Just for Boxing Day!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Ebenezer Scrooge
After the events of A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge dedicated his life to helping mankind. After an encounter with a mad businessman who had been corrupted by a Fiction Cairn, Scrooge met Alice and Frankenstein and they formed the first version of The Lost Legion. Scrooge could see ghosts and used this ability to solve crimes in 19th century London.
Many of their adventures took them through time with the help of the Crusader. The Sphinx was also a member and with the Scepter of Time's Shadow he could mend alternate timelines and keep the consistency of their reality. Scrooge eventually died of old age and was shocked to learn he had not done enough good in his life to overcome whatever curse had befallen him. He continued to fund the Legion with his wealth and knowledge as a ghost. During one of their adventures the Legion realized that they had weakened the timeline and created a surge in magical energy. The world was in danger, WWII fighter planes began bombing the city of London almost fifty years before the war started. In order to fight it, the members of the Legion from the future had to return to their own time. But the rest had to disappear so that the wizard Abraxas Ro could seal off the mystical realm of the Gods that threatened the Earth. They used their abilities to manipulate the past; Scrooge dictated the story of his life to Charles Dickens which Dickens believed was his own story.
During the battle between the Canadian Legion and the Proletarian, Snowfall discovered the spell had crumbled and some of the Lost Legion were back in action. They came together one last time to fight the evil Soviet super-man.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Zeus
Formerly a vigilante known as The Eagle, Jesus Molinero was born with conductor wires throughout his nervous system consisting primarily of copper and aluminum. These wires collect his bio-electric energy which he can discharge through his hands or a weapon. Jesus has always carried a sword to conduct the bio-electrical current. Born in Mexico he was raised in a Catholic Orphanage, no one noticed or reported his birth defect to the authorities so he was allowed to grow up without being hunted or feared. When he was eighteen he sought out the legendary Luchador hero Senior Ocho. Ocho had already taken the Black Flag under his tutelage and the two men had much in common, Ocho was no swordsman and eventually Jesus struck out on his own. After many years of fighting crime throughout Mexico, Argos and Bia came to recruit him. They told him of what the U.S. government had done; how they had killed children just like him, babies, simply for being born different. During one of their meetings MI:6 attacked and Jesus's cousin was killed. Although he joined them and believes in their cause, he does not see Homo Sapiens Demonus as different than humanity. To him it is all hatred and violence, he does not consider himself any different than the rest of humanity. The rest of the team knows how he feels but they believe eventually he will see the cruelty and hatred that humanity has for them and give himself 100% to the cause.
POWERS:
Jesus has the power to generate electrostatic charges and is able to discharge up to 100,000 volts through conductive metal or 50,000 volts through his hands. He is a skilled fencer with extaordinary swordsmanship skills, an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, and an excellent acrobat. Due to the wiring throughout his body, he is more resilient than most humans and also heals wounds slightly faster.
APPEARANCE:
Originally I had done a really nice brown, black and red mock-up that looked very cool. Then Photshop crashed and I lost it, which is why there was a delay getting this guy up. Now you have to settle for a crappy black and white mock-up of Zeus.
Underneath his shirt you can see the wiring over his chest in the pattern of an eagle.
POWERS:
Jesus has the power to generate electrostatic charges and is able to discharge up to 100,000 volts through conductive metal or 50,000 volts through his hands. He is a skilled fencer with extaordinary swordsmanship skills, an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, and an excellent acrobat. Due to the wiring throughout his body, he is more resilient than most humans and also heals wounds slightly faster.
APPEARANCE:
Originally I had done a really nice brown, black and red mock-up that looked very cool. Then Photshop crashed and I lost it, which is why there was a delay getting this guy up. Now you have to settle for a crappy black and white mock-up of Zeus.
