The Greatest Story No One Wanted To See Told: MIKE NERO'S TELEVISION CROSSOVER TIMELINE
This silhouette tells it all!
And if you think this timeline won't be an interesting read, well, howl you know unless you give it a whirl?
Who is Mike Nero, you may ask (though more likely, you won't)? Michael Alexander Nero is a monster hunter who effectively serves as an avatar for moi (that's Christofer Nigro, to those who may actually be concerned) in various alternate universes where the laws of physics are, let's say, a lot more "lax" -- and thus, a lot more interesting -- than the mundane world outside our window.
You know, the world where exposure to radiation merely makes you puke and mucks up your chromosomes instead of causing you to grow super-large, or super-strong, or into a rampaging green monster.
Where excessive exposure to ultra-violet rays provides a good way to get painful sunburns and skin cancer instead serving as a potent weapon for obliterating vampires (well, at least some strains of vampires, that is).
Where travel to the Moon is done once every few decades when NASA feels like it, has the budget, and doesn't blow up its latest vessel, instead of a few dozen secret journeys per year by government agents, adventurers with bucks to burn, and intrepid entrepreneurs seeking the source of that strange coded signal that their exclusive computer software detected.
Where aliens are nothing more than annoyingly popular memes that populate stories, Halloween costume shops, and the latest fake "caught on film" or "found footage" films uploaded to YouTube which highlight the wonders that computer programmers and photoshoppers with a lot of time on their hands, rather than the wonders that xenobiology throughout deep space can evolve to invariably find a means to invade our world and require us to fight for our very survival.
Where excessive exposure to ultra-violet rays provides a good way to get painful sunburns and skin cancer instead serving as a potent weapon for obliterating vampires (well, at least some strains of vampires, that is).
Where travel to the Moon is done once every few decades when NASA feels like it, has the budget, and doesn't blow up its latest vessel, instead of a few dozen secret journeys per year by government agents, adventurers with bucks to burn, and intrepid entrepreneurs seeking the source of that strange coded signal that their exclusive computer software detected.
Where aliens are nothing more than annoyingly popular memes that populate stories, Halloween costume shops, and the latest fake "caught on film" or "found footage" films uploaded to YouTube which highlight the wonders that computer programmers and photoshoppers with a lot of time on their hands, rather than the wonders that xenobiology throughout deep space can evolve to invariably find a means to invade our world and require us to fight for our very survival.
Yes, that universe. The mundane one that we all know and get bored with, thus requiring some of us to invent our own universes that are a lot more interesting and cool to behold.
Or, with a specific ability to "perceive" what may be going on in other universes on the other side of some dimensional veil. Whatever, you decide which; I'm just here to relieve my boredom, and I'll do that here by inflicting on you the timeline that chronicles the history of a tragic monster hunter and champion who dwells in the type of universe that we can only dream about... and, yes, sometimes write about!
The universe in question is the one we call the mainstream Television Crossover Universe, where what those of us see on the toob in this world portrayed by actors and special effects technicians "actually" occurred in, well, "reality". I know it sounds silly to many, but just go with me here and consider indulging me for a few minutes (or maybe several, if you're so inclined and still here by the time I type everything I intend to type).
Consider what you are about to read a sneak preview of sorts. Yes, you're seeing it here first! This author, who is lucky enough to have gotten published (yes! Some people read my stuff! Boo-yahh!), has every intention of starting a series of Mike Nero stories & novels, and self-publishing them through my own digital label, Wild Hunt Press. That will lead into another such universe I like to call the Wild Hunt Universe (duh!), but which the esteemed curator of the TVCU prefers to call the TVCU-32. Tomato, ta-mahto, I say! Call it whatever you prefer, as long as you're thinking about it enough to possibly consider reading about it! So, as a proud sponsor of this blog -- which means you have to tolerate my access to it with periodic entries like this (mwah-ha-hah!) -- I hereby give you a treat you never asked for: a preview of an epic saga yet to come in print, the story of... (*drum roll, followed by crickets chirping*) Mike Nero! (*cue pre-recorded track of an audience cheering*)
1968 -- Michael Alexander Nero officially enters the world in Buffalo, New York. He is born out of wedlock to a teen mom, who passes the buck of responsibility largely to her parents, who raise him much of the time. He grows up greatly misunderstood by his family, as his interests include research into the paranormal, creative writing, and all sorts of unconventional political territory instead of sports and cars (though he did really like fire trucks as a kid!). Needless to say, he is quite a handful for his family to deal with, not to mention his peers, and he grows up excessively bullied and ostracized (if you consider "absolutely hated" to be too strong a description). The resulting trauma he would experience because of this wasn't pretty for all concerned, to say the least.
1970s -- Mike grows up during a rather extraordinary decade. He became a huge fan of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films. Of particular interest to him was the vintage Universal Monster movies, which regularly played on TV during those years, and whose depiction of a shared universe fascinated him. Mike always suspected there was much truth behind the "fiction" in these movies, but only later would he confirm this after discovering the research of many, eventually collected by and added to by Prof. Chuck Loridans and the original version of the organization created, M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H.
Mike felt a particularly strong kinship with Universal's recorded cinematic exploits of Lawrence Stewart "Larry" Talbot, the lycanthrope known as the Wolf Man, along with those of Jacob "Jack" Russoff, a.k.a., Jack Russell, the lycanthrope designated "Werewolf By Night" by the writers and artists of Marvel Comics who recorded his exploits in the comic book medium (Prof. Loridans later conjectured that Russell was related to the Talbot clan, and actually the son of Larry Talbot). See UNIVERSAL MONSTERS master file, sub-file set The Wolf Man; and LEGION OF MONSTERS master file, sub-file set WEREWOLF BY NIGHT.
Or, with a specific ability to "perceive" what may be going on in other universes on the other side of some dimensional veil. Whatever, you decide which; I'm just here to relieve my boredom, and I'll do that here by inflicting on you the timeline that chronicles the history of a tragic monster hunter and champion who dwells in the type of universe that we can only dream about... and, yes, sometimes write about!
