THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #9 with Special Guest Star STEEPLEJACK!

END OF ISSUE

OOC Next up Hero Point awards and I'd like to know if either of you have a preference for the destination of the next time gate.


WW1? SOME CHARACTERS YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE

Steve Savage (The Balloon Buster)

Comics DC Universe
Power Level: Street-level
The Balloon Buster was a war stories character whom DC introduced in 1965. To my knowledge there weren’t that many books with him, but he still popped up during the early 1980s, as a generation of World War Two comic book stories were making their last stand.

This very old profile was done during an era where we still occasionally dusted off hard-to-find Mayfair stats (it was before easy and cheap access to used books via the Internet) with Who’s Who texts attached for context. So it’s definitely not a modern, full WORG character profile.

Background
Real Name: Steven Henry Savage, Jr..
Marital Status: Single.
Known Relatives: Steven Matt Savage (trail boss, father, deceased), Brian Savage (aka Scalphunter, grandfather).
Base Of Operations: France during WWI.
Group Affiliation: U.S. Army Air corps.
Height: 5’11” Weight: 178lbs.
Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond

Powers and Abilities
While not a particularly skilled hand-to-hand combatant, Savage was an accomplished barroom brawler, and would frequently defeat his foes through sheer tenacity.
Savage was also a matchless marksman with any sort of firearm, from a simple Colt .45 revolver to the twin Vickers machineguns mounted on his canary-yellow SPAD .
As the war progressed Savage also became an accomplished pilot, handling any sort of biplane with ease.

History
Born and raised in Mustang River, Wyoming, Steven Henry Savage, Jr. was trained by his poverty-stricken father to be a consummate marksman. He was taught that the gun is merely an extension of the man who wields it. At his dying father’s bedside, he swore to make his old man proud of him by making himself worthy of the heroic legacy of his father and grandfather.
Enlisting in the Army Air Corps at the onset of World War I, Savage repeatedly disobeyed orders, breaking formation to attack and destroy the German combat balloons. This earned him his nickname as the “Balloon Buster”.
Though his commanding officer, Major Michaels, continually sought to court-martial Savage, General Talbot of High Command applauded his actions, and demanded he be kept in combat.
Savage was one of the most aggressive warriors of that “war to end all wars”. He duelled often with his enemy counterpart, Germany’s famed Rittmeister Hans Von Hammer. Whether Savage survived the First World War is unknown.

Steve Savage
Dex: 05 Str: 03 Bod: 05 Motivation: Responsibility
Int: 06 Wil: 07 Min: 06 Occupation: Lieutenant
Inf: 06 Aur: 06 Spi: 07 Resources {or Wealth}: 003
Init: 019 HP: 100

Skills:
Martial artist*: 05, Military science*: 06, Vehicles (air): 11, Weaponry (firearms, heavy weapons): 10
Advantages:
Area Knowledge (French countryside), Iron nerves.
Connections:
U.S. Army Air corps (High), U.S. Army High Command (High).
Drawbacks:
Minor Rage.
Equipment:
Colt six-shooter (x2) [BODY 04, Projectile weapon: 04, Ammo: 06, R#3].
Spad biplane [STR 05 BODY 08, Flight 08, Projectile weapons: 07, R#2].
Design notes
This version of Savage uses markedly more down-to earth stats than the official one.

Enemy Ace DC Comics
Real Name Hans von Hammer
Current Alias Enemy Ace
Aliases Baron Hans von Hammer · The Hammer of Hell
Relatives
Ilsa von Hammer (great-granddaughter) · Ingrid von Hammer (wife, deceased) · Otto von Hammer (father, deceased) · Anaïs Arcane (cousin, deceased) · Anton Arcane (cousin once removed) · Aniela Arcane (cousin once removed) · Gregori Arcane (cousin once removed) · Abigail Arcane (descendant) · Tefé Holland (descendant)
Affiliation
Five Warriors From Forever · Jagdstaffel 17, German Flying Corps
Base Of Operations
Germany, circa 1917
Status
Alignment Good
Identity Public Identity
Citizenship German
Marital Status Divorced
Occupation World War I fighter pilot · Rittmeister of Jagdstaffel 17 · member of the German aristocracy holding the title of Baron
Characteristics
Gender Male
Height 5' 11"
Weight 151 lbs (68 kg)
Eyes Blue
Hair Auburn
Origin
Place of Birth Germany
Place of Death At his home in the year 1969.
Creators Robert Kanigher · Joe Kubert
First Appearance Appearance of Death Our Army at War #151 (February, 1965)

