Heroes of the Golden Age

It is a time of great social and political upheaval.

America has finally pulled out of the Great
Depression. Europe, North Africa, Most of Asia,
and the Pacific are in the grip of global arfare.
Na!i "lit!#rieg thunders into $ussia, the %uftaffe
rains destruction on England, and the &riegsmarine
threatens Atlantic shipping. 'he (apanese Empire
dominates Eastern Asia and the Pacific. )ithout
arning, the (apanese attac# Pearl *arbor+ America
girds itself for ar...
In the midst of this maelstrom, the first comic boo#
superheroes came to life, many of hom are still
popular today. Most of these heroes and their
adventures from ,-./ to ,-01 ere influenced by
the greatest event of the time, )orld )ar 'o.
*istories of comic boo#s call these years the
2Golden Age2.
'he Golden Age is an e3cellent setting for superhero
roleplay. During the forties far more adults read
comic boo#s than children did. In the 4ervicemen5s
P6, comic boo# sales outnumbered the combined
sales of %ife, $eader5s Digest, and the 4aturday
Evening Post by a margin of ten to one! "y the end
of )orld )ar 'o, comics outsold every other type
of maga!ine in the orld.
'his popularity tells us something important. 7e
people thought of superheroes as over8muscular
adolescent 9er#s in silly costumes. In fact, the
Golden Age 4uperhero as the symbol and
protector of everything Good, (ust, God8fearing,
and American. *e :occasionally, she; as
respected and held forth as a role model.
:Mom: "Have you children finished your
homework?" Kids: "Awww, do we have to?" Mom:
"What would Suerman think of someone who
doesn!t do his homework?" Kids: ""h, all ri#ht!"
Adulation and recognition ere the true *ero5s due
and comic boo# 4uperheroes occupied a place
second only to American 4ervicemen.
In the real
$
orld , comic boo# publishers often
#ept their four8color heroes stateside, foiling fifth8
columnists and A3is supervillains, and promoting
)ar "ond sales. 'he reason for this is that although
4tupendous Man might be able to turn a tan#
,
<ou remember that one, don=t you> <ou live in it+
battalion into scrap metal in only three panels, the
real heroes, the American soldiers, might ta#e
months or even years to defeat the A3is.
Not that the heroes didn5t try to enlist, but they ere
either 2too valuable on the home front2 or had the
simple bad luc# to be assigned to a stateside :non8
combat; unit such as a supply depot or a training
base. ?ther storylines suggestted that the A3is
nations possessed magic devices that gave them
mental control over superheroes ho strayed into
A3is territory. In the 4uperman@ storyline, Alar#
&ent tried to enlist, but accidentally read the eye
chart in the ne3t room ith his 68ray vision, thus
failing his eye e3am :24orry, pal, but you5re 7our87.
<ou really do need those glasses, don5t you>2;
'he tone set by the comics emphasi!ed the
importance of collective support provided by the
ordinary fol#s at home 8 not 9ust moral support, but
real, practical support such as conserving precious
ar resources :rationed items;, supporting a scrap
drive, or#ing part8 or full8time in a defense related
9ob, buying )ar "onds, donating time andBor money
to the $ed Aross or C4?, entertaining servicemen,
or even 9ust paying your ta3es on time :2%"&'
ta3es ill beat the A3is+2;
'his is your opportunity to play the part of a Golden
Age superhero. Give Na!i spies a 9ustly deserved
thrashing+ Demonstrate your 4uperior American
Morality by refusing to #ill them+
D
Aonserve
precious gas and rubber by hand8delivering them to
the :alays grateful; police+ And above all E don!t
for#et! "C< "?ND4+
A few facts about the Golden Age:
'hose of you ho don=t regularly atch AMA
.
or
hose parentsBgrandparents haven5t told you all
about life in the forties might ant to #no a fe
things before your character begins play. 'his
section gives details about Fthe DraftG, 'echnology,
and %ife in the 7orties. 'he last section is a timeline
of the events leading up to America=s involvement in
the ar.
D
'his as a idely8held convention of the comics in
the ,-0Hs. Non8recurring villains regularly died, but
not because of the heroes= actions. Instead, they tended
to get bumped off as an indirect result of their
FcriminalG actions.
.
FAmerican Movie Alassics.
Page ,
The Draft
'o a young man in the ,-0Hs, the second8most
riveting fact in his life as the Draft
0
. "eginning in
?ctober ,-0H, all men beteen the ages of D, and
.1 ere reIuired to register for the Draft. A man5s
age and Draft classification determined his odds of
being called up. Also, a man could get a deferment if
he as the sole means of support to his family or if
he as a student.
Most draftees ere sent into the Army. 4ometimes,
a potential draftee might discover 2his number as
up2 :a sympathetic Draft "oard member might tell
him;. If he didn=t ant to go into the Army, he
ould try to enlist in the branch of service he
preferred. If he could do this before official
notification arrived, he could ignore the notification,
since he as already in the service.
)omen ere e3empt from the Draft, but ere
alloed to enlist if they anted to. Initially, every
service had its on FAu3iliary )omen=s AorpsG.
%ater, each of these Fau3iliary servicesG as
incorporated into its associated service. )omen
eren=t assigned to combat specialties. Although
Army nurses might find themselves near the front
lines, the main reason to allo omen to enlist as
to free up able8bodied men for combat duties.
)elcome to the 7orties.
During the ar, the age groups selected from
gradually e3panded to include ages ,/ to J.. A list
of the possible draft classifications are given belo,
ith a brief description of each one.
1A - Fit for general military service. Most fell
into this category. 'his indicates a man suitable
for any position in the military.
1 - Fit for limited military service. 4omeone
ho has a slight physical problem might fall into
this category. Kualifiers might be slightly bad
vision or a slightly game leg. 'his 9ust means he
on5t be given a combat position. *e still might
be given a coo#5s hat and a rifle and sent to a
ar !one as a support troop.
1! - "ember of the Armed Forces. 4elf
E3planatory. If they=ve already got you,
they=ve .got you.
#A - Deferred for critical civilian $osition.
Policemen, 7iremen, and Defense or#ers fell
into this category. 'hey ere e3empt from the
Draft, ith one e3ception. Mayor 7iorello %a
0
'hree guesses hat the most riveting fact in his life
as, and the first to don5t count+
Guardia, the Mayor of Ne <or#, as also a
member of the Ne <or# Draft board. *e
ensured that Ne <or# policemen and firemen
ere not given this e3emption.
%A - Deferred due to de$endents. Many
thought this classification protected them from
the draft, but they ere rong. As the ar
stretched on, .As ere called up as ,As and ,"s
began to run out.
&A - 'rior service in the Armed Forces.
Anyone ho had retired or been discharged
from the service as in this category. 'hey
eren5t Drafted, but could be recalled to active
duty if needed.
& - Deferred by law. Government officials
ere e3empt from the draft. (udges, Mayors,
Aongressmen, etc., ere e3empt, and so ere
high level government appointees. 'his is
different from DA, in that the person is a
government official, not 9ust an employee.
&! - Alien. Perversely, foreigners living in the
C4 couldn=t enlist, but could be drafted. Enemy
aliens ere either detained or deported.
As of 7ebruary ,-, ,-0D, e3ecutive order -HJJ
dictated that American residents of (apanese
descent be interned as enemy aliens. 'he fact
that many of these FaliensG ere American
citi!ens as considered irrelevant until the ar
had nearly ended.
&D - "inister. Men of the cloth could be
Drafted, but only into the Ahaplain5s Aorps.
&( - !onscientious ob)ector. . %ess than ,L of
all potential draftees fell into this category Public
opinion regarding conscientious ob9ectors
depended on the reason for ob9ecting. 4ome
ob9ected to #illing on moral grounds, but ere
illing to serve in noncombat positions, such as
medic, for e3ample. 'hese ob9ectors ere held in
less respect than combat troops, but ere
considered F?&G, if somehat confused.
?thers ere against ar but ould serve in a non8
military capacity. Patriotic pacifists could and
did serve as medical guinea pigs. 'hese
ob9ectors ere considered to be Fa little
strangeG.
About J,HHH men ob9ected to ar so strongly that
they refused to serve in any capacity. Public
consensus about this group is reflected by their
treatment. 'hey ere 9ailed.
