NighTforce
Created by Robert E. Wronski, Jr.
First Appearance: NighTforce # 1, January 2008
Members:
NighTrain
Dennis Holman
Julie Sasso
Gerry Powers
Paula Sherman/Zap Mom
Joey Powers
Powerman/Jonathon Stanford
Kelly O'Connell
Victoria-21
Frankie McKenzie
The Fallen
Jen Holman
Sam Donnelly
Zap, Master of Power
Biography:
When former vigilante Phil Sherman learned the New Power, one of the most dangerous groups of villainy, has reformed, he recruited a team of experts in crime fighting and the occult to combat the threat. He called this new team NighTforce.
As NighTrain, Phil led the team, that was headquartered in a facility located beneath a store owned by Sherman.
The team was funded by billionaires Michael Bossman and Dennis Holman, who ironically both turned out to be high ranking members of the New Power.
After this revelation, the team's funding was provided by Michelle Wrigley, who had legally obtained Bossman's company after his evil was revealed, and Jen Holman, Dennis Holman's sister.
When it appeared the New Power was defeated, the team redirected it's efforts to catching demons that had been set free upon Earth. But when it was revealed that the New Power was still active, the team split its efforts to both missions.
Eventually, Phil Sherman stepped down as leader to devote more time to family, and Gerry Power, an ex-cop who was a founding member of the team, took over as leader.
Comments:
NighTforce was a series that debuted as part of my recent Super Comics resurrection. The team is inspired by a real life paranormal investigation team that I belonged to, but there was no evil terrorist cults or demon hunting involved in the true exploits.
The series is still ongoing, though is slated for cancellation in May 2012 as the world as we know it comes to an end.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
NighTrain
NighTrain
Created by Phil Sheridan
Real Name: Philip Sherman
Alias: Zap, Master of Power II
Current Occupation: Store Owner
Parents: Richard Sherman (aka Pac Man) and Pauline Sherman (aka Zap Mom)
Siblings: None
Spouse: Patience Glenndale Sherman
Children: Tara (aka Zap, Master of Power IV), Alison, and Carter Sherman
Group Affiliation: Super-Trio, Powerkid Police, Zap Family, Heroes of Earth, Champions, NighTforce
Place of Birth: Paradise City
Current Place of Residence: Paradise City
First Appearance: Powerkid # 1, September 1982
Biography:
In the 1960s, three cosmic beings decided to create three champions to protect Earth from their evil brothers. The three decided that three sisters would bear the children who would be those champions. One of the three, Zeus, then chose to create his champion by visiting Pauline Hasser in the form of a leaky roof to impregnate her.
Pauline found herself an unwed pregnant teen, and was kicked out by her mother. Pauline left her home city of Worcester and moved out west to Paradise City, where she met and married a political intern, Richard Sherman. They decided to let the public think that the child was his.
The child born was Phil Sherman. Phil grew up with a fairly normal childhood, even though his father, who became mayor, would disappear occasionally (because he unexplainably transformed into a monster from time to time) and his mother maintained no contact with her family, thus Phil didn't know he had cousins.
When Phil was 10, however, he started developing abilities like super-strength. He started secretly using his powers to fight crime, and his powers continued to increase and evolve. Over a three year period, he became super-strong, nearly invulnerable, super-fast, able to fly, and even shape shift. He did also develop strange weakness to cheese, that was never explained.
When Phil was 13, he was visited by a Venusian named Ooga Booga, who claimed to be responsible for giving Phil his powers. Ooga Booga was actually acting under the instructions of Zeus, who did not wish his son to know his true origins. Shortly after, his cousin (though he didn't know they were related at the time), Chris Kowalki, had publicly debuted as the hero Powerkid. This inspired Phil to do likewise, and he became the hero called Zap, Master of Power.
Zap decided to meet Powerkid, and the two became great friends and allies, eventually sharing secret identities and learning of their relationship. Phil and Chris eventually met another cousin, Shon Crest, aka Speedy, and the three created a super-team called the Powerkid Police.
Zap became a celebrated hero in Paradise City, and set up a headquarters underneath his home. He eventually discovered he could bestow some of his powers on others, and eventually a Zap Family was formed, with Pac Man, Zap Mom, Zappette, Girl Zap, and Zap Dog.
When he turned 16, Phil's mom told him the truth about his true father and the source of his powers. Phil lost those powers in 1988 when Zeus was killed by a time renegade named Cronstar. He spent a few years living the life of a normal college student, but in 1991, Allorin Vonski gave Phil a portion of his cousin Chris' power in order to aid him in a battle with Krusher. However, a few months later, Vonski took the powers away in order to use them to create a new replacement hero for Powerman in the form of Chris' sister Michelle.
Less than a year later, during a War of the Gods, Phil found his powers restored. At ths time, there was another hero now calling himself Zap, and Phil fought the newer hero to reclaim the title, but lost. Phil chose to then operate without the title, and went to work for the government as an agent briefly. But once again, he found his powers faded away.
Phil opened up a convenience store in Paradise City, but working for the first time as an ordinary guy in his city, he realized that there was a serious crime problem, even without the super-villains, mad scientists, and alien invasions. Paradise was overrun by gang violence and corporate greed. Phil decided to create a new identity as a masked vigilante to fight crime. He took the name NighTrain, as he was "Loaded like a freight train with power, and flyin' like an aeroplane at the enemy...".
During this time he became an ally of a local gang called the Illusions and a major adversary of Mr. Brownstone, who ruled the town. He also met and fell in love with Patience Glenndale, who turned out to be a member of the Interstellar Peace Organization, assigned to monitoring and protecting Earth.
