Local Heroes

The Unified Non-profit Identification and Organization Network of the Supernormal, also known as "UNIONS," is a not-for-profit organization of researchers, adventurers, and super-powered heroes that was founded several years ago by the hero known as Legion. The official website for UNIONS is at LocalHeroes.info.

Mystery-man is the field leader of UNIONS Local Chapter 37, and rounding out the team are Silent Knight, American Spirit, and Squire, among others. Min Dae-soo is Local 37's administrator and support specialist. Local 37 is also assisted by Hoffa, UNIONS' ubiquitous super-AI.

The Local 37 team has teamed up with Rubberneck of UNIONS Local 2, Hotstreak and Graviteer of the Infiniteam, and Commander Roadhorse of the FREE Association. It is also of note that Squire was once a part of Heroes Incorporated® and that Legion has a pet monkey whose name is Plethora.

Heroes Incorporated is a super-team created by Squire's grandfather, Cornelius Doucette, purportedly to be shining examples of morality and virtue for Squire. This team consists of Grenadier (field leader with specialty grenades), Adamant (density-manipulating hand-to-hand specialist), Brainstorm (psychic), and Burst (energy-blasting super-speedster).

The rogues gallery of villains which UNIONS has encountered includes Microbot (pint-sized villain from the future of a parallel dimension), Quetzalcoatl (commander in the international paramilitary organization known as WASP), the Animal King (deposed dictator who is also half-lion), Groovy Ghost (spectral thief with an eye for art), and Timesmith (once a respected FREE Thinker at Eternity Station, now a time-traveling villain).

For a short period, Squire once traveled into the past and—while calling himself "The Bystander"—met the Silver Age versions of American Spirit and her sidekick Teen Spirit, FREE Agent Coraje (who eventually became Silent Knight) and his partner FREE Agent Holiday, Groovy Ghost (when he was still alive), and young Dr. Tomori (who would one day become the villainous Timesmith).

About Keith: Keith Quinn is the creator of the Local Heroes comic strip (writing, drawing, lettering), logos, and web site. Keith was also the co-creator of A Girl and Her Wookiee, a bi-weekly comic strip that ran from June 4, 2001 through December 24, 2002 at SWG Stratics. If you'd like to see more of his work, check out his online portfolio.

About Gil: A lifelong comics fan, Gil Dowling has written and drawn comic books for as long as he can remember—nearly all of them never coming close to seeing print. Now, this A Girl and Her Wookiee co-creator, after being conned by his frequent collaborator, Keith Quinn, steps out of his usual role as script doctor and puts pencil to paper to illustrate Local Heroes on a guest basis.

About the Fonts and Lettering: Most fonts used in the Local Heroes strip are from Blambot, particularly "Digital Strip." The Local Heroes logo is based upon the "Wide Awake" font from pizzadude. The skyline that you'll sometimes see is a font called "font-o-ville at night" by Fontoville. Lettering was originally done in Adobe Photoshop, but is now accomplished in Macromedia Freehand.

Server Hosting: Local Heroes is hosted by Dreamhost.

Comixpedia Review: Xaviar Xerexes reviewed Local Heroes for the superhero-themed April 2006 issue of the Comixpedia magazine. “I liked Local Heroes and I'm not completely sure why. It is a pleasant example of a superhero comic -- with more than solid art and serviceable writing. It's not spectacular, but it is early in its run and while it hasn't taken any risks, it also hasn't taken any missteps yet.”

Comixpedia review of Local Heroes »

Local Heroes is an all-ages comic strip about a group of super-powered adventurers. If you're looking to advertise on the site, you have two options.

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• All Posts

1. Who is FREE Agent Holiday? (July 6, 2009 12:37 PM) —
   

   FREE Agent Holiday was once a member of the Federal Research, Emergency, and Enforcement Association and partner of FREE Agent Coraje (the man who would one day become Silent Knight). She was a skilled operative, trained in various methods of hand-to-hand and firearms combat, flying vehicle piloting, and super-normal villain incarceration.

   In recent years, she may have been kidnapped by Quetzalcoatl and WASP, although this has not been confirmed.

