Author Archive: Vito Delsante
I'm not exactly sure what I should put here, so here goes.
I'm a writer, written for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, AdHouse Books, and Simon & Schuster, among others and his stories have been reprinted in other countries. Mostly concentrating on creator owned work right now, so the challenge suits me just fine.
I live in Queens (Astoria/LIC), NY with my wife, Michelle, and two dogs, Kasey and Kirby.
I'm not sure what else needs to be said, but I'm sure I'll keep changing this.
Oh, here's something. I contribute to the Project Rooftop site. The RetroFix column was kind of my idea, so I feel like that experience will help me out here.
#23 – Diabolic
Forgive the lack of the proper formatting. I’ll come back and fix it; I just wanted to get this guy in before the end of the day.
Diabolic is based on Diabolik, the famous Italian thief. My version is also a thief, but I wanted to add more white accents to his costume, to make him really stand out. The inclusion of the “bat” ears was really to enhance the silhouette; to make him look like a demon (I actually considered adding a cape or a trenchcoat, but decided against it). The arm wraps are actually strength enhancers; when they’re activated, he can climb a building faster than normal, lift more (2x) more than normal but also, they have a sensitivity level that is unparalleled. Useful for cracking safes.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. Much thanks to Edu Reis!
*****
Epilogue:
I’m disappointed that I was seven characters short. I actually had three more I wanted to do (Vox, Dr. No-Go, and the Terra 5), but I just hit a wall, creatively, and couldn’t come up with designs. Limitations of being a writer, I guess. But I ended up created 101 characters in my own personal 100 Characters Challenge. Pretty proud of that. I’ll talk more about that on my website later this week.
Want to thank Tyler for inviting me in again. Praise to everyone involved, especially Gary Lister, Pablo Martinez, Kirk Manley and David Bednarski, whose work I enjoyed throughout.
Thanks again everyone!
-Vito Delsante
#21& 22- Ed and Arwyn
I have to apologize. I had no intention of going 7 days without doing a character. I literally hit a wall and just…poof. Nothing. Around Day 4 of that break, I had an idea for a group of urban terrorists called The Terra 5, but I just couldn’t realize them properly (I did do designs, but I just couldn’t Photoshop them properly since I have no Pshop skills at all). So, I decided to post this.
A few weeks ago, artist Jamie McKelvie posted this image and I fell in love with it. I started writing a story based on these two characters, and it just started to grow from there. They’re not my characters, in the image, but the story I created, based on that image, is all mine, so I figured I’d post it here.
*****
The Party You Left
I woke up in the alley in a pool of blood. My hands were shaking, my body was shaking. I don’t remember how I got here. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. I’m not in pain. Why am I not in pain? All this blood and I feel fine, other than the shaking.
I remember the party. I remember it was…is Halloween. My face…I still have the mask on. So, the party…a few hours ago? Yesterday? I was sitting on Arwyn’s couch. She changed her name after seeing the Lord of the Rings movies. She used to be Sara. Sari. Sori. Whatever. She had some dumb idea about a costume party; “Come as you are. I’ll provide the masks.”
I look around. There’s someone over there, barely moving. I reach out to him and my arm shakes like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s like my heart is beating so hard, it’s vibrating my entire body. I keep thinking that we’re having an earthquake, but I remember the last earthquake I was in, six years ago, in Seattle. The ground moved like water, and I felt like I was riding a wave. There’s no wave. It’s just me. I’m the earthquake. I’m the only thing moving in this alley.
They all bounded into the alley, cackling like witches on Samhain. Sara Arwyn and the rest of the party. She asks if I’m ok. I try to speak, but no words come out. I clear my throat and I say, “Whose blood is this?” but no one understands because I’m still shaking. I force myself to stand and funny enough, my legs are steady. The ground is steady. I say it again and all Sara can say is, “Not yours.”
They start to pull me away and I can’t help but look back at that other person in the alley. I can see now that he or she wasn’t moving at all. It was the shaking. I know this because the person, he or she, no longer has a head. Sara Arwyn takes my hand, and she says something that once I heard, I know I must commit it to memory.
“Welcome to the wonderful world of superheroes, baby.”
