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BIOS The Unofficial Handbook of the Squadron Supreme’s Universe
AIDA Artificial Intelligence Data Analyzer AIDA is an intelligent super computer designed and built by Tom Thumb. She is located within Rocket Central, the Squadron Supreme’s satellite headquarters and is Tom Thumbs only real friend and confidant. AIDA has an auxiliary power source that will allow her to function at 4.5 standard operational level in the event that she is severely damaged. AIDA is also capable of broadcasting an emergency signal to each member of the Squadron Supreme via tiny transceiver crystals implanted in the base of their skulls by Tom Thumb. AMERICAN EAGLE James Dore Jonathan Dore invented a winged flying suit that he used as a World War II era adventurer called the American Eagle. When Jonathan retired, he passed on his wings to his son, James, who became a costumed crime fighter as the new American Eagle. Because of a political falling out with his father, the younger Dore later changed his code name to Cap’n Hawk. AMPHIBIAN Kingsley Rice Amphibian is a mutant born with the ability to survive underwater, an ability he uses as a costumed adventurer. He is a founding member of the Squadron Supreme. Amphibian can survive in either air or water indefinitely. He possesses superhuman strength sufficient to lift 10 tons, and the durability and sensory acuity necessary to survive and function in the ocean depths. He is capable of communicating with certain forms of marine life, most often dolphins, whose language he speaks fluently. APE X Xina The mutant ape Xina is a founding member and the leader of the Institute of Evil, a group organized by the Scarlet Centurion to battle the Squadron Supreme. She was somehow transformed into a cyborg; the lower half of her body was replaced with some sort of mechanical interface able to attach to a tank-like motorized wheelchair. Xina is a brilliant scientist and has pioneered the science of replacing brain tissue with advanced microcircuitry. ARCANNA Arcanna Jones Arcanna was born with an aptitude for magic and various psychic powers that developed as she matured. Originally employed as a medium, Arcanna later decided to support her husband (Phillip) and children (Drusilla, Katrina and Andrew) as a professional crime fighter, using her supernatural skills to capture criminals for profit. Her exploits attracted the attention of the Squadron Supreme and she accepted their offer of membership, becoming the group’s fifth recruit. She is a close friend of the Whizzer. Arcanna can magically manipulate natural substances and forces, and has especially strong control over wind, wood and water. She can also cast realistic illusions and project mystical force bolts. She has various psychic powers, including an ability to sense and perceive magical forces. BOLLIX Bollix is a costumed criminal who was captured by the Whizzer early in his career. He and the Rustler are partners. BRAIN-CHILD Arnold Sutton In March of 1961 Arnold Sutton was born of parents who had been exposed to some type of radiation. In less than a year, he was able to read with complete comprehension and total recall. By age four he discovered the formula for a universal solvent, although he could not figure out what to put it in. For reasons of his own, Arnold caused his brain to grow to mammoth proportions, he was shunned by normal society and becomes known as Brain-Child. In 1970 Brain-Child began working for the military and developed an anti-ballistics missile. Soon, at a top level defense meeting, he announced that he no longer wished to associate with humanity. He then lived in seclusion on an island off the west coast. When Brain-Child planned to use a solar rocket he invented to cause a super-nova that would have annihilated all life on Earth, the Squadron Supreme teamed up with four heroes from an alternate universe ( Goliath, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Vision) to defeat him. Brain-Child consequently suffered a nervous breakdown and Dr. Spectrum used his Power Prism to somehow transform him into an ordinary boy. Hyperion then promised “from here on, kid, you’re gonna get all the breaks—courtesy of the Squadron Supreme.” From that day forward he was simply Hyperion’s pal Arnie Sutton. As Brain-Child, Arnold Sutton possessed vast mental powers including the ability to erase memories from others, fire "brain-bolts," telepathy, and create solid objects and apparently living beings from his own thoughts. In addition he had an intellect far beyond that of an ordinary human, inventing both a universal solvent and a portable cyclotron. CAP’N HAWK (formerly American Eagle II) James Dore James Dore was the son of Jonathan Dore, who invented a winged flying suit that he used as a World War II era adventurer called the American Eagle. When Jonathan retired, he passed on his wings to his son, James, who became a costumed crime fighter as the new American Eagle. James was invited to join the Squadron, becoming the group's third recruit, and soon changed his alias to Cap'n Hawk. Though one of the more aggressive, impatient and self-righteous members of the team, Blue Eagle served long and well with the Squadron, becoming one of their most dedicated and capable members. He had a long-running feud with his teammate Golden Archer CEREBRAC Cerebrac (also referred to on occasion as Cerebrax) is Master Menace’s artificially intelligent robot servant. Among other things, he sees to his master’s daily needs and warns him of danger. DR. DECIBEL Dr. Anton Decibel DOCTOR SPECTRUM Joseph Ledger Joe Ledger was a pilot and NASA astronaut who encountered and rescued an alien Skrull explorer during a space