?ne conscientious ob9ector of this type as the cell8
Page D
mate of %ouis %ep#e, the boss of 2Murder,
Incorporated2. At first %ep#e didn=t reali!e hat
his cell8mate as in for. )hen he finally
understood, he e3claimedM 2<ou mean, they put
you in here for not #illing>2
&F - 'hysically* "entally* or "orally unfit
for military service. 'hose in this category
ere 9udged to be physically handicapped,
mentally ill, or too immoral to serve in the
military.
'he local draft board members had Iuite a bit of
freedom to FaardG the 07 classification. 'hey
could classify a man 087 if he as handicapped,
but they also gave it to convicted felons, Fmental
incompetentsG, or homose3uals
,
. If a draft board
disli#ed someone, they might classify him 07 out
of spite.
'he 07 classification carried Iuite a stigma. If a
man classified as 07 didn=t have an obvious
physical handicap, people often concluded that
he as a coard, or even orse.
Technology
Mail as the primary means of communication
during the 7orties. Postage as only D cents an
ounce for 7irst Alass, . cents for Air Mail. %ocal
mail as actually much faster than today. A 7irst
Alass letter mailed in the morning could be delivered
the same day ithin a single ton. A letter
addressed to across the state only too# one or to
days at most, hile across the country too# about
seven or eight days. Air Mail as delivered ithin
one to three days of posting. In most tons and
cities, mail as delivered tice daily, once in the
morning and once in the afternoon. Mail as
delivered only once on 4aturdays and no mail as
delivered on 4unday.
'elephone service as Iuite different from today.
American 'elephone and 'elegraph :A'N'; as a
legal monopoly. Even the phones in your house
belonged to A'N'. ?nly phone company personnell
could install or service phones. 'he phones
themselves ere ired directly into the all, instead
of plugging into a 9ac#.
Many areas didn5t have direct dialing at all. 'his
reIuired an operator to connect callers. ?ther areas
had Fparty linesG here all the phones ere
connected simultaneously. <ou turned a hand cran#
on the side of the phone and rang all the phones on
,
If a homose3ual managed to conceal his Fse3ual preferenceG, he
ran the ris# of going to prison for falsifying his enlistment
documents.
the line. Each household as assigned a specific
pattern of long and short rings, and you=d turn the
phone cran# accordingly to produce the pattern.
Everyone=s phone ould ring, but only the person
you ere calling as supposed to anser, although
nosey neighbors ere #non to indulge their
curiosity at times.
A long distance call alays reIuired operator
assistance. 'o ma#e a long distance call, you as#ed
the local operator to connect you to the %ong
Distance ?perator. ?nce you had the %ong Distance
operator on the line, you told her
D
ho you anted
to call, and the address:es; they ere li#ely to be
found at. 'hen you5d hang up. 'he operator ould
call you bac# hen she finally got your call put
through, a process hich could ta#e an hour or
more.
Another means of rapid communication as the
'elegram. A telegram guaranteed same8day service
:even on 4undays; at a premium price :about 1 cents
a ord;. During the ar, sending telegrams fell out
of common usage. 'his as partly because people
didn=t ant to tie up a valuable artime resource.
'he rather grim reason most fol#s didn=t li#e
telegrams as that the military routinely informed
ne3t8of8#in by telegram hen loved ones in uniform
ere #illed or missing in action. Many people
genuinely feared the arrival of a )estern Cnion
courier :see the movie F'he "est <ears ?f ?ur
%ivesG for a good e3ample of this attitude.;
'he only radio communication in common civilian
use as shortave :*am; radio. 'housands of
youngsters built their on shortave sets and got
licences to operate them. *am radio had the same
sort of e3otic appeal that Fsurfing the netG does
today.
'he primary source of information during the
7orties as the printed ord. In larger tons,
nespapers printed to daily editions, in the
morning and the evening. If a fast8brea#ing story
as developing, a nespaper printed 2e3tra2
editions, giving updates :2E3tra+ E3tra+ $ead all
about it+2;. Add to this the incredible numbers of
maga!ines, boo#s, and pamphlets being printed, and
you begin to understand the pride Americans had in
D
And it as nearly alays a FherG. 'elephone
operators in the ,-0Hs ere almost alays female,
since their higher8pitched voices didn=t garble as much
over the primitive phone lines and they ere less prone
to pic# fights ith rude customers.
Page .
being the most literate nation on the face of the
Earth. Most homes boasted a fairly e3tensive library,
even if it as only a boo#8case full.
$adio as the only commonly8used broadcast
medium during the ar. $adio had the same
importance that 'O does today, providing nes,
sports, education, and entertainment to all but the
most remote areas. A radio cost anyhere from
around P,1 for a basic model up to almost PQHH.HH
for a delu3e console radio ith a built in shortave
receiver. )hen you reali!e that nearly every
household had one or more radios, its importance
becomes apparent.
'he ""A broadcast television programming on an
irregular basis before the ar. In America, television
sets ere being sold in large metropolitan areas li#e
Ahicago and Ne <or# Aity, but this as in
advance of any regular broadcasts
,
. )hen the ar
began, all 'O broadcasts ere halted for the
duration since television components ere vital
artime materials :there ere feer than DH,HHH
sets in any case;. Plans for regular 'O broadcasts in
the C4 ere postponed for the duration.
)hile automobiles ere priced ithin the reach of
most people, many in rural areas still relied on
horse8dran vehicles for daily transportation. In
tons and cities, horses ere only used by mounted
police, street seepers and mil# delivery agons.
)ith the outbrea# of ar, many patriotic citi!ens
put their car in the garage and resorted to horse8
dran transportation hen practical.
Automobiles eren=t very poerful by todays=
standards. Most cars= top speed of as beteen 11
and J1 miles per hour
D
. 'he fastest road cars ere
limousines poered by eight, telve, or even si3teen
huge cylinders, producing, at most, a rather modest
:by today=s standards; ,DH horsepoer, but capable
of -H8,HH MP*. Gas mileage hovered around ,1
MPG, e3cept for tiny cars li#e the American
(antam :'he American8manufactured version of the
Austin 4even, it averaged .H mpg, and as smaller
than a Geo Metro.; *ighays e3isted, but outside
,
In larger cities, stores that sold televisions usually had
lo8poered broadcasting eIuipment on the premises.
7or one or to hours a ee#, they invited local
performers in to do FsomethingG. )hat FsomethingG
as depended upon the performer, but as invariably
clean and holesome entertainment, or somebody as
in serious trouble+
D
'he 7ord O8/ could do about /1 miles per hour, an
embarrassment to the lu3ury car oners.
the Northeast they varied from fairly decent
stretches of to8lane blac#top to dirt trac#s hardly
better than the untrammeled sod to either side of the
right8of8ay. "eteen tons, average :safe; speeds
ere considerably less than the cars ere capable of.
'he train as the preferred mode of travel during
the 7orties. Prices ere very competitive ith the
only other alternative, the airplane. Aomfort levels
ere high, even in FcoachG class.
A coast8to8coast trip could ta#e up to J or Q days.
An e3press train
.
too# about . days to cross the
continent and as eIuipped ith cars manufactured
by the Pullman company. Pullman car seats
converted into bun# beds for overnight :sleeper;
service. A fe cars on each long distance train had
private compartments roughly eIuivalent to a small
hotel room. 'hese ere often used by the ell8
heeled traveller.
'he e3tremely ealthy bought or leased private rail
cars. 7or a hefty fee, the rich person=s private car
as hitched to the end of a train and placed on a
siding at the destination for use as a temporary
residence. 'his practice halted hen the ar began.
Many private cars ere mothballed for the duration
or loaned to the government as OIP transportation.
'he airplane as the fastest form of travel. Most
civilian transports cruised at a little less than DHH
MP*. 'he fastest military combat planes ere
capable of about tice that, but actual speeds in
combat ere much loer, usually beteen Q1 and
DHH MP*.
'he Douglas DA8. as the premier airliner of the
day. Previous airliners carried only ,H or ,D
passengers in a cramped fuselage barely si3 feet in
diameter. 'he DA8. carried D, or more passengers
in a fuselage ,H feet in diameter. 4ome airlines even
provided overnight service, ith aircraft modified by
the Pullman company. 'he DA8. as the first
airliner to provide passengers ith hot in8flight
meals. 'he DA8. could ma#e a transcontinental
flight in only ,. hours 8 1 hours better than previous
airliners. )ithout a doubt the DA8. as the first
truly efficient passenger airliner. ?perating costs
ere so lo that airlines didn5t need federal
subsidies :airmail contracts; to stay in the blac#,
only passengers.