The universe in question is the one we call the mainstream Television Crossover Universe, where what those of us see on the toob in this world portrayed by actors and special effects technicians "actually" occurred in, well, "reality". I know it sounds silly to many, but just go with me here and consider indulging me for a few minutes (or maybe several, if you're so inclined and still here by the time I type everything I intend to type).
Consider what you are about to read a sneak preview of sorts. Yes, you're seeing it here first! This author, who is lucky enough to have gotten published (yes! Some people read my stuff! Boo-yahh!), has every intention of starting a series of Mike Nero stories & novels, and self-publishing them through my own digital label, Wild Hunt Press. That will lead into another such universe I like to call the Wild Hunt Universe (duh!), but which the esteemed curator of the TVCU prefers to call the TVCU-32. Tomato, ta-mahto, I say! Call it whatever you prefer, as long as you're thinking about it enough to possibly consider reading about it! So, as a proud sponsor of this blog -- which means you have to tolerate my access to it with periodic entries like this (mwah-ha-hah!) -- I hereby give you a treat you never asked for: a preview of an epic saga yet to come in print, the story of... (*drum roll, followed by crickets chirping*) Mike Nero! (*cue pre-recorded track of an audience cheering*)
1968 -- Michael Alexander Nero officially enters the world in Buffalo, New York. He is born out of wedlock to a teen mom, who passes the buck of responsibility largely to her parents, who raise him much of the time. He grows up greatly misunderstood by his family, as his interests include research into the paranormal, creative writing, and all sorts of unconventional political territory instead of sports and cars (though he did really like fire trucks as a kid!). Needless to say, he is quite a handful for his family to deal with, not to mention his peers, and he grows up excessively bullied and ostracized (if you consider "absolutely hated" to be too strong a description). The resulting trauma he would experience because of this wasn't pretty for all concerned, to say the least.
1970s -- Mike grows up during a rather extraordinary decade. He became a huge fan of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films. Of particular interest to him was the vintage Universal Monster movies, which regularly played on TV during those years, and whose depiction of a shared universe fascinated him. Mike always suspected there was much truth behind the "fiction" in these movies, but only later would he confirm this after discovering the research of many, eventually collected by and added to by Prof. Chuck Loridans and the original version of the organization created, M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H.
Mike felt a particularly strong kinship with Universal's recorded cinematic exploits of Lawrence Stewart "Larry" Talbot, the lycanthrope known as the Wolf Man, along with those of Jacob "Jack" Russoff, a.k.a., Jack Russell, the lycanthrope designated "Werewolf By Night" by the writers and artists of Marvel Comics who recorded his exploits in the comic book medium (Prof. Loridans later conjectured that Russell was related to the Talbot clan, and actually the son of Larry Talbot). See UNIVERSAL MONSTERS master file, sub-file set The Wolf Man; and LEGION OF MONSTERS master file, sub-file set WEREWOLF BY NIGHT.
Lawrence Stewart "Larry" Talbot, a.k.a., the Wolf Man, famed lycanthrope that Mike felt an
early kinship with.
Artist's rendition of Jacob "Jack" Russoff, a.k.a., Jack Russell, the lycanthrope referred to as "Werewolf By Night", whom Mike likewise felt a strong kinship with.
Mike also became fascinated by kaiju films, particularly those involving Godzilla, and he also suspected that Godzilla and Mothra had actual substance behind them. See TOHO KAIJU master file set, with sub-files Godzilla and Mothra.
As the decade progressed, Mike realized that it would take a monumental cover-up by a combination of many international government agencies and corporations -- as well as various strange entities -- to hide all the evidence of these events being real, leaving only the reports collected by various researchers and authors who could only present them as "fiction" via the mediums of cinema, television, prose, comic books, video games, etc. Hence, he knew he could never convince anyone of their veracity, and later came to realize the general public's belief that they were mere fiction was to their benefit.
Mike was an ardent collector of comic books, and the heroes depicted within gave him a sufficiently strong moral foundation to resist the darkness encompassing his soul due to the social trauma and ostracization (is that a word?) he was regularly subjected to. This battle between a desire to help the world and to exact vengeance upon the society he was raised in was a source of much conflict and turmoil during his formative years.
Mike was an ardent collector of comic books, and the heroes depicted within gave him a sufficiently strong moral foundation to resist the darkness encompassing his soul due to the social trauma and ostracization (is that a word?) he was regularly subjected to. This battle between a desire to help the world and to exact vengeance upon the society he was raised in was a source of much conflict and turmoil during his formative years.
1978 -- Mike has his first paranormal encounter, with a female ghost he simply dubbed "Apparitia" (okay, so his naming skills needed some work!). Upon leading his neighborhood crew in a "Sly Club" he put together, he had various encounters with dangerous oddities plaguing his Lower West Side neighborhood, such as the Witch Woman, the Jack Dog, and a Slithis.
1981 -- By this point in time, when Mike was 13, his anger and resentment towards the treatment he received from his peers and his inability to get along with and be understood by his family had taken a terrible toll on his psyche. It was at this low point in his early life that he was approached by Rutger, a representative of the Brotherhood of Fenris, worshipers of the Norse lupine deity known as the Fenris Wolf (and none other than the progeny of Loki, the notorious god of mischief!). This was a large kindred of werewolves formed a decade earlier, whose leader at the time -- a savage piece of work called Gottvang -- sent various agents to recruit youthful individuals who in their judgment would expand the power and scope of the pack. Their frequent M.O. was to approach young people perceived as being likely potential supporters by the Brotherhood, and offer them the sacred mystical knowledge they required to become a shamanic lycanthrope.
They would be free to use the power any way they saw fit in exchange for joining up with the Brotherhood at a later, to be determined point in their lives that would vary depending on a variety of factors (read the upcoming published Mike Nero stories for more elaboration on this! You can't expect me to reveal it all here! And yes, that was a bit of shameless plugging on my part. Sue me, I want people to buy my books *grin*).
