TGD Timeline

RECENT TIMELINE, "This gathering darkness..."

1931 - Captain Jeremiah Atlas foils the plans of the air pirate Hugo Random to hold New York City hostage with a fleet of incindiery dirigibles. "Cap Atlas" instantly becomes an international celebrity and proclaims himself "Evil's Number One Enemy!" / Later this year, it is revealed by Ned "Newshound" Logan that the secret Satanic Society, led by prominent city socialite Scarlett Flayme, have been in covert control of Mayor Jimmy Walker and most of the City Council for years, using vice based blackmail as well as threats of occult retaliation. The scandal costs most of the incumbents their offices.

1932 - The menace of the Ghost Serpent is ended by Candace "Congo Queen" Carson, former big game hunter and international adventurer. / In September, Dr. Julius Vector's scheme to steal the mayoralty through new voting machines with hidden 'hypno beams' is disrupted by Rick Shaw, the Fastest Man Afoot. / On New Year's Eve, Scarlett Flayme is presumed dead after her attempt to avenge herself on the City by hiding a bomb in the Times Square ball is wrecked by the Black Scorpion's timely interference.

1933 - The Drag Queen's scheme to poison the City's water supply is foiled by Danny "Swordfish" Sullivan. / The "Toy Soldier" crime wave ends when Orson "the Dollmaster" Wegand is dragged into jail unconscious by adventurer Jason Royal.

1934- The waterfront piracy of the Great White gang is brought to a halt by the Congo Queen and Rick Shaw working with "Swordfish" Sullivan. / Cap Atlas smashes a plot by crime boss Zack "the Saxon" Sayers to blow up the just-completed Empire State Building. / A new mystery man named Fian Fall, aka "The Liberator", appears on the docks, battling protection racketeers preying on longshoremen with fists, pistols, and the occasional well lobbed bundle of dynamite. He quickly becomes as well known for urging the longshoremen to unionize as for his victories over organized crime.

1935 - An attempt by "Moxy" Redd's gang to rob the 'easy targets' at the underground Pixies Ball is foiled by new mystery man The Velveteer. / While the Black Scorpion and Cap Atlas battle at 40,000 feet over Manhattan in a charity airshow, the Jack of Diamonds leads a robbery spree through Diamond Row. Both renowned crimefighters vow to bring the Jack of Diamonds to justice. / Jack Smithers, out of work longshoreman, known as "Union Jack" due to his own efforts at organizing labor, begins a vigilante crusade against sweatshop owners, especially those employing children. In late 1935, he and Fian Fall meet for the first time, battle inconclusively, then set aside their differences to work in tandem against Boss Jobber, an organized crime chieftain who runs most of the sweatshops in Brooklyn and on the Lower East Side for more respectable backers who do not want their names associated with such questionable enterprises.

1936 - Olympic gold medal winner Charles Champion aids Jason Royal in defeating Hugo Random and Julius Vector's army of marauding 'robo-killers'. / Black Scorpion foils an attempt by the murderous Salamander to burn down most of the lower East Side, unfortunately, hero and villain both perish in the resultant warehouse fire. / Cap Atlas finally halts the crime spree of the Jack of Diamonds gang. / After teaming up to battle a grand villain calling himself Rex Monday, King of the World, the Velveteer and Union Jack Smithers brawl viciously if inconclusively on the sidewalk and in the street in front of the Plymouth Theater.

1937 - After an investigation taking 18 months, Fian Fall, Union Jack, and Ned "the Newshound" Logan bust open Boss Jobber's rackets, revealing that several prominent New York City businessmen own secret interests in sweatshops, as well as other illegal enterprises. Mayor Fiorella and City Attorney Victor Shanley promise "justice will be done, and that, right swiftly". / The Black Scorpion reappears, teaming up with the Velveteer to defeat the Drag Queen and her Flaming Furies. / When the Congo Queen smashes a gang of masked criminals known as the Tarot, their ringleader, the Empress, is revealed to be Scarlett Flayme.

1938 - the present -

Almost a month ago, the ferry carrying tourists to Liberty Island ran aground... and upon investigation, was discovered to be completely abandoned... except for one young boy, found hiding in one of the small forward storage areas, his hair gone prematurely white, his eyes wide with terror. Whatever happened to the lad has driven him permanently mute with terror... despite repeated questioning by authorities, he's been no help in determining what happened to the 124 tourists and crew members who were aboard the ferry when it left shore barely twenty minutes before.

Down in the Bowery, several vicious attacks by apparently hydrophobic vagrants have made local residents too terrified to walk the streets after nightfall. Even police patrols have been attacked; two of these reportedly 'rabid bums' fell to police gunfire, but the cops in question swear they had to empty their weapons into the derelicts to drop them, when normally a single swipe with a nightstick will suffice to quiet even the most obstreperous drunk. The city coroner is supposed to be studying the bodies of these bestial bums... but to date, has not released any results to the public. Meanwhile, night time attacks by crazed winos are still being reported.

Three weeks ago, Ned "the Newshound" Logan broke the story of the latest fad among top criminal bosses - "monster" bodyguards. These huge, ogre-like creatures have been seen accompanying several of the most prominent gangsters in the City, including "Moxy" Redd, Victor "the Eyeball" Grecco, and "Bloody Mitts" Mulhaney. Their origin is unknown.

An odd flu like virus seems to be sweeping through New York City, as well, with over two dozen cases admitted to various city hospitals and an unknown number yet unreported. Symptoms include high fever, excessive mucous production, vomiting, loose stool, and an extreme aversion to bright light. Three flu victims have been reported expired to date, all of them in the process of being transported from one hospital to another. The city coroner is also studying these bodies. Details will be forthcoming shortly.

A 'dark fog' or 'black smoke' filled Madison Square Garden ten days ago during a sold out prize fight, and hundreds suffocated before they could reach the exits. The overworked City Coroner has asked next of kin and loved ones of the deceased to be patient; the bodies are being stored in guarded, refrigerated vaults until appropriate research can be done to determine whether these were accidental deaths, or the 'black smoke' was deliberately caused by some intelligence.

Last week, a gigantic wolf like creature went berserk in Times Square shortly after moonrise, killing 17 and injuring over 30. Dozens of police responded, and despite coordinated attempts on their part, the creature escaped... according to one cop, "into thin air". Police Commissioner DeWitt has vowed to "get to the bottom of these strange, horrific events".