Marvel: The Lost Generation is a twelve-issue comic book limited seriespublished by Marvel Comics in 2000 and 2001. The series was scripted by Roger Stern and drawn by John Byrne with both as co-plotters. Numbered in reverse order, it began with issue #12 (March 2000) and finished with issue #1 (Feb. 2001).
Marvel: The Lost Generation tells the story of superheroes active after World War II but before the debut of the Fantastic Four, which is considered to be the start of the "modern age" of heroes within the Marvel universe. Although the Fantastic Four first appeared in comics in 1961, Marvel Comics utilizes a sliding timescale. The Lost Generation explored events in the gap between the retirement/disappearance of superheroes active during World War II and the emergence of the modern generation of heroes.
The Lost Generation starred the First Line, a loose confederation of superheroes, which lasted from the years shortly after World War II up to the early 1980s. Members of the First Line included The Yankee Clipper (uses a time traveler's force belt), Oxbow (super-strong archer), Effigy (a Skrull shape-shifter posing as a super-powered human), Nightingale (a mysterious woman with precognitive and healing powers), Pixie and Major Mercury (both Eternals), Captain Hip and Sunshine (hippie heroes mutated by a government experiment), Kid Justice (younger brother and former sidekick of Yankee Clipper who later became Mr. Justice), and the Black Fox (non-superpowered vigilante), as well as other, less prominent heroes during their "decades-long" adventures. Members of the First Line encountered a number of established Marvel characters, including the Skrulls, Doctor Strange, Diablo, Namor, Thor, the Monster Hunters of Ulysses Bloodstone, and Nick Fury.
During their final mission against a Skrull invasion force, almost the entire cast of characters is killed, and this, along with a government conspiracy to cover up the attempted alien invasion, was given as the in-story reason why the First Line and its exploits had gone unmentioned.
Yankee Clipper
Patrick Carney was an award-winning baseball player of the 1950's who went on to earn an engineering degree. He was soon assigned to a top-secret government facility, "Deep Freeze", that was secretly holding the heroes Captain America and Bucky in suspended animation after they had grown incurably insane. Shocked by the secret, Carney lamented that heroes were nevertheless needed for his generation.
Driving home that night, Carney encountered the time-traveler Cassandra Locke, who had collected information about a Skrull plot to subjugate Earth of her era. Locke was dying, and she passed on the information about the plot and Carney's future to him. She also left him her belt, the source of her time-traveling powers. Although he was only able to use the belt to boost his strength to superhuman levels, Carney used it to create the heroic identity of the Yankee Clipper.
Oxbow
His mutant physiology granting him a great stature and physical prowess, Matonabbe had always been ridiculed by the townsfolk for his "half-breed" status. Somehow, Matonabbe came to the attention of Pixie, a member of the race of Eternals who was looking for adventure among humans & a
crime-fighting partner, she chose Matonabbe after watching how he dealt with those who would ridicule him.
Determined to make him her partner, Pixie convinced him to use his powers as a crime fighter. Together, the two became known as Oxbow and Pixie and were later asked to join the premier superhero team of their generation, the First Line. Over time, Pixie & Sam developed a romantic relationship and were rarely seen apart. Pixie and Oxbow were among the members of the First Line assembled for its final mission, defeating an invasion by the alien Skrulls. Matonabbe was killed in the battle.
Pixie
Pixie is a member of the Eternals, a species diverted from humanity by experiments conducted by the Celestials one million years ago. It is unclear when she was born or how old she really is, though it has been stated she is young by Eternal standars. Pixie craved adventure and wished to become a hero, which led her out into the human world. She sought the Hipsterand offered to become his sidekick, but he refused. She later met a young man with great strength, Oxbow, and decided he would become a hero and she would he his sidekick.
Soon after their hero career began they became a part of the First Line, the foremost superhuman team of the time. They soon became some of the team's mainstays, remaining through its many incarnations. Pixie fought alongside the First Line for many years, but she never revealed her true origin, except to Oxbow. When the hero Yankee Clipper returned from his time-travels, it was Pixie who helped him adjust to the world after his 20-year absence.
Effigy
A Skrull who defended Earth from his own kind. He masqueraded as a human injected with Skrull DNA to explain his powers.
Nightingale
Not much has been revealed regarding the history and origin of the being known as Nightingale. At some point during the 1950's, the heroic Yankee Clipper was on a mission in the Caribbean where he encountered the mysterious woman. The Yankee Clipper then called upon her to help heal his friend, who became the hero Effigy upon recuperating. Nicknamed "Nightingale" by the Clipper's allies in remembrance of Florence Nightingale, she was invited to join the formative hero team, the First Line. Nightingale served with the First Line throughout its tenure, going on many missions with the team. However, after many years, she would appear only as a team associate on an as-needed basis.
