The Red Panda

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Normal human. Utilizes top physical conditioning, augmented by advanced devices and hypnotic powers.

Occupation: Millionaire playboy.

Affiliations: (original W.W. II series) The team at Panda Division (the Canadian government's top Nazi-busting spy agency, composed of mystery-men recruited from around the country; includes inventor Dr. Anna Handbasket, augmented canine Col. Sparky Fitzking, WW I crimefighter the Grey Panda, and Australian attaché Baboon McSmoothie, man of a thousand faces)
(new 1930's series) Kit Baxter (trusty chauffeur, who has recently adopted the heroic identity of The Flying Squirrel).

Enemies: (original series) The worst supervillains Nazi Germany has to offer, including: Dr. Frederick von Slick (a.k.a. the Human Slick), war profiteers like J. Phinneas Goat (war profiteer); Dorothy Dynamite (saboteur);
(new series) Those who would threaten the lives and livelihoods of the citizens of Toronto, including: the Golden Claw (underworld kingpin), the sultry and superfast Jackrabbit (sultry and superfast); Professor Zombie.

Known Relatives: None.

Aliases: Frequently invents civilian identities as suits his purposes.

Base of Operations: (original series) Panda Division Headquarters, Ottawa.
(new series) Underground Lair, Toronto.

First Appearance: Audio series available from Decoder Ring Theatre website (series recorded 1999, released 2004)

Powers/Abilities: The Red Panda's is in top physical condition and possesses martial arts skills. His advanced gadgetry varies somewhat from the electric Zap Gun and experimental super-strength serum Manlinite 9-90 of the original series to the gravity-defying Static Shoes and Radio Rings of the crimebusting stories.

History: Few personal details are known about the masked mystery man turned Nazi-busting super-spy known as The Red Panda. It is known that he was one of 1930's Toronto's wealthiest men.

He first came into the public eye when he worked as an urban crime-fighter in 1930's Toronto, aided in all things by his trusty chauffeur/sidekick, Kit Baxter a.k.a. the Flying Squirrel, the only person who knew his true identity. Regardless of his background, his mission was clear - to keep his city free from tyranny - both that of a global scale and the oppression of organized crime and racketeering. During World War II he joined Canada's other mystery men in forming the elite Panda Division, the country's foremost freedom fighters and last, best defense against Axis super-villainy.

Comments: The Red Panda was created by writer/actor Gregg Taylor in homage to the great mystery men of a bygone age of radio adventure. Six episodes of a W.W. II continuity were developed and recorded by Taylor's company, Decoder Ring Theatre, as a pilot for a traditional broadcast project that never materialized. In 2004, the episodes were made available on the company's website, www.decoderringtheatre.com in MP3 format for free download. The phenomenal response that followed from new fans all over the world and broadcasts by both conventional and internet radio stations, revived the project. The characters and storylines were revamped, and the action was moved back to the Red Panda's early career as a crimefighter in a new series, the first 12 episodes of which were released in October 2005 on the same website. It remains to be seen if these two continuities will eventually link or if the new episodes represent a complete "reboot" of the character.

The new 1930's adventures are available for free download in MP3 format at www.decoderringtheatre.com (just follow the "Podcast" link) ... new episodes appear every second week, or folks who are using Podcatching software can subscribe using the address http://decoderring.libsyn.com/rss

Thanks to Gregg Taylor for all the above information and images.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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