#20 – The Gentleman Archer
I have no idea why I came up with this character. I love Robin Hood, I like Green Arrow…still, the thought in my head was, “What if the Spirit used a bow and arrow?” That’s pretty much it!
Still behind one day…gotta try to make that up.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#19 – The Claw (of Justice)
I’ve been staring at my Lobster Johnson action figure for a few days now and I just wanted to create a similar character. I might actually use him too!
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#18 – Tom Foolery
I realize that the “rictus grin” makes him look like the Joker, but Tom is less of a jokester and more of a killer. His act went nowhere, so he’s taking his act on the road, so to speak, and having a three-night engagement at the Ritz…unless someone stops him. All his shows are interactive, so rest assured that if Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark didn’t kill you, Tom Foolery will. He’s the Vaudevillian Villain!
I really don’t like the way he came out, but this is essentially what he looks like. He’d wear different outfits for his different performances, but mostly, this is his look. And that is lipstick, not an actual scar.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#17 – Hate Trick
When in doubt, use a sports metaphor.
Hate Trick came up during the New York Comic Con, while I was walking the floor with my friend, writer Caleb Monroe. Puns are the lowest form of humor, remember that.
I like that he has henchmen…very 60’s Batman. Miss All-Star was created earlier in the year. Another funny tidbit is that last line about being Canadian. He’s my second Canadian villain. I love Canada, I have no idea why I keep doing that.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#16 – The Widowmaker (GWP)
I hate that I’m a day behind. And I hate that I have no idea what’s next.
This is the last of my Galaxy Wrestling Pro characters. It only figures that I’d have a “monster” type in there (like the Undertaker or Kane). Thing about him is he’s the most human of all the Earthlings. He takes the mask off, the character is kept for the arena. When the match is over, and he gets backstage, he is just himself. The others…they are always on. ‘Maker is all business when the cameras are rolling. He desperately wants to get back home to his family.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
Tomorrow…a surprise for all of us!
#15 – The Mysterious Stranger (GWP)
Of course I have a luchadore! Are you kidding?
Stranger here is inspired by some of my favorite Mexican wrestlers (Rey Mysterio Jr, El Santo, Mil Mascaras…I could go on). He was originally going to be called, “El Extranjero Misterioso,” but I thought that might be a little much. I was going to give him oddly colored skin, but I didn’t want anyone to think he was an alien right away…if he is one.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#14 – Mighty Minerva (GWP)
I think women’s wrestling gets a bad rap. There’ve been tons of great women wrestlers…Fabulous Moolah, Beth Phoenix, too many to name from Japan. Mighty Minerva’s name calls to mind Magnificent Mimi and Medusa Micelli, to me. As far as her ring attire, I didn’t want it to be so…obvious. The cape would come off pre-match, but I didn’t intend for her to be wearing what amounts to a bra and sleeves. They are meant to be attached.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#13 – Major Victory (GWP)
I always hate that patriotic wrestlers are always white dudes. I think the only African American patriotic wrestler was GI Bro, aka Booker T (arguably, you can say that Tony Atlas was as well, but that’s grasping at straws to me). I’m a big fan of taking expectations away from certain conventions. Major Victory, the name, is based on the public domain superhero…in fact, you can see that I did my best to translate his ring attire from the superhero uniform.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#12 – “The Heartthrob” Eddie Heart (GWP)
Dang it, I spelled “heartthrob” wrong.
Eddie Heart is an amalgam of three pro wrestlers: “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert, “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, and Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Technically proficient, a top rope master, and a master on the microphone, Eddie is a fan favorite.
“Over” refers to how the fans react to him. Being over, for a babyface (or hero) means the fans love him and cheer his every move (by the same token, a heel, or villain, can be over if he gets a lot of boos and jeers).
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#11 – “The Golden Boy” Ford Knox (GWP)
Imagine, for a second, that aliens were real and that they came to Earth. Not to be our friends, but to conquer it. Look around you…see any super heroes? Neither do I. Now, sure, we could throw the Armed Forces of the entire world at them (maybe, if all got along), but what if all it took was a group of men and women that could be passed off as super heroes? What if instead of cannon fodder and casualties, we told them that we had powerful men and women that could beat them in combat?
