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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 9, 2022 18:52:58 GMT
This is an adaptation of an Earth-Q story from DC Elseworlds by Libbylawrence that has been rewritten and expanded upon (with Libby's permission) to fit in on Earth-X in early 1942, taking place immediately following the events of All-Star Squadron #31-35, which is the origin story of the Freedom Fighters and the entry of America into World War II after the Battle of Santa Barbara. There's much more to the story than Roy Thomas revealed in those issues, and for the first time we will see how Uncle Sam, the Ray, and Black Condor made their way in this brave new world, as well as look in on the other mystery-men who exist on Earth-X. This story will explain why Uncle Sam believed there were no mystery-men at all on Earth-X, despite there being several in existence.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 9, 2022 19:00:22 GMT
by Doc Quantum
At a ranch a few miles outside San Diego, California, a beautiful, young, raven-haired woman looked on adoringly as her dark-haired beau tried on a costume that she'd whipped up for him. It was a patriotically themed skintight red uniform with blue gloves, swashbuckler-style blue boots, white shorts and a black belt, with a buckle in the shape of a white star. Upon the red torso was a stylized golden eagle atop a badge-style shield emblazoned with the stars and stripes. (*) She had also provided him with a small black domino mask to disguise his face at least a small amount, but Jerry Noble would have none of it, telling her that he'd been known as the Yankee Eagle long before he finally decided to join the ranks of the mystery-men, so there was no point in closing the stable door after the horse was gone. [(*) Author's note: This is the same design that Steve Trevor of Earth-1 would wear as the Patriot, as seen in "Steve Trevor, Alias the Patriot," Wonder Woman #174 (January-February, 1968).]
"So, how do I look?" he asked his two companions.
"You look great!" said Joanne Hale, wearing a floral-patterned red and white dress with a blue hat. The weather was quite warm on this day in February, 1942, but then Southern California weather tended to be on the warm side all year round.
Nearby, Larry Noble remained quiet for as long as he could, before he finally burst out laughing.
"Hey, what gives, Larry?" asked Jerry.
"Sorry, Jer, but you look ridiculous," replied Larry. The brown-haired Hollywood stunt man somewhat resembled Jerry, despite being a few years older than him and having a rough-looking face and a stockier, more muscular build. "You just don't have the right frame to pull off that skintight costume. I admit, you've been pretty effective with your ability to talk with animals and get them to do whatever you want them to do. You've been pretty handy with your fists, too, and I'm sure Naval Intelligence appreciates it. But if I was you, I wouldn't trade in your green tweed jacket and bowtie for that godawful circus outfit."
"Hey, I was the one who designed that 'godawful circus outfit'!" Joanne shot back hotly.
Larry threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, doll, but I calls 'em like I sees 'em."
"Jerry, don't listen to this cousin of yours," replied Joanne, still glaring at Larry. "You look fantastic, and I'm proud of you for taking this step."
"Thanks honey," replied Jerry, raising his right arm to allow his pet bald eagle, Sam, to alight onto his glove. "Truthfully, I've been getting better and better at taming animals over the last few months. It just started out as talking to animals ever since I was a kid, but eventually I started understanding them, and now I'm finding I can sense any animals in the area and get them to help me accomplish any task!"
"Yeah, you're a regular Dr. Doolittle," said Larry. "But you're not bulletproof. Even if you had an army of lions, tigers, and bears at your side, 'Animal Man,' what good would that be against a troop of Jap soldiers?"
"You might be surprised," Jerry said with a smile. "I've always found you can accomplish anything if you use the resources around you."
"Sure, I can see that," continued Larry. "But what will your dear old dad think about all this? Exactly what is my uncle, the great Senator Walter Q. Noble, going to think about his only son -- born with a silver spoon in his mouth -- spending his time fighting spies and saboteurs as a solo mystery-man?"
"The less he knows, the better," said Jerry with a shrug. "Besides, I might not be doing so alone." He looked meaningfully at Joanne and smiled.
"Huh? Whaddaya mean, Jer?" asked his cousin.
Joanne shot Jerry a look.
"Well, in a sense I won't ever be alone again," Jerry continued, steering the conversation away from a topic that she wasn't ready to talk about yet. "I've asked Joanne to marry me, and she said yes."
"No kiddin'?" Larry replied, raising his eyebrows. "Well, congratulations, both of you!"
"Thank you," said Joanne icily.
"I know, it must seem like we're rushing things," said Jerry, "since it's only been three months since I plucked Joanne from the middle of the Pacific Ocean."
"Now that's something straight out of a comic-book," Larry added. "What are the chances that while flying your plane you just happen to spot a girl clinging to wreckage a few miles out of Hawaii at a time when you and Senator Noble are inspecting the naval base at Pearl Harbor in December?"
"It wasn't exactly a coincidence I was there at that time," explained Jerry. "A few months back I discovered a nest of Japanese spies based out of a restaurant in San Diego. After I saved the life of one of the spies, he pledged his life to me and has been feeding me timely information ever since. (*) Aki told me there would be a planned attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. It didn't exactly happen then, but now I know why."
[(*) Editor's note: See Yankee Eagle, Military Comics #6 (January, 1942).]
"Right, you've mentioned that before," continued Larry. "You said Joanne and a few people she was working with had something to do with stopping it, but you've never told me anything else. Nobody's ever been able to find much evidence of any thwarted attack except for some floating debris. I mean, I don't blame you for putting your trust in your girl, but her story is fulla holes. Not to mention the fact that this girl has no past and no family, and we know next to nothing about her. Seems kind of suspicious, if you ask me."
"We didn't ask you," Joanne retorted.
"I know more about Joanne's past than anyone," Jerry said. "I'm satisfied that I know exactly who she is. And until the time comes that she's ready to open up about it, and not one moment more, it will have to remain our secret."
"You're my baby cousin, and I'm just looking out for you," explained Larry. "But if your girl is really on the up and up, I've got nothing but happiness and well wishes for the both of you. Scout's honor. As for me, I can't see myself ever getting hitched, especially in these crazy times. Just so you know, cuz, you can still back out at any time."
Joanne looked like she ready to storm out, but held back her temper for Jerry's sake.
Before the conversation could continue, Jerry Noble's ranch hand and all-around assistant Chalky ran up to him shouting, "It's happened! The Japs are invadin'! I just heard it on the radio!"
"I knew this was going to happen," replied Jerry. "Just as he warned me about the planned attack on Pearl Harbor back in December, Aki warned me that there would be an attack on the mainland around this time. I already told the top brass of the Army and Navy to be ready for just such an invasion, and here it is!"
"What are you gonna do, boss?" asked the red-haired Chalky.