'he greatest medical brea#through of the 7orties
.
E3press trains travelled nonstop from one destination
to the ne3t. $egular trains stopped anyhere
passengers ere aiting for pic# up.
Page 0
as the discovery of antibiotics. During )orld )ar
I, the ma9ority of casualties ere from disease and
infection. 'he advent of antibiotics meant that if
your ounds eren=t immediately fatal, you ere
probably going to live.
In )) II, American Army troops ere issued ,H
doses of sulfa :a sulfur8based antiseptic; as part of
their standard #it :Q pills and . pac#ets of poder;.
'his nearly ended hen servicemen discovered ho
to cure most Fsocial diseasesG by ta#ing one dose a
day for ten days. 'he threat of court8martial only
slightly curtailed this practice. 4ome commanders
resorted to only issuing sulfa pac#ets prior to an
attac# to prevent their 2frivolous2 use. Penicillin as
only administered by medics, by in9ection.
+ife in the Forties
)orld )ar II launched America from economic
depression into near8instantaneous prosperity. 'he
7ederal budget rose from P- billion to P-/ billion by
the ar5s end. 'he gross national product more than
doubled. 'he ar created over ,Q million 9obs.
Military manpoer rose from .HH,HHH in ,-.- to
,.1 million in ,-0,, to ,D8,. million in the later
years of the ar. %osing one in eleven Americans to
the Armed 7orces combined ith the increased labor
demand, creating a manpoer shortage.
'he C4 population as 9ust under ,1H million in
,-0H. 'he labor force as about 1J million of this
total. "y the ar=s end, the labor force had
increased to JJ million. 7rom ,-0, to ,-00, the
9obless rate dropped by -HL, from / million to
/HH,HHH. *iring )omen, "lac#s, and the
handicapped alleviated much of the labor shortfall.
'he minimum age in ,-0H as about 0H cents an
hour, amounting to 9ust over P/HH a year. 'he
median income as about PD,HHH a year. 'ypical
annual earnings are listed beloM
Average factory or#er PD,01H
'ypist P,,01H
4teelor#er PD,JHH
)aitress PQD1 :plus tips;
C4 4oldier PDJ0
Aoal Miner PD,.QH
)omen and Fcolored peopleG :non8hites; made
about 0HL less than hite males in the same
position. 'o 9ustify this, a hite male ould have a
different 9ob title than a minority or#er. 7or
e3ample, a male for#lift driver might be called a
2heavy eIuipment operator2 hile a female for# lift
driver ould be called a 2light eIuipment operator2,
even though both drove identical for#lifts and
performed identical duties. 'he attitude as that a
man probably had to support a family, but a oman
only had to support herself until she got married.
'he motivation behind paying minorities less as
racism. 'here is no real defense for this, but many
hites never stopped to Iuestion hy this as so. It
as 9ust the ay things ere done. 'he fact that
blac#s ere being hired at all as progress.
%abor unions ere common and strong during the
7orties. ManagementB%abor relations eren=t any
better then than they are today. At the beginning of
the ar, labor leaders too# a Fno stri#e pledgeG for
the duration. 7or the most part, they stood by their
ord. )hen a stri#e did occur, it made national
headlines. 7e stri#es lasted very long. 4ince our
soldiers= lives depended on the output of the
factories at home, it as considered unpatriotic to
stri#e. ?ne rather interesting stri#e situation as the
railroad al#out of December, ,-00. )hen the
or#ers ent on stri#e, the government ent to the
railroad personnel and told themM 2<ou are no a
Aolonel in the Army. If the trains don5t run on time,
e5re going to court martial you.2 'he trains ran on
time.
As C4 industry ent to ar, consumer products
too# a bac# seat to military production. Automobile
production halted as assembly lines changed over to
tan#, artillery and aircraft production. *ome
appliances vanished as even seing machine
companies began producing ar materials.
*ousehold utensils, tools, even nails became scarce
as metals 9oined the ar effort.
'he ar in the Pacific eliminated most of our rubber
supplies, resulting in shortages of tires, raincoats,
and rubber boots. Ne sil# from the orient
disappeared. )hat remained as needed to ma#e
parachutes, not stoc#ings. 'he rubber and sil# could
have been replaced by synthetics, but German C8
boats prevented many shipments from reaching the
East coast. )omen dealt ith the lac# of sil# and
nylon stoc#ings by using leg ma#eup :they even
painted a FseamG along the bac# of their legs;. An
interesting effect of the rubber shortage as
government pressure on simsuit manufacturers to
design and promote to8piece :bi#ini; simsuits,
since they used less cloth and rubber.
4hortages :and the government5s solution for them,
rationing; affected nearly every aspect of American
life. Aonsumers ansered this solution ith a ne
problem, the "lac# Mar#et.
'he ?ffice of Price Administration :?PA;
Page 1
administered the rationing program. 'he ?PA
determined hat items or categories of items ere
essential and in short enough supply to reIuire
rationing. 4trict price controls ere placed on items
hich, though plentiful, ere still essential to the
ar effort. 'hese price controls ere used not only
to control consumption, but also to #eep artime
perceptions from artificially inflating the prices of
nonessentials. 4ome items hich ere rationed
ereM rubber, automobiles, typeriters, sugar,
bicycles, gasoline, farm machinery, fuel oil, coffee,
oil and coal stoves, shoes, canned foods :especially
canned meats;, fireood, canned mil#, and soft
cheese.
Perhaps the orst 2calamity2 to hit consumers as
gas and tire rationing. 'he national speed limit as
loered to .1 MP* to conserve these vital
resources, and a ban on 2pleasure driving2 as
enacted :FIs this trip really necessary>G; $ubber
shortages caused a free!e on tire sales and a ban on
recaps. If you oned more than 1 tires, you had to
turn the e3tras in at a service station. If you didn5t,
you ere hoarding+
*orse dran carts and agons regained popularity
for nespaper, dairy and other product delivery.
?PA agents scoured the countryside loo#ing for
2pleasure drivers2 to confiscate their ration boo#s.
Automobile oners ere issued a ration stic#er and
card. 'he driver carried the card and affi3ed the
stic#er to the indshield. 'hese ere shon
monthly to receive the appropriate ration coupon
boo#. 'he coupons ere dated and color8coded to
limit use on a ee#ly basis. 'he colors changed
monthly to discourage hoarding and ould8be
counterfeiters. 'here ere si3 categories of gas
stamps. A brief description of each follos.
A-!ard: %oest priority card issued.
Authori!es .81 gallons per ee#.
-!ard: Cser is essential to the ar effort.
Authori!es J8,H gallons per ee#.
!-!ard: Cser is very essential to the ar effort.
Authori!es ,D8DH gallons per ee#. Doctors
ere invariably given this level of card.
,-!ard: *ighest priority card issued. Allos
unlimited gasoline. Aongressmen and ministers
ere given this card.
T-!ard: 'ruc#er essential to ar effort and
alloed unlimited gasoline usage. Delivery men
and mass transit operators ere routinely given
this card.
(-card: 'his card stood for 2Emergency Cse88
Cnlimited Gasoline2. It as issued to policemen,
firemen, and ambulance drivers. In a superhero
campaign, heroes sponsored by the government
ould Iualify for this card.
'ires ere also strictly controlled. If you had a flat
tire, you5d put on the spare and ta#e the flat to the
service station. If it couldn5t be patched, you ent to
the local ?PA office and filled out reams of
paperor# to reIuest a ne tire. If your reIuest as
approved, :ta#ing J to / ee#s;, the ?PA issued
authori!ation to purchase a ne tire. 'his reIuired
another trip to the service station and a long ait for
delivery. ?f course, if you ere in a hurry, there as
alays the "lac# Mar#et.
4ome items eren5t officially rationed, but might as
ell have been. 7ood sold in stores on a price and
point system. 'he government issued boo#s of
coupons orth points :blue for canned goods, red
for meat, fish, and dairy products;. 'hese ere used
along ith cash to purchase products. 'o purchase
an item, you had to have the points and the cash
necessary to pay for it. "eef, por# and fish ere
high8point items, hile poultry reIuired feer
points. 'he design of the coupons as periodically
changed to prevent counterfeiting and hoarding.
'he result of all the above as increased disposable
income coupled ith a lac# of things to buy. 4ome
people simply soc#ed their money aay in ban#s or
)ar "onds. ?thers spent their money any ay they
could, including the "lac# Mar#et.
