, and America was officially THE World Power, especially once the Soviets bowed out by the '90s.
-Massive cultural shifts were frequent- the '50s brought on television, sitcoms, soap operas, the Beat Generation, and more. Drug culture became big, ghetto culture did the same, and a huge surge of minority groups took hold and formed their own unique cultures. America stands as one of the most multi-racial areas in the world, thanks to immigration.
-Americans are rather notorious the world-over for percieved ego, a boisterous attitude, and being rather happy to go flying into war, but truth be told, they do a better job of being a World Power than most nations would (look at what happened when England had control, or to people under Russia's heel).
-American culture (with it's massive funding in the movies, TV, and more) tends to spread across the world in differing amounts, and most nations tend to just have their own celebrities, plus a general knowledge of American ones. It stands to reason that 99% of all superheroes are American (it formed as an American concept in the '30s & '40s), giving an "America is the most important nation in the entire world" effect going all over.
-Curiously, American censorship is different than in most of the world. Nudity is rather verboten, but violence is extremely graphic. Nudity is more taboo than almost anywhere else, but all sorts of horror movies are popular.
-The American military is far and away the most powerful in the world, with large numbers of troops, and the biggest and best weaponry. A good portion of weapons also goes out to other nations willing to pay, so expect the next war in the Middle East (don't pretend there won't be one) will likely have Americans fighting their own weapons.

THE AMERICAN SOUTH
Actual name: unofficial names (usually just "The South")
Population: it depends on which areas you include
Capital: Not Applicable
Primary Language: English
Super-Powered Representatives: The Rangers, Razorback, Cannonball
Fun Facts:
-Made up of multiple States in the Southern portion of the United States, usually including Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and others, and sometimes including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and others.
-Fought the Northern States in the American Civil War, a war often reduced to being "about slavery", but had multiple other reasons as well. But yeah, slavery was very common in the South, and it's abolishment led to an economic downturn, allowing the creation of violent groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
-Generally stereotyped as hayseed, racist rednecks, there have been intelligent Southerners, such as humorists Mark Twain & Stephen Colbert. Many modern Southerners intentionally hide their accents publically to avoid this (though many from large cities naturally speak without accents).
-Despite the above, a great number of American politicians hail from the more politically-conservative (ie. Republican) South, including Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and the two George Bushes.
-Race has been an issue, as the South is closest to Mexico, not to mention the history of slavery. Jim Crow regulations were in place well into the 1960s, and certain events (such as the Kirk/Uhura kiss on "Star Trek") were banned from TV outright.



CANADA
Actual name: Canada
Population: 34.3 million
Capital: Ottawa
Primary Language: English & French
Super-Powered Representatives: Wolverine, Alpha Flight, Turbine & The Right-Riders, Major Mapleleaf
Fun Facts:
-Started out pretty much like America did, with tribes of Natives being first allied with, and then subverted by the settlers. The English and French were the major powers, eventually fighting a war between "Upper" and "Lower" Canada (the English won heavily, and Canada became anglo-dominated). Generally speaking, the Natives were treated better- they weren't explicitly given a genocide, but were politely shoved into reserves.
-There are currently a LOT more Natives in Canada as a result. They're usually just called "Natives" because of course they're not Native AMERICANS, though community leaders try to change the name every ten years or so, once one name becomes a sort of short-hand racial slur. They're currently pushing either "Aboriginal" or "First Nations" on us, but it's only a matter of time before people start using THOSE with disgust. This is because Natives tend to be very poor, and end up with the same sort of "drunken hobo" stereotypes that other really poor people do (Natives are five times as likely to die via alcoholism as other races). It's unfortunate, but a fact of life.
-Canada was dominated by England for years (getting into both World Wars by proxy immediately), but gradually lost dependence (compared to America) and eventually became a Constitutional Monarchy with no major legal links to England. It's a major American ally, but with a much smaller military force- their combined border is the longest in the world, and has been undefended for longer than any other, with only a relatively minor skirmish in 1812.
-Politics are less volatile than American ones, with a multi-party system (though only two have ever held power, two others have attained "Official Opposition" status with the second-most votes). Issues remain between the English side and Quebec, which are percieved as whiners by the rest of Canada, while the Quebecois like special treatment and considerations (such as bilingual signs). Quebec eventually voted (barely) to stay a Canadian Province.
-There are ten provinces and three Territories (with Nunavut forming in 1999, cutting the Northwest Territory in half- this was after I left High School, so now I no longer know all our capitals). The Provinces (except the Maritime ones, which are tiny) are HUGE, much like the rest of Canada, but most of the population is close to the American border by reasons of weather (it is COLD up north).
-Canada isn't a major cultural force officially, but a huge number of celebrities are Canadian: Pamela Anderson (you're welcome, thirteen-year-olds of the '90s), Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, Leslie Nielson, Rush, Celine Dion (sorry about that), Nickelback (REALLY sorry about that), Justin Beiber (okay, Rush has gotta make up for some of that crap, right?) and more. Only a few Canadian TV shows can sprout up under overwhelming American cultural presence, but the "Degrassi" series is a stand-out- showing real-life young teenage issues in the early '90s (such as a kid with AIDS, which was WAY ahead of it's time).
-Regarding the accent: It's a little bit true, though obviously gets exaggerated like most accents. The further east you go, the more people say "aboat" (not quite "Aboot") and "eh"- Western Canada sounds a bit more like Western Americans (ie. California), but with slightly different vowel pronounciation.
-The hockey thing? No joke. Paul Henderson's winning goal in the "Summit Series" is a bigger deal in Canada than the "Miracle On Ice" was in the States, and Wayne Gretzky is still a national hero. Almost everyone has at least a passing knowledge of hockey, the country basically shuts down when Canada goes far in hockey in the Olympics (I've seen this happen twice), and there is hockey ON THE MONEY (specifically, the $5 bill. Some Americans have said "There's hockey on the money? That can't be real" upon seeing it).



MEXICO
Actual name: The United Mexican States/Estates Unado Mexicano
Population: 112.3 million
Capital: Mexico City
Primary Language: Spanish
Super-Powered Representatives: Arclight, Captain Mexica, Cheetah, El Toro Negro
Fun Facts:
-Indigenous peoples include various empires, including the Olmec, Mayans & Aztec. A small number of Spanish conquistadors eventually conquered the entire thing, wiping out an empire and putting their own in it's place. Smallpox, horses and higher technology (along with a hell of a lot of angry subjucated peoplewere a nasty combo.
-Mexico declared independence centuries later in the 1800s, with the new racial group (a mix of Spanish & Native ancestry) dominating the region. Various lands now in the United States were part of the Mexican Empire, but they lost half their total land in the Mexican-American War. The head loser, Santa Anna, turned into a traitor/dictator/revolving-door presidential candidate, and is to this day why Mexicans dislike re-electing people.
-Various revolutions and political upheavals (seriously, a LOT of them- from the ones popular in Westerns to as recently as two decades ago) took place over the next century and a bit, leaving Mexico a very, very poor country, with many border-jumpers attempting to cross into the wealthier United States. This is a major issue in the American South, with immigrant groups soon outnumbering the "majority" of whites in the region. Currently, a drug war is ongoing between various crimelords, leading to thousands of murders each year- the police are helpless, and many cartels actually control entire towns, and the youth are easily taken in to the drug culture.



VENEZUELA
Actual name: República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Population: 29.1 million
Capital: Caracas
Primary Language: Spanish
Super-Powered Representatives: Wind Dancer
Fun Facts:
-A hard-luck Spanish colony, with an ever-changing line-up of politicians, dictators and false-leaders coming and going after Victor Bolivar died (he was a national hero in much of Latin America, who united a lot of countries to rebel against colonialism). The discovery of lots of oil helped out a lot.
-The current president is "Internet Troll in World Leader Form" Hugo Chavez, who likes to be bombastic and lively. Beauty contests are a surprisingly big-deal, and the nation has a rep for having lots of diseases (despite being mostly urban) and drug traffickers.



COLOMBIA
Actual name: República de Colombia
Population: 45.6 million
Capital: Bogota
Primary Language: Spanish
Super-Powered Representatives: HighNote (Eternal), Toro (Young Allies)
Fun Facts:
-Pretty similar history to Venezuela, like most of Latin America. The Indians were wiped out or bred with by the Spanish.
-Famous for coffee, kidnappings, and drugs. LOTS of drugs. "Colombian Drug Lord" is practically short-hand for the most common type of trafficker you'll see in fiction, and Pablo Escobar was the most infamous. It's apparently getting better about that, though (Mexico is only too happy to take over). Still, around half the population lives in poverty.
-The birthplace of Shakira & Sofia Vergara, both famous for being Latina and hot.



CUBA
Actual name: República de Cuba
Population: 11.2 million
Capital: Havana
Primary Language: Spanish
Super-Powered Representatives: Poison (Spidey one-shot villain), La Bandera, Crusher
Fun Facts:
-blah, blah, Latin America, blah, blah, conquered by Spain, etc. Slaves from Africa were sent in to work in plantations. A rebellion was aided by the Americans, and caused the Spanish-American War.
-America had set up the unpopular Batista as dictator, who was very friendly to U.S. big business and the Mafia. A massive surge in rebellions was led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and they unseated Batista and turned Cuba into a communist dictatorship.
-The Cuban Missile Crisis, in which the Cubans decided to house Soviet nuclear missiles only a few hundred miles from American soil, is as close as the world has ever come to nuclear annihilation.
-Repression is common- freedom of speech is limited, and the secret police have great power. It's more well-off than many Latin American countries around it, though.
-Famous for cigars, Castro (ironically the longest-serving world leader of the 20th Century, considering all his enemies tried to do to him), baseball, and Communism. Americans are still prohibited from going, but Canadians can still vacation there with impunity.



THE BAHAMAS
Actual name: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Population: 330,000
Capital: Nassau
Primary Language: English, Bahama Creole
Super-Powered Representatives: Blink
Fun Facts:
-Really close to Cuba & the U.S., and was a British colony until the 1970s. A famous vacation destination. Is heavily-African racially, and the richest country in the world with such a make-up. Christopher Columbus first landed here. It became a haven for pirates (including Blackbeard), but those days are long gone.



JAMAICA
Actual name: Jamaica
Population: 2.8 million
Capital: Kingston
Primary Language: Jamaican Patois
Super-Powered Representatives: Brother Voodoo, Calypso
Fun Facts:
-The British wrested it from the Spanish in the 1600s, and it was their colony for the next three-hundred years, leaving them with a very distinctive variant of English. Famously-friendly to tourists, it is nonetheless a VERY poor nation, prone to extreme violence and gang activities.
-It was a major victim/benefactor of the slave trade, with blacks eventually outnumbering whites by 20 to 1, thanks to the sugar trade.
-It gave the world Bob Marley, Reggae music, and Rastafarianism. Plus it has the bobsled team.



PUERTO RICO
Actual name: The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Population: 3.7 million
Capital: San Juan
Primary Language: Spanish
Super-Powered Representatives: Fer-de-Lance, White Tiger, Tag, Araña, Bantam
Fun Facts:
-Similarly victimized/enslaved-by the Spanish, and quality of rule depended on the ruler in charge at any given time. The native Taino (the same racial group making up pretty much all of the Carribean) merged with the Spaniards and the black slaves, forming a mixed-race cultural group.
-The Americans invaded in the 19th Century (coming in late for the Colonial era, and wanting to make up for lost time), swiftly annexing it and making it a territory (but not a State). This may change at some point in the future (independence seems to be the most popular option). Government corruption and poverty are problems.



ARGENTINA
Actual name: República Argentina
Population: 40.1 million
Capital: Buenos Aires
Primary Language: Spanish
Super-Powered Representatives: The Black Tarantula, Defensor (possibly), Saint Anna
Fun Facts:
-The nation was, by 1900, one of the most advanced countries in the world, but was amazingly a developing country by 2000- a HUGE drop in prestige and power.
-Was ruled by Juan Peron and his famous wive Eva (aka "Evita"), but she died (some say of poisoning), and then he was ousted. The military junta made the utterly-stupid decision to invade the Falkland Islands for... some reason, at which point England promptly gave them an ass-kicking. Democracy soon took hold.