   Agent Holiday first appeared as a FREE Agent in Local Heroes strip #130 (within Storyline 7 — “A Brief Mystery of Time”). Squire appears to have first encountered her as a nameless WASP victim in Local Heroes strip #47 (within Storyline 2 — “Anger is as a Stone Cast Into a Wasp's Nest”)
   

2. Who is Timesmith? (July 6, 2009 12:22 PM) —
   

   Dr. Tomori employed by the Federal Research, Emergency, and Enforcement Association as a FREE Thinker. A brilliant but disgruntled temporal physicist, Dr. Tomori decided to utilize a stolen time pool to journey into the past and put his younger self on the path to become the villain Timesmith and reap unethical rewards. Further convoluting this series of events, Squire followed Timesmith into the past, masqueraded as a mysterious other-worldly entity called "The Bystander," thwarted Timesmith's plans, and returned them both to the present.

   Timesmith first appeared as Dr. Tomori in Local Heroes strip #125 (within Storyline 6 — “A Brief Mystery of Time”). He first declared himself as Timesmith in Local Heroes strip #136 (also within Storyline 6 — “A Brief Mystery of Time”)
   

3. What is Eternity Station? (July 6, 2009 11:11 AM) —
   

   The Federal Research, Emergency, and Enforcement Association utilizes several science stations across the world . . . and one just above it. Eternity Station is a research facility orbiting the Earth at the Earth-Moon L5 point.

   This compact station is staffed with a small, hand-picked selection of FREE Thinkers—physicists, biologists, and meta-theoreticians that are rotated planetside every few weeks. The scientists of Eternity Station are tasked with investigating phenomena that defy conventional understanding of temporal physics.

   For many years, Eternity Station was a second home to respected temporal physicist Dr. Tomori, until he enacted an evil plan which included gaining limited control over time time travel.

   Although the station is not designed to withstand a prolonged attack, it is equipped with several defensive weapons in case of alien attack.

   Eternity Station first appeared in Local Heroes strip #124 (within Storyline 7 — “A Brief Mystery of Time”).
   

4. Who is Plethora? (July 6, 2009 10:14 AM) —
   

   Plethora is the trained pet of Legion (founder of UNIONS). She is a young spider-monkey with no super-powers, but is very fit and athletic. Her curiosity sometimes leads her into trouble, but so far Plethora hasn't gotten into any trouble that Legion and Squire can't fix.

   Plethora first appeared in Local Heroes strip #95 (within Storyline 6 — “Monkey Business”).
   

5. Local Heroes: Monkey Business Coloring Book Now Available! (June 13, 2009 9:31 PM) —
   

   The Local Heroes: Monkey Business coloring book is now available in the Hurm Store! Each book is $3.00 USD each (plus shipping). Each book comes signed by me, Local Heroes creator Keith Quinn!

   Here's a link to the Hurm Store: www.hurm.com/store/. There you can find the Local Heroes: Monkey Business link, which will bring you to the info page for the first Local Heroes coloring book.

   But if you're lazy (like me!), then just follow this link right to the Local Heroes info page instead: www.hurm.com/store/products/monkey-business.php.

   Same as with Local Heroes #1, we're using PayPal for all purchases of this coloring book.

6. Local Heroes #1 Now Available! (October 4, 2007 10:31 PM) —
   

   The Local Heroes #1 comic book is now available in the Hurm Store! Each book is $3.00 USD each (plus shipping). Each book comes signed by me, Local Heroes creator Keith Quinn!

   Here's a link to the Hurm Store: www.hurm.com/store/. There you can find the Local Heroes #1 link, which will bring you to the info page for Local Heroes #1.

   But that method takes too long! Here, go right to the Local Heroes info page instead: www.hurm.com/store/products/local-heroes-1.php.

   This is the first time I'm using PayPal to sell my wares, so some adjustments may occur after I realize my shipping charges are wrong or that there is some PayPal technique that I should be using to get the most out of that service.

7. Seeking Sitemap Perfection (April 15, 2007 6:02 PM) —
   

   I've just reworked how I archive Local Heroes "about" and comic entries. If you have any specific Local Heroes news entries, comic pages, or archive indexes bookmarked, well, I just broke all of them. Similar sitemap updates may occur for other Hurm.com sites throughout the year. However, all of these goings-on are not done without an important purpose in mind: simplicity. And accessibility. Wait, that's two reasons.