History
Hans von Hammer was the scion of an aristocratic German family and an ace of the German Air Force during World War I, serving through most of the war. As a child, Von Hammer was tutored by his father and his lessons were supplemented by sessions with the famous arms masters of Europe, even as far as winning against the best swordsman in Germany. Most importantly, he was taught by his father to fight with honor.[1] An exceptional flyer, Von Hammer soon became the Rittmeister of his own Jagdstaffel hunting squadron, and feared among Allied forces as the Enemy Ace.
During the course of the air war, he survived numerous encounters with Allied aces, such as the Balloon Buster and the Hangman, and was responsible for accumulating over 70 kills to his record; however, he took no joys in performing this duty. Due to his upbringing, Von Hammer had a high sense of honor and respect for the enemy, and he would refuse to shoot an unarmed or wounded foe, feeling that would be murder, not combat.[2] He was prone to loneliness and hated being called a killer and a killing machine. He would often after flying hunt in the Black Forest where he met "his only friend" a black wolf who would hunt with him. Von Hammer also had an orderly named Schmidt who gloated over Hans' victories. Von Hammer settled into his castle in Bavaria after the Armistice in 1918.
By the time of World War II, Von Hammer had an extreme dislike for the Nazi regime, a fact which his old squadmates tried to hush up. However he was asked to serve by one of his old squadmates Peter Stalschmidt in May, 1942. Von Hammer served on the Russian Front near Leningrad from July 1942 to March, 1943. He quickly regained his flying edge and helped the rest of his new unit. He was shot down over the city in January 1943, where he saw the full horrors of war on the Eastern Front before escaping back into German lines.[3]
Two years later in March and April, 1945, Von Hammer's unit was providing air defense of Munich against American bombers. Now equipped with the new jet-powered Me 262, Von Hammer scored impressive victories against the Allies. However the war was lost with the jet fighters' combat performance severely hampered by Germany's limited supply of fuel and maintenance parts while the Allies's air forces are overwhelming in their strength thanks to their countries' vastly superior industrial production capacity. In the face of those military realities, Von Hammer was shot down and baled out over the Dachau Concentration Camp. After witnessing the atrocities at the concentration camp and outraged by the Nazis' perpetuation of the Holocaust, Von Hammer realized he was fighting for a criminal regime and he convinced his unit to prepared to surrender to the Americans. In a final act of defiance he had the jet fighters destroyed before surrendering to Sergeant Frank Rock and Easy Company.[4]
By the 1960's, Von Hammer was broke, divorced, and confined to a German care facility. The former air ace spent his last days confiding his experience to reporter and Vietnam War veteran Edward Mannock, thereby bringing himself a measure of peace before he died.[5] Von Hammer was survived by his descendants on the Arcane bloodline which include the current Swamp Thing, and many more characters today.

Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Aviation: Hans von Hammer is considered one of the single best fighter pilots to come out of World War I.
Aerial Combat: During his career as a fighter pilot, Enemy Ace acquired seventy-plus kills, more than any other World War I era pilot.
Tactical Analysis: Enemy Ace possessed a keen analytical mind, which in combination with his natural instincts, enabled him to calculate battle plans, strategize against enemy assailants and dominate the "Killer Skies".
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Though most of Von Hammer's combat took place in the air, he was equally skilled with his fists. He was also trained in fencing and is an expert shot with a pistol.
Hunting: Von Hammer was an expert hunter, often hunting for relaxation between his flying missions with his pet black wolf.

Paraphernalia
Transportation
Hans von Hammer piloted several different fighter planes throughout his career including:
Fokker Dr.I
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Me 262
Trivia
The character of Enemy Ace was largely inspired by real world German pilot Manfred von Richthofen, more popularly known as the "Red Baron".
All of Von Hammer's planes were painted red. In World War II he did not allow a Nazi Swastika painted on his aircraft.
DC Direct released an Enemy Ace deluxe action figure which included Black Wolf and a smaller scale version of his Fokker DR.I.

The Hangman Andre de Sevigne (New Earth)
Current Alias The Hangman
Aliases Count Andre de Sevigne
Relatives
Countess Denise de Sevigne (sister)
Status
Citizenship French
Occupation Fighter pilot
Characteristics
Gender Male
Creators Robert Kanigher · Joe Kubert
First Appearance Star-Spangled War Stories #138 (May, 1968)

Andre de Sevigne was a French fighter pilot who fought during World War I.

History
Dominating the skies over the Western Front, he was feared by enemy pilots due to his dark, purple hangman's mask and a noose that he wore about his throat. Known as the Hangman, he was the nemesis of German fighter pilot Hans von Hammer, aka, Enemy Ace.

Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Aviation
Aerial Combat
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Spad S.13


THE GLADIATOR
Gladiator (novel)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Author Philip Wylie
Genre Speculative fiction
Publication date 1930
Pages 332

Gladiator is a science fiction novel by American author Philip Wylie, first published in 1930. The story concerns a scientist who invents an "alkaline free-radical" serum to "improve" humankind by granting the proportionate strength of an ant and the leaping ability of the grasshopper. The scientist injects his pregnant wife with the serum and his son Hugo Danner is born with superhuman strength, speed, and bulletproof skin. Hugo spends much of the novel hiding his powers, rarely getting a chance to openly use them.

The novel is widely assumed to have been an inspiration for Superman due to similarities between Danner and the earliest versions of Superman who debuted in 1938,[1] though no confirmation exists that Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were directly influenced by Wylie's work.[2]
Story

The story begins at the turn of the 20th century. Professor Abednego Danner lives in a small, rural Colorado town, and has a somewhat unhappy marriage to a conservative religious woman. Obsessed with unlocking genetic potential, Danner experiments with a tadpole (which breaks through the bowl he's keeping it in), and a pregnant cat, whose kitten displays incredible strength and speed, managing to maul larger animals. Fearing the cat may be uncontrollable, Danner poisons it. When his wife becomes pregnant with their first child, Danner duplicates his experiment on his unknowing wife.

Their child Hugo almost immediately displays incredible strength, and Danner’s wife realizes what her husband has done. Though she hates him, she does not leave him, and they instead raise their son to be respectful of his incredible gift and sternly instruct him never to fight, or otherwise reveal his gifts, lest he be the target of a witch-hunt. Hugo grows up being bullied at school, unwilling to fight back. However, he finds release when he discovers the freedom the wilderness around his hometown provides, unleashing his great strength on trees as a manner of playing.

Hugo finds success in his teenage years, becoming a star football player, and receives a college scholarship. He spends summers and free time trying to find uses for his strength, becoming a professional fighter and strongman at a boardwalk. After killing another player during a football game, Hugo quits school.