Underneath his shirt you can see the wiring over his chest in the pattern of an eagle.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Bia - Femme Fatale of the Master Race
Belinda Abel was a freelance assassin when she first met Argos. Although his speeches sounded nice, she was not interested in anything but profit. Bia had heard all kinds of justifications for all kinds of murder so there was nothing particularly new to what he had to say. Watching the attack on the British Parliament live on television and seeing people like herself killed by the authorities she felt incredibly guilty. She arrogantly believed had she been there, they might have succeeded. They had given her the name Bia after the goddess of force and power and when Argos showed up on her doorstep for help she gave them all she could. During the time that Mr. Helix was recovering Bia broke into Scotland Yard's holding facility and murdered Winged Beauty.
The work she did for various governments prior to joining The Master Race is part of the reason they have not come after them directly. She personally performed assassinations for many world governments and the 1%. If made public, would ruin many careers in Washington AND the corporate world. Her enemies are waiting for her to expose herself at which time they'll take her and her fellow mutants out permanently.
POWERS:
Along with super strength and durability, she also possesses a variety of other superhuman attributes, including (but possibly not limited to): super speed (50 mph tops), super agility, super reflexes, and super dexterity/coordination. Bia is also able to instantly replicate the physical movement of peak-level humans in her vicinity and perform these movements for up to six hours. Not only does this make her a deadly opponent, but she is also the perfect sparing partner and has made The Master Race a powerful team of combatants.
The work she did for various governments prior to joining The Master Race is part of the reason they have not come after them directly. She personally performed assassinations for many world governments and the 1%. If made public, would ruin many careers in Washington AND the corporate world. Her enemies are waiting for her to expose herself at which time they'll take her and her fellow mutants out permanently.
POWERS:
Along with super strength and durability, she also possesses a variety of other superhuman attributes, including (but possibly not limited to): super speed (50 mph tops), super agility, super reflexes, and super dexterity/coordination. Bia is also able to instantly replicate the physical movement of peak-level humans in her vicinity and perform these movements for up to six hours. Not only does this make her a deadly opponent, but she is also the perfect sparing partner and has made The Master Race a powerful team of combatants.
Dr. Mandrill - Scientist of the Master Race
The only current member other than Mr. Helix to not take a name from Greek mythology, perhaps because unlike the others his appearance is clearly NOT human. William Mandrake was born to parents who were very successful physicists. Highly intelligent and hard working, they were also careless and exposed themselves to unhealthy levels of radiation. When their child was born they knew immediately that something was wrong. The child was born ape-like with white skin, even though his parents were black. From birth his powers were activated as a survival measure; his father shunned him in fear while his mother pampered and spoiled him. Eventually his father's fear overcame his mother's obsession and he took the child far out into the wilderness of northern Greenland where their lab was located. Luckily for William he was found by a female police officer and taken to her home. As he grew he moved from woman to woman, using his powers on them. It was clear what he was turning into, but no female could resist him. He had to be weary of men, for their fears would often drive them to hurt him. When he reached puberty though things changed for him. The women who nurtured him were now lusting after him. It was a strange change for a boy who had come to see women as mother figures. Luckily for him, it was easy to learn how to deal with their sexual passions.
After the attack on the British Parliament, Mandrake, now calling himself Dr. Mandrill after receiving multiple doctorates through online education, decided to find Mr. Helix and the other members of The Master Race. They were astonished when he managed to do just that and they immediately welcomed him into the group. He was the one that warned them that non-physical powers from one of their species could not affect another member of their species; their powers only worked against humans. Dr. Mandrill is in charge or recruitment and information gathering and has managed to keep the new version of The Master Race off the radar. Mr. Helix had told him he is the future of their race and the two men have agreed to begin a breeding program once a suitable female can be found. They have attempted to create Homo Sapiens Demonus children with human females but the results have been. . . horrifyingly bad.
POWERS:
Dr. Mandrill has superhuman strength, speed, agility, dexterity, flexibility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance comparable to that of a great ape. He is a skilled acrobatic hand-to-hand combatant. Mandrake can also release pheromones that allow him a certain degree of control over women who find themselves helplessly attracted to him. They will often ignore common sense and put their own lives at risk to protect him. But Mandrake must be cautious in using these pheromones, for on men they create a fearful "alpha male" response. Some men will quickly obey him, but others can turn irrational and dangerous, unable to cope with the fear they experience. In some cases men have tried to kill him as an abomination and he has barely escaped more than one angry mob.
