Golden Age British Supers?

[Agent X]

I have just updated Fire-Watcher from the Kingdom of Champions to 5th Edition and I am going to get a write-up of Lady Lightning that is mentioned in 5th Ed. Champions Universe. Any ideas what other Supers (Names, Themes, Power Concepts, Write-ups even) the UK would have had circa 1940?

The Campaign centers around a group of American Heroes who have joined a "special unit" of the British Military with strong though secret contacts with the American Government. This is, of course, before America fully joins into the war effort.

[Rage]

There was Miracle Man who had people on his side like Miricle Lad and Lass and Miracle Girl.

Hs powers were kinda like Captain Marvel except space based and not Magic

[Agent X]

Originally posted by Rage
There was Miracle Man who had people on his side like Miricle Lad and Lass and Miracle Girl.

Hs powers were kinda like Captain Marvel except space based and not Magic

Thanks. I beleive he's also known as Miracleman here in the States. Can anyone confirm?

[Rage]

Originally posted by Agent X
Thanks. I beleive he's also known as Miracleman here in the States. Can anyone confirm?

Yeah but he was originally written for Great Britain, the guy who edited the Illustrated Companion to Comicbook's is the one who made him up and he did it for GB during the golden age.

["V"]

Try "The Rocket" aka Stephen George. He was a sort of train-themed combo Brick/Speedster who took a long time to get up to full speed, but then specialised in devastating collisions (Move Throughs). Character-wise he was pretty unsophisticated, but a down to earth "country gent" type who smoked a pipe and drank beer in the local pub.

Actually he was around in the 1930s, but no doubt would have come out of retirement to harrass the hun- "Full Steam Ahead Fritz" would have made a nice battle cry as he plowed into the side of a Panzer.

Jimmy Riddle was an annoying boy-genius type who in a real British school would have been drowned in the toilets by the first playtime. He had a utility backpack from which he'd pull appropriate gadgets ("tinkertoys") at the appropriate moment. His name reflected the fact that most of his adventures involved entangling complex clues.

There was another chap called Lord Midnight who was a member of the landed gentry in his Secret ID and had a VERY haunted country house. He tended to stumble into adventures accidentally (week in, week out) and each week a different ghost from his house accompanied him and helped out. How you'd model that in Hero I have no idea... the chap himself had very few powers of his own, but since no one else could see the Ghosts everyone thought he did... perhaps the Ghosts could just be a "special effect" for a VPP?

[Crimson Arrow]

First, are we talking about actual comic characters from that era, actual comic characters portrayed as being from that era (but might not have been around at the time), or ideas for Golden Age characters?

If it’s either of the first two, then you have Union Jack and Spitfire (Marvel) and Shining Knight (DC – although I believe he might not have been DC at the time, my comic history of pre-Silver Age stuff is very vague).

If you want to know what British comics portrayed at that time, there is a great site about British superhero comics throughout the ages, at http://www.internationalhero.co.uk . As you will see, there's a lot on this site, but the bit you want is in the UK secton under comic book characters. There is a page specifically about 40s heroes. In the 80s section, there is a big feature on Zenith: Phase 3, which had cameos by dozens of British heroes and some of the 40s characters were drawn (altered where necessary) and you might get an idea of what they might look like, even where there is no image in the 40s section itself.

If you just want possible ideas, then I’ll cite a scenario for Golden Heroes, which referred to some British heroes from that era, but did not give you details of their powers. There was John Bull (my guess is a mid-level brick, but possibly more Captain America), Howitzer (nicknamed Big Bertha, so possibly a brick also, but might have had energy projection powers) and Triplex (could split into three people). There were three more, but my memory fails me, although I am fairly sure one was a witch. I have a vague recollection than one of those other three had survived to the 80s (when the scenario was produced), but can’t for the life of me remember any more.

[Agent X]

Originally posted by "V"
Try "The Rocket" aka Stephen George. He was a sort of train-themed combo Brick/Speedster who took a long time to get up to full speed, but then specialised in devastating collisions (Move Throughs). Character-wise he was pretty unsophisticated, but a down to earth "country gent" type who smoked a pipe and drank beer in the local pub.

Actually he was around in the 1930s, but no doubt would have come out of retirement to harrass the hun- "Full Steam Ahead Fritz" would have made a nice battle cry as he plowed into the side of a Panzer.

Jimmy Riddle was an annoying boy-genius type who in a real British school would have been drowned in the toilets by the first playtime. He had a utility backpack from which he'd pull appropriate gadgets ("tinkertoys") at the appropriate moment. His name reflected the fact that most of his adventures involved entangling complex clues.