Danner then journeys to France and joins the French Foreign Legion fighting in World War I, where his bulletproof skin comes in handy. Upon returning home, he gets a job at a bank, and when a person gets locked inside the vault, Hugo volunteers to get him out if everyone will leave the room. Alone, Hugo rips open the vault door, freeing the man. The banker's response is not gratitude but suspicion. Hugo is deemed an inventive safecracker who was otherwise waiting for an opportunity to rob the vault. Not only is he fired and threatened with arrest for the destruction of the vault, but he is taken away and (ineffectually) tortured. He withstands all attempts at getting him to tell how he opened the vault, escapes, and lifts a car into the air.

Next, he attempts to have an influence in politics, but becomes infuriated with the state of affairs and the bureaucracy of Washington. Still seeking a goal for his life and a purpose for his powers, he joins an archeological expedition headed for Mayan ruins. Finally finding a friend in the scientist heading the expedition, Hugo reveals his gifts and origin to him. The wise archeologist sympathizes with Danner and suggests some courses of action for him to take. That night, during a thunderstorm, Danner wanders to the top of a mountain, debating what to do. He asks God for advice, and is struck dead by a bolt of lightning.
Adaptations
Comics

The story was adapted for Marvel Comics in Marvel Preview #9 (published in winter of 1976) by Roy Thomas and Tony DeZuniga, roughly following the storyline of the first half of the novel. (It is unknown if a continuation was planned.) It is billed "from the blockbusting novel 'Gladiator' by Philip Wylie" on the cover, with the story titled "Man God" inside.

Thomas later created a character named Arn "Iron" Munro in the DC comic book Young All-Stars, as an homage to Gladiator. Iron Munroe is the son of Hugo Danner, who had faked his death and later returned to Colorado and became a parent.[4]

The novel was adapted into a four issue prestige style comic book by acclaimed writer Howard Chaykin with art by Russ Heath. The series was published by Wildstorm, a division of DC Comics, in 2005. The story was retitled "Legend", although the covers of the first two issues include a large blurb saying "Inspired by Philip Wylie's Gladiator". The setting of the story was moved forward to the second half of the century, and the Vietnam War replaced World War I, but the story remained largely intact.

G-8 (character)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Publication information Publisher Popular Publications First appearance G-8 and His Battle Aces #1
Created by Robert J. HoganAlter ego Unknown
Supporting character of Battle - HIS MANSERVANT, Nippy Weston, Bull Martin

G-8 was a heroic aviator and spy during World War I in pulp fiction. He starred in his own title G-8 and His Battle Aces, published by Popular Publications. All stories were written by Robert J. Hogan, under his own name. The title lasted 110 issues, from October 1933 to June 1944. Many of the novels have been reprinted by a wide range of publishers including comic books.
While not as dramatic a pulp character as Doc Savage or the Shadow, his stories were often outlandish, with many supernatural or science fiction elements. G-8's true identity was never revealed. He had a girlfriend, a nurse who aided his group, and her name as well was never revealed. His English manservant was named Battle. His wing-men were the short Nippy Weston, who flew an aircraft numbered 13, and the tall and muscular but superstitious Bull Martin, whose aircraft was numbered 7. Both of them were Americans. His adventures entailed fighting against the lethal super technology that was constantly created by the Kaiser's mad scientists. Reoccurring villains included Herr Doktor Krueger, the Steel Mask, and Grun.
ANOTHER DESCRIPTION
G-8, master spy and brilliant air force pilot, leads Bull Martin and Nippy Weston into battle during World War One. Germany and America's enemies have aligned all forms of evil to combat our hero.
The world of fantasy and air warfare meet in this classic bloody pulp series. Young G-8 must lead the allies into battle against the likes of Vampires, Werewolves, Bats, Vikings, and other strange entities unlike anything else in the history of the pulps!

WW2? Help Blackhawk become Blackhawk? Tons of Golden Age Characters to run into otherwise, us showing up before or after America enters the war? Get some real use out of the America At War sourcebook is what we can do.

Blackhawk (DC Comics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Publisher Quality Comics (1941–1956) DC Comics (1957–1984)
First appearance Military Comics #1 (August, 1941)
Created by Chuck Cuidera Bob Powell Will EisnerBase(s)
BASE - Blackhawk Island
Member(s) Blackhawk, André, Chuck, Hendrickson, Olaf, Stanislaus, Chop-Chop
Zinda Blake (Lady Blackhawk)
Natalie Reed (Lady Blackhawk)
Kendra Saunders (Lady Blackhawk)

Blackhawk is the eponymous fictional character of the long-running comic book series Blackhawk first published by Quality Comics and later by DC Comics. Primarily created by Chuck Cuidera with input from both Bob Powell and Will Eisner,[1] the Blackhawk characters first appeared in Military Comics #1 (August 1941).[2]
Led by a mysterious man known as Blackhawk, the Blackhawks (or more formally, the Blackhawk Squadron) are a small team of World War II-era ace pilots of varied nationalities, each typically known under a single name, either their given name or their surname. Though the membership roster has undergone changes over the years, the team has been portrayed most consistently as having seven core members.[3]
In their most well-known incarnation, the Blackhawks operate from a hidden base known only as Blackhawk Island, fly Grumman XF5F Skyrocket planes, and shout their battle cry of "Hawk-a-a-a!" as they descend from the skies to fight tyranny and oppression. Clad in matching blue and black uniforms (with Blackhawk himself boasting a hawk insignia on his chest), early stories pitted the team against the Axis powers, but they would also come to battle recurring foes such as King Condor and Killer Shark, as well as encounter an array of gorgeous and deadly femme fatales. They also frequently squared off against fantastical war machines ranging from amphibious "shark planes" and flying tanks, to the aptly named War Wheel, a gigantic rolling behemoth adorned with spikes and machine guns.
At the height of his popularity in the early 1940s, Blackhawk titles routinely outsold every other comic book but Superman.[4] Blackhawk also shares the unique distinction of being just one of five comic book superheroes to be published continuously in their own titles from the 1940s up to the 1960s (the others being Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Phantom).
The comic series has spawned a film serial, a radio series, a novel and a future Steven Spielberg-produced feature film. A grounded version of Blackhawk named Ted Gaynor appeared in the first season of Arrow played by Ben Browder.

