American Crusader
Encyclopedia
The American Crusader is a fiction
al character
, a superhero
who originally appeared in Thrilling Comics
#19 (Better Publications
, 1941). The character was revived in the Modern Age in Femforce
#59, by AC Comics
, and in Tom Strong
#11, by Alan Moore
and Chris Sprouse
.
is Professor Archibald (Archie) Masters, an astronomy professor at an unnamed university in the Eastern United States
.
The character debuted in 1941, his mousy alter-ego being similar to that of Superman
's Clark Kent
identity. He accidentally got caught in a room with a device called an atom smasher
, and, inevitably, the experiment went awry. Instead of killing him, the accident blasted him with radiation, which endowed him with various superhuman abilities. He used these powers to fight crime as the American Crusader.
Prof. Masters had a secretary named Jane Peters. The Crusader had a teen sidekick named Mickey Martin.
The Crusader appeared in the following titles in the Golden Age:
, were revived by AC Comics
through the Vault of Heroes, a suspended animation program for superheroes. He was revived and joined the Sentinels of Justice
.
, were revived by Alan Moore
in his series Tom Strong
. This revival set the characters on a parallel world
called Terra Obscura
, which was also the title of the resulting mini-series.
The Crusader apparently (from a Terra Obscura
continuity
standpoint) operated as a superhero until 1969, when, on a mission to stop an alien from converting Earth
into a spaceship, he was imprisoned in an alien restraining device which Tom Strong
imagined to be a heavily localized time-loop. This bubble kept him in suspended animation until he was freed in 2000 by Strong and his fellow SMASH
member, Tom Strange.
Described by Strong as "probably the first nuclear science-hero", he is "possibly even more powerful than Tom Strange."
Within the Terra Obscura continuity, he is an alcoholic, currently seeking help for his addiction. He operates with the modern incarnation of SMASH.
, by Alex Ross
and Jim Krueger
. He is kept imprisoned and unconscious by a totalitarian government, and clones called Crusaders are created from his DNA to function as super-powered soldiers.
In the related Black Terror
series, the Black Terror finds Archie and helps him to lure the Crusaders and destroy them, using the last of Archie's energy in the process. The Crusaders all die, and an African-American soldier named Marcus Chamberlain, who was with Archie and the Terror at the last moment, gains the power and becomes the new American Crusader.
lost the war. In present day, the American Crusader gathers DNA from Golden Age heroes in order to create a new generation of heroes.
generation. The full extent of his powers at this time is unknown.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who originally appeared in Thrilling Comics
Thrilling Comics
Thrilling Comics is the title of a comic book series published by Standard Comics for 80 issues from 1940 and 1951.It was used again in 1999 by DC Comics as the title of one of the issues of the Justice Society Returns storyline.-Characters:...
#19 (Better Publications
Nedor Comics
Nedor Publishing was a comic book imprint of publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics...
, 1941). The character was revived in the Modern Age in Femforce
Femforce
Femforce is a comic book published by AC Comics that began publication in 1985, detailing the adventures of the titular team: the "Federal Emergency Missions Force" or "Femforce", some of them original creations, while others originated in the 1940s and 50s, lapsing into public domain by the time...
#59, by AC Comics
AC Comics
AC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
, and in Tom Strong
Tom Strong
Tom Strong is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division.-Background:Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero"...
#11, by Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
and Chris Sprouse
Chris Sprouse
Chris Sprouse is an American comic book artist.-Biography:Chris Sprouse was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the age of 3 he moved with his family to New Delhi, India where he first discovered comics as he was unable to play outside due to the dangerous amount of snakes in the house yard...
.
Character history
His secret identitySecret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
is Professor Archibald (Archie) Masters, an astronomy professor at an unnamed university in the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
.
The character debuted in 1941, his mousy alter-ego being similar to that of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
identity. He accidentally got caught in a room with a device called an atom smasher
Atom Smasher
Albert Rothstein is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. Atom Smasher is known for his power of growth and super strength. Created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway, he first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25...
, and, inevitably, the experiment went awry. Instead of killing him, the accident blasted him with radiation, which endowed him with various superhuman abilities. He used these powers to fight crime as the American Crusader.
Prof. Masters had a secretary named Jane Peters. The Crusader had a teen sidekick named Mickey Martin.
The Crusader appeared in the following titles in the Golden Age:
- America's Best Comics #6
- Thrilling Comics #19-35, 37-39, 41
AC Comics
The American Crusader, along with other heroes from Nedor ComicsNedor Comics
Nedor Publishing was a comic book imprint of publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics...
, were revived by AC Comics
AC Comics
AC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
through the Vault of Heroes, a suspended animation program for superheroes. He was revived and joined the Sentinels of Justice
Sentinels of Justice
Sentinels of Justice is a fictional organization of superheroes. The comic was published by Americomics in 1983 during a very brief time that AC was able to license the Charlton Comics superheroes before the rights were purchased outright by DC Comics. The team consisted of Captain Atom, Blue...
.
America's Best Comics
The American Crusader, along with other heroes from Nedor ComicsNedor Comics
Nedor Publishing was a comic book imprint of publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics...