[Jabroniville]

THE MIDDLE EAST

-Curiously, this fabled modern-day hell-hole was once central to global culture, and was the most advanced civilization around. Muslim conquests over much to the West and East (including parts of Europe) terrified the CRAP out of people, but they repelled numerous invasions. The Ottoman Empire was the "Dying Man of Europe" after a Golden Age, however, and things faltered quickly into decentralization and succession crises.
-Thus, the Middle East (which contains about 20% of the world's Muslims) kinda turned into a hell-hole in the last century, though various counties got VERY wealthy thanks to large stores of oil. Places like Saudi Arabia & Afghanistan became hotbeds of terrorism, thus "earning" them a legacy in the modern media. It's an uncomfortable subject many want to avoid, so not a lot of comic book characters come from here. Usually, comics maintains a balanced viewpoint, as the Arabs are often looked at as sympathetically as their foes (such as the Israelis). Claremont's "New Mutants" featured an honorable Palestinian, for example. The Desert Sword, by contrast, were a bunch of evil dicks, though only The Veil was particularly stereotypical (Scirocco looked like an armored Iraqui, but that's because he WAS one).
-Veils are common in some areas, and not in others. Saudi Arabia, Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are or were pro-veil. Nothing in the Qu'ran dictates this by law- it is a pre-Muslim Arabic social tradition that had become linked to Islam after the fact. Various Muslim nations like Turkey & Indonesia have some women with head-scarves, but do not enforce it, and in some places, it is even banned (in Turkish public buildings, for instance).
-Some parts of the Arab world are generally okay, but others are prone to savage violence and bloodshed. Nasty tribal politics, racial hatred, warlords and theocratic governments abound in parts. Fundamentalist psychosis and terrorism IS very real (just as Benazir Bhutto... oh wait, you can't), though there are nonetheless four Muslim nations that have elected female heads to state, so not everyone believes in it.



SAUDI ARABIA
Actual name: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Population: 25 million
Capital: Riyadh
Primary Language: Arabic
Super-Powered Representatives: The Arabian Knight
Fun Facts:
-The Prophet Muhhamad was born in Mecca in 570, and swiftly forged a Muslim empire including Saudi Arabia. It was later folded into The Ottoman Empire (a massive conglomeration of Muslim states), from which it revolted during World War I (with the help of T.E. Lawrence "of Arabia").
-The Saudi Dynasty rose power in the 1800s, and fully took over the country in 1932. It's fortunes have waxed and waned, but are currently high thanks to a huge amount of oil in the country.
-Became part of the anti-Iraqi forces and an ally of the Americans, which led to various anti-American groups (notably al-Quaeda) trying to reject this. 9/11 was specifically a reaction to American military bases in Saudi Arabia.
-Sunni Muslims are the majority, and the country is an absolute monarchy. The Qu'ran is the constitution, and Sharia law rules.
-Is in the bottom four countries on Earth in terms of gender disparity. Women are not allowed to vote, marry of their own free will, or travel without the consent of a male relative. Homosexuality and converting religions from Islam can be punishable by death.
-Contains Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest places. Pilgrimages are made on a constant basis.
-Controversially the source of a vast amount of terrorists, and funding to terrorists, backed up by wealthy oil-men.
-Don't tend to show up in comics a lot, despite a lot of story potential, largely out of fears of being percieved as racist.



AFGHANISTAN
Actual name: The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan/Land of the Afghans
Population: 28.4 million
Capital: Kabul
Primary Language: Dari (Persian) & Pashtul
Super-Powered Representatives: Dust
Fun Facts:
-The "Land of the Afghans" ("Pashtun" is the term for the main ethnic group) is an important hub in the world, being so close to the Middle East, Russia, China and more. It spent hundreds of years as part of numerous empires (the Achaemenid, Seleucid & Ottoman Empires among them). In general, there were a LOT of conquerings and re-conquerings done ot the land, with few empires lasting long in the grand scheme of things. This basically goes on for hundreds of years, including the modern day.
-A Marxist government took over for a few years in the 1980s. The Soviets had designs on Afghanistan for years, and were eager to help- the United States' C.I.A. covertly assisted the resistance forces, egging the U.S.S.R. into an expensive "Vietnam" of their own, draining their economy. It worked, and the Soviets left. Of course, said "resistance" was comprised of Osama bin-Laden and his al-Quaeda cronies. Unfortunately this tends to happen a lot to the Americans.
-The Taliban was able to take over in the 1990s (scattered militia leaders controlled parts of the country at the time), forging one of the most oppressive religion-based regimes in history, with no rights for women and turbans & beards enforced on the populace. Immediately after 9/11, the Taliban were the only people in the world stupid enough to deliberately antagonize the angriest America in sixty years, and got their asses righteously KICKED in response. America and it's allies unseated the overlords, and enforced a democracy, though there are constant attacks from rebels, Taliban loyalists, and other warlords.



IRAN
Actual name: The Islamic Republic of Iran/Land of the Aryans
Population: 76.9 million
Capital: Tehran
Primary Language: Persian
Super-Powered Representatives: The Black Raazer
Fun Facts:
-It was called "Persia" until 1935, but the people always called it "Iran". Like most of the Middle East, it's been the centre of power, or the victim of another power- the Mongols, Macedonians and others have invaded, and it's invaded Greece, Egypt, Babylon, Afghanistan and others.
-Fabled as the original land of Zoroastrianism, and had famous monarchs Xerxes and Darius, enemies of "300" and Alexander the Great, respectively. Eventually the Macedonians conquered Persia, but it was won back from the Seleucids (descendents of Alexander's general) in a few centuries.
-The subsequent rulers, the Parthians, were a constant thorn in the side of Rome, and one of the few nations that regularly fought back Roman armies (including Marc Antony's). This stunted Roman growth in the East. Eventually the Parthians fell to the Sassanids, and Islam came to rule over the land. They got their asses severely kicked by the Mongols for a few generals (over half the total population of Iran was killed), not recovering their population until the 1900s.
-The British & Americans unseated the new -and secular- Prime Minister (who took power after the Shah was ousted), only for the new Shah to be unseated by a REALLY non-secular Ayatollah. As expected, Americans are not popular in the region (the fabled Iran Hostage Crisis, in which the American Embassy was invaded, is one major result of that).
-A war broke out with Iraq over various things (hatred of Saddam by the Ayatollah, the Shia minority being oppressed by Saddam) in the 1980s, with many nations (including America) backing Saddam, and a handful of others (including Israel) backing Iran. An eight-year war, full of atrocities on both sides (child soldiers, child mine-clearers, etc.). Both sides lost craploads of lives, but no territory was gained, and it was basically a stalemate.
-Sharia Law is not upheld, though it is ruled by religious leaders. Sh'ia Islam is the official religion, and it has the second-highest execution rate in the world (after China).



IRAQ
Actual name: The Republic of Iraq
Population: 31.2 million
Capital: Baghdad
Primary Language: Arabic, Kurdish
Super-Powered Representatives: Sirocco, Blind Ali, Aminedi (The Invisible One), The Veil
Fun Facts:
-The seat of the first major global cultures- it was the heart of the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian & Akkadian Empires, which is a hell of an accomplishment. The Mesopotamian ("Between the Rivers") region was a major breadbasket.
-Was conquered by Islamic forces centuries ago, and turned into one of the major military points for Islam. The destruction (ie. sacking) of Baghdad by Mongol hordes is considered the worst occurence in the history of Islam.
-Iraqis are largely Shi'ite Muslims. The region was controlled by the Ottomans until World War I, at which point the British carved it out of the old empire, without heed of the various ethnic groups within the region. A couple coups took place over the decades.
-Saddam Hussein's forces took control in 1979, and he became a classically-cruel militaristic dictator- assassination of rivals, ethnic genocide, all that fun stuff. The Americans helped him out in the Iran-Iraq War (see above), but he swiftly became a pain in the ass when he invaded Kuwait. The resulting one-sided ass-kicking (Comedian Bill Hicks described it as a "military excercise for techno-fetishists") devastated the region, but the Americans didn't fully invade. That would come later, under a notoriously-incorrect pretext of "Weapons of Mass Destruction", resulting in a second major front for American invtervention in the Middle East. Attempts are being made to remove soldiers from the region, but the democratically-elected party is under constant assault from suicide bombers and the like.



ISRAEL
Actual name: The State of Israel/Medīnat Yisrā'el
Population: 7.6 million
Capital: Jerusalem
Primary Language: Hebrew
Super-Powered Representatives: Sabra, Legion (David Haller)
Fun Facts:
-The region was home to the earliest Jews millennia ago, and features heavily in the Bible stories. It's generally unknown where the mythology ends and the mystery begins. Various forced would control it over the years, most famously the Egyptians, Persians, Romans (leading to the seige of Masada, where the city commited suicide rather than be taken captive), Macedonians, and finally the Ottomans, who eventually maintained control of it despite the Crusades and the attempt by Europeans to capture Christianity's "Holy Land".
-Jews spread throughout most of Europe, but were generally (to put it lightly) disliked, and stereotyped as miserly villains. Oppression was widespread (though ironically less so in the Middle East itself at first), but would reach it's peak in World War II and the Holocaust.
-Was founded after World War II by the British, taking over their Mandate of Palestine, as part of global reparitions to the Jews after knowledge of the Holocaust spread. This was... unpopular with some of their Muslim neighbors. Several nations (Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria & Transjordan) invaded almost immediately, and got their asses handed to them (some possibly deliberately- to stew up anti-Jew sentiment to distract their respective populaces from unpopular government leaders).
-The Suez Canal crisis was even WORSE for the Muslim armies, and the Six-Day War (called that for a reason) was worse AGAIN- a humiliating loss that saw the Israelis (who invaded Egypt because of an obviously-forthcoming military invasion) take a whole ton of land, including the Gaza Strip, West Bank & Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptian Air Force was wiped out before it even left the ground. After the Yom Kippur War, the Egyptians forged a treaty of sorts with the Israelis, largely ending their problems.
-Like most Allied nations, Israel got into the act of helping-out evil governments to suit it's own interests, like aiding Iran against Iraq ("lesser of two evils" there) and South Africa with aid in general (no idea there).
-Israel has a unique mark as being an ally of several hated powers (U.S., France & England), most of whom were colonial empires that screwed Arabs & Persians in the past. It's unlikely they'll ever be popular in the region anytime soon. The Palestinian cause (becoming more important once it was realized that no Arab army was going to successfully invade Israel) is complex, but most Arab nations lionize them as an oppressed people. Truth be told, most of those nations don't like the Palestinians EITHER, but it's a handy thing to have as a focus for your cause. Ironically, the largest population of Palestinian immigrants is in Jordan, which is one of Israel's more trusted relations in the area.
-Founded the Mossad, one of the most elite military agencies on Earth (they carry out a LOT of assassinations), and has one of the most bad-ass, experienced military forces (the Israeli Defense Force) in the world, which has won numerous conflicts against outnumbering forces. Military service is a requirement for all citizens, including women.