8. Remastering Storyline 1 (April 15, 2007 1:00 PM) —
   

   Recently, I remastered the Storyline 2 strips as part of my preparation for a Local Heroes comic book compilation. Today, I finished remastering the first nine strips as well.

9. What is the FREE Association? (April 11, 2007 5:04 PM) —
   

   The Federal Research, Emergency, and Enforcement Association is quasi-governmental task force charged with investigating and resolving all super-science, mystical, and paranormal activities that may be considered threats to the American people. The Association operates chiefly within the borders of the United States of America, but has been known to cooperate with the authorities of other countries during investigations or pursuits.

   The FREE Association was created in 1967 in direct response to a surge of super-menaces that began one year earlier. Initially consisting of two dozen civilian experts collected from various research and law enforcement groups, the Association currently has nearly 800 full-time staff members dedicated to its purposes. The Association is led from the FREE Dome by an board of directors and organized into three divisions: research and development is handled by their FREE Thinkers, search and rescue is taken care of by FREE Lancers, and the FREE Agents handle enforcement and incarceration (within the FREE Hold facility).

   The worldwide community of super-powered adventurers have had mixed reactions to the FREE Association and its agenda. Although the majority of interactions have been fairly positive, there have been a number of occasions where that community viewed the Association in a very poor light. One of the worst time periods was, understandably, the aftermath of the Secret Crossover Crisis of the 1980s. However, the current leaders of the FREE Association have taken great strides in rebuilding a positive relationship between it and the worldwide super-community. UNIONS currently maintains a positive relationship with the Association, helped in part due to the long-standing friendship of Mystery-man and the FREE Agent Commander Roadhorse.

   Commander Roadhorse and the FREE Association first appeared in Local Heroes strip #87 (within Storyline 5 — “Storyline 5 -- The Museum of Unnatural Mystery”).
   

10. Who is the Groovy Ghost? (April 10, 2007 3:56 PM) —
    

    The Groovy Ghost first came on the scene in 1966. After several brief but memorable confrontations with Mystery-man and his Mystery-family, he soon became considered as one of the core members of the "Mystery-menaces" rogues gallery.

    He entered his career as a living man, leading a small group of goons into petty crimes with his ghost-themed gadgets. In the late 1980s, he was literally killed during one of his capers, but was brought back as a "living ghost." His lust for material goods changed, and his criminal acts began to center on appropriating items of a more creative nature.

    The Groovy Ghost's silhouette first appeared in Local Heroes strip #75 (within Storyline 5 — “The Museum of Unnatural Mystery”). A more detailed image appeared soon after, in the same storyline, in strip #80
    

11. Remastering Storyline 2 (April 9, 2007 10:31 AM) —
    

    Sorry, but there is no new Local Heroes strip today. However, I have begun remastering some of the early strips. This is all in preparation for a Local Heroes comic which will compile all the strips from Storylines 1 through 5.

12. What is Heroes Incorporated®? (September 14, 2006 1:12 PM) —
    

    Heroes Incorporated® is a small group of super-powered mercenaries that was founded by Neal Doucette, a wealth, ruthless, and manipulative businessman, after the tragic deaths of his only son and his daughter-in-law.

    Doucette planned for his team to be the examples of positive behavior for his grandson, Teddy, which he could never be. Heroes Incorporated was successful as a team of super-powered adventurers, but they were not the examples of good that Doucette had hoped. Although Heroes Incorporated continues to exist, Doucette sent his grandson, now known as Squire, to join a team better suited to help him become a valuable member of the international (and super-powered) law enforcement society—UNIONS.

13. Who is Graviteer? (September 14, 2006 12:55 PM) —
    

    Ozo Madubuike is the boyfriend of Tori Nelson, daughter of world renowned quantum physicist Niles Nelson. As Graviteer, she is one of the five members of the Infiniteam.

    Born in Nigeria, Ozo is currently a student and martial artist in the United States. As a youth, he was considered a musical prodigy.