Lastly the doctor is highly intelligent, cunning and skillful with a keen mind.
After the attack on the British Parliament, Mandrake, now calling himself Dr. Mandrill after receiving multiple doctorates through online education, decided to find Mr. Helix and the other members of The Master Race. They were astonished when he managed to do just that and they immediately welcomed him into the group. He was the one that warned them that non-physical powers from one of their species could not affect another member of their species; their powers only worked against humans. Dr. Mandrill is in charge or recruitment and information gathering and has managed to keep the new version of The Master Race off the radar. Mr. Helix had told him he is the future of their race and the two men have agreed to begin a breeding program once a suitable female can be found. They have attempted to create Homo Sapiens Demonus children with human females but the results have been. . . horrifyingly bad.
POWERS:
Dr. Mandrill has superhuman strength, speed, agility, dexterity, flexibility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance comparable to that of a great ape. He is a skilled acrobatic hand-to-hand combatant. Mandrake can also release pheromones that allow him a certain degree of control over women who find themselves helplessly attracted to him. They will often ignore common sense and put their own lives at risk to protect him. But Mandrake must be cautious in using these pheromones, for on men they create a fearful "alpha male" response. Some men will quickly obey him, but others can turn irrational and dangerous, unable to cope with the fear they experience. In some cases men have tried to kill him as an abomination and he has barely escaped more than one angry mob.
Lastly the doctor is highly intelligent, cunning and skillful with a keen mind.
Mr. Helix
No one is quite sure WHY Mr. Helix hates the human race. Once a vibrant activist and scholar, Mr. Helix left university six weeks from getting his doctorate in education and social studies. The sixties counter culture he was a part of had told him of other gifted people like himself, those with extraordinary and dangerous abilities. Friends and associates from that era claim he was fascinated with Hitler and the science of eugenics and social engineering. Unlike other racists however, Mr. Helix did not have any others of his kind around to identify with. So he went searching for them.
Although there were others he met in his travels it was not until he met Argos that he found the perfect disciple. Argos was angry and powerful and a natural leader. Helix was able to transform him into the perfect soldier; the leader of the Master Race that was to come. They would issues their Seven Entitlements and through acts of terror, those entitlements would become a reality. But Mr. Helix made one fatal mistake, he underestimate the fear and hatred mankind would exhibit. Winged Beauty, a handsome Greek boy from a wealthy family, was not convinced by Mr. Helix or Argos and betrayed them to MI:6 who were prepared for their attack on the British Parliament. Red Riding Hood, his first female student and a beautiful, deadly telepath and telekinetic, was killed in a hail of gunfire as was The Ape while protecting her. Chill was corner by military men with flame throwers and incinerated. Argos managed to cover Mr. Helix until they made it back to the street but a sniper managed to hit Helix multiple times in the back. Argos dragged him into a nearby vehicle and took him to the home of Bia, another Demonus whom he had been trying to recruit.
With the help of a kidnapped medical staff they managed to save Mr. Helix's life. But his spine could not be repaired, nor could the damage to his brain. Mr. Helix was, for all intents and purposes, a vegetable. He could no longer walk or move his limbs. But his power increased ten-fold, making him even more dangerous than he was before.
POWERS: Mr. Helix has two major mental abilities. Mr. Helix possesses the psionic ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of other sentient life forms. He can affect a large group of individuals at one time, and can exert varying levels of empathic control over them, ranging from subtle manipulations that others are generally unaware of to a complete negation of emotion that reduces others to a "cold" state in which he can command them with little effort. After surviving his attack on the British Parliament, he developed a secondary ability, that of minor telepathy. Although not able to control minds, he is able to hear other people's thoughts. He can also scan the memory of other people and send thoughts directly into other people's minds. By combining these two abilities, he can say just the right words to convince anyone of anything he wants them to believe.
APPEARANCE: Once a very dapper British gentleman, after the injuries he appears almost invalid. He must be cared for and attended to although this is done by a group of human nurses whom he has bent to his will. His will is strong and he is dedicated to his cause, especially now that humans have destroyed his body.