EGYPT
Actual name: The Arabic Republic of Egypt
Population: 79.1 million
Capital: Cairo
Primary Language: Arabic
Super-Powered Representatives: Apocalypse, Asp, The Shadow King, The Sphinx
Fun Facts:
-A fabled seat of early civilization, with the Egyptians being at the absolute peak of adancement for their time. Famous for their mythology, their mummification of the dead, chariots, the Sphinx, and the mighty Pyramids (which were actually covered in metal and were ultra-shiny- it got stolen/reclaimed later- and weren't built by slave labour at all).
-Fell out of power eventually after numerous leadership issues, and were conquered early on by Alexander the Great's Macedonian forces, putting Ptolemy in charge. His successors, all named Ptolemy and Cleopatra, ruled for generations before one Cleopatra made some alliances with Julius Caesar, and later, Marc Antony, and Egypt was formally conquered AGAIN.
-Got controlled by numerous forces in subsequent years before finally becoming independent in the modern era. Many, many political upheavals came about, replacing the government every few decades.
-It became the official "Head Aggressor" in the region against Israel by 1948, but eventually made peace with them. It's generally given as the centre of Middle Eastern culture, and is comparatively moderate. Anwar Sadat, the Lion of Egypt, was responsible for a lot of this, but was assassinated on Oct. 6th, 1981 (I only know this because I was born that day- I could conceivably be a reincarnation of the guy!).
-Mubarak, the subsequent dictator in charge ruled ever since, but has recently been deposed after open protests against him. We'll see where this goes.
-A huge part of the economy is tourism, what with it's famous history and landmarks. Expect most modern stories featuring Egypt to deal with either these or it's famous religious figures, none of whom are worshipped by anyone short of Goths and Pagans attempting to seem cool.

[Jabroniville]

EUROPE

-Europe's had a fun little time. It's culture started out as a bunch of random Pagan tribes, but centralized first under the Greeks (then the most advanced culture around), then the Romans (the most militaristic). Rome eventually spread it's grip over nearly all of Europe and plenty of North Africa, forming one of the largest empires of all time. Things would falter later, sending Europe into the Middle Ages, which was bad or good depending on where you were from and what century it was.
-A few smaller empires sprouted up, but for the most part Europe was in recession, and was in danger from the Muslim & Mongol hordes for a while. The Rennaissance and Industrial Revolution changed things, and soon Europe roared back with a VENGEANCE, with a dozen countries eventually controlling basically the entirety of the globe. The Colonial era was pretty bad for a lot of people, but Europe was here to stay, and it's culture (and descendants in the Americas) soon dominated everything.
-Europe lost prestige and power after two World Wars to America, but among the continent are some of America's staunchest allies (especially England), other World Powers (France, Germany) and former Big Bad Foes (Russia).



SPAIN
Actual name: Reno de España
Population: 46 million
Capital: Madrid
Primary Language: Spanish
Super-Powered Representatives: El Aguila, Empath (Hellions), Diablo, Vargas
Fun Facts:
-Called Hispania by the Romans, but was conquered by Germans, then Muslims, in the Middle Ages. Rolled back the conquests and was THE world power in the 16th and partial-17th centuries.
-A century of being the first World Power led to a huge chunk of the Earth speaking Spanish, leaving it the second-most-commonly spoken first language in the world (behind only Mandarin, just ahead of English).
-Famous for the "Spanish Inquisition", a period of religious dominance and anti-heresy that wiped out over 2,000 people, including many, many Jews ("convert or die/leave", basically).
-Fell apart gradually, being conquered by Napoleon, then suffering general instability, eventually losing all it's American colonies, and it dropped from the world scene.
-The Spanish Civil War in the 1930s led to General Francisco Franco taking control of the entire nation with his Fascist forces. It was neutral during World War II, but supported the Axis Powers.
-Francisco Franco died in 1975, and is still dead after all these years. King Juan Carlos I has reigned ever since, though Spain is now a democracy, as he became a mere figurehead. He remains very popular.
-Football is again the most popular sport, with Real Madrid being one of the most dominant teams in the world.
-A very regional country, with many old groups that have some degree of autonomy. The Basque Country (containing Europe's only language that is not only non-Romance, but non-Indo-European) is somewhat violence-ridden, and was recently blamed for terrorist bombings later revealed to be al-Quaeda. It's ETA group is the last continental European terrorist/separatist organization that has any degree of power.
-This breaking news just in: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead, and his situation appears unlikely to change anytime soon.



FRANCE
Actual name: République française
Population: 65 million
Capital: Paris
Primary Language: French
Super-Powered Representatives: Le Peregrine, Batroc the Leaper, Cyclone (Masters of Evil), Exodus, Prism, Surrender Monkey, Tarot & Bevatron (Hellions), The Grey Gargoyle, Princess Python
Fun Facts:
-Populated by the Gauls during Roman times- they waxed and waned against Roman rule (Julius Caesar's forces defeated Vercingetorix's, most notably), occasionally fighting for independence.
-Later ruled by the Franks from the Northern portion of Gaul, from which "France" is named. Converted to Christianity quite early.
-The famous Charlemagne ruled a huge Empire than united much of the old Roman Empire outside of Italy, but it didn't last more than a few generations.
-Was consistently a huge power thereafter, with many famous rulers and wars (often against England). It's history features both Jeanne d'Arc (a female leader against the English during the Hundred Years War) and Napoleon Bonaparte (a Corsican general who took a vast swath of land in Europe until being unmade by a land war with Russia, and later Waterloo).
-Famous for it's French Revolution, a guillotine-ridden revolt by the people and a new elite that saw the King Louis XVI decapitated (along with his infamous wife Marie Antoinette). The First Republic would not last, nor would Napoleon's reign, a new Monarchy, the Second Republic, nor Napoleon III (nephew to the first)'s Second Empire.
-The Third Republic lasted through World War I at a tremendous cost (1.4 million soldiers dead), only to be faced with a massive German war machine in World War II, which broke the already-weakened nation badly (giving them an eternal reputation as cowards). Charles de Gaulle, leader of the French Resistance, would become a dominant President at war's end, leading the Fourth Republic.
-Had a large number of nations in it's Empire for decades, but lost all of them in the mid-1900s during instable times. This includes French Indochina (Thailand, Viet Nam & Laos), Algeria, and others, leaving these parts of the world massively destabilized. Has a reputation for being utter dicks to their old colonies (they even take the Quebecois of Canada for a semi-liberated bunch of pilgrims).
-The stereotype of the rude, egotistical Frenchman holds for most of the world, but within France, that stereotype is held towards Parisians themselves.
-Currently has the third or fourth-largest military on Earth, so don't think you can screw with them.
-Contains the famous Louvre, Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and more- a major tourist destination of Europe, and arguably it's largest cultural centre.
-Has a large (6%) Muslim minority, a controversial group (basically a poor minority group, with all that entails- poverty, crime and prejudice), often leading to riots and civic disturbances.



BELGIUM
Actual name: The Kingdom of Belgium
Population: 10.8 million
Capital: Brussels
Primary Language: Dutch (also French, German)
Super-Powered Representatives: Mr. M, REM-RAM (The Acolytes), The Belgian Brain, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Fun Facts:
-Defeated the French in the Battle of the Golden Spurs (among the first victories by infantry over cavalry), and they massacred a lot of French noblemen (hence the name of the Battle) instead of just holding them for ransom. Split from The Netherlands after the Napoleonic Wars, as the French part of Belgium was under-represented in the government.
-Was kind of a sticking point in Europe, bouncing from Spanish control to Austrian, and eventually declared it's independence. Complicated alliances and promises to not become a pawn of another nation (as was the fear in Europe) led to England & France both promising to defend Belgium if it were ever attacked (this becomes important later), as long as it was forever neutral.
-Was a major Industrial Revolution-era power, and carved a mini-Empire. Was not-so-nice to the people of the Congo (think "Heart of Darkness").
-It's right next to France. And it makes a perfect launching-point for an invasion. So... when Germany declared war on France & invaded in World Wars One & Two, guess who got used as a back-door? Thus, England was also forced to declare war against Germany both times.
-Belgium got it's ass handed to them quickly by the Germans, and is the setting for MANY, MANY horrible conflicts (Ypes & Passcendale are both in Belgium). Contains Flanders Field, the subject of the epically-sad War poem about dead soldiers and the poppies growing on their graves.
-Is famous for chocolate, beer, and invented French Fries. Jean-Claude Van Damme (karate/kickboxing champ, actor) and Audrey Hepbrun (possibly the cutest woman ever to live) are Belgian. The famous "Tintin" comes from Belgium as well, as do The Smurfs. Comics are big business in this part of the world.
-A political crisis (stirred by economic disparity) has split the Dutch-speaking Flemish and the French-Speaking Wallonians, and could lead to a partition of the country.
-Famously considered bland in various parts of the world, thus Agatha Christie made Hercule Poirot Belgian to avoid national stereotypes imposing upon him, they're mocked in "Austin Powers" as raising Dr. Evil, and "Belgium" is the vilest profanity in the known universe, everywhere except Earth, in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".



THE NETHERLANDS
Actual name: The Kingdom of The Netherlands/Nederland
Population: 16.6 million
Capital: Amsterdam
Primary Language: Dutch
Super-Powered Representatives: King Cobra, The Flying Dutchman, Klaw
Fun Facts:
-Quite small and flat, on the tip of Northern Europe, and well below sea level. Contains the provinces of Holland, which people often mistake the whole country for.
-Was once part of the Spanish Empire, but got conquered by Napoleon not too long after independence. Used to have Belgium in it, until they split off.
-Had a large colonial empire, including the Dutch East Indies, ie. Indonesia. Their attempts to hold on to this country proved rather... deadly, for a great number of people. De-colonizationn wasn't an easy process for anyone.
-Stayed out of World War I, but was not so lucky for the sequel. Nor were 100,000 Jews (including Anne Frank).
-Famously liberal country that legalized gay marriage, pot smoking, nudity on television and other things well before the rest of the world got around to it. The Hague is the largest centre of law & politics, despite Amsterdam being the largest (and most famous) city.



POLAND
Actual name: The Kingdom of Polska
Population: 38.1 million
Capital: Warsaw
Primary Language: Polish
Super-Powered Representatives: Magneto, The Rattler, Bloodlust, The Blue Bullet
Fun Facts:
-Fairly large European nation with the absolute CRAP luck to be placed right between Germany & Russia.
-After gaining an alliance with Lithuania to get rid of the lame Teutonic Order of Knights, formed a massive empire (the largest in Europe at the time), with cool winged hussars as part of their military. This "Golden Liberty" would not last, and it was legally broken-up by Austria, Prussia & Russia, with the Poles split between them. The Poles in Russia had it especially bad, and were crushed after trying a couple uprisings.
-Got the absolute living CRAP beaten out of them by Germany during World War II (after being all independent post-War), with the Holocaust hitting here hardest of all (Auschwitz is in Poland). They never gave up fighting, but it was a bloodbath. 7 million people were killed (one-fifth of the population!), and only 300,000 Jews were left of the 3.3 million at war's beginning. Think about THAT.
-Was annexed by Soviet Russia post-War, who didn't treat them any better. They were instrumental to the break-up of the Soviet Union, however, and are now currently independent.
-Famous for sausage, being the butt-monkey of TWO evil World Powers for decades, and having a really, really hard language to pronounce (my friend works with a guy named "Pzchek"). Were a common memetic "it's OK to be racist against them" ethnic group in Post-War America, but this eventually went away.



GREECE
Actual name: The Republic of Ellada/The Hellenic Republic
Population: 11.2 million
Capital: Athens
Primary Language: Greek
Super-Powered Representatives: The Olympian Pantheon (Skyfather: Zeus), Hercules, Elektra, Avalanche, Oracle
Fun Facts:
-Famous as a huge centre of European culture, creating the most advanced civilizations in that area. Ancient Greece sprang forth from Mycenean and Minoan beginnings to include huge advances in math, science and learning. Various city-states sprung up, with the philosophical Athenians and the war-like Spartans opposed the vast Achaemenid Empire (Xerxes' Persians).
-Famously-common was homosexual relationships between men and young boys, though various philosophers decried the subject as immoral and silly. Women were usually viewed as more lustful and sex-crazed than men, and were watched carefully. The joke in "Lysistrata" was that a WOMAN withholding sex was an impossible idea.
-World-famous individuals like Hippocrates, Sophocles, Socrates and Plato brought new levels of genius into the world. Gave the world democracy, the Phalanx, and countless awesome myths about it's morally-insane foolish Gods (which makes them much more interesting than most other cultures' Gods), including the Illiad, Oddysey and the story of the Trojan War. Alexander the Great's Macedonian forces overran the world and forged a HUGE empire, which quickly faltered after his death, resulting in multiple lineages across the world, sprung from the loins of his Generals (such as the Ptolemies of Egypt, from whom we got Cleopatra).
-The Hellenistic Period partially-died under Roman control a few centuries later, and later was the centre of the Byzantine Empire, which kept Roman culture alive for generations after the fall of Rome itself. Produced the Eastern Orthodox Church, and fell to the Ottoman Empire. They fought them off centuries later, in the Greek War For Independence in the 1800s. Still neighbors modern Turkey, which produces some bad feelings, though they're trying to make it better.
-Modern history consists of a lot of wars (the lost to the Germans in WWII, after trouncing the Italians) and feuding with Turkey, as well as various political upheavals and inter-party fighting.