Mike eagerly accepted Rutger's offer, and after using the supplies he was given to carry out the ancient Germanic-Norse rituals to the letter, he indeed gained the power of the lycanthrope, soon taking the official code name of Beowolf (this being a permutation of Beowulf, the legendary Danish king and superhuman hero of Norse legend whom Mike greatly admired). His inner rage and pain initially caused him to use this power to take revenge on those who hurt him. He never actually took the life of any of these people, but several of his targets were maimed and suffered permanent scars both physical and mental.
1981 -- By this point in time, when Mike was 13, his anger and resentment towards the treatment he received from his peers and his inability to get along with and be understood by his family had taken a terrible toll on his psyche. It was at this low point in his early life that he was approached by Rutger, a representative of the Brotherhood of Fenris, worshipers of the Norse lupine deity known as the Fenris Wolf (and none other than the progeny of Loki, the notorious god of mischief!). This was a large kindred of werewolves formed a decade earlier, whose leader at the time -- a savage piece of work called Gottvang -- sent various agents to recruit youthful individuals who in their judgment would expand the power and scope of the pack. Their frequent M.O. was to approach young people perceived as being likely potential supporters by the Brotherhood, and offer them the sacred mystical knowledge they required to become a shamanic lycanthrope.
Fenris himself. Fear him, or he'll bite your hand off!
(If you don't believe me, ask what happened to the war god Tyr for daring not to fear him!)
They would be free to use the power any way they saw fit in exchange for joining up with the Brotherhood at a later, to be determined point in their lives that would vary depending on a variety of factors (read the upcoming published Mike Nero stories for more elaboration on this! You can't expect me to reveal it all here! And yes, that was a bit of shameless plugging on my part. Sue me, I want people to buy my books *grin*).
Symbol of the Brotherhood of Fenris
Mike eagerly accepted Rutger's offer, and after using the supplies he was given to carry out the ancient Germanic-Norse rituals to the letter, he indeed gained the power of the lycanthrope, soon taking the official code name of Beowolf (this being a permutation of Beowulf, the legendary Danish king and superhuman hero of Norse legend whom Mike greatly admired). His inner rage and pain initially caused him to use this power to take revenge on those who hurt him. He never actually took the life of any of these people, but several of his targets were maimed and suffered permanent scars both physical and mental.
Not actually Mike Nero in his Beowolf form, but close enough!
1985 - early 1986 -- By his senior year in high school, Mike had gained a good degree of control over his inner pain, and began training in the martial arts and various mental/spiritual conditioning by young martial arts master Alan Jones, who also took the masked identity of the crime fighter Dark Justice. Mike's physical formidibility in human form increased during his two years of training with Jones, as did his versatility with inducing his lycanthropic transformations at times other than the waxing or full moon, or even during the day time for limited periods (although doing so against the flow of the positive lunar energies took a heavy toll on him). It was during this time that Mike also began studying the occult to enhance this abilities further still, which included studying Witchcraft, Norse magick, and Eastern hermetic disciplines. At the side of Dark Justice and his crew the Dark Clan, Beowolf clashed with and protected his home city from a variety of threats, everything from street gangs to an invading alien Sarmak.
August 1986 - April 1987 -- Mike becomes a freshman at Deamon College in the nearby large affluent town of Amherst. After arriving, he soon had a falling out with Dark Justice and left his team. To make things worse, he met LaTrella, a sultry female vampire of the Dacian strain (those connected to the Karnstein family, first introduced in Sheridan Le Fanu's novella CARMILLA and since followed up on in many other sources, including Hammer films such as The Vampire Lovers; see respective files). Mike became infatuated with LaTrella, and she exploited his feelings by starting an uneasy, cold romantic relationship with him so she had the power of a lycanthrope on her side.
Also not Mike, but so bad-ass I decided to include it anyway. Just try to help that guy, I dare you!
August 1986 - April 1987 -- Mike becomes a freshman at Deamon College in the nearby large affluent town of Amherst. After arriving, he soon had a falling out with Dark Justice and left his team. To make things worse, he met LaTrella, a sultry female vampire of the Dacian strain (those connected to the Karnstein family, first introduced in Sheridan Le Fanu's novella CARMILLA and since followed up on in many other sources, including Hammer films such as The Vampire Lovers; see respective files). Mike became infatuated with LaTrella, and she exploited his feelings by starting an uneasy, cold romantic relationship with him so she had the power of a lycanthrope on her side.
During the first and most of his second semester at Deamon College, Mike was under LaTrella's thrall, and he frequently assisted in getting her the mostly male victims she desired. He justified this to himself because she had more control than a typical Dacian vampire and rarely killed any of them, but the sexual desires she fulfilled with these male victims made Mike extremely jealous. This caused his behavior to become darker and more erratic, effectively undoing all the progress he made over the previous two years.
However, during his time on the campus, where a small Hellmouth was situated, he did occasionally face off against threats to the campus than himself that were attracted to the locale due to its demonic energies, including an actual demon and his cult of devil-worshipers, a woman who could transform into a predatory giant insect, and an invasion from an otherdimensional criminal.
However, during his time on the campus, where a small Hellmouth was situated, he did occasionally face off against threats to the campus than himself that were attracted to the locale due to its demonic energies, including an actual demon and his cult of devil-worshipers, a woman who could transform into a predatory giant insect, and an invasion from an otherdimensional criminal.
Towards the end of April 1986, this situation came to a major climax (and not the good kind, mind you) when Mike finally went over the edge and engaged in a vicious battle with Nayland Ralston, a male fellow student whom LaTrella made into a vampire, and with whom she attempted to replace Mike as her main paramour/thrall. Soon after Mike's narrow destruction of Nayland (with the aid of a fellow student whose sister was harmed by the vampire), a group of monster hunters descended on the campus, forcing LaTrella and Mike to flee and go their separate ways. The few other vampires she created on the campus were soon wiped out by this unidentified team of monster hunters.
