06 – Thunder Cross by Beausephus
CHARACTER NAME:Â Thunder Cross
DATE OF CREATION: 1992
CONCEPT: A group of young mystics seek to gain supposed “true power” and wind up trapped by the very forces they sought to control. THUNDER CROSS found himself without a physical body and turned to science as well as magic to find a way to keep his consciousness in some sot of mortal form before the electric energies that make up his being dissipate of take full control of his “mind” living him a nothing but a marauding beast of mystic energy.
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The original idea that became THUNDER CROSS and his friends started during a period of really looking into and observing the Ditko Doctor Strange and the Simonson Thor runs. Magic versus humanity. So I took three selfish young mystics training to in some secret art who desire more and endeavor to find ways of achieving more raw power. In a Faustian accident brought on by their hbris they find themself almost controlled and possessed by the elemental energies they sought to control. In the end, they dcie to redeem themselves by using their powers for good before the energies that grant them their abilities consume them. This basic origin created three characters, Vegeance, Thunder Cross, and Soul Fire…. magic based spandex superheroes. A recreation of the original design is below.
So when I went to re-envision these designs for the new century, I took everything down a more sinister path. Instead of the characters merely gaining abilities they have questionable control over, the mystic energies possess and destroy everything tht they believe makes them human. Instead of donning metal gloves and a Ferro-Lad inspired helmet, THUNDER CROSS, must use physics, electonics, and rudimentary magic to create a harness that will allow him to keep a mostly human shape while he seeks a way, with his peers, to pay for their vanity and hopefully restore themselves to their true forms.
If the exploration of a hero’s jounrey is what makes one a hero, I believe one first must rediscover who they are. THUNDER CROSS is an example of a character whose choices damn them but force him to rediscover his beliefs right down the very concept of self…. with a bunch of explosions and magic battles thrown in to keep things exciting.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Teacher, Playwright, Performer & Superhero Enthusiast. My first crayon drawings were of Superman and Captain America. I always wanted to draw comics but never followed that passion beyond some self-published zines and forays into early internet comics. I've worked in various aspects of graphic design and fooled around with a spray can at various stages of my life, keeping my pen busy and full of various inspirations for the doodles in the margins of my notebooks. Inheriting an iPad changed my productivity with the ability to draw, edit, color and post onto the internet via one device in the limited time I have to mess around with my doodles and drawings. My 5-year-old son is my biggest fan and the main reason for my artistic renaissance. He's the reason I'm drawing more often and the person I draw the most for. For the 30 CHARACTERS challenge this year, he is my co-conspirator and collaborator. His excitement and innocent love of superheroes and drawing has kept my inner cynic/critic at bay and we are having a blast this year making up a whole new universe of heroes, robots and monsters for the internet. -updated Oct. 2012Subscribe
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I commented over on Soul Fire first, but the same thing holds here. Awesome design and concept, definitely want to see more of this guy.