In the spirit of Everything Old Is New Again, allow me to present SOLAR CENTURIONS -- a science fiction adventure comicbook concept from 1987 which I've repurposed as a potential toy line and animated series with an '80s action cartoon vibe!
When the original comic was first being developed back in '87, I was brought aboard as co-artist to contribute character concepts and designs as well as story art. The book went through a few changes over the following years, including being re-titled The Ascending Man Chronicles, and it was eventually "bequeathed" to me by the last member of the original creative team. In the years since, I tinkered with it on and off, never really doing anything substantial with it -- but after attending Power-Con and DesignerCon in 2019, I was inspired to think of it in terms of an '80s action cartoon, which led me back to the original concept. Hence, this portfolio of the lead characters to help sell the potential of the feature for development. Enjoy!
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ZENITH
Asteroid miner Bart Resdon's life was in a steep downward spiral. So when an unknown benefactor at his company, the Zenith Corporation (ZCorp), offered him a clean slate in exchange for piloting an experimental shuttle into the Main Asteroid Belt, he jumped at it. However, a mysterious "accident" during the flight altered his very atomic structure, granting him near-invulnerability and fantastic energy-manipulating abilities that have yet to be fully measured. Bart was then selected to be the figurehead of ZCorp's elite special operations and troubleshooting team, the Solar Centurions!
Asteroid miner Bart Resdon's life was in a steep downward spiral. So when an unknown benefactor at his company, the Zenith Corporation (ZCorp), offered him a clean slate in exchange for piloting an experimental shuttle into the Main Asteroid Belt, he jumped at it. However, a mysterious "accident" during the flight altered his very atomic structure, granting him near-invulnerability and fantastic energy-manipulating abilities that have yet to be fully measured. Bart was then selected to be the figurehead of ZCorp's elite special operations and troubleshooting team, the Solar Centurions!
ZENITH (energy being)
Perhaps the most uncanny aspect of Zenith's powers is his ability to transform himself into a being of living energy! In this state he can fly through space unaided and channel cosmic energy for a variety of purposes. What he cannot know yet is that the entity responsible for his transformation will stop at nothing to unlock the secret of Zenith's abilities for his own nefarious ends!
Perhaps the most uncanny aspect of Zenith's powers is his ability to transform himself into a being of living energy! In this state he can fly through space unaided and channel cosmic energy for a variety of purposes. What he cannot know yet is that the entity responsible for his transformation will stop at nothing to unlock the secret of Zenith's abilities for his own nefarious ends!
NIGHTSTHUNDER
The man known as Nightsthunder was extracted from his mother's womb by a team of overly ambitious geneticists shortly after he was conceived and then genetically engineered to be the ultimate super-soldier, growing up to possess amazing levels of strength, endurance, and intellect. He came to embrace his Lakota Sioux ancestry and currently serves as a member of the Solar Centurions. He does not yet suspect, though, that the people responsible for his pre-natal abduction worked for his current employer, ZCorp!
The man known as Nightsthunder was extracted from his mother's womb by a team of overly ambitious geneticists shortly after he was conceived and then genetically engineered to be the ultimate super-soldier, growing up to possess amazing levels of strength, endurance, and intellect. He came to embrace his Lakota Sioux ancestry and currently serves as a member of the Solar Centurions. He does not yet suspect, though, that the people responsible for his pre-natal abduction worked for his current employer, ZCorp!
PULSAR
Superstar singer Venus Alexandria was in the midst of an interstellar tour when her luxury starcruiser was attacked by pirates. Although the Solar Centurions were on hand to rout the invaders, Venus was burned nearly to death when she stumbled into a plasma blaster crossfire. In a desperate bid to save her life, Zenith enveloped her in an energy cocoon which healed her injuries as well as imbuing her with energy-channeling powers similar to his own. After a period of training in the use of her new abilities, Venus was recruited into the Solar Centurions herself under the code name Pulsar!
Superstar singer Venus Alexandria was in the midst of an interstellar tour when her luxury starcruiser was attacked by pirates. Although the Solar Centurions were on hand to rout the invaders, Venus was burned nearly to death when she stumbled into a plasma blaster crossfire. In a desperate bid to save her life, Zenith enveloped her in an energy cocoon which healed her injuries as well as imbuing her with energy-channeling powers similar to his own. After a period of training in the use of her new abilities, Venus was recruited into the Solar Centurions herself under the code name Pulsar!
SUNBEAM
After fleeing the persecution she experienced on her native planet of Neondrin due to her uncommon ability to project bursts of solar energy from her hands, shy and good-natured Lela Tovalos found a new life among the Solar Centurions as Sunbeam, and a new love in the arms of her teammate Nightsthunder.
After fleeing the persecution she experienced on her native planet of Neondrin due to her uncommon ability to project bursts of solar energy from her hands, shy and good-natured Lela Tovalos found a new life among the Solar Centurions as Sunbeam, and a new love in the arms of her teammate Nightsthunder.
THE STELLAR KNIGHT
When the otherworldly gods called the Avras defeated their mortal enemies the Devas and departed our plane of existence, they left this final guardian behind in hibernation on their home planet should the Devas' evil ever again be reborn. Tragically, this happened when a power-hungry explorer discovered and breached the Avras temple, unleashing the last of the Devas upon the universe. Using the explorer's life-force to reanimate himself, the Stellar Knight set out to track down the Devas and end its evil once and for all. He would eventually learn that yet another of the Devas had been left behind — Devas Indigo — and forged an alliance with Sovann to expose and destroy this deadly threat!