"It's time for the Yankee Eagle to take a stand for freedom," he replied resolutely as he headed for his swift plane. "Joanne, I'll be back before you know it. Larry, you take care of her until I get back."
It was February 23rd, 1942, and the invasion at the Goleta oil refineries just outside of Santa Barbara, California, had already begun by air and by sea. And although a group of seven costumed mystery-men would lend their super-powered assistance to a few soldiers quickly sent there to defend the mainland, they would soon end up captured during their attempt to destroy the Japanese Imperial fleet just outside the Channel Islands. (*)
[(*) Editor's note: See "The Battle of Santa Barbara, Times Two," All-Star Squadron #33 (May, 1984) and "The Wrath of Tsunami," All-Star Squadron #34 (June, 1984).]
But the mystery-men from the parallel universe of Earth-Two were not the only costumed defenders that day. The patriotically clad Yankee Eagle, accompanied by his pet eagle Sam and his pet lioness Queen, joined the fight against the Japanese invaders.
Witnesses would later claim that the Yankee Eagle summoned a pod of humpback whales, and even rode one of them, in a mighty effort to push the destroyers back even as he commanded seagulls to attack the navy crewmen from the air, causing havoc and confusion in the enemy forces. Others say they saw nothing but a lone figure trying to take on an invading army alone, like some modern-day Don Quixote tilting at windmills.
All that is known for sure is that the Yankee Eagle went missing in action during the Battle of Santa Barbara on this February day. His body was never recovered, and only part of his torn costume was later found floating in the water.
The invasion itself was finally turned away by the end of that day, thanks to the armed forces, but America had suffered a humbling blow that all knew meant the outbreak of war at a time when the Axis seemed unstoppable. The California coastline had been shelled for hours by Japanese destroyers several miles out at sea, leaving destruction and great loss of life in its wake. And a strange curtain of light spotted in the skies above, looking as if it was falling down upon the earth, caused panic all over the West Coast. To many, it seemed like the end of days had arrived, or perhaps it was a harbinger of darker days to come.
It would later be discovered that only three of the seven costumed mystery-men who had introduced themselves to the U.S. troops as the Freedom Fighters -- Uncle Sam, the Ray, and Black Condor -- had remained on this Earth, while three others called Doll Man, Phantom Lady, and the Human Bomb returned to their world of origin with yet another hero called Hourman, and a fourth named Red Bee died sacrificing his life while trying to free his fellow heroes. (*)
[(*) Editor's note: See "That Earths May Live," All-Star Squadron #35 (July, 1984).]
The Yankee Eagle would be wrongly assumed by many to have been part of this group, given his single appearance in costume on that day, and many likewise assumed that he simply returned to the same place that the other mystery-men had gone once their work was done. Only a few knew that he was the same Yankee Eagle named Jerry Noble who had acted as an agent of Naval Intelligence for the past several months. Senator Noble's son was assumed to have been one of the many civilians who had died in the shelling of the coast, and whose body was never found.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 10, 2022 7:06:08 GMT
by Doc Quantum
In a celestial plane far removed from Earth, a different battle was occurring. While still on Earth, Merlin the Magician had been alerted that his world -- possibly his entire universe -- was in dire danger of being destroyed. With the magical senses that were his birthright as a direct descendant of the wizard Merlin, and with abilities that were activated by the Cloak of Merlin that he wore, Jock Kellogg slipped through the fourth dimension into a higher realm to find out what the truth threat was. The logical part of his brain realized that what he saw in the celestial realm could not be taken as literal fact. It was a realm in which symbols physically manifested in order to represent concepts such as War, whom he had fought during his first foray into this realm. Now, Merlin the Magician watched as an otherworldly being he knew was called the Spectre fought to keep two Earths from colliding with each other, a celestial representation of a physical reality. He tried to intervene and lend his own powerful mystical assistance to the Spectre, but was instead stopped by a new figure.
This was a demon of destruction known as Abaddon, or as Destruction itself, and it was a huge, fearsome-looking figure of living stone attired in battle-armor, ready to destroy not only his own Earth, but the Earth from which the Spectre had come.
Using his magic to make himself as large as Abaddon, Merlin engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the cosmic being, managing over time to destroy first his weapons and then his armor. Finally, with the end of the conflict on Earth, Merlin stood in triumph over the fallen demon of destruction.
Now able to rest, Jock Kellogg looked down upon Earth and saw that the Spectre had triumphed in his own struggle, and that the three mystery-men he'd been waiting for had now arrived on Earth. "At last, truth can start to be revealed," he said to himself.
Walking among the heavenly clouds, he found a figure he'd seen many times for the past several months. It was the Spirit of America, but bound by chains, and wearing a blindfold over his eyes, a gag in his mouth, and earplugs in his ears. Behind him were a number of strangely attired men and women shrouded in darkness, and equally bound, blindfolded, and gagged. As long as the Spirit of America was in this condition, his physical body down on Earth would never realize the full truth of Earth-X. Merlin was powerless to reach him, enshrouded as he and the others were by enveloping protective mists that he himself had erected months ago, and he could only return to this plane and watch for signs of any changes before he could see that things could start to change on Earth as it was in Heaven.
A smile crept over Merlin's face now, for he perceived through the shadows that the blindfold had already begun to slip. It would take time, but Uncle Sam would finally start to see things for what they were, and he would be the herald of truth for his fellow mystery-men.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 12, 2022 1:46:51 GMT
by Doc Quantum
Tuesday, February 24, 1942: Three men stood over freshly dug grave near an old fort on a small island off the coast of California. Yesterday, a mystery-man known only to them as the Red Bee died, having sacrificed his life in order to save theirs. A Nazi superman from their native Earth-Two ended up shattering the Red Bee's back for his effrontery in challenging him, but it provided the impetus for the others to effect their escape. While Baron Blitzkrieg escaped back to Earth-Two, the three men remained to chase the Imperial Japanese fleet across the Pacific for as far as they could.
None of the three -- Uncle Sam, the Ray, and Black Condor -- knew the Red Bee's name nor whether or not he had any living family to notify. Of course, none of that family would have been on Earth-X. Uncle Sam hoped that the short-term Freedom Fighters who had also returned to Earth-Two would do the detective work to track down Red Bee's family and let them know he died heroically.
The realization hit them suddenly that they were now stranded on this new world they called Earth-X -- X for the unknown. Yet none of them regretted it, either. There was something about this Earth that agreed with them, possibly even more so than Earth-Two. But now that they were here, they needed to make new lives for themselves. To do so, they would have to leave their old ones behind. It was fitting that they now did so over a makeshift gravesite.
The silence was broken as Black Condor suddenly spoke. "I was a U.S. senator back there."