Major Mercury/Makkari
Makkari is a member of the offshoot of humanity known as the Eternals. He was a member of the Technologist Guild. Makkari was more involved with humanity than other Eternals, having many adventures in the mortal world
Cap'n Hip
Not much has been revealed regarding the history and origin of the hero known as Cap'n Hip, although it has been suggested that his powers are a result of top-secret government drug testing. At some point during the late 50's/early 60's, he created the heroic identity of the Hipster to fight crime and promote the beatnik culture in San Francisco.
At one point, the Hipster was on the trail of the villainous Yellow Claw, and he joined forces with the First Line to defeat him. Although he was offered a position with the team, the Hipster refused.
Later, MacRae encountered the superhero Sunshine, under circumstances to be revealed, and she gave him a new code name as the hero Cap'n Hip. The two fell in love during their partnership and were married, although they otherwise embraced the Hippie culture of the 60's. Once, when investigating the mass hypnotism led by the villainous Rumor, Cap'n Hip and Sunshine were captured by the villain and were rescued by the First Line. All together, the heroes vanquished the Rumor and his allies, Venus and Thor. Once again, MacRae refused membership with the First Line, preferring to adventure by himself and Sunshine.
Sunshine
Not much has been revealed regarding the history and origin Autumn (maiden name unknown), the woman who would become the hero known as Sunshine. At some point during the 1960's, she developed and used her powers to create a heroic identity for herself. She also encountered the superhero known as the Hipster, under circumstances to be revealed, and she gave him a new code name as Cap'n Hip. The two fell in love during a partnership and were later married, although they otherwise embraced the Hippie culture of the 60's.
Mr. Justice
Mr. Justice possessed no known superhuman abilities. A superb athlete trained in several forms of martial arts by, among others, fellow First Liner the Black Fox, Mr. Justice was remarkably strong-willed and had a high resistance to pain. After the disappearance of his older brother, the Yankee Clipper, Tim dedicated himself completely to the crime fighting cause. He was certified to fly most conventional airplanes of the day and he even used a personalized jet fighter for transportation. In the mid-1980s, he also drove an armored motorcycle outfitted with miniature rockets. Mr. Justice spoke several languages, among them Arabic. As an unofficial CIA operative, he was privy to a variety of classified information. He was proficient in the use of handguns and carried one around in later years. A mainstay of the First Line in both its incarnations, Tim Carney changed over the decades from an optimistic, cocky and carefree teenager to a hardened vigilante who still had a tendency to be overconfident. Despite his lengthy track record, Justice never felt he was measuring up to the legacy of the Clipper.
Black Fox
Returning home after the war, Paine began a career as the costumed crime fighter known as the Black Fox. During this period he started a relationship with a woman named Miriam and planned to marry her. In 1957, the Black Fox was called along with costumed heroes Yankee Clipper, and LibertyGirl by Defence Department agent Jacob Scott
Walkabout
was a robot created by the scientist William Carmody, a.k.a. the Eternal Brain. The robot was designed to operate independantly, with its own artificial intelligence. It was also designed to house the physical body of William Carmody, which at the time was a tiny cloned homunculus. During this time, Carmody had helped spearhead the re-establishment of the First Line, the premier super hero team of its generation. Carmody then cybernetically linked his new body to Walkabout in order remain mobile. The two remain linked for many years thereafter, serving in the First Line.
Rapunzel
Not much has been revealed regarding the history of the hero known as Rapunzel prior to her appearance as a member of the First Line during the 1980's. Since the animalistic First Line member Yeti was often soothed by Rapunzel's hair, the two formed an unlikely partnership. Rapunzel was killed in action under unrevealed circumstances before the end of the First Line.
Blackjack
was a former costumed criminal turned hero who was active during the later half of the 20th Century. His origins are unknown.
As a criminal he was active as early as 1958, and has had past clashes with the Yankee Clipper. In his first recorded appearance he and his fellow criminal Scythe were hired by a Skrull spy named Zuhn to recover his ship that had been in government custody since 1947. Blackjack and Scythe were defeated by the combined efforts of Agent Jacob Scott of the Department of Defence (also secretly a Skrull), Yankee Clipper, Black Fox and Liberty Girl. Blackjack was apprehended and turned over to the authorities and the heroes present that day formed the First Line[2].
Dr. Mime
Not much is known about the man known as Dr. Mime. In the late 1980's he was a member of the First Line. He was present when their leader Effigy questioned a Skrull spy who was captured by scientist Reed Richards over the impending Skrull invasion of Earth[2]. Mime has not been seen since, and it is unknown if he was among the team's final conflict against the Skrulls a few years later.