SWITZERLAND
Actual name: Schweiz/The Swiss Federation
Population: 7.8 million
Capital: Bern
Primary Language: German
Super-Powered Representatives: The Kleinstock Brothers, Arnim Zola, Flag-Smasher
Fun Facts:
-An early tribe, the Helvetii, were among those conquered by Julius Caesar, the people's earliest link to world history.
-Created the International Red Cross (which you can sorta see on their flag, with the colours reversed).
-Famously neutral and dull. Invented the Swiss Army Knife, and haven't been in a war for over a century. Maintained absolute neutrality even while Hitler was devouring all of Europe (thankfully for them, they weren't an easy backdoor to France). It helps that it's surrounded on all sides by mountains, lakes and tunnels- attacking it would be a drawn-out siege on a massive scale.
-Has referendums for EVERYTHING, and loves having an open democracy. A recent one led to the banning of minarets in the country (very few nations in Europe like Muslims, as a rule). It's so neutral that they only joined the United Nations fully in 2002, and have yet to join the European Union.
-Gave us Carl Jung (the other famous father of modern psychiatry), Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Roger Federer, and Martina Hingis.



ROMANIA
Actual name: Romania
Population: 21.9 million
Capital: Bucharest
Primary Language: Romanian
Super-Powered Representatives: Dracula & his entire family, Lilith, Baron Mordo, Gypsy Moth/Skein, Werewolf by Night
Fun Facts:
-Easily most-famous for it's history with Vlad the Impaler, a prince in the Wallacian principality (the other two principalities were Transylvania & Moldovia) known for doing what his name implies to thousands upon thousands of invading forces, as a method of terror (likely exaggerated). Legends about him grew until the ethnic folk monster, Dracula, was born.
-Has a Poland-like luck to be crammed between Russia, Poland, Turkey & Austria-Hungary. Has a history of holding out against massive hordes before ultimately falling.
-Great Romania was a period between 1919 & 1940, and was a "Golden Age" of sorts, providing great wealth to the nation. It wouldn't last- it joined the Axis, then the Allies in World War II, and got annexed and overrun by the Soviet Union afterwards in the "Iron Curtain".
-Had a great revolution in the late '80s after decades of brutal repression, but are still reeling economically. Transylvania is quite famous, but is contested between Romania and Hungary, since both ethnicities are common there.



ITALY
Actual name: Italia
Population: 60.4 million
Capital: Rome
Primary Language: Italian
Super-Powered Representatives: The Contessa (S.H.I.E.L.D.), Belasco, Count Nefaria, Madame Masque, Unus, Unuscione, Tyrannus
Fun Facts:
-The Roman Republic once ruled, having freed itself from it's last monarchs. Had a complicated Senate structure, but a lot of military power. The mighty city-state overwhelmed all of Italia, and then set sights on the rest of Europa, Africa & Asia.
-Rome defeated many comers, including Hannibal's men in Carthage (Rome salted the Earth and wiped out the civilization as vengeance- they were MEAN bastards). Despite their grandeur, their military history is filled with loss after loss, at which point they return with a NEW army and totally kick the ass of the other guys by sheer attrition.
-Julius Caesar, a lower-level noble, became a brilliant general, conquering Gaul and wiping out thousands (including Vercingetorix). This was largely illegal, and so Caesar just Crossed the Rubicon back into Rome and conquered it (after much hard fighting, and defeating an old friend, Pompey Magnus, in the process). Caesar became Dictator For Life (normal Dictators were a special six-month position in times of great need for consolidation of power), but was murdered before real power could be maintained.
-The resulting Civil War between his old allies Marc Antony (now taking Caesar's old squeeze Cleopatra as a lover) and Octavian (later Augustus), Caesar's adopted son (and in Rome, adoption was as good as blood). Augustus won in the end, forming a monarchy once again. By all rights, Augustus was a Manipulative Bastard of the highest order.
-Fabled leaders and Emperors include Tiberius, Claudius, Nero (famously evil) and Caligula (even moreso than Nero). Constantine was the first Christian monarch in the world, and started the slow conversion of the Empire. Rome eventually forged one of the mightiest Empires the world had ever seen, stretching all the way across Europe, and even into Asia (the third-largest in classical world history, behind the Achaemenid & Han Empires).
-Things fell apart with a split between East & West, and finally a sacking of Rome after increases in Gothic insurrections (and not the wrist-cutting kind), dropping European culture significantly. The Greek-influenced East would fall to the Ottomans later. Many advances brought on by Rome- the aqueducts, domes, medicine, etc.- would be lost for centuries until the Rennaissance rediscovered them.
-Is among the most important cultural centres in world history, throughout many eras. The opera, art (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael, etc. are all Italian), literature (Dante's Inferno, aka The Divine Comedy), film (Fellini) and more are heavily-inspired by Italian or Roman works.
-Was comprised of many, many states until the 1900s, at which the entire country became unified. Was led by the infamous "il Duce", Benito Mussolini, leading a fabled mistress were murdered in the streets (and hung on meat hooks in front of a cheering crowd), and the nation became an Allied one.
-Has had a tumultuous history in recent years, with 40 premier changes in 50 years, the most political upheavals in all of Europe. The Mafia is still a major criminal force, especially on the island of Cicily.
-Is curiously under-represented in the world of comics, with mostly-minor characters coming from there. This is odd, given it's status as the centre of The Mafia, culture, etc.



GERMANY
Actual name: The Federal Republic of Germany/Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Population: 81.8 million
Capital: Berlin
Primary Language: German
Super-Powered Representatives: Hauptmann Deutschland, Maverick, Blitzkrieg, Zeitgeist/Everyman, Nightcrawler, The Red Skull, Baron Zemo I & II, Baron Blood, Man-Killer, Baron von Strucker, Fenris Twins/Swordsman, Master Man, Swarm, Wall, The Black Swan, The Isolationist
Fun Facts:
-Germanic tribes were found all throughout modern-day Germany, and despite numerous Roman campaigns, the entire land was never totally subjugated. The tribes found their way into the rest of Europe, forming the borders for the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne. They were scattered and highly regional, very rarely located under one central power. Various states, duchies and city-states thrived, often under external power (such as Austria).
-Under Napoleon, hundreds of states turned to "merely" fourty. Prussia soon became dominant, and under General Otto von Bismarck, the German Empire was formed in the late 1800s.
-World Power status came quickly, but a loss in World War I led to the "War Guilt" clause in the Treaty of Versailles, crippling the new German Weimar Republic for years (this is a retroactive term- the true name is The German Realm). This economic down-spiral led to a dozen revolution attempts, and finally the election of Austrian Adolf Hitler to power, with his Nazi Party based off of Franco & Mussolini's Fascism attempts.
-World War Two resulted, when Hitler's army "Blitzkrieged" across Europe. An army had been built the likes of which had never been seen, and soon France, Poland, Belgium and others went down with shocking ease and speed, and soon nearly all of mainland Europe was under Hitler's control.
-England was next- the Battle of Britain followed, Hitler hoping to crush their spirit and resistance, under-estimating the Brits. Hitler soon foolishly betrayed Stalin's Russia, provoking a massive, lengthy Eastern Front war that Germany could ill-afford. Help from "General Winter" aided the beleaguered and massacred Soviets against Germany, inflicting more casualties than even the Western Front. Hitler slowly went crazy (possibly because of anti-fart pills- no seriously), and committed suicide in the final days of the war.
-Knowledge of just what happened in Germany had been surpressed initially, and most figured something was happening to the Jews, but the full breadth of the Holocaust shocked EVERYONE. Germans were left with an ever-lasting guilt, and constantly teach their children about their dark past.
-Germany was split by the Allies into West (democratic) and East (communist), the latter under control of the Soviet Union. The famous Berlin Wall was formed to split Berlin (attempts at crossing it resulted in deadly force). There were actually two walls- 100 metres of "no man's land" separated them.
-The two Germanies & Berlins were reunited in 1989 with the Wall's collapse, and a short while later legally. Germany is now a singular democratic Republic, and one of the most trusted & beloved countries in the world. A big change from seventy years ago.
-There are lots and lots of famous Germans, partially thanks to World War II, but there are many others. Composers Bach, Wagner AND Beethoven, German War Hero (and Magnificent Bastard) Erwin Rommel, Propoganda master (and inventor) Joseph Goebbels, pretentious teenage loser-icon Friedrich Nietzche, Karl Marx (he of Communism fame), Albert Einstein, Max Heisenberg, and countless others.



AUSTRIA
Actual name: The Republic of Osterreich
Population: 8.3 million
Capital: Vienna
Primary Language: German
Super-Powered Representatives: The Ringmaster, Dr. Faustus, Destiny (Freedom Force)
Fun Facts:
-The Habsburgs arose here, and through marriage & war, ended up controlling most of Central Europe (including Hungarians, Bohemians, Croats, Czechs & Romanians), and being prone to various nationalist movements. They were never a MAJOR threat, but they were a pretty big deal. They were large and full of various nations, but tended to lose every single war.
-Austria itself is very German in many ways, including the language, and various alliances and/or wars with Germany itself. World War One pretty much saw the end of their power on a global scale, as the alliance system of Europe drew them into the biggest war in history to that point.
-Famous Austrians include Sigmund Frued, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Adolf Hitler. They're more proud of some than others (though the latter three either never really considered themselves Austrian, or openly hated on the country).



HUNGARY
Actual name: The Republic of Magyarorszag
Population: 10 million
Capital: Budapest
Primary Language: Hungarian
Super-Powered Representatives: Viper, aka Madame Hydra, Madame X
Fun Facts:
-Was settled in the 9th century by nomadic peoples who decided to settle down (it's one of the oldest countries in Europe). Portions of it have been controlled by the Ottomans, Transylvanians and the Habsburgs over the years.
-Pretty much got the CRAP beaten out of them by the Mongol Invasion of Europe, losing up to half of the population.
-The massive Austro-Hungarian Empire (with beloved queen "Sissi" at it's centre) attained some great power, but was split horribly by two World Wars, and lost a great deal of territory to offshoot states.
-Became part of the Iron Curtain after the last War, and came out of it with the rest of them.
-The language is unrelated to much of Europe, being more similar to Finnish & Estonian than anything else. So they fit in strangely that way. They have good relations with the Poles, but not so much with the Romanians (based off of issues with the ownership of Transylvania).



BELARUS
Actual name: The Republic of Belarus
Population: 9.6 million
Capital: Minsk
Primary Language: Belarusian
Super-Powered Representatives: Darkstar, Vanguard
Fun Facts:
-Stuck between Russia & Poland, Belarus only came about in the early-20th century (but was settled by "White Russians", or Belarusians, for generations), and was quickly Commified by the Soviets. It was stuck between the USSR & Germany during World War II, and suffered appropriately (up to ONE-THIRD of the population, and 2/3 of it's cities, were gone).
-More or less Russian, with much of the cultural identity related to Russia, and the two countries are close- there are even sort-of plans to unify legally, as long as they can agree on things.
-Darkstar & Vanguard are typically Russian characters in comics- it's just a coincidence that their hometown ended up outside of Mother Russia. Expect them to be treated as Russians in all respects.



