Post by dans on Mar 25, 2024 14:26:49 GMT
| Prior Appearances of Lady Fairplay The Golden Age Origin of Lady Fairplay Read all the chapters in the introduction to 'The Greatest American Movie' Chapter 1: Blue Fire in: Out of Circulation Chapter 2: Black Zero in: Submarine Sabotage Chapter 3: Lady Fairplay in: Mississippi Mayhem Chapter 4: Mirror Girl in: Kidnapped Chapter 5: Dr. Diamond in: War Zone Fort Rosecrans Chapter 6: Fearless Flint in: Intrigue in Washington Chapter 7: Willow Wisp in: Cold Justice Chapter 8: Master Mystic in: The End of the Beginning (Read me last!) |
Heroes Aren't Just Found on Battlefields
Mary Lee, a sixth grade teacher in Crystal Bluffs, Iowa, stood in front of her class discussing the day's social studies lesson on social responsibilities and heroism. She fit the stereotype of a "mousy" teacher with her round glasses, red hair tied in a bun, and conservative dress. But her meek appearance hid her secret identity of Lady Fairplay, a 'comic strip adventure girl' with mighty powers. As she spoke about patriotism and how everyone can contribute to the greater good, some students listened eagerly while others seemed bored.
"Remember," she said earnestly, "heroes aren't just found on the battlefields. Every citizen can play their part, whether by collecting scrap metal or planting victory gardens. Patriotism isn't just a feeling; it's action for the greater good."
She was thrilled that she was reaching at least some of her students with her own excitement and passionate patriotism.
"Ms. Lee?" a timid voice called. It was Tommy, a bright-eyed boy who often asked questions that others were too shy to ask. "Does everyone know what to do? How to be a patriot, I mean?"
"Not always," she admitted softly. "Sometimes, it takes a lot of courage to make difficult choices and stand up for what you believe in. Sometimes, you have to make choices no one else can make for you."
"Like superheroes like Lady Fairplay?" another student piped up, eyes wide with the thrill of comics and larger-than-life battles. It was Carly, and Mary Lee was secretly pleased that Carly was so interested in her other identity.
"Exactly like that," Mary Lee confirmed with a small smile. "They show us that the fight for justice is never over, and that there's a hero in all of us, waiting for the right moment to act." She paused for a moment, ordering her thoughts. "Tell you want, for tonight's social studies assignment, I want you all to write a short essay..." she paused as faces fell... "very short, a half page would be fine, about you or someone you know, someone who did something that took courage, not for a reward, but just because it was the right thing to do." With an instant to think about it, she put some more definition around the assignment. "Tomorrow during social studies, we'll take a few minutes, and if any of you wants to, you can read your stories to the class." Their attention had perked up - this was way more interesting than writing something boring that only a teacher would ever read!
After social studies, Mary released the kids to lunch, and sat down at her desk to read today's paper, a brief daily respite from her teaching duties. She quickly read one of the front page articles: "Mysterious Nighttime Activities Rattle Dock Workers Near Mississippi Warehouses."
When she was finished, she glanced at the clock. Still twenty-five minutes left in the lunch period - plenty for a normal person, but for Mary Lee, an eternity. She slipped the newspaper under her arm and glanced out through the door. The hallway was empty, a ghost town compared to its usual bustling state. With another quick glance down each end of the corridor, ensuring no one was in sight, she unleashed her super speed. The world around her became a blur as she darted down the corridor and out into the bright midday sun. Her feet barely touched the ground as she raced across town, her mind set on the warehouses by the river.
Blending in with the crowd was second nature to her. She slowed enough to appear as a working woman on her lunch break, clutching a newspaper as if planning to catch up on current events while eating her sandwich.
"Something strange going on?" she casually asked a dock worker who was taking a break outside one of the warehouses. She'd let her hair down and taken off her glasses - men seemed to be more willing to talk to her when she appeared less 'prim and proper'. At least, it worked with this one!
"Yeah, but, well, there's been talk about more lights than usual, odd shadows, noises, from some of the other places, not here. Some of the guys are spooked, thinking it's spies or saboteurs. War's got everyone on edge," he added in a hushed tone.
"Spies, you say? That would be quite the story." Mary Lee feigned a laugh. "Thank you. Enjoy your break!"
As she turned, another worker came out of the warehouse and spoke to the guy she had been talking to.
"Did you hear about the new shipments coming in?" the worker mentioned to another. "Hope nothing happens to disrupt it!"
"Shipment of what?" Mary Lee turned back, her curiosity thinly veiled by a friendly smile.
"Ah, just supplies coming downriver for transshipment to the Army Munitions Plant, miss. Nothing interesting unless you're into nuts and bolts," the man answered, assuming her to be just another curious civilian.