May 1986 - October 1987 -- Upon fleeing Deamon, Mike/Beowolf spent nearly a year wandering about New York State in a mentally deranged state to to the trauma he suffered there, where he had various strange adventures as he slowly recouped his sanity. This included an encounter with the Barsoomian "Red Martian" police officer Cy Tharnn in New York City (see "Cy Tharnn" file).
May 1986 - October 1987 -- Upon fleeing Deamon, Mike/Beowolf spent nearly a year wandering about New York State in a mentally deranged state to to the trauma he suffered there, where he had various strange adventures as he slowly recouped his sanity. This included an encounter with the Barsoomian "Red Martian" police officer Cy Tharnn in New York City (see "Cy Tharnn" file).
Late 1988 - 1990 -- Mike returned to Buffalo and attempted to resume his crime-fighting career with Dark Justice, but this ended within two years when the latter's organization proved increasingly corrupt due to covert connections to a local drug czar and crimelord.
Late 1991 - Late 1992 -- Mike finally joins up with the Brotherhood of Fenris, hoping for the companionship and acceptance he always craved. During this time, he again fell under the thrall of a femme fatale, this time a female lycan named Monika. Hoping to gain the affections and attention of Gottvang, who proved to be extremely corrupt and a dangerous hater of mainstream humanity, Monika attempted use Mike towards these ends. When he realized the extent of both Monika's treachery and the immorality of Gottvang's ultimate plans, he fled the Brotherhood, hoping to find assistance to take it down.
This assistance was found with a team led by the thunder god Thor, who had again recently incarnated in corporeal humanoid form (see THOR master file; and sub-file The Return of the Incredible Hulk). The whole conflict ended with the destruction of Gottvang, Monika forced to flee the inner circle of the Brotherhood for her life, and the pack/kindred taken over by Arranka, a more moderate lycan who had no major hostilities towards the human race.
1993 -- Mike goes a tour with Thor's hippie group of social activists, latter day flower children, Wiccans, Asatruar, Nordic warriors, and opponents of both corporate and paranormal malfeasance as the "Thor Corp." It was here that Mike adopted his highly progressive political tendencies, maximized his fighting and magickal skills, and chose to reject and resist his dark side once and for all to become a champion of the human race and a hunter of dangerous monsters & other dark paranormal phenomena. He also becomes involved with the worldwide group of progressively-minded activist champions known as the Aquarian Alliance, who are secretly run and controlled by the hidden, peaceful underwater super-civilization known as Latitude Zero (see the Latitude Zero file).
1994 -- The Thor Corp. is dissolved when the thunder god abandons his latest flesh and blood incarnation for an extended mission to Asgard. Mike is disallowed to accompany him, and was told his destiny was to be a champion of the material plane. He thus set up his status as a monster hunter, which he has continued to this day.
1997 -- Late in this year, Mike suffered a horrendous setback when he developed a rare but debilitating condition that has afflicted certain lycanthropes which they simply refer to as the "wasting illness" (among these other unfortunate lycans is Eric Cord; see Werewolf file). It results from the body partially rejecting the transformation process and developing negative side effects whenever a transformation into lupine form is done too long, or attempted for any amount of time under a waning or new moon, or particularly if attempted during the day. When an attack of the wasting illness is triggered, the symptoms carry over once the lycan reverts back to human form, and can last anywhere from a mere two days to as long as five months. The symptoms include extreme fatigue, severe skin rashes all over the body, dizzy spells, and "brain fog" (i.e., severe short-term forgetfulness). The level of the symptoms can vary from one hour to the next, and from one day to the next, for the duration of any given flare-up. During this duration the symptoms do not lessen with any amount of rest or sleep, and will become far more severe if the afflicted lycan attempts to metamorphose into lupine form during such a time. As a result, such lycans typically suffer from extreme depression, and the condition itself can last anywhere from six months to for the rest of the afflicted lycan's life.
As a result of this affliction, which Mike suffered from for the next 15 years, he had to exercise great caution in using his shape-shifting powers, and did his best to do so only during the waxing or full moon, and even then only when absolutely necessary. He would only initiate the change during negative lunar phases, or at any point during the day, during dire emergencies.
1998 -- It was around this time that Mike was contacted by physician turned master mage Dr. Stephen Stroud, the latest holder of the title of Master of the Mystic Arts, who were also known in various sources as Dr. Fate, Dr. Mordrid, Dr. Strange, and Dr. Enygma, who sought to conscript Beowolf into his team of agents/minions, the Order of the Secret Defenders.
[Note: The various holders of the Masters of the Mystic Arts during the 20th-21st centuries had fictionalized depictions of their recorded exploits published in the comic book, television, and cinematic mediums. The earliest known Master Mage of the 20th century, Kent Nelson, started having files of his adventures published in 1940 by National Comics, now known as DC Comics, in an anthology title called MORE FUN COMICS, where he was called Doctor Fate. His career is unique among these mages, as it eventually split off from the line when he came in possession of a mystical object called the Helmet of Nabu, which caused him to become the bodily host of a Lord of Order. The helmet has since been passed onto others, and DC Comics has continued to sporadically publish fictionalized accounts of these individuals into the present. See DOCTOR STRANGEFATE master file, and DOCTOR FATE file.
Dr. Stephen Stroud Sr. took over the mantle in the early 1950s, and Marvel published a comic book series based on filed reports of his exploits in the first volume of a comic called STRANGE TALES, beginning in 1964, and as a result of the book's title, chronicler Stan Lee decided to refer to him as "Doctor Strange." His stories were moved into his own title later in the '60s, which picked up the numbering of STRANGE TALES v1. After disappearing during a conflict with a demonic entity called Dormmamu circa 1971, Stroud's adult son, Dr. Stephen Vincent Stroud Jr. -- who followed in his footsteps as a physician -- took over the mantle. Marvel then began recording his exploits in a second volume of DOCTOR STRANGE, writing the tales to appear as if he and his father were the same person. A file describing his origin was made into a telefilm circa 1978, with no mention made that he took over from his father. See DOCTOR STRANGEFATE master file, DOCTOR STRANGE file, and Doctor Strange telefilm sub-file.