UKRAINE
Actual name: Ukrayina
Population: 45.9 million
Capital: Kiev
Primary Language: Ukrainian
Super-Powered Representatives: Teon
Fun Facts:
-Kiev was the seat of the "Kievan Rus'", the most massive empire in Europe during the 10th & 11th centuries. Things fell apart, the nation dissolved into principalities, and they were invaded by the Turks & Mongols. Kiev was destroyed completely in 1240. The people came under Lithuanian control after that.
-It was controlled by Poland for centuries, then by the U.S.S.R.
-Was pretty much Russia's butt-monkey during most of the Cold War, being the site of most of it's industrial factories, power plants (including the infamous Chernobyl, which kersploded and killed hundreds, and poisoned the area for generations), and a gigantic (and deliberate!) famine prior to World War II, which decimated the population.
-Declared independence in 1991, and has a rather mercurial relationship with Russia to this day, acknowledging them as an ally, but not being overly friendly with them. It's a very agrarian land (the flag symbolizes golden wheat under a blue sky).
-Worshipped-by-nerds Milla Jovovich is Ukrainian, as is Mila Kunis.



RUSSIA
Actual name: The Russian Federation/Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, formerly Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik (CCCP)
Population: 141.9 million
Capital: Moscow
Primary Language: Russian
Super-Powered Representatives: Colossus, Magik, Mikhail Rasputin, The Winter Guard/Soviet Super-Soldiers/People's Protectorate, Red Guardian II & IV, Red Guardian III/Starlight, The Black Widow I & II), Hammer & Sickle, Kraven the Hunter (and Family), The Presence, Morning Star, The Red Ghost & The Super-Apes, Omega Red, The Rhino, The Chameleon, Cosmo
Fun Facts:
-The largest country in the world by a BIG margin, containing tons of ethnic groups. Very cold winters, and a vast expanse, the bane of any land army.
-Ivan III formed Czarist Russia (also Tsarist- related to "Caesar" the same way "Kaiser" is) after taking control of the old feudal kingdom. They were characterized by a massive military presence, but a lacking in modern cultural traits (compared to the rest of Europe, from which they were separated by quite a ways geographically).
-Famous situations occured all-around during World War I. The unpopular war led to the unseating of the Czarist government of Nicholas II (it also involved the fabled Mad Monk, Rasputin, who used his link to the Tsar's hemophiliac son to gain massive political favour), and the eventual rule of the Bolsheviks, now forming the United Soviet Socialist Republic, the most powerful Communist nation in the world.
-Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks at first, speaking of the Communist Manifesto of Karl Marx. When he died, things were taken over by Joseph Stalin, who was kind of a dick, truth be told. He rapidly industrialized the nation, but at the cost of millions of lives. Political assassinations and "disappearances" were the norm. Expect to be an "unperson" if you spoke up. "Nineteen Eighty-Four" was NOT making this **** up.
-Stayed neutral during World War II at first, but then Hitler went nuts and attacked. The Soviets took the hardest hit of all the Allied nations during the war, losing vast amounts of soldiers, but eventually won a war of attrition against the Nazis, dealing them the most casualties in turn. The Battles of Stalingrad & Leningrad are #1 and #2 for the most deadly battles in the history of humanity. About 10 million Soviet soldiers died during the war, and over 16 million civilians.
-The took over most of Eastern Europe, forming the "Iron Curtain" bloc of Communist states. A true World Power, they were the arch-nemesis of the United States, now also getting involved on a world stage. The Space Race, the Cold War, etc. Pretty much the Big Bad of the "Free world's" fiction, unless you were REALLY left-wing (like on M*A*S*H* or something). Nikita Kruschev replaced Stalin, and decried the past regime, shocking the world with it's atrocities. Mikhail Gorbachev took over years later, and was a lot more open with the West.
-Had a famous military, with the elite Spetsnaz units, the AK-47 (most popular gun in world history), and a huge nuclear arsenal.
-Communism in Russia fell in the '90s, with Boris Yeltsin challenging the party, and the whole Eastern Bloc fell, dropping the Berlin Wall, the Germanic divide, and splitting a dozen miniature countries off of Mother Russia (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, etc.). This surprised the hell out of a lot of people, and leaves media based in the future looking rather odd sometimes, since the Soviets were so ubiquitous to people in prior decades. It was just kind of assumed they'd always be around.
-Currently led by Vladimir Putin, an ex-KGB agent and fairly high-level Judoka & Sambo specialist. He'd probably kick your government's leader's ass, no matter where you were from.
-A famously fatalistic people. It's kind of hard to surprise them with depravity, poverty, massacres or other atrocities. Vladimir Putin basically has people killed (with radioactive materials to the face!) and everyone just kinda shrugs it off.



THE BRITISH ISLES:
The exact dilineations of what name belongs to which area are confusing. Here's a visual representation that works much better:


Essentially, the mainland is Great Britain, that plus Northern Ireland is the United Kingdom, and the whole thing is The British Isles.



ENGLAND
Actual name: England
Population: 51.4 million
Capital: London
Primary Language: English
Super-Powered Representatives: Captain Britain, Meggan, The Weird Happenings Organization, Tangerine, Dark Angel, Death's Head I, II & III, Die-Cut, Death Metal, Wild Thing, Mys-Tech, Motormouth & Killpower, Black Axe, Thunderclap, Genetix, [url=http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?p=799882#p799882[Night Raven[/url], [url=http://www.atomicthinktank.com/viewtopic.php?p=801396#p801396]Spitfire[/url], Cerise, Pete Wisdom, Union Jack I-III, Psylocke
Fun Facts:
-Celts ruled the country, but the Romans invaded and took it over by Claudius' time, forming "Britannia" as it was called. Uprisings were generally unsuccessful (Boudica was notable, but killed herself after losing), and the land was subject to many later invasions by Angles, Saxons and more.
-Many kingdoms sprouted up, but they were crushed by the Danes, as Scandinavian invasion became common. The Normans invaded afterwards, taking over the elite. All of these repeated takeovers would have a dramatic effect on what would become the "English language".
-Succession crises are very, VERY common. Norman kings would rule, and were replaced by the Tudors. Easily has the largest number of famous rulers compared to any other land, particularly in the English-speaking world (for obvious reasons). Henry VIII and his many wives, Queens Victoria & Elizabeth I, Richard III and other Shakespeare-biographized characters, etc.
-Wales was annexed in the middle ages, while Scotland voted to become involved in the 18th century (James VI inherited both lands earlier, but this made it official). This would all become "The Kingdom of Great Britain", with England as it's centre.
-England became the figurehead of the Industrial Revolution, using it's powerful navy and huge amount of inventiveness to dominate the world. The era of Colonization would see England forge the mightiest empire ever seen before or since. "The Sun never sets on the British Empire" wasn't just a cutesy phrase. They controlled India, China, chunks of North America, and half of Africa. TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT of the entire globe belonged under their sphere of influence. Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great and others, eat your hearts out.
-They were so dominant that they permanently ended the threat of Napoleon, and were integral to the Allies in World War I. Britain's relative safety from mainland Europe, being an island nation, would prove vastly important, as their navy was untouchable. Little things like losing the Thirteen Colonies were just inconveniences on the grand scale.
-This led to English becoming a dominant language on Earth, far outstripping the more-populous Chinese dialects, and it is by far the most commonly-spoken second language. Despite it being kind of a bastard child language (mixing Romance languages with Germanic & Scandinavian influences), it's worldwide, with Britain, Canada, the United States and Australia all speaking it (though often in accents different enough to be indecipherable to each other).
-Great Britain was the first nation to outlaw slavery, and was a major force in putting it down at it's source.
-The unofficial leader of the Allied forces during World War II, which left London carpet-bombed by the Luftwaffe for years, and Winston Churchill becoming a national hero (despite being voted out once, and being a drunk). He's about the most quotable world leader in history, too. It took several years, and the Americans finally getting involved, to finally stop Nazism, and England took a back seat to the Americans, who now took the reigns as the most powerful nation on Earth.
-Despite losing a bit of international grandeur, it's still an important cultural force. Just ask fans of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Coronation Street, Shaun of the Dead, soccer/football, and more. British tabloids are fairly notorious, and you can expect every single celebrity in English history to be a celebrity for their entire lives- there are several celebs known JUST for going to nude beaches, for example.
-And they're still powerful- they bitch-slapped the Argentinians pretty hard to getting cute and invading the Falkland Islands. It's currently a standard democracy, with the Royal Family (led by Queen Elizabeth II) having a more token role as symbolic leaders that have no real power. This extends to the rest of the "British Empire", as Canada, Australia and twelve other nations (fifteen in total) celebrate the Queen as a monarch.
-For a ridiculously-tiny country, it's got a HUGE number of distinctive accents, with nearly every town having one. Expect British fans online to dissect the attempted accents of any Americans, or even Brits playing characters from some cities (TV Tropes writers from England will NOT SHUT UP about Jane Leeves' accent in "Frasier" not actually being Mancunian/from Manchester).



IRELAND
Actual name: The Republic of Ireland/Eire/Airlann
Population: 6.2 million
Capital: Dublin
Primary Language: English (though Irish is the "official" language)
Super-Powered Representatives: Banshee, Siryn, Black Tom Cassidy, Shamrock
Fun Facts:
-A highly agricultural island just off of bigger England, featuring more sheep than people. It's people are usually stereotyped as having red hair (it's got the highest-rate of redheads in the world).
-Formerly ruled by scattered tribes of Celts, eventually getting a series of High Kings. It was invaded by the Normans, and fully taken-over by England. The Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800s led to a huge amount of Irish immigrants coming to the United States.
-Has a huge number of famous writers, from James Joyce to Oscar Wilde to Bram Stoker. Celtic Mythology was a major influence, and gave us the "bean sidhe", or Banshee/Fairie Woman (literal translation there).
-Has some... political troubles in it's history. Let's just leave it at that. Basically, the majority is Catholic and wants self-rule instead of rule from England, but a minority is Protestant and LIKES England, these usually living in the North-Eastern section of the island (including Dublin). An Irish Revolution during World War I was put down ruthlessly by England. The Unionists in Northern Ireland would fight the Catholics in the rest of the country.
-"The Troubles" started up in the 1970s, as the Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provos or IRA for short) fought Unionists all over the place. It's reasoning is too complex for me to mention (or understand- I can't make heads or tails of it). Only a few thousand died, but that's a big number for a small nation. Most comics from the '70s to the 1990s featuring Ireland will at least reference The Troubles (Shamrock would view Captain Britain with suspicion, and vice versa).
-Irish Pubs are famous worldwide for their awesomeness, so expect that to pop up in anything Irish-themed.



SCOTLAND
Actual name: Alba
Population: 5.2 million
Capital: Edinburgh
Primary Language: English
Super-Powered Representatives: Wolfsbane, Moira MacTaggert, Proteus, Kylun, Claymore
Fun Facts:
-Part of The United Kingdom legally. Various groups have controlled it over the years, from the Caledonians to the Romans to the Picts to England itself. Controlling it was never easy, as various other groups resisted control (William Wallace being the most famous these days, thanks to "Braveheart"). Various succession crises, as various rulers from Scotland or England would try to take control of the entire shebang.
-The subject of Shakespeare's "Scottish Play", though the real Mac Bethad was apparently a really good king. Shakespeare just made him evil because his royal backer at the time (James VI) was allegedly descended from Banquo.
-They voted their way into an alliance with England, forming the Kingdom of Great Britain, in the 18th century, and have been linked ever since.
-Famous for the kilt (not part of everyday dress- it's used like Americans use tuxedos, ie. formal dress), haggis (a sheep's innards boiled in it's own stomach- they swear it tastes good), and the bagpipes. They get stereotyped as humorously-violent (think "Groundskeeper Willie").