"Right, of course. Thank you for your service," she said warmly, moving on before they could become suspicious of her probing questions. The nearby Army Munitions Plant was responsible for packing weapons and munitions for shipment to the overseas forces - it would certainly be a logical target for spies!
Her lunch break was ending, and with a heavy sigh, she knew she had to return to her other life. Mary Lee transformed her brisk walk into a full-on sprint the moment she was out of view, racing back to school with the wind roaring in her ears. She arrived back with only a few seconds to spare before the cafeteria monitors let her students return to the classroom, her conservative attire in stark contrast to the pulsating energy that surged within her. As she stepped back into the classroom, Mary Lee tucked the newspaper away and assumed her position at the front. Her students filed in, none the wiser to her secret reconnaissance mission. As she watched them, she wondered idly how many of them might have a parent who worked the late shift in one of the waterfront warehouses? How many families could be in danger if she didn't act?
Interview with Chief Muldoon
Mary Lee drove home from work in her red convertible, a vehicle that had some hidden capabilities and could transform into Lady Fairplay's Terrificar at the flip of a secret switch. Some of her friends felt that it bordered on risque (perhaps the wrong side of the border, and perhaps they were a bit jealous) for a single woman to even own her own car, much less drive unescorted to and from work every day. A year ago, she would have felt the same way, but her attitudes towards what was 'proper' and what was not had changed a lot since then. Of course, the amazing super powers that had transformed Mary Lee into 'comic strip adventure girl', Lady Fairplay, helped a lot - she realized that a woman shouldn't need super powers just to have the freedom to drive herself to work every day.
As she approached her neighborhood, a peanut bulb on her dashboard flashed, signaling that her radio had intercepted something on the police band. She flipped the switch that changed it from a regular car radio into a police band radio and heard an unexpected message addressed directly to Lady Fairplay. The voice belonged to Officer Smalley, the first policeman she had met while performing heroics as Lady Fairplay. He had faced skepticism and ridicule from his fellow officers until it became clear that Lady Fairplay was real.
"Crystal City PD is attempting to reach Lady Fairplay," Smalley sounded bored and tired. "We will continue to broadcast this message every hour and half hour until we hear from you. Please respond when you hear this." Mary couldn't help but wonder how many times Smalley had repeated this message throughout the day. She stopped at a payphone and called him back.
"Chief Muldoon asked me to tell you that he would like to set up some way to contact you for emergency situations and crimes in progress. We know you monitor our police bands, but sometimes we need immediate assistance," Smalley explained.
Mary was intrigued by the proposal, especially since the Chief had publicly seemed resentful of her presence as Lady Fairplay. "I've heard that the Chief thinks it makes him and the department look bad when I bring in a bad guy. What's up?" she wondered.
"I'm not sure myself. Maybe he's starting to see things differently. Can I tell him you'll meet with him so I can stop repeating this damn message?" Smalley joked.
Mary laughed. "Of course, Officer Smalley! I'm sorry you had to go through this. Let the Chief know that I will visit the station later this week. And see if you can convince him not to arrest me!" she replied mischievously.
As she hung up, she decided instead to visit the chief at his home tonight instead of going to the police station, and planned to patrol the waterfront later that night after their meeting. Excitement bubbled inside her as she hid the microphone and continued on her way home.
***
Lady Fairplay wasn't surprised when Chief Muldoon answered the door that evening. The Chief wasn't married. He wasn't really happy to see her and snarled when she greeted him at the front door, and he pointedly did not ask her in. "I talked to Officer Smalley this afternoon and he said you wanted to talk to me about a way to contact me when my assistance is needed. So let's talk!"
His voice was gruff, laced with irritation. "I really don't care if we have a way to contact you or not! I had a visit in the office today, from one of the top guys in the Secret Service. President Roosevelt sent you a love note or something, and he ordered me to hand it to you personally." He waved an envelope around as he spoke, then stopped and thrust it at her. "So here it is, now get out of here!"
She took the envelope and stuffed it in one of the pockets hidden underneath her cape - she was very curious about it, but she had other business on her mind right now. She wasn't about to leave without addressing the tension between them. "Chief, why do you hate me? I've only used my powers for good since I got them. I captured the Mental Marvel, destroyed the giant robot, and stopped the armored car payroll hijackings."
"Because you're making it seem like the Crystal Bluff Police Department can't handle their job without your help! And because I worry about how we would stop you if you ever turned against us!" Muldoon's words were sharp and defensive.
She countered, "But there are times when your men and their weapons aren't enough to stop a dangerous menace. Like with the giant blue robot - it was immune to your gunfire and was about to escape with all of the bank's money. That would have made EVERYONE in the city pretty upset with the police! Would it have been better if I hadn't shown up? You know I've never interfered when your team could handle the situation. If we set up a way for you to call me for help when I'm needed and announced it together, maybe with the Mayor beaming his approval in the background, wouldn't that make you and the Department look good?"