flight. The grateful Skrull gave Ledger a power prism, an alien crystal with which Ledger could generate and manipulate multicolored energy in near-limitless ways through the application of will power. Adopting the costumed identity of Doctor Spectrum, Ledger became a crime fighter, as did the stranded Skrull in the guise of the Skrullian Skymaster. The two heroes became founding members of the Squadron Supreme, and Ledger remained with the group long after the Skrull repaired his ship and returned to outer space. By focusing his willpower through the Power Prism, Doctor Spectrum can fly at supersonic speeds; emit concussive force, light, heat and other forms of radiation; form mentally manipulable energy constructs that remain solid so long as he concentrates upon them; and survive in outer space or other hostile environments through the generation of a protective energy field. The power prism’s energies can be disrupted by ultraviolet radiation. He is a skilled pilot of various jets and spacecraft, and has a high aptitude for understanding and utilizing technology. FOXFIRE Olivia Underwood Olivia Underwood was born on September 30, 1958 in Schrodinger, Olmstead. She is a founding member of the Institute of Evil, a group of super criminals first organized by the Scarlet Centurion to fight the Squadron Supreme. In her first encounter with the Squadron , she was defeated by Nighthawk, who managed to best her with his superior combat skills. Foxfire has the ability to project bioluminescence of an unknown nature that weakens the molecular bonds of matter on contact, causing rot. THE GOLDEN AGENCY (defunct) American Eagle (I) Power Princess (Zarda) Professor Imam GOLDEN ARCHER (formerly Hawkeye) Wyatt Macdonald Wyatt was an expert archer who used his skills as a costumed crime fighter and was invited to join the Squadron, becoming the team's first recruit since its founding. He later changed his costumed alias to Golden Archer. He has a close friendship with teammate Doctor Spectrum and a long running romance with fellow member Lady Lark. The Golden Archer is a highly trained athlete, formidable physical combatant and archer, armed with a bow and a wide array of specially designed "trick" arrows. THE GRANDMASTER En Dwi Gast The Grandmaster is an Elder of the Universe, one of a handful of beings who have lived since shortly after the Big Bang and are the last known survivors of their respective races. These beings helped create the universe as we know it. The Elders sustain their lives in part through their monomaniacal obsessions with certain things--in Gast's case, games. The Grandmaster is forever playing games of chance, skill or strategy, often conscripting mortals as his pawns. Once aptly described as a "galactic gambling addict," Gast usually plays his games for absurdly high stakes--everything from the Earth to the universe itself! Given the Grandmaster's vast power, said stakes seldom have any say in the matter... As an Elder, Gast has a potentially indefinite life span so long as he sustains the will to live, which he does through his gaming. The Grandmaster, like most Elders, also has the ill-defined ability to manipulate "cosmic energy" for a variety of effects, such as matter restructuring, concussive force and energy constructs. The Grandmaster's cosmic power seems virtually limitless: he can create or destroy worlds at a whim, and is even capable of resurrecting mortals from the dead. The Grandmaster often employs Earth's heroes as his pawns, and once conscripted every super hero on Earth for a game with Death herself. Heroes he has used in other games include the Avengers, the Defenders and the Squadron Supreme. The Grandmaster has also employed willing pawns on occasion, such as the villainous Squadron Sinister, whom he created in imitation of the Squadron Supreme. HYPERION Mark Milton Hyperion is leader of the Squadron Supreme, although this is more due to his sheer power than any leadership skills he possesses. He is a very arrogant and proud combatant. Hyperion has been characterized as an obnoxious, arrogant superman who too often presumes that might makes right, but is genuinely concerned with the welfare of the Planet Earth and its population. Hyperion’s physiology metabolizes cosmic energy that extends his lifespan indefinitely and gives him a near-limitless capacity for physical regeneration, healing any wound short of complete disintegration. He has tremendous superhuman strength (sufficient to press 90-100 tons), stamina, durability, speed, agility and reflexes. He can fly at great speeds and project infrared heat beams from his eyes (he calls this his “Atomic Vision”). He is utterly invulnerable to conventional injury. He is somehow susceptible to the radiation of the isotope argonite, which greatly weakens him when he is in its presence. It has been theorized that prolonged exposure to a sufficient quantity of argonite might kill Hyperion, or at the very least weaken him sufficiently for him to be slain by conventional means. He is also vulnerable to mental manipulation, but not as much so as his Squadron Supreme colleagues. HYPERION II (evil) THE INSTITUTE OF EVIL Ape X (Xina) Dr. Decibel (Dr. Anton Decibel) Foxfire (Olivia Underwood) Lamprey The Mink (former member) Quagmire Shape (Raleigh Lund) THE IRON MOTH The Iron Moth is a costumed criminal once apprehended by Tom Thumb. He wears a metal helmet and a pair of insect-like wings that enable him to fly. LADY LARK Linda Lewis Linda Lewis was a pop music vocalist whose career ended when an accident severed her vocal cords; subsequent experimental surgery by Doctor Anton Decibel restored Lewis’s voice. However, she was still unable to sing since her reconstructed vocal