Yep. We sent professional wrestlers to deal with them.
Welcome to the GWP. Galaxy Wrestling Pro. A federation made up of humans and aliens alike. We’re going to focus on the humans for this, and the next five, entry(ies).
When dealing with a world wide threat, who do you throw at the aliens? The best “talker” in the biz. The World Champion. I mean, he is the WORLD champion (one of 7), so that’s gotta count for something, right? Ford Knox (real name Richard Knochs) is more or less thrown into this mess. He sure doesn’t want to leave the comforts of Earth (women, limos, upscale clothing, etc). And he’s going to do his best to get back to his world. Because of this, he’s considered the heel of the group. But the GWP offers him the opportunity to do something no man (or woman) has ever done in the history of professional wrestling…
He can be the GWP Universe Champion.
The Universe is bigger than the World, right?
I should have put his catchphrase in the image, so I will do that with the next few. By the way, it’s “WHOA!” and “You gotta beat me to be me!” His finisher is called “The Gold Standard” Figure Four Leglock.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#10 – Ram Girl
The final of my Michelles. Not too crazy about the way this one came out, but conceptually, this one is on the money.
Michelle is very stubborn. Annoyingly so. If she says she’s right, she will go down fighting to prove it…or to convince you.
Ram Girl here was almost called “Bullheady” which is another Western PA colloquialism that Michelle introduced me to (might end up changing it). It means stubborn and, obviously, bull-headed. Ram Girl…well, her heart is in the right place, but her head? Probably stuck in a wall.
Would have liked to have true ram horns, but unfortunately, Fabrica didn’t have that option.
Tomorrow will be the first of a group of six that also have a theme. Tune in Tokyo!
(Why did I say that?)
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#9 – The Neb
This is probably one of the only characters that won’t have a design to accompany it (I say that now, 9 characters in, so we’ll see).
This is the fourth character I’ve created that is based on my wife, so it’s grouped with the Michelles. Michelle has a nosy side, one that you wouldn’t really know unless you were with her 24/7 and lived with her. She hates surprises, and Christmas and birthdays are the most annoying holidays because of this. Whenever she’s being nosy, she calls it being “nebby,” which I guess is a Western Pennsylvania way of putting it. When I told her I was going to do create five characters based on her, she said, “Well, you have to do one that spotlights my annoying traits, too,” and this is that character. I’d apologize, but she kinda had this coming.
The Neb (Christine Schumaker) is ostensibly a detective, key word being “ostensibly.” She works for a private investigations firm…in the records department. Meaning she has access to a lot of files…files she shouldn’t be looking through during her lunch hour. However, Christine’s nosiness has actually been an asset to the company. Due to her nebbiness, she has actually saved a few lives from Death Row, and overturned a few “open-shut” cases. It’s a good thing she’s such a yenta…
Design wise, I see her looking like my wife, with a raincoat and some kind of fashionable shoes. She carries a magnifying glass, but it’s mostly for show. She’s the Jessica Fletcher of the mid-thirties set.
#8 – Bright Eyes
As mentioned yesterday, my second five characters are based on my wife, Michelle (this is the third of five).
Michelle is a morning person. Let me rephrase that: Michelle is an annoying morning person. Granted, I’m not a night person, per se, but I am really grumpy in the morning (Note to Self: Create a grumpy morning person). So, you know that phrase, “Bright eyed and bushy tailed?” That’s where I went with this one.
As you can see above, her powers are listed, but I wanted to really focus on her weakness. The idea that she has limitations to her powers (she can only work from dawn to dusk) is really appealing to me. Makes me wonder how she’d do against Blackout. It almost makes her a reverse vampire (Note to Self: create a reverse vampire). I see her as checking a watch from 4pm to 6pm. If she lived in the Northwest, she might be able to go until 8pm. Daylight Savings Time must really annoy her…
…just like Michelle!
