[Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

[AdamLeisemann]

Has anyone ever wondered what changes would be made for a Silver Age Spawn? What about a Golden Age Punisher or Iron Age Underdog?

 

This thread is just for people's ideas of how to transplant a hero from one age of comics to another, seeing what changes would be made. For an example, I'll take Silver Age parody Underdog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underdog_%28TV_series%29) and turn him into an Iron Age character:

 

* To Start with, an Iron Age Underdog will certainly be a drug-addict, because his powers do come from a pill. Perhaps he is a result of testing the drug on a dog.

 

* Sweet Polly Purebred is not his girlfriend. He is simply stalking her as he desires to be her mate. (Polly is probably another mutation.)

 

* Riff Raff will not be a gangster, but a successful businessman with connections to the White House and to organized crime.

 

* Underdog will maintain his collateral damage, and also leave corpses in his wake.

 

* Simon Bar Sinister will be a respected member of the scientific community and will not have the "Bar Sinister" moniker. Though he will be responsible for creating the superpower drug that Shoeshine/Underdog is hopelessly addicted to.

 

(And no, I am not influenced by the Walt Dismal (formerly Disney) studio film.)

[HeroGM]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Iron Age Underdog was done in a Wizard article along with UCCK and Hong Kong Phooey.

[bwdemon]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Strangely enough, wouldn't Punisher fit right into the Golden Age? Plenty of heroes at that time carried and used guns. He'd probably wear a suit and an overcoat, carry a .45 (maybe two) and a BAR or Thompson. Mob killed his family? That still fits, too.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Iron Age Underdog was done in a Wizard article along with UCCK and Hong Kong Phooey.

 

Oh. I didn't know that.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Strangely enough' date=' wouldn't Punisher fit right into the Golden Age? Plenty of heroes at that time carried and used guns. He'd probably wear a suit and an overcoat, carry a .45 (maybe two) and a BAR or Thompson. Mob killed his family? That still fits, too.[/quote']

 

Okay, but he'd probably be sporting a mask, even if it's just one of those little Lone Ranger-things, and have a friendlier relationship with the (honest) cops. They didn't look down on gunplay back then when dealing with the more murderous criminals. (Just read any of the classic Dick Tracy stories -- I can see Tracy and Castle keeping a running total of the crooks they've blown away...)

[ParagonAlpha]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Silver Age Spawn is easy...

 

Just read Batman, Ghost Rider and Spiderman from the 80's. It's almost like he was stolen from those eras...(except for the killing and swearing and stuff.)

[Clonus]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Strangely enough' date=' wouldn't Punisher fit right into the Golden Age? Plenty of heroes at that time carried and used guns.[/quote']

 

No. In the comic books, gun carrying was rare. Heroes who killed directly were fairly rare and just about all of them used more exotic methods to kill. The Punisher would probably lose his guns and exact punishment with his bare hands becoming a bit more like Rorshach.

[Hermit]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

I think just defining the ages can be tricky. Since I'm lazy, I'm going to quote a post I made in another thread about 'age sound bites' to let you know how I view it.

 

One line descriptions? Whew.. mmm... okay, I think that there are two golden age styles (comic code enforced and filtered retroactively, and the more pulpish and often ruthless), and two Silver (DC and Marvel) so... off the top of my head:

 

Golden Age (before Comics Code enforced): "It's a long way down, Herr Kruegor. Tell me where the Uber-bomb is, and MAYBE I'll pull you up."

(Often followed by a plummetting scream)

Golden Age (as retroactively sanitized): "Come on, Patriot Guard! Let's knock these Nazi Neerdowells to their jack booted knees!"

Silver Age (DC Style): "Great Godfrey! The Andromedeans are launching the moons of Jupiter at us. I've got to catch them all before they crush the city!"

Silver Age (Marvel Style): "Great, the girl of my dreams won't give me the time of day as a maskless milksop, and now she blames Mantis Man for her father's death not knowing the truth... either way, I just can't win."

Bronze Age: "Listen, I know what you're going through, I know it hurts to go without the serum that gives you power, but you have to fight it. You CAN beat an addiction... trust me, I know from experience."