Another holder of the title, Dr. Anton West -- a member of the infamous lineage of the four personages to hold the name Dr. Herbert West and the designation "ReAnimator" -- is the subject of a 1992 file turned film called Doctor Mordrid, with its events updated to the early '90s and his origin mis-reported as being of extraterrestrial origin when it was released direct to video. See DOCTOR STRANGEFATE master file; Doctor Mordrid sub-file; and REANIMATOR master file.]
Dr. Stroud Jr., who became known as "Dr. Enygma" in some circles by the 1990s (this was never acknowledged in the Marvel Comics, which have been continuously published into the present under the DOCTOR STRANGE title) had long been distinguished for using any means he deemed necessary to protect the world from supernatural threats, and he rarely hesitated to use amoral schemes to make other individuals indebted to him so he could secure their assistance whenever he needed it. These means often included forms of outright manipulation. He secured the debt of Beowolf later in this year by offering him an extremely rare herb, acquired from an allegedly otherdimensional source, that Mike could use to ameliorate the intensity and lessen the duration of the wasting illness flare-ups. In desperation for relief, and knowing of no other treatment, Mike agreed to the deal, and this allowed him to remain active as a monster hunter more often.
For the next several years, Mike Nero engaged in missions for Enygma's Order on a periodic basis. Little did he know that Enygma was manipulating his life continuously outside of these missions, initiating covert schemes to exacerbate Mike's own negative traits and social weaknesses by secretly setting him up to frequently suffer failed romantic relationships and end up in the arms of women who would callously use and manipulate him. The seeming cruelty behind this was actually one of practicality: Engyma wanted Mike to serve as a sacrificial lamb if need be, and he mused that an individual who had a happy life and everything to live for wouldn't make the necessary sacrifice when the time finally came. The mage justified this as being in the greater good, and he felt all champions should be willing to make these sacrifices; he didn't think they should be given a choice in the matter, however.
It would be over 13 years before Mike discovered Enygma's machinations and angrily severed his connection to the Order. Nevertheless, circumstances sometimes continued to force him to work with Enygma... again, for the greater good.
It was during this year that Mike also became a mentor to the late 1990s iteration of the youthful team of monster hunters who referred to themselves as the Monster Squad (see Monster Squad file). This lasted for a few years, before he turned over mentorship of the team to Sean Crenshaw, its now adult founder from the late 1980s.
2000s -- Mike, as Beowolf, develops numerous contacts in the burgeoning online world, where he begins his secondary career as a writer, researcher, and social activist. These contacts includes fellow monster hunters, such as "Crazy" Ivan Ronald Schablotski, whom he exchanges research information and monster fighting theories and ideas with for many years. His set of contacts acquired during this time also includes a shared exchange network of monster hunters and paranormal researchers called the Boogie Knights, which he, Ivan, and Dale Parker -- a third monster hunter they also met through M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H's network -- created together.
However, Ivan's missions in the military and his own plethora of colorful adventures keep the two of them from meeting in person until 2016, where they did so twice (in just two months! See below). It is during this time that he also meets the famous Robert Wronski Jr. (a.k.a., Little Bobby, a.k.a., Super-Bob, a.k.a., Powerkid, a.k.a., Powerman [don't tell Luke Cage!], a.k.a., Rob, a.k.a., Christopher Kowalski, a.k.a... well, there are likely others, but you get the gist!), who becomes a valued part of his research circle (and whose own incredible TVCU saga is told here).
2011 -- Following the loss of his grandfather, the man who helped raise him despite their often rocky relationship, and other major upheavals in his life, Mike takes stock of matters and forms a new iteration of the Boogie Knights to more actively pursue paranormal and other unusual threats as a team. He continues networking with Ivan, Rob, and others who would eventually become part of the TVCU research group, including Matt Hickman, Gordon Long, and James Bojaciuk.
This year Mike finally discovered Dr. Enygma's "well-intentioned" treachery. He reacted by angrily severing his relationship with Engyma's Order of the Secret Defenders, and resolving to find his own cure for the wasting illness.
2014 -- Mike makes a near-complete recovery from the wasting illness, thus freeing him from the possibility of falling under the debt of Dr. Enygma again (at least for that reason). He thus becomes more active in leading missions of the new version of the Boogie Knights, in addition to serving as director of M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H 2.0.
May 2016 -- Mike has his first actual meeting with Ivan Schablotski, where they team up against an escaped daikaiju (that's Japanese for "giant monster" to you laymen!) from the Taconic Mountains Wildlife Sanctuary. Ivan tracked the creature -- believed to be an escaped mega-dinosaur known as a "Godzillasaurus" -- throughout his home state of Massachusetts, but when the situation spills over into the upstate New York area, Ivan felt he had no choice but to seek help for this one, and alas, Mike Nero was the closest assistance he could call upon (if you don't understand his reluctance, well, you try spending a day dealing with Mr. Nero in addition to whatever else you're dealing with! But hey, Ivan needed the help, just like Jack Be Nimble needed the money... ).
The fracas ended up being resolved with the use of a giant radioactive chocolate bar designed by Snickers to entice an actual kaiju (it's best either not to ask, or to check Ivan's own timeline for the full skinny), a group of homo magi wizards acting incognito, and a stop at one of the infamous Sam's Mart markets corrupting the landscape of North America (but this one was more specifically corrupting the town of Summer Falls, NY).
And it all ended with Mike and Ivan sharing a pizza back in Buffalo. Also, I should mention that a mysterious cat appeared out of nowhere and glared at Ivan just as he approached the steps to Mike's apartment, but what that may have portended remains a mystery (that's why I used the adjective "mysterious" to refer to the cat, in case it wasn't obvious).