cords were superhumanly powerful and could injure listeners if she raised her voice above a normal speaking tone. Using her new abilities as the costumed crime fighter Lady Lark, Lewis was invited to join the Squadron Supreme and became the team’s fourth recruit. She is involved in an on again off again romance with teammate Golden Archer (previously known as Hawkeye). While she used her powers as both a partner to Golden Archer and as a member of the Squadron, she always hoped to leave the super-heroics and return to her life as a singer. Lady Lark can achieve sonic and hypersonic effects with her voice ranging from shattering objects to upsetting others’ equilibrium, not to mention a great capacity for sheer, deafening noise. LAMPREY Lamprey is a founding member of the Institute of Evil, a band of super villains first organized by the Scarlet Centurion to battle the original seven members of the Squadron Supreme, who were at that time unwitting pawns of the alien games-player, the Grandmaster. Lamprey has a characteristic laugh, “Heh heeyah heeya hee!” and is a sadistic bloodthirsty combatant. He is an energy siphoner, capable of absorbing energy through touch from almost any source. Lamprey gains powers appropriate to the type of energy he’s absorbed, for example, Hyperion’s strength or Whizzer’s speed. He can leech off the natural electricity of the human body to render a person unconscious and is sensitive to unique energy signatures he has encountered in the past. When sufficiently charged, Lamprey can project energy as force bolts from his hands. Other powers he possesses include flight and an unknown degree of resistance to injury. The origin of his powers is unknown, although it is possible that he is either a mutant or a vampire. His pointed tongue, fangs, and lack of visible pupils or irises all mark him a distinctly nonhuman. MASTER MENACE Dr. Emil Burbank Emil Burbank is perhaps the Squadron Supreme's most dangerous foe. A master scientist, Burbank has fought the Squadron many times, both as a solo act and alongside the Institute of Evil. In one of these confrontations, a freak lab accident caused him to have rapid and uncontrollable hair growth. Another proof that he is no pushover is that, after Kyle Richmond's period as President of the World (under Overmind control), while the Squadron implemented the Utopia Program in the United States, Menace got hold of the Middle East. Burbank has one of the most brilliant minds on Earth, and his armor gives him nearly unrivaled power. THE MINK Mink is a founding member of the Institute of Evil and a wanted criminal. She has a long-standing friendship with Pinball and Remnant; the trio are Nighthawk’s oldest enemies. She is no longer a member of the Institute of Evil, although she remains on good terms with them. Mink wears a pair of wristbands which house retractable razor sharp claws, three on each wrist. Using these wristbands, she can also fire a toxic gaseous substance that causes individuals who inhale it to gasp for air. Mink calls this substance, which has been described as “worse than mustard gas,” her “Mink-Stink.” NIGHTHAWK Kyle Richmond Kyle Richmond was born the heir to a pharmaceuticals fortune that he inherited when his father died of a heart attack. Shortly after his father's death, Kyle was shocked to learn that much of the family fortune had been amassed through unethical means. Hoping to make up for the misdeeds of his father, Kyle became the costumed crime fighter known as Nighthawk. As Nighthawk, he was one of his world's most celebrated and respected heroes, matched in deeds and reputation only by the super-powerful Hyperion, who quickly became Nighthawk's recurring ally and close friend. The duo became even more legendary when they joined other heroes in forming their world's finest super-team, the Squadron Supreme. Probably the most resourceful member of the Squadron in any condition, he served as the team's tactician and materials supplier. The Squadron suffered their first major setback when the Serpent Cartel (a coalition of business interests and political forces secretly serving the demon Set through the influence of the Serpent Crown) took over the United States government, manipulating the Squadron into a conflict with the Avengers. The Avengers helped the Squadron see the Cartel for what it was, and the Squadron soon ousted the Cartel from American politics, after which Nighthawk decided he could better serve the country by running for the presidency. He was elected by a landslide, and retired from crime fighting to become one of the most popular and effective American presidents in the history of the Squadron's world. Unfortunately, he was one of the first people brainwashed years later by the Overmind, an alien who conquered the Squadron's Earth on behalf of the demonic Null by mentally enslaving key political and military figures, as well as most of the Squadron. The Squadron eventually defeated Overmind and Null with the aid of the Defenders, but not before their world had been thrown into social and political turmoil by the Overmind's short-lived global regime. Richmond resigned from the presidency since the general public was unaware of how the Overmind had controlled him, and Richmond figured few people would believe the truth. Nighthawk is one of the most exceptionable athletes of the world, as well as a resourceful technician and an uncanny detective. It's rumored that after nightfall his strength and senses are doubled. NUKE Albert Gaines Albert Gaines was a factory worker whose exposure to nuclear waste gave him the ability to generate and manipulate nuclear energy. Calling himself Nuke, he became a costumed crime fighter and joined the Squadron