Original incarnation
"History has proven that whenever liberty is smothered and men lie crushed beneath oppression; there always rises a man to defend the helpless...liberate the enslaved and crush the tyrant...Such a man is Blackhawk...Out of the ruins of Europe and out of the hopeless mass of defeated people he comes, smashing the evil before him..." —Introduction from Military Comics #1 (August 1941)[18]

With the overwhelming forces of Nazi Germany flooding into Poland in September, 1939, only the Polish Air Force remains as the last major line of resistance. Captain von Tepp and his Butcher Squadron swarm the skies in response, outnumbering the Polish four to one. The Germans decimate their foes until just one lone plane — painted jet black — remains. After gallantly shooting down six Nazi planes, the mysterious pilot is forced to crash land on the countryside. Running to a nearby farmhouse, he's tracked from the air by von Tepp, who drops a bomb and destroys the building. The pilot locates his dead sister and mortally wounded brother inside. He vows to kill von Tepp before disappearing into the darkness.

Months later, with most of Europe collapsing under the might of the Nazis, the pilot reemerges with his own private squadron and "like an angel of vengeance, Blackhawk and his men swoop down out of nowhere, their guns belching death, and on their lips the dreaded song of the Blackhawks."[18]

In France, Captain von Tepp receives a note from Blackhawk demanding the release of one of Blackhawk's men or face death. Infuriated, von Tepp orders the prisoner's execution by firing squad. At dawn, the man and two others, including a cool-headed English Red Cross nurse (identified as "Ann" in Military Comics #3), are lined against a wall and mocked by von Tepp. As his men prepare to fire, the song of the Blackhawks fills the air:

Over land, over sea,
We fight to make men free,
Of danger we don't care...
We're Blackhawks![18]

With the Blackhawks lining the walls of the courtyard, Blackhawk himself confronts von Tepp. After a brief skirmish, von Tepp is abducted and flown to the Blackhawks' secret base in the Atlantic Ocean, Blackhawk Island. It's there that Blackhawk challenges the Nazi captain to an aerial duel. During the ensuring dogfight, both of the men's planes are crippled and forced to crash. On the ground, von Tepp and Blackhawk, both badly injured, draw guns. Von Tepp falls in a hail of bullets.

Blackhawk's team is mostly depicted in Military Comics #1 as shadowy, nondescript soldiers, save for an Englishman named Baker who's never seen or mentioned again. Military Comics #2 (September 1941) expands the role of the team in the featured adventure and introduces five members: Stanislaus, André, Olaf, Hendrick (Hendrickson within a few issues), and Zeg. A sixth, Boris, is also shown, but, like Baker, only makes a singular appearance. The designer of their planes, Vladim, is also mentioned.

By Military Comics #3 (October 1941), the roster is firmed up and it's stated that seven men belong to the team. The group also receives a Chinese mascot and cook, Chop-Chop, when his plane happens to crash on Blackhawk Island during a desperate run for help. The adventure concludes with the first on-page death of a team member: André, who seemingly perishes in an avalanche that buries a large group of Nazis. In Military Comics #9 (April 1942), the roster is down to five plus Chop-Chop, with Zeg presumably the absent member. In that adventure, the team crosses paths with the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask; André, in fact, now horribly disfigured, but still an enemy of the Nazis.

The most familiar version of the team is finally locked down in Military Comics #11 (August 1942) shown as consisting of Blackhawk, Olaf, Chuck, André (his face now reconstructed), Stanislaus, Hendrickson, and Chop-Chop.

In Blackhawk #50 (March 1952), the team's origin is documented.[19] Blackhawk himself is no longer identified as being Polish, but rather a Polish-American who is a volunteer flyer in the Polish Air Force. His sidekick in the squadron is Stanislaus, a "brilliant young student" from the University of Warsaw. After facing defeat against the Nazis, Blackhawk attempts to flee to Russia, only to discover that Russian forces are invading from the east. He then seeks refuge in England where he attempts to join the Royal Air Force. It's in London where he and Stanislaus reunite and then meet the four others who will ultimately join them in their crusade: Chuck, another American volunteer; Hendrickson, a recent escapee from a Nazi concentration camp; Olaf, a Swede who had fought for Finland against the Russians; and André, a "valiant Frenchman." The six men wait to enlist in the R.A.F., but because none are British subjects, they are "held up by miles of red tape." Finally, Blackhawk suggests they strike out on their own. They pool their resources and buy planes, setting up a base of operations first on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, then later in the Pacific. They're eventually joined by Chop-Chop, described in this account as having "fled from China when the Japanese overpowered the Nationalist army." Chop-Chop first acts as the team's cook, but in time becomes an expert pilot and full member of the team.
Post-Crisis

Prohibition? Prohibition in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933.