"I do recall you mentionin' that, Condor," replied Uncle Sam.
"It was a complicated situation," the flying hero explained. "I had never known any name but Black Condor for most of my life as I traveled the world. But not long after I came to America, I met a young man who looked so much like me he could have been my twin. He was also on death's door, having been murdered by a crooked political boss named Jaspar Crow, who controlled most of the Senate. My twin was Senator Tom Wright. I brought him to one Dr. Foster, who could do nothing to save his life, but who suggested I impersonate the senator in order to vote against a bill that Crow was pushing. It was meant to be a temporary solution, but for some reason I didn't mind staying on in the role. I became Tom Wright. (*)
[(*) Editor's note: See The Black Condor, Crack Comics #11 (March, 1941).]
"The real Thomas Wright had been engaged to Dr. Foster's daughter, Wendy. She's a beautiful young woman, but also a real handful. And, as agreed upon with Dr. Foster, she never was told that her true fiance was dead. That's something I regretted, even then, but I still did nothing about it. I suppose I was tired of constantly wandering the world, encountering nothing but strife wherever I went. As Tom, I now had a father figure in Dr. Foster, a relationship with Wendy, and an important role as a senator. Now, it seems, I'm back to being a wanderer again."
"But you're not alone," assured Sam. "Ye'll never be alone again, I assure you."
Black Condor nodded his thanks, and the Ray suddenly spoke.
"I'm Langford Terrill, but everyone calls me Happy," said the Ray, "or they did back there. I'm a -- I was a reporter for the Daily Star in New York City, and a darn good one, too! My life never lacked for excitement, and I've traveled the world while on assignment. One of those assignments took me on a scientific expedition in a giant weather balloon meant to study the upper atmosphere. It was so dangerous, thanks to the cosmic rays up there, that the bulk of the crew were picked from convicted felons! Danger has never been anything that scared me, so I leaped at the chance to cover the story.
"There was an accident, or possibly sabotage, and I volunteered to exit the balloon to fix the problem. Again, few things have ever scared me, so I didn't balk at putting my life in danger. Maybe I should've. In any case, those cosmic rays changed me -- made me a new man! I disappeared, and they thought I was a dead man for sure, but I saved that balloon and every man inside it! (*) I also found that I had strange new abilities based on light, and to be honest I don't think I'll ever figure out exactly how many things I can do as the Ray. I keep learning new techniques almost every day!"
[(*) Editor's note: See The Ray, Smash Comics #14 (September, 1940).]
"Did you have any family to speak of, son?" asked Sam.
"No. My folks died when I was young," replied the Ray. "Left me an orphan. I guess that's why I ended up taking in a young orphan as his guardian a year or so back. I call him Bud, since he doesn't like his real name: Jackie Budworth." (*) Smiling, he became suddenly quiet as he realized the implications of being stranded on another world. "I suppose he'll have to find someone else now. Drat. I never meant to leave him behind."
[(*) Editor's note: See The Ray, Smash Comics #21 (May, 1941).]
"Well, if he's anythin' like my little nephew Buddy, he'll do well for himself until you can get him back again," Uncle Sam replied.
"I sure hope so," said the Ray. "Maybe... maybe my girlfriend Sue Saunders will look in on him. I wish there was a way to send a message back home to let both of them know what happened to me."
"Maybe there is," said Black Condor.
"If there is, we'll never stop tryin'," Sam said, placing his hand on the Ray's shoulder.
"How about you, Sam?" asked Condor. "What's your story?"
"Why, I'm the Spirit of America!" began Sam brightly. "I was born on the 4th of July, 1776, and I've been rooting for America through all its ups and downs. And yes, I have a nephew Buddy who I left with kindly neighbors the last time I saw him here on Earth-X."
"Is he really your nephew," inquired the Ray, "or just in a figurative sense?"
"If you're asking if Uncle Sam is really Buddy's uncle, Sam, then yes. It wasn't too long ago when a patriotically minded old man named Samuel Smith in the town of Glen Valley sought to stand up to a group of thugs called the Black Legion. Only, he was no spring chicken, and didn't have the physical strength of his younger days. That's when the Spirit of America met him and shook his hand, and old Samuel was never the same again. (*) It wasn't too long after that when Uncle Sam looked in on little Buddy Smith, who'd just lost his grandfather Ezra, who just happened to be the father of old Samuel Smith, making the orphaned Buddy his nephew, or, rather, mine. (*) As for home, I reckon all of America is my home, but there's one town in particular that I plan on looking in on as soon as I can: Everytown, USA. I expect Buddy will be mighty anxious wonderin' whatever happened to his Uncle Sam after all this time!"
[(*) Editor's note: See "The True Story of Uncle Sam," National Comics #5 (November, 1940), Uncle Sam, National Comics #1 (July, 1940), and "The Coming of Uncle Sam," Secret Origins v2 #19 (October, 1987).]
"As for me," said the Ray, "I guess I'll head to this world's New York City and see if I can pick up another reporting job. How hard could that be?"
"I don't know what I'll do," said the Black Condor. "With no home in Washington, D.C., I suppose I'm a wanderer again. Still, I am curious about my adopted hometown on this world. I might visit, if only to say my goodbyes."
"Well, since we've each got some time to ourselves for the moment," began Sam, "why don't we go our separate ways for now and meet back up in one week's time? Say, in Washington or New York City?"
"Let's make it New York," said the Black Condor. "I don't anticipate staying in Washington for too long."
"Sounds good to me," agreed the Ray.
"Then let's get back to the mainland and find out what this brave new world has to offer," said Uncle Sam. "It may turn out that the Freedom Fighters will be needed again sooner than later!"
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 14, 2022 11:17:34 GMT
by Libbylawrence & Doc Quantum
In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler watched silently as a group of costumed men and women assembled before his unwavering gaze. This group had been larger and more powerful mere months ago, and had been instrumental in helping German troops smash into Russia the previous June, but they had ended up losing several of them a few months later. Even so, this team was impressive by any measure. "Heil Hitler!" they shouted with arms extended in the stiff armed salute made notorious around a world at war.
"Our Japanese partners have just struck a mighty blow to America upon its west coast, and we must show our solidarity with a German attack upon the ill-defended cities of America's industrial northeast! The time to strike is now!" proclaimed Hitler. Turning to a rotund man at his right, he said, "Report."
"Mein Fuhrer, assembled before you are the glorious warriors of the Axis powers," announced Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe and the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany. "Together these Axis Unlimited, as we have dubbed them, shall conquer America's decadent few mystery-men in one swift stroke. That will, in turn, leave the targets unsecured."
Hitler looked coldly to his left at the figure who stood before them. His broad shoulders, brawny body, and swept-back, reddish-blond hair marked him as a perfect specimen of the Aryan race, Hitler's own envisioned master race.