Supreme as their sixth recruit. Nuke's body constantly generated nuclear radiation, which he could harness for a variety of effects, such as flight and energy blasts. NULL The Living Darkness Null was the demonic mastermind behind the Overmind’s takeover of Earth. THE OVERMIND Grom Grom was the greatest gladiator of the Eternians, a warlike alien race who brought about their own destruction by provoking a losing war with the planet Gigantus. Facing certain doom, the Eternians decided to preserve their civilization by transferring the minds of all the Eternian people into the body of their greatest physical specimen, Grom, who was programmed to subjugate whomever he encountered in the name of his people. Cast adrift in space, the transformed Grom eventually came upon an alternate Earth, where he became the would-be conqueror known as the Overmind and was defeated by the Fantastic Four defeated him with the aid of the Stranger. The demonic Null then used Overmind as a pawn through whom to enslave the Squadron Supreme and Earth. Overmind was defeated through the efforts of the Squadron and the Defenders, heroes from an alternate Earth. During those events his body was usurped by the composite consciousness of six disembodied psychics. While they controlled his form, the Overmind became a benevolent force and fought alongside the Defenders on their world repeatedly. He eventually left the Defenders, though, and his original personality later resumed control of his body, making him a menace to the cosmos once more. He has developed a friendship with the Scarlet Centurion and taken refuge in his 41st century kingdom. Powered by the combined psionic energy of a billion minds, Overmind is one of the most powerful mentalists in the universe. PINBALL Pinball is a wanted criminal and longtime friend of Remnant and the Mink. The criminal trio are Nighthawk’s oldest enemies. Pinball wears a specially designed rubber suit that can inflate in 5 seconds, assuming a large spherical shape. When his suit is inflated, Pinball is somewhat resistant to injury and can move either by rolling or bouncing long distances. His favorite combat tactic is to attempt to roll over his foes. POWER PRINCESS Zarda Shelton Power Princess is the most powerful and respected heroine in the world and a founding member of the Squadron Supreme who has served as the group’s leader in the past. Zarda comes from Utopia Isle, whose inhabitants are a genetically augmented and technologically advanced offshoot of humanity equivalent to "mainstream" Earth’s Inhumans. The Utopians sent Zarda to the outside world as a cultural ambassador in the 1940s, and she became a costumed adventurer known as Power Princess, co-founding Earth’s first super-team, the Golden Agency, while battling the Axis powers during World War II. When the United States developed the atomic bomb, the Utopians left Earth in fear of a global nuclear conflict, but Zarda stayed behind and settled down with sailor Howard Shelton, whom she’d rescued and fell in love with during the war. When a new generation of super-heroes emerged decades later, the still-youthful Power Princess joined forces with some of them to found the Squadron Supreme. Thanks to her superior Utopian physiology and mental/physical conditioning, Power Princess has superhuman strength (sufficient to press 20 tons), speed, stamina, agility and reflexes, and she ages far more slowly than normal humans do. She is superhumanly resistant to injury, but not quite to the point of being bulletproof; as such, she sometimes wears steel alloy armor. She is one of the most experienced and capable hand-to-hand combatants on Earth, skilled in acrobatics and discus throwing. She carries a transparent, virtually indestructible shield composed of an unknown material perfected by Utopian scientists; the shield repels most attacks and can also be used offensively as a throwing disc. The shield also grants her the power of flight while she is contact with it. PROFESSOR IMAM Imam is Earth’s Wizard Supreme and a founding member of the Golden Agency, the Squadron Supreme’s WWII era predecessors. Imam wields magic with astounding skill, but has retired in modern times; his powers are not what they were in his prime. Roughly 2000 years ago the wizard Imam constructed his Temple of Contemplation, a mystic tower rendered magically invisible to outsiders. It is located somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere and relies on his inner harmony to remain standing. Hyperion knows the location of this tower, most likely Power Princess does as well, and perhaps so do other members of the Squadron Supreme. Imam perpetually wears a blindfold, it is not known when he started wearing it or why. It is possible that he suffered an injury involving his eyes or that he is blind. Among his many magical abilities, Imam is able to levitate, project an image of his head to distant places to communicate with others, sense certain future events and read minds to a certain extent. He possesses a third eye that “never sleeps,” allowing him to monitor world affairs. He also has an object called “The Prism of Prescience” that responds to his mental commands and allows him to remotely view any area in the cosmos. QUAGMIRE Quagmire is a founding member of the Institute of Evil. He is capable of generating a sticky tar-like substance he calls “muck” which probably is drawn from a different dimension. His power is somehow connected with the phenomenon described as “darkforce.” REMNANT Remnant is a wanted criminal and longtime friend of Mink and Pinball. The three of them are Nighthawk’s oldest enemies. He is also on good terms with the villain Master Menace. Remnant uses various gimmicks