Avalon
Written by C.L. Werner
Art design by Mike Shutz
Name: Sir Arthur Henry Reginald-Smythe
Location: England
Location: England
Group Affiliation: The IMPERIALS
Powers: Henry himself is a physically fit man, an ex-soldier with considerable combat experience and an accomplished marksman. The armor he wears, however, is the source of his more impressive abilities – the seemingly outdated and ancient suit of steel plates is enchanted, rendering it impervious to physical damage. Even the highest caliber bullets bounce harmlessly off the armor, and Avalon has been able to survive even point-blank explosions without injury. However, while providing the occupant with physical protection, the armor cannot defend against attacks which circumvent its powers. Avalon is still vulnerable to poison gas, smoke inhalation or even such an ignominous end as simple drowning.
History: Sir Arthur’s father was Sir George William Reginald-Smythe, who was also the man to wear England’s armor as WWI’s Avalon. He served his nation with great distinction and honor during the war, fighting against Germany’s Knight of Antioch, von Thun. In the post war years, Sir George was limited mostly to public appearances designed to increase British patriotism and morale. He also helped the British army quell violence in Ireland, though he had little stomach for turning his powers against people who were, ostensibly, British subjects. He also participated in defending Britain from some of the more exotic criminal elements and foreign spy rings operating within the Empire between the wars.
With the outbreak of WWII, Sir George was called upon to combat the Nazi menace. During the ‘Sitzkrieg’ following the fall of Poland, Sir George and his French counterpart Justicar were both employed in daring raids into Nazi-occupied territories, often coming up against their WWI nemesis Von Thun. The results of these encounters were a mixed bag, sometimes ending favorably for the Allies, but just as often ending with the two knights being forced to retreat from superior German forces. Little did they know that from the very outset Hitler had devised a contingency to deal with what he viewed as the ‘tiresome champions of the west’. He only awaited the opportune time to deal the decisive blow against them. Unlike the allies, Hitler fully appreciated the propaganda and morale value of these national champions, and how hard-felt would be the impact of destroying them.
Rumors German forces building up along the frontier between Germany and France compelled the British and French to concentrate their forces to the north, the border between Belgium and France, which would match the route the Germans had used to invade before. However, after forces had already been deployed, spies reported strange troop movements near the Black Forest. Panicking, realizing that the Nazis might be using an alternate route to strike France, one that would bypass both the fortified Marginot Line and the troops assembled in the north, it was decided to send a joint team of French and British superheroes to assault the German headquarters where the spies said the plans for the Nazi attack were being drawn. Among the heroes sent to carry out the assault were both Avalon and Justicar.
Operation March Violet turned out to be a crushing humiliation for the Allies. The information the spies had reported had been a deliberate plant by the Gestapo, the ‘headquarters’ was in fact an elaborate trap. The heroes soon found themselves surrounded by a division of elite Waffen SS troops armed with the most advanced weaponry the Third Reich had yet developed. In addition, several German superheroes were present to bolster the military forces. Refusing orders to surrender, the Allied superheroes attempted to fight their way clear.
It was then that Hitler’s plan to dispose of the Allied Knights of Antioch fell into place. The top assassin of the Nazis, a horribly disfigured veteran of WWI who had adopted the name Kriegeist, was among the German forces deployed against the heroes. The poisonous gasses seeping from Kriegeist’s flesh easily circumvented the defenses of the enchanted armor, attacking the men inside. Justicar was slain when he charged the spectral Nazi assassin, the horrible vapors slithering down inside his armor and killing him outright. Avalon attempted to save his comrade-in-arms but was likewise struck by Kriegeist’s deadly fumes. The knight managed to disable Kriegeist long enough to escape the gas, but the horrible fumes had already done ghastly damage to him. Amazingly, Avalon was able to fight his way clear along with a few other superheroes and was successfully extracted back to their base of operations in Paris. Even as the defeated Allies flew back to their base, the Germans were extolling their victory against the ‘invaders’ in propaganda broadcasts, taking extreme delight in capturing Justicar’s armor. At the same time, the blitzkrieg began, German divisions striking deep into France even as the Allied heroes tried to recover from their crippling defeat. His lungs incinerated by the mustard gas fumes Kriegeist had used on him, Sir George fought for life in a Paris hospital.
Henry was at the time attached to a British unit fighting in Belgium, oblivious to his father’s fate. The first he learned what had happened was when he heard a German propaganda broadcast detailing their triumph over the Allied heroes and the killing of Justicar. Soon after, officers from the British Special Services arrived on the front lines to take Henry back to Paris. Sir George was dying and wanted to see his son one last time, a request that certainly couldn’t be denied a national hero. En route to Paris, the staff car taking Henry to see his father was strafed by an opportunistic Stuka. Although he himself was unharmed in the attack, the car was disabled, forcing Henry to negotiate his own way across war-torn France to his father’s bedside. Unknown to him, at the same time Kriegeist had been deployed to finish the job he had started, sneaking behind the confused battlelines to reach Paris and the hospitalized Sir George.
