Greetings! Welcome to the Saga of the Blue Marvel! A man wronged by his own country is now tasked with saving it!
After gaining amazing powers from a scientific accident Dr. Adam Brashear became the Blue Bomber of Battle, the Magnificent Master of Might, the Man of Marvels: The Blue Marvel! In a much darker time in our history, Dr. Brashear was made to retire by his government based solely on the color of his skin. Or was he? The Saga of the Blue Marvel will recount his secret adventures during his "retirement" the magnificent deeds that were hidden from a society that rejected their greatest hero
(Regular links aren't working for me at the moment)
Dr. Adam Brashear, Ph.D. let himself into the Deputy National Security Advisor’s office. The NSA was in the process of replacing his current cigar stub. Brashear strode across the room and seated himself opposite the man.
Adam Brashear looked the Deputy Advisor from across the desk. “Does this summons mean what I think it means?”
The black-suited man returned the gaze and grabbed a Zippo lighter from his desk and began to hold the flame to the end of his new cigar. “No, Adam it doesn’t. You cannot be a superhero.”
“So you mean to tell me that even though there are black heroes on the street right now, fighting crime, that I can’t do anything? I can’t be what God made me? What about the Falcon? What about the Black Panther?! Christ! Even his name smacks of racial tension!”
“That’s true Adam,” the Deputy said, conceding the point, he started lighting the cigar, rolling the tip in the flame, “but Falcon couldn’t burn them all to cinders with a thought if he fancied it.”
Brashear cocked his head and squinted slightly “But I would never…”
The deputy advisor continued. “That’s not the point though; these people go out and attack people when a colored man sits in the front seat of a car with a white woman. What do you think is going to happen when they see there is a black man so far above them, so superior in every way, that they couldn’t even hope to compare. They’ll crack, they’ll riot. They would kill every colored man they could find. What would they do when they discover his wife is a white woman? You know what would happen? Chaos, riots, lynching. Mr. Brashear, when that happens, what the hell do I have that could stop you from razing this entire nation?”
“So why am I here then?”
“Because the current administration wants you to help out again, just away from the spotlight.”
“Doing what?”
“Saving the world from the Communist, Dr. Brashear.”
“I did my time fighting them in Korea; I refuse to get involved over there. Besides, you don’t need me to burn down grass huts in the jungle, it seems like Stark is giving you hardware that does that just fine.”
“Say what you want about it, I know you are a patriot, I know you’re a Marine. We’re not asking you to fight this war. The President wants us out of there in fact.”
Brashear lifted a skeptical eyebrow “Really? Then what is the problem?”
The Deputy NSA finished lighting his cigar before he continued, “Escalation, the Soviets don’t want us out. They see what it is doing to us. They intend to begin using high powered individuals in the war, knowing that we would be forced to respond in kind or face a real retreat. There is no ‘Peace with Honor’ when Marines are running for their lives from a guy shooting nuclear fire from his eyes.”
“Why not get the Avengers then?”
“You don’t think we tried? Pinko Pym wouldn’t have any of it, besides, Thor can’t be contacted and without him, frankly, the Avengers are out of their league.”
“What exactly is going on then?”
With his cigar finally lit, the government man reached into his drawer and pulled out a folder and pulled out a picture of an Asian man and showed it to Adam, as Adam held the photo, he began:
“This is Chinese scientist Dr. Chen Lu, better known as Radioactive Man. He’s a self-made super, dosed himself with specialty radiation to give him powers. He was a member of the Masters of Evil before they were defeated and now he has aligned himself with the Soviets for resources—much to his home nation’s chagrin, I might add.”
“One guy, is he really that bad?”
“All alone, he is pretty bad. However, with Soviet backing now, he is working on something far worse.” The NSA said, handing over another photo. “He has taken up residence on a small island in the South China Sea. We had an agent on the island that said Chen Lu was there with Russian speaking personnel setting up a lab of some sort. U-2 flights snapped these photos a week ago after the agent failed to report.”
Adam appraised the photo, “Looks like a military formation, but nothing massive. However, comparing the men in it to the surroundings these men are all gigantic.”
“Exactly, we think Chen Lu is creating an army of atomic super-soldiers using the same process that he used to give himself his powers. We believe he is planning to invade Vietnam as soon as we begin our drawdown. Either trapping us there, forcing us to concede defeat, or try to find some way to draft an army of —President Nixon!?!” The NSA stood up with his eyes locked on the doorway.
Adam looked behind him to see the President, flanked by secret service agents. He looked stoically at the Commander in Chief as he addressed him, “Mr. President.”
Nixon extended his hand, “Dr. Brashear, I just wanted to stop by and see how this was going. I need you to know how dire this situation is, and how much your government needs you. And remember, I was VP when you were active, it was the other guy who stood you down”
It felt good, amazing even, to fly again. Adam Brashear, The Blue Marvel and former Cornell fullback, one arm extended ahead of him had just taken flight for the first time in almost 7 years. In the other arm he held his helmet, not that he ever needed protection—he had once experienced an atomic blast at point blank range. But he did need it. To hide, but not for protection of his family and friends like other heroes, but simply to hide the fact that he was black and people couldn't handle the fact.
Maybe someday people won’t think so small. Someday he thought. He always flew with the helmet off when it was possible, appreciating Creation in a way few could. Why am I doing this though? He had been thinking about the previous day’s meeting with the Deputy National Security Advisor and his short conversation with the President. He was insulted by the implication, that he was good enough to risk it all, just not enough to be recognized for it. However, it wasn’t accolades that he sought, just the right that anyone else blessed by the same circumstances he had a right to help people, to use his amazing strength and speed to save lives. The best he had gotten was a “Thanks for everything but you have to go—out the colored entry, of course.”