to commit his crimes, including long strips of cloth, which he somehow animates, razor sharp and explosive playing cards that he hurls at his foes. He possesses a flying carpet that he stores inside his “bottomless pocket” when not in use. Additionally, Remnant is a skilled tailor. RUSTLER Rusty The Rustler is an outlaw whose costume incorporates a cowboy motif. He and Bollix are partners; both were captured by the Whizzer early on in their criminal careers. THE SCARLET CENTURION Unknown, possibly Kang A possible incarnation of Kang the Conqueror, the time-traveling Scarlet Centurion wished to become master of everything he saw. To do this, he brainwashed the Avengers, a group of alternate-earth heroes, into defeating all other super-humans, thus taking over the world. After this, the Centurion called the "real" Avengers into his timeline to defeat the "evil" Avengers so the Centurion could take over that Earth himself! The Centurion has battled the Squadron Supreme on three occasions, each time attempting to conquer 20th century Earth. During the second of these encounters, he created a group called the Institute of Evil as part of a game he played with the Grandmaster. He has succeeded in ruling almost all time periods except the 20th century earth and has billions of followers, including an army of temporal warriors known as Chrono-troopers. He is a friend with the Overmind, an alien with the psionic capability of billions of minds that almost destroyed the Squadron's earth. The Scarlet Centurion possesses great intelligence and a desire for power. As well as owning a time machine, the Red Menace can project a hologram of himself through time. He wears a powerful suit of armor that can protect him from psionic attacks and project force beams. THE SERPENT CROWN The last known bearer of the crown was US President Nelson Rockefellar. The Serpent Crown has the ability to mentally control other people, forcing them to bow down to the Crown's possessor's will. The Crown is also able to create telepathic link to its other-dimensional counterparts, permitting contact between their bearers. As a side effect, the Crown gives control of the wielder's mind to the Serpent God, Set. The Crown can give its wielder power, but can't do anything about their personality traits. When Rockefellar wore the Crown, despite having control of the military leaders of the country and half of the members of the Squadron Supreme, he was unable to prevent his own defeat, when the Avengers, after being trapped in the Squadron's Earth, exposed him to the general public. The Squadron, realizing their ways were wrong, also left Rockefellar's side. What happened to the Crown and Rockefellar after his exoneration is unknown. SHAPE Raleigh Lund Shape is a mentally challenged superhuman who can shift almost all of his bodily mass from one area of his malleable form to another, altering his physical shape at will. A gentle, simple soul who strayed into crime under the influence of others, the Shape is a member of the criminal Institute of Evil. THE SKRULL possibly Skarnax The Skrullian Skymaster was an alien Skrull explorer who was stranded when his spacecraft malfunctioned. Rescued by human astronaut Joe Ledger, the grateful Skrull gave Ledger a power prism, which Ledger used to become the costumed hero known as Doctor Spectrum. The Skrull himself also became a hero on Earth, and was known as the Skrullian Skymaster, or simply the Skrull for short. He and Doctor Spectrum became founding members of the Squadron Supreme, but the Skrull only served for a few months before Squadron member Tom Thumb repaired his ship, after which the Skrull resigned to return home and was never heard from again. The Skrull was superhumanly strong, and possessed the natural shape-shifting abilities of the Skrullian race. It is possible that he also had some sort of limited telepathic ability. THE SQUADRON SUPREME The founders were Hyperion, Nighthawk, Power Princess, Amphibian, Whizzer, Doctor Spectrum and the Skrullian Skymaster, also known simply as the Skrull. Subsequent recruits included Hawkeye/Golden Archer, Tom Thumb, American Eagle/Cap'n Hawk, Lady Lark, Arcanna, and Nuke. TOM THUMB Thomas Thompson Thomas Thompson was a genius dwarf who used his intelligence and his inventions to become a costumed crime fighter. Impressed by his exploits, the Squadron invited him to join their ranks and he became their second recruit. Though one of the least physically powerful Squadron members, Tom became utterly indispensable to the group as the principal source of their advanced technology. Shy and introverted, Tom ha no truly close friends in the Squadron apart from AIDA (Artificially Intelligent Data Analyzer), a sentient computer of his own creation. Tom Thumb is an innovative expert in a wide variety of scientific and technological fields, including computer science, medicine, psychology, force field technology and spacecraft design. He was gifted with total recall and great manual dexterity. When in battle, he utilized a variety of high-tech weapons and devices of his own creation. THE UTOPIANS Utopia Isle is a small island in the Southern Sea whose civilization has remained isolated from humanity since its inception. The Utopians believe themselves to be the result of genetic experimentation conducted on the human species long ago by beings known as the Kree. While the rest of humanity was making flint spearheads, the Utopians developed a culture based on peace, fellowship, and the acquisition of knowledge. Within their small island community they know no poverty, injustice, sexual discrimination, war, or crime. The Utopians send one of their numbers, a woman named Zarda, to the outside world as a