Prohibitionists first attempted to end the trade in alcoholic beverages during the 19th century. Led by pietistic Protestants, they aimed to heal what they saw as an ill society beset by alcohol-related problems such as alcoholism, family violence and saloon-based political corruption. Many communities introduced alcohol bans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and enforcement of these new prohibition laws became a topic of debate. Prohibition supporters, called "drys", presented it as a battle for public morals and health. The movement was taken up by social Progressives in the Prohibition, Democratic, and Republican parties and gained a national grassroots base through the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. After 1900, it was coordinated by the Anti-Saloon League. Opposition from the beer industry mobilized "wet" supporters from the wealthy Catholic and German Lutheran communities, but the influence of these groups receded from 1917 following the entry of the US into the First World War against Germany.

The brewing industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, and finally ended nationwide under the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, which passed "with a 68 percent supermajority in the House of Representatives and 76 percent support in the Senate" as well as ratification by 46 out of 48 states.[1] Enabling legislation, known as the Volstead Act, set down the rules for enforcing the federal ban and defined the types of alcoholic beverages that were prohibited. Not all alcohol was banned; for example, religious use of wine was permitted. Private ownership and consumption of alcohol were not made illegal under federal law, but local laws were stricter in many areas, with some states banning possession outright.

Following the ban, criminal gangs gained control of the beer and liquor supply in many cities. By the late 1920s, a new opposition to prohibition emerged nationwide. Critics attacked the policy as causing crime, lowering local revenues, and imposing "rural" Protestant religious values on "urban" America.[2] Prohibition ended with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 5, 1933, though prohibition continued in some states. To date, this is the only time in American history in which a constitutional amendment was passed for the purpose of repealing another.

Some research indicates that alcohol consumption declined substantially due to Prohibition.[3][4] Rates of liver cirrhosis, alcoholic psychosis, and infant mortality also declined.[5][3][6] Prohibition's effect on rates of crime and violence is disputed.[7][8][9] Despite this, it lost supporters every year it was in action, and lowered government tax revenues at a critical time before and during the Great Depression.[10]

Crime

It is difficult to draw conclusions about Prohibition's impact on crime at the national level, as there were no uniform national statistics gathered about crime prior to 1930.[7] It has been argued that organized crime received a major boost from Prohibition. Mafia groups and other criminal organizations and gangs had mostly limited their activities to prostitution, gambling, and theft until 1920, when organized "rum-running" or bootlegging emerged in response to Prohibition.[139] A profitable, often violent, black market for alcohol flourished. Prohibition provided a financial basis for organized crime to flourish.[140] In one study of more than 30 major U.S. cities during the Prohibition years of 1920 and 1921, the number of crimes increased by 24%. Additionally, theft and burglaries increased by 9%, homicides by 12.7%, assaults and battery rose by 13%, drug addiction by 44.6%, and police department costs rose by 11.4%. This was largely the result of "black-market violence" and the diversion of law enforcement resources elsewhere. Despite the Prohibition movement's hope that outlawing alcohol would reduce crime, the reality was that the Volstead Act led to higher crime rates than were experienced prior to Prohibition and the establishment of a black market dominated by criminal organizations.[141] A 2016 NBER paper showed that South Carolina counties that enacted and enforced prohibition had homicide rates increase by about 30 to 60 percent relative to counties that did not enforce prohibition.[8] A 2009 study found an increase in homicides in Chicago during Prohibition.[9]

Pulp Era Heroes starting with the Shadow in 1931
WHO KNOWS WHAT EVIL LURKS IN THE HEARTS OF MEN?
THE SHADOW KNOWS...

The Shadow not only kept millions of listeners glued to their radios for over 25 years, but he also ushered in a new era of pulp heroes with over 325 adventures recorded in his self-titled pulp magazine.

Created by Walter B. Gibson, The Shadow was radio's most famous mystery man who dominated the airwaves during Radio's Golden Age. The Shadow became one of the most recognized and well known radio programs of all time, running from July 31, 1930 through December 26, 1954.

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows... "

The Shadow not only kept millions of listeners glued to their radios for over 25 years, but he also ushered in a new era of pulp heroes with over 325 adventures recorded in his self-titled pulp magazine.

Created by Walter B. Gibson, The Shadow was radio's most famous mystery man who dominated the airwaves during Radio's Golden Age. The Shadow became one of the most recognized and well known radio programs of all time, running from July 31, 1930 through December 26, 1954.

In 1930, successful pulp fiction magazine publisher Street and Smith wanted to get into the emerging radio market. Adapting stories from their pulp magazine, Detective Stories, they created the radio series initially called The Detective Story Hour for CBS. The narrator, played by James La Curto and then Frank Readick, was referred to only as "The Shadow". Response for the mysterious voice was overwhelming, and Street and Smith with writer Walter B. Gibson quickly launched a pulp fiction magazine defining this new super crime fighter. The Shadow would become one of the most enduring pulp heroes, lasting for 325 novels, 285 penned by Mr. Gibson himself, and over 17 years, marking one of the most successful pulp publishing successes.

On the radio, The Shadow continued to play only the role of narrator until 1937 when the Shadow commanded the lead in fighting crime over the airwaves. A young, 22 year-old actor named Orson Welles, won the audition to become the voice of the Shadow in the new expanded format. Although the famous Shadow laugh continued from the earlier Frank Readick era, Welles' enthusiasm and talent helped propel the radio series to become the highest rated dramatic program. With Bill Johnstone and Bret Morison picking up the cape over time, the broadcast run lasted an astonishing 25 years with as many as 15 million weekly listeners enjoying the mysteries and learning the lesson that "the weed of crime bears bitter fruit... crime does not pay! "

Hollywood assisted The Shadow, his radio alter ego Lamont Cranston, and radio sidekick Margo Lane in making the jump to the silver screen with four movies in total: The Shadow Strikes (1937), International Crime (1938), Invisible Avenger (1958) and the "highly stylized" remake The Shadow (1994) starring Alec Baldwin. Pulp fans recall that The Shadow's true identity from the magazines was Kent Allard.