"Agent Axis, you are in command of our espionage forces in America," he said. "Have you achieved the desired results?"
The muscular man in the red bodysuit, purple gloves, boots, and belt, with an emblem of the swastika emblazoned upon his chest gazed down upon the shorter man, and his spirit quailed. The Allies often accused Hitler of being a madman, but even if this wasn't true, he was still almost elemental in his drive and ambition.
"Ja! The destruction of the Statue of Liberty in one week's time shall be the signal for a massive attack upon airfields, munitions plants, and oil refineries all across the eastern coast!" he began. "The Americans shall feel our wrath as one glorious inferno shall sweep across the fields, an inferno that shall usher in the rise of the Immortal Reich to ever higher levels, and--"
"Enough!" said Hitler. "I have my answer."
A bare-chested, arrogant-looking archer with dark hair stepped forward. Carrying a bow in his right hand, he wore a yellow mask, gauntlets, and belt, with orange trunks and boots and tan pants, and a large quiver of arrows strapped onto his back.
"I am Il Duce's chosen agent," Usil the Sun Archer said proudly. "I assure you that Mussolini's forces stand ready to assist all German efforts to sweep across the American bases. Our efforts are hardly necessary, but they will be effective. I pledge my service and my life to you for as long as I may be useful to the Axis cause!"
"That is no more than any son of the Axis should do," replied Hitler.
"Or daughter, mein Fuhrer!" replied a dark-haired, domino-masked woman standing proudly with her feet apart and her hands at her hips. Resembling a circus strongwoman in the tradition of Katie Sandwina, the Masked Marvel wore a tight-fitting bronze bodice showing ample cleavage, with bronze leggings, red shorts, and golden sandals with laces up to her knees.
"Indeed, fräulein. That is to be expected," said Hitler.
A werewolf with brown fur over rippling muscles and who wore blue swim trunks replied, "The Sea Wolf shall bring death to our enemies!"
A silent man in a green military uniform, a peaked cap, and a purple cape stood apart, seeming superior to his more vocal allies. His name was Von Schlitzer, and he needed little more than the flame-cannon that substituted for his right hand to prove any point, as befitting the name of the Flaming Hand.
An elite SS agent completely covered from head to toe in a dark purple leather bodysuit with a red belt, white left glove and boots, and a red swastika emblazoned on his chest, waved his gleaming metal right fist in the light. His name was the Iron Claw, and he was eager to employ his lethal fighting skills in battle.
A mute figure in gleaming, futuristic golden armor over a full purple bodysuit watched dispassionately, his face also completely obscured in order to keep from horrifying anyone who might catch a glimpse of what he looked like underneath the mask. He had earned the name Baron Death in more ways than one.
A beautiful blonde woman in ancient Nordic battle-armor stood proudly alongside a winged white horse that resembled Pegasus of Greek myth, but she came from an altogether different pantheon. "Gundra and Stormwind are ready!" she vowed.
The ghostly apparition of a darkly beautiful, chalk-skinned sorceress with flowing, raven-black hair strode forward. She wore a low-cut blood-red dress and boots, and large golden earrings dangled from her ears. Her eyes were little more than white specks in pools of black, and her fingernails were as sharp as claws. Overall she looked like a vampiress, but was much, much more. Even more alarming was that she was transparent and lacked a physical presence. "Dark Angel, bringer of doom and herald of destruction, is equally ready," she purred in a whisper that could only have come from the non-corporeal spirit she was.
Three other men of lesser stature stood shuddering in the shadows, concerned more with taking care to avoid Dark Angel's interest than to add anything. The first was an ordinary-looking, middle-aged scientist with brown hair and a small mustache, but his brilliance and ruthlessness befit his name of Der Teufel, or the Devil. The second was another brilliant scientist with homely features, a balding head of hair, and an unfortunate birth defect that resulted in enlarged canine incisors that were the inspiration for his name of Herr Fange. The third was a rat-faced, mustachioed German officer in uniform who was known as the Ferret, thanks to his trained pet Killer, whom he protectively caressed.
Hitler turned and walked out, shouting over his shoulder, "Do your duty for the betterment of the Reich, and know that Valhalla awaits you if victorious!"
"Heil Hitler!" they shouted once again as he paced down the hall.
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Post by johnreiter902 on Apr 15, 2022 3:45:08 GMT
This is an excellent assemblage of some of the greatest Axis villains of the DC Universe. I love looking into the Axis metahuman community. I may steal that name, Axis Unlimited, for one of my own stories.
Question: Not all of these villains are Quality characters. Are the others counterparts native to Earth-X, or somehow visiting from their own Earths?
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 15, 2022 4:44:12 GMT
Thanks, John. I'd like to answer your question, but I'll have to do so in story form. Truthfully, none of them are Quality characters, just as none of the Freedom Fighters (except Hourman) are DC characters.
The "Axis Unlimited" name is all Libby's, BTW.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 15, 2022 4:47:00 GMT
by Libbylawrence and Doc Quantum
The Spirit was a brilliant and resourceful crime-fighter who was equally as comfortable as a detective as he was in his crime laboratory, where he was always working with chemicals or inventing new devices to aid him in his work. As he poured out the contents of a test tube and noted the results, the domino-masked man couldn't help but think back to a couple of hours earlier, when he had paid a visit to Police Commissioner Dolan's home.
Despite his earlier reservations, the Spirit had become romantically involved with Dolan's daughter, Ellen. She was a beautiful young woman with reddish-blonde hair.
"Ellen Dolan, as I live and breathe, you grow better-looking every day!" he said to her as they embraced.
"And here I thought you only needed your Bunsen burner to keep you warm!" she joked as they kissed.
They continued kissing each other, again and again. Finally, Ellen broke off and said, "Spirit, I was wondering... could you use another assistant?" she said in a nervous rush. "I mean... could I possibly join you on your adventures... on a more regular basis?"
"Whoa, darling," he said with a smile. "Are you asking me if you can become... the Spiritess?"
"Don't tease me!" she replied, offended. "You let that hussy Silk Satin run around with you, don't you?"
The Spirit hushed her. "You know she was a criminal who eventually became an Allied spy, and not my crime-fighting partner, right? Besides, she can handle herself. You are bright, brave, and wonderful, Ellen, but you can't fight. Satin learned how to fight on the streets. I believe she might even have a black belt."
"She needs a belt!" Ellen retorted jealously. "She needs a whole coat -- maybe a straitjacket she can wear while she's locked away for good!"
The Spirit smiled in an attempt to placate her. "I'm sorry, honey. I could work up a few ways to keep you safer, but you'll just have to let me do the dangerous stuff."