Although there were others he met in his travels it was not until he met Argos that he found the perfect disciple. Argos was angry and powerful and a natural leader. Helix was able to transform him into the perfect soldier; the leader of the Master Race that was to come. They would issues their Seven Entitlements and through acts of terror, those entitlements would become a reality. But Mr. Helix made one fatal mistake, he underestimate the fear and hatred mankind would exhibit. Winged Beauty, a handsome Greek boy from a wealthy family, was not convinced by Mr. Helix or Argos and betrayed them to MI:6 who were prepared for their attack on the British Parliament. Red Riding Hood, his first female student and a beautiful, deadly telepath and telekinetic, was killed in a hail of gunfire as was The Ape while protecting her. Chill was corner by military men with flame throwers and incinerated. Argos managed to cover Mr. Helix until they made it back to the street but a sniper managed to hit Helix multiple times in the back. Argos dragged him into a nearby vehicle and took him to the home of Bia, another Demonus whom he had been trying to recruit.
With the help of a kidnapped medical staff they managed to save Mr. Helix's life. But his spine could not be repaired, nor could the damage to his brain. Mr. Helix was, for all intents and purposes, a vegetable. He could no longer walk or move his limbs. But his power increased ten-fold, making him even more dangerous than he was before.
POWERS: Mr. Helix has two major mental abilities. Mr. Helix possesses the psionic ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of other sentient life forms. He can affect a large group of individuals at one time, and can exert varying levels of empathic control over them, ranging from subtle manipulations that others are generally unaware of to a complete negation of emotion that reduces others to a "cold" state in which he can command them with little effort. After surviving his attack on the British Parliament, he developed a secondary ability, that of minor telepathy. Although not able to control minds, he is able to hear other people's thoughts. He can also scan the memory of other people and send thoughts directly into other people's minds. By combining these two abilities, he can say just the right words to convince anyone of anything he wants them to believe.
APPEARANCE: Once a very dapper British gentleman, after the injuries he appears almost invalid. He must be cared for and attended to although this is done by a group of human nurses whom he has bent to his will. His will is strong and he is dedicated to his cause, especially now that humans have destroyed his body.
Argos: Leader of the Master Race
Argos was one of three mutant children born as a new species classified as Homo Sapiens Demonus. Argos spent most of his childhood locked away in a government research facility. His younger brother died early due to the harsh experiments they were subjected to. The older brother died later during the escape from the facility orchestrated by Mr. Helix. Their real names were never revealed.
Together the two men began searching for and recruiting others like them. During that time Mr. Helix taught "Argos" how to use guns, explosives and other weapons of terror. They prolifically released political propaganda in the streets, calling themselves "The Master Race", believing themselves to be the next species to inherit the Earth. They released a statement to the media during the Bill Clinton scandal demanding their "7 Entitlements". They believed humanity should immediately turn over Land, Food, Materials, Information, to train, house, raise and feed each and every mutant. They also demanded certain legal rights: The Right of Access to All Homo Sapiens Demonus, giving them the right to take children away from their parents; the Right to Justice, to punish their own kind but also to punish those who commit crimes against their kind, and the Right to Vengeance, to punish those who kill their kind. Most of the "Entitlements" were created by Mr. Helix but it was loyal Argos who put them into action.
They recruited primarily in Europe with four original members; Mr. Chill, The Ape, The Winged Beauty and Red Riding Hood. Mr Helix led them on an attack against the British Parliament but they failed, Winged Beauty had betrayed them to the authorities. Mr. Chill, Red and the Ape were killed. Mr. Helix was shot multiple times in the back, including a bullet in his brain. Winged Beauty was arrested and taken into custody but Argos managed to save Mr. Helix and the two men went into hiding.
Now the Master Race has resurfaced, more determined, more focused and more dangerous than ever before.