"I'll think about it," he huffed.
Sensing a glimmer of progress, Lady Fairplay pressed on. "What if I helped solve the warehouse robberies? I know the papers have been blaming the police for failing to catch those responsible. Maybe I could look into that myself. Can you give me any more information on the situation?"
She was correct, the police department had been facing a wave of negative stories in the press surrounding the recent warehouse robberies in Crystal Bluff. Goods worth hundreds of thousands of dollars had mysteriously disappeared from multiple waterfront warehouses, and there were no leads or witnesses to be found. It seemed implausible that such large-scale thefts could occur without at least a team of people operating heavy machinery and several trucks to transport the stolen goods. Yet, these incidents took place overnight while a full night shift was on duty, and all workers claimed nothing out of the ordinary happened during their shift. Could every single one of them be involved with the thieves?
Muldoon sighed, and acknowledged 'defeat'. "If you can stop the warehouse robberies and capture the thieves, I'll make a public announcement that the Crystal Bluff Police Department and Lady Fairplay are officially working together and that you are a welcome volunteer addition to the force."
"Thanks, Chief... see you tomorrow!" she replied brashly, and disappeared into the night.
It's... the Mental Marvel! And Friend
As Lady Fairplay surveyed the busy waterfront, she couldn't help but notice the heightened security at the Iowa Army Munitions Plant warehouse she'd been by at lunch time. It was one of the few that hadn't been targeted by recent robberies, and it seemed like everyone was on high alert tonight. After all, this warehouse was crucial in supplying munitions to US Armed Forces around the world. A theft here could result in shortages and impact future military operations. Since it was already surrounded by cops and MPs, Lady Fairplay left it to the authorities and instead used her super speed to scan the other warehouses for any unusual activity.
At the Acme warehouse, she noticed three tractor trailers being loaded with supplies by workers in their company uniforms. Everything appeared to be routine. However, a memory from Chief Muldoon's description of the previous robberies nagged at her mind. How could such a large operation go unnoticed?
Suddenly, her heart was pounding; she was absolutely gobsmacked when she realized who the thief must be. "HOLY MACKERAL! It must be the Mental Marvel!"
She'd encountered the villain that the press now dubbed "the Mental Marvel" the first time she'd appeared in public as Lady Fairplay. Somehow, Mental Marvel had the power to order people to do whatever he told them to do - including forgetting that they had aided him in a robbery! She had managed to overcome his powers, gag him, and capture him - but someone had ignored her orders not to remove the gag, and he'd ordered the cops to let him go and forget everything they knew about him!
She had to get inside and see if he was the thief!
***
Lady Fairplay zoomed around the busy warehouse building at super speed. All the doors were firmly shut except for those on the loading dock. After weighing her options, she decided to enter through the roof – an effortless leap of approximately 50 feet. Two rooftop entrances were available, and she chose the one farthest from the chaos surrounding the loading dock. The door was locked, but with a quick punch, she easily broke through a wooden panel and reached in to turn the knob on the inside.
The staircase was dusty - nobody had been up here in years, and it was empty tonight. She peeked through the door at the bottom of the stairs and saw that the vast warehouse was mostly deserted except for the busy knot of workers at the dock. She observed three forklifts carrying heavily laden pallets into waiting trailers, while a constant stream of men bustled about with smaller items in tow. It was a surreal scene – no one seemed to be speaking to each other or taking breaks, even though they were clearly working at a frantic pace. She suspected that Mental Marvel must have given some directive to his workers, something along the lines of "move everything into those trucks as quickly as possible!" And it seemed that nothing would stop them from carrying out his orders. Lady Fairplay knew he had to be nearby, keeping watch in case any issues arose that needed his attention.
She cautiously navigated her way through the towering shelves until she spotted him - Mental Marvel himself. He was lounging in the dock foreman's chair, dressed in an expensive suit with his feet resting on the desk. Standing beside him was a massive figure, more beast than man, who stood completely still - it was evident that he was under Mental Marvel's control.
Deadly Battle
She recognized the Brute from a recent FBI public service announcement as 'the most dangerous man in America,' Sinistro, an Axis agent who had developed a potion that granted him immense strength and power. He had been captured some time ago, but had recently escaped and there was currently a nationwide hunt to find him.
As she realized that Mental Marvel must also be an Axis agent, she knew she had to take them both down. But first, she had to incapacitate Mental Marvel before he could issue any further commands to the warehouse workers ('such as, to attack me,' she thought wryly). She pulled out her steel baton from under her cape, then attacked at super speed, knocking out the Mental Marvel with a swift strike to the head before he could react. Returning to human speed, she gagged him quickly. However, as soon as she became visible again, all hell broke loose as Sinstro roared and charged!