cultural ambassador. She becomes the costumed adventurer known as Power Princess and co-founds Earth’s first super-team, the Golden Agency, while battling the Axis Powers during World War II. When the United States develops the Atomic Bomb, the Utopians believe their way of life -- their existence—to be in jeopardy. Building a star craft, the Utopians leave Earth to find a new home among the stars. Zarda chooses to remain behind as their sole emissary to the outside world. THE WHIZZER Stanley Stewart Stanley Stewart was a postman who gained the power to move at superhuman speed after passing through a mysterious fog bank. Stewart decided to use his powers as a crime fighter called the Whizzer and became a founding member of the Squadron Supreme. Though he has suffered crises of confidence, the Whizzer has been a staunch member of the Squadron for years. His closest friends include teammates Doctor Spectrum and Arcanna; like Arcanna, Whizzer has a family outside the Squadron: a wife (Madeline) and a daughter (Tina). The Whizzer possesses superspeed and can alter his perception of time. As a side effect of his powers, his voice becomes ultra-sonic when running. He can also vibrate his molecules, rendering him intangible. APPENDIX THE AVENGERS THE DEFENDERS SQUADRON SINISTER The Squadron Sinister was a group of costumed super-powered villains recruited by the Grandmaster, to play as pawns in a game against the Avengers. The group was composed of: Hyperion, apparently the sole survivor of a microverse allegedly destroyed by the Avengers, and rescued by the Grandmaster; Nighthawk, actually Kyle Richmond, owner of Richmond Industries, and criminal who would cross wits with Daredevil a number of times, before reforming and joining the Defenders; The Whizzer, actually James Sanders Dr. Spectrum, actually Dr. Kinji |
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HISTORY The History of Earth-S Earth’s Wizard Supreme Roughly 2000 years ago the wizard Imam constructs his Temple of Contemplation, a mystic tower rendered magically invisible to outsiders. It is located somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. As Earth’s preeminent seer, Imam will assume the mantle of Wizard Supreme and the identity of the costumed adventurer Professor Imam. Nothing is known of his predecessor. The Golden Age (1940s) Utopia Isle is a small island in the Southern Sea whose civilization has remained isolated from humanity since its inception. The Utopians believe themselves to be the result of genetic experimentation conducted on the human species long ago by beings known as the Kree. While the rest of humanity was making flint spearheads, the Utopians developed a culture based on peace, fellowship, and the acquisition of knowledge. Within their small island community they know no poverty, injustice, sexual discrimination, war, or crime. The Utopians send one of their numbers, a woman named Zarda, to the outside world as a cultural ambassador. She becomes the costumed adventurer known as Power Princess and co-founds Earth’s first super-team, the Golden Agency, while battling the Axis Powers during World War II. Other members of the Golden Agency include Professor Imam and James Dore, the original American Eagle. Shortly after beginning her mission to the world beyond Utopia Isle, Power Princess encounters a sinking ship and a sole survivor clinging desperately to life. She rescues the sailor, Howard Shelton, who becomes the first man from the outside world she gets to know. They grow to love one another and eventually marry and settle in Capitol City, Magelland. As time passes, Howard grows older, but Zarda does not. When the United States develops the Atomic Bomb, the Utopians believe their way of life -- their existence—to be in jeopardy. Building a star craft, the Utopians leave Earth to find a new home among the stars. Zarda chooses to remain behind as their sole emissary to the outside world. The Golden Agency disbands, possibly at the end of WWII. Brain-Child In 1961 Arnold Sutton is born. Because his parents were exposed to excessive radiation, there is something uncanny about him. Almost within the space of a year, he is able to read with complete comprehension and total recall. By age four he discovers the formula for a universal solvent. For reasons of his own, Arnold causes his brain to grow to mammoth proportions, he is shunned by normal society and becomes known as Brain-Child. The Most Powerful Man on Earth A foundling without a past, Mark Milton has no memory of his childhood prior to his adoption by the kindly Miltons. He develops great superhuman powers as he grows up. His foster parents encourage him to use these powers for good and instill in him the moral code and values that he lives by. One of the things they teach him is that it is wrong to use his powers too much—to interfere in the ways of mankind. Thanks largely to the Miltons’ influence, he adopts a costumed identity as the crimefighter Hyperion. As Hyperion he becomes Earth’s foremost hero. As Mark Milton he works as a cartoonist for a newspaper in Cosmopolis, New Troy, and is the love-smitten co-worker of a woman named Lonni. An Alien Encounter Astronaut Joseph Ledger encounters a crippled alien starship. He rescues its sole occupant, a benevolent alien who gives him the Power Prism, an energy synthesizer his race has created. The alien remains on Earth while he repairs his ship and becomes known as the Skrullian Skymaster, or, more commonly, the Skrull (the name of his race). With the Power prism, Joe Ledger fashions himself the heroic identity of Doctor Spectrum. They live in Atomic City, Herculanea and battle super-villains, including Quagmire. Dark Avenger of the Night