Created by Phil Sheridan
Real Name: Philip Sherman
Alias: Zap, Master of Power II
Current Occupation: Store Owner
Parents: Richard Sherman (aka Pac Man) and Pauline Sherman (aka Zap Mom)
Siblings: None
Spouse: Patience Glenndale Sherman
Children: Tara (aka Zap, Master of Power IV), Alison, and Carter Sherman
Group Affiliation: Super-Trio, Powerkid Police, Zap Family, Heroes of Earth, Champions, NighTforce
Place of Birth: Paradise City
Current Place of Residence: Paradise City
First Appearance: Powerkid # 1, September 1982
Biography:
In the 1960s, three cosmic beings decided to create three champions to protect Earth from their evil brothers. The three decided that three sisters would bear the children who would be those champions. One of the three, Zeus, then chose to create his champion by visiting Pauline Hasser in the form of a leaky roof to impregnate her.
Pauline found herself an unwed pregnant teen, and was kicked out by her mother. Pauline left her home city of Worcester and moved out west to Paradise City, where she met and married a political intern, Richard Sherman. They decided to let the public think that the child was his.
The child born was Phil Sherman. Phil grew up with a fairly normal childhood, even though his father, who became mayor, would disappear occasionally (because he unexplainably transformed into a monster from time to time) and his mother maintained no contact with her family, thus Phil didn't know he had cousins.
When Phil was 10, however, he started developing abilities like super-strength. He started secretly using his powers to fight crime, and his powers continued to increase and evolve. Over a three year period, he became super-strong, nearly invulnerable, super-fast, able to fly, and even shape shift. He did also develop strange weakness to cheese, that was never explained.
When Phil was 13, he was visited by a Venusian named Ooga Booga, who claimed to be responsible for giving Phil his powers. Ooga Booga was actually acting under the instructions of Zeus, who did not wish his son to know his true origins. Shortly after, his cousin (though he didn't know they were related at the time), Chris Kowalki, had publicly debuted as the hero Powerkid. This inspired Phil to do likewise, and he became the hero called Zap, Master of Power.
Zap decided to meet Powerkid, and the two became great friends and allies, eventually sharing secret identities and learning of their relationship. Phil and Chris eventually met another cousin, Shon Crest, aka Speedy, and the three created a super-team called the Powerkid Police.
Zap became a celebrated hero in Paradise City, and set up a headquarters underneath his home. He eventually discovered he could bestow some of his powers on others, and eventually a Zap Family was formed, with Pac Man, Zap Mom, Zappette, Girl Zap, and Zap Dog.
When he turned 16, Phil's mom told him the truth about his true father and the source of his powers. Phil lost those powers in 1988 when Zeus was killed by a time renegade named Cronstar. He spent a few years living the life of a normal college student, but in 1991, Allorin Vonski gave Phil a portion of his cousin Chris' power in order to aid him in a battle with Krusher. However, a few months later, Vonski took the powers away in order to use them to create a new replacement hero for Powerman in the form of Chris' sister Michelle.
Less than a year later, during a War of the Gods, Phil found his powers restored. At ths time, there was another hero now calling himself Zap, and Phil fought the newer hero to reclaim the title, but lost. Phil chose to then operate without the title, and went to work for the government as an agent briefly. But once again, he found his powers faded away.
Phil opened up a convenience store in Paradise City, but working for the first time as an ordinary guy in his city, he realized that there was a serious crime problem, even without the super-villains, mad scientists, and alien invasions. Paradise was overrun by gang violence and corporate greed. Phil decided to create a new identity as a masked vigilante to fight crime. He took the name NighTrain, as he was "Loaded like a freight train with power, and flyin' like an aeroplane at the enemy...".
During this time he became an ally of a local gang called the Illusions and a major adversary of Mr. Brownstone, who ruled the town. He also met and fell in love with Patience Glenndale, who turned out to be a member of the Interstellar Peace Organization, assigned to monitoring and protecting Earth.
In 1992, it appeared that Mr. Brownstone had shot NighTrain to death, but in fact, the hero had been not died. He managed to escape after being left for dead, and for months hid while recovering from his wounds, only to re-emerge and take the villain down.
Shortly after, the government imposed a ban on vigilantes. NighTrain refused to stop his activities and was arrested.
After his arrest, an alien invasion taking advantage of the act caused the government to reverse its decision to allow the heroes to return to duty and save Earth. However, NighTrain was not retroactively pardoned, and was forced to serve his sentence.
Bitter about being confined with the scum he helped put away, NighTrain was visited by Satan, who offered to restore Sherman's former Zap powers. Sherman accepted and used his powers to escape. He now became a wanted man, and clearly with his new powers was being swayed by it's demonic source. His own friends, such as Powerman and Patience, tried to convince him to turn himself in, but he chose instead to fight them and flee.
However, when the villain Continuity almost destroyed reality, NighTrain sacrificed his life by using his power to stop the time wave that was erasing history.
Because NighTrain was a demigod of Greek heritage, when he died he went to Hades, where he challenged the prince of the underworld and won, regaining his life.
When Sherman returned from the dead, he was without his Zap powers, but had gained some dark abilities, which he generally only used subtly and didn't reveal to others. He returned to operation as NighTrain. Shortly after this, Phil married Patience.
About a year later, a mutant named Adam used his ability to take control of Earth, creating a new society where mutants and metahumans were of a higher class of citizenry. He maintained a police force of metahumans who were under his mental domination. He also forced aliens off the planet, as well as humans associated with the IPO, such as Patience.