The origins of the super-powered heroine known as Firefall are as yet unrevealed. She was a member of the First Lineas early as the late 1960s.
On July 16, 1969 she joined her teammates on a mission to prevent Skrull spies from sabotaging the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. The group flew there aboard a Skrull Saucer commandeered by their leader Effigy. On the surface of the moon Firefall and her comrades battle Positron, Howler, Typhoon, Scythe and Axis, Earth super-villains who were hired by the Skrulls. The surviving members of these criminals surrendered after Effigy destroyed the Skrull ship and the heroes returned to Earth.
Flatiron
The man who would become the armored hero known as Flatiron, was only known as Russell, an African-American male who was married with three children. In the early 1970s, he and his family moved from West Texas to Detroit as there were better career opportunities for Russell there. His son Russell Jr. grew to resent his father for this move, calling his father a tool for "the man". Russell however was a mechanical genius who was secretly using his know how to develop his own suit of armor that he dubbed Flatiron.
Knight Templar
Not much has been revealed regarding the history of the Scottish hero known as Templar prior to his appearance as a member of the First Line during the 1970's. Later, Templar retired from active adventuring with the First Line when he got married to his love, Rossalyn. Templar was also present as a member of the First Line during its final mission, defending the Earth against an invasion by the alien Skrulls. Templar was killed during the battle.
Katyusha
The super-heroine known as Katyusha was a Russian woman named Anya. In the 1960s she met the American super-hero Black Fox who convinced her to defect to the United States. Upon doing so she became a member of the First Line. On July 16, 1969 while watching the Apollo 11 rocket lift off for the moon Katyusha had a romantic moment with the Black Fox to celebrate the historic milestone as well as her defection to the United States.
Not much has been revealed about the history and origin of the villain known as Positron. Presumably she has had a long criminal career, including some form of relationship with the villain Blackjack before he became a hero. Her first recorded activities include accepting a mercenary job to sabotage the 1963 moon landing. The plot was masterminded by the alien Skrulls, who hoped to subjugate Earth at some point, and brought Positron and the other mercenaries to the moon via their own spaceship, where the group was confronted by the hero team known as the First Line. Positron and the aliens were defeated, and she was remanded into custody.
Years later, under unrevealed circumstances, Positron appeared as a member of the First Line after it went underground in the late 70's. She reestablished her relationship with Blackjack, with the two becoming romantically involved.
Later, Positron was among the members of the First Line in its final mission, defending Earth against an invasion by the alien Skrulls. Positron was killed during the battle.
Truth "Ruthie" MacRae is the daughter of two former superhuman crime-fighters, Cap'n Hip and Sunshine.MacRae remained unaware of her parent's former lives, and she grew up resentful of their counter-culture views. Once, she and her parents were saved from mugging by the heroic Black Fox, exciting the young girl and inspiring her.
When a teenager, MacRae's parents began searching through her personal items, discovering that MacRae was hiding something from them-- she had inherited superhuman powers from her parents. Enraged that her parents violated her trust, MacRae ran away from home at one point, the full circumstances of which remain unknown.
MacRae continued to seek out the Black Fox. When his alter-ego, Robert Paine, became professor of law at Northwestern University in Chicago, MacRae enrolled in college to be in Paine's life. However, when Paine failed to recognize her as more than a student, MacRae created the costumed identity of Gadfly. Presumably, MacRae performed many acts of petty and thrill-seeking villainy, in order to force the Black Fox to fight her.
Later still, MacRae was among those recruited by the First Line to defend Earth against an invasion by the alien Skrulls. The Black Fox was killed during the battle in MacRae's arms, and she quickly followed him.
Yeti
Yeti is an Inhuman, who had apparently undergone exposure to the Terrigen Mist, giving him an animalistic appearance and powers.
At some undisclosed point, Yeti joined the superhero team the First Line. During his time with them, he clashed with the Deviants in battle. Yeti tendency to fly into uncontrollable rages proved to be something of a drawback, however, and he often had to be calmed down by his teammate Rapunzel's prehensile hair. However, after an undisclosed tragedy involving Rapunzel, Yeti left the team and tried to return to the Inhumans' home, Attilan.
Yeti instead made a home in an abandoned temple in the Himalayas, where he lived like a hermit until he was approached by a Skrull woman called Korya, who seduced him to help her in the Skrulls' planned invasion of Earth. Yeti soon fell in love with her.
Sadly the First Line was never put into trade paperback. You can find more info about the series and purchasing individual issues here.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Marvel:_The_Lost_Generation_Vol_1
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=marvel+the+lost+generation&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=31137697970&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2251768411317451066&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_6iql0chye2_b
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