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#7 – Day Tripper
As mentioned yesterday, my second five characters are based on my wife, Michelle. Unlike yesterday, I have more of a backstory for Day Tripper…
Michelle is a big dreamer. She likes to travel, and she always talks about going places she’s never been. So I created a character that would satisfy that wanderlust…
Penny Roberts was a bad student. Satisfactory (but not exemplary) grades, skipped classes…just not the girl she was growing up. But it’s not her fault. See, whenever Penny falls asleep, her dreams are so vivid that she actually “falls” into her dreams…and sometimes gets stuck! As she gets older, this ability becomes more refined…she can teleport to any location she sees, whether in her dreams, in a magazine, on TV, etc. If she can recreate the location perfectly in her mind, she can go anywhere. But sometimes, she gets it wrong, and ends up in Nightmareville, a Limbo like location where dreamers never wake up. She has to dream her way out, but the denizens of Nightmareville, sleeping zombie-like creatures, are starting to get smart.
#6 – Mesmera
So, my first five were “The Vitos.” My next five, starting with #6, are the Michelles, characters based on my wife Michelle.
When I met Michelle, 23 years ago, the feature I remembered most was her eyes. So, we have a character here who can hypnotize with her eyes.
Not much more to add. That’s pretty much all of her in a nutshell.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. Give it a shot!
#5 – Sparkplug (the Motor Teen)
As mentioned in my previous posts, the first five characters I’m creating are all based on me, so, collectively, they are called, “The Vitos.” This is the last of them.
All of the Vitos had an explanation to them, a reason or trait that they were based on. For the life of me, I can’t remember what made me want to create Sparkplug. Thank goodness I saved the chat log for the conversation I had with Michelle, my wife:
Michelle: the last one is always the hardest
 your very determined / driven
me: hmmm
Michelle: how bout that?
me: it’s good
 now to build a character around that
Michelle: hmmm, let me think…
 they have to never give up
me: the little engine
Michelle: lol
 yep
 non-stop
me: wait
motor is another name for an engine
Michelle: yep
me: so, how about Motor Man?
 Motor Boy
 ?
 Motor Lad?
Michelle: i like man
i wanted one teenager
 like a sidekick type
Michelle: k, lad
me: Ha!
 Motor Teen
After that, I took to Twitter and asked for another name for “motor.” In my head, Motor Teen sounded too much like Motormouth or Motorhead (not that there’s anything wrong with those). Paul Montgomery (aka FuzzyTypewriter in this challenge) gave me Sparkplug. And there you have it.
Now, I haven’t really given his origin much thought. I know he’s about 16, he suffers (or is in remission) from cancer, and he never gave up hope that he would be out of the hospital, but I don’t know his name, the source of his speed powers, or anything else. So, that’s TBD.
Tomorrow, I turn the tables and give you five characters based on my wife, Michelle!
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. Give it a shot!
#4 – Pulse
As mentioned in my previous posts, the first five characters I’m creating are all based on me, so, collectively, they are called, “The Vitos.”
Most of my friends would say I have a big heart. In fact, it’s something people have been telling me for a long time. I don’t see it. I feel like I’m mean, sarcastic, and a little bit of a dick. But let’s say they’re right…
Joe Parker has a condition; his heart is too big. Growing up, it was a real problem. He was taken to hospital after hospital, but it’s not like there’s a cure for this. As he got older, and his body started to grow, the heart didn’t increase in size…but it was still three times larger than a normal human heart. And then came the stroke. While crossing the street one day, Joe fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. The truck didn’t see him and it would have hit him, until…
Joe held up his hand. His big heart beat, and the pulse in his hand (wrist) emitted tremendous vibrations, slowing, and eventually stopping, the truck down. His greatest hindrance is now his greatest weapon. When Joe increases his heart rate, he can emit powerful vibrations. He puts on a costume and calls himself Pulse, an adrenaline junkie-hero. But what Joe doesn’t know is that the strain on his heart will eventually kill him.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. Give it a shot!
#3 – Wikedpedia
As mentioned with my first two entries, Dr. Defenso and Blackout, the first five of my characters are based on aspects of my personality. Hence, collectively, they are known as, “The Vitos.”
