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Description
Borrowing from the Astro City comics,I've created a sort of what if? scenario,a superteam of the mid 1980s that never came into existence because of the unique circumstances involving each character...starting on the far left,and moving clockwise,they are...

Steeljack...real name Carl Donewicz...as a young man,he willingly submitted to an experiment that turned him into a man of living stainless steel. Unfortunately,he chose to use his newfound power to commit crimes...but what if he'd remembered his childhood admiration of superheroes and decided to become one?

Atomicus,sometimes known as Adam Peterson...in 1961,he was born out of a nuclear reactor. He began a romantic relationship with fellow mayoral aide Irene Merryweather,but she began to suspect that Atomicus and Peterson were one and the same,and became relentless in her crusade to prove it. Unfortunately,she eventually pushed him too far. In anger and frustration,he declared he was done with humanity and departed Earth,fleeing into deep space...but what if he chose to remain on Earth?

Stargladiator,also known as Charlie Provost...in the early 70's,he embarked upon his career as Quark,a superpowered sidekick to Starfighter. In time,it was apparent he couldn't handle the responsibility that went with the powers,often choosing to use unnecessary violence against criminals. Seeing this,Starfighter took the powers away,ending his career...but what if he hadn't lost the powers,and eventually succeeded Starfighter,or went out on his own?

Mindmaster...real name Martha Sullivan...at age 14,she discovered she had telekinetic abilities. She decided she wanted to be a superheroine,putting together a crude costume that included a tie-dyed shirt and calling herself Mind-Over-Mattie. She prowled rooftops,and in one instance used her powers to crash a bank robber's car,but soon discovered she didn't have the psychological strength to be a costumed hero,so she gave it up. As an adult,she went public with her powers,using them to gain employment in the entertainment industry...but what if she had remained a costumed hero?

The Brethren...Charles and Royal Williams (not their real names),the protagonists of The Dark Age,the single longest Astro City story. As boys,their parents are gunned down right in front of them in their own home by a soldier in Pyramid,a cult-like terrorist organization (like Hydra in the Marvel Comics universe). They also see the superhero Silver Agent pass through the bloody scene,seemingly ignoring the dead couple. This causes the brothers to distrust all superpowered beings. Many years later,after their lives have taken them on different paths,they learn the name of their parents' murderer. Determined to get revenge,the brothers enter the superpowered world,joining whatever armed militant group that'll have them,arming themselves with whatever high-tech weaponry they can get their hands on...at one point,Royal realizes that they'd become so entrenched in the world of masked vigilantes and superbeings,they weren't that far from becoming ones themselves (he jokingly considers that they call themselves The Vengeance Brothers or The Gundowners). The two eventually catch up with their parents' killer,and justice is served,thus ending their days as costumed vigilantes....but what if they chose to continue?

Anyone familiar with Astro City knows that,unlike DC or Marvel stories,characters age in real time. So I depicted everyone here as they might be in the mid-1980s. Since Atomicus was born out of nuclear energy,I guessing he doesn't age.

Description
Borrowing from the Astro City comics,I've created a sort of what if? scenario,a superteam of the mid 1980s that never came into existence because of the unique circumstances involving each character...starting on the far left,and moving clockwise,they are...

Steeljack...real name Carl Donewicz...as a young man,he willingly submitted to an experiment that turned him into a man of living stainless steel. Unfortunately,he chose to use his newfound power to commit crimes...but what if he'd remembered his childhood admiration of superheroes and decided to become one?

Atomicus,sometimes known as Adam Peterson...in 1961,he was born out of a nuclear reactor. He began a romantic relationship with fellow mayoral aide Irene Merryweather,but she began to suspect that Atomicus and Peterson were one and the same,and became relentless in her crusade to prove it. Unfortunately,she eventually pushed him too far. In anger and frustration,he declared he was done with humanity and departed Earth,fleeing into deep space...but what if he chose to remain on Earth?

Stargladiator,also known as Charlie Provost...in the early 70's,he embarked upon his career as Quark,a superpowered sidekick to Starfighter. In time,it was apparent he couldn't handle the responsibility that went with the powers,often choosing to use unnecessary violence against criminals. Seeing this,Starfighter took the powers away,ending his career...but what if he hadn't lost the powers,and eventually succeeded Starfighter,or went out on his own?

Mindmaster...real name Martha Sullivan...at age 14,she discovered she had telekinetic abilities. She decided she wanted to be a superheroine,putting together a crude costume that included a tie-dyed shirt and calling herself Mind-Over-Mattie. She prowled rooftops,and in one instance used her powers to crash a bank robber's car,but soon discovered she didn't have the psychological strength to be a costumed hero,so she gave it up. As an adult,she went public with her powers,using them to gain employment in the entertainment industry...but what if she had remained a costumed hero?

The Brethren...Charles and Royal Williams (not their real names),the protagonists of The Dark Age,the single longest Astro City story. As boys,their parents are gunned down right in front of them in their own home by a soldier in Pyramid,a cult-like terrorist organization (like Hydra in the Marvel Comics universe). They also see the superhero Silver Agent pass through the bloody scene,seemingly ignoring the dead couple. This causes the brothers to distrust all superpowered beings. Many years later,after their lives have taken them on different paths,they learn the name of their parents' murderer. Determined to get revenge,the brothers enter the superpowered world,joining whatever armed militant group that'll have them,arming themselves with whatever high-tech weaponry they can get their hands on...at one point,Royal realizes that they'd become so entrenched in the world of masked vigilantes and superbeings,they weren't that far from becoming ones themselves (he jokingly considers that they call themselves The Vengeance Brothers or The Gundowners). The two eventually catch up with their parents' killer,and justice is served,thus ending their days as costumed vigilantes....but what if they chose to continue?

Anyone familiar with Astro City knows that,unlike DC or Marvel stories,characters age in real time. So I depicted everyone here as they might be in the mid-1980s. Since Atomicus was born out of nuclear energy,I guessing he doesn't age.