When the otherworldly gods called the Avras defeated their mortal enemies the Devas and departed our plane of existence, they left this final guardian behind in hibernation on their home planet should the Devas' evil ever again be reborn. Tragically, this happened when a power-hungry explorer discovered and breached the Avras temple, unleashing the last of the Devas upon the universe. Using the explorer's life-force to reanimate himself, the Stellar Knight set out to track down the Devas and end its evil once and for all. He would eventually learn that yet another of the Devas had been left behind — Devas Indigo — and forged an alliance with Sovann to expose and destroy this deadly threat!
SOVANN
Sovann's trilaterally symmetrical anatomy makes him among the most versatile and skilled fighters in the galaxy, which is why this warrior-priest was hired to train the Solar Centurions in combat and self-discipline — no small task given the variety of temperaments and personalities his teammates possess! Unbeknownst to his employers, Sovann is also secretly working with the Stellar Knight to unmask the forces of evil within ZCorp which threaten the stability of the galaxy!
Sovann's trilaterally symmetrical anatomy makes him among the most versatile and skilled fighters in the galaxy, which is why this warrior-priest was hired to train the Solar Centurions in combat and self-discipline — no small task given the variety of temperaments and personalities his teammates possess! Unbeknownst to his employers, Sovann is also secretly working with the Stellar Knight to unmask the forces of evil within ZCorp which threaten the stability of the galaxy!
ONYX
The diminutive scientist known only as Onyx could be the only one of his kind; no other crystalline beings like him have been reported to have survived the ecological catastrophe that devastated his homeworld. Nevertheless, Onyx exhibits a fun-loving, jovial nature and delights in the pursuit of knowledge. He aids his fellow Centurions with both his brilliant mind and his ability to shift matter between dimensions, including the power to create small spatial portals to anywhere within his line of sight!
The diminutive scientist known only as Onyx could be the only one of his kind; no other crystalline beings like him have been reported to have survived the ecological catastrophe that devastated his homeworld. Nevertheless, Onyx exhibits a fun-loving, jovial nature and delights in the pursuit of knowledge. He aids his fellow Centurions with both his brilliant mind and his ability to shift matter between dimensions, including the power to create small spatial portals to anywhere within his line of sight!
POWERSTAR
Raised on the harsh world of Qantos 5, Galamo Arovokled gained renown as an underground gladiator named Powerstar before the gladiatorial games were taken over by ZCorp and turned into choreographed mass entertainment. After an attempt on his life by a rival gladiator went awry when the assassin's strength-enhancing suit malfunctioned, Galamo took the suit and repurposed it for his own use, adding an anti-gravity belt and blaster bracelets, and was subsequently recruited into the Solar Centurions by ZCorp.
Raised on the harsh world of Qantos 5, Galamo Arovokled gained renown as an underground gladiator named Powerstar before the gladiatorial games were taken over by ZCorp and turned into choreographed mass entertainment. After an attempt on his life by a rival gladiator went awry when the assassin's strength-enhancing suit malfunctioned, Galamo took the suit and repurposed it for his own use, adding an anti-gravity belt and blaster bracelets, and was subsequently recruited into the Solar Centurions by ZCorp.
DEVAS INDIGO
The last scion of a group of Devas who escaped to Earth in prehistory following the defeat of their brethren by the Avras, Devas Indigo spent countless years being hounded and tormented by man due to his frightening appearance. During an expedition to the North Pole, where he discovered the ancient lair and artifacts of his ancestors, he learned of his heritage and came into his full power. Returning to civilization, he spent the ensuing centuries manipulating mankind from behind the scenes with the ultimate goal of exterminating every human being in the known galaxy!
The last scion of a group of Devas who escaped to Earth in prehistory following the defeat of their brethren by the Avras, Devas Indigo spent countless years being hounded and tormented by man due to his frightening appearance. During an expedition to the North Pole, where he discovered the ancient lair and artifacts of his ancestors, he learned of his heritage and came into his full power. Returning to civilization, he spent the ensuing centuries manipulating mankind from behind the scenes with the ultimate goal of exterminating every human being in the known galaxy!
MR. AZURE
The Chief Executive Officer of the Zenith Corporation is an enigma. No one seems to know exactly who he is, what planet he hails from, or how he achieved his current position. This could be because Mr. Azure doesn't actually exist — he is, in fact, a psychic construct created by Devas Indigo as a façade to hide his true identity as the puppet master of ZCorp, secret ruler of Earth, and would-be destroyer of mankind!
The Chief Executive Officer of the Zenith Corporation is an enigma. No one seems to know exactly who he is, what planet he hails from, or how he achieved his current position. This could be because Mr. Azure doesn't actually exist — he is, in fact, a psychic construct created by Devas Indigo as a façade to hide his true identity as the puppet master of ZCorp, secret ruler of Earth, and would-be destroyer of mankind!
DWARFSTAR
This little lady from the planet Eous 3 may look cute and harmless, but she is an experienced soldier who possesses the ability to bend the very forces of gravity to her will! This makes her a tremendous asset to the Solar Centurions in any combat situation they may encounter. Her military experience has left her with a tough, no-nonsense attitude and she does not suffer fools gladly.
This little lady from the planet Eous 3 may look cute and harmless, but she is an experienced soldier who possesses the ability to bend the very forces of gravity to her will! This makes her a tremendous asset to the Solar Centurions in any combat situation they may encounter. Her military experience has left her with a tough, no-nonsense attitude and she does not suffer fools gladly.
