The Brigadiers Revealed

Well, okay, I've only revealed five of them, and I already knew who three of those were, but it was enough to get me moving again.

I'm trying to play off some of the comic book archetypes I see in mainstream super-hero comics with the members of this team, and I think the couple that I had to invent were pretty good. At least I like them right now. Two might be missing at the moment, but I think superheroes can be a tough bunch to gather at short notice.

Here's an excerpt from tonight's work:

Tearing her eyes away she looked off to the right. At Animus’ right hand sat The Veteran. He nodded to her, acknowledging her gaze, and giving a friendly smile that lifted Erin’s heart a bit. At least he’s here. I don’t know if anybody could go against The Veteran. I’d probably jump off a bridge, if he asked me to. He was a veteran of World War II, but right afterwards, some kind of government experiment made him the first real superhuman. He’d served his country again in Korea, but after the turmoil of the Vietnam era, he viewed himself more as a guardian of the innocent rather than pledging his loyalty to any single nation. That was when he’d traded in his red, white and blue outfit for the blue and green uniform he now wore – the colors of Earth from space.

The Veteran is one of the Brigadiers, and the one I thought would give me the most trouble. He surprised me in that regard because of the two that I fully developed tonight, he was the one that came to me first. I think that Superman and Captain America serve the same role in current comics, despite the obvious power differences, because their greatest gift is their ability to inspire those around them to greatness. They also both have a sense of right and wrong that guides them. I wanted to create a character like that. This excerpt doesn't tell his whole story - though I have more than I've shared here. But I hope I've got someone who can pull off that same vibe without feeling corny or 'lame'.

I didn't get as much writing done as I'd have liked - I blame no one but myself. But the important thing is that I broke through a bit of a block I was having - and that block was coming up with some additional characters. I think I've gotten myself to a point where I'll have an easier time picking back up.

Anyhow, here's tonight's word count:

Tonight's Word Count: 732

Total Word Count: 23,717