Ellen frowned. "Well, I didn't hear any complaints from you when I singlehandedly brought in Gorilla Gage!" (*)
[(*) Editor's note: See The Spirit, Spirit Section #84 (January 4, 1942).]
"Well, it wasn't exactly you alone, dear," the Spirit pointed out. "I did lend my helping hand."
"While you and Ebony are out gallivanting around," Ellen continued, seemingly not having heard him, "I happened to be good enough to bring in a powerful crime boss, but you still won't let me be your assistant!" She stalked out in anger.
In the present, the Spirit shook his head as he continued working in his lab. "I may be a criminologist, but I sure don't understand women!"
His reveries were interrupted as his teenage assistant rushed into his underground laboratory home.
"Ebony, what do you think I should do about Ellen?" he began.
"Oh, you know I'd rather stay out of all your personal business," replied Aloysius "Ebony" White. "I'm here 'cause we got trouble -- Spirit kind o' trouble!"
"What is it?" asked the Spirit as he removed his lab coat and donned a dark blue suit jacket over his white shirt and red tie, then placed his dark blue hat atop his head. "An Axis attack?"
"No!" said the worried teenager. "I mean, it could be -- I don't know, exactly!"
"Stop," said the Spirit, "and start from the beginning." Ebony told him everything he knew about it.
Moments later, the two were flying through the air over Wildwood Cemetery in the Spirit's custom red flying vehicle, the Autoplane, heading north toward Central City.
"So, havin' problems with your girl, are ya?" teased Ebony.
"I thought you preferred to stay out of my personal business?" the Spirit replied with a smile, his eyebrow raised.
The young cabby shrugged. "Just how is Miss Dolan, anyway?"
The Spirit sighed. "She's the same as always -- one problem or another, always wants to change things between us. I don't understand why she can't just be happy with the way things are!"
"Women, huh?" agreed Ebony.
Within moments, the Autoplane approached a munitions plant in the industrial district on the outskirts of the city, where the Spirit brought it down for a landing on the street nearby. There, the Spirit spotted a strange-looking man who looked like he was covered in dark brown fur.
"It's just as I said, Spirit," replied Ebony, "an honest-to-goodness werewolf!"
"We'll see about that," said the Spirit. "Whatever it is, it looks like trouble at the munitions plant! Stay here and have the Autoplane ready for takeoff as soon as I give the signal."
"Yes, sir!" said Ebony.
The Spirit vaulted the high fence surrounding the plant with ease. "Excuse me," he bantered as he approached the skulking figure, "aren't you Lon Chaney?"
"Ha-ha! I am the Sea Wolf!" roared the brutish-looking man who indeed appeared to be a werewolf. "You are the feckless hero called the Spirit -- a man in a black business suit and domino mask! How typical of your decadent society!"
"This is actually navy blue, you Philistine!" joked the Spirit as he circled the man. "Sea Wolf, huh? A Jack London fan, I see. Why don't you go home and start a book club instead of going around in that Halloween costume?"
"This is no costume," growled the Nazi super-agent, charging the crime-buster. With a swift move, the Spirit dodged the attack and leapfrogged over his enemy's back, then spun and kicked the man in the face -- but to no avail.
"Ooh, you're a tough one, aren't ya?" he said as the Sea Wolf grabbed for him once more, and again missed.
"I vill tear you apart, schweinehund!" roared the Sea Wolf.
"You could, but you'll have to catch me first," replied the Spirit as he jumped to the left, "and, brother, that is simply not gonna happen!"
"He needs to merely distract you, dummkopf!" said a bald man wearing a grey jumpsuit, emerging from the shadows by the building to be revealed by the light of the half-moon above. The crime-fighter couldn't help but notice the man's strange-looking teeth, which distracted him from the fact that he held a strange-looking device in his hands, one that was attached to wires.
"And just who are you supposed to be dressed up as -- Nosferatu?" asked the Spirit.
The scientist's only reply, beyond his toothy grin, was to flip the switch on the device. With a gasp, the Spirit realized too late that he had been driven into the center of a squared-off part of the yard through his battle with the Sea Wolf. Before he could leap to safety, he felt a strong current of electricity pass through his body through the metallic mesh net that had been electrified from the connected device. A moment after that he felt nothing except the bliss of unconsciousness.
"Fange -- you rob me of carnage!" cried the Sea Wolf, who had moved out of range of the electric net while the crime-buster was distracted.
Herr Fange's smile looked more like a grimace. "Oh, do not vorry. You vill get to kill him eventually. I merely expedited matters for you!"
As the grumbling Sea Wolf picked up the limp form of the Spirit from the ground, Fange turned and added, "I have already captured his little schwarz friend as well." And he slung Ebony White over his shoulder as they headed for their own escape method hidden behind the factory.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 28, 2022 22:55:31 GMT
by Libbylawrence and Doc Quantum
Bruce Banks was a wealthy magnate whose shipping lines or South American mining operations usually kept him happily preoccupied with his work, even though it took him away from home often for months at a time. With the U.S. entering the war, his manganese mines and manufacturing facilities would be needed for the defense effort now more than ever. But today his mind was troubled by something else. The millionaire thus sat in his plush office, smoking cigars and mulling over his current problem. His daughter entered the room just then, and he looked up.
"Hello, pater! How's Wall Street these days? You are still on a first-name basis with the place, right?" Brenda Banks said playfully. She was a gorgeous, strawberry-blonde society girl who was athletic, smart, and wealthy, but for all that was still single and seemingly had no interest in marriage -- the current source of her father's frustration.
"Very droll," he said. "Listen, honey, I'm getting worried about you. Your mother and I are getting on in years, while you idle away your time going to teas or parties. Why don't you let me introduce you to one of my friends' sons? Reilly in New York has a son about your age. I'm sure you two would have a lot in common."
"Oh, father, you know I don't go in for those playboy types," replied Brenda. "They bore me silly with their endlessly frivolous lives."
"Then what about that police inspector friend of yours, Hardy Moore?" suggested Banks. "He may not be wealthy, but he's certainly--"
"Oh! Look at the time!" Brenda interrupted, glancing at the grandfather clock on the wall. "I've got an appointment to get my nails done in twenty minutes! Ta-ta!"
"Yes, yes, by all means, go to your appointment," Banks replied gruffly. "The matter of your future is of little importance, anyway!"
Brenda Banks felt bad as she left the house. She disliked keeping up the image of the idle rich debutante, but she did so now from more than habit. She was secretly the female Robin Hood known as Lady Luck, and she posed as a bored debutante to one and all to keep her identity a secret.