NighTrain led an underground resistance, though he was unsuccessful for three years until Powerman, who had been in a self-imposed exile, returned to free the metahumans from Adam's control and defeat the villain.
After Adam's defeat, Powerman spoke to Earth's heroes. He told them that he had traveled to the future often, and in the future, there are no super-beings or costumed vigilantes. Humanity achieves great things on their own. To establish this future, with the consent of the heroic community, Allorin Vonski uses his magic to remove all super-powers on Earth and remove any memories of super-powers except from a very select few who chose to retire or leave Earth.
Allorin also did one other act. He sensed that Patience was pregnant with Phil's child. He took the powers from Keith Sheridan, the hero who had been operating as Zap using the original Zap powers and placed them within the unborn child.
NighTrain was among those to leave Earth, boarding a spaceship with Patience (who he had married during the rebellion) and their unborn child. The others were Powerman and his alien bride Yana Oo, the hero Marvel, and some comrades of Powerman called the Group.
Those who left Earth explored the galaxy for some time, and Tara Sherman was born in space (though her powers wouldn't surface until years later.) In 2000, the group found a rift in space and wound up in an alternate reality where the Justice League had become the lead heroes of Earth. They lived there for a year, but eventually left and found their way back to their own Earth.
Returning home, Phil and Patience quietly retired to have a normal family life, opening a new store in Paradise City. The couple had two more children, Alison and Carter.
But in 2007, the machinations of the evil god Morgoth caused the world to remember metahumans, and the evil terrorist occult cult called the New Power Organization was revived. When Phil learned of this, he gathered together a team of crime investigators and paranormal experts and created NighTforce, dedicated to taking down the New Power.
At the same time, Tara's powers surfaced. Rather than prohibit her from taking on the mantle of Zap, Master of Power, he instead trained her so she would use them as safely as possible.
Eventually, the New Power was defeated, and NighTforce rededicated itself to hunting demons, as an after effect of the defeat of the New Power was a release of demons upon Earth.
Sherman, meanwhile, was transported for a year to an alien planet along with his daughter and several other heroes and villains in order to do battle for the amusement of a god-like being.
Upon their return, Phil left NighTforce to devote more time to his family, though he didn't fully uninvolve himself, as their headquarters was under his store.
Recently, Phil and Patience had more trouble with their children. It turned out that Alison was a slayer, part of an ancient order of chosen girls who inherit natural abilities to fight vampires. And Carter was abducted by a time travelling villain named Cronstar. Seconds after he disappeared, Carter returned, now in his 30s, having lived his life in the 22nd century.
The Shermans had to accept having one child out battling super-villains, another being trained by a Watcher to kill demons, and another who had aged 30 years and had an unpleasant personality.
Eventually, Carter returned to the future, and moments later, young Carter returned, having been rescued by his older self, thus negating his own existence in the hopes that he could grow up to be a better person if raised by his parents.
Comments:
Phil Sherman aka Zap, Master of Power and NighTrain, is the creation of Phil Sheridan. He first appeared in a cameo in Powerkid # 1.
Though Super Comics has many characters not created by me, most fall into two categories. Either they are characters created by my friends specifically for the purpose of Super Comics, thus giving me ownership of the characters to use as I wish. The other are unlicensed properties which I have adapted, such as Lord of the Rings or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I use without permission under the laws regarding fan fiction.
But there are two characters (and affiliated supporting characters) that are actually owned by the creators but in which I have permission to use for Super Comics. Phil Sheridan's Zap, Master of Power is one of them. John C. Barstow's The Misadventures of Captain Zippy in the 24 1/2 Century is the other.
As I said, Phil's Zap first appeared briefly mentioned in Powerkid # 1, and became a regular recurring character in that series. At the same time, he was a member of the Powerkid Police, appearing regularly in that title as well.
A year after his debut, Phil launched Zap, Master of Power in his own title. This was the first Super Comics title that I had no creative input in at all. But it still fell within the Super Comics reality.
Phil's series, a brilliant satire of the super-hero genre, lasted for two years. After this, Phil retired from writing the character, but allowed me to keep using him. However, I soon after retired the character, relegating him to a non-powered supporting cast member for Powerkid/Powerman. Meanwhile, Bill Nault had created a new character using only the "Zap, Master of Power" name, but redefining everything else about the character.
In 1992, the character was officially licensed under a formal contract between myself and Phil Sheridan.
However, I chose to pass the Zap title onto a younger generation hero, and turned Phil Sherman into NighTrain, in a series that played tribute to the band Guns'n'Roses (a favorite band of both Phil and myself at the time). This series lasted a few years, but in 1995 was cancelled with the entire Super Comics line.
The character appeared in the 1998 mini-series Timeline, and then became a regular in Powerman for a few years. In 2001, he disappeared into comic book limbo until the revival of the Super Comics. He appeared in the initial 2007 storyline that spanned both Powerkid and Powerman, and then in 2008 became the lead character in NighTforce and a supporting character in the new Zap, Master of Power.
Phil currently appears in both those series. NighTforce is slated for cancellation in May 2012. Zap, Master of Power will be continuing, but and Phil Sherman will be appearing, though there is a dramatic change that I am not planning on revealing just yet.