When Kyle Richmond is 18 years old, his father, a billionaire pharmaceutical manufacturer, dies of a heart attack. An investigation of his father’s assets reveals that his fortune was made through highly unethical means. Kyle vows to vindicate the evil that men like his father have caused as the costumed hero Nighthawk. The first supervillains he faces are Mink, Pinball, and Remnant. The Fastest Man Alive Running alone on a country road one night, a postman named Stanley Stewart passes through a dense, slightly luminescent fogbank. When he emerges, he discovers that he can alter his perception of time so that the world appears to be in slow motion. He also discovers that every day he can run a bit faster and farther than the day before. Six weeks later, while on a 200-mile sprint before bedtime, he breaks the sound barrier for the first time. When he decides to become a costumed crime-fighter, his wife Madeline has to talk him out of calling himself the Boomer. Instead, he calls himself the Whizzer, after the sound he makes as the air whistles by him in its attempt to get out of his way. He lives with his family in Mechanopolis. As the Whizzer he faces various super criminals, including Rustler and Bollix. From Beneath the Sea Amphibian emerges as an aquatic super hero, although the affairs of the surface world are not as important to him as his undersea life. He is the third strongest person on Earth, after Hyperion and Power Princess. When not in costume, he uses the alias Kingsley. The original seven members of the Squadron Supreme The Squadron Supreme is born When an out of control giant robot threatens to destroy Cosmopolis, seven super heroes respond and meet for the first time. Amphibian, Doctor Spectrum, Hyperion, Nighthawk, Power Princess, the Skrull, and the Whizzer form the Squadron Supreme. His Father’s Wings The original American Eagle retires and passes his wings on to his son, James Dore Jr. who carries on as the new American Eagle. He lives in Mayflower, Freedonia. An Invasion from the Future On September 14, 1970 the Scarlet Centurion, a tyrant living in the 41st century, journeys to 20th century Earth. Armed with a chronal displacer, he wreaks havoc in Cosmopolis, sending objects of iron and other mineral resources to his home time era. He is opposed by the Squadron Supreme and driven back to the 41st century. The Institute of Evil The Institute of Evil is a band of superhumanly powered criminals organized by the Scarlet Centurion to battle the seven members of the Squadron Supreme, who become the unwitting pawns of the alien games player, the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster Its original membership consists of Ape X, Dr. Decibel, Foxfire, Lamprey, the Mink, Quagmire, and Shape. The battle of the two groups includes a fight between Nighthawk and Foxfire. Nighthawk manages to best her with his superior combat skills. The Squadron Supreme defeats the Institute. Mink decides not to remain an active member of the Institute, although they remain on good terms. Military Mind In 1970 Brain-Child begins to work for the military and develops an anti-ballistics missile. Soon, at a top level defense meeting, he announces that he no longer has any desire to associate with his fellow humans. He will continue to develop rocketry for America while living in seclusion on an island off the west coast. Farewell to a Friend Having repaired his ship, the Skrull resigns from the Squadron Supreme to return home. Tom Thumb Thomas Thompson, a dwarf super-genius, applies his intellect to creating effective crime-fighting techniques. To test his inventions, he fashions a costumed identity for himself. Calling himself Tom Thumb, he apprehends scores of bizarre criminals, including the Iron Moth. Tom Thumb’s valiant crusade against crime brings him to the attention of the Squadron Supreme. Despite the fact that he possesses no superhuman powers, he is invited to join America’s premiere band of superhuman defenders. The American Eagle American Eagle (II) joins the Squadron Supreme. Hawkeye Wyatt battles crime as Hawkeye, the Archer. He has an on-again off-again relationship with pop-singer Linda Lewis. They live in separate flats in Franklintown, New Babylon. Linda Lewis has an accident that damages her vocal cords and ends her singing career forever. Dr. Anton Decibel (Dr. decibel of the Institute of Evil), performs experimental surgery on her, giving her hyper-vocal cords. Unfortunately, she is till unable to sing due to the damage caused when she raises her voice above normal speaking level. Hawkeye helps her to piece her life back together and influences her to assume the super-heroic identity of Lady Lark. In this role she becomes his partner. Soon they become the Squadron Supremes third and fourth recruits. Power Princess leaves Power Princess decides to take an indefinite leave of absence from the squadron Supreme. Heroes from an Alternate Earth Goliath, quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and the Vision, super heroes from an alternate universe, accidentally materialize in Cosmopolis and barge into the Squadron Supreme’s HQ, mistaking it for their own mansion. Although the Squadron at first mistakes these heroes for communist spies, they soon team up to prevent Brain-Child from causing a super-nova that would annihilate all life on Earth. When Brain-Child suffers a nervous breakdown, Doctor Spectrum uses the Power Prism to transform him into an ordinary boy. Hyperion promises “from here on, kid, you’re gonna get all the breaks—courtesy of the Squadron Supreme.” Afterwards, the heroes from the alternate Earth mysteriously vanish. A New Name James Dore (jr.) has a falling out with his father over