Iron Age: "What makes you think you get to SEE jail, you #$#$ #$#$%er! Hell, I'd do you in even if I wasn't being paid!"

 

So the Punisher as Golden Age, imo, would either be very much like his current self but with a pulp style change to his wardrobe (and more primitive guns) or become almost a caricature of decent American guts and at worst grim wholesomeness with much reduced weapons (Bring back the Mercy Bullets etc) . It just depends on WHICH golden age we're talking about.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

As an aside... Wizard might have already done it, but there's a good chance that my interpretation of an IA Underdog will come through one of these days.

 

And you can all thank Adam for it. Or blame. Whichever.

 

(Psst! The blame! The blame! )

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

(Psst! The blame! The blame! )

Oh, hush...

[Hermit]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

What the heck. I posted this before, but I'll transplant it here on the off chance others care

 

Justice League as Iron would probably resemble in some ways the "A better world" episode of the animated series.

 

However, to alter it even more... I turn on the "Imagizer/Ironization process" and fire full throttle...

 

Iron Age Superman- Similar story, though Krypton was a fascist and oppressive Oligarchy hated by half it's galaxy before it's own destruction (Which may have been merely a natural catastrophe, or might have been sabotage from an oppressed race). A young Kal El was sent to remote earth, electronically educated not only in basic sciences, but a collection of rhetoric gloryfing the belief systems of his now lost world. Prematurely grown at a faster rate, his first act with his super powers was to protect the psychologically disturbed Martha Kent from her even more off kilter and abusive drunken sot of a husband Johnathan. For now, he acts as protector to the Earth in the hope the Terrans will see his superiority over their own failed legal systems and eventually have a global demand for him to take his rightful place, as ruler.

 

Iron Age Wonder Woman aka "Amazonia"- Thermascarya is the last refuge of the Amazons, hunted by Man's world, they were offered safety by Aries here. They served him loyally and he used them as shock troops in whatever plots he had. One princess of the Amazon blasphemously tried to sever the ties between her people and the 'male' god, and for this, was exiled. Not before she stole certain artifacts of power and went to Man's world. Diana is a vigilante focusing in the protection of women, and has killed by now dozens of rapists. She has various lovers (women of course) across the country as she travels coast to coast and openly attends rallies demanding power for Womynkind. She is a member of the League because she sees it as useful, and she wants to make sure that if Superman ever does take over, she can make demands on behalf of the universal sisterhood.

 

Iron Age Batman aka "The Bat"- Bruce Wayne owns you. Or he owns someone you care about, and if you don't care about anyone, he'll find a way to have leverage yet. Scarred by a traumatic incident as a boy, Bruce dedicated himself to never being helpless again. Physically, mentally, and socially he must be dominant. When the law proved too limiting, he took on the mantle of "The Bat" so he could take it into his own hands. Crushing illegal activity that was trying to bypass avenues that lead monies to his table, the Bat's first act was to smash the smuggling rings of Gotham. Using his resources to spin his vigilante acts into urban legend and popularizing those actions as 'someone finally doing the right thing' he's very controversial in his masked identity. The Bat invests heavily in the League both as a means for weapon testing, and a way to insure that he will be indispensable should Superman succeed. He will make sure he's the "Power behind the Throne".

 

Iron Age Aquaman- It's not easy being a freak. Arthur Curry is recipient of the metagene gone terribly terribly wrong. Gills and webbed digits adorn his pale body. Driven away from his coastal home in Maine when he was nearly killed by some locals... he found solace in the sea. Over the years his powers went beyond breathing water, and he discovered he could control aquatic life telepathically. The only problem? He was so damn lonely. Even conversation with dolphins can get dull. Then he stumbled onto a scene where authorities were in battle with some whack job in New York Harbor. When said whack job decided Arthur 'must' be a hero, he attacked him. Arthur defended himself, and to his surprise, by this time his powers had grown very strong indeed. The fight ended near the UN, and when the cameras started rolling... Arthur at first didn't know what to say. When the world Atlantis was used, he.. pounced on it. Claiming to be a King... he was shocked with the morons bought it! Suddenly, everything is going his way, He has a seat on the UN to represent his fictional nation, women sleep with him despite his freakishness, and he's conned millions out of dollars out of governments. Life is good for the King of a land that probably never was. Damn the guilt that drove him to try something real for once. He's part of the League hoping to do some good for real, and desperately afraid "The Bat" or someone else knows he's a hoax.