    Ozo, like the rest of the Infiniteam, gained his powers after an act of sabotage destroyed an experiment and caused a quantum explosion. The explosion gave him the ability to manipulate gravity fields around human-sized objects. He uses this ability to fly, lift heavy objects, and propel objects during combat.

    Graviteer and the Infiniteam were first mentioned in Local Heroes strip #52 (within Storyline 3 — “Theory of Evilution”).

14. Who is Hotstreak? (September 14, 2006 12:46 PM) —
    

    Tori Nelson is the teenage daughter of Niles Nelson, world renowned quantum physicist. As Hotstreak, she is one of the five members of the Infiniteam.

    Tori and her twin sister, Cassie, are known as the Infinitwins. Both of them can run at super-speeds. While Cassie is faster, Tori is able to product small amounts of heat and fire after running for short periods. It has also been suggested that Tori can subconsciously manipulate probabilities in her favor, but this has not been substantiated.

    Tori and the rest of the Infiniteam gained her powers after an act of sabotage destroyed an experiment of her father's and caused a quantum explosion.

    Hotstreak and the Infiniteam were first mentioned in Local Heroes strip #52 (within Storyline 3 — “Theory of Evilution”).

15. What is the Infiniteam? (September 14, 2006 12:39 PM) —
    

    The Infiniteam is a group of five adventurers: Leviathan, Visionary, Speedfreak, Hotstreak, and Graviteer.

    Leviathan is an explorer who is strong, resistant to damage, can live underwater, and can grow to forty stories tall. Visionary, a world-renowned quantum physicist, has eyes that can shoot blasts and see beyond the visible spectrum. Speedfreak and Hotstreak, the twin daughters of Visionary, can move at phenomenal speeds—Speedfreak can run faster, but Hotstreak can generate small amounts of fire. Graviteer is a student and martial artist who can manipulate gravity fields around human-sized objects. Their floating headquarters has been dubbed "Complex City" for its ability to rebuild its interior by automatically shifting walls and floor depending upon the needs of the inhabitants.

    All five members of the Infiniteam gained their powers in the same quantum accident. Visionary was attempting to breach the quantum barrier, but instead an act of sabotage caused a quantum explosion. A powerful and vicious entity from another dimension was released into Earth from this explosion, but it also imbued the nearby victims with amazing powers. The entity was soon defeated by those would would become the Infiniteam.

    Since that time, the Infiniteam have continued thwarting global threats and supernatural menaces. The bulk of their adventures have been so public and so large in scope that the press has dubbed the Infiniteam "America's Greatest Super-team!"

    The Infiniteam was first mentioned in Local Heroes strip #52 (within Storyline 3 — “Theory of Evilution”).

16. Who is Rubberneck? (September 14, 2006 12:03 PM) —
    

    Calvin Longfellow comes from a long line of stretching and shapeshifting super-adventurers. Although forbidden by his parents from pursuing the same lifestyle, Calvin recently decided that being a student, wanna-be comic book writer, and guy who drives the ball collector at the local driving range weren't satisfying enough. Disobeying his parent's wishes, Calvin secretly adopted the super-identity of Rubberneck and joined UNIONS Local Chapter 2 soon after.

    Rubberneck is a mutant whose abilities appeared at the onset of puberty. Unfortunately, he also developed a fatal weakness at the same time. Over the course of each day, the bonds between his molecules slowly decay, forcing him to receive a special daily treatment in order to survive.

    Rubberneck has used his powers in a variety of ways: extending his limbs, flattening his body to slide through tight cracks, expanding his body to safely glide downward from a high location, and coiling his legs into a spring for a "super-leap" effect.

    Rubberneck first appeared in Local Heroes strip #15 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).

17. Commenting feature now active! (August 27, 2006 3:58 PM) —
    

    I've activated the ability to comment on individual entries here at LocalHeroes.us. Also, every page will show the most recent entries in the sidebar on the right.

18. Who is the Animal King? (July 11, 2006 11:51 AM) —
    

    The nefarious Animal King was once the reigning monarch of a small African nation. His plans for world domination were foiled countless times by UNIONS, the Infiniteam, and other super-teams. He recently has been transformed into a half-man, half-lion and currently lives in exile from his homeland.