[Jabroniville]

ASIA-
-The Orient has featured some of the world's oldest and most advanced cultures, with Empires stretching for miles. Paper and countless other things were invented, and Asia once had a very real shot at dominating the world the way the West now does. What held them back was countless civil struggles, as China especially had so many groups jostling for power that centralization was extremely difficult- Empires were overthrown fairly frequently.
-Numerous ass-kickings by the West humbled them, but they came back with a vengeance in the 20th Century- Japan was a dominant threat in the first half of the century, and China remains a global powerhouse.



CHINA
Actual name: The People's Republic of China
Population: 1.38 billion
Capital: Beijing
Primary Language: Mandarin (Cantonese is also very common)
Super-Powered Representatives: Shang-Chi, The Cat, China Force, The Collective Man, The Radioactive Man, Nuwa, Jade Dragon
Fun Facts:
-The world's fourth-largest country, and easily it's most populous. One of the cradles of early civilization.
-Comprised of multiple provinces, and used to have many, many separate kingdoms. Fabled "Warring States" periods exist, with seven (or famously, three) nations competing for overall control.
-Various empires have ruled modern-day China and it's neighbors over the centuries. The Han Dynasty is among the most famous and powerful, and was supplanted by the Three Kingdoms era (today, Han Chinese are far and away the largest ethnic group in China, and on Earth). Various other dynasties achieved enormous power- the Tang especially.
-Generally, China is the most powerful and most culturally-dominant (basically inventing the language, poetry and ceramics of the entire continent) country in all of Asia, with rare instances of being overtaken by the Mongols (Genghis Khan's time) or the Japanese (20th Century). Their old fleets and armies were the greatest assembled at that time, and they were the most advanced people in the world. However, they had no real Industrial Revolution, which led to...
-It's historical dominance as a world power ended harshly in the late 1800s, as the various European powers basically took turns bending them over and violating them. The Opium Wars were created because the British actually wanted to enforce opium addiction upon the people, so they could trade it to China (among the biggest dick moves in history). The last dynasty, the Qing, ended in 1912 (it was preceded by the Ming, Tang, Song, etc. Dynasties).
-The Republic of China, under Chiang Kai-Shek, fell brutally to the Japanese in the preamble before World War II, and Mao Zedong's Communist forces took over the country after a post-WWII Civil War, on way to becoming a huge global force. Many countries refused to acknowledge the validity of the People's Republic, focusing instead of the tiny island nation of Taiwan as the legitimate nation.
-Is a focal point for both the martial arts of Asia (kung fu especially), and it's philosophy (Confucius, Taoism, Sun Tzu), it's languages, and more. Chinese inventions include paper, suspension bridges, the cannon, gunpowder, etc. Buddhism is the most dominant religion, though it originated in India (where Hinduism is stronger).
-Aided Communist uprisings over various parts of Asia (especially Korea & Vietnam), and became a World Power once again. Chairman Mao died in the 1970s, and his wife's Gang of Four were arrested shortly thereafter. A large succession of Chairmen have led the nation since then, as relations have improved with a mistrustful West.
-Wields the world's largest army in terms of manpower in the history of the world. It's generally known as a group of Communist overlords, with vast swaths of poor farmering communities mixed with highly-modern cities, all under the watchful eye of Big Brother. The internet and media are heavily-censored.
-It's also a huge, HUGE source of poaching and destruction of rare animals, all for penis medicine. You'd think a country of 2 trillion would have no need for aphrodisiacs, but nope, the Tigers must die. Look at the "areas found" section of nearly any endangered species in Asia, and you'll see it in the "Circle of Terror" around China & India.



JAPAN
Actual name: Nippon or Nihon ("Rising Sun"- the latter has more casual use)
Population: 127 million
Capital: Tokyo
Primary Language: Japanese
Super-Powered Representatives: Sunfire, The Silver Samurai, Sunpyre, Yukio, The Big Hero Six, Red Ronin, Irezumi, Kuroko, Pele, Typhoon, The Big One
Fun Facts:
-Is made up of well over 6,000 islands, four of which are especially large. It's isolated status has allowed it many periods of being kept apart from the rest of the world, be it trade or by military force.
-For centuries, used a rich upper class of Samurai as land-owning muscle of the Shogun, who replaced the Emperor as the most powerful leader. Their fabled katana gained a near memetic amount of fame across the world in later eras, but were really no sharper than most European weapons (which was nonetheless impressive, given the crappy iron the Japanese had to work with).
-Poor national resources and trade led to much more lightly-armoured troops, which led to the samurai outlawing guns fairly quickly after getting them (the Japanese actually advanced gun technology by a ways before this happened)- it's bad for the warrior class to be able to be cut down with ease by peasants. In Europe, such a thing would have never worked, as there were too many neighboring countries around that would over-run anyone dumb enough to ban guns. Similarly, Japan has always had less natural resources than most other nations.
-The fabled Oda Nobunaga (portrayed as evil in many later works) nearly re-united a divided country, but was assassinated, and his work completed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tokugawa Ieyasu took over after the latter's death, and had the most stability.
-The Ainu people live in the North, and are an indigenous group not closely related to modern-day Japanese ethnically.
-Has many famous names and legends, including Hattori Hanzo (a samurai who was also an assassin), Miyamoto Musashi (famous jerkass of a samurai), Yagyu Jubei (great swordsman), Sarutobi Sasuke (fictional ninja), and others. Countless anime & video game characters have either been named after, or inspired by, these individuals. Just think of all the "Sasukes" and "Hanzos" in ninja fiction.
-The country has produced several unique martial arts, including the famous Karate, and Sumo Wrestling (the national sport).
-Centuries of isolation were ended by Commodore Matthew Perry's "Black Ships" in the 1800s, essentially forcing the Japanese to modernise. Much to the chagrin of the rest of Asia, they did so with glee. The samurai & the Shogun lost all power, and the Emperor fell under the sway of a newly-mighty military force.
-Decided, decades after the other Imperialist Nations pretty much stopped conquering stuff and did a hands-off thing, to form their own Imperial Nation, taking over giant chunks of land all around them. This led directly to Pacific aggression against the Pacific Islands, Korea, China, and American Hawai'i (the latter of which was a SPECTACULARLY bad idea- "awaken a sleeping giant" indeed). The fierce determination and harsh training methods of the Japanese army led them to inflict some of the most horrifying wartime atrocities of all time to their victims- The Rape of Nanking chief among them, as well as terrible forced marches of captured troops (the Bataan Death March), torture, experimentation upon captives (Unit 731), etc. An estimated 30 to 50 MILLION civilians are reputed to have died during World War II directly because of Japanese war crimes. These atrocities kind of made the Allies rather unforgiving, which led to some nastiness later on.
-The Japanese army did VERY well during the early years of the war, but the vast economic powerhouse of the U.S. was far, far too strong, and eventually the Allies redoubled their efforts and started crushing Japan mercilessly. It was capped off with a war-ending symbol to the rest of the world what kind of power they were now dealing with, as a pair of atomic bombs devastated Hiroshima & Nagasaki, forcing the proud nation to admit utter defeat. To date, these are still the only examples of atomic weapons striking civilian targets.
-As part of the post-war rebuilding, knowledge about Japan's war guilt and war crimes were stifled, producing several generations with only the barest of ideas as to what they inflicted on the rest of the world. This left Japan with little "liberal guilt" compared to most Western nations, and REALLY pisses off some of it's close neighbors, who see them as getting off scot-free.
-Currently, Japan is an economic powerhouse in terms of technology, robotics, computers, video games, and more. It's anime, manga, monster-movies ("GOJIRAAAAAAH!") and pro wrestling have become beloved by dorks all across the world, and it's very distinctive culture (some anthropologists have inferred that Japan's "Fighting Spirit" and war-like culture gave way to a cute-obsessed culture with a collect-em-all nature) stands out. It has an extremly high rate of suicide- over 30,000 A YEAR (a lack of cultural stigma against it is blamed- it's an honorable way to go out and absolve yourself of failure), and a very small amount of foreigners or minority groups compared to most countries. Baseball is the most popular sport by a ways.
-Today, it's people have a reputation for great politeness, stuffiness/workaholism (like France, it's capital is famous within the country for the same stereotype that foreigners have of the entire nation), and subtle nationalism (which used to be WAY more pronounced), with an implication about their own superiority. The Korean minority is famously under-represented in the media for fears of provoking racial tension, and most other countries have their people depicted as rude fools. The Ainu and Burakumin (people descended from undertakers, leatherworkers and such) have few rights, and are often subtly discriminated against. Pride is held above all else, and shame is the worst thing ever, so a lot of people rarely speak up.



SRI LANKA
Actual name: The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Population: 20 million
Capital: Colombo
Primary Language: Singhala, Tamil
Super-Powered Representatives: Senyaka (The Acolytes)
Fun Facts:
-A small island nation south of India, with a great amount of Buddhist history, and a distinct sorta-Indian culture.
-Was called the Dominion of Ceylon upon winning independence from the British in the late-40s, and had the world's first female Prime Minister in the '60s.
-Some conflicts have sprouted up between the Sinhalese ethnic majority (70%) and a Tamil minority, culminating with a Civil War that lasted from 1983 to 2009, the Tamils losing (and thus not getting their own country). Thus, many Tamils have emigrated to other nations.
-As a nation on the tip of India, it's an important port area, and was an Allied military base in World War II.
-Very much not a part of Pop Culture really, and only has a single comic book representative: Suvik Senyaka of The Acolytes.



SINGAPORE
Actual name: The Republic of Singapore
Population: 4.9 million
Capital: Singapore (City-State)
Primary Language: English pigdin (mixed with various other languages of the region)
Super-Powered Representatives: Tyger Tiger
Fun Facts:
-An island city-state, branching off from Malaysia in 1965. There are still issues between the two countries, but most people still have family & friends on the other side of the causeway.
-Almost half of the total population is of foreigners- it's a massively-multiracial place.
-It's the second most densely populated city in the world, after Monaco.
-Is famously-strict in terms of corporal punishment. Hundreds of hangings are carried out each decade, and a particularly-famous tabloid event happened when American teenager Michael Fay got his ass caned after doing some graffiti and petty theft. "Singapore is a fine city", as the joke says.
-Citizens must spend 2 years in the military, as a rule.



VIETNAM
Actual name: The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam/Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam
Population: 89.6 million
Capital: Hanoi
Primary Language: Vietnamese
Super-Powered Representatives: Smiling Tiger, Mantis, Yinsen (Iron Man's co-creator), Karma, Bengal
Fun Facts:
-Was controlled by China for millennia, the occasional uprising (some led by WOMEN- they had a matriarchal society) being put down.
-Became a French colony known as "French Indochina", which was later split into Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia. Ho Chi Minh's communists in the North were expected to win the resulting elections after 'independence', so the Southern portion of Vietnam (and their own dictator) refused to hold them, starting the conflict between opposing sides. Minh's Viet Cong (shortened by American soldiers to "VC", "Victor Charlie" on radio-code, and finally "Charlie") killed thousands and tried to take over.
-America intervened, starting the most controversial war in it's history. The Americans actually beat the CRAP out of the Communist forces, but in a war of attrition that the Americans couldn't lose, the war's unpopularity combined with a still-large death-toll (58,000 is a BIG number, regardless of being far less than the dead Vietnamese) resulted in a large-scale pull-out. The Viet Cong now controlled the entire nation.
-Vietnam stands as a fairly-stable Communist dictatorship, with an uneasy relationship with China (they fought a short war in 1979 over land-grab attempts by the VC), whom they fear will start their takeover of Asia (not a joke) with Vietnam. They're actually more friendly with the AMERICANS of all people lately.
-It's building a HUGE population, and is seeking to curb it (two-child limit). A fat chunk of the population has no memory of the war that nearly burned the entire nation to the ground.