June 2016 -- As if their crossing paths in person the previous month wasn't enough, Mike not only met Ivan Schablotski again, but he also ran into none other than Rob Wronski Jr. himself at the SCARE-AWAY CAMP incident. This occurred in Springfield, MA where the energies of a nearby "window event" caused many unusual individuals to converge in a single area. This included infamous serial killer Angela Baker (see file on Sleepaway Camp and follow-up "sequel" file Return to Sleepaway Camp for more info), whose was reported to have fled to Springfield after wreaking havoc on the nearby Camp Fugawi following her latest escape from Arkham Asylum attracted the attention of Ivan. The latter arrived there only to find Mike was also on the scene to deal with Angela, but this time there was a conflict of methodology: though Mike didn't approve of Angela's grisly means of dealing with individuals that reminded her of the people at Camp Fugawi who brutally bullied her and caused her mind to snap back when she was 13 (the same age Mike was when he first became a lycanthrope), he nevertheless saw her as a kindred spirit and sympathized with her plight.
Difficulties were bound to arise, and the arrival of many other strange entities, including a mute Jason Vorhees copycat, an acrobatic midget serial killer, the Frankenhooker, and the powerful demonic being Samhain (whom the Ghostbusters have clashed with before; see the "Samhain" sub-file from The Real Ghostbusters master file), meant they needed to call for more outside help. Soon, the team of monster hunters and Electro-Shock Band known as the Deadites, contacted via the Grand Guignol Radio Network, where at the scene, and Patsy the Angry Nerd and Agent Nicole were on hand to lend a hand.
Additionally, an enchanted statue head of a Cyclopean Frankenstein Monster that Mike brought to help deal with the situation seemed to cause as many problems as it resolved, however. It should also be mentioned that Mike was generous enough to share his French fries with Ivan during a lunch break (but whenever he throws this in Ivan's face, Mr. Schablotski reminds him how he introduced Mike to Harley Quinn, who was also drawn to the SCARE-ATTACK event, and took their picture together).
After Ivan and Mike located Angela thanks to some timely assistance from Rob, Mike convinced them to allow him to attempt to talk Angela down rather than engage her in a bloody death match (despite how cool that would have been!). His nagging convinced them to enable him to try, and much to everyone's surprise, it worked. Angela agreed to peaceably return to the sanitarium where she was forced to reside (between her periodic escapes, that is), and she even agreed to be interviewed by the three on a special online podcast created by Rob's Super Entertainment network, directly from her cell at Arkham. Further, she offered to take a pic with Mike before being taken back to her usual home (until she escapes again).
Also, Samhain was defeated thanks to the assistance of the Deadites, and with that entity taken down the temporary Hellmouth in Springville was successfully sealed... at least for now.
Early 2017 -- Mike's career as a novelist finally get's started when Severed Press publishes his "fictionalized" account of a kaiju called Dargolla, a beast of Biblical-level nastiness that embarked on a swath of destruction in a small city called Metroville (see the file DARGOLLA: A KAIJU NIGHTMARE). He had it published under a pen name, however.
This assistance was found with a team led by the thunder god Thor, who had again recently incarnated in corporeal humanoid form (see THOR master file; and sub-file The Return of the Incredible Hulk). The whole conflict ended with the destruction of Gottvang, Monika forced to flee the inner circle of the Brotherhood for her life, and the pack/kindred taken over by Arranka, a more moderate lycan who had no major hostilities towards the human race.
Thor in the early '90s physical incarnation, in which he first met Beowolf.
1993 -- Mike goes a tour with Thor's hippie group of social activists, latter day flower children, Wiccans, Asatruar, Nordic warriors, and opponents of both corporate and paranormal malfeasance as the "Thor Corp." It was here that Mike adopted his highly progressive political tendencies, maximized his fighting and magickal skills, and chose to reject and resist his dark side once and for all to become a champion of the human race and a hunter of dangerous monsters & other dark paranormal phenomena. He also becomes involved with the worldwide group of progressively-minded activist champions known as the Aquarian Alliance, who are secretly run and controlled by the hidden, peaceful underwater super-civilization known as Latitude Zero (see the Latitude Zero file).
Thor and two members of his "Thor Corp." team who arrives to challenge the Brotherhood of Fenris circa 1992: the David Banner Hulk and Super-Stan.
The city of Latitude Zero
1994 -- The Thor Corp. is dissolved when the thunder god abandons his latest flesh and blood incarnation for an extended mission to Asgard. Mike is disallowed to accompany him, and was told his destiny was to be a champion of the material plane. He thus set up his status as a monster hunter, which he has continued to this day.
1997 -- Late in this year, Mike suffered a horrendous setback when he developed a rare but debilitating condition that has afflicted certain lycanthropes which they simply refer to as the "wasting illness" (among these other unfortunate lycans is Eric Cord; see Werewolf file). It results from the body partially rejecting the transformation process and developing negative side effects whenever a transformation into lupine form is done too long, or attempted for any amount of time under a waning or new moon, or particularly if attempted during the day. When an attack of the wasting illness is triggered, the symptoms carry over once the lycan reverts back to human form, and can last anywhere from a mere two days to as long as five months. The symptoms include extreme fatigue, severe skin rashes all over the body, dizzy spells, and "brain fog" (i.e., severe short-term forgetfulness). The level of the symptoms can vary from one hour to the next, and from one day to the next, for the duration of any given flare-up. During this duration the symptoms do not lessen with any amount of rest or sleep, and will become far more severe if the afflicted lycan attempts to metamorphose into lupine form during such a time. As a result, such lycans typically suffer from extreme depression, and the condition itself can last anywhere from six months to for the rest of the afflicted lycan's life.
As a result of this affliction, which Mike suffered from for the next 15 years, he had to exercise great caution in using his shape-shifting powers, and did his best to do so only during the waxing or full moon, and even then only when absolutely necessary. He would only initiate the change during negative lunar phases, or at any point during the day, during dire emergencies.
Eric Cord in lycan form.
1998 -- It was around this time that Mike was contacted by physician turned master mage Dr. Stephen Stroud, the latest holder of the title of Master of the Mystic Arts, who were also known in various sources as Dr. Fate, Dr. Mordrid, Dr. Strange, and Dr. Enygma, who sought to conscript Beowolf into his team of agents/minions, the Order of the Secret Defenders.
