Jab’s Builds! (Sword of Sodan! Nightmare Creatures/Circus! Lawnmower Man!)

[Jabroniville]

DARKLING (Darla Lang)
Created By: ??? & Rich Buckler
First Appearance: The Mighty Crusaders #4 (Nov. 1983)
Role: Teleporter
Incarnations: Red Circle, Dark Circle

-Darkling is a very "1970s" heroine, fittingly appearing in the 1983 Mighty Crusaders book (given that Archie was usually 10 years behind on any trend). She randomly joins the Mighty Crusaders in their fight against the Brain Emperor, Eterno & The Malevolent Legion of Juggernauts. Using a mystical teleporting cloak and a black costume with a lot of cut-outs on it, she is mysterious and nonetheless trusted quickly by the heroes. She helped out in another couple of stories, often using her "sense" to detect whether or not someone was a threat, but she had her mind wiped by the Brain Emperor when he returned- her soulless body was now floating in Limbo, and never returned before the line was cancelled.

-Darkling returned MANY years later in the Dark Circle version of the Mighty Crusaders. Now "sombre" and less friendly, she has internalized powers.

[Jabroniville]

CAPTAIN COMMANDO (John Grayson)
Created By: S.M. Iger & Alex Blum
First Appearance: Pep Comics #30 (Aug. 1942)
Role: Two-Fisted Adventurer
Incarnations: Golden Age, Impact Comics
PL 7 (86)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Navy) 8 (+9)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (Nazi Germany)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (86)

-Sporting a pretty generic costume, a "C" on his mask, and a "V" on his belt, Captain Commando was a Navy Commando who decided to fight the Nazis behind enemy lines as well. He teamed up with the Boy Soldiers (probably a knock-off of one of the many "Boy Sidekick" groups active at the time) including his son Billy, Gerald Sykes from England, Armand De Latour from France, Erik Jansen from Norway and Flatbush from America. I... wait, that's almost literally the Boy Commandos from Simon & Kirby at DC! Same nationalities, just about- just swap Dutch for Nordic! Holy shit, that is some HELLACIOUS ripping off! This act apparently lasted 35 issues over four years, but unlike almost all of MLJ's other heroes, he didn't even appear in the 1960s "Every Mighty Crusader shows up" issues! The only subsequent one is a very Deadpool-looking guy in olive drab for the Impact Comics run.

[Jabroniville]

You missed the DC Comics version of the Comet from the 2010 "Shield" and "Might Crusaders" series.

I have him written down as the original one's name, so he fits the first build- I just didn't include that costume because I didn't know where it came from... and it was awful. Not as bad as the hilarious 1960s rainbow one, but it's bad.

[Jabroniville]

It's funny to look at Pep Comics and see the weird shift as Archie becomes more and more popular, but they still want to showcase their other guys:








Archie debuted in Pep Comics #22- within about a year he was on the cover, and by the 50th issue (1944), none of the heroes were appearing any longer.

[Jabroniville]

THE FALCON (Real Name Unknown)
Created By: Abner Sundell & Mort Meskin
First Appearance: Pep Comics #1 (Jan. 1940)
Role: Two-Fisted Adventurer, Defender of the Free Press
Incarnations: Golden Age only
PL 7 (84)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Streetwise) 4 (+5)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (Nazi Germany)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (84)

-Wow, that's a garish costume- mustard-yellow bodysuit with green & blue feathered get-up for the head. This character appeared in only a single issues of Pep Comics (the first, in fact)- he was a mysterious aide to the reporter Flash Calvert, who wanted to identify criminals and enable freedom of the press. We never learn his real name in this story, and then in the next, the same overall concept is used, but the name is changed!

[Jabroniville]

THE PRESS GUARDIAN (Perry Chase)
Created By: Jack Binder & Mort Meskin
First Appearance: Pep Comics #2 (Feb. 1940)
Role: Two-Fisted Adventurer, Defender of the Free Press
Incarnations: Golden Age only
PL 7 (86)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+7)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Expertise (Reporter) 6 (+7)
Deception 4 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Ranged Attack 2

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Enemy (Nazi Germany)

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (86)

-So in a weird bit of Retconning, the Press Guardian debuts in Pep Comics #2, sharing the exact same gimmick as The Falcon. Here, the "Press Guardian" was Perry Chase, the Daily Express publisher's seemingly dumb and wimpy son, who dressed up like the Spirit (but in green) and fought crime. Timely Comics (later Marvel) would use the "Falcon" name for their own hero in 1940, re-using it decades later for Sam Wilson. The Guardian was ousted from Pep the following year, and replaced by Fireball.