'he "lac# Mar#et, alias 2Mr. "lac#2, thrived during
the ar. It delivered items that might otherise be
difficult to acIuire, but at a high price, often double
the legitimate value. Many sa FMr. "lac#G as a
harmless means of getting around government
rationing. It as easy to rationali!e such a purchaseM
2My shoes have a hole in them, and my or# #eeps
me on my feet a lot.2, 2I needed a ne pair of nylons
for my date last night.2, 2My boss as coming for
dinner and I anted to give him stea#.2R etc.
"ecause of the ready mar#et for such items,
shipments of rare or rationed items ere often
hi9ac#ed to accommodate the demand. Aounterfeit
gasoline stic#ers and ration coupons increased
throughout the ar. Government records sho that
,1L of all 2A2 gasoline coupons and stic#ers ere
counterfeit. Many citi!ens sa nothing rong ith
the "lac# Mar#et, vieing it in the same light as
e3ceeding the speed limit by 1 MP* or failing to
report a cash transaction on your income ta3. ?f
Page J
course, the "lac# Mar#et was illegal.
Profits from "lac# Mar#et operations led to more
harmful criminal activities. A ne type of cattle
rustler appeared. *e drove truc#s of stolen cattle to
be butchered and sold on the "lac# Mar#etR a short
stop at a nearby feedlot and suddenly a fe cattle
ere missing. 'ruc#s laden ith rare items ere
commonly hi9ac#ed. ?ften, the driver as #illed.
'he la tried to brea# up the "lac# Mar#ets, but
public sympathy often supported them. *oarding
as illegal. If you had a surplus of rationed items,
you ere guilty.
-$orts and (ntertainment
More money meant more spending. Nightclubs
appeared everyhere and made record profits.
$estaurants had large numbers of customers because
they ere able to get more meat and dairy products.
'heaters and sports became more important.
Distractions from the ar ere very popular.
$adio shos en9oyed idespread popularity.
7avorites ere 'he 4hado, Gangbusters, 7ibber
McGee and Molly, and 'he (ac# "enny 4ho. "y
the end of the ar, that list included 'he 7red Allen
4ho :opposite 'he (ac# "enny 4ho;, ?ne Man5s
7amily, Kueen for a Day, 'he $ed 4#elton 4ho,
'he Green *ornet, 4uperman, and 'he Inner
4anctum.
Popular movies and plays ere 'he )i!ard of ?!,
'he $oad to 4ingapore, Aiti!en &ane, <an#ee
Doodle Dandy, Going My )ay, *arvey, "ambi,
'his is the Army :starring $onald $eagan;,
?#lahoma, ?n the 'on, Aasablanca, and 7antasia.
'he ,-0H ?lympics scheduled in England and the
,-00 ?lympics scheduled in 'o#yo ere both, of
course, cancelled. ?ther sports affected by the ar
included horse racing and auto racing. "anned for
the duration, horse racing as considered
nonessential to the ar effort. Auto racing used too
many rationed items.
Alays popular before, baseball became '*E
national sport during the ar. 4entries routinely
used baseball trivia Iuestions to identify C4 troops.
'his asn5t alays successfulM General ?mar
"radley missed such a Iuestion at the "attle of the
"ulge. 'he )orld 4eries as the high point of the
<ear.
"o3ing as also popular. In ,-0H, (ac# Dempsey
retired from the ring. (oe %ouis as the American
*eavyeight Ahampion from ,-.Q to ,-0-.
Although he as drafted into the Army in (anuary,
,-0D, he never sa combat. *e served throughout
the ar as a sergeant giving bo3ing demonstrations
for the troops. In ,-01, $oc#y Gra!ians :F$oc#y
Gra!ianoG; as named 2"o3er of the <ear2.
+ifestyles and morals
'he forties eren=t 9ust a different time and place,
but a completely different culture. All #inds of
relationships ere different by todays standards.
Men ere the providers and a oman=s place as in
the home. At least that as the ay things ere
supposed to or#. In actuality, men did dominate
society, in general, but there ere e3ceptions. 'here
ere female e3ecutives, but they ere usually
employed in Fomen=sG business, such as a lingerie
manufacurer. If the business asn=t one traditionally
assigned to omen, the female e3ecutive as very
li#ely the oner.
7emales sometimes had 9obs that eren=t
traditionally male, such as reporters or pilots. 'his
as so unusual that people ere actually surprised
to learn of the Fgirl reporterG or Fgirl pilot.G "ecause
the stereotypical female as scatterbrained and
easily frightened, some men ere unable to imagine
that such a female might actually be any good at her
profession. 7emale superheroes ould li#ely find
that their male team8mates ill often ignore or
donplay her ideas, but this is offset by the tendency
of male villains underestimating her ability and
intelligence :Fignore the s#irt, get the guy in the
cape+G;
$acial relations ranged from homicidal :Na!is and
the &&&; to tolerant. In fact, a minority character
ould be surprised to be treated as an eIual by a
hite character. 'he usual standard for Fthe good
guysG as to treat their minority friends ith a
somehat patroni!ing, if ell8intentioned attitude.
Players are not reIuired to e3ceed this standard, but
modern standards of acceptance ould be orth a
psychological limitation, such as FCnusual lac# of
pre9udice. ?utright pre9udice on the part of player
characters should be cleared ith the other players.
Most people during the forties had a fair amount of
pre9udice toards minorities, but this did not alays
result in overtly hostile behavior. Archie "un#er is a
good e3ample of this type of attitude.
Nearly everyone as fairly patriotic. People shoed
respect for the flag, stood up hen the national
anthem as played, and too# it personally if anyone
fell far short of this standard. FCnpatrioticG as a
vile insult, and no hero ould suffer any insult to his
patriotism silently.
Alothing styles ere very conservative. Cnless a
Page Q
man ere actually performing manual labor, he
nearly alays ore slac#s, a shirt, and a tie. 4hoes
ere o3fords, but some ore loafers for casual
ear. )omen ere e3pected to ear dresses. An
unusual oman might ear slac#s, but usually only
if her social position alloed her to Fbuc# the trendG
ith impunity :as ith Marlene Dietrich; or if she
ere employed in a defence8related 9ob such as a
riveter.
Page /
+iving (.$enses
'he 7orties5 dollar had about ten times the purchasing poer of today5s dollar. 4ome things ere relatively more
e3pensive, usually because the technology as ne. Aars are the main e3ception to this rule, prices having
outstripped inflation considerably over the last .H years. 'his is mainly due to the addition of things li#e stereo
systems, safety and emissions eIuipment, etc. Prices for common items are listed belo.
Item SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Price
*ouse, Middle Alass............................P1,1HH
%u3ury Aar :Aadillac, %incoln, Pac#ard, or
%imousine;...........................................P1,HHH
7amily Aar, Delu3e..............................P,,HHH
7amily Aar, 4tandard..............................P/HH
Csed Aar.......................................PDH and up
Electric 4haver....................................P,D.1H
%eather (ac#et.......................PQ.HH to P,H.HH
4il# *ose...........................PH.J to P,.HHBpair
)omen5s 7ur Aoats.............................PJ-.1H
Item SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Price
Oacuum Aleaner..................................P1-.-1
Electric Percolator.................................P1.-1
$adio.................................P,0.-1 to PJ-1.HH
Dry Aleaning :one suit or other outfit;
................................................PH.D- to PH.Q-
7ull Aar Ahec#up....................P0.-1 to P-.1H
Gasoline :per gallon;.............................PH.,H
?il Ahange :includes cost of 1 Iuarts oil;
..............................................................PH.-1
4alon Permanent....................................P0.HH
T/"(+/0( F12 -3'(2- !A"'A/G0:
4TH( H/-T125 1F (6(25TH/0G7
DisclaimerM 'his is a or# of fiction. Any similarity
beteen the persons described ithin and any real
person, living, dead, undead, or Fnot certainG, is
purely coincidental :e3cept for the purpose of
entertainment;.
NoteM many of the events listed in this section
actually happened.
A heavy border to the left of the te3t indicates an
FembellishedG account of historical events.
,
Entirely fictional events are bulleted, li#e this
paragraph.