[Note: The various holders of the Masters of the Mystic Arts during the 20th-21st centuries had fictionalized depictions of their recorded exploits published in the comic book, television, and cinematic mediums. The earliest known Master Mage of the 20th century, Kent Nelson, started having files of his adventures published in 1940 by National Comics, now known as DC Comics, in an anthology title called MORE FUN COMICS, where he was called Doctor Fate. His career is unique among these mages, as it eventually split off from the line when he came in possession of a mystical object called the Helmet of Nabu, which caused him to become the bodily host of a Lord of Order. The helmet has since been passed onto others, and DC Comics has continued to sporadically publish fictionalized accounts of these individuals into the present. See DOCTOR STRANGEFATE master file, and DOCTOR FATE file.
Dr. Stephen Stroud Sr. took over the mantle in the early 1950s, and Marvel published a comic book series based on filed reports of his exploits in the first volume of a comic called STRANGE TALES, beginning in 1964, and as a result of the book's title, chronicler Stan Lee decided to refer to him as "Doctor Strange." His stories were moved into his own title later in the '60s, which picked up the numbering of STRANGE TALES v1. After disappearing during a conflict with a demonic entity called Dormmamu circa 1971, Stroud's adult son, Dr. Stephen Vincent Stroud Jr. -- who followed in his footsteps as a physician -- took over the mantle. Marvel then began recording his exploits in a second volume of DOCTOR STRANGE, writing the tales to appear as if he and his father were the same person. A file describing his origin was made into a telefilm circa 1978, with no mention made that he took over from his father. See DOCTOR STRANGEFATE master file, DOCTOR STRANGE file, and Doctor Strange telefilm sub-file.
Another holder of the title, Dr. Anton West -- a member of the infamous lineage of the four personages to hold the name Dr. Herbert West and the designation "ReAnimator" -- is the subject of a 1992 file turned film called Doctor Mordrid, with its events updated to the early '90s and his origin mis-reported as being of extraterrestrial origin when it was released direct to video. See DOCTOR STRANGEFATE master file; Doctor Mordrid sub-file; and REANIMATOR master file.]
Dr. Stroud Jr., who became known as "Dr. Enygma" in some circles by the 1990s (this was never acknowledged in the Marvel Comics, which have been continuously published into the present under the DOCTOR STRANGE title) had long been distinguished for using any means he deemed necessary to protect the world from supernatural threats, and he rarely hesitated to use amoral schemes to make other individuals indebted to him so he could secure their assistance whenever he needed it. These means often included forms of outright manipulation. He secured the debt of Beowolf later in this year by offering him an extremely rare herb, acquired from an allegedly otherdimensional source, that Mike could use to ameliorate the intensity and lessen the duration of the wasting illness flare-ups. In desperation for relief, and knowing of no other treatment, Mike agreed to the deal, and this allowed him to remain active as a monster hunter more often.
Dr. Stephen Vincent Stroud Jr., a.k.a., Dr. Strange, soon after adopting the mantle of Master of the Mystic Arts circa 1970s, and long before he became known as "Dr. Enygma."
Dr. Anton West, a.k.a., Dr. Mordrid
For the next several years, Mike Nero engaged in missions for Enygma's Order on a periodic basis. Little did he know that Enygma was manipulating his life continuously outside of these missions, initiating covert schemes to exacerbate Mike's own negative traits and social weaknesses by secretly setting him up to frequently suffer failed romantic relationships and end up in the arms of women who would callously use and manipulate him. The seeming cruelty behind this was actually one of practicality: Engyma wanted Mike to serve as a sacrificial lamb if need be, and he mused that an individual who had a happy life and everything to live for wouldn't make the necessary sacrifice when the time finally came. The mage justified this as being in the greater good, and he felt all champions should be willing to make these sacrifices; he didn't think they should be given a choice in the matter, however.
It would be over 13 years before Mike discovered Enygma's machinations and angrily severed his connection to the Order. Nevertheless, circumstances sometimes continued to force him to work with Enygma... again, for the greater good.
It was during this year that Mike also became a mentor to the late 1990s iteration of the youthful team of monster hunters who referred to themselves as the Monster Squad (see Monster Squad file). This lasted for a few years, before he turned over mentorship of the team to Sean Crenshaw, its now adult founder from the late 1980s.
Artist rendition of Sean Crenshaw and the original Monster Squad, circa 1988.
2000s -- Mike, as Beowolf, develops numerous contacts in the burgeoning online world, where he begins his secondary career as a writer, researcher, and social activist. These contacts includes fellow monster hunters, such as "Crazy" Ivan Ronald Schablotski, whom he exchanges research information and monster fighting theories and ideas with for many years. His set of contacts acquired during this time also includes a shared exchange network of monster hunters and paranormal researchers called the Boogie Knights, which he, Ivan, and Dale Parker -- a third monster hunter they also met through M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H's network -- created together.
However, Ivan's missions in the military and his own plethora of colorful adventures keep the two of them from meeting in person until 2016, where they did so twice (in just two months! See below). It is during this time that he also meets the famous Robert Wronski Jr. (a.k.a., Little Bobby, a.k.a., Super-Bob, a.k.a., Powerkid, a.k.a., Powerman [don't tell Luke Cage!], a.k.a., Rob, a.k.a., Christopher Kowalski, a.k.a... well, there are likely others, but you get the gist!), who becomes a valued part of his research circle (and whose own incredible TVCU saga is told here).
2011 -- Following the loss of his grandfather, the man who helped raise him despite their often rocky relationship, and other major upheavals in his life, Mike takes stock of matters and forms a new iteration of the Boogie Knights to more actively pursue paranormal and other unusual threats as a team. He continues networking with Ivan, Rob, and others who would eventually become part of the TVCU research group, including Matt Hickman, Gordon Long, and James Bojaciuk.