I am a huge trivia buff. Have been for a long time. I remember the very first Trivial Pursuit release, and I was even in a Trivial Pursuit club in high school. My wife hates playing trivia games with me, but whenever she needs some crazy factoid, she asks her “Vitopedia.” So, what if I used those “powers” for evil?
Wickedpedia is my version of the Riddler, and has a lot in common with my character, Die Twenty. Wickedpedia uses his knowledge of obscure facts to torture the Clique. The game is simple: answer his questions or someone dies.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. Give it a shot!
#2 – Blackout
As mentioned with my first entry, Dr. Defenso, the first five of my characters are based on aspects of my personality. Hence, collectively, they are known as, “The Vitos.”
I suffer from migraines. Bad bad migraines that lead to temporary blindness sometimes. Basically, my eyes will let in too much light, and instead of being blind and in darkness, I can’t see because there is too much light. While this isn’t an aspect of my personality (the migraines), sensitivity is.
Blackout believes that the world is too bright. Living in Las Vegas will do that to you, where there is sunshine all day, and artificial sunshine at night. A scientist at UNLV, Blackout (aka Dan Dakken) invents a graphite bomb/EMP for the military that is so intense, it can knock a grid offline for weeks. During testing, one of the new bombs explodes in his face and leaves him blind…except in pure darkness. Armed with his blackout bombs, Blackout turns to crime, setting out to destroy Las Vegas and plunge the world into a new Dark Age.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. Give it a shot!
#1 – Dr. Defenso
Ok, first one up.
When I decided to do the Challenge again, I wanted to do something special, and originally, I was going to create 30 new characters based on 30 of my Twitter (@incogvito) followers. I feel like there is some legal red tape that would keep me from properly doing that so, I came up with a different, yet similar, theme. My first five characters…
…are all based on me.
The first five, or “The Vitos,” are all based on some aspect of my personality. The second five will be based on my wife. If someone on Twitter or Facebook gives me the ok, I’ll try to make them into one my characters, but for now, that’s probably off the table.
Dr. Defenso is based on my defensiveness. I take a lot of things personally and I wear my heart on my sleeve. The good doctor, here, is a walking shield. He is ready for any projectile, but as strong as his shields are, things always get to him.
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. Give it a shot!
2011 Challenger: Vito Delsante
Tyler, Tyler, Tyler…what have you created?
I’m at a loss for words as to where I should start. It’s not for lack of enthusiasm; it’s just…where do you start?
Before I get all meta, let me check out some other posts…
…Back.
Ok. Start with a greeting…
Hello everyone. My name is Vito Delsante. I’m a writer…at least is says so on my website and on my business cards. I participated in the 30 Character Challenge last year and actually exceeded expectations and produced 35 characters in 30 days. Not too shabby, huh?
Oh! You might recognize my name…maybe, maybe not. I’m the maniac that gave all 35 characters away. Yep, I put them in the public domain using a Creative Commons license. It got a little bit of press, but honestly, who remembers what happened a year ago?
Here’s the thing; I actually took Tyler’s idea and multiplied it. Beginning on January 1, 2011, I actually started a 100 Characters Challenge. The idea was simple; I would continue the creating I started last year and try to create 100 characters by the end of the 2011 30 CC. Right now, as of this past Monday, I’m at 76, so I’m actually on pace to go OVER 100. And there are more public domain characters in that list too.
Ok…introduction over…a little bit about myself…what’s everyone else writing? Goals. Ok, goals for the 2011 Challenge.
Other than completing my own 100 character goal, I’m hoping to create some real lasting characters. It’s harder than it sounds. The thing I’m really trying to do is create mythology, because that’s what lasts. Star Wars, the Matrix and comics…all create a mythology that sticks in the brain. Can I do that? Don’t know, but it’s worth challenging myself over.
Some details – I can’t draw to save my life. Last year, I used Hero Machine, but there’s an odd caveat in their Terms of Service that prevents me from doing that again. This year, I’ll be using Eduardo Reis’ Hero-O-Matic. NOTE: No, I don’t know Portuguese. NOTE 2: Yes, it should be funny to see what I come up with.
That’s all the news that’s fit to print. See you in November.