, were revived by Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
in his series Tom Strong
Tom Strong
Tom Strong is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division.-Background:Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero"...
. This revival set the characters on a parallel world
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
called Terra Obscura
Terra Obscura
Terra Obscura is a 2003 comic book miniseries spun off from Alan Moore's Tom Strong series. The stories are written by Peter Hogan, and drawn by Yanick Paquette and Karl Story with additional flashback sequences drawn by Eric Theriault. Each story is co-plotted by Alan Moore and Peter Hogan...
, which was also the title of the resulting mini-series.
The Crusader apparently (from a Terra Obscura
Terra Obscura
Terra Obscura is a 2003 comic book miniseries spun off from Alan Moore's Tom Strong series. The stories are written by Peter Hogan, and drawn by Yanick Paquette and Karl Story with additional flashback sequences drawn by Eric Theriault. Each story is co-plotted by Alan Moore and Peter Hogan...
continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
standpoint) operated as a superhero until 1969, when, on a mission to stop an alien from converting Earth
Terra Obscura
Terra Obscura is a 2003 comic book miniseries spun off from Alan Moore's Tom Strong series. The stories are written by Peter Hogan, and drawn by Yanick Paquette and Karl Story with additional flashback sequences drawn by Eric Theriault. Each story is co-plotted by Alan Moore and Peter Hogan...
into a spaceship, he was imprisoned in an alien restraining device which Tom Strong
Tom Strong
Tom Strong is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division.-Background:Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero"...
imagined to be a heavily localized time-loop. This bubble kept him in suspended animation until he was freed in 2000 by Strong and his fellow SMASH
SMASH (comics)
The Society of Modern American Science Heroes, or SMASH, is a team of fictional superheroes whose adventures are published by America's Best Comics and take place on the parallel world of Terra Obscura.- History :...
member, Tom Strange.
Described by Strong as "probably the first nuclear science-hero", he is "possibly even more powerful than Tom Strange."
Within the Terra Obscura continuity, he is an alcoholic, currently seeking help for his addiction. He operates with the modern incarnation of SMASH.
Living Legends and Tales of the Living Legends
The American Crusader made a brief appearance in the prose story Living Legends, published by Metahuman Press. A flashback comic story featuring rescripted pages over the public domain comic work has also been published as part of the Tales of the Living Legends webcomic.Project Superpowers
The American Crusader appears in the mini-series Project SuperpowersProject Superpowers
Project Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski for issue #0, and Carlos Paul for the...
, by Alex Ross
Alex Ross
Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an...
and Jim Krueger
Jim Krueger
Jim Krueger is an American comic book writer, novelist, and filmmaker.- Filmmaking :Kreuger's first short film, They Might Be Dragons, which he wrote, directed, and produced, won "Best In Class" at New York University , a "Best Short Film" award from the New York Independent Film Festival, and a...
. He is kept imprisoned and unconscious by a totalitarian government, and clones called Crusaders are created from his DNA to function as super-powered soldiers.
In the related Black Terror
Black Terror
The Black Terror is a fictional comic book superhero who originally appeared in Exciting Comics #9, published by Nedor Comics in January 1941. Some Black Terror stories were written by Patricia Highsmith before she became an acclaimed novelist...
series, the Black Terror finds Archie and helps him to lure the Crusaders and destroy them, using the last of Archie's energy in the process. The Crusaders all die, and an African-American soldier named Marcus Chamberlain, who was with Archie and the Terror at the last moment, gains the power and becomes the new American Crusader.
Heroes Inc.
Archibald Masters, the American Crusader, appears as a center character in the ongoing webcomic Heroes Inc., created in 2009 by Scott E. Austin. The webcomic takes place in an alternate reality where the allies of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
lost the war. In present day, the American Crusader gathers DNA from Golden Age heroes in order to create a new generation of heroes.
Powers and abilities
The American Crusader is capable of flight, superhuman strength, invulnerability to bullets, and electromagnetic pulseElectromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
generation. The full extent of his powers at this time is unknown.
See also
- Tom StrongTom StrongTom Strong is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division.-Background:Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero"...
- Terra ObscuraTerra ObscuraTerra Obscura is a 2003 comic book miniseries spun off from Alan Moore's Tom Strong series. The stories are written by Peter Hogan, and drawn by Yanick Paquette and Karl Story with additional flashback sequences drawn by Eric Theriault. Each story is co-plotted by Alan Moore and Peter Hogan...
- Nedor ComicsNedor ComicsNedor Publishing was a comic book imprint of publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics...
- SMASHSMASH (comics)The Society of Modern American Science Heroes, or SMASH, is a team of fictional superheroes whose adventures are published by America's Best Comics and take place on the parallel world of Terra Obscura.- History :...
- Project SuperpowersProject SuperpowersProject Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski for issue #0, and Carlos Paul for the...
External links
- American Crusader at the International Catalogue of Superheroes
- Golden Age Superheroes
- Heroes Inc.
- Tales of the Living Legends
- Metahuman Press