Henry arrived in Paris at last, hurrying to the hospital where his father was being treated. He raced to Sir George’s room, but it was too late. His father was dead. He had expired only a few minutes before. One of the other British heroes had remained by Sir George’s side throughout and told Henry about the Nazi trap and how Avalon had met his end. Realising the huge propaganda victory the Germans would derive from killing both Avalon and Justicar, Henry suggested to the Special Services officers with him that they should cover up the fact that England’s champion had died. They needed to get someone else in the armor as quickly as possible. It was not widely known just who Avalon had been, only Sir George’s family and some high ranking members of the British government knew. One of the Special Services officers suggested that Henry should follow in his father’s footsteps and adopt the mantle of Avalon.
While Henry was still making up his mind about becoming Avalon, the choice was made for him. Kriegeist arrived at the hospital, slaughtering everyone in his path as he made his way toward Sir George’s room. The Special Services soldiers and the surviving British superhero raced into the hallways to combat the ghastly German assassin. Though delaying him, the British forces were no match for Kriegeist, gradually falling back. At last nothing stood between the assassin and Sir George. However, bursting into the room, Kriegeist was surprised to find that Sir George was already dead. His confusion mounted when he found someone else wearing the armor of Avalon standing in the room.
Facing his father’s killer, Henry lunged at Kriegeist, battling the Nazi assassin through the hospital, mercilessly pummeling the villain. Denied sustenance for far too long, weakening before the relentless attack of this new Avalon, Kriegeist turned his mind toward retreat rather than attack, managing to escape after causing damage to a wooden beam, imperiling several wounded soldiers as the ceiling started to collapse. Avalon chose to save the injured men rather than finish off the Nazi killer. In the aftermath of the fight, Henry revealed how he had protected himself from Kriegeist’s fumes, displaying a urine-soaked rag which he had wrapped around his face beneath his helm, a trick his father had used in WWI.
The new Avalon was soon employed to help protect the retreating army arrayed at Dunkirk, returning to England with the defeated Allied forces. Back in Britain, Henry was officially made the new owner of the armor and knighted by the king. Soon therafter, he was called upon as one of the founding members of Winston Churchill’s new Commonwealth superhero team – the Imperials.
Description: Henry is a tall, striking young Englishman, twenty-years old with light brown hair and neatly trimmed moustache. The armor is a suit of steel plate worn over an all-encompassing suit of chain. Henry’s features are concealed behind the rounded steel mask of his visored bascinet. The armor itself is somewhat reddish-tinged, with golden trim. The shield and surcoat display a quartered field, featuring among its other heraldry, the Union Jack of Britain. Avalon is armed with an assortment of modern weapons, the belt around his waist is fully equipped with grenades and ammo pouches and in addition to the symbolic sword he carries, he is armed with a Bren machine gun.
Powers: Henry himself is a physically fit man, an ex-soldier with considerable combat experience and an accomplished marksman. The armor he wears, however, is the source of his more impressive abilities – the seemingly outdated and ancient suit of steel plates is enchanted, rendering it impervious to physical damage. Even the highest caliber bullets bounce harmlessly off the armor, and Avalon has been able to survive even point-blank explosions without injury. However, while providing the occupant with physical protection, the armor cannot defend against attacks which circumvent its powers. Avalon is still vulnerable to poison gas, smoke inhalation or even such an ignominous end as simple drowning.
History: Sir Arthur’s father was Sir George William Reginald-Smythe, who was also the man to wear England’s armor as WWI’s Avalon. He served his nation with great distinction and honor during the war, fighting against Germany’s Knight of Antioch, von Thun. In the post war years, Sir George was limited mostly to public appearances designed to increase British patriotism and morale. He also helped the British army quell violence in Ireland, though he had little stomach for turning his powers against people who were, ostensibly, British subjects. He also participated in defending Britain from some of the more exotic criminal elements and foreign spy rings operating within the Empire between the wars.
With the outbreak of WWII, Sir George was called upon to combat the Nazi menace. During the ‘Sitzkrieg’ following the fall of Poland, Sir George and his French counterpart Justicar were both employed in daring raids into Nazi-occupied territories, often coming up against their WWI nemesis Von Thun. The results of these encounters were a mixed bag, sometimes ending favorably for the Allies, but just as often ending with the two knights being forced to retreat from superior German forces. Little did they know that from the very outset Hitler had devised a contingency to deal with what he viewed as the ‘tiresome champions of the west’. He only awaited the opportune time to deal the decisive blow against them. Unlike the allies, Hitler fully appreciated the propaganda and morale value of these national champions, and how hard-felt would be the impact of destroying them.
Rumors German forces building up along the frontier between Germany and France compelled the British and French to concentrate their forces to the north, the border between Belgium and France, which would match the route the Germans had used to invade before. However, after forces had already been deployed, spies reported strange troop movements near the Black Forest. Panicking, realizing that the Nazis might be using an alternate route to strike France, one that would bypass both the fortified Marginot Line and the troops assembled in the north, it was decided to send a joint team of French and British superheroes to assault the German headquarters where the spies said the plans for the Nazi attack were being drawn. Among the heroes sent to carry out the assault were both Avalon and Justicar.
