TM & © 2016 GeG nius Brands InIntet1ernrnaattioionaal,l, Incnc. All ririghghttss resserrvev d. From a history-making, cross-generational superhero creative dynamic duo responsible for some of the highest profile and most successful superhero franchises... STAN LEE Fabian Nicieza Comic industry living legend Co-creator and writer of the who created Spider-Man, biggest sleeper superhero The Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron hit of 2016, Deadpool, which Man, Thor, X-Men, and many broke numerous box office other fictional characters and records and became the introduced a shared universe highest-grossing R-rated into superhero comic books. film of all time, the highest In 2016, he was celebrated grossing X-Men film and a for 75 years in the industry. sequel has already been greenlit. 2 Together, they are the guiding creative forces behind one of the most innovative and captivating new adult-oriented comic superhero franchises... STAN LEE’S COSMIC CRUSADERS. 3 THE SHOW STAN LEE’S COSMIC CRUSADERS is a caustic and inflammatory exploration into the nature of heroism and the challenges facing immigrants in an age of 24/7 media coverage, Kardashians as role models, and society’s general need for daily outrage. • Adventure, comedy, satire and social criticism are doled out in equal measure. • A superhero show that is not about super heroics, but about the burden of being superheroes. • A workplace comedy and a satire of the basic tropes of the superhero genre. • Shameless enough to have its cake and eat it too, so expect lots of superhero action even as superheroes are being lampooned! 4 LO, THERE SHALL BE HEROES! (But for now, we get these guys.) It began, as so many stories do, with WRITER’S BLOCK. Tasked to develop yet ANOTHER groundbreaking, globally successful fiction franchise property, idol of billions, STAN LEE, was understandably banging his head against the wall. “How many groundbreaking, globally successful fiction franchises can you expect one guy to come up with?” (Apparently, the answer was: one more than the FIFTEEN that he already had.) To clear his head, Stan decided to take a drive through the desert, only to be the sole witness to a plane crash. Rushing to help, Stan realized it was no airplane, but actually an ALIEN SPACECRAFT! 5 SEVEN SURVIVORS emerged unscathed and in need of his help! They were all PRISONERS of an automated transport ship, but they weren’t CRIMINALS, they claimed they were FREEDOM FIGHTERS imprisoned by their galactic warlords. With MILITARY HELICOPTERS closing in, Stan had a tough choice to make: trust that seven super-powered alien strangers would be better served being processed by lawful government channels or HIDE them in plain sight by using their story to get over his writer’s block and turn them into a SUPERHERO TEAM that makes him a tremendous amount of MONEY? So yeah, because if he’d made the RIGHT choice, we wouldn’t have a series, right? 6 So Stan fled the crash site with the seven aliens and hid them in his beach-front MALIBU HOME. With all his experience writing the world’s greatest heroes, how hard would it be to turn these guys into HEROES? Why, even the translations of their alien names sounded heroic! STRONGARM! LADY LIGHTNING! LAZER LORD! SKYLARK! KID KINERGY! MICRON! ROLLER MAN! The media is nuts to learn more about these new heroes! The military is anxious about aliens with powers gallivanting all over Los Angeles! Corporate interests are curious about how these powers could be monetized! And when members of a dictatorial GALACTIC EMPIRE return to Earth to apprehend their “escaped prisoners,” well, let’s just say the Cosmic Crusaders have an awful lot on their plate. Which, of course, is a reference they won’t get, but anyway... 7 STAN LEE What can be said about Stan that hasn’t already Homeworld been said (mostly by him)? He is one of the most Earth PROLIFIC WRITERS of the 20th Century (he probably Abilities mentioned that). Creativity, Along with the greatest artists in comic book persuasion, history, Stan created the universe of globally promotion popular characters that have entertained generations of fans and generated BILLIONS of Personality dollars (he has DEFINITELY mentioned that). Gregarious, animated, And here he is, sheltering seven aliens inside his Malibu beach house and calling it a SUPERHERO fidgety HEADQUARTERS (he’ll only mention that if you Archetype guarantee a cover article). The Sage/ His character in STAN LEE’S COSMIC CRUSADERS Mentor has a lot in common with Stan Lee in real life. He is excitable, and quick-witted. And when there’s trouble, he stands behind his heroes every step of the way! In STAN LEE’S COSMIC CRUSADERS, he is the mentor, skewed sage, protagonist and agonized everyman all at once. The team would be nowhere without him, but where are they with him is cause for lots of tsuris! CHARACTERS 8 STRONGARM Real Name On his home planet, Strongarm was the Strnggrm anointed son of a ruling caste. That meant Homeworld he was a spoiled, selfish one-percenter who Hhyamm thought he was better than everyone else. His Abilities family’s presumption of rule was disrupted when the Kring invaded his solar system and Enhanced subjugated his people. strength, invulnerability, Strongarm was immediately incarcerated, not girth and width for refusing to surrender to the Kring, (because Personality he totally was willing to do that so long as Taciturn, they let him keep his stuff), but because the people of Hhyamm sided with the invaders humorless, against the ruling elite. clothing impaired Hhyammians worship the goddess Ayla, Archetype preferring to live in a natural state from the The Ruler say they are born. Said natural state prefers a lack of clothing. As a result Hhyammians are judged by their physical endowments. At least in that regard, Strongarm was always judged quite highly. CHARACTERS 9 SKYLARK Real Name Skylark was a Captain in the Candariandarian Scaylk Constable Congregation, which is a veryvery Homeworld formal way of saying she was a cop.p. And Candaria a good one at that, for escalation off rankrank Abilities in the CCC means the provision of bodybody modifications. Can generate wings made of As a Captain, Skylark was given biosyntheticthetic biosynthetic wings that can sprout or retract onn her material command. These wings allow her to fly,y, can Personality deflect bullets of energy weapons, and markmark Pragmatic, her as a commander of great achievement.ment. confident, commanding Her skills as a tactician and leaderr are Archetype constantly put to the test when tryingng to control her teammates, all of whom havehave The Hero very different cultural views on gender,er, thethe police, authority, and their own self-worth.orth. CHARACTERS 10 LAZER LORD Real Name Unbeknownst to the others, Lazer Lord is Ylezrlohrd the only inmate on their automated transport Homeworld who was actually a nasty criminal and not Polaxis just a political prisoner. He was imprisoned Abilities for robbery, assault, manslaughter, murder Can generate and something called “really bad murder.” powerful energy emissions He maintains the illusion that he is just like the others and sees his arrival on Earth as a Personality new opportunity, though whether that is for Belligerent, redemption or to continue his criminal ways threatening, is uncertain. sullen Archetype Raised in the slums of Polaxis, Lazer Lord The Outlaw is a hard-bitten, hardscrabble survivalist and pragmatist. He’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals and has no understanding of friendship or teamwork. CHARACTERS 11 KID KINERGY This highly intelligent teen is wise beyond his years, though by the standards of his Real Name hyper-rational home world, he’