It was not simply that she wanted to avoid the uncomfortable discussion about her love life with her father, but as Lady Luck she really did have pressing business. A killer had been leaving bodies for days throughout Urban City parks with no apparent pattern, but she had managed to piece together enough clues to anticipate where he might strike next. Unfortunately, her hulking South American chauffeur and bodyguard Peecolo had the night off, so she was working solo, just as she had when she'd first become a mystery-woman.
Thus Brenda Banks was soon strolling through Middle Park under the dim light of the half-moon, wearing the typical green dress and cape, blonde wig, and green dress hat with a dark veil that disguised her features as Lady Luck. (*) She had made herself bait for the Park Strangler.
[(*) Editor's note: In the original Lady Luck stories she has no disguise except a hat, and later wore a filmy green veil over her face; we suggest that the Earth-X version of Lady Luck has from the beginning worn a dark black veil under her hat to better disguise herself, at least until she adopted the more familiar green veil.]
It didn't take long for her plan to work, as she soon heard the scuffling of feet. Turning to look, she saw the troubled-looking man approach her, trying to look inconspicuous as he pulled out a tightly twisted scarf from his pocket.
The Park Strangler! thought Lady Luck. But just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard something that sounded like a projectile flying past her ear. A moment later, a shocked-looking Strangler crumpled to the ground, dead with an arrow through his chest. "What in the world--?!" she cried.
"Good evening, Lady Luck!" said a foreign voice from behind her.
Lady Luck had been so focused on the Strangler that she hadn't heard the newcomer approach. She whirled around to see an archer carrying a golden bow. His accent had sounded Italian.
"You autograph hounds are relentless!" she quipped, pulling out her pistol and aiming it at his chest. "Now just who--?!"
But the archer moved so quickly that by the time she'd raised her arm, he had already leaped to the side and fired off another arrow that lodged directly into the barrel of her automatic. Instead of allowing herself to feel shock, she reacted immediately by tossing the gun directly at his face and struck him in the nose, causing him to gasp as she drew first blood.
Taking that moment to run up to him, Lady Luck ended up gasping herself as the dark-haired, yellow-masked archer pulled out another arrow from his quiver and directly drove it into her shoulder, having no room to use his bow.
Immediately dizzy, she fell down hard and groaned as she passed out.
Usil the Sun Archer smiled and examined her body. "Good," he said, wiping the blood from his nose. "The narcotic-arrow has done its job. She sleeps, and perhaps she shall never wake again!"
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Post by DocQuantum on Jul 19, 2022 4:51:46 GMT
by Libbylawrence and Doc Quantum
Mister Mystic had been on a case in British Malaya when he was summoned back to America. The Seven Lamas who had granted his power occasionally contacted him telepathically, impressing upon him a great danger that he must face. It seemed as if there was a growing danger back in America mere days after the Japanese attack on the mainland at Santa Barbara. But beyond an unease about great danger, he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Deeming it too risky to bring along his constant companions Penny Douglas and Chowderhead, Mystic teleported himself alone through the fourth dimension into New York City.
At Battery Park, Mystic passed by romantic couples and shoppers as he approached the edge of the water. There he frowned as he gazed across the bay to the Statue of Liberty on Bedloe's Island. Previously, he had only ever felt a sense of national pride whenever he looked upon Lady Liberty, but now something seemed off about it. His supernatural instincts would invariably lead him to some danger or another, and he was sure the same thing was happening now. He decided to pay a visit to Bedloe's Island to take a closer look.
Before he could embark on his next course of action, however, something else caught his attention. He could hear screams throughout Lower Manhattan. Turning himself partially into mist, he moved swiftly toward the sounds.
Below, several people were running away, screaming. One man shouted to another curious passerby, "Don't go downtown! People are dropping like flies over there! Some nut calling himself the Devil is attacking people with death-rays from a flying ship!"
"Great Scott!" cried Mister Mystic, speeding himself up. "I'd better get over there immediately!"
Racing above the streets toward the scene of madness and horror, Mystic now saw with his own eyes a fantastic-looking hovering craft like something out of Flash Gordon shooting flaring red beams at the people down below, striking them down as it passed overhead through the streets. The people in its direct path stood no chance, collapsing into unconsciousness or possibly death whenever one was struck.
Periodically he heard a German-accented voice broadcast from speaker systems mounted on the craft's hull, saying, "I am the Devil! My red death shall rain down upon this decadent city for the glory of the Third Reich!"
With a mere gesture, Mister Mystic teleported himself onto the ship of this mad genius calling himself the Devil. Finding himself at the end of a vent shaft, he would walk from there on in.
As he entered the marvelous craft's main deck, where a pilot sat with his back to him, he saw scientific wonders that intrigued his keen mind. This "Devil" may be a killer, but he sure has an amazing craft, he mused. What a technological breakthrough!
Silently crossing the room, he reached his hand toward a green-costumed figure in a captain's chair. But as he touched the man, tremendous pain suddenly shot through his body.
"A trap!" he cried out in agony as he was shocked by something like bio-feedback from the chair, but before he could collect his thoughts and use his magic to any effect, a sonic fury blasted down at him from all sides, and he fell to the cold steel floor, unconscious.
A lab coat-clad man wearing goggles over his eyes entered from behind a screen. "My decoy lured you right vhere I wanted you, foolish mystery-man -- in the path of my sonic blaster!" cackled the Nazi known as Der Teufel.
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Post by lawrenceliberty on Aug 31, 2022 15:02:03 GMT
I really like your changes and am very interested to see more of how Black Condor, Ray etc. adjust to their new lives on E-X. Plus , I am glad to see the more obscure Merlin and always have liked Lady Luck. Personally, I always preferred Midnight to the Spirit).
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Post by DocQuantum on Aug 31, 2022 19:14:44 GMT
Thanks! I kind of lost some steam with the story as there are some new scenes I wanted to write with Uncle Sam, Black Condor and the Ray, but haven’t had the inspiration yet.
I do like Midnight quite a bit too. Unfortunately he’s still on Earth-2 at this time, but will be available as of April 1942.
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Post by DocQuantum on Aug 25, 2023 7:23:28 GMT
by Doc Quantum
The crimson sunset cast hues of gold and red over the peaceful cityscape of Everytown, USA. Uncle Sam stood before his humble home, the worn wooden door a portal to a world he had been absent from for far too long. As he reached for the doorknob, a voice pierced through the air, interrupting his solitary moment.
"Uncle Sam! Uncle Sam!" called out a young voice, filled with excitement.
Sam turned around to see his young nephew, Buddy Smith, sprinting towards him from the neighbor's yard. Buddy's cherubic face radiated joy as he closed the distance between them, arms flung wide open.
"Uncle Sam, you're back!" Buddy exclaimed, embracing his uncle tightly.