Batman II
Batman II
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane
Real Name: Richard Grayson
Alias: Robin I
Current Occupation: Deceased, former Attorney
Parents: John and Mary Grayson (natural, deceased), Bruce Wayne (adoptive, deceased)
Siblings: Bruce Wayne Junior (adoptive brother), Helena Wayne (adoptive sister, deceased)
Spouse: None
Children: None
Group Affiliation: All-Star Squadron, Justice League of America
Place of Birth: Unknown
Place of Death: Gotham City
First Appearance: Detective Comics # 38, April 1940
Biography:
Richard Grayson was part of a circus acrobat family. His parents were murdered in the 1930s, and he was adopted by Bruce Wayne, was as Batman trained Dick to be his sidekick Robin.
Dick served as Robin throughout the 1940s, but retired in 1949 to go off to college. A decade later, however, he took over as Batman when Bruce retired, and Bruce's son, Bruce Junior, became the new Robin.
Dick was a founding member of the Justice League of America. In the 1980s, he died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, when a building fell on top of him.
Comments:
The generational Batman legacy comes from some 1950s/1960s imaginary stories, which were then adapted by John Byrne, Dennis Power, and myself.
As Robin, Dick's canon Wronskiverse appearances are all golden age/Earth-2 stories, and anything mentioned in Win Scott Eckert's crossovers. Additionally, he was seen in Mystery Men.
Dick Grayson was also the Batman seen in the 1960s Batman TV series and Super Friends. This is the Batman that met Super-Bob in the early 1980s.
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane
Real Name: Richard Grayson
Alias: Robin I
Current Occupation: Deceased, former Attorney
Parents: John and Mary Grayson (natural, deceased), Bruce Wayne (adoptive, deceased)
Siblings: Bruce Wayne Junior (adoptive brother), Helena Wayne (adoptive sister, deceased)
Spouse: None
Children: None
Group Affiliation: All-Star Squadron, Justice League of America
Place of Birth: Unknown
Place of Death: Gotham City
First Appearance: Detective Comics # 38, April 1940
Biography:
Richard Grayson was part of a circus acrobat family. His parents were murdered in the 1930s, and he was adopted by Bruce Wayne, was as Batman trained Dick to be his sidekick Robin.
Dick served as Robin throughout the 1940s, but retired in 1949 to go off to college. A decade later, however, he took over as Batman when Bruce retired, and Bruce's son, Bruce Junior, became the new Robin.
Dick was a founding member of the Justice League of America. In the 1980s, he died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, when a building fell on top of him.
Comments:
The generational Batman legacy comes from some 1950s/1960s imaginary stories, which were then adapted by John Byrne, Dennis Power, and myself.
As Robin, Dick's canon Wronskiverse appearances are all golden age/Earth-2 stories, and anything mentioned in Win Scott Eckert's crossovers. Additionally, he was seen in Mystery Men.
Dick Grayson was also the Batman seen in the 1960s Batman TV series and Super Friends. This is the Batman that met Super-Bob in the early 1980s.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Chief Brian Spearing
Chief Brian Spearing
Created by Robert E. Wronski, Jr.
Real Name: Brian Spears
Alias: Brian Spearing
Current Occupation: Orange City Police Chief
Parents: Unknown
Siblings: Karate Spears, Charles Spearing Senior
Spouse: Paulette Spearing
Children: Charles Spearing Junior (adopted)
Group Affiliation: Orange City Police Department
Place of Birth: Earth-K
Current Place of Residence: Orange City
First Appearance: Super Comics # 23, September 1981
Biography:
Brian Spears was born on an alternate Earth where the mightiest warriors were chosen to rule the planet. His oldest brother, Karate, had become such a ruler. His other brother, Charles, was equally as bloodthirsty. Brian was odd in that he was humane and believed in justice. He couldn't stand the world he lived in. And he feared for the infant son of his brother Charles, to be brought up in this world.
Their Earth may have been more savage, but it was also more technologically advanced. Brian used a device only for use by the highest of officials to scan into alternate realities. He found an alternate Earth that seemed a utopia to him. And he witnessed a man abducting his child, escaping from a distant planet, and bringing him to Earth, where they changed their names and began new lives. (This was in fact Michael Bossman aka Robert Kowalski and his son Christopher.) This inspired Brian, who abducted Charles Junior and used their experimental teleportation device to travel to this other Earth, destroying the device behind him.
Brian changed his last name to Spearing, and claimed young Charlie to be his own child. He met and married a woman named Paulette and managed to get a job as a police officer in Orange City. (How he obtained such things as birth certificates and social security numbers is unknown, but this was in the pre-digital age.)
He turned out to be one of the best cops in the force, and within less than a decade had become the chief of police for the entire city. Meanwhile, he had moved his family to live on the same street as that family he had observed back on his homeworld. His Charlie and Christopher had become good friends and classmates. And even though Spearing knew Chris was an alien (something he kept to himself), he was not aware that Chris had become the urban legend called Super-Bob.
However, it was very shortly after Super-Bob began operating in the city and after Obie Planters had tried to blow up the city that Brian found himself meeting Super-Bob. Super-Bob wanted Chief Spearing to know that he was real and on the side of the law. He presented Spearing with a special communication device that could be used to contact Super-Bob at any time, via his super computer VIC-20. From that point on, the two had developed a close professional relationship.
In 1982, Karate Spears discovered this other Earth, but the newly built teleportation devise was not as good as the original, and the only way for Spears to travel was to switch places with someone with very similar genetics. It so happened, Charlie Spearing was the match, and was transported to Earth-K every time that Karate Spears visited Earth-B. When Karate Spears returned to his world, Charlie would be transported home.