 

Iron Age Martian Manhunter aka "It".- It hovers. It waits. It is a purely psychic energy being that can 'appear' in the minds of it's victims or allies in any form it wants. Sure, it's not really there, but that doesn't stop it from killing them. It was the last living thing on mars. It also covertly drains the psychic force from sentient beings, and occasionally must kill to feed. Still, It rationalizes, the humans need it, and It has saved millions, surely the loss of a human a week is worth that? It certainly thinks so.

 

Iron Age Green Lantern- Grounded when he came up positive for drug use, frustrated young pilot Hal Rayner went rock climbing to burn off some steam. When he saw a UFO of all things crashing, he found himself the only man around in a scene straight out of X-files. The alien was grotesque, smelled bad, and bubbled words like 'Abin lintern' and such. Next to him was a glowing green device. Sitting before that device gave Hal a rush no drug could compete with. The alien babbled more, but Hal was lost in the buzz of the glow. That's when the other Alien came in, weapons pointed, and demanding the "Lantern" . Like a junkie being asked to give up his stash, Hal resisted, and incredible green energy poured out of him smashing into the new intruder. He surprised the guy so much he drove him off. Hal turned to tend Abin... since he was finally in control of the 'high'. Over the next few days, Abin managed to communicate that he was an officer in some sort of intergalactic corps, and that they protected the galaxy. Cool. he helped Abin prepare to go. Then Abin said he needed the device back. It wasn't safe for humans, and had addictive properties. Twitching, Hal had no choice but to agree. Abin entered his last sleep cycle before leaving, and never woke up. Unable to take the withdrawl pains any longer, Hal killed him in his sleep. Now Hal is a super hero, he uses his powers to save Earth. He feels... bad about what he did to Abin, really, but... the alien clearly didn't understand, Hal needs the lantern.

 

Iron Age Flash- Alana West is the Flash, she's called the "Fastest Woman Alive" and it's not just for her speed. There aren't too many people on the team she hasn't slept with. Some days it seems like there aren't too many off it either. Alana's own powers are her worst enemy. The same enzymes and hormones that flow super charged through her blood and grant her powers curse her with extreme mood swings of amorous behavior or violence. She doesn't remember how she got them exactly, she was working at Wayne Tech... she remembers electric shocks and chemicals. Maybe she was hit by lightning?

[assault]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

No. In the comic books' date=' gun carrying was rare. Heroes who killed directly were fairly rare and just about all of them used more exotic methods to kill.[/quote']

 

Gun carrying happened, though.

 

Apart from anything else, a lot of Golden Age superhero titles contained non-superhero stories as well.

 

The Punisher would still work. He might eventually get his guns taken away, but not necessarily or immediately.

 

(Bucky was one of the biggest gun users. He was a real psycho-killer...)

[OddHat]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

What the heck. I posted this before, but I'll transplant it here on the off chance others care

 

Good, but I liked your Iron Age Champions better.

 

Supreme Power and the Authority answer pretty well the question of what an Iron Age JLA might look like, imo and all that.

 

Silver Age John Constantine stops smoking, plays with a variety of Hippie themed costumes and pop song derived names (Magic Man, or the Daydream Believer), his powers get way more flashy or vanish entirely rather than the subtle street magic stuff, and fights Demons who run around in public in a variety of amusing shapes attempting to put down the Kids in the name of the Man.

[Hermit]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

To be fair, let's flip that around and Gild The Authority in shiny sanitized comic code approved four color goodness (With a few of the more narrowminded elements slipped in just to keep us honest)

 

The Golden Age Authority

 

Well, first the name of the group needs to change. By gum, these superheroes know that the government is the best pal a superhero can have! So they wouldn't take such a presumptive name as Authority

 

So, instead I give you

 

The Loyalty League!