    The Animal King has always in peak physical condition and a world-class fighter. Also, his current state of transformation has heightened his senses beyond those of normal men.

    The Animal King first appeared in Local Heroes strip #50 (within Storyline 3 — “Theory of Evil-ution”).
    

19. What is WASP? (March 30, 2006 8:20 PM) —
    

    The World Alliance for Scientific Progression is an international paramilitary organization that specializes in the study, apprehension, and detention of all superhumans regardless of power-origin (scientific, extra-terrestrial, mystical, etc.).

    As per their doctrine, no WASP member has any super-powers or magical abilities. They rely on their large membership and the highest level of technology to pursue their goals. Their current agenda seems to be based on keeping the human race free from superhuman influence, whether "curing" super-mutations, bringing super-villains and super-vigilantes to justice, or diminishing the impact of super-powered adventurers within a political arena.

    WASP often finds themselves at odds with various super-groups around the world, from both the "hero" and "villain." side of the ethical fence. Their most prominent enemies include UNIONS, the World Espionage Bureau, and the FREE Association.

    WASP first appeared in Local Heroes strip #44 (within Storyline 2 — “Anger is as a Stone Cast into a Wasp's Nest”).
    

20. Who is Quetzalcoatl? (March 22, 2006 10:57 AM) —
    

    Quetzalcoatl is a commander in the security and acquisitions division of the international paramilitary organization called WASP. His nemesis is Silent Knight, but the specific details of why are currently unknown.

    As per their doctrine, no WASP member has any super-powers or magical abilities, and Quetzalcoatl is no exception. However, he does have a wide variety of technological weapons and defenses. When fighting in small battles, Quetzalcoatl prefers to engage his foes with his two "wrist whips." He uses these elongating prehensile lashes to slash or grapple his opponents, techniques made even more lethal when combined with his superior fighting and physical skills. Quetzalcoatl also has a company of troops that are always at his disposal.

    Quetzalcoatl first appeared in Local Heroes strip #44 (within Storyline 2 — “Anger is as a Stone Cast into a Wasp's Nest”).
    

21. Welcome, One and All! (March 1, 2006 8:41 PM) —
    

    Some of our newer visitors may be coming here from Digital Strips, Starslip Crisis, and Comixpedia—welcome, one and all!

    Local Heroes ads have recently begun appearing on both of the aforementioned sites and I've seen a notable increase in the amount of people coming here and browsing through the archives. If you're new here, here's a short summary of what you'll find here.

    Local Heroes is a comic strip centered on UNIONS Local Chapter 37, a franchise-like supergroup that exists as numerous smaller sub-teams. You can read a bit about the background for the universe and the creation of the strip in the About page. If you'd like to catch up on previous Local Heroes episodes or news, the place to go is our Archives section. Want to share your thoughts about Local Heroes? Check out the Local Heroes forum. Finally, if you'd like some Local Heroes downloads or merchandise, check out our Stuff page (or the Hurm Store).

    Make sure to come back every Monday—that's when new Local Heroes strips are posted. See you then!

22. Who is Microbot? (January 12, 2006 10:47 PM) —
    

    Not much is yet known about Microbot, save that he is a pint-sized villain from the future of a parallel dimension. Squire first encountered this mischievous malefactor within hours of joining UNIONS. Along with Local Chapter 37, Squire tracked down Microbot in his secret headquarters in search for the UNIONS Summit DVD-ROM.

    Microbot's known powers include incredible technical know-how, being able to project powerful bolts of electricity, and being very, very short.

    Microbot first appeared in Local Heroes strip #36 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

23. New character portraits thumbnails (June 24, 2005 3:45 PM) —
    

    New, full-color character portrait thumbnails have been added to all the previous "Who is..." entries! Now you can see Silent Knight's official colors! Compare the heights of Mystery-man and Squire! Grow jealous of Min Dae-soo's snazzy Local Heroes shirt! Go here for a quick list of these upgraded entries!

24. Who is Hoffa? (June 8, 2005 8:01 PM) —
    

    UNIONS bodiless supercomputer AI personality is known as Hoffa, and is central to all of UNIONS communications and research.