A warm, if surprised smile spread across Uncle Sam's weathered face, as he returned the affectionate hug. Buddy's presence brought a sense of comfort, easing the weight of his mysterious absence.
"Buddy, my boy! How I've missed ye," Uncle Sam said, his deep voice resonating with affection. "I'm sorry for disappearing without any explanation."
Buddy's youthful curiosity bubbled up within him, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Where have you been, Uncle Sam? Why did you leave us?"
Uncle Sam glanced over at the matronly neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, who had taken care of Buddy in his absence, her reassuring smile confirming that the boy had been in good hands.
"Well, I've been away on a quite a journey, my dear nephew," Uncle Sam replied, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and pride. "You might say there were matters beyond this world that required my attention. But don't you worry none, Buddy! I reckon I've come back to stay for good."
Buddy bombarded his uncle with a barrage of questions, his enthusiasm uncontainable. Uncle Sam chuckled, marveling at the boy's insatiable thirst for knowledge.
As the conversation unfolded, Uncle Sam's keen eyes caught glimpses of a figure seeming to lurk in the shadows. A woman, with raven hair cascading around her translucent white skin, possessed an otherworldly, almost vampiric allure. She seemed to flicker at the edge of his vision, disappearing as quickly as she appeared.
Uncle Sam's brow furrowed in perplexity, his mind trying to rationalize the phantom-like presence. Perhaps it was fatigue from the long journey, playing tricks on his mind. Yet an underlying unease gnawed at him, whispering warnings he chose to dismiss, for now.
Ignoring the unsettling whispers within, Uncle Sam immersed himself in Buddy's company. The innocent joy radiating from the boy washed away the lingering doubts. They spoke late into the night, sharing stories and dreams, forging a bond stronger than any journeys between parallel worlds could sever.
Little did Uncle Sam know, the vampiric woman in red was not a mere figment of his imagination. She was a harbinger of impending darkness, a menace lurking in the shadows, biding her time. But for now, the true nature of her presence remained concealed, along with the other mysteries of Earth-X.
The night sky enveloped Everytown, USA, shrouding its secrets as Uncle Sam and Buddy found solace in their reunion. Time would reveal the challenges that awaited Uncle Sam, forcing him to confront forces far greater than he had ever known. But for this moment, buoyed by the love of family, he allowed himself a respite from the battles to come. Still, he couldn't help but wonder how the Ray and Black Condor were carrying on in this strange new world.
***
The bustling streets of New York City were a stark contrast to the confusion swirling inside Happy Terrill. Having taken off the yellow costume he wore as the Ray and switching it out for his usual sport jacket and tie, he inconspicuously weaved through the crowd, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of trouble. But today, his mission was different.
Happy had traveled from his own world of Earth-Two to this strangely familiar parallel universe of Earth-X for a mission of mercy, and when he learned that he couldn't go back home again, he simply hoped to find a fresh start and a new purpose. Now, as he approached a newsstand, he couldn't help but feel a sense of uncertainty mixed with a thread of excitement.
Stepping up to the stand, Happy perused the racks filled with newspapers, magazines, and comic-books. His dual identity as a reporter and superhero had taught him the importance of staying informed, even in this unfamiliar realm, but it wasn't just information that he needed to gather. Grabbing a few newspapers, he paid the vendor with a polite nod, then retreated to a nearby telephone booth for privacy.
With a mix of apprehension and hope, Happy dialed the first number on his list. As he went through the motions, introducing himself and expressing his interest in getting a job as a reporter for each of the papers, he was met with dismissal when he was unable to provide any previous work history. "Sorry, pal -- everyone's looking for work these days!" the voice on the other end responded before abruptly hanging up.
Undeterred, he dialed the second number. Again, the same disheartening response followed. One after another, each newspaper brushed him off, leaving Happy questioning his decision to come to Earth-X. But there was one last newspaper on his list: the Daily Globe.
Taking a deep breath, Happy dialed the number, the phone line crackling as he waited anxiously. To his astonishment, a familiar voice answered, interrupting his well-rehearsed introduction. "Happy Terrill, is that you?" the secretary's voice ringed with recognition. "Where have you been? Editor Hines isn't too happy with your absence."
"Wait, how do you know my name?" Happy stammered, his confusion growing with each passing moment. "And who is this 'Editor Hines' you're talking about?"
The secretary hesitated for a moment before proceeding, her voice filled with concern. "Who--?! Steve Hines, of course, you silly!" Listening, Happy frowned as he didn't recognize the name. Back home on Earth-Two, he had worked for the New York Daily Star, where his editor was named Cory Hines, not Steve. But that wasn't the only strange thing he was about to learn, as the secretary continued. "Happy, your foster son, little Bud, has been worried sick about you since you went missing a few days ago. He's been staying with a school friend, and he's just fine for now, but you need to come back here before Steve decides to fire you outright!"
Happy's mind raced. Jackie Budworth, his beloved foster son on Earth-Two, was supposed to be alone back on his home Earth without him. How could Bud, as he called him, be here on Earth-X? The implausible nature of the situation left Happy at a loss for words. Still, he mustered the presence of mind to respond, "Thank you for letting me know. I'll be there as soon as I can."
As he hung up the phone and ended the conversation, Happy leaned back against the booth's wall. Confusion and disbelief washed over him. Unbeknownst to him, the forces of the multiverse were at play, intertwining the lives of these parallel worlds. With a resolve burning in his eyes, he made a decision. Whatever mysterious circumstances had brought Bud to Earth-X, he knew he had to follow through and play the role assigned to him within this improbable situation.
Striding out of the telephone booth, Happy squared his shoulders and set off towards the Daily Globe, determined to uncover the truth behind the existence of Bud on this parallel Earth. The Ray had resolved to join Uncle Sam and Black Condor to fight for this world, and it was now his duty to navigate the unfamiliar twists and turns that lay ahead, despite how confusing they might be.
***
The bustling streets of Washington, DC were filled with a flurry of activity as the Black Condor strode pensively down the avenues, dressed in the clothing that he had once worn as U.S. Senator Tom Wright back on Earth-Two. His mind was racing, torn between the desire to dedicate himself to his responsibilities as a senator and the lingering sense of restlessness that had plagued him for days.
Dressed inconspicuously in civilian attire, a hat pulled low over his eyes, he mulled over his future. Should he even bother trying to continue living in Earth-X's version of the city where he had served his country as a senator, or should he embrace a nomadic existence once again, using his incredible abilities to aid the greater good wherever he may land as he had in the past?