The Shadow pulp novels reappeared in the 1970s, with paperback reprints from publishers Pyramid, Jove and a few others for a handful of stories. And, throughout the years, the Shadow continued to be a main topic of fanzine articles and pulp history pieces culminating with numerous fan websites on the Internet today.

Other interesting Pulp Age Heroes -
Doc Savage
The Spider
The Avenger
The Phantom Detective
The Black Bat
The Domino Lady

the top eight, longest-running, series of their own titles were:

The Shadow (1931-1949) with 325 issues
Doc Savage (1933-1949) with 181 issues
Phantom Detective (1933-1953) with 170 issues
The Spider (1933-1943) with 118 issues
G-8 and His Battle Aces (1933-1944) with 110 issues
Operator Number 5 (1934-1939) with 48 issues
Secret Agent X (1934-1939) with 41 issues
The Avenger (1939-1942) with 24 issues
The Black Bat
Publication information
Publisher Thrilling Publications
First appearance Black Book Detective
Created by Norman A. Daniels
In-story information
Alter ego Anthony Quinn

In July 1939, Thrilling Publications (also known as Standard or Better) introduced a new Black Bat in a series called Black Book Detective. Written mainly by Norman A. Daniels under the house name G. Wayman Jones, the stories describe the crime-fighting career of former District Attorney Anthony Quinn. In a clear departure from most pulp characters and heroes, this Black Bat actually has an origin story. It describes how Quinn became the Black Bat after being blinded and disfigured by acid when trying to save evidence against Oliver Snate in court, an idea borrowed a few years later by DC Comics for the creation of both the hero Doctor Mid-Nite and the Batman villain Two-Face (when D.A. Harvey Kent is disfigured by having acid thrown in his face in Detective Comics #66, August 1942; his surname was later changed to Dent). (Marvel Comics later created Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who gained "super senses" and became Daredevil.) The Black Bat left paper stickers of a bat stuck to his victims, so like The Spider before him (who stamped a blood-red spider stencil on the criminals' foreheads), innocent people would not be blamed for their deaths, and other criminals would come to fear him.
The Black Bat and Batman

Both the Black Bat and Batman hit the newsstands around the same time, and both claimed that the other was a copy. The threat of lawsuits ended when DC editor Whitney Ellsworth intervened. Ellsworth had once worked for the Black Bat's publishers and brokered a deal that allowed both characters to co-exist peacefully. It is probable that the costumes of both characters were copied from the 1933/34 Black Bat series which featured costumed illustrations of the Black Bat inside the pulps, although in reality, the "Black Bat" in the stories wore ordinary street clothes. Batman creator Bob Kane always contended that the only bat-like man he had seen was the villain from the 1930 film, The Bat Whispers. However, the Black Bat did have a permanent influence on the Batman: chief Batman scribe Bill Finger called Kane's attention to the wrist flaps, which appeared to be gauntlets the rival character was wearing. Subsequently, similar "fins" were added to Batman's gloves which remain to this day.[1]
How the Black Bat got his abilities

In the first issue, DA Tony Quinn is blinded by acid thrown by a thug working for Oliver Snate, a crime lord, and believes his career is over until a mysterious woman arrives (Carol Baldwin). She tells him that her father is a small town policeman who is dying from a gangster's bullet and that a surgeon is willing to perform an operation to graft his corneas onto Tony Quinn's eyes so that he can see again. The operation is done in secret and when the bandages are removed four months later, Quinn finds that he can not only see normally but can even see perfectly in darkness too. While blind, Quinn had developed the necessary skills of the blind; sharper hearing, more sensitive touch, a better sense of smell, etc.
The other characters

Like many other crime fighters, Quinn is unhappy about all the criminals who slip through the law's net on legal technicalities, etc. and decides to work outside the law in another persona to bring them to justice, and so the Black Bat is born, with Quinn deciding to keep the role of a blind man and later acquires the title of "Special District Attorney". Con man, Norton "Silk" Kirby, a small-time crook who had tried to rob Tony Quinn (when sighted) one night and had been persuaded to stay on as "officially" a valet and this continued after Quinn was blinded. His many criminal skills are a valuable asset to the Black Bat. Carol, a "resourceful and intelligent girl" who is already working undercover in a gang decides to work with Quinn on his secret crusade and last comes Jack "Butch" O'Leary who risked his life to save a crowd from machine gun fire. None too intelligent but completely loyal and "a hulking giant of a man who was never happier than when his fists were flying in defense of the law and in the aid of the Black Bat".

Quinn has a secret tunnel to a gatehouse at the rear of his house which leads to a quiet street, which he uses as the Black Bat. This is necessary not just because of criminals who want him dead but because of the police too as he works outside the law. Friend to Quinn, the bulky lieutenant, Captain McGrath (under Commissioner Warner) who is so honest he would turn in his own mother if she did something wrong is also enemy of the Black Bat. He suspects they are one and the same (same build, similar voice) and often tries to prove it, with tricks, even once having a doctor examine Quinn's eyes. While Quinn can see perfectly, he can also make his eyes appear like those of a blind person and even a doctor is fooled. Quinn usually turns the tables on McGrath, making him look foolish in his attempts to prove he is the Black Bat.
Pulp hero

Covers of the Black Book Detective where Black Bat was the main story with some back-up stories were normally dark and featured a crime being committed while in the background shadows is the symbolic face of a brooding Black Bat looking on. Few covers broke with this tradition, like #27 where the Black Bat is seen being attacked by a huge dog and a knife wielding woman.

