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Great Britain's Future in the DC Universe From Doomsday Clock – Knights Inc

The new issue of Doomsday Clock by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, the unauthorised sequel to Watchmen and published by DC Comics, is showing the future of the DC Universe Earth and the superheroes who live on it, around the world. The Supermen Theory, currently causing global uproar, points out that 97% of the superheroes live in the USA. But other countries are catching up…

But who is who? Let's look at Britain and Knights Inc. Because we seem to be having a team made up of other dimensional DC Comics figures… what does that say about Britain?

Canterbury Cricket  – first appearance in Flashpoint: The Canterbury Cricket and created by Mike Carlin and Rags Morales, Jeramey Chriqui is a bug-like vigilante,  a con man who prayed for super-powers when the Amazons invaded in the Flashpoint timeline, and was turned into a giant cricket. Een though there are no crickets in England. He has a sonic blast. He has not appeared in the DC Universe before.

Crusader – first appearance, Multiversity #1 in 2014, created by Grant Morrison and Ivan Reis as a Captain America analog from Earth 7. Became a zombie and attacked his Earth 8 counterpart.

Wrong Crusader. This will be the salesman, Derek Bradbourne, given strong armour and a stick that produced powerful bolts of energy by patriotic sponsors to become Crusader. Eventually, he fought his sponsor, Victor Cypher, who wasn't even British. Created by Mike Collins for Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #4.

Godiva – first appearance  in Super Friends #7, created by E. Nelson Bridwell. Dorcas Leigh is a British socialite from with the power to control her hair's movement. The New 52 changed her to Dora Leigh, a member of the relaunched Justice League International, appointed to the team by UN director Andre Briggs, who uses her to win the favor of a high-ranking British politician.

The Hood – First appearance Batman: Shadow of the Bat #21 in 1993 by Alan Grant and Bret Blevins.  George Cross is an English vigilante modelled on Robin Hood. More recently, has worked with Batman Incorporated and became an operative of Spyral, before losing toes and fingers in action.

Golden Pharaoh was created exclusively for the Kenner Super Powers Collection line of action figures. His only comic book appearance is in the third Super Powers series from 1986. Ashley Halberstam, a British Egyptologist on an expedition in Giza, he was struck by a bolt of energy emanating from the New Gods. This bolt of energy awakened his latent superpowers.

Beaumont – first appearance in the animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm in 1993. This is Andrea Beaumont, known as the Phantasm. First love of Bruce Wayne, she is a costumed vigilante avenging the death of her father. Has been hired by the Suicide Squad, though unsuccessfully. Uses blades and smoke a lot.

Wrong Beaumont it seems. Instead it's the one created by James Robinson and Renato Guedes for Superman #689 in 2009. An English hero with diamond-hard skin and intellect, who teamed up with the hero Sunny Jim to form the team Class War.

Lionheart – first appearance, Justice League International Annual #4 in 1993, created by Gerard Jones and Mike Parobeck. One of the New Bloods, humans turned into superhumans in the Bloodline invasion story, dockworker-turned-agent Richard Plante is a direct descendant of King Richard I, wears advanced armour and wields an energy sword and now may have superpowers too.

Silent Knight – First appearance in the Brave and the Bold #1, created by Robert Kanigher and Irv Novick. A 6th Century vigilante, Brian Kent found a trunk with  a suit of silver armor, a sword, a red helmet and shield that fitted perfectly and enacted justice by those persecuted by his master, but silently.evil sorceress Morgaine le Fey.

The Squire – created by Grant Morrison and Mark Pajarillo, her first appearance was in JLA #26 in 1999. Beryl Hutchinson's life was forever changed when she and her mother stumbled upon Cyril Sheldrake, the son and former squire of the Knight. Cyril had lost his father in a gruesome run-in with Springheeled Jack, and the trauma drove him to alcohol and drugs, habits which wiped out his fortune. Beryl opted to help mend the broken hero, and with her help, he managed to overcome his addictions. Cyril decided to take his late father's mantle for his own, and made Hutchinson his Squire. They joined the international Ultramarine Corps, the Club Of Heroes and Batman Incorporated

The Knight, however, appears to be a new, young female version of the character. If she is the Squire, then who is the new Squire?

Mrs. Hyde – First appearance in Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #2, created by Mike Carlin and Rags Morales, Bobbie Stephenson, or Mrs Hyde, is a superstrength individual.

Looking Glass, first appearance Invasion! #1 in 1989 and created by Keith Giffen and Todd McFarlane. Dexter Fairfax is an English gentleman with powers of deflection, and a member of the Blasters. In his civilian life, he was an author of children's books. He gained his powers during Invasion! when the super-scientist Dominators were performing experiments on humans.  They would then go on to form their own team the Blasters named after the

Templar – could this be Zaniel Templar of NOWHERE, created by Scott Lobdell and RB Silva for Superboy #1 in 2011? With darkness control powers? With an aim to control emerging superheroes? No, no, it's Colin Brandywine who developed the ability to move objects with his thoughts. Calling himself Templar, after the medieval Knights Templar, Brandywine became a valued member of the third iteration of the Conglomerate. Created by Mark Waid, Dan Rodriguez and Tony S. Daniel, his first appearance was Justice League Quarterly #12 in 1993.

Jack O'Lantern – okay so there have been a few of these. The first Jack O'Lantern is Daniel Cormac of Ireland, created by E. Nelson Bridwell, Ramona Fradon, who was born to a poor farmer who was granted a magic lantern by an Irish fairy, with the power of flight, flame projection, teleportation, illusion casting, enhanced strength, and the ability to create fogs.. Yup. First appearance in Super Friends #8, and properly in the DCU in DC Comics Presents #46. After a varied international career, he dies of natural causes.

Marvin Noronsa of Bialya became a new Jack O'Lantern, then killed in Justice League America #55 in 1991.

More recently, Cormac's cousin Liam McHugh becomes Jack O'Lantern as an Irish "freedom fighter", a member of the Leymen (Primal Force) and the Ultramarine Corps in Superbia. Created by Steven T. Seagle, Ken Hooper, his first appearance is in Justice League Quarterly #14, 15 and 17, then appearing in every issue of Primal Force. Last seen as a member of the Ultramarine Corps in JLA #26 and JLA Classified #1-3, he carried the power of the lantern internally.

We will continue journeying around the world today at this link… let me know if I got anything wrong in the comments.

Thanks to DC Wiki, ComicVine and Wikipedia…

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