Keeper of Infinite Earths - Circle of Justice
Created by Bob Justice
Thunderer
Alter Ego: Justin Erik North
Occupation: Farmer/Superhero
Known Relatives: Erik and Anita North- parents, Bjorn and Anna
North-grandparents
Group Affiliation: Circle of Justice
Base of Operations: New York, NY
Background/History:
The Norse Gods existed in a parallel dimension to our own and, for a relatively
short span of time, their plane can come into direct contact with ours. In the
long distant past, they mingled with the Norsemen and the legends we know sprang
from that. During those days, the paladin named Justin gained great prominence
in the church of Thor and, when it came time for Asgard’s separation from
Earth, Thor enchanted Justin’s war hammer to act as a reward for his service
and as a weapon to protect against Loki. Odin decreed that humans should remain
separate from the gods in fear of mingling their blood. Thor admired humans due
to their willingness to risk their short and fragile lives for what they
believed in. Loki wanted to interfere with humans to defy Odin and he hated
humans because Thor loved them. The enchanted hammer would react to the presence
of Asgardians on Earth. For years, the story of the artifact was passed down
through the descendants of Justin from father to son. As the years passed, so
did their belief in the legend until Bjorn came to the USA. He settled in Kansas
on a farm and stored the stone hammer head in the attic. Shortly after the birth
of Erik, there was a terrible tornado. Perhaps due to the stories of his youth,
Bjorn watched storms and had very little fear of them. His wife and baby safely
in the storm cellar, he stood on the porch and watched. As he watched, the storm
grew stronger and clearly seemed to be heading towards them. He watched as his
neighbors home and barn turned to splinters and he realized that they were next.
In a moment of desperation, he remembered the stories and the debt that Thor
supposedly had with his family. He raced upstairs, grabbed the hammer head, and
stuck it on an old shovel handle. He faced the storm surrounded by the tell tale
calmness, his wife came out of the cellar to beg him to get inside with them,
and he asked Thor, the god of thunder, to calm this storm and spare his family.
A giant bolt of lightning shot from the hammer into the heart of the tempest and
the tornado slowed and abated before their wondering eyes. He believed the
legends and passed them on to his son. In the late 1950s, the dimensions of
Asgard and Earth became accessible again and Loki sent a mystic runestaff to
Earth as a forerunner to his schemes. When a weak minded individual picked up
the runestaff, he would be possessed by it’s malevolence and transform into
the Dark Trickster. When it arrived, the hammer glowed brightly, young Justin
took it down from the mantle, and was instantly transformed into a superheroic
form. He was super-strong and physically larger. The hammer had it’s own
abilities, as well. It enabled him to fly, fired lightning bolts, with a thought
it could fly as if it were thrown always returning to him, and it added to the
damage he could generate with his strength. After stopping the nefarious Dark
Trickster’s schemes, he gained enough of a reputation to help found the Circle
of Justice. Eventually, the Circle of Justice and the Asgardians fought a huge
battle to stop Loki from destroying both dimensions. As a reward, Thunderer was
granted his powers all the time and his powers eventually transferred to his
daughter who became the heroine known as Lightning.
Personality/Motivations:
Inspired to do good by the history of his family, Justin lived up to his
namesake’s legend. He would be a hero and sire a line of heroes. Always a
scrapper, he enjoys a good fight and has a tendency to just wade right in to a
battle.
Quote: "Stormy weather...bad news for you!"