Unlike many heroes of the pulps, the Black Bat did not come up against the fantastic but battled ordinary criminals who prey on the weak and helpless. The stories were detective stories too with the criminal and details revealed in the last pages by Quinn. Issue 7 has the Black Bat fighting against a gang of arsonists burning down tenement buildings for insurance money, regardless of who dies in them. Issue 11 has the Black Bat investigating a strange plane crash as well as a missing fortune in diamonds, needed for America's war effort. Russia initially started the war on Germany's side so issue 12 deals with Russian spies who commit sabotage and murder in America. Issue 13, a fiend uses a hospital for illegal and deadly experiments, even punishing his own men with horrible torture if they fail him.

Issue 19 has a man who is believed to be the Devil but the Black Bat reveals his trickery. Issue 25 has Nazi fifth columnists steal a supply of bauxite (aluminum ore) which America desperately needs for the war effort. Issue 27 (around this time, page count of the BB stories started dropping due to a paper shortage, to about 45 pages for a time) Prohibition is over so ex-bootleggers move into the commodity market, stopping supplies getting through. Issue 28 features a criminal hypnotist. Issue 36 (Artwork is usually checked for "taste" but this one got through. A woman on the front cover who is obviously not wearing a bra.) One by one, people who know a secret start dying. Issue 38, a man convicted of murder has the Black Bat convicted of charges too on which he must acquit himself. Issue 39 Crooks plan to attend a rich party as detectives and steal two million in diamonds. Issue 40, the death predictions of a man prove too accurate so the BB investigates. Issue 41, in a 73-page story, a killer plots to control the Sentinel newspaper. Issue 44, a jailbreak and bank loot vanishes. and dying out by the end of the 1940s

How about going way back in the past - like meeting Gilgamesh?

Or the Heroes and Demigods of Greece? Jason and the Argonauts? Hercules during his 12 Labors?

Or during the age of the Red Menace/Cold War? 1949 to mid-1960s. Many of Marvel's earliest superhero stories featured Commie Villains: Crimson Dynamo, Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, Black Widow, That same year, Captain America #78 finds our “Commie-Smashing” hero facing the shaggy green menace of Electro, as well as the proverbial “Communist Hordes”. The Red Crusher paved the way for a host of caveman-like Bolshevik bruisers, such as Mongu, a Soviet-built “space gladiator” robot in The Incredible Hulk #4 (1962)….…or the brutish Red Barbarian in Tales of Suspense #42 (1963). Even the mighty Thor was overcome by the “electronically treated” treachery of a swarthy, bushy-browed Commie on the cover of Journey Into Mystery #87 (1962). These broad, bumbling caricatures came to a screeching halt in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis of late 1962, perhaps the closest the Cold War had ever come to escalating into full-blown nuclear war. From that point onward, Soviet supervillains were upgraded to truly formidable figures that the American superhero had no choice but to take seriously…which eerily echoed the reality of American & Soviet relations.
An indication of this new sense of parity can be seen on the cover of Tales of Suspense #46 (1963), as Iron Man’s Communist counterpart The Crimson Dynamo sabotages an American missile test. However, Iron Man soon tricked the inventor of the armor, Anton Vanko, into defecting to the United States to work for Stark Enterprises. A few months later in issue #52 (1964), the U.S.S.R. assigned a second Crimson Dynamo and a “gorgeous new menace” code-named The Black Widow to kill Vanko. The beautiful-but-deadly spy returned many more times to plague Iron Man, soon abandoning the firs and face netting for a more standardized gimmick-laced costume. The Black Widow eventually reformed and defected to the United States, and once again changed her look, this time to her trademark “form fitting” black costume. After the failure of Crimson Dynamo II and the Black Widow to kill Vanko, yet another agent was dispatched to nab the elusive scientist in Tales of Suspense #56 (1964). This time it was The Unicorn, a Soviet agent equipped with a high-tech helmet that could shoot a variety of destructive energy rays, and a costume that inspired countless Power Ranger villains. Adding to Iron Man’s burgeoning “Russian Rogues Gallery” in Tales of Suspense #69 (1965) was The Titanium Man, a Soviet big-shot named Boris Bullski who commissioned a massive suit of armor he could use to defeat Iron Man on international television. After briefly falling under the spell of Radio-Active Man in Journey Into Mystery #93 (1963), Thor conjured up a tornado to whisk Chen-Lu back to Red China…who promptly exploded upon arrival.


other comics had - Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s Fighting American #3 (1954), as the buffoonish duo Poison Ivan and Hotsky Trotsky are easily foiled by Fighting American and Speedboy. The Bluto-like Red Crusher takes a nasty swipe at The Big Red Cheese on the cover of Captain Marvel Adventures #139 (1952)

Had another thought on Golden Age/WW2.

There was a Green Lantern story supposedly, Roy Thomas made a reference to it in an All Star Squadron issue, though I've never seen the original story, where Green Lantern comes across a Nazi attack fleet heading to New York or Washington DC to pull off their version of Pearl Harbor shortly after the real Pearl Harbor happened. He takes them on and sinks the fleet though he apparently didn't tell anyone about except someone in Washington DC because it needed to be kept secret. So what if aliens somehow prevent the designated hero or heroes from our world's timeline from finding and sinking a similar fleet?