There was another chap called Lord Midnight who was a member of the landed gentry in his Secret ID and had a VERY haunted country house. He tended to stumble into adventures accidentally (week in, week out) and each week a different ghost from his house accompanied him and helped out. How you'd model that in Hero I have no idea... the chap himself had very few powers of his own, but since no one else could see the Ghosts everyone thought he did... perhaps the Ghosts could just be a "special effect" for a VPP?

Thanks!

[Agent X]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow
First, are we talking about actual comic characters from that era, actual comic characters portrayed as being from that era (but might not have been around at the time), or ideas for Golden Age characters?

If it’s either of the first two, then you have Union Jack and Spitfire (Marvel) and Shining Knight (DC – although I believe he might not have been DC at the time, my comic history of pre-Silver Age stuff is very vague).

If you want to know what British comics portrayed at that time, there is a great site about British superhero comics throughout the ages, at http://www.internationalhero.co.uk . As you will see, there's a lot on this site, but the bit you want is in the UK secton under comic book characters. There is a page specifically about 40s heroes. In the 80s section, there is a big feature on Zenith: Phase 3, which had cameos by dozens of British heroes and some of the 40s characters were drawn (altered where necessary) and you might get an idea of what they might look like, even where there is no image in the 40s section itself.

If you just want possible ideas, then I’ll cite a scenario for Golden Heroes, which referred to some British heroes from that era, but did not give you details of their powers. There was John Bull (my guess is a mid-level brick, but possibly more Captain America), Howitzer (nicknamed Big Bertha, so possibly a brick also, but might have had energy projection powers) and Triplex (could split into three people). There were three more, but my memory fails me, although I am fairly sure one was a witch. I have a vague recollection than one of those other three had survived to the 80s (when the scenario was produced), but can’t for the life of me remember any more.

I'd love whatever anybody can give me. I have a genre fiend in the game so original ideas would be great. Of course, he lurks on here a sometimes but I can't help that. Thanks!

["V"]

How about a hulking but impressive looking iron robot with a multi-valve computational brain that specialises in solving mysteries.

"Stately Holmes."

[Agent X]

Originally posted by "V"
How about a hulking but impressive looking iron robot with a multi-valve computational brain that specialises in solving mysteries.

"Stately Holmes."

AAAaaaaaargh! (Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth) AAAaaaaaaaargh! did I mention, "AAAaaaaaargh!?"

["V"]

Good grief, that was quick. Are you trying to tell me something?

On a more serious note... just as an idea seed.... something that would be very true to the genre in terms of both harking back to the idyllic England of yore (etc etc) and the plucky 'all pull together' spirit that seemed quite genuinel to exist at the time, how about a team comprising some local "Lord of the Manor" type (probably as a Patriot archetype) accompanied by members of his estate. You could have the local Blacksmith as the team Brick, the happy go lucky Poacher as a stealthy marksman type etc.

Sorry the idea's not worked out in more depth, but I think the "feel" would be appropriate.

[Agent X]

Originally posted by "V"
Good grief, that was quick. Are you trying to tell me something?

On a more serious note... just as an idea seed.... something that would be very true to the genre in terms of both harking back to the idyllic England of yore (etc etc) and the plucky 'all pull together' spirit that seemed quite genuinel to exist at the time, how about a team comprising some local "Lord of the Manor" type (probably as a Patriot archetype) accompanied by members of his estate. You could have the local Blacksmith as the team Brick, the happy go lucky Poacher as a stealthy marksman type etc.

Sorry the idea's not worked out in more depth, but I think the "feel" would be appropriate.

I suppose just as long as I didn't go with a Lady Chatterley's sort of angle on the manor.

["V"]

"Lady Jane, does yer 'ave ter be so Obvious?"
"Oh Mellors, I just wanted you to know I was Accessible."
"Shut up milady, just Focus."

(works best with broad Yorkshire accent and familiarity with dialect... rest assured this is a hilarious gag even if it seems otherwise... ).

[Doug McCrae]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow
If you want to know what British comics portrayed at that time, there is a great site about British superhero comics throughout the ages, at http://www.internationalhero.co.uk

Wow! That's an interesting site. It had lots of characters I hadn't heard of, like Captain Magnet and TNT Tina. Beautiful picture of Ace Hart, too.

[Doug McCrae]

V: Loved Lord Midnight - a different ghost every week! Where did you get those characters from? Are they originals?