Monday, April 12, 2010

My World : Urban Nightmare

Urban Nightmare

After the debut of Captain Satellite as a very public hero based in Major City, it was perhaps inevitable that a counterpoint to him would emerge sooner or later. Urban Nightmare is that counterpoint. He is a street level crimefighter who stalks the inner city of Major City, referred to as "The Minors" by locals. No one knows his true identity, though there are some potent rumors pointing to certain rather surprising individuals.

Urban Nightmare shuns publicity, and appears in the limelight only with great reluctance. His most famous adventure was his part in combating the Macro Warrior invasion of Major City that resulted in the founding of the Invincible Alliance. Though considered a charter member of that group, he only operates with them when it suits him - in other words, rarely. He is not an active member of the Alliance, but is instead respected and feared as an effective and enigmatic force of justice.


Urban Nightmare is a character who was born, as were many of the Captain Satellite crew, as a vague sketch in high school. The pose was virtually identical to the one seen above. Point of fact, he almost ALWAYS is in that pose when I draw him. And I know his outfit is inherently ridiculous - the bright yellow, the oversized jacket, the semi-pimp hat. Believe me, I've tried to play with the design, and this is just the one I think looks best. It's oddly compelling without being remotely believable. Yet, there's nothing especially outrageous about it when you consider it. It's just a fairly implausible look for a character. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

Urban Nightmare served as both a hero and a villain in his evolution, but I decided I liked him best filling the "vigilante" role in my universe. To use analogies to famous characters, he is the Batman to Cap's Superman, or the Shadow to Cap's Doc Savage.

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