#35 Stardust
My attempt at trying to make Fletcher Hanks‘ Stardust the Super Wizard modern and cool. Eh…
Really didn’t think a concept or design out in depth. I think what’s presented here is enough to go on.
Art by Uriel Duran!
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
#34 Coyote
Came up with this idea on the way to work one day. WW2 gods. Norse gods would team up with Germany. Japanese gods…obvious. Roman with Italy, so the Axis is covered…what about the Allies?
Concept: I had Merlin and the Black Knight with GB, Paladin with France, and Coyote (here) with the US. There would be others, but these were the major players.
Design: Coyote is definitely Airborne, dropping in behind enemy lines. The design skews slightly modern, but you get the idea.
Art by Drew Moss!
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
#32, #33 CT and Bea
Yeah, as promised, I’m going overboard. It’s all for a good reason, which I will announce on my site tonight at midnight.
Concept: CT and his niece, Bea, are two of the best metahuman hitmen in the world. That’s due, in part, to their special abilities: see, CT and Bea are not their names, but code names. “CT” is Chaos Theory; “Bea” is Butterfly Effect (BE).
Design: Hitman chic. Bea is around 18 years old, so she’s new to the business. Her uncle has been around for years. By the way, I hate white pants, but I liked the way this came out. Bea’s butterfly effect is internalized, while CT’s chaos power is externalized (with what looks like Kirby dots, natch!). Oh, I wanted to give Bea Chuck Taylor All-Stars, but HM didn’t have sneakers, so she’s wearing sandals for now.
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
#31 Black Cobra (7)
I realize I’m technically done, but I had to get the last member of the family up, for closure.
I’m also going to post some other new characters up until the end of the month.
Concept: The Black Cobra/Devon Collis – The modern Age Black Cobra.  Takes over for his mom, who is his mentor. Pretty much a blank slate here, he’s our “entry character.â€Â Devon is well educated, just starting college, and looking for freedom. He’s not opposed to being the Black Cobra, but he would rather have some balance in his life. He recognizes that this legacy, and his place in it, is not normal, but he also realizes that’s the appeal. He approaches the role with the same focus as a high school athlete would a game; he can turn it on and off because it’s not his life (he thinks). While he was literally trained by his mother from the day he began to walk, he’s preoccupied by the other things in his life; Girls, cars (especially his 2007 Shelby GT500 Mustang, aka the “Super Snake†which will also double as his means of transportation in costume*) and his friends. He’s never bothered with asking his mother about who his father is; his philosophy being that he and his mom have always had each other and never needed anything.
*The 2010 Cobra Jet Mustang is pretty bad ass too. We might want to switch out the Shelby for this one.
Design: This was the second toughest one, after momma Cobra. The thought was to somehow tie all the different designs together into this last one, and I think I got it. Utility belt, and the boot pouches are a nice touch, I think, for the modern hero (very Nightwing, which would be his direct influence). Overall, I think look at this says, “modern day.”
The snake is just there for decoration.
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
#30 Black Cobra (6)
Here was the toughest of the seven Black Cobras. #3 was pretty tough, but this one…I knew I wanted a female version of the Black Cobra in here, but the execution could have gone either way.
Concept: Ms. Cobra/Renae Hornsby-Collis – the Bronze Age Black Cobra.  #5 is her father; #3 is her uncle.  She becomes Black Cobra in the mid 70’s when her father never returns from Vietnam. Typical 70’s heroine (Colleen Wing/Misty Knight by way of Dave Cockrum/John Byrne). She becomes a mother and retires, but vows to continue the legacy with her son, Devon. She is very protective of her son, but she trained him for this.
Design: Let’s take these one by one.
(#1) As per my concept paragraph above, I wanted the early version to be very similar to the 70’s heroines, since that was her primary decade of exposure. Sexy, but functional. Not easy, so kudos to real comic book artists that do this kind of thing every day. The bare midriff was a staple of the times, and I had to get the cobra design on there somewhere, so the boots were chosen. (DESIGN REMOVED)
(#2) I have this idea that after a certain point (maybe the 80’s) she changes her tune and becomes a more martial arts centric character. I should have put the logos on the boots, but since I had the spot on her chest, I put it there. She begins to look like she’s embracing her part in the legacy of the character.