By 1991, Spearing had become police commissioner. Two years later, the city was atomized. Millions were killed by a death ray controlled by Powerman's greatest foes. Charlie and Paulette were killed, but Brian had been in the underground armory and survived.
For 10 years the city was uninhabitable, and Spearing's activities during that time are unknown. But when the city was rebuilt in 2001, Spearing was asked back to be the police chief, which he accepted, and he continues to hold that position to this day.
Comments:
Chief Spearing was inspired by an amalgamation of two real people from my childhood. One was the father of a neighborhood friend, and the other a police officer in my home town.
Of course, the character holds the usual position required in any super-hero fiction of the one cop who can contact the hero.
However, the fact that he comes from an alternate Earth so different than ours makes him a little more unique than your average Commissioner Gordon or Inspector Henderson.
Created by Robert E. Wronski, Jr.
Real Name: Brian Spears
Alias: Brian Spearing
Current Occupation: Orange City Police Chief
Parents: Unknown
Siblings: Karate Spears, Charles Spearing Senior
Spouse: Paulette Spearing
Children: Charles Spearing Junior (adopted)
Group Affiliation: Orange City Police Department
Place of Birth: Earth-K
Current Place of Residence: Orange City
First Appearance: Super Comics # 23, September 1981
Biography:
Brian Spears was born on an alternate Earth where the mightiest warriors were chosen to rule the planet. His oldest brother, Karate, had become such a ruler. His other brother, Charles, was equally as bloodthirsty. Brian was odd in that he was humane and believed in justice. He couldn't stand the world he lived in. And he feared for the infant son of his brother Charles, to be brought up in this world.
Their Earth may have been more savage, but it was also more technologically advanced. Brian used a device only for use by the highest of officials to scan into alternate realities. He found an alternate Earth that seemed a utopia to him. And he witnessed a man abducting his child, escaping from a distant planet, and bringing him to Earth, where they changed their names and began new lives. (This was in fact Michael Bossman aka Robert Kowalski and his son Christopher.) This inspired Brian, who abducted Charles Junior and used their experimental teleportation device to travel to this other Earth, destroying the device behind him.
Brian changed his last name to Spearing, and claimed young Charlie to be his own child. He met and married a woman named Paulette and managed to get a job as a police officer in Orange City. (How he obtained such things as birth certificates and social security numbers is unknown, but this was in the pre-digital age.)
He turned out to be one of the best cops in the force, and within less than a decade had become the chief of police for the entire city. Meanwhile, he had moved his family to live on the same street as that family he had observed back on his homeworld. His Charlie and Christopher had become good friends and classmates. And even though Spearing knew Chris was an alien (something he kept to himself), he was not aware that Chris had become the urban legend called Super-Bob.
However, it was very shortly after Super-Bob began operating in the city and after Obie Planters had tried to blow up the city that Brian found himself meeting Super-Bob. Super-Bob wanted Chief Spearing to know that he was real and on the side of the law. He presented Spearing with a special communication device that could be used to contact Super-Bob at any time, via his super computer VIC-20. From that point on, the two had developed a close professional relationship.
In 1982, Karate Spears discovered this other Earth, but the newly built teleportation devise was not as good as the original, and the only way for Spears to travel was to switch places with someone with very similar genetics. It so happened, Charlie Spearing was the match, and was transported to Earth-K every time that Karate Spears visited Earth-B. When Karate Spears returned to his world, Charlie would be transported home.
By 1991, Spearing had become police commissioner. Two years later, the city was atomized. Millions were killed by a death ray controlled by Powerman's greatest foes. Charlie and Paulette were killed, but Brian had been in the underground armory and survived.
For 10 years the city was uninhabitable, and Spearing's activities during that time are unknown. But when the city was rebuilt in 2001, Spearing was asked back to be the police chief, which he accepted, and he continues to hold that position to this day.
Comments:
Chief Spearing was inspired by an amalgamation of two real people from my childhood. One was the father of a neighborhood friend, and the other a police officer in my home town.
Of course, the character holds the usual position required in any super-hero fiction of the one cop who can contact the hero.
However, the fact that he comes from an alternate Earth so different than ours makes him a little more unique than your average Commissioner Gordon or Inspector Henderson.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Karate Spears
Karate Spears
Created by Chuck Spears
Real Name: Karate Spears
Alias: Interstellar Ninja
Current Occupation: Mercenary
Parents: Unnamed
Siblings: Charles Spearing Senior, Brian Spearing
Spouse: None
Children: None
Group Affiliation: Powerkid Haters, Bad Guys
Place of Birth: Earth-K
Current Place of Residence: Orange City
First Appearance: Powerkid # 1, September 1982
Biography:
In an alternate reality, life on Earth had evolved differently, in a warrior culture where only the mightiest warriors ruled. In the late 20th century, Karate Spears was that warrior ruler. However, Spears grew bored with no challenges to his rule, and sought to find one elsewhere.
Despite being a very uncivilized world, they were much more technologically advanced, and Karate Spears used a device that allowed him to view alternate Earths to find a challenge. He came across the universe of Powerkid, and found Powerkid to be a worthy opponent.
To that end, he came to Orange City and found Powerkid, and began attacking him. Powerkid and Karate Spears at first seemed evenly matched, but it turned out that Powerkid began weakening because Spears was using a power draining device called Apple Crisp on the hero.
Mustering the last of his energy, Powerkid fled. Karate Spears had given Powerkid the clue on who to seek out for aid. When Spears revealed he was from another Earth, this let Powerkid know that he multiverse was real, just like in his comics. He had previously used the Forbidden Forest as a portal to travel through time and to other weird dimensions, so likely he could do so to travel to alternate Earths, and he did just that.