1889:
Dr. (ohn )atson solves his first case as a
consulting detective. 7earing that his prospects
for employment in the medical community might
be threatened by such an unusual hobby, he
invents and gives the credit to the fictional
character of 4herloc# *olmes. Public demand
for this Fconsulting detectiveG prompts the
Doctor to hire a fading 4ha#espearian actor,
$eginald &in#aid, to portray *olmes in the flesh.
'he fictionali!ed accounts of their adventures
are published in 'he 4trand maga!ine by Aurther
,
*istorical events that didn=t happen in the campaign
orld are presented in the footnotes, but only if it=s
important that the players #no the difference.
Aonan Doyle.
18::-1:91:
4cientist Nicole 'esla E3periments ith ireless
poer transmission. *is main base of operations is
located in Nebras#a, in the geographical center of
the Cnited 4tates.
1:91:
(une DDM F'he Great Aurora of ,-H,G occurs. At
precisely ,DMH1 PM, Greenitch Mean 'ime, the
entire s#y is illuminated by a brilliant flashing
display lasting about ,H seconds. ?bserved
around the orld, there seems to be no
aftereffects other than da!!led eyesight.
4cientists e3plain this event as a very unusual,
orldide manifestation of the FAurora
"orealisG.
Nicole 'esla suspends his e3periments hen the
FGreat AuroraG someho causes his poer
transmission eIuipment to burn out. *e moves to
Ne <or#, here he e3periments ith ireless
fluorescent lighting.
(un D.M Ahinese arlord )ang 7u Manchu
discovers the FEli3ir ?f %ifeG, an alchemical formula
that restores the recipient to youthful health and
vigor. *e subseIuently changes his name to Dr. 7u
Manchu.
1:98:
(un.M A mysterious celestial ob9ect strea#s don and
e3plodes over 'ungus#a 4iberia, #noc#ing don
trees in a fifty8mile radius. 'he resultant tremors are
Page -
recorded orldide, but are misidentified as
earthIua#es. A!ar Nicholas dismisses the reports
from 4iberia as the hysterical ravings of superstitious
natives. A scientific investigation team is not
dispatched until the mid8,-.Hs.
1:1&:
'he assassination of Archdu#e 7ran! 7erdinand, heir
to the Austro8*ungarian throne, sets off a series of
events hich result in the 2Great )ar2 :)) I;.
1:1;:
'he C4 Enters the ar on the side of the Allies.
'he $ussian Empire ithdras from the Great )ar
hen revolution brea#s out.
1:18:
November ,,M 'he Armistice ending )) I is
signed. Cnder its terms, Germany is held financially
responsible for the entire ar. Allied troops occupy
the est ban# of the $hine.
)orld records set for poered flightM ,1HT MP*,
.H,HHHT feet altitude.
1:#9:
Prohibition ta#es effect in the C4. 'he Oolstead act
ma#es it illegal to manufacture or import alcoholic
beverage
,
in the C4 and its territories. Ariminal
gangs, formerly fragmented and ineffectual, organi!e
and cooperate to meet the undiminished demand for
alcohol. 'he biggest profits are reali!ed by
importing established brands from outside the C4.
'he "olshevi#s in the $ussian Aivil )ar. Allied
occupation troops in $ussia mostly ithdran.
'he parachute ith rip8cord is invented. Previous
models held the Uchute in a rigid cannister that is
attached to the vehicle. (umping out pulled the
5chute from the cannister, at some ris# of becoming
entangled ith the stric#en vehicle. 'he ne
parachute design allos an airman to fall free of
danger before opening his Uchute.
'he first commercial radio broadcasts begin.
1:#1:
)ar reparations payments deplete the German
treasury. 'o pay )iemar $epublic employees, more
money is printed. $unaay inflation stri#es
Germany.
1:##:
'he &u &lu3 &lan e3periences revival and groth.
Eugenics legislation passes in the state of Oirginia
alloing the sterili!ation of the 2mentally defectiveG,
FidiotsG, habitual criminals, and the deformed, hen
,
7or sale, that is. It is still legal to ferment andBor
distill alcohol for private use.
such deformation is hereditary and harmful to
society2. Many other states pass similar las. 'hese
las are sporadically enforced, mainly to control
Fundesirable elementsG. 'he ill8understood definition
of Fhereditary and harmful to societyG is usually
interpreted to mean anyone the local FupstandingG
citi!ens don=t ant hanging around.
1:#%:
'he 'eapot Dome scandal roc#s the *arding
administration.
'he Na!i putsch in Munich fails.
&ing 'ut5s 'omb is opened.
1:#&:
Aalvin Aoolidge is elected president of the C4.
Aviators Day and 4teart attempt an unrefueled
East8)est Atlantic crossing. 'heir plane is
discovered intact in Nova 4cotia. A pair of
footprints leading from the plane end abruptly 0H
yards aay. 'he pilots are never found.
1:#<:
'he Na!i 2442 is formed.
Edale, Derbyshire, England is terrori!ed by many
evidences of a ereolf.
1:#=:
%eon 'rots#i is e3pelled from the Politburo.
Ne (erseyM Dr. Goddard fires the first liIuid8fueled
roc#et. It lands in, and sets fire to, his aunt=s carrot
patch.
Dr. 7u Manchu threatens to destroy C4 military
bases unless he is paid P,HH,HHH in gold. 'he
4tate Department dismisses the threat as the
rantings of a lunatic.
4hortly afterards, lightning starts a massive
e3plosion at the C4 Naval ammunition dump at
%a#e Denmar#, Ne (ersey, resulting in .H missing
and presumed dead and P/1 million in damages.
4urvivors claim that a huge airship appeared over
the ammo dump moments before the e3plosion.
Dr. 7u Manchu threatens to destroy the %eague
of Nations= headIuarters building, but is foiled
hen the %eague receives an anonymous tip,
revealing the location of the bomb.
1:#;:
'he )orld is electrified hen Aharles A. %indbergh
flies non8stop beteen N<A and Paris, the first solo
non8stop crossing of any ocean.
A team of agents assembled by the %eague of
Nations attempt to trac# don and arrest Dr. 7u
Manchu for terrorist acts. 'hey manage to
infiltrate his secret base on the pea# of Mount
Page ,H
Oesuvious and board his airship. During the
attempt to arrest him, Dr. 7u Manchu apparently
falls to his death.
1:#8:
7irst television e3periments begin. 'he most
promising method at this time is a mechanical
system.
'eletypes are invented, going into general use
almost immediately, mostly by nes services.
'he first sound movie is released. 'he (a!! 4inger,
hile only containing a fe sound segments, is a
great hit.
*erbert *oover is elected President of the C4.
1:#::
?ct. D0M 'he great stoc# mar#et crash 88 4toc#
values plummet. 'he Great Depression begins.
Peter &urten, the infamous 2Oampire of
Dusselldorf2 :a serial #iller and child molester;
terrori!es the city. Police efforts to capture &urten
interferes ith Dusseldorf5s criminal gang
operations. 'he gangs organi!e to capture, try and
#ill &urten in a Fcourt of criminalsG.
&urten=s body is discovered in front of Dusseldorf
Police *eadIuarters ith its head severed and a
ooden sta#e driven through it5s heart.
1:%9:
4cores die and .HH are stric#en by a poisonous fog
in "elgium. An airship is seen leaving the area by
several of the survivors.
Dr 7u Manchu, apparently having survived a fall
from ,H,HHH feet, sends a telegram to the
%eague of Nations, claiming credit for the gas
attac# and voing further acts of revenge.
1:%1:
(an ,M Ne <or#=s Empire 4tate "uilding is
completed. 'he ,HD8story building is the tallest in
the orld at ,,0/1 feet.
Cp through (anuary of ,-.,, no superpoered
beings are in evidence on the Earth.
7ebM 'he )raith, a Fmas#ed mystery manG ith
the rumored ability to render himself invisible,
begins a one8man campaign of terror against
gansters in Ahicago. 7"I chief (. Edgar *oover
publicly deplores the )raith=s vigilantism, but
issues secret orders to the Ahicago bureau not to
interfere unless the )raith harms innocents.
?ther Fmystery menG surface at this time, on
either side of the la. ?ddly, the general public
is thrilled by the mystery men, elevating them to
celebrity status ithout regard to the legality of
their deeds. Maga!ines and comic boo#s
celebrate their deeds and misdeeds, often
creating holly fictional accounts of their
e3ploits.
,
7eb ,0M 'he movie )racula premiers.
Mar .M 'he F4tar 4pangled "annerG is officially
declared the C4 national anthem.