The brute was much larger than she, much more powerful than any normal human, and he attacked with senseless rage, determined to kill her! He wasn't as quite fast as she was, but he was relentless.
Lady Fairplay was stunned when she realized that the warehouse workmen were continuing to load the trailers, totally ignoring the deadly fight going on nearby, like living robots. Then she realized that the goon she was fighting was also acting like a living robot, blindly following orders. In the back of her mind, she guessed that Mental Marvel had shown his henchman her picture and ordered him to kill her at any cost if he saw her. She deliberately let his powerful blows knock her backwards away from the loading dock and the laboring men; she didn't want any of them to get injured in this battle.
There was a lot of heavy machinery in this warehouse, after knocking Lady Fairplay down, Sinistro picked up a metal press that must have weighed a couple of tons and heaved it at her. She didn't know if this could hurt her - she was immune to bullets, but a bullet weighed less than an ounce. She dodged at superspeed and the mangled machine crashed through the wall. She quickly realized that she had to get this fight out of the warehouse before any more damage was done. She ran towards her attacker, twisting away from his blows, smashed into him, wrapped her arms around him, and then used her incredible strength to drive him him through the wall and into the parking lot outside. She lost her grip on him as they crashed into several parked cars, smashing them to pieces.
Lady Fairplay got to her feet, determined to put an end to this senseless battle. But Sinistro wasn't giving up that easily. He picked up a small truck and threw it at her with all his might. Lady Fairplay quickly moved out of the way and the truck bounced through the parking lot, wrecking more cars before it crashed to a halt.
"You're just making things worse for yourself," Lady Fairplay shouted at him. "Stop this madness!"
But Sinistro hadn't been ordered to listen - he'd been ordered to fight! He charged towards her again, swinging a metal pipe that he tore out of the wall. Once again, Lady Fairplay evaded his attack, then ripped the pipe from his hands, bending it in half with her bare hands.
"I'm stopping you right now!" she warned him sternly.
Sinistro growled, picked up a forklift and threw it at her. Lady Fairplay dodged the machine's immense prongs and it bounced out into the river. She raced forward and retaliated with a punch to Sinistro's stomach. The brute grunted in pain but quickly recovered, grabbing hold of Lady Fairplay and using all his strength to slam her onto the ground. Lady Fairplay rolled over and kicked him off her, getting back to her feet in an instant. She could see that Sinistro was becoming angrier and more desperate with every passing second. She knew she had to find a way to subdue him before he caused any more harm.
Using her agility, Lady Fairplay swiftly dodged Sinistro's attacks while simultaneously looking for something she could use to knock him out. Finally, she spotted a large fire extinguisher hanging on the wall nearby. With lightning speed, Lady Fairplay grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it directly into Sinistro's face. The sudden blast of foam blinded him temporarily and gave Lady Fairplay the opportunity she needed to race forward and batter him with a barrage of super speed punches until finally she knocked him out cold with a final powerful punch.
As Sinistro finally lay unconscious on the ground, Lady Fairplay breathed a tremendous sigh of relief. She raced into the warehouse at top speed - to find that the workers were STILL loading the trucks! On the loading docks she found some rope and she quickly bound the Mental Marvel, tearing his suit jacket into strips to create a secure gag. Maybe THIS time, the police would listen to her when she told them not to remove his gag or untie him until he was safely behind bars and the keys to his cell were hidden from anyone who might come in contact with him. Then she raced back outside and wrapped Sinistro securely in a cocoon of rope.
A New Alliance
By this time, the police were arriving, including Chief Muldoon. "Here you go, Chief - your prisoners are two of the most dangerous men in America!" she greeted him. She explained the scheme to him, and when they went inside, they were startled to see that the semis were finally fully loaded, the gates closed, and all the workers had gone back to their normal routine - and when questioned, not a one of them had any clue about why a third of their inventory was loaded onto these trucks, or much of their remaining inventory was shattered, or why there was a gaping hole smashed through the wall, or that there had been a life-and-death battle in the parking lot!
"Well, I guess you've solved the mystery of the warehouse robberies!" Muldoon had to admit ruefully. "And it will sure look good for the Crystal Bluff Police Department to turn over two of the most dangerous men in America to the FBI." He stuck out his hand, perhaps a little reluctantly. "Stop by my office at Police Headquarters tomorrow - not my house! - and we'll get together with the Mayor to work out the details of our announcement." He paused for a second, then added a little shyly, "And if it's not a Top Secret, I'm really curious about that envelope from the President!"
Next Appearance of Lady Fairplay
The Greatest American Movie