Third World: The origins of the organization dubbed “Third World” are shrouded in mystery to this day. What is definitely known is that they arose during the years after World War II. Whispers say that among its founders were former Nazis, and the trappings of the group would seem to bear this out. But Third World has followed its own peculiar agenda, far separate from that of Hitler and his ilk.
Third World's goal is complete and utter world domination. This has been complicated by the numerous splinter and spin-off groups that have formed from it. Still, they work tirelessly to achieve their rather lofty goal. What they plan to do after they take over the world is still open to debate, since they don't seem to have a clear idea themselves.
Third World employs a number of super-science devices in their arsenal. They sought to kidnap Paul Mann and force him to aid them in creating more such weapons. These foiled attempts led directly to the birth of Captain Satellite, who is now the biggest thorn in Third World's side. Not good thinking on their part, was it?
Third World Leader: No one has ever learned the identity of the original Third World Leader. For all anyone knows, the current Third World Leader might be the original, rather than a successor. There have been a host of confirmed imposters, so there is no way to be certain who holds the “legitimate” claim to the title at any moment.
Whoever he is, the Third World Leader is the guiding hand behind that nefarious network. As to the question of whether this is a good thing or not for Third World, well, that is a hotly-debated topic in certain quarters. Let's just point out that Third World still hasn't established that dictatorship yet.
Thunder Man: “HE'S THUNDER-RIFIC!” the newspaper headlines proclaimed in 1938. Archaeologist Ray Bancroft announced to the public that he had discovered a survivor of the lost continent of Atlantis in a tomb nestled in ruins that had recently surfaced from the ocean floor. That survivor had proven to be Thunder Man, a super-powered champion who had been unable to prevent the Atlantean disaster. Seeking to atone for his failure, Thunder Man pledged to protect the modern world as he had his ancient homeland. The seemingly-unaging Thunder Man's amazing deeds would go on to become the stuff of legends as the decades progressed.
At least, that's how it went somewhere else.
Thunder Man is from a parallel Earth, not the one that Captain Satellite calls home. The two heroes first crossed paths when Hugo Beaumont hijacked Thunder Man from his proper universe and mesmerized him with the Hyper Hypno Coin. Captain Satellite and Thunder Man clashed until the Captain unwittingly uncovered the truth and freed his adversary from Beaumont's manipulation. The duo then joined forces to foil Beaumont's scheme.
Thunder Man repaid Captain Satellite months later, when he used his Volt Vimana craft to rescue the Captain after he had been stranded in the Unknown Zone. Since that day, the two have become true cross-dimensional allies. There are still occasions when they find themselves on opposite sides, such as the time they had to engage in a cosmic boxing match with the fate of Thunder Man's Earth at stake due to the machinations of the Astro-Giants. But usually, the pair teams up when they are on the same case.
Titan Khan: When C.H.I.E.F.'s Hong Kong bureau chief Bruce Yee (yes, he knows) contacted Captain Satellite asking for assistance about a problem he had encountered, he didn't dare elaborate further. Why? Bruce had uncovered a sinister plot against the hero masterminded by Titan Khan, Asia's newest and deadliest crimelord.
Titan Khan is an enigma. He first surfaced in Macau, but has been sighted all over Asia. He refers to himself as “Khan,” but his garb recalls that of the samurai of Japan. No one knows his true nationality, or whether he is even Asian. He has demonstrated fluency in over a dozen languages, but his “voice” in each is different and clearly mechanically-processed. Shelly Ericson suggested that he sounded like he was “badly dubbed.”
Captain Satellite, Shelly Ericson, and Bruce Yee managed to overcome Titan Khan and his confederates, but it was a monumental task. They even confiscated one of his fearsome Fire Swords, but it's a sure bet that the crimelord has more to go with the vast array of weapons installed in every inch of his armor. Titan Khan's current whereabouts are unknown, but it seems certain he will return one day.
Tregaa the Tree-Thing: Theories abound as to the origin of the being that refers to itself as Tregaa the Tree-Thing, but none have been confirmed. And let’s face it, it’s hard to pry information out of a belligerent ambulatory tree if it doesn’t feel like sharing. All that is known for certain is that Tregaa appeared in western Canada and went on an impressive rampage before being subdued by Captain Satellite, Shelly Ericson, and a new weapon dubbed the Fire Chainsaw.
There was a concerted effort to gather the remnants of Tregaa after the battle, but it seems likely that at least some pieces of wood were overlooked. Will the intelligence of Tregaa the Tree-Thing persist in random splinters? Will the monster find a way to resurrect itself? You probably shouldn’t bet against it.
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