The American

Real Name: various

Identity/Class:

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First Appearance: The American (Dark Horse)

Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength and speed. Other powers, such as energy projection, are simulated on missions by teams of special effects men who go in ahead to prepare for the public intervention of the American.

History: The American is a hero of the USA, having operated as a special operative of the country for decades. He is seemingly all but indestructible, having been seen to take devastating injuries on a mission, only to turn up unhurt only days later. He is a symbol of truth, justice, and the American Way.

All of which is a total lie of course. In fact the American, while a hero, is none of the above. In reality there have been hundreds of Americans, government operatives genetically altered to make them stronger and faster than normal humans, equipped with kevlar outfits and working with highly trained special effects people to fake the other powers; each man altered by plastic surgery to make them virtually indistinguishable from one another. And every time one of them dies on a dangerous mission, the body is destroyed by an explosive charge built into the costume, and another American steps up to the bat. Until the late 1980's this trick worked, and the American public never guessed the truth.

But then one of the Americans died very publicly in an abortive hostage situation in the Middle East, although he did get the hostages out. A young boy, one of the hostages who saw him die had an unfortunate "heart attack" when confronted with his hero came "back to life"; the new American was killed almost immediately by a terrorist reprisal attack at the worst possible time, during a nearly live press conference. And one of the reporters who got proof of the death of this American was murdered to keep her from talking.

The latest American to take the job felt that all the men who had died before him deserved better than to be ignored; so too did another reporter who was a friend of the one who died; and they were joined by Kid America, former sidekick to some of the previous Americans and father of the one who died in the Middle East. Together they planned to expose the whole scheme which had become rotten to the core.

Comments: Created by Mark Verheiden.

CLARIFICATIONS:

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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