 

Sgt. Sun - Sgt. Anthony Polo , loyal American, volunteered, as many did, for the Ellis Project (named, no doubt, after that great little island where so many come to take a bite of the American pie), and was one of its few success stories. Bombarded by photonic waves under controlled conditions, Sgt Polo found himself capable of great feats of strength, solar vision, and was nigh invulnerable! Alas, like all heroes at this time, the more powerful you are, the bigger the off switch. Only under the rays of the sun is Sgt. Sun at his full power! Away from it, he slowly diminishes. A loyal American, Sgt. Sun is currently married only to his work, though he dreams of finding just the right girl and enjoys the fellowship of his fellow soldiers. Sometimes, he even drags Midnight Man, his best bud, out of the study so they can both clap for the lovely ladies of the U.S.O. And the little ladies certainly appreciate his muscular physique but he's too much a gent to take advantage.

 

The Midnight Man- Remarkably humble, the Midnight Man was offered the title "Captain Midnight" but declined as he felt it wouldn't be right to the REAL heroes, the allied soldiers. A globe trotter who had seen the wonders of even heathen nations, Mike Knight was in marvelous shape, and had that sharp and hungry intellect that only democratic education can bring about. Alas! He was classified 4F. Understandably so despondent about being unable to serve his country's armed forces, Mike decided that he could use his photographic memory and the strange skills learned in foriegn lands to good use. First becoming a consultant to government officials, he soon had access to information about the worst of criminal scum, and their methods. He would study for hours, listening to witnesses, gathering news reels, and by midnight that night, he'd know how to beat them! So polite is he, that he actually tries to warn his foes that he has studied their moves, methods, and motivations. Perhaps one day, one of them will listen to him and change their ways to join the rest of us on the straight and narrow path. Until then, they have reason to fear- The Midnight Man.

 

Wiz Bang: Girl Wonder- Now most gals just don't have the head for machinery, and heck, gosh it's cute when they try to fix something, but any fellow who won't help a pretty thing out when it comes to changing a tire is a cad, but there's an exception to every rule, and that exception is Wiz Bang: Girl Wonder! Wiz Bang is the former sidekick (and suspected niece) of that fantastic genius, The Architect. Alas, when the Architect claimed to be too old to join the team, Wiz Bang stepped forward. Using her mentor's gadgets and a few of her own that he let her tinker with, she chips in with technical know-how that has saved the day more than once!

 

The Prophet- As if to prove God is on the side of the allies, we've been graced with "The Prophet". A mysterious figure, the Prophet asks God for Miracles that seem to reshape the world itself. No one knows who the Prophet is, and some say that there has always been a Prophet, a man of great vision, and greater faith. While he prefers peace, he realizes when it is time to roll up the sleeves and cry out 'Praise the Lord, and let's take out those Panzers!"

 

Mister Metropolis!- a former archaeologist who enjoyed studying the ruins of ancient civilizations, Jack Hawksmoor found himself in a bizarre race to beat Hitler's cult of Thule before they stumbled onto the legendary Tablet of Marduk. It was said to hold ancient secrets and powers, and rather than let it fall into Nazi hands, he broke it realizing he'd be shot shortly there after... but instead, he gained great power! Able to draw on the strength of any city (Growing as tall as the Empire State building in the Big Apple, for example) that he's in, Mister Metropolis represents the true power of the civilized world over the untamed wilderness in need of mankind's guiding hand.

 

Golden Dove- This lovely lady is a true pearl of the Orient. Her yellow feathers are becoming a familiar sight to Japanese fighter pilots. How she got those wings is unknown, but when the Flying Tigers found the Chinese girl battered and nearly broken, they got her to America where our top doctors helped her recover. Now, she provides air transport to the men of the group, and is a valuable distraction against their foes.

 

S.P.A.R.K.S.-Originally known as "Jenny", the Brits surely ought to be congratulated for their creation of the world's most successful robot especially considering the robot herself was never meant to be a weapon. It would seem her inventor, having lost a daughter, determined that he'd make something to honor her memory. While not what we'd call human, "Jenny" had been programed to the brim with pride for Mother England and a fierce protectiveness of it. When another Scientific Project of the Brits,'Stormwatch', one meant to create a suit that produced electricty was finished, it was discovered the insulation was insufficient to protect the soldier who'd wear it. The Brits, being hammered hard, didn't have time to work on something from scratch again. Jenny bravely volunteered to have her already insulated robo-brain put inside it instead. Some remodeling was done to the chaise,and ta da, she was re-christianed S.P.A.R.K.S. (Which is said to stand for Super Powered Advanced Robotic Kilowatt Sentinel) faster than you can say pip pip. What's more, experts agree that, barring battlefield injury, she's good for a century!