political issues and assumes the guise of Cap’n Hawk. He changes his costume and modifies his wings. A Deadly Substance Tom Thumb experiments with a rare substance called Argonite, the one radioactive isotope that Hyperion is not immune to. Thumb hopes to discover why it is so lethal to Hyperion and find a way to immunize him. He never succeeds, however. The Argonite sample remains locked away in a lead-lined subbasement vault in Nighthawk’s mansion in Cosmopolis. A Super Hero No More Thinking he can do more as a Congressman than as a crime-fighter, Kyle Richmond abandons his Nighthawk identity and enters politics. A New Name and a New Look Hawkeye changes his name to the Golden Archer and begins wearing a less-threatening looking costume. Retirement Professor Imam retires and goes into seclusion, claiming to be conserving his energies to train his successor in the year 2428. In point of fact, he is fated to die long before that time, so it is possible that he is mistaken or lying. The Serpent Cartel US President Nelson Rockefeller possesses the Serpent Crown, an artifact that enables its wielder to mentally control other people. As a member of the Serpent Cartel, he manipulates the Squadron Supreme into battling the Avengers, a team of heroes from the previously encountered alternate Earth. Their roster consists of Beast, Captain America, Hellcat, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. The Avengers take control of the Serpent Crown and the Scarlet Witch resists its influence. The Squadron Supreme and the Avengers continue fighting until Beast forces the Squadron to realize that the Serpent Cartel’s corruption. The fight ends and the Earth is freed from the influence of the Serpent Crown. An Evil Hyperion Hyperion travels to the Avenger’s alternate Earth and fails to persuade Thor to star in a movie. An evil Hyperion from the Avenger’s Earth impersonates Hyperion while he is away and attempts to destroy the world. The evil Hyperion meets the genius Dr. Emil Burbank and is ultimately defeated by the real Hyperion, who imprisons his evil duplicate. Scientists later free him and take him back to the Avenger’s Earth. A New Menace Dr. Burbank becomes the armored villain Master Menace and clashes with the Squadron Supreme numerous times. He has a robot servant named Cerebrax. Rocket Central Tom Thumb designs and constructs Rocket Central, the world’s first orbiting manned satellite, which the Squadron Supreme adopts as its new headquarters. He also builds the artificially intelligent super-computer AIDA within the satellite. President Super Hero Kyle Richmond is nominated for the Presidency. He is elected by a landslide. At his inauguration he vows to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. Arcanna Arcanna Jones was born with an aptitude for magic and various psychic powers that developed as she matured. Originally employed as a medium, she later decided to support her husband Phillip and children (Drusilla, Katrina, and Andrew) as a professional crime-fighter, using her supernatural skills to capture criminals for profit. Her exploits attract the attention of the Squadron Supreme. Arcanna accepts their offer of membership, becoming the group’s fifth recruit and forming a close friendship with her teammate the Whizzer. Nuclear Power Albert Gaines of Motor City, Wyandota is endowed with nuclear powers and joins the Squadron Supreme as Nuke. Tom Thumb tests his powers with a device called the Energy Analyzer. Back from the Future The Scarlet Centurion attacks again, this time with his Chrono-Troopers, an army of heavily armed commandos. Upon defeat by the Squadron Supreme, the temporal warriors forfeit one of their time-traveling devices. It is analyzed by Tom Thumb who subsequently develops the Temporal Somaprojector, a harness that enables whoever wears it to travel through time. The Over-Mind Matter The alien villain Over-Mind comes to Earth to conquer it. His reasons are unknown. Allied with a villain called Null, the Over-Mind seeks out President Richmond and bombards the President with his mental powers. Richmond leads the Over-Mind to the Squadron Supreme, which he also mentally dominates, except for Hyperion, who flees to the alternate Earth of the Avengers. Over-Mind uses President Richmond to subvert America’s military leaders and then to declare war on the rest of the world. Thanks to Over-Mind numbing the brains of world leaders, America and the Squadron Supreme conquer the world. President Richmond becomes Nighthawk once again, wearing a new costume provided by the Over-Mind. Professor Imam does not come out of retirement to oppose the Squadron Supreme, perhaps because he is concentrating on eschatological premonitions warning of the possible arrival of an extradimensional threat to the entire universe. Hyperion returns with the Defenders ( Beast, Doctor Strange, Gargoyle, Hulk, Nighthawk [II], Prince Namor, Scarlet Witch, the Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, and the Vision). Together they defeat the Over-Mind. Nighthawk from the alternate Earth CHARACTERS The Squadron Supreme Amphibian (Kingsley) Cap’n Hawk (James Dore Jr., formerly American Eagle II) Doctor Spectrum (Joseph Ledger) Golden Archer ( Wyatt, formerly Hawkeye) Hyperion (Mark Milton) Lady Lark (Linda Lewis) Nuke (Albert Gaines) Power Princess The Skrullian Skymaster (former member) The Whizzer Tom Thumb (Thomas Thompson) The Institute of Evil Ape X Dr. Decibel (Dr. Anton Decibel) Foxfire (Olivia Underwood) Lamprey The Mink (former member) Quagmire Shape Other Villains Brain-Child Master Menace (Dr. Emil Burbank) Null Over-Mind Pinball Remnant Rustler The Scarlet Centurion |
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