Operation March Violet turned out to be a crushing humiliation for the Allies. The information the spies had reported had been a deliberate plant by the Gestapo, the ‘headquarters’ was in fact an elaborate trap. The heroes soon found themselves surrounded by a division of elite Waffen SS troops armed with the most advanced weaponry the Third Reich had yet developed. In addition, several German superheroes were present to bolster the military forces. Refusing orders to surrender, the Allied superheroes attempted to fight their way clear.
It was then that Hitler’s plan to dispose of the Allied Knights of Antioch fell into place. The top assassin of the Nazis, a horribly disfigured veteran of WWI who had adopted the name Kriegeist, was among the German forces deployed against the heroes. The poisonous gasses seeping from Kriegeist’s flesh easily circumvented the defenses of the enchanted armor, attacking the men inside. Justicar was slain when he charged the spectral Nazi assassin, the horrible vapors slithering down inside his armor and killing him outright. Avalon attempted to save his comrade-in-arms but was likewise struck by Kriegeist’s deadly fumes. The knight managed to disable Kriegeist long enough to escape the gas, but the horrible fumes had already done ghastly damage to him. Amazingly, Avalon was able to fight his way clear along with a few other superheroes and was successfully extracted back to their base of operations in Paris. Even as the defeated Allies flew back to their base, the Germans were extolling their victory against the ‘invaders’ in propaganda broadcasts, taking extreme delight in capturing Justicar’s armor. At the same time, the blitzkrieg began, German divisions striking deep into France even as the Allied heroes tried to recover from their crippling defeat. His lungs incinerated by the mustard gas fumes Kriegeist had used on him, Sir George fought for life in a Paris hospital.
Henry was at the time attached to a British unit fighting in Belgium, oblivious to his father’s fate. The first he learned what had happened was when he heard a German propaganda broadcast detailing their triumph over the Allied heroes and the killing of Justicar. Soon after, officers from the British Special Services arrived on the front lines to take Henry back to Paris. Sir George was dying and wanted to see his son one last time, a request that certainly couldn’t be denied a national hero. En route to Paris, the staff car taking Henry to see his father was strafed by an opportunistic Stuka. Although he himself was unharmed in the attack, the car was disabled, forcing Henry to negotiate his own way across war-torn France to his father’s bedside. Unknown to him, at the same time Kriegeist had been deployed to finish the job he had started, sneaking behind the confused battlelines to reach Paris and the hospitalized Sir George.
Henry arrived in Paris at last, hurrying to the hospital where his father was being treated. He raced to Sir George’s room, but it was too late. His father was dead. He had expired only a few minutes before. One of the other British heroes had remained by Sir George’s side throughout and told Henry about the Nazi trap and how Avalon had met his end. Realising the huge propaganda victory the Germans would derive from killing both Avalon and Justicar, Henry suggested to the Special Services officers with him that they should cover up the fact that England’s champion had died. They needed to get someone else in the armor as quickly as possible. It was not widely known just who Avalon had been, only Sir George’s family and some high ranking members of the British government knew. One of the Special Services officers suggested that Henry should follow in his father’s footsteps and adopt the mantle of Avalon.
While Henry was still making up his mind about becoming Avalon, the choice was made for him. Kriegeist arrived at the hospital, slaughtering everyone in his path as he made his way toward Sir George’s room. The Special Services soldiers and the surviving British superhero raced into the hallways to combat the ghastly German assassin. Though delaying him, the British forces were no match for Kriegeist, gradually falling back. At last nothing stood between the assassin and Sir George. However, bursting into the room, Kriegeist was surprised to find that Sir George was already dead. His confusion mounted when he found someone else wearing the armor of Avalon standing in the room.
Facing his father’s killer, Henry lunged at Kriegeist, battling the Nazi assassin through the hospital, mercilessly pummeling the villain. Denied sustenance for far too long, weakening before the relentless attack of this new Avalon, Kriegeist turned his mind toward retreat rather than attack, managing to escape after causing damage to a wooden beam, imperiling several wounded soldiers as the ceiling started to collapse. Avalon chose to save the injured men rather than finish off the Nazi killer. In the aftermath of the fight, Henry revealed how he had protected himself from Kriegeist’s fumes, displaying a urine-soaked rag which he had wrapped around his face beneath his helm, a trick his father had used in WWI.
The new Avalon was soon employed to help protect the retreating army arrayed at Dunkirk, returning to England with the defeated Allied forces. Back in Britain, Henry was officially made the new owner of the armor and knighted by the king. Soon therafter, he was called upon as one of the founding members of Winston Churchill’s new Commonwealth superhero team – the Imperials.
Description: Henry is a tall, striking young Englishman, twenty-years old with light brown hair and neatly trimmed moustache. The armor is a suit of steel plate worn over an all-encompassing suit of chain. Henry’s features are concealed behind the rounded steel mask of his visored bascinet. The armor itself is somewhat reddish-tinged, with golden trim. The shield and surcoat display a quartered field, featuring among its other heraldry, the Union Jack of Britain. Avalon is armed with an assortment of modern weapons, the belt around his waist is fully equipped with grenades and ammo pouches and in addition to the symbolic sword he carries, he is armed with a Bren machine gun.