[Jabroniville]

ARCHIE’S company made this.

MADAM SATAN (Iola)
Created By: Abner Sundell & Harry Lucey
First Appearance: Pep Comics #15 (May 1941)
Role: Satanic Woman

-Hilariously, the wholesome, All-American family of Archie Comics holds a character named MADAM SATAN in its history. She debuted a bit before Archie, and was a background feature in the book that mostly starred The Shield before a certain red-headed spotlight-stealer came in and took the cover for himself. Drawn by future Archie artist (and one of their best Fanservice guys) Harry Lucey, he was a wicked woman who sought to further Satan's goals- she had been engaged to a man, but when his parents objected, she had killed them. In their dying moments, they revealed this to their son, so he went and murdered HER in return. But her beauty "overcame him" according to Toonopedia, and he kissed her one last time- this killed him somehow, and she went to Hell, where Satan was like "Hey, be my servant".

-Her mission now was to seduce men into evil, and then kill them so Satan could claim their souls. Toonopedia suggests she was imitating the Golden Age Black Widow, who was also a Satanically-powered Miss Fanservice in a slinky dress. Her arch-enemy was a supernatural medieval-style friar named Brother Sunshine, who always tried to capture Madam Satan's evil spirit in a bottle. He always failed, but nonetheless, Madam Satan proved unpopular and disappeared after less than a year- she last appears in Pep Comics #22, Feb. 1942. The space she gave up? It went to a certain Archie Andrews. And now you know... the REST of the story.

[Ken]

You missed the DC Comics version of the Comet from the 2010 "Shield" and "Might Crusaders" series.

God he looks like a tool.

He was.

[Jabroniville]

WAR EAGLE (Theresa Shane)
Created By: Eric S. Trautmann, Brandon Jerwa & Julian Lopez
First Appearance: Mighty Crusaders #1 (Sept. 2010)
Role: Flying Hero
Incarnations: DC

-War Eagle is an original character for the DC run of the "Red Circle" characters. She, uh, has talons and wings. You're welcome for this elaborate bio.

-Oh, she's definitely named for a Golden Age title- one of Steel Sterling's back-ups in Zip Comics, which starred War Eagles: The Devil's Flying Twins. It was about a pair of young American airmen who joined the Royal Air Force and feuded with a German pilot who had been their fencing adversary.

[Jabroniville]

Oh my! The Hangman is actually double-hanging himself! Instead of saying "Hi" perhaps he should have said "Bye".

Such awful costumes and colors and names, oh my!

Hangmen guys gotta live the gimmick- even if it means it looks like they're hanging themselves .

Yeah, some of the costumes are pretty bad. I kinda like a bunch of them, but Fireball, The Wizard and others look terrible.

[Jabroniville]

HERCULES (aka Herakles)
Created By: Joe Blair & Ed Wexler
First Appearance: Blue Ribbon Comics #4 (June 1940)
Role: Son of Zeus
Incarnations: Golden Age

-So MLJ apparently ran a Hercules feature in Blue Ribbon Comics for a bit. Hercules earned a place on Mount Olympus by ridding Ancient Greece of evil, but was ordered back to Earth by Zeus to rid the world of "war, gangsters & racketeers". The one picture I see is of a muscular dude in white undies- I don't know how long this feature lasted for.

[Davies]

According to this handy site, a grand total of five issues in 1940.

[Jabroniville]

THE ERASER (Real Name Unknown)
Created By: Jerry Siegel
First Appearance: The Mighty Crusaders #1 (Nov. 1965)
Role: Hired Killer
Incarnations: Silver Age, DC
PL 9 (122)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Science) 7 (+13)
Insight 2 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Technology 7 (+13)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Inventor, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Eraser Gloves" (Flaws: Removable) [20]
"Erasing" Movement 2 (Dimensional Travel 2) (Extras: Attack 10, Ranged 10) (24 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Erasing +8 (+10 Movement Attack, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)
Enemy (The Mighty Crusaders)

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 13 (122)