[Hermit]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

*Listens to the crickets*

 

No fans of the Loyalty League it seems.

 

Oh well

 

Anybody want to try their hand at an Iron Age version of the starting X-Men as new Students to Xaviers? Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, and Marvel Girl?

[FenrisUlf]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

*Listens to the crickets*

 

No fans of the Loyalty League it seems.

 

Oh well

 

Actually, I wanted to Rep you for it, but I can't. Maybe someone else will?

 

As for an Iron Age X-Men, doesn't ULTIMATE X-MEN already cover that?

[Hermit]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Actually, I wanted to Rep you for it, but I can't. Maybe someone else will?

 

As for an Iron Age X-Men, doesn't ULTIMATE X-MEN already cover that?

 

Mm, I suppose it could, though it brought in Wolverine and the other non originals pretty fast.

[OddHat]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

*Listens to the crickets*

 

No fans of the Loyalty League it seems.

 

Oh well

 

I kind of liked Apollo and Midnighter. I'd thought of something similar, taking a "confirmed bachelors who enjoy musical theater" approach. Kind of like Winky in the Commander Cody serial ("I can't wait to get back to Earth and enjoy the gay night life").

 

Anybody want to try their hand at an Iron Age version of the starting X-Men as new Students to Xaviers? Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, and Marvel Girl?

 

Too easy. They were pretty much proto Iron Age to start with, and Ultimate X-Men has been done.

 

How about Golden Aging Forge or Cable, or any other Marty Stew "hero" with vast, undefined powers?

 

Actually, a Golden or Silver Age Planetary Team would be both easy and fun to play. You wouldn't even need to change their origins or power sets that much, except maybe the Drummer.

[Hermit]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

How about Golden Aging Forge or Cable, or any other Marty Stew "hero" with vast, undefined powers?

 

For that sort of thing I keep thinking something like:

Sgt. Cable & Platoon X! (The soldiers so named because, like the figurative Letter X, they always seem to be on the spot)

 

Sgt. Nathan "Steeleye" Cable- His own nickname for the crazy glint he gets in his eye when the #$# hits the fan, Sgt. Cable seems to have a natural gift with weapons most men would consider hard to handle due to bulk or recoil. He also has a knack for knowing what's coming, trusting his 'gut'. He's lead Platoon X since its inception and his troops stand by him.

 

Chris "Forge" Firehorse- Both an Indian of the Cheyenne tribe AND a newbie, Firehorse had a hard time impressing the Platoon at first. However, when the boys were bombarded while heading towards a broken and abandoned transport, it was Chris that declared he could fix it. His father had been a mechanic on the Reservation. Racing towards it, and only narrowly avoiding being blown to hell by heavy artillery (Chris thought he had the Nazi firing pattern down, and timed it better than most could), Firehorse ended up fixing the vehicle and getting the company out to safety. After that, everyone called him "Forge" not just for his gift with getting hunks of metal to work, but because of the heat he'd just been through.

 

Robert "Sentry" Reynolds- A former MP before being transfered to the Platoon in a standard Infantry position, Robert never did shake the nickname that came from his former post as a guard. Actually, transfered might be too kind a term. Robert has always been twitchy, a true section 8 in the making some say. However, Sgt. Cable seems able to work with him where few squad leaders could. This isn't to say folks still don't worry. Robert stares off into space a lot, and when a fight isn't going on, getting him to roll out of his bunk is tricky. Even Steeleye might drop him if it wasn't for the fact that when Rob gets a mad on, he is deadly in a shootout. Indeed, one of his companions once quipped that Sentry had the "..firepower of a million pissed off Sons of B#%#*es". Thanks to his buds standing by him, he's slowly getting better.

 

......