CAMBODIA
Actual name: The Kingdom of Cambodia/Preăh Réachéa Nachâk Kâmpŭchéa
Population: 14.8 million
Capital: Phnom Penh
Primary Language: Khmer
Super-Powered Representatives: Midnight's Fire, Silhouette, Tai
Fun Facts:
-Home to the Khmer people, who formed the largest empire in Southeast Asia during the 13th to 15th centuries. It fell into decline, and was conquered a few times, first the Thai, eventually by the French for their "French Indochina" colony, then followed by the Japanese for their "Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere".
-Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge sprung out of the ashes of the nation a decade after it gained full independence from France, taking advantage of the American pull-out in Vietnam to take total control. Between 1.4 and 2.2 million were killed as Pot's men killed all intellectuals, symbols of the old government, monks, ethnic minorities, and whoever else they wanted. This is the most genocidal group of the 20th century (percentage-wise), having wiped out 1/5th of the nation's population.
-The Vietnamese themselves invaded in the late '70s, and the Khmers fought a guerilla war against the Vietnamese-installed rulers for decades, being aided by the U.S., U.K., China and Thailand (why they would back the KHMER ROUGE, I have no idea- even if they disliked the Vietnamese). By 1993, Cambodia was now a monarchy again, with an old royal taking power. Pol Pot died in 1998, two years after dissolving the Khmer Rouge, having never been put on trial.



SOUTH KOREA
Actual name: The Republic of Korea
Population: 48.9 million
Capital: Seoul
Primary Language: Korean
Super-Powered Representatives: Scrambler (Marauder), Meiko Yin, Dragon Lord
Fun Facts:
-Is kind of the Ireland/Poland/Ukraine of the East, being right between the Chinese (dominant, huge, imperialistic), Mongols (violent, imperialistic) and Japanese (cruel, imperialistic), all of which have had fun over the years raping the country (sometimes almost literally).
-Korea got conquered a LOT as a result (by the various powers), but occasionally had it's own empire for decades at a time (such as the Joseon era). Fought off the Japanese a few times, and got fought off themselves (the famous "divine wind" that wiped out their fleet TWICE on two separate occasions!) other times.
-Spent fourty years under Japanese control, having some of the worst crap possible inflicted upon it's population. Right after this ended, Kim il-Sung's Communist forces (already backed by the Soviets in the North) attempted to take over the nation, resulting in the Korean War. The Americans helped out the South, and the Chinese & Soviets helped the North, each trying to get "their" political side over in power. It ended in an armistice, separating the entire country.
-It had some crap decades after the war, with various dictators coming and going (one propped-up by the West, another General, another guy), by uprisings or assassination. It's now a democracy, and considerably-more well-off than it used to be (M*A*S*H* showed a pretty backwards country, and it kind of was for a long time).
-Yes, dog is a delicacy. Much of the world thinks this is FRICKIN' WEIRD, and the Koreans (especially ones over here) get defensive about it. I personally think it's funny, and rife for awesome un-PC jokes. Everyone can suck on it. Taekwondo is a famous martial art from the region, often used more as a sport than an actual elite combat form (it has a huge focus on kicks over punches, leaving them very open to counterattack).
-Features it's own language, Hongul, which was formally instituted all at once centuries ago. Patty Larceny once stole it on "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?"- it's among the more esoteric things stolen in the game show's run. And it's just called "Korea" to them. My Korean roomate in college had no idea what I was talking about when I referred to it as "South Korea"- they don't want to give the North the legitimacy.



NORTH KOREA
Actual name: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Population: 24 million
Capital: Pyongyang
Primary Language: Korean
Super-Powered Representatives: Chance (Fallen Angels)
Fun Facts:
-Split with the South in 1950, and they held off on military conflict after the Korean War. Kim il-Sung led the country for decades, and his son Kim Jung-il took over after his death, making his father a leader in-absentia (he still outranks his son).
-Famously one of the biggest hell-holes on the entire Earth. Nearly the entire population is poor, people disappear frequently, brutality is common, entire CITIES are built completely empty (with fake buildings) just to look cool to the outside world, etc. Pretty much defines the trope that any nation with "Democratic" or "People's" in it is a communist dictatorship. It's military is one of the largest in the world- it's less a country with a military and more of a military with a country.
-Curiously shows up very little in comics, despite being SUCH an obvious choice for "Bad guys" (certainly it's easier than say, IRA terrorists). You could probably show them freely as super-villains more than nearly anybody else.



INDIA
Actual name: The Republic of India/Bhārat Gaṇarājya
Population: 1.193 billion
Capital: New Delhi
Super-Powered Representatives: Thunderbird III, Omega Sentinel, Monsoon, Haven, Sati, Timeslip, Dr. Kavita Rao
Fun Facts:
-Home of the Indus, one of the world's oldest cultures. The Maurya Empire was vastly powerful, being the spot where Alexander the Great's main push into Asia was stopped (the rest of Asia was hopefully grateful, though Alexander's death probably had a lot to do with it), and was once the wealthiest nation on Earth by a considerable ways. Various other Empires existed within the modern-day region, many quite powerful. The Muslim Mughal Empire had considerable power in the North.
-It's the centre of countless schools of thought (Mark Twain quotes that India is responsible for nearly all of global culture) as well as religion- both Buddhism and Hinduism were founded here. The latter of which seems to imply the whole nation was on drugs, but it's the biggest polythesitic religion on Earth, so plenty seem to like it.
-They got conquered BAD by the English in the 1700s. The "Jewel of the Empire" was exploited for the full breadth of it's wealth, and the Indian people suffered greatly, getting stereotyped as being poor and weak. By the time a certain Mahatma Gandhi and the civil unrest he fomented forced the Brits' hand and they left the nation, it was one of the poorest countries in the world. It still suffers from widespread poverty (41%, and keep in mind the size of the population here), as well as a giant gap between the wealthiest and the least-wealthy.
-It's got a lot of different states in it, some of which are more loyal to the central authority than others. Kashmir is a subject of strife with Pakistan (a Muslim country which was partitioned from the former whole), and many MANY languages abound. It's fabled "Bollywood" is the largest cultural outsource, which makes everything think Indians are a) weird, but not as weird as the Japanese, and b) obsessed with over-the-top musical numbers. Both are probably true.
-It's also famous for tons of ex-pats in the U.S. (convenience store clerk or cabbie being the obvious stereotypes), as well as a huge location for outsourcing, tech-support, and doctors. Indians have actually gotten much more popular in the media, with "Indian Friend" now being a common trope in fiction. Despite his obvious stereotypical nature, Apu from "The Simpsons" is actually looked at as kind of an idol.
-Currently, it's the world's largest democracy, and has been relatively stable since World War II, with few major challenges to power. Though the Hindus have the majority, they themselves are so apart in philosophy with each other that no one group can maintain power- a kind of multi-party system that prevents overt cultural repression.

[Jabroniville]

AUSTRALIA
Actual name: The Commonwealth of Australia
Population: 22.5 million
Capital: Canberra
Primary Language: English
Super-Powered Representatives: Boomerang, Boomslang, Talisman III, Gateway, Bishop (descended), Lifeguard, Slipstream
Fun Facts:
-Was basically discovered by Aborigines (now PC-ized, "Native" style, as "Indigenous Australians"), but nobody quite knows where THEY came from (probably the Pacific Islands). They had some fun, and then white people showed up. Nowadays, most of them live in poverty, like most indigenous populations tend to once the colonists come by. Stolen Generations, institutionalized racism, etc.
-Famously got used as a penal colony for deported criminals, but things started converting to "regular" society by the 1800s, as other settlers came, and people got civilized. Eventually, a real country formed.
-Had a few moments of national pride in both World Wars, particularly Gallipoli (Canada was a part of that one, too).
-Still partially a monarchy, but like most places, the Queen has no real power.
-Famous for it's accent, it's Outback (most people DON'T live there- it's got a LOT of nigh-uninhabitable territory), and it's wildlife. Australia is a huge source of marsupials, poisonous things (the ten most-deadly snakes in the world, for example), and screwed-up animals. Seriously, the Platypus alone earns it "wierdest place ever" cred. The only animals that aren't bizarre, poisonous, or sheep- introduced species, actively trying to wipe out the entire continent. The Cane Toad, camel and cat are all common pests.

AFRICA
-Africa.... yeah. Some parts of it were relatively advanced for a while, then it kinda fell behind... and you don't wanna do that when Europe sits right above you and perfects gun-based warfare. Once they got into the Colonial Era, Africa becomes a giant resource-farm, and bad things happen to the local populaces. Countries were created without caring about particular ethnic groups, and that led to stuff down the line when certain tribes figured it was time to commit some good ol' fashioned genocide (remember what I said about "bastard-coated bastards"?).



ALGERIA
Actual name: The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Population: 35.4 million
Capital: Algiers
Primary Language: Arabic
Super-Powered Representatives: M, Penance, Emplate
Fun Facts:
-Settled initially by the Berber people- their unique position in North Africa left them a takeover target of various forces. First Carthage, then Rome, the Byzantine Empire, the Maghrebs, Spanish, Ottomans and more.
-It was the staging ground for the famous Barbary Pirates, who wrecked thousands of vessels over the centuries. These led to the first foreign military victory in American history, as the United States (and it's very first Marines) invaded Tripoli in two separate Barbary Wars, to stop tribute payments to the pirates in the region (who would capture and ransom ships).
-Was a major colony of France for decades- the French did NOT want to let it go (they were dragged out of the colonial era kicking and screaming, far moreso than the rest of Europe), and so it ended up in a bloody war over it. Algeria eventually earned it's independece, though is still part of French lore.
-There's usually only been one political party allowed since then, and electoral problems led to a bloody Civil War a few years back.
-M and her siblings' mother was from here in the comics, and she's half-French.



MOROCCO
Actual name: The Kingdom of Morocco/al-Mamlakah al-Maġribiyya
Population: 32.2 million
Capital: Rabat
Primary Language: Arabic
Super-Powered Representatives: Jetstream (Hellions)
Fun Facts:
-Like Algeria, was settled by Berber peoples, and had a great deal of power. Various Empires rose and fell, but it was usually a dominant power in the region.
-Home to Casablanca, most famous for being the locale of the legendary Bogart picture. It was "French Morocco" during the colonial era, ending after World War II.
-It's currently a constituional monarchy, on the very far end of the Middle Eastern & Muslim world. There is an ongoing dispute over the West Sahara region, and it's yet to be determind if it will gain independence, or rejoin Morocco.
-Because of terrorist attacks, the government instituted an "arrest everyone we feel like" policy, which led a jaded populace to imply they did the attacks in the first place. Despite it's locale and population, it's been a U.S. ally since the 1800s, and was the first nation to formally recognize the England-less States.



KENYA
Actual name: The Republic of Kenya
Population: 39 million
Capital: Nairobi
Primary Language: Swahili, English
Super-Powered Representatives: Storm, Kidogo (X-Student)
Fun Facts:
-Home to many, MANY different tribes and cultures, leading to various problems, among them little centralization of power. The nation was picked for slaves to the Arab World.
-It was a British colony for years, with the ethnic groups played against each other, with certain ones allowed to take charge from the "hands off" bosses. The Tsavo man-eaters (the lions of "The Ghost & The Darkness" fame) killed dozens of railroad workers here. The Maasai are a fairly well-known racial group, but are quite small compared to most others.
-Famous for it's wildlife preserves and rainy seasons. It has various ethnic groups struggling for power, often leading to violence. Notably, Barack Obama's father was from here.



SOUTH AFRICA
Actual name: The Republic of South Africa
Population: 49.9 million
Capital: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative)
Primary Language: Numerous
Super-Powered Representatives: Maggott
Fun Facts:
-Has many tribes, the most famous of which are the Zulu. Was taken over by The Netherlands in the Colonial era, and was under their heel for a long time. Colonial wars took place between they and the Xhosa & Zulu tribes (the latter of which was led by Shaka Zulu, who conquered many other tribes in the process).
-Most-famous for it's apartheid system of government, allowing the 9% population of whites to control the 80+% blacks. This ended in the early 1990s, allowing Nelson Mandela to become the first elected president. Despite this, it still has a brutal crime rate (18,000+ murders a year) and a dramatic number of AIDS cases (10% of the entire population!). Also known as "The Rape Capital of the World", and kind of defines a lot of negative African stereotypes. I believe that Marvel created Maggott and made him come from this country solely as punishment for this.
-Racism is still a widespread factor, what with so many different tribal groups, languages (11 major ones), and even linguistic differences between similar races (the Afrikaans/English divide).