Lost in his thoughts, Black Condor was abruptly pulled from his musings by the urgent voice of a newsstand operator. Incredibly, the man claimed that Black Condor bore an uncanny resemblance to none other than Senator Tom Wright, a man who had mysteriously vanished days ago from this parallel world known as Earth-X. Hastily clutching the newspaper extended to him, Black Condor's eyes widened in disbelief as he studied the photograph alongside the headline.
"This can't be possible!" he murmured to himself, baffled by the likeness. How could he be recognized in a world he had only just arrived in? Determined to uncover the truth, he wasted no time in storming towards Senator Wright's residence, nestled in the familiar location it held on his home on Earth-Two.
As he arrived, Black Condor was greeted by the Earth-X versions of his fiancée Wendy Foster and her father, Prof. Foster, who expressed relief at his return. They informed him that he had been missing for days, leaving behind countless questions and rumors. Senator Wright had vanished without a trace, disappearing into thin air, according to one of his distressed aides.
The enigmatic hero furrowed his brow, trying to comprehend the inexplicable events unfolding before him. Struck by an idea, Black Condor resolved to assume the identity of this world's Senator Wright, all the while vowing to uncover the fate of the real Tom Wright of Earth-X, if he still existed at all.
With an air of confidence, Black Condor feigned a recovering memory, pretending that fragments of his forgotten past were slowly coming back to him after a days-long stint of amnesia. Wendy, overjoyed by his apparent recollection, eagerly informed him of the pressing matters awaiting him in the Senate. America's imminent entry into the war effort necessitated his presence and leadership at this critical time.
Professor Foster, intrigued by the sudden recollection, decided to share further news with Black Condor. He revealed that Tom's young cousin, Justin Wright, had been desperately attempting to reach him. The urgency in the Professor's voice hinted at something more sinister lurking beneath the surface.
Like a specter emerging from the shadows, Justin Wright then materialized in the hallway, visibly frazzled and breathless. His words tumbled out in a frenzy, revealing that he had narrowly escaped the clutches of Nazi super-agents who had pursued him relentlessly. He had raced to Senator Wright's residence, seeking solace and aid from his cousin, the man he trusted most in the world.
Black Condor's eyes darted across Justin's face as he spoke, searching for signs of recognition. Yet the young man was a stranger to him. Nevertheless, he understood the importance of the situation and motioned for Justin to calm himself and recount his tale from the start.
"All right, Justin," Tom said firmly, his voice laced with determined resolve. "Take a moment to collect yourself. We'll ensure your safety and unearth the truth behind these 'Nazi super-agents,' as you call them. If this menace is still out there, we'll find them."
As the weight of his new role sank in, Black Condor prepared himself for a perilous journey into the unknown. With allies now depending on him, the hero -- in the guise of Senator Tom Wright -- steeled his nerves and vowed to unravel the mysteries that threatened his adopted world of Earth-X. To do that, he might need the help of his fellow Freedom Fighters.
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Post by DocQuantum on Sept 14, 2023 4:04:05 GMT
by Doc Quantum and Libbylawrence
Larry Noble thought he might be going crazy.
In the days since his cousin Jerry Noble went missing in action, the military had found no indications that he had survived the Japanese attack on the Californian coast. Senator Walter Q. Noble had arrived from Washington, D.C., to oversee the search for his son's remains, but the prospects for recovery looked slim at best. Finally, after learning all he could about his son's actions in battling the Japanese, the Senator agreed with the authorities that Jerry should be considered a war hero missing in action, and arranged a memorial service for his son back home in D.C. With the help of Naval Intelligence, he also ensured that the public never learned that the patriotically costumed man who went missing that day was, in fact, also his son Jerry Noble.
Having come from a middle-class family, Senator Noble had married into wealth. The late Courtney Kellogg Noble, of the Scottish Kellogg family, had left the bulk of her inheritance to Jerry Noble, allowing him to become independently wealthy. What was left of that inheritance would now be split between the Senator and Larry, with a smaller amount for Jerry's assistant, Chalky. It turned out that Jerry had also updated his will to include a provision for Joanne to inherit a portion, although nearly the entire inheritance would have been hers had she already married him upon his presumed death.
Joanne Gale tried her best to console the senator, who had lost his wife a few years back, but truthfully she was just barely holding it together herself. Although she had only known Jerry for three and a half months, they had already fallen deeply in love with each other. After the funeral at Arlington Cemetery, Joanne told Larry that she was returning to California to find a job as a secretary somewhere and do her best to move on. Given their adversarial relationship before Jerry's death, Larry didn't expect to ever see her again.
Larry also took the death harder than he had expected to. As a Hollywood stunt man, he had lost friends in the business before, and he'd expected to just soldier on like he always did when tragedy struck. Yet instead he came to the stark realization that life just felt empty for him, since he had no other family except for his rather aloof uncle, and few close friends. He tried to pour himself into his work, but his lack of attentiveness on the job caused a few too many problems, and he had to temporarily stop working in Hollywood for a while.
It was then that Larry started hearing the voice in his mind.
As clear as day, he began to hear his cousin Jerry's voice calling out to him for help as if from a great distance away. After ignoring it, Larry tried to answer, but the voice could not hear his reply. He tried to dismiss it as wishful thinking, or a coping mechanism, but the voice was so persistent that it drove him to start drinking hard liquor just to drown it out.
And then he started to see his cousin's ghost.
The beckoning figure, appearing before his eyes like a transparent ghost from out of a B-grade movie, seemed to be trying to urge him to do something, but he could not understand what the apparition wanted, and he could no longer hear his voice.
This ain't the Broadway production of Hamlet, and I'm no Maurice Evans! he thought. I've gotta be losing my mind!
The visions of the apparition became so intense that he decided to seek professional help. An old girlfriend of his gave him a business card of a specialist she knew of based in New York City, so he took the first flight he could get and was soon standing in front of the Chrysler Building in Midtown Manhattan.
Reaching the thirteenth floor, he was disappointed to find only an insurance agency at the address on the business card. Luckily, the pretty blonde secretary there was all too helpful once he began to pour on the charm. She informed him that the occult specialist had given up his high-rise office a couple of years ago and had relocated to a small house in Greenwich Village. She gave him the forwarding address (along with her phone number), and he was soon on his way.
Approaching a small house on Bleecker Street, Larry said to himself, "This is nuts, but I've gotta try something. If Jerry's ghost is still out there troubled by something, I have to help him. And If I am really going crazy, then maybe this guy can confirm it." He read the door placard, which matched the name on the card: "Zero, ghost detective."
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Post by lawrenceliberty on Sept 14, 2023 16:54:15 GMT
Very interesting. You've done a great job with establishing that the Buddy(s) do exist on E-X now. You're already fixing the Earth X/Earth 2 mess caused by the All-Star Squadron plot.
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