Art (above) by Ricardo Venâncio!
(#3) Here, we have her in her mentor role, and I wanted to show her all grown up, a little older and wiser. The pants harken back to Black Cobra #2, which, again, is an effort to call back to her legacy. Note that there’s no cobra logo on her. Since she’s not out in the field, I figured she didn’t need one, but we can always put it as a patch on her arm.
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
#29 Black Cobra (5)
The last of the public domain Black Cobras, although this one was never seen as anything but a sidekick. We’re changing that now. Here he is as the Black Cobra.
Concept: The Black Cobra/Robert “Bobby†Hornsby – Little brother of #3.  Originally, the Cobra Kid, sidekick to #3 and #4. Takes over for #4 when Drake retires.  Bobby gets sent to Korea and later, Vietnam. Dies a hero in the Battle of Hamburger Hill. His costume is returned to his family, and given to his daughter, Renae.
Design: Another attempt at taking elements of what came before and putting them forward (funny enough, there doesn’t seem to be evidence of the costume he wore when he was his brother’s sidekick…another reason to omit the green and red costume from #3). The hood comes from #3, and the rest from #4. If I was smart, I would have made a Vietnam War/Korean War variation on the costume since this costume isn’t exactly war appropriate.
EDIT: Ok, took a few minutes and dummied up his “war attire.” A few notes: Since he’s wearing a helmet, I took away the hood, but I wanted something covering his face that wasn’t a cowl, so I kept his domino mask and added a bandanna on the mouth (it was an unconscious, maybe subconscious, call-back to Black Cobra #1). Speaking of BC #1, I should have given him the revolvers, but I think that’s a plot point I want to keep for the story. Instead, I called back to him again by putting the insignia on the stock of the rifle. And, in case you can’t see it, the cobra logo is on his shirt. The shirt’s colors are a bit impractical for war time camouflage, but I think he’d be wearing a jacket of some kind over his t-shirt. Pretty happy with it regardless.
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
Black Cobra war attire
#28 Black Cobra (4)
Another of the public domain Black Cobras. This one existed after the first one was cancelled and then went to another publisher (from Harry Chesler to Ajax).
Concept: The Black Cobra/Steve Drake – FBI Agent who was tasked with bringing #3 to justice.  Took over when #3 was killed in action by Nazis. His crimefighting career lasted from 1942 to 1945, when the War ended. Upon returning to the States, he retired and gave his mantle to his sidekick, Bobby Hornsby, younger brother and sidekick to Jim Hornsby.
Design: Not much changed here, save for the emblem on the chest and the diamond design on the arm. Pretty much what I consider the “family design,” which is why I went with the other two designs for Black Cobra #3.
Art by Ricardo Venâncio!
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
#27 Black Cobra (3)
This one was probably one of the tougher ones to render since it this one is an actual existing character! The first and last two in the line of Black Cobras are all original ideas by me, and the middle three (#’s 3-5) are all public domain characters!
Concept: The Black Cobra/James “Jim†Hornsby – District Attorney/crimefighter.  Not sure if he’s related to #2 (may even BE #2), but if he is, he’d have to be #2‘s son. Jim and his younger brother, Bobby (#5), teamed up in the early days leading up to the US involvement in World War 2 to fight crime stateside. Jim was killed in action by Nazis on US soil.
Design: I didn’t really want to change his look from the original until I sat down with the design. The colors are horrid! So, I simplified it as much as possible (the hood isn’t quite the snake/cobra motif, but works). I wanted him to have the color black somewhere in the design, but couldn’t really figure it out, so I just made his pants black. Not proud of this one, but again, I wanted to keep him fairly recognizable.*
Late additions: Just for fun, I decided to do him less traditionally (ie, similar to the original) and more in tune with the “family” design I came up with.
The hood doesn’t attach to a cape. I just liked having something on his shoulders that made sense of the hood. I’m not opposed to a short cape, but I really didn’t intend for a cape to be attached at all. Sometimes a hood is…just a hood.
Art by Ricardo Venâncio!
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
#30Characters Chatter…