POWERS:
Argos was born with a third eye in the center of his forehead that is connected directly to his brain. This eye, when open, is incredibly versatile. The danger of Homo Sapiens Demonus is their adaptability. Unlike Alphas who exhibit one specific set of abilities due to outside causes, these mutants are born with a complex set of powers that give them multiple, yet connected, abilities. Argos can see through people like an x-ray machine or peer through walls as if they were glass. The third eye can also release a devastating disintegration beam, one so powerful it can even hurt him. He cannot control when the eye will open or when the disintegration beam will fire, it simply reacts to his emotional and psychological cues in a subconscious manner.
APPEARANCE: Although born a black man, Argos has no sense of racial identity beyond the Master Race. He wears very military style wear and has scars on his face from the first "explosion" of energy from his third eye. Although born American, he has lived in Britain since his escape and is on the most wanted lists of seven European countries for terrorism.
---------------------
As with all creations, the original mock-up art is done by me, with art from the internet that I do not own or claim ownership to. This mock-up is an example of what I envision before it goes to the artist for final design work.
Together the two men began searching for and recruiting others like them. During that time Mr. Helix taught "Argos" how to use guns, explosives and other weapons of terror. They prolifically released political propaganda in the streets, calling themselves "The Master Race", believing themselves to be the next species to inherit the Earth. They released a statement to the media during the Bill Clinton scandal demanding their "7 Entitlements". They believed humanity should immediately turn over Land, Food, Materials, Information, to train, house, raise and feed each and every mutant. They also demanded certain legal rights: The Right of Access to All Homo Sapiens Demonus, giving them the right to take children away from their parents; the Right to Justice, to punish their own kind but also to punish those who commit crimes against their kind, and the Right to Vengeance, to punish those who kill their kind. Most of the "Entitlements" were created by Mr. Helix but it was loyal Argos who put them into action.
They recruited primarily in Europe with four original members; Mr. Chill, The Ape, The Winged Beauty and Red Riding Hood. Mr Helix led them on an attack against the British Parliament but they failed, Winged Beauty had betrayed them to the authorities. Mr. Chill, Red and the Ape were killed. Mr. Helix was shot multiple times in the back, including a bullet in his brain. Winged Beauty was arrested and taken into custody but Argos managed to save Mr. Helix and the two men went into hiding.
Now the Master Race has resurfaced, more determined, more focused and more dangerous than ever before.
POWERS:
Argos was born with a third eye in the center of his forehead that is connected directly to his brain. This eye, when open, is incredibly versatile. The danger of Homo Sapiens Demonus is their adaptability. Unlike Alphas who exhibit one specific set of abilities due to outside causes, these mutants are born with a complex set of powers that give them multiple, yet connected, abilities. Argos can see through people like an x-ray machine or peer through walls as if they were glass. The third eye can also release a devastating disintegration beam, one so powerful it can even hurt him. He cannot control when the eye will open or when the disintegration beam will fire, it simply reacts to his emotional and psychological cues in a subconscious manner.
APPEARANCE: Although born a black man, Argos has no sense of racial identity beyond the Master Race. He wears very military style wear and has scars on his face from the first "explosion" of energy from his third eye. Although born American, he has lived in Britain since his escape and is on the most wanted lists of seven European countries for terrorism.
---------------------
As with all creations, the original mock-up art is done by me, with art from the internet that I do not own or claim ownership to. This mock-up is an example of what I envision before it goes to the artist for final design work.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
One Port in a Storm. . .
I've been sending invites out to writers inviting them to join a publishing venture similar to what Image did many years ago, a single label for writers get work under.
Like Image, everything will be creator owned and the rights split between the creative teams. The publisher will only be compensated for the cost of printing, everything else is for the creators. Right now, writers have to shop books to different publishers. As an example of what I want to avoid, let's use Warren Ellis, one of the best writers in the business. He currently has books out from SEVEN different publishers. Ignoring the corporate work for hire, this is way too many. Imagine if you could have gotten all his books directly from him under one imprint?
We won't be making anything off the writer's work, nor we will be paying anyone. Everything will be a back-end split between the creative team. If we get big enough to be spending our days on books we might have to charge a small fee, but we're not looking to make money. Where is the profit in going with a publisher who charges a fee that takes up most of your profit?
