Marcus Cole
Origin: Natural Archetype:
Tanker (?)
Power Sets/Powers: Complete list unknown, but believed to include:
·Invulnerability
·Super
Strength
·Flight
·Fighting
·Leadership
Levels: Unknown
Current Whereabouts: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Freedom Phalanx (founding member, Leader); the Vanguard (member of the Elite Five); "Surviving Eight"
Benefits/Rewards
·Unknown at this time
History
"Born
Marcus Cole, [the Statesman] began his transformation from a poverty born child to world hero after serving in the US Army
during World War I. Instead of coming home in 1918 he headed east, bent on exploring the world now that he'd had a taste of
it. Where he went and what happened to him during that lost decade remains a secret to this day. What is no secret is that
when his ship pulled into Paragon
City port in 1931 he was much more than the young private who had shipped out to
fight for freedom in Europe.
"Cole claimed to have unlocked
the power of his own Inner Will, an obscure explanation at best. Whatever their true origin, it was undeniable that Cole possessed
something that hadn't been seen since the age of the Greek Heroes: superpowers. Cole was strong beyond human limits and impervious
to fists, knives and even bullets. However he'd come by these powers, Cole now found a cause to which he could apply them:
saving his beloved Paragon City from
itself. The would-be hero took on the name Statesman, an identity that personified all the values and ideals that Paragon
City currently lacked.
"The Statesman went after crime
head on, going after gang bosses, corrupt politicians and other lowlifes with a vengeance. His costume allowed him to hide
from police while still leave behind an indelible impression on the city's populace. In a few short months he had begun to
make a difference. But his initial successes only served to unite the city's criminals against him. The tide began to turn
when out of nowhere another costumed hero appeared in the city: the Dark Watcher. Soon after others appeared: The Dream Doctor,
Maiden Justice, and others. Extraordinary men and women, inspired by the Statesman's example, were rising to meet the challenge."
In spring of 1931, the Statesman
collected these new heroes under the banner of the Freedom Phalanx. The group battled together throughout the 1930s, taking
down numerous criminal operations, including the gangs ruling King's Row. On his own, the Statesman uncovered and defeated
the evil Nemesis. The Statesman's successes led to the Crime Fighting Act of 1937, which made the Freedom Phalanx a legally
recognized crime fighting organization.
When Axis forces attacked Paragon
City in 1941, the Statesman and the Freedom Phalanx were at the forefront of a heroic effort to push back these invaders.
The heroes then traveled to Europe, where they fought alongside the Dawn Patrol and other super-powered soldiers for the freedom
of the world. On D-Day, the Statesman and his allies became engaged in a violent battle over the beaches of Normandy. Due
largely to the Statesman's heroic efforts, the Axis forces were eventually pushed back, allowing the Allies to move into France.
Unfortunately, the Statesman was terribly wounded during this battle and remained crippled for the remainder of the war. This
did not keep the Statesman completely out of the fight, however: the day after Hitler's suicide, the Statesman planned what
would be a final assault on the Storm Korps headquarters and one of the last superhuman battles in WWII's European theater
(now known as the "Battle of the Black Forest"). The Allied heroes captured most of the Storm Korps, signaling an end to paranormal
hostilities in Europe.
Unfortunately, the Statesman
had little time to rest after the victory in Europe. Back in the United States, the villain known as Nemesis had reappeared,
capturing most of Washington DC and forcing the Chief Justice to declare him Emperor of the Americas. Immediately, the Statesman
led the Freedom Phalanx and many other heroes back to the States to challenge Nemesis. They discovered that his terrifying
plot included planting nerve gas bombs throughout at least twenty American cities. With the aid of Dr. Mnemonic and Sister
Psyche, the heroes eventually created an antidote to the nerve gas and vanquished Nemesis and his robot hordes.
The Statesman has remained active
since World War II, with each decade bringing forth new foes and challenges. In 1976, he was nearly killed by a Soviet
tactical nuclear missile while trying to rescue a downed American pilot. During the 1980s, he joined the Freedom Phalanx on
expeditions into alternate dimensions and eventually battled the Reichsman, an evil version of himself from a reality
where America had lost to Nazi Germany. After the fall of Communism, the Statesman served as an advisor to the first independent
Russian hero group, the Valiant Defenders of the Motherland, which made its appearance in 1993.
And, of course, in 2002, the
Statesman rallied all other known heroes in an attempt to repel the Rikti invasion. During the initial conflicts, the Statesman
hurled his body into Rikti craft, destroying the landing ships before they could release their soldiers. He was one of the
few heroes who survived these early confrontations, and was later appointed to the United Nations' Vanguard superhuman response
team as a member of its "Elite Five." At the climax of the war, the Statesman led a group of over 1,000 heroes from around
the globe on a frontal assault on Rikti troop concentrations. The battle took the lives of 800 heroes, although the Statesman
again escaped death. Despite the high toll, this assault was simply a diversion to allow a second, much smaller team of heroes
to enter the Rikti's home dimension and destroy the energy source that powered the invaders' dimensional portals. The combined
efforts of the Statesman's so-called Alpha Team and the second, Omega team provided Earth's first major victory against the
Rikti.
Details on the Statesman's current
whereabouts and activities are vague. He is one of the few established heroes left alive and it is believed that he continues
to lead a version of the Freedom Phalanx, which presumably includes other members of the "Surviving Eight" - eight prominent
heroes who escaped the Rikti invasion with their lives. He also retains his post among the Vanguard's Elite Five.