4ept ,/M (apan begins conIuest of Ahina by
occupying Mu#den, Manchuria.
?ct D1M 'he George )ashington "ridge opens, the
first to span the *udson river, 9oining Ne <or#
and Ne (ersey.
Nov D,M 'he movie *rankenstein premiers.
1:%#:
7eb 0M 'he )inter ?lympics are held at %a#e Placid,
Ne <or#.
May .M Gangster Al Aapone is convicted of ta3
evasion. *e is sentenced to serve ,H years.
(un .HM 'he C4 Navy airship, +os An#eles enters a
,D8month program of refurbishment under the
direction of Ma9or '. F'e3G (ones, a reserve
aviation engineer on loan from the Army. Ma9or
(ones holds radical vies regarding air poer, but is
friends ith several high8ran#ing officials in both the
Navy and Army aviation programs.
(ul .HM 'he 4ummer ?lympics are held at %os
Angeles, Aalifornia.
4ep ,1M (apan forms the Manchurian puppet state
called Manchu#uo.
Nov -M 7ran#lin D. $oosevelt defeats *erbert
*oover and is elected the .Dnd president of the C4.
*is vice president is (ohn N. Garner.
Dec DDM 'he movie ,he Mummy premiers.
'he tramp steamship 44 -osehine sets sail from
Ne <or# harbor. Aboard the (osephine is producer
and entrepreneur (ames Denham and a full movie
production cre.
1:%%:
(an .HM Adolf *itler is elected Ahancellor of
Germany.
7eb ,M Dr. Alar# 4avage opens the FGolden
?pportunity Psychiatric InstituteG in upstate
,
In the real orld, criminals and gangs, such as "onnie
and Alyde, ere given much the same treatment. Many
people blamed the depression on the "an#s, and
anyone ho stood up to the establishment in that ay
as considered a F$obin8*oodG type of character. 'his
as reinforced by the fact that many of these criminals
actually gave some of their proceeds to families in
need.
Page ,,
Ne <or#. 'his ell8funded non8profit
organi!ation provides rehabilitation for a variety
of mental disorders, boasting a remar#ably high
success rate.
7eb ,1M A mas#ed mystery man foils an
assassination attempt on 7D$.
7eb DQM 'he German $eichstag :senate; building
burns. A deranged anarchist by the name of Marinus
Oan der %Vbbe confesses to the crime. *e and three
others are tried, convicted, and e3ecuted for their
acts.
Mar ,1M 'he refurbishment of C4 Navy airship,
+os An#eles is completed . months ahead of
schedule. 'he +os An#eles has been completely
dismantled and reassembled according to Ma9or
(ones= specifications.
'he modifications includeM diesel engines rather
than gasoline engines, minimi!ing the threat of
fireR Ducted propellers ith thrust vectoring,
granting more precise maneuvering for launching
and doc#ing maneuversR better streamlining for
speed and economyR and greater lifting capacity,
alloing ,D fighters to be carried, rather than
si3.
'he +os An#eles immediately sets a ne
transcontinental record by crossing the C4 from
4an 7rancisco to )ashington, DA nonstop in
only ,DW hours, averaging DHH miles per hour.
After appearing over the nation=s capitol, the
+os An#eles embar#s on a planned four8ee#
sha#edon over the Atlantic.
Mar DDM 'he Germans establish the first
concentration camp near Dachau for (es,
clergymen, political opponents, and other
Fundesireable elements.G
Mar D0M 'he German $eichstag grants *itler
dictatorial poer.
Mar DQM (apan Iuits the %eague of Nations.
Apr ,M 'he 44 -osehine returns to Ne <or#.
(ames Denham claims to have discovered the
FEighth )onder of the )orldG. 'he unveiling of
this onder is scheduled for the D/th of April, at
Denham=s ne night club in Manhattan.
Apr 0M 'he Navy dirigible C44 Akron crashes and
sin#s off the Ne (ersey coast in a storm. Due to the
timely arrival of the +os An#eles, losses are limited
to ,J cre members. Among the lost is $ear
Admiral Moffett, Ahief of the "ureau of
Aeronautics.
'he e3cellent performance of the +os An#eles in
rescuing doned Navy Airmen during a storm
prompts the Navy to modify its remaining airships,
the C44 Macon and the C44 Shenandoah, as
funding permits.
Apr D/M &ing &ong, the FEighth )onder of the
)orldG, escapes from (ames Denham=s
Manhattan nightgclub. During his brief rampage,
the giant ape #ills or in9ures DQ people #idnaps
an actress, rec#s an elevated train filled ith
passengers, and is finally #illed hen it plummets
from the top of the Empire 4tate building.
?ct D,M Germany Iuits the %eague of Nations.
Dec 1M Prohibition is repealed ith the passing of
the D,st Amendment.
)alt Disney 4tudios releases the short sub9ectM 'he
'hree %ittle Pigs.
1:%&:
May D.M 'he infamous ban# robbers, "onnie and
Alyde are gunned don in a police ambush.
(un .HM F'he Night of the %ong &nivesGM *itler=s 44
assassinates ,1H rival NAXI 4A :"ron 4hirts;
members, including Ernst $oehm and other rivals.
(uly JM Gangster (ohn Dillinger is gunned don by
7ederal agents in Ahicago.
Aug DM German president *indenberg dies. *itler
has himself proclaimed President and Ahancellor,
assuming the title $eichsfVhrer.
1:%<:
7eb ,DM 'he Navy dirigible, C44 Macon undergoes
modification at the nely8renamed Moffett 7ield,
south of 4an 7rancisco.
Mar JM Germany starts a military draft.
?ct .M Italy invades Ethiopia.
1:%=:
7eb ,QM Dr. Alar# 4avage II, a#a FDoc= 4avageG,
is deputi!ed as an au3iliary Ne <or# 4tate
policeman. *e purchases the /Jth floor of the
Empire 4tate building as his base of operations.
(un ,/M 'he 4panish Aivil )ar begins.
Aug. ,M 'he opening ceremonies of the ?lympics are
held in "erlin. 'he C4 ins the most gold medals,
but Germany ins the most medals overall.
$umors fly that Germany=s high medal count is
due to the use of Feugenic treatmentsG on the
German team. Medical science recogni!es the
possibility of using medical technology to
enhance an athlete=s performance, but inspectors
at the ?lympics find no clear evidence of
rongdoing by the Germans.
4ep. DM ""A begins test8broadcasting television
Page ,D
programs. 'otal number of receiving sets in "ritain
at the time is less than DH,HHH.
?ct -M "oulder Dam :renamed *oover Dam in
,-.Q; is completed in Nevada. It stands QDJ feet
tall.
?ct .,M Dr. 7u Manchu holds "oulder Dam
hostage. *e threatens to destroy the dam ith
his Fradio8force8rayG if not paid P,,HHH,HHH.
*eroes intervene, saving the dam, but 7u
Manchu escapes.
Nov .M 7ran#lin D. $oosevelt is re8elected to a
second term as C4 President. *is OP is still (ohn
Garner.
Nov. ,/M Germany and Italy recogni!e the 7ranco
regime in 4pain hile 7rance and the C.4.4.$.
support the 4panish $epublican government.
1:%;:
Mar ,1M 'he Areator of the Athulhu mythos, riter
*oard Phillips %ovecraft, disappears. )itnesses
report his abduction by gibbering, unnamable,
vicious, unspea#able horrors.
May JM 'he dirigible Hinden.er# e3plodes on arrival
at %a#ehurst, Ne (ersey. 'han#s to the timely
arrival of several mystery8men, J, people are
rescued from the flaming rec#age.
May DQM 'he Golden Gate "ridge opens, lin#ing 4an
7rancisco to Marin county to the north. Dr. 7C
Manchu attempts to hold the bridge hostage, but
once again is tharted by mystery8men. 7u Manchu
is captured, but escapes before being brought to
trial.
(ul DM Amelia Earhart, orld famous aviatri3, is lost
over the Pacific hile attempting the orld=s first
eIuatorial circumnavigation. Although there is no
evidence for it, many speculate that her plane as
forced don by the (apanese, and that she and her
creman ere e3ecuted as spies.
(ul. 0M 'he first successful helicopter, the 7)8J,,
designed by *einrich 7oc#e, is demonstrated by
*anna $eitsch at "remen.
Nov. D-M "ritain and 7rance trade colonies to
Germany for peace.