In the meantime, Spears gloated over his victory, and threatened to keep destroying the city until Powerkid returned to face his demise. But Spears didn't have to wait too long when both a red and a blue streak came towards him, and Spears found himself toppled over by both Powerkid and Superman!!! (Even though there was two Supermen in the Wronskiverse at this time, they operated in secret and Powerkid was not aware of their existence, thus he traveled to another reality to get their Superman.)
The two defeated the villain, who teleported back to his own world.
Humiliated, Spears had to redeem himself (especially since on his world, weakness was surely a sign that he was unfit to rule and easy to kill.) Over the next few years, Spears constantly tried to kill Powerkid and failed each time. Eventually, he became a constant foe of Zap and the Powerkid Police as well. Karate Spears eventually found it in his best interest to form a lasting alliance with Doctor Deadly, the evil ageless ruler of Death Planet. He also joined a team of Powerkid's greatest foes called the Powerkid Haters.
During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, everything changed. The wave of antimattter and the environmental damage were combining to tear Karate Spears' Earth apart, and only with the aid of Powerkid was it saved, when Powerkid actually moved the planet out of that doomed reality and into an orbit between Death Planet and Booer. Overcome by the generosity of a hero who he's tried to kill dozens of times, Spears redefined in his mind what makes a warrior, and vowed that his world, renamed Kearth, would never do harm to Powerkid or Earth ever again.
That would be Spears' undoing. One of Spears' top aids, General Leers, was able to convince the public that their leader's newfound outlook was weakness, and toppled the government and assumed control. Leers did not slay Spears, however, as Spears still had a large following, and instead locked him away in a dungeon.
Eventually Leers himself was killed and replaced by Spearon, and a decade passed with Spears locked away, until he eventually escaped and fled to Earth, where he began operating as a super-hero called the Interstellar Ninja. A few years later, a mutant named Adam took over the Earth, and aliens were all deported, including Spears. Spears recently returned to Earth, and joined a team of mercenaries that consisted of reformed super villains called the Bad Guys. He currently works this this team going around the world helping people in need.
Comments:
Karate Spears has the distinction of being the first Powerkid foe, and replaced the Lightning Kid as Powerkid's primary foe. The character was created by my then neighbor Chuck Spears. He was creatively involved in almost all Karate Spears stories from 1982 - 1985.
Ironically, as my friendship with Chuck was ending, I did the reverse for the characters. Karate Spears' final appearance was in 1985's The Crisis Within, until I brought him back in 1994 in the Powerman series. Karate Spears appeared a few times as the Interstellar Ninja between 1994 - 1995, then again stopped appearing until 2008 when he was brought back in Crisis, and is now a team member of the Bad Guys, which is published monthly.
Created by Chuck Spears
Real Name: Karate Spears
Alias: Interstellar Ninja
Current Occupation: Mercenary
Parents: Unnamed
Siblings: Charles Spearing Senior, Brian Spearing
Spouse: None
Children: None
Group Affiliation: Powerkid Haters, Bad Guys
Place of Birth: Earth-K
Current Place of Residence: Orange City
First Appearance: Powerkid # 1, September 1982
Biography:
In an alternate reality, life on Earth had evolved differently, in a warrior culture where only the mightiest warriors ruled. In the late 20th century, Karate Spears was that warrior ruler. However, Spears grew bored with no challenges to his rule, and sought to find one elsewhere.
Despite being a very uncivilized world, they were much more technologically advanced, and Karate Spears used a device that allowed him to view alternate Earths to find a challenge. He came across the universe of Powerkid, and found Powerkid to be a worthy opponent.
To that end, he came to Orange City and found Powerkid, and began attacking him. Powerkid and Karate Spears at first seemed evenly matched, but it turned out that Powerkid began weakening because Spears was using a power draining device called Apple Crisp on the hero.
Mustering the last of his energy, Powerkid fled. Karate Spears had given Powerkid the clue on who to seek out for aid. When Spears revealed he was from another Earth, this let Powerkid know that he multiverse was real, just like in his comics. He had previously used the Forbidden Forest as a portal to travel through time and to other weird dimensions, so likely he could do so to travel to alternate Earths, and he did just that.
In the meantime, Spears gloated over his victory, and threatened to keep destroying the city until Powerkid returned to face his demise. But Spears didn't have to wait too long when both a red and a blue streak came towards him, and Spears found himself toppled over by both Powerkid and Superman!!! (Even though there was two Supermen in the Wronskiverse at this time, they operated in secret and Powerkid was not aware of their existence, thus he traveled to another reality to get their Superman.)
The two defeated the villain, who teleported back to his own world.
Humiliated, Spears had to redeem himself (especially since on his world, weakness was surely a sign that he was unfit to rule and easy to kill.) Over the next few years, Spears constantly tried to kill Powerkid and failed each time. Eventually, he became a constant foe of Zap and the Powerkid Police as well. Karate Spears eventually found it in his best interest to form a lasting alliance with Doctor Deadly, the evil ageless ruler of Death Planet. He also joined a team of Powerkid's greatest foes called the Powerkid Haters.
During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, everything changed. The wave of antimattter and the environmental damage were combining to tear Karate Spears' Earth apart, and only with the aid of Powerkid was it saved, when Powerkid actually moved the planet out of that doomed reality and into an orbit between Death Planet and Booer. Overcome by the generosity of a hero who he's tried to kill dozens of times, Spears redefined in his mind what makes a warrior, and vowed that his world, renamed Kearth, would never do harm to Powerkid or Earth ever again.