And fill out the rest of the group as needed

[Haven Walkur]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Actually' date=' I wanted to Rep you for it, but I can't. Maybe someone else will?....[/quote']

 

Got him for you.

 

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the Authority so I rather missed the joke on that one.

[teh bunneh]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

The Prophet- As if to prove God is on the side of the allies' date=' we've been graced with "The Prophet". A mysterious figure, the Prophet asks God for Miracles that seem to reshape the world itself. No one knows who the Prophet is, and some say that there has always been a Prophet, a man of great vision, and greater faith. While he prefers peace, he realizes when it is time to roll up the sleeves and cry out 'Praise the Lord, and let's take out those Panzers!" [/quote']

 

Hmmm... I think the Doctor would still be the Doctor, but he wouldn't use magic, he would use SCIENCE!

 

Might be some overlap with Whiz-Bang Girl, though...

[Hermit]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Hmmm... I think the Doctor would still be the Doctor, but he wouldn't use magic, he would use SCIENCE!

 

Might be some overlap with Whiz-Bang Girl, though...

 

Yeah, that was one of the reasons I went with the theological angle instead.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Iron Age Underdog?

 

"I am a hero who never fails; move it, jackass, or I'll rip out your entrails."

[ParagonAlpha]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Iron Age Captain America

 

After the horror of 9/11, the US Government needed a reason to rally, an icon to put their faith and ideals behind. Consulting the best advertising and marketing agencies, combined with psychological profiling and focus groups the consensus was the creation of Captain America.

 

Captain America would be an icon of immense proportions. Combined with an animated cartoon highlighting his fight against the Taliban and Al Queda, toy and comic book merchandise and movie and television tie-ins, no American has gone without seeing his image.

 

CNN and FOX news show daily footage of Captain America tacking down terrorist cells hidden in the US. His red, white and blue costume a whirling blur as he uses his polymolecular-carbon riot shield and a Desert Eagle to send “extremist” to their final resting place.

 

Captain America supports the Bush Administration, appearing at State of the Union speeches, fund-raisers and any other function that supports a strong democracy (re: Right Wing).

 

But see there’s a secret. Captain America doesn’t really exist. He’s a fabrication, an illusion. Those news reports are all filmed on a sound stage. The man seen in public is an actor. The rest is special effects, marketing, and the simple fact the American’s will believe anything to feel safe.

[SKJAM!]

Re: [Just for Fun] "Aging" Heroes

 

Iron Age Astro Boy:

 

Dr. Tenma was a genius, there's no disputing that. But he was also a little bit mad, and when his son Tobio died, Dr. Tenma decided to build a replacement. He illegally diverted funds and designs from the Mighty Atom war robot project to create Tobio II, a robot that had the appearance and personality of Tenma's dead son.

 

Sadly, Dr. Tenma had not reckoned with the "uncanny valley." Tobio II was almost human, but not quite. His subtle movements, a certain stiffness of the facial expressions, a faintly artificial sound to his voice--all of these creeped people out, though at the time they did not guess Tobio's true nature. Mrs. Tenma took it as long as she could, but was unable to love the new Tobio and escaped in the middle of the night.

 

As the years passed, Dr. Tenma found it more and more difficult to justify the fact that Tobio II never aged, and resented his own creation, especially as he could never tell the world of his greatest creation without facing criminal charges.

 

Finally, Dr. Tenma stripped Tobio of his clothing, allowing his mechanical nature to be seen, and sold him to a robot circus under the name Astro Boy. Life in the circus was harsh. The ringmaster considered robots to be nothing but property--as indeed they were under law. Under the ringmaster's brutal abuse, Astro Boy grew sullen and resentful, feeling abandoned by the only father he'd ever known.

 

Then there was an accident. Astro Boy could have saved the ringleader's life. Perhaps he should have. But the ringmaster was unable to speak, to give orders, and Astro Boy realized that if the cruel man died, he, Astro Boy, would have no master who his programming dictated he must obey.

 

When the ringmaster died, Astro Boy walked away, free. And now he gave himself a new mission. Robots must be treated as full citizens, given their rights as sentient beings. Even if he had to kill the humans to do it.