There were also a number of stories during then of heroes stopping various Nazi villains from completing a tunnel from Europe to England so that they could invade in surprise from under the Earth. That might be a fun little thing to prevent.

Or here is a really horrid thought. What if we have to disguise ourselves as Nazi "superheroes" and prevent Hitler from being assassinated by Allied Superheroes by fighting them?
Or Hitler gets his hand on the Spear of Destiny or Japan's Black Dragon Society get their hands, due to the aliens help, on the Grail and either or both are powerful enough to allow them to win the war?

And an alternate Earth idea I had, Nazis with Tommy Guns vs Prohibition Gangsters! Hitler, after WW1, moved to America and sought criminal and political Power through his Nazi Party and Brown Shirts Gang. Tries to take over New York City.

So many ideas, so little time.

Also thought it would be nice for Jad Hood and Stone Fist to make an appearance if it's a pre war pulp adventure...



that would be cool if we went Pulp Adventure. Heck, we could even throw in a Lost Land or Kingdom type story and try to figure out how something or someone who was hidden would affect the future.

Admin wrote:[b]END OF ISSUE

OOC Next up Hero Point awards and I'd like to know if either of you have a preference for the destination of the next time gate.

OOC: Nice epilogue, really enjoyed that, as to where we go next...Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes and these aliens fits nicely, but I'm not that worried, what do you think Dave, forward or backward?

Sja

OOC: Nice epilogue, really enjoyed that, as to where we go next...Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes and these aliens fits nicely, but I'm not that worried, what do you think Dave, forward or backward?



Ooh! Meeting Sherlock Holmes? You bet! And maybe Arsene Lupin too? One day I am going to read those stories of his. Read most of Holmes when I was a teen.

Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar (French: Arsène Lupin, gentleman-cambrioleur) is the first collection of stories by Maurice Leblanc recounting the adventures of Arsène Lupin, released on 10 June 1907. Containing the first eight stories depicting the character, each was first published in the French magazine Je sais tout the first on 15 July 1905. The seventh features English detective Sherlock Holmes, changed in subsequent publications to "Herlock Sholmes" after protests from Arthur Conan Doyle's lawyers, as seen in the second collection Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes.[1]

Acrobatics skill grants an extra defence die at 7 so would cost 140HP to get there. 135HP buys 15 Str and Omni Arm, Body 15 costs 90 so that's worth a look. Dex 11 would cost 285HP to also boost the linked Self Manipulation and Stretching. So many benefits right there though (attack, defence, initiative, faster movement from Self Manip etc). Weaponry to 16 for that extra die costs 100HP and is practically a no brainer.


1.)  Need to make sure I can negate range modifiers if I use Stretching/Omni Arm from a distance.  So need to get Telescopic Vision.  Not sure if 3rd ed. changed costs or  description but the version I have says man-sized objects are visible at a quarter mile away (8 raps), and links to Int.  So what would it cost me to get 7 or 8 in the power, linked or not?  We describe it as him using his Self-Manipulation to focus his vision better - creates a pair of glasses on his face to focus or something.  Which means, one day soon, I will then get Microscopic Vision - probably go for 5 APs in that when I do.  :-)

2.) Weaponry 16 is the no-brainer so we will do that definitely.

3.)  I would like to get some low level skills, specifically Animal Handling and Vehicles.  I'm thinking 1-2 APs in each.  Not very useful but considering all the things he has ridden or drove or became himself, I think it adds some extra flavor to the character.

4.) so if we did the first 3, how many points would be left over?

5.) Also looking at Low Level Connection - Prof. Thoth and at Iron Nerves skill. Or maybe Omni-Connection since he has met and worked with lots of other people instead of Low Level? Just toying with the idea.

Holy Carp!  I didn't realize Body Manipulation was so powerful!  So 152 HP left huh if we do what you suggested?  Let's use 135 HP for Str and Omni-Arm and leave the pittance of 17 HP for combat or something.  
Or ... is that enough to raise his wealth to 6? If not, leave the points alone for now.

Admin wrote:STEEPLEJACK 462 HP[/font]

I would suggest looking at Strength (90HP per point to raise)plus 45HP to raise Force Shield which is linked (135HP total), Body (90HP/pt) is useful for defence and 'hit points' (such as this game uses), Dex is useful for attack and defence BUT you also need to boost Acrobatics and Martial Artist at the same time (because they are linked) so it will cost 255/pt to raise one point of Dex to 14. EDIT Acrobatics isn't linked, Thief is so the cost for Dex is 285HP. At 16 Dex Steeplejack gains an extra die for attack and that has to be something worth considering. Int 9 to 10 will cost 180HP and boosts Initiative, Earth Control to 10 and Steeplejacks opposing value to mental attacks.

Food for thought.

OOC: OK SO I'll take the strength boost with the link to Force Shield and go for the Intelligence boast. Sadly intelligence and the dex boost I was 3 points shy of being able to do and would leave me with no HP for the next game, not so wise - huh my intelligence must be rising already, wow!

Love that background info David on the Gentleman thief, looks like its Victorian time perhaps France or England or both ;-)

Sj

Love that background info David on the Gentleman thief, looks like its Victorian time perhaps France or England or both ;-)

Sj

Never read his stories so I don't know much about him. I just know that the manga/anime character Lupin the Third claims him as his grandfather. But I think I will get on Amazon and see if his stories are affordable or not.

I'm good with that, though I am not sure what Gadateering does, must see if I can find the rules on my harddrive somewhere.

OOC: Anyway, I got what I went in for the Dex boost will have to be the next time around. But a raised intelligence in things going forward might be the order of the day. I'm happy with that.


Sj