Here's how it will work:
- We'll invite or take on a writer. The bigger the name of the writer, the easier it is to find an art team. We'll put a team together.
I know what you artists are thinking, no page rate? There are very, very, few companies paying a page rate today and even a few who say they'll pay but never do. If you are going to put in the time and invest in a book you may or may not see any money from, wouldn't you feel safer working with a well known writer whose work you like?
- The books for the first couple years should be single issue one-shots. We all know fans are reluctant to make long term commitments to new books but everybody loves an exciting new idea. The creators keep all the rights based on what they agree on between each other.
What a better way to show diversity of the medium than by creating diverse comics?
- The books will be released digitally through Graphicly. We're looking into signing up with some of the other digital content providers now, but this takes time. We're making arrangements with Liber and a smaller distributor in the U.S. about getting the books out. We'll be doing mostly print on demand. If I have to, I'll call all the comic stores myself and sell them the books the old fashioned way, with hustle and style.
What writers need to keep in mind is they are in charge of this industry. The pencillers build it, but the writers make the blueprints from which two major licensing corporations build their empire. Smaller publishers desperately need you, while acting like they don't. It's time to stop going door to door with our stories and open a store front where people always know where to find them.
Once we have enough writers on board, we can discuss how to tackle the DIAMOND issue. But they no longer need to be a primary concern, there are thousands of other venues opening up. Let's make it happen.
Anyone with questions can contact me or the EIC Anthony Hary. Anthony is the nicest guy in comics. I know some people have taken issue with my outspoken views and politics in the past so if you find me disagreeable, don't ignore the opportunity because of it, Anthony will be more than happy to discuss things with you as well.
Like Image, everything will be creator owned and the rights split between the creative teams. The publisher will only be compensated for the cost of printing, everything else is for the creators. Right now, writers have to shop books to different publishers. As an example of what I want to avoid, let's use Warren Ellis, one of the best writers in the business. He currently has books out from SEVEN different publishers. Ignoring the corporate work for hire, this is way too many. Imagine if you could have gotten all his books directly from him under one imprint?
We won't be making anything off the writer's work, nor we will be paying anyone. Everything will be a back-end split between the creative team. If we get big enough to be spending our days on books we might have to charge a small fee, but we're not looking to make money. Where is the profit in going with a publisher who charges a fee that takes up most of your profit?
Here's how it will work:
- We'll invite or take on a writer. The bigger the name of the writer, the easier it is to find an art team. We'll put a team together.
I know what you artists are thinking, no page rate? There are very, very, few companies paying a page rate today and even a few who say they'll pay but never do. If you are going to put in the time and invest in a book you may or may not see any money from, wouldn't you feel safer working with a well known writer whose work you like?
- The books for the first couple years should be single issue one-shots. We all know fans are reluctant to make long term commitments to new books but everybody loves an exciting new idea. The creators keep all the rights based on what they agree on between each other.
What a better way to show diversity of the medium than by creating diverse comics?
- The books will be released digitally through Graphicly. We're looking into signing up with some of the other digital content providers now, but this takes time. We're making arrangements with Liber and a smaller distributor in the U.S. about getting the books out. We'll be doing mostly print on demand. If I have to, I'll call all the comic stores myself and sell them the books the old fashioned way, with hustle and style.
What writers need to keep in mind is they are in charge of this industry. The pencillers build it, but the writers make the blueprints from which two major licensing corporations build their empire. Smaller publishers desperately need you, while acting like they don't. It's time to stop going door to door with our stories and open a store front where people always know where to find them.
Once we have enough writers on board, we can discuss how to tackle the DIAMOND issue. But they no longer need to be a primary concern, there are thousands of other venues opening up. Let's make it happen.
Anyone with questions can contact me or the EIC Anthony Hary. Anthony is the nicest guy in comics. I know some people have taken issue with my outspoken views and politics in the past so if you find me disagreeable, don't ignore the opportunity because of it, Anthony will be more than happy to discuss things with you as well.
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