Dec JM German scientist, )erner von "raun, begins
testing the A8. roc#et at PeenemVnde, Germany,
leading to the development of the A80 :#non as the
O8D;. Plans are laid for a multi8stage version, the A8
,H, capable of reaching the C4.
Dec ,DM (apanese air attac# sin#s the C4 gunboat
/anay in Ahinese aters. (apan apologises.
1:%8:
Mar ,.M Germany anne3es Austria.
(uneM 'he first truly super8poered superhero
appears in Ne <or#. 4tarman claims to be an
orphan from another planet. *is ability to leap
an eighth of a mile, lift heavy ob9ects :li#e
truc#s;, and incredible resistance to damage
lends credence to this claim.
,
?ct. ,M Germany occupies the section of
A!echoslova#ia #non as the 4udetenland ithout
opposition. 'heir 9ustification for this act is that the
4udetenland is populated almost entirely by persons
of Aryan :German; descent
D
.
?ct .H
.
M A spacecraft lands at Grovers Mill, Ne
(ersey. 'he hostile occupants terrori!e the
countryside for eight hours until the arrival of
several heroes :4tarman, Doc 4avage, Dar#man, and
4peed Demon.; 'he heroes Iuic#ly FpersuadeG the
aliens to depart, earning national recognition.
4peed Demon boasts that the heroes are a Fregular
(ustice 7raternity.G 'he name stic#s, and the heroes
decide to form a hero team :the first ever to include
#non metahumans;. Doc 4avage donates office
space on the /Jth floor of the Empire 4tate "uilding
for the use of this F(ustice 7raternity.G
Nov. -M &rystallnacht :the night of bro#en glass;M
the assassination of the German Envoy in Paris is
used as an e3cuse by Na!is to burn and loot (eish
shops and synagogues. 'he (es are fined P0HH
million as a group and the Na!is begin putting them
in concentration camps.
Dec /M Germany5s first aircraft carriers, the 0raf
1eelin and /eter Strasser are launched. 'he
airship +u2em.our# begins its around8the8orld
flight.
1:%::
7eb. ,/M 'he Golden Gate International E3position
opens in 4an 7rancisco.
Mar ,1M Germany ?ccupies the A!ech territories of
"ohemia and Moravia ithout opposition.
Mar DJM Poland refuses to cede the Dan!ig Aorridor
to the Germans.
Mar .,M "ritain and 7rance guarantee Poland5s
integrity.
,
In our orld, F4upermanG appears on the stands,
published by Detective Aomics :DA;.
D
'his is as patently absurd as if England occupied the
Eastern 4eaboard of the C4 on the prete3t that most of
the locals ere of English descent.
.
?ct. .HM ?rson )elles5 radio presentation of *. G.
)elles5 'he )ar of the )orlds une3pectedly
precipitates a brief case of mass hysteria.
Page ,.
Apr. ,M 'he 4panish Aivil )ar Ends. 'he C4
recogni!es 7ranco5s government.
Apr. .HM 'he Ne <or# )orld5s 7air ?pens ith
the theme Fthe )orld of 'omorroG. Attendance
tops 1HH,HHH. DD nations participate in shoing off
their technological proess. Notable by its absence
is Na!i Germany.
7irst %arge8scale demonstration of electronic
television ta#es place at the e3position.
4everal American meta8humans ma#e their
public debut as 2superheroes2 at the event.
C4 Navy boasts that only to airships are
reIuired to guarantee C4 security. 'o ne
airships are constructed, 'he C44 (altimore and
the C44 "akland. 'he "akland is subseIuently
renamed C44 Moffet :in honor of the late Ahief
of Aeronautics;.
May QM Dr. 7u Manchu attempts to destroy
)ashington, DA, ith a F$adium "ombG, but is
tharted by the (ustice 7raternity. Dr. Alar#
4avage suffers severe radium poisoning hen he
disarms the bomb.
May DDM Germany and Italy become allies.
4ep. ,M Germany invades Poland. Poland5s only
#non metahuman hero, Pols#a, is #illed by an 44
assassination sIuad eIuipped ith compact
shoulder8fired recoilless rifles scant hours after the
invasion begins.
4ep. .M "ritain and 7rance declare ar on Germany.
4ep. 1M $oosevelt declares the C4 neutral.
4ep. ,QM $ussia invades Eastern Poland.
4ep. D0M 'he C4 starts the Aash and Aarry program,
permitting trade ith arring nations so long as they
pay cash and provide their on transportation.
4ep. DQM )arsa surrenders and the ar ends in
Poland. 'he Polish resistance gains a ne hero hen
Davro, a notorious super gangster, uses his criminal
organi!ation to harass the Germans, stealing
everything from sausages to tan#s and turning over
much of the booty to the resistance.
4ep D/M 'he GermanB$ussian alliance divides
Poland. Davro ceases operations in German8
occupied Poland after the ton of Dessa is ra!ed in
reprisal for his raids.
Millionaire Philanthropist and hero Doc 4avage
announces his retirement from the (ustice
7raternity due to health problems. 4tarman is
declared the ne leader. 4tarman announces that
tryouts ill be held in (anuary to select Doc
4avage=s replacement.
4ep D-M President $oosevelt announces the
establishment of the FDr. Alar# 4avageG aard.
'he aard is presented to American civilians
ho have done a great service to their country,
and is the highest non8military aard. FDocG
4avage is the first recipient.
?ct D0M 'he C44 +os An#eles is retired from
service. An anonymous benefactor purchases it and
donates the airship to the (ustice 7raternity for use
as a mobile headIuarters. Doc 4avage denies he is
the benefactor.
Nov .HM 'he C44$ invades 7inland.
Dec. ,QM 'he German battleship Graf 4pee is
scuttled off Montevideo after a battle ith three
"ritish battle cruisers.
1:&9:
(anM 'he (ustice 7raternity holds tryouts to select
Doc 4avage=s replacement. ?f nearly one
hundred applicants, only four are deemed
poerful enough to be considered seriously.
7emme Oitale is deemed unsuitable due to her
unladyli#e costume :she ears ants!;
Aogirl is re9ected on the grounds that her
appearance is too outlandish and might reflect
poorly on the rest of the group.
Aaptain Miracle is accepted as a probationary
member. 4tarman e3presses doubts as to
hether the 7raternity needs another Fstrong
manG, but is overruled by the other members.
Inferno, the first female to be admitted to the
group, is also selected as a probationary member
on the condition that her costume be modified to
a more FmodestG design.
'he (ustice 7raternity no includes at least one
female member. 'he (ustice 7raternity members
vote to change the name of the group to the
4entinels of (ustice, a more gender8neutral term.
(an. ,DM 'he first German Air $aid on %ondon
occurs.
4everal "ritish supers debut in defense of their
capitol. A ne hero, "ritish %ion, distinguishes
himself by single8handedly evacuating the
occupants of a burning 4alvation Army mission,
suffering terrible burns in the process.
Mar. ,DM 7inland signs a peace treaty ith $ussia,
giving up part of the &arelian isthmus and other
territory.
Apr. -M 'he Germans occupy Denmar# ithout
meeting resistance, and invade Noray.
Page ,0
May 1M Noray5s &ing *aa#on OII escapes to
England.
May ,HM 'he Germans invade "elgium, *olland, and
%u3embourg, ending the period called the Fphoney
arG, a period of relative inactivity against Germany
by "ritain and 7rance.
May ,,M 'he "ritish Prime Minister, Neville
Ahamberlain, resigns and is replaced by )inston
Ahurchill.
May ,.M Igor 4i#ors#y secretly ma#es the first C4
helicopter free flight ith his O48.HH at 4tratford,
Aonnecticut. 'op speed is only J1 miles per hour.
May ,1M *olland surrenders and the Dutch Kueen
escapes to England.
May D/M 'he "elgian army surrenders and &ing
%eopold III remains, a German prisoner.
(un. 0M 'he Germans occupy Dun#ir# folloing a
"ritish evacuation of ../,HHH men.
"ritish :and some sympathetic American; supers
hold off the %uftaffe, buying time for the
evacuation to succeed.
(un. ,HM Italy enters the ar as an A3is poer.
(un. ,0M 'he Germans occupy Paris. 'he 7rench
Government moves to "ordeau3.
(un. ,JM Marshall Petain forms a ne 7rench
government in order to negotiate an armistice ith
Germany.
(un. ,/M 7rench general Aharles de Gaulle forms the
7ree 7rench Government in e3ile in %ondon.