That would be Spears' undoing. One of Spears' top aids, General Leers, was able to convince the public that their leader's newfound outlook was weakness, and toppled the government and assumed control. Leers did not slay Spears, however, as Spears still had a large following, and instead locked him away in a dungeon.
Eventually Leers himself was killed and replaced by Spearon, and a decade passed with Spears locked away, until he eventually escaped and fled to Earth, where he began operating as a super-hero called the Interstellar Ninja. A few years later, a mutant named Adam took over the Earth, and aliens were all deported, including Spears. Spears recently returned to Earth, and joined a team of mercenaries that consisted of reformed super villains called the Bad Guys. He currently works this this team going around the world helping people in need.
Comments:
Karate Spears has the distinction of being the first Powerkid foe, and replaced the Lightning Kid as Powerkid's primary foe. The character was created by my then neighbor Chuck Spears. He was creatively involved in almost all Karate Spears stories from 1982 - 1985.
Ironically, as my friendship with Chuck was ending, I did the reverse for the characters. Karate Spears' final appearance was in 1985's The Crisis Within, until I brought him back in 1994 in the Powerman series. Karate Spears appeared a few times as the Interstellar Ninja between 1994 - 1995, then again stopped appearing until 2008 when he was brought back in Crisis, and is now a team member of the Bad Guys, which is published monthly.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Batman I
Batman I
Created by Robert E. Wronski, Jr.
Real Name: Bruce Wayne
Current Occupation: Deceased; former police commissioner
Parents: Thomas and Martha Wayne (deceased)
Siblings: Thomas Wayne Junior (deceased)
Spouse: Julie Madison (ex-wife); Selina Kyle Wayne (aka Catwoman, deceased)
Children: Dick Grayson (aka Batman II; adopted, deceased); Bruce Wayne Junior (aka Batman III) and Helena Wayne (aka Huntress, deceased)
Group Affiliation: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Justice Society of America, All-Star Squadron, Club of Heroes
Place of Birth: Gotham City
Place of Death: Gotham City
First Appearance: Detective Comics # 27, May 1939
Biography:
When he was eight, Bruce Wayne saw his children murdered before his eyes. At that tragic moment, the boy became heir to millions. The boy was raised by his Uncle Philip and chose to use his fortune to travel the world and train to fight a war on crime.
As an adult, he donned a costume that resembled a bat to strike fear into the hearts of criminals, and became the vigilante known as Batman. At first hunted by the law, eventually he became a deputized agent of the law and even was called upon by the government on numerous occasions.
The Batman was a member of several groups of heroes, and eventually took in an orphan named Dick Grayson who he trained to be his sidekick, Robin.
In the late 1940s, Dick Grayson went off to college and Bruce married an old flame, Julie Madison, though the marriage didn't last as she couldn't deal with his costumed activities. Their marriage did produce a child, Bruce Wayne Junior. Bruce then married his old foe Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, and they had a child, Helena Wayne.
In 1959, Bruce retired, and Dick took over Batman, with Bruce Junior becoming Robin.
Bruce took over at Gotham's police commissioner and was later killed by a small time crook who had gained incredible super-powers.
Comments:
The canon of this Batman in the Wronskiverse consists of all stories published in the golden age up to 1945, and all stories referenced in Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World by Win Scott Eckert. Additionally, he has appeared in original Wronskiverse stories. He has appeared in the League of Extraordinary Heroes 1938, Mystery Men, the Wanderer, and Powerman.
Created by Robert E. Wronski, Jr.
Real Name: Bruce Wayne
Current Occupation: Deceased; former police commissioner
Parents: Thomas and Martha Wayne (deceased)
Siblings: Thomas Wayne Junior (deceased)
Spouse: Julie Madison (ex-wife); Selina Kyle Wayne (aka Catwoman, deceased)
Children: Dick Grayson (aka Batman II; adopted, deceased); Bruce Wayne Junior (aka Batman III) and Helena Wayne (aka Huntress, deceased)
Group Affiliation: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Justice Society of America, All-Star Squadron, Club of Heroes
Place of Birth: Gotham City
Place of Death: Gotham City
First Appearance: Detective Comics # 27, May 1939
Biography:
When he was eight, Bruce Wayne saw his children murdered before his eyes. At that tragic moment, the boy became heir to millions. The boy was raised by his Uncle Philip and chose to use his fortune to travel the world and train to fight a war on crime.
As an adult, he donned a costume that resembled a bat to strike fear into the hearts of criminals, and became the vigilante known as Batman. At first hunted by the law, eventually he became a deputized agent of the law and even was called upon by the government on numerous occasions.
The Batman was a member of several groups of heroes, and eventually took in an orphan named Dick Grayson who he trained to be his sidekick, Robin.
In the late 1940s, Dick Grayson went off to college and Bruce married an old flame, Julie Madison, though the marriage didn't last as she couldn't deal with his costumed activities. Their marriage did produce a child, Bruce Wayne Junior. Bruce then married his old foe Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, and they had a child, Helena Wayne.
In 1959, Bruce retired, and Dick took over Batman, with Bruce Junior becoming Robin.
Bruce took over at Gotham's police commissioner and was later killed by a small time crook who had gained incredible super-powers.