But here I am, flying like a rocket towards an island filled with danger for them.
It would only be a minute or two more left from the 20 minute flight from Philadelphia to the island where Communist-backed villain Radioactive man was raising an army of atomic powered soldiers. He didn’t quite know what to expect when he arrived but he knew it probably wouldn’t be pretty.
As the island broke the horizon Adam placed his helmet on, he arched his back and looked towards the sky, gaining altitude. A mile above the island, he took a moment to stop and listen. He heard the sound of engines and machinery from the island. Concentrating he began to mentally sort through the noise, as a normal man would trying to listen to a single background instrument in a record. He heard the bustle of voices on the island, men barking orders, supplies being moved. He peeled back yet another layer, the bustle of wind high Pacific winds through the trees. Yet another and there is was, the clanking of chains and a muffled voice. He took in a breath of the salty air, and cleared his mind. He zeroed in until he heard nothing but the voice. He was glad the agent was alive. He wasn’t always invincible, there was a time where he risked his very mortal flesh and blood for his country, just like this man had.
And then unlike anything else in the world he moved. So fast that if one was looking they would see a line of blue shooting straight down. He hit the roof of the building without even registering it, then the floor, through the concrete and rebar of the bunker complex beneath like he was just diving into a pool. He noted the size and green hue of the soldiers as he passed through the floors. He was pretty sure he was too fast for them to even see if they were looking for him. Before the personnel on the first floor could register the shock he was in the cell with the agent, shielding the man as the shockwave of the Multi-Gigajoule impact reached them.
The agent, already delirious from days of torture didn’t know what was happening. He had a look of terror in his eyes as he seen the visage of his savior. “Don’t worry, I’m American as apple pie, son.” Adam assured the man as he effortlessly broke the chain binding the man and then pulled out the gag. “Let’s get you to safety, you’ve earned it.”
With a heave Adam Brashear took to the air with his arms around the man like a lifeguard. He used his back to shield the man from debris as they passed back through the bunker and stunned personnel. Once safely ahead he stated flying north towards Okinawa. He had to fly much slower to protect the agent, this would take a while. The agent had passed out during the rescue.
Physically, the man was a wreck, Adam prayed he would make it. He thought about stopping off on an island to render aid but there were no open wounds and despite having a Ph.D. Adam wasn’t that kind of doctor.
I really should have asked what their plan was if the agent was alive, he thought. He considered the fact that the men in D.C. hadn’t even considered the agent or had a contingency for his being alive. No time to worry about that now.
“AHHHHH!!!!!”
The agent came to over the ocean. Adam thought back to when he first started saving people and chastised himself for not remembering how people who can’t fly react to going 80 miles per hour over the ocean, he should have blindfolded him. A person could have a heart attack waking up like that.
“Calm down son. It’s ok. It’s ok now.” Adam said.
“Wha..what’s going on?!?!” the agent managed to spit out.
“We’re above the Pacific, getting you to Marine Base Okinawa. I am here on behalf of the NSA. But don’t worry about all of that now. What’s your name?”
“I..I’m not at liberty to say.” the agent said, firming up a bit as he collected his thoughts.
“Fair enough, what can I call you, then?”
“Just call me James.”
“Ok, James. Are you hurt at all? Do you think you can make it an hour to Okinawa?” Adam asked.
James paused for a second, realizing that he could have been missing a leg and not noticed until now, after taking a brief inventory of his digits and appendages he replied, “Yeah, I think I am ok, they roughed me up, but they knew what they were doing.” As he said uttered that sentence though, he noticed something, “I think I’m missing a tooth though.” James let out a small chuckle.
“Your acting career is over, but there is still hockey.” Adam joked as they shared a surreal laugh as they zipped over the warm pacific that can only be shared by people who have been to hell and back. They sailed silently over the ocean for a while before James spoke up again.
“I know who you are.” James said.
“Is that so?” Adam replied quizzically.
“No you you. But I remember The Blue Marvel. I never did think even an alien armada could take you out.” James said, letting a bit of his accent slip. “I thought it was horrible the way they treated you, just because you were Colored.”
“I think we say ‘black’ now, James. But don’t worry about it.” Adam said as they neared their Japanese destination. They gingerly approached the ground and Adam let James get his footing. “You good?”
“Yeah, I got it from here.” James replied, working stiffness out of his limbs, he extended his hand towards the man in front of him.
Adam grasped his hand in his, “Anything I should know about this Chen Lu?” he asked.
“He has about 350 men on the island, they are all irradiated like him. Not quite as strong but they all carry some heavy hardware. They never tire, and they are all hand to hand experts.” James then added, “And those commie’s are mean as hell.”
Adam took note of the information. “And the Chen Lu himself?”
“Strong. Hulk strong. He can fire some sort of radioactive blast as well. But worse..” James retracted for a second, as if remembering something he wanted to forget, “..he can hypnotize you. Not complete mind control, you can subvert his orders, but he can control your actions. So be careful.”
“Good to know. Thank you for your service James.”
“Go get em’ and show em’ what an American can do."
With that, Adam left within the blink of an eye. All James seen was the faint puff in the sky as Adam broke the sound barrier.
I don't know why your links are not working. How did you copy them?
Just using the link button in the editor and then copying and pasting the url directly from my browser.When I copy the link after trying to update it acts as if I had just copied www.comicvine.com weird stuff. But anyway, how is the story so far? I should have #3 ready soon.
I would really appreciate it if people who read this regularly would just check in once to let me know who is lurking. Also, should I post issues on this thread or put them on the blog?
I have the read the begining, very good. Not too familiar with the Blue Marvel, but this is good writing. Keep up the good work, I will get around to reading the rest @warpimp
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