[Jabroniville]

DEFENSOR (Gabriel Carlos Dantes Sepulveda)
Created By: Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982)
Role: Wannabe Lothario, Racial Stereotype
Country of Origin: Brazil (sometimes Argentina in bios)
Group Affiliations: None
PL 9 (102)
STRENGTH 2/5 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+7)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Construction Worker) 4 (+4)
Insight 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Shield) 4 (+10)
Stealth 1 (+5)
Vehicles 3 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Defensive Attack, Improved Critical (Shield Attacks), Improved Smash, Interpose, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Taunt

Powers:
"Vibranium Defensor Armour" (Flaws: Removable) [19]
Enhanced Strength 3 (6)
Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 9) (14)
Immunity 3 (Radiation, Heat, Cold) (3)
-- (23 points)

"Defensor's Shield" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [11]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Evasion, Withstand Damage (2)
"Shield Toss" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Dynamic, Ricochet, Split) (Extras: Ranged 6) (Diminished Range -1) (10) -- (16)

Dynamic AE: "Repelling Energy" Deflect 9 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Energy) (9)
Dynamic AE: "Shield Bash" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Penetrating 5) (8)
Dynamic AE: Enhanced Dodge 2 & Parry 2 (Extras: Sustained +0) (5)

-- (18 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Armour +9 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Shield Bash +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Shield Toss +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (+9 Shield, DC 19), Parry +7 (+9 Shield, DC 19), Toughness +4 (+9 Armour, +5 Impervious), Fortitude +6, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Champion of the People)- Gabriel is devoted to being a symbol to the people of his homeland (whatever that is).
Reputation (Latin Lover)- Gabriel introduced himself to the world of super-heroes by trying to nail She-Hulk. An admirable try, but he pretty much always acts like this. He's very cocky as well, convinced of his own greatness.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 30 / Defenses: 8 (102)

-Defensor's probably got the shortest end of the stick out of his whole group of foreign heroes. Instead of getting a good showing, he got to act like an idiot, hit on everything in sight (a stereotypical South American trait), then got housed by Iron Man. He was a construction worker who uncovered a mysterious suit of armour (whose origin was never discovered- especially odd because it was apparently made of Vibranium, known to exist only in Wakanda & the Savage Land. His appearances after the "Contest" are ridiculously short- a one-shot background scene in The Hulk, and his death in Captain America. He might've been something, but his Conquistador outfit and general goofy reputation didn't help him at all, and he was eventually killed by Zeitgeist, who is apparently like Scourge, but with crappy foreign stereotypes instead of lame, two-bit villains. Poor Gabriel doesn't even have a concrete nation of origin- he's said to be from Brazil in his debut, but it's switched to Argentina in the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe", a rare lapse in Gruenwald's continuity-sense.

-A PL 8 offensive, PL 9 defensive hero with lower points due to lack of Skills and Advantages, Defensor could've been a contender. His armour is extremely good, the envy of any hero with decent attributes, but he's left being a mini-Cap with some high Strength and Toughness, thanks to a relatively-impervious suit. It's strong enough to last a few rounds with Iron Man in the '80s (roughly a PL 10 to 11-type threat), but he was nowhere even close to winning.

[Thorpacolypse]

OK, first, my big complaint:

STOP EDUCATING ME! I didn't come here for all this information about the real world! Let's stick purely to the comic world, shall we?!?!?!?

And dude, I giggled all afternoon about the African-American in Canada thing. As someone who prefers to be referred to as black (when I don't get the luxury of simply being referred to as a human being, or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof) that whole thing made my day and the point I've made a hundred times with my politically correct friends.

And Defensor? Epic. I vaguely remember him from my early comic days. I kinda wish I didn't.

[Jabroniville]

EL AGUILA (Alejandro Montoya)
Created By: Dave Cockrum & Mary-Jo Duffy
First Appearance: Power Man & Iron Fist #58 (Aug. 1979)
Role: Zorro Rip-Off, Swashbuckling Hero
Country of Origin: Spain
Group Affiliations: The Masters of Evil, The Lethal Legion, The Phalanx, The Sons of Yinsen
PL 9 (120)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+11)
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat (Sword) 1 (+12)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Swashbuckler) 5 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 1 (+4)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Blast) 4 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+2)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 2 (+3)
Vehicles 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Cunning Fighter, Defensive Roll, Equipment (Sword), Evasion, Follow-Up Strike, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Disarm, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Taunt

Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Electrical Generation Through Medium"
Blast 8 (Extras: Penetrating) (Flaws: Medium- Conductive Materials) (Diminished Range -1) (15) -- [16]

AE: "Stun Blast" Affliction 8 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (Flaws: Medium) (Diminished Range -1) (15)

Equipment:
"Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +12 (+6 Damage, DC 20)
Electrical Blast +8 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Champion of the Downtrodden)- El Aguila searches out drug dealers and others who prey upon the needy.
Responsible (Legacy)- The "Aguila" (or "Eagle") title has been passed down the generations in Montoya's family, and he strives to live up to these expectations.
Power Loss (Blast)- Alejandro's powers will become drained if he uses them too often, so he does not use his Blasts incessantly.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 12 (120)

-El Aguila's your average bizarrely-stereotypical Ethnic Hero- a Spaniard who's watched too many Zorro movies, and is also a mutant. He's a ridiculously minor character, appearing as an Iron Fist/Luke Cage supporting hero every once in a while, but mostly not doing anything. The most interesting part about him is the fact that despite living in Madrid, Spain- in real life a very large city, the writers apparently contemporized it with Zorro (who is from 19th Century California), resulting in a Madrid full of donkeys and hay everywhere. In modern times. He's lately been depowered, but is still enough of a swordsman to count as a good hero anyways.

-El Aguila is a partial Weaponsmaster build, mixed with a minor super-power (Stunning & Blasting in an Array), so he's a half-decent PL 9 on offense (with a PL 8 Blast/Stun), but is far under-pointed, and rather vulnerable. Having such a high accuracy (realistically a super-hero fencer would be a ways up there- this puts him on line with Kraven & Ares, a bit below Spider-Man, Kingpin & Bucky-Cap) means his PL's boosted a bit beyond what you'd expect from a jobber, but he could hang with Cage & Rand, so he's probably not all bad. He has quite a lot of Skills, being a solo hero who fights on the streets- he had to pick up some stuff, but he needs some work before he'll be anything but a joke.

[Jabroniville]

THE ARABIAN KNIGHT (Abdul Qamar)
Created By: Bill Mantlo & Al Migrom
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #257 (March 1981)
Role: Racial Stereotype
Country of Origin: Saudi Arabia
Group Affiliations: The Desert Sword (unwillingly)
PL 9 (117)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 2 (+5)
Close Combat (Scimitar) 1 (+11)
Expertise (Muslim Defender) 6 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 2 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Weapons) 4 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Defensive Roll, Improved Critical (Scimitar), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Mental Control Over Devices" Move Object 1 (Extras: Perception Range) (Flaws: Limited to His Devices) [2]

"Golden Scimitar" (Feats: Unbreakable) (Flaws: Easily Removable) [9]
Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Improved Critical, Triggered- If Used By Another) (Flaws: Penetrating 8) (14) -- (15 points)

AE: Force Blast 7 (14)

"Belt Sash" (Feats: Unbreakable) (Flaws: Easily Removable) [8]
Snare 6 (Flaws: Limited to One Target) (12) -- (13 points)

AE: "Sash Whip" Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach 8) (8)

"Flying Carpet" (Feats: Unbreakable) (Flaws: Easily Removable) [8]
Flight 6 (120 mph) (Extras: Affects Others) (Flaws: Platform) (12) -- (13 points)

AE: "Gets in the Way" Enhanced Dodge 2 & Parry 1 (3)

Equipment:
"Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Scimitar +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Sash Snare +10 (+6 Ranged Affliction, DC 16)
Force Blast +10 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (+12 Carpet, DC 22), Parry +10 (+11 Carpet, DC 21), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Wives and Sons)- Abdul is a devoted father, and a husband to more than one woman. If they are threatened, he will often engage in acts he finds evil.
Responsibility (Muslim & Saudi Arabian Hero)- As one of the few Arabic super-heroes, Abdul is a symbol, and often toes the "official" line. He had an immediate distrust for Sabra, the "Jewess" heroines of Israel.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 27 / Defenses: 14 (117)

-The first Arabic or Muslim superhero pretty much ever, and of course like all the other Contest of Champions creations (though he debuted in the Hulk's book as a some-time ally), he's a giant stereotype and obvious symbol of his culture: he flies around on a carpet, wears a turban, has multiple wives, and hates that "Jewess" Sabra. Oh well, at least Marvel was kinda trying. He basically did nothing for most of his Marvel career, as even THEY didn't like touching the "Muslim thing" even back then, and he was apparently quietly killed off years ago (Humus Sapien drained his energy, and no I've never heard of him either), and there've been two others in his absense (one which was more of the same, and another modern version who looks like a bad '90s character with his fatigues & military gear). My main recollection of him was in that Freedom Force arc in the "X-Men Annuals" one year, where he was forced to team up with that awful "Desert Sword" group of evil Arabs (they were threatening his family).

-A PL 9 with a PL 8's points total, which seems about right. He's a good swordsman, but is really ONLY good at that- his other attacks are much weaker. He's still pretty versatile, though, with a Snare and a Blast attached to various weapons. All his weapons are Unbreakable, and he can mentally control any of them (I decided to go with a Limited Psychokinesis effect on them- 100 lbs. is enough for all three items). The Carpet's a nifty little piece of work, in that it can fly him around, catch him if he falls, or get in the way if he's attacked- it gives him high Dodge and a pretty good Parry for a guy who's mainly a Jobber. With Power Attack, he can do a lot of damage, and he's kind of a Mini-Black Knight.

[Jabroniville]

LE PEREGRINE (Alain Racine)
Created By: Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982)
Role: Ethnic Stereotype, Flier
Country of Origin: France
Group Affiliations: The Wild Pack
PL 8 (105)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Aerobatics 4 (+14)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+12)
Deception 2 (+3)
Expertise (Mercenary) 3 (+4)
Insight 3 (+4)
Investigation 3 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Evasion, Fast Grab, Favored Environment (Air), Follow-Up Strike, Grab Finesse, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Peregrine Costume" (Flaws: Removable) [8]
Flight 5 (60 mph) (10 points)

Equipment:
"Thermite Grenades" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (18) -- (20)

AE: "Ammonium Bromide Gas Grenades" Affliction 5 (Fort; Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep) (Extras: Ranged, Area- Cloud) (Diminished Range -1) (14)
AE: "Taser Darts" Affliction 5 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged, Multiattack) (15)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (France)

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 17 (105)

-Le Peregrine (which actually is confusing to real French people, since they don't call falcons that over there, and "Le" by itself does not a French term make) is a savate-master who popped up in The Contest of Champions. Like most of the foreigners introduced there, they were created solely to pander to the crowds during the Olympics in 1980 or whenever they were, convincing people that Marvel had this giant, proud foreign contingent of super-heroes. Of course, the U.S. boycotted those Olympics, and the series came out a couple years later, with these nobodies just showing up and then almost never being used again. Peregrine fought the Angel for a bit, using his savate martial arts skills to fly circles around the then-Defender, but Angel used his experience to grapple him, then donk him on the head. That was probably Peregrine's best appearance, as he's only appeared like twice since then. He was a member of Silver Sable's "Wild Pack" for a short while, but is now just a background guy.

-A PL 8 hero, Peregine's accurate and hard-to-hit, but lacks significant power or toughness. He also has the weakness of only being really good in the air, and having to choose where his bonuses lie as a result. Catch him out of costume, and he's toast.