Comments:
The canon of this Batman in the Wronskiverse consists of all stories published in the golden age up to 1945, and all stories referenced in Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World by Win Scott Eckert. Additionally, he has appeared in original Wronskiverse stories. He has appeared in the League of Extraordinary Heroes 1938, Mystery Men, the Wanderer, and Powerman.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Lightning Master
Lightning Master
Created by Robert E. Wronski, Jr.
Real Name: Dr. Obidiah Planters
Alias: Lightning Kid
Current Occupation: Villain
Parents: Unnamed
Siblings: None
Spouse: None
Children: None
Group Affiliation: Powerkid Haters, Seven Deadly Sins, New Power Organization
Place of Birth: Orange City
Current Place of Residence: Unknown
First Appearance: Super Comics # 6, April 1980
Biography:
Obie Planters was a classmate of Chris "Super-Bob" Kowalski. During one terrible lightning storm, lightning crashed into Obie's bedroom window, striking Obie, his computer, and his chemistry set. Obie went comatose. A few days later, Obie awoke with a super intellect, electrical powers, and evil madness. He made the logical conclusion that he should blow up the city.
To that end, he escaped from the hospital, and for several weeks, created a large underground lair, a super-computer, and a doomsday device. He tried to blackmail the city for $1,000,000.00, but he was thwarted by Super-Bob.
Planters, who would start calling himself the Lightning Kid, became one of Super-Bob's most dangerous recurring foes, even in the years that followed when Super-Bob became Powerkid then Powerman.
Weirdly, even though Super-Bob had taken over Planters' original headquarters and made it his own, Planters never tried to take advantage of the information of knowing this secret location nor did Super-Bob seem concerned that one of his worst enemies knew his secret location. Additionally, the villainous Jack Frost had worked there as Planters' lab assistant, and also never gave away any information.
As it turned out, one of Planters' original defense mechanisms was a device that blocked people's brains from acknowledging the location of the lair. Only certain programmed brain patterns were immune. Planters' super-computer, VIC-20, had made his own decision to change his affiliation, thus allowing Super-Bob to find the headquarters, and then later preventing the villains from remembering it. However, a recent glitch allowed the two to find and attack the headquarters, and destroyed it.
During his year in reform school and prison, minus his escapes to attempt revenge, Planters gained a doctorate degree. As an adult, he changed his villainous alter ego name to Lightning Master. He continued to plague the his heroic nemesis, now called Powerman.
Upon adulthood, his powers progressed. He began transforming into pure energy, and eventually had on physical form at all, but became sentient energy.
The Lightning Master continues to plague both Powerman, and his son, Powerkid. Currently he is leading a team of their greatest enemies in a plot to destroy them both.
Comments:
Physically, this character was based on a childhood classmate. His civilian name is also an alteration on the real person's name. But personality wise, the character is really inspired by the silver age Lex Luthor.
This character has no relationship to the Superman villain called the Lightning Master. I hadn't heard of him yet when I created my character.
This character has remained one of the top villains of the Powerman series since 1980.
Created by Robert E. Wronski, Jr.
Real Name: Dr. Obidiah Planters
Alias: Lightning Kid
Current Occupation: Villain
Parents: Unnamed
Siblings: None
Spouse: None
Children: None
Group Affiliation: Powerkid Haters, Seven Deadly Sins, New Power Organization
Place of Birth: Orange City
Current Place of Residence: Unknown
First Appearance: Super Comics # 6, April 1980
Biography:
Obie Planters was a classmate of Chris "Super-Bob" Kowalski. During one terrible lightning storm, lightning crashed into Obie's bedroom window, striking Obie, his computer, and his chemistry set. Obie went comatose. A few days later, Obie awoke with a super intellect, electrical powers, and evil madness. He made the logical conclusion that he should blow up the city.
To that end, he escaped from the hospital, and for several weeks, created a large underground lair, a super-computer, and a doomsday device. He tried to blackmail the city for $1,000,000.00, but he was thwarted by Super-Bob.
Planters, who would start calling himself the Lightning Kid, became one of Super-Bob's most dangerous recurring foes, even in the years that followed when Super-Bob became Powerkid then Powerman.
Weirdly, even though Super-Bob had taken over Planters' original headquarters and made it his own, Planters never tried to take advantage of the information of knowing this secret location nor did Super-Bob seem concerned that one of his worst enemies knew his secret location. Additionally, the villainous Jack Frost had worked there as Planters' lab assistant, and also never gave away any information.
As it turned out, one of Planters' original defense mechanisms was a device that blocked people's brains from acknowledging the location of the lair. Only certain programmed brain patterns were immune. Planters' super-computer, VIC-20, had made his own decision to change his affiliation, thus allowing Super-Bob to find the headquarters, and then later preventing the villains from remembering it. However, a recent glitch allowed the two to find and attack the headquarters, and destroyed it.
During his year in reform school and prison, minus his escapes to attempt revenge, Planters gained a doctorate degree. As an adult, he changed his villainous alter ego name to Lightning Master. He continued to plague the his heroic nemesis, now called Powerman.
Upon adulthood, his powers progressed. He began transforming into pure energy, and eventually had on physical form at all, but became sentient energy.
The Lightning Master continues to plague both Powerman, and his son, Powerkid. Currently he is leading a team of their greatest enemies in a plot to destroy them both.
Comments:
Physically, this character was based on a childhood classmate. His civilian name is also an alteration on the real person's name. But personality wise, the character is really inspired by the silver age Lex Luthor.
This character has no relationship to the Superman villain called the Lightning Master. I hadn't heard of him yet when I created my character.
This character has remained one of the top villains of the Powerman series since 1980.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)