(un. DDM 'he 7renchBGerman armistice is signed in
the same railay car that Germany signed it5s
surrender in )) I. After the signing ceremonies are
concluded, the Germans blo up the rail car,
obliterating this reminder of past failure. German
troops occupy three8fifths of 7rance.
Dr. 7u Manchu congratulates *itler on his
victory via telegraph, and offers assistance
against allied heroes.
(un. D0M Marshall Petain places his government
headIuarters at Oichy.
(un. D/M Aongress passes the Alien $egistration Act.
All aliens age ,0 and older must report for
registration and fingerprinting. Government officials
and their families are e3cepted. ?ver 1 million
eventually register.
A rider to the bill called the F4uperpoers clauseG
reIuires all persons ith metahuman characteristics
to register as ell. As passed, the rider only reIuires
fingerprints and 4ecret ID information if the
registrant is a convicted criminal.
(ul. .M 'he "ritish destroy 7rance5s strongest Naval
sIuadron anchored at ?ran to prevent its falling into
German hands. 'he Oichy government severs
diplomatic ties ith England.
(ul. ,JM *itler orders preparations for ?peration 4ee
%Ye :4ea %ion;, the invasion of England. German
air poer begins to soften resistance to the invasion,
starting the "attle of "ritain.
(une .HM Germans occupy England=s Ahannel
Islands, Alderney, guernsey, (ersey, and 4ar#.
"ritish heroes attempting to evict German troops
are shoc#ed to discover that the Germans
possess a mind control device poered by the
F4pear of DestinyG
,
. 'he device only seems to
affect metahumans, and is completely ineffective
against normal humans. 'his device=s area of
effect seems to be limited to German8occupied
territory.
Aug. ,.M Italian troops begin an Egyptian campaign,
occupying 4alem.
Aug. D1M 'he "ritish begin massive bombing attac#s
over "erlin.
4ep. .M 'he C4 trades 1H ))I destroyers to "ritain
in e3change for Naval "ases in the Aaribbean.
4ep. DQM 'he GermanBItalianB(apanese A3is is
formed hen these governments sign the 'ripartite
Pact.
?ct. ,DM ?peration 4ee %Ye is postponed to give
the %Vftaffe more time to Fsoften upG "ritain.
D
German 4upers under the command of Do#tor
XerstYrer assault "ritish Flistening postsG in
southern England, but are repulsed by "ritish
heroes.
Aommand of )affen Zber#ommando
:)arfighting 4uper8Aommandos; is transferred
to *err Do#tor Kuaal. Do#tor XerstYrer is given
command of Zberaffen 7abri# :a
FsupereaponsG research and development
facility;
?ct. ,JM 'he C4 inaugurates its first ever peacetime
draft. All males beteen the ages of D, and .1 must
register. 'hose actually drafted ill be obligated for
one year of service, folloed by five years in the
inactive reserve. $eservists ill be sub9ect to
,
'he 4pear of Destiny is a holy relic, li#e the Ar# of
the Aovenant or the *oly Grail. It is reputed to be the
spear that as thrust into Ahrist=s side as he hung on
the cross. It supposedly grants great poer over
military matters.
D
?peration 4ee %Ye, the German plan for the
invasion of "ritain, as actually called off on that date.
Page ,1
reactivation in case of national emergency.
?ct. D.M *itler fails to convince 7ranco to let
German troops cross 4pain to attac# "ritish troops
at Gibraltar.
?ct. D0M *itler fails to convince the Oichy 7rench
government of the need to ally ith Germany.
?ct. D/M Italian troops in Albania invade Gree#
'erritory.
Gree# heroes *eracles and Marathon battle
invading Italian supers.
?ct. D-M "ritish troops enter Greece.
Nov.M $oosevelt is re8elected, this time defeating
$epublican candidate )endell %. )ill#ie. 'his time
his Oice President is *enry A. )allace.
1:&1:
Mar. ,M 'he lend8lease bill passes, giving $oosevelt
the poer toM 24ell, e3change, lend, lease, or
otherise dispose of defense materials to the
government of any country hose defense the
President deems vital to the defense of the Cnited
4tates.2
Mar DM Dr. Kuaal convinces *itler to assign the
)affen Zber#ommando the tas# of infiltrating
the C4 and preventing the effective use of
American 4upers against the $eich.
Mar. .,M German and Italian troops under General
Erin $ommel begin a ne African offensive.
Apr. 1M $ussia and <ugoslavia sign a pact.
Apr. JM Germany invades <ugoslavia and Greece.
Apr. ,HM Aroatia ins independence.
Apr. ,QM <ugoslavia surrenders to Germany.
Apr. D,M Greece surrenders to Germany.
Apr. D0M "ritish troops leave Greece.
May ,,M $udolf *ess, the 2Number 'hree Na!iG, is
captured parachuting into 4cotland in an attempt to
deal for peace beteen England and Germany.
May DHM Arete is occupied by the Germans.
May D0M 'he German battleship "ismarc# sin#s the
"ritish cruiser *ood.
May DQM "ritish torpedo8bombers sin# the "ismarc#.
(un. An Australian nurse, 4ister Eli!abeth &enny,
invents a successful treatment for Polio.
3atain &SA debuts as the first FsuperpatriotG
metahuman.
(un. DDM *itler invades $ussia because he considers
$ussian policy in the "al#ans and 7inland to be in
Aonflict ith German interest.
(ulyM 7D$ forms the office of the Aoordinator of
Information :A?I; the predecessor of the ?44 :and
later, the AIA.;
7D$ directs the )ar Department to create an
interservice agency to coordinate metahuman
resources. 'he agency is initially called the
?ffice of American 4uper *umans, or ?A4*
:pronounced FashG;. 'he agency is later
renamed Department of American 4uper
*umans :DA4*;, mainly because the acronym
sounds more dynamic.
'he 4entinels of (ustice offer their services to
the Department of American 4uper *umans.
DA4* accepts the offer, but changes the
group=s name to (ustice Patrol. DA4* attempts
to refuse to allo female members to 9oin, but
relents after the (ustice Patrol appeals to the
president.
'he ground brea#ing ceremony for the Pentagon
building is held. 'he Pentagon is the largest office
building in the orld.
Na!i agents attempt to put a time bomb in the
Pentagon=s foundation, but are tharted by heroes.
(ul. ,DM 'he "ritish sign a pact ith $ussia.
(ul. ,JM 'he C4 occupies Iceland. 4molens# falls to
Germany.
Aug. ,0M )inston Ahurchill and 7ran#lin $oosevelt
sign the Atlantic Aharter. "oth agree that if America
becomes involved in the ar, that they ill
concentrate on defeating Germany first.
Aug. D/M German troops occupy the "altic states.
4ep. ,-M &iev falls to Na!is.
?ctM C4 troops stationed in the Pacific are placed on
a heightened state of alert. Diplomatic tensions
beteen (apan and the C4 are very high.
'he threat from (apan is percieved being terrorist in
nature. Precautions ta#en include positioning aircraft
in neat, orderly ros to ma#e it easier to protect
them from sabotage. ?ver the ne3t to months
several s#irmishes occur. Most are beteen C4
surface vessels and (apanese submarines. At least
one (apanese sub is sun# during this time.
?ct. ,JM 'he $ussian Government flees to
&uibyshev. ?dessa is occupied by $umanian troops.
?ct. D0M 'he Germans occupy &har#ov.
:4tart of campaign.;
Nov. ,1M 4oviet troops, aided by soviet heroes, halt
the Germans short of Mosco.
Nov. ,/M 'he "ritish begin a counteroffensive in
%ibya.
Dec JM 'he )ar Department determines that the
terrorist threat from (apan has passed. All units in
the Pacific are ordered to stand don from alert
Page ,J
status.
Dec. QM (apan stages a successful surprise attac# on
the C4 Naval base at Pearl *arbor, *aaii. 0D.
aircraft launched from si3 carriers attac# in to
aves, sin#ing 1 C4 battleships, D cruisers, ,
destroyer, several smaller craft, and
severely damage . other battleships. Nearly all C4
aircraft are destroyed on the ground.
?nly a handful of C4 aircraft manage to get airborne
to repel the attac#. At least one is shot don by C4
anti8aircraft fire.
A third ave of bombers and a marine
amphibious assault group is turned bac# by the
timely arrival of American superheroes.
Page ,Q