“The person you see here isn’t the person I was yesterday or even the day before. I move constantly through the time stream, jumping to wherever I’m needed.”
Is he a scientist? Is he a wizard? Few people know the truth about Captain Tomorrow, but everyone recognizes him as a hero.
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Every day, my captors wake me up, strip me naked, and check for microchips in my brain.
This morning, three armed guards stand on the far end of the corridor facing my cell. Dressed in riot gear, they keep assault rifles trained on me as I remove my clothes. Two more guards stand in
front of the locked door, pistols ready.
I count four regulars and one rookie on mad scientist detail today. The new kid hangs in back, keeping his finger on the trigger and ignoring proper gun safety. New blood makes my mornings more exciting, but also increases my odds of catching a bullet if I unbutton my fly too quickly. Fear makes people do stupid things.
I didn’t earn nine PhDs and shrink the state of Delaware to pocket size just so I could die in prison because somebody thinks the naked super-genius wants to take over the world from his cell. I just want some toast and oatmeal.
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He doesn’t land; he always floats a few feet above me, looking down on me. Looking down on all humanity, for all I can see.
The first superhero and, for many, the symbol of America, Paradigm has flown the skies since the early 1940s. Created in the heart of an atomic explosion, his every cell is powered by strange radiation that renders him eternally young, resistant to almost every form of harm, and capable of amazing feats of strength.
He’s also the most hated enemy of Roosevelt Pythagoras, which puts him at the center of the conflict that unfolds as that supervillain is released from prison.
Continue readingFrom the Masters City Sentinel, by Betsy Bryant
The League of Liberty, an organization of superpowered vigilantes that has been in operation since the 1960s, officially disbanded in a surprise move following weeks of controversy after several of the members performed high-profile crimes under what they claim to be mind control.
The press release came at 10:30 AM on Monday, during which leading members Paradigm, Captain Tomorrow, and Miss Destiny made a brief statement and answered questions from the press.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the official disbanding of the League of Liberty,” said an unusually emotional Paradigm during the press conference. “Recent actions have caused a breach in public trust, and without that level of trust we simply cannot operate as intended.”
Notably, few at the press conference raised any objection to the idea of this decades-old law enforcement group disbanding. Recent wounds run far too deep and remain too fresh. People around the world can easily recall overturned vehicles, burning buildings, and more devastation, all caused by members of the League of Liberty. Although no direct casualties have been reported, worldwide property damage is estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars.
The League of Liberty claims that they were mind controlled, forced to perform these deeds by nanomachines installed in their bodies by entrepreneur and suspected supervillain Roosevelt Pythagoras. An independent probe by the United Nations has confirmed that nanotechnology seems to have been at the root of the problem, although nobody has been able to provide a direct link back to Mr. Pythagoras’ involvement.
All told, the senseless destruction seems to have been a case of temporary insanity. Even so, it will be a long time before anyone looks up into the sky with any other feeling but dread.
Although authorities have confirmed that the League of Liberty’s actions were caused by foreign materials that created an altered state, the exact extent of their liability–or the responsibility of another party, such as Roosevelt Pythagoras–remains in question.
“We plan to cooperate with authorities to the fullest,” said Paradigm on behalf of the former league.
Moreover, the members of the now-disbanded League of Liberty stated unequivocally that they will continue to fight crime individually.
“The League was a beginning,” said Paradigm. “It arose out of our shared want for justice. While the original structure has now changed, evil still won’t have anywhere to hide. We will remain vigilant, we will fight our foes wherever they are, and we will win.”
Over the years, I’ve represented sentient robots, hyper-intelligent gorillas, and time-displaced cavemen. They all followed one simple rule: they wore pants in my office.
In a world of vigilantes and supervillains, a good defense lawyer never stops working. Eva Corson is one of the best, having made a living defending the dangerous, the evil, and the criminally insane. For many superheroes, she is worse than the villains she defends. In her eyes, though, everything she does is about the pursuit of justice and redemption.
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While most trace the origin of the modern superhero to the Manhattan Project disaster which transformed an ordinary man into the American Paradigm, some scholars believe that superheroes walked the world long before one man put on a mask and cape. Those individuals scour mythology and ancient legends, looking for grains of truth in stories about the supernatural. One particular myth has persisted through the centuries, beginning in the Middle Ages and continuing all the way to the modern day: the Destiny Entity.
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I had the good fortune to interview with Jorrie Simpson recently, and her excellent questions (along with my rambling responses) are now online at Medium.com. If you want insight about my new novel Meddling Heroes, my writing process, and more, check out the interview now!
Honorable mention, New Millennium Writings Fiction Award 2018
When you go grave robbing, timing is everything. If you pick a freshly dug site, the soft and relatively unpacked earth means you can reach the casket in under two hours. If you wait too long, the ground dries out and the pressure of time means you’ve got a long, backbreaking night ahead of you.
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My latest novel, Meddling Heroes, is now on sale in both paperback and e-copy. While the books find their way to local stores and libraries, you can order your copies at the links below.
This novel presents Roosevelt Pythagoras, a newly-released supervillain who must solve the mystery of his own murder before it happens. Does his villainy lead to his demise, or did one of those meddling heroes do it? He is joined by his defense attorney Eva Corson, who has more than professional goals in mind for this case…
Wait…why does the name Roosevelt Pythagoras sound familiar?
Other than the historical figures that the name draws from, Roosevelt Pythagoras was the mad scientist/protagonist of my short story “Flinch,” which received honorable mention in the 2018 New Millennium Writings Fiction Awards. If you haven’t read that story yet, I’ll be posting it here in the coming days.
And yes, there’s more!
As with my Greystone Valley novels, I’ll be adding information about the world of Meddling Heroes to this site in weeks to come. This supplemental information isn’t needed to enjoy the book, which stands alone, but helps to flesh out the world around Roosevelt’s adventures. You can check the Meddling Heroes section of this site for more.
Get ready for a world of zany comic book style fun! Meddling Heroes is now available!
Every day, my captors wake me up, strip me naked, and check for microchips in my brain.
Roosevelt Pythagoras has nine PhDs, a litany of crimes, and several lifetime sentences in a maximum security prison. He is the world’s most notorious supervillain…or was, until his exoneration days ago. Now he must win over the trust of a superhero community who wants him either dead or behind bars, all while trying to solve the most puzzling murder of all: his own.
Meddling Heroes is my latest novel featuring a supervillain-turned-detective who must solve his own murder before it happens. The mystery unfolds in a world of superheroes, magicians, and time travelers. Come along for the journey and try to solve a mystery in a world where anything is possible.
Meddling Heroes will be available in print beginning May 4, 2023 and on the Kindle shortly after that. In the meantime, check out the new Meddling Heroes section of this site for background information and hints that can help you explore this superpowered whodunnit!
Charlie Brooks 