-The Eraser was a hired assassin, named for his ability to "rub anyone out". Fairly unusually for a super-villain, he was a pretty broad guy (a later Archie story once had a fat henchman dress in a version of his gear, too). Hired by a kingpin to kill the Shield, he used an "Ion Weapon" to turn the hero into an iron statue. For thirty years, the Shield sat in this form, until his son Bill put on a spare uniform to carry on the legacy- he trapped the Eraser in a pocket dimension for over a decade, leaving the villain amnesiac. The Shield was eventually regenerated by The Comet. The Eraser, meanwhile, had his memories restored by the Brain Emperor, and became a villain once more, using gloves that "erased" people into other dimensions as he had once been. He formed the Riot Squad with Buzzard & Sting, and killed the original Black Hood- ultimately, he was killed by The Comet.

-In the DC Comics adapatation of the MLJ characters, The Eraser is now a man made of shadows.

-The Eraser is a pretty big, strong-looking guy, and is a genius inventor. I chose to stat up his "Erasing" Gloves because those are more interesting. His "Ion Weapon" is a one-off transformative thing.

[Jabroniville]

SUBTLE.

THE BUZZARD (Steven Frank)
Created By: xxxx
First Appearance: The Mighty Crusaders #11 (March 1985)
Role: Vulture Rip-Off
Incarnations: Red Circle, New Crusaders (possible legacy)

-Oh man, this is awful. The Buzzard is a one-off created for a Remco toyline, and showed up in only one comic... where his "bald old man in a feathered costume" gimmick made him a very clear rip-off of The Vulture. He has a flying suit that lets him shoot electrical bursts. He joined the original Riot Squad with Eraser, Sting & Brain Emperor, the group killing the original Black Hood. He is seemingly killed by a vengeful Comet in the same issue, and never reappears. In an Archie Comic many years later, one criminal disguises as a masked verion of The Buzzard to commit some crimes while hiding his identity at a comic convention. In a later New Crusaders comic, the Brain Emperor does a jailbreak and gives a man an updated Buzzard costume- the man complains that he doesn't want to be the Buzzard again, and is free from his father's curse.

[Jabroniville]

THE BRAIN EMPEROR (aka Herakles)
Created By: Jerry Siegel & Paul Reinman
First Appearance: The Mighty Crusaders #1 (Nov. 1965)
Role: Mega-Villain
Incarnations: Silver Age, New Crusaders
PL 10 (154)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Deception 4 (+8)
Expertise (Space Emperor) 4 (+10)
Insight 4 (+8)
Perception 4 (+8)
Technology 4 (+10)
Vehicles 6 (+10)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (PK Blast), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Mental Powers"
Teleportation 10 (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (40) -- [44]

• AE: "Psychokinetic Blast" Blast 10 (20)
• AE: "Psychokinesis" Move Object 12 (Feats: Precise) (Extras: Perception-Ranged) (37)
• AE: "Hypnosis" Mind Control 10 (Flaws: Vision-Dependent) (30)
• AE: "Projections" Illusion 10 (Visual & Hearing) (Flaws: Will Save) (20)

Force Field 7 (Extras: Impervious) [14]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
PK Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Mind Control -- (+10 Perception-Ranged Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +3 (+10 Force Field), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Brain Emperor wishes to rule entire planets.
Enemy (The Mighty Crusaders)

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 58 / Defenses: 13 (154)

-The Brain Emperor is I guess the closest thing the Mighty Crusaders setting(s) have to a Mega-Villain. He debuted in the 1960s as a recurring menace- he hails from K-Shazor, where all children have surgery to make their brains "hyper-efficient", giving them mental powers. He took over K-Shazor, but during a solar eclipse his mental powers disappeared, and so the people rose up and defeated him, imprisoning him in a "Cosmic Cube" and exiling him. He ends up on Earth, attempting to conquer a new world instead.

-He popped up in the "New Crusaders" era as a returning bad guy, using the Blue Ribbon (named for one of the early MLJ comics) to apparently kill the heroes Fly-Girl, Comet, Fireball, The Web, Pow-Girl, Jaguar, and Steel Sterling. A group of successors were found and empowered by the Golden Age Shield, and rose up to stop him. Eventually their parents were revealed as alive, I think.

-The Brain Emperor has "Mental Powers" of some kind. One site lists telepathy, hypnosis, teleportation, emphatic projections, and psychokinesis