    Hoffa first appeared in Local Heroes strip #16 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

25. Who is Min Dae-soo? (June 8, 2005 8:01 PM) —
    

    Min Dae-soo is the administrator for UNIONS Local 37, as well as office manager, public relations specialist, and general support staffer.

    Min Dae-soo first appeared in Local Heroes strip #5 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

26. Who is Squire? (June 8, 2005 7:58 PM) —
    

    Once the unofficial sidekick of the professional adventurers known as Heroes Incorporated®, Teddy Doucette's grandfather sent him out into the world as Squire, to learn what it means to be "a real hero."

    Squire has no known super powers, instead relying on a small handful of gadgets and dumb luck to succeed as a costumed adventurer.

    Squire first appeared as Teddy Doucette in Heroes Incorporated® 1.1 and as Squire in Local Heroes strip #1 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

27. Who is American Spirit? (June 8, 2005 7:41 PM) —
    

    Born with amazing mutant powers, this young American Indian entered her teenage years as Teen Spirit, sidekick of the original American Spirit. However, her mentor betrayed UNIONS during the Secret Crossover Crisis and has since disappeared from the public eye. Angst-ridden and filled with self-doubt, she nevertheless followed tradition and took over her mentor's heroic identity, becoming the latest heroine to bear the name American Spirit.

    American Spirit can fly, become intangible, and project explosive fireworks.

    American Spirit first appeared in Local Heroes strip #7 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

28. Who is Silent Knight? (June 8, 2005 7:27 PM) —
    

    The technological swashbucker called Silent Knight first appeared during the fabled Silver Age of Heroes, although no one knows the true origins of this enigmatic adventurer. The grim Silent Knight is the mute mentor to Squire, newest member of the Local 37 team.

    The Silent Knight is rumored to have a secret lair known as Keep Silent, but few, if any, have ever visited this private sanctuary.

    Silent Knight fights crime with futuristic gadgetry, including power-armor, an indestructible shield, an energy lance, and his techno-steed, Knightmare.

    Silent Knight first appeared in Local Heroes strip #10 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

29. Who is Mystery-man? (June 8, 2005 7:19 PM) —
    

    An accidental infusion of djinni DNA in the 1940s granted humble William Wendell powers beyond those of mere mortals. Quickly realizing his newly acquired gifts, William became Mystery-man, one of the first costumed crime-fighters of the Golden Age of Heroes.

    Throughout the years, Mystery-man adventured with several other members of the expanding "Mystery-family," including Mystery-maid, Mystery-mutt, Mystery-mite, and the villainous Mystery-master.

    Mystery-man is the current foreman of UNIONS Local Chapter 37, and has been so since its inception.

    Mystery-man's powers are mystical in origin. Their true capabilities have never been fully documented. However, the general public has seen him fly, display super-strength, disappear from exitless rooms, and misremember proper names on a regular basis. He is reputed to be one of the most powerful beings in the solar system.

    Mystery-man first appeared in Local Heroes strip #7 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

30. Who is Legion? (June 8, 2005 7:15 PM) —
    

    Legion is the founder of UNIONS and a lifetime member of UNIONS Local 1. He is originally from Scotland but currently lives in the original UNIONS hall with his spider monkey, Plethora.

    Legion possesses super-strength, the power of flight, and the ability to divide himself into at least five separate-but-identical entities.

    Legion first appeared in Local Heroes strip #5 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).
    

31. What is UNIONS? (June 8, 2005 7:05 PM) —
    

    The Unified Non-profit Identification and Organization Network of the Supernormal was founded several years ago by Legion, a super-powered adventurer from Scotland, and a small handful of his American peers. Organized along the lines of a business franchise, this not-for-profit group now includes several hundred researchers, adventurers, and super-powered heroes organized into dozens of chapters across the globe and beyond.

    UNIONS sometimes coordinates with other super-groups, world-wide organizations, and pan-dimensional task forces, including the World Espionage Bureau and the Quantum Mechanics.

    UNIONS first appeared in Local Heroes strip #4 (within Storyline 1 — “Enter: Squire!”).