This year Mike finally discovered Dr. Enygma's "well-intentioned" treachery. He reacted by angrily severing his relationship with Engyma's Order of the Secret Defenders, and resolving to find his own cure for the wasting illness.
2014 -- Mike makes a near-complete recovery from the wasting illness, thus freeing him from the possibility of falling under the debt of Dr. Enygma again (at least for that reason). He thus becomes more active in leading missions of the new version of the Boogie Knights, in addition to serving as director of M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H 2.0.
May 2016 -- Mike has his first actual meeting with Ivan Schablotski, where they team up against an escaped daikaiju (that's Japanese for "giant monster" to you laymen!) from the Taconic Mountains Wildlife Sanctuary. Ivan tracked the creature -- believed to be an escaped mega-dinosaur known as a "Godzillasaurus" -- throughout his home state of Massachusetts, but when the situation spills over into the upstate New York area, Ivan felt he had no choice but to seek help for this one, and alas, Mike Nero was the closest assistance he could call upon (if you don't understand his reluctance, well, you try spending a day dealing with Mr. Nero in addition to whatever else you're dealing with! But hey, Ivan needed the help, just like Jack Be Nimble needed the money... ).
The fracas ended up being resolved with the use of a giant radioactive chocolate bar designed by Snickers to entice an actual kaiju (it's best either not to ask, or to check Ivan's own timeline for the full skinny), a group of homo magi wizards acting incognito, and a stop at one of the infamous Sam's Mart markets corrupting the landscape of North America (but this one was more specifically corrupting the town of Summer Falls, NY).
 |
| Don't let the slogan fool you... it's not smart to shop there! Just ask a certain employee named Ash! |
And it all ended with Mike and Ivan sharing a pizza back in Buffalo. Also, I should mention that a mysterious cat appeared out of nowhere and glared at Ivan just as he approached the steps to Mike's apartment, but what that may have portended remains a mystery (that's why I used the adjective "mysterious" to refer to the cat, in case it wasn't obvious).
June 2016 -- As if their crossing paths in person the previous month wasn't enough, Mike not only met Ivan Schablotski again, but he also ran into none other than Rob Wronski Jr. himself at the SCARE-AWAY CAMP incident. This occurred in Springfield, MA where the energies of a nearby "window event" caused many unusual individuals to converge in a single area. This included infamous serial killer Angela Baker (see file on Sleepaway Camp and follow-up "sequel" file Return to Sleepaway Camp for more info), whose was reported to have fled to Springfield after wreaking havoc on the nearby Camp Fugawi following her latest escape from Arkham Asylum attracted the attention of Ivan. The latter arrived there only to find Mike was also on the scene to deal with Angela, but this time there was a conflict of methodology: though Mike didn't approve of Angela's grisly means of dealing with individuals that reminded her of the people at Camp Fugawi who brutally bullied her and caused her mind to snap back when she was 13 (the same age Mike was when he first became a lycanthrope), he nevertheless saw her as a kindred spirit and sympathized with her plight.
Not exactly the DC Trinity, but they'll do in a pinch! Hey, they took down Samhain, right?
Difficulties were bound to arise, and the arrival of many other strange entities, including a mute Jason Vorhees copycat, an acrobatic midget serial killer, the Frankenhooker, and the powerful demonic being Samhain (whom the Ghostbusters have clashed with before; see the "Samhain" sub-file from The Real Ghostbusters master file), meant they needed to call for more outside help. Soon, the team of monster hunters and Electro-Shock Band known as the Deadites, contacted via the Grand Guignol Radio Network, where at the scene, and Patsy the Angry Nerd and Agent Nicole were on hand to lend a hand.
They may not seem like the Dynamic Duo at first glance, but they are to me!
You couldn't possibly have a better monster hunting duo at your side in a crisis than Patsy the Angry Nerd and Agent Nicole.
Listen to their way cool podcast Throwdown Thursday! Because it's cool!
You couldn't possibly have a better monster hunting duo at your side in a crisis than Patsy the Angry Nerd and Agent Nicole.
Listen to their way cool podcast Throwdown Thursday! Because it's cool!
Additionally, an enchanted statue head of a Cyclopean Frankenstein Monster that Mike brought to help deal with the situation seemed to cause as many problems as it resolved, however. It should also be mentioned that Mike was generous enough to share his French fries with Ivan during a lunch break (but whenever he throws this in Ivan's face, Mr. Schablotski reminds him how he introduced Mike to Harley Quinn, who was also drawn to the SCARE-ATTACK event, and took their picture together).
After Ivan and Mike located Angela thanks to some timely assistance from Rob, Mike convinced them to allow him to attempt to talk Angela down rather than engage her in a bloody death match (despite how cool that would have been!). His nagging convinced them to enable him to try, and much to everyone's surprise, it worked. Angela agreed to peaceably return to the sanitarium where she was forced to reside (between her periodic escapes, that is), and she even agreed to be interviewed by the three on a special online podcast created by Rob's Super Entertainment network, directly from her cell at Arkham. Further, she offered to take a pic with Mike before being taken back to her usual home (until she escapes again).
Two peas in a pod.
Just don't piss them off! You wouldn't like them when they're pissed off.
(Well, many people do not like Mike even when he's happy, but yanno what I mean.)
Also, Samhain was defeated thanks to the assistance of the Deadites, and with that entity taken down the temporary Hellmouth in Springville was successfully sealed... at least for now.
Artist rendition of Samhain, a truly big kahuna of the supernatural world.
You don't wanna run into him in a dark alley... or anywhere else, for that matter.
Early 2017 -- Mike's career as a novelist finally get's started when Severed Press publishes his "fictionalized" account of a kaiju called Dargolla, a beast of Biblical-level nastiness that embarked on a swath of destruction in a small city called Metroville (see the file DARGOLLA: A KAIJU NIGHTMARE). He had it published under a pen name, however.
Mike wrote this. Honestly!
(Yes, it's another shameless plug! What can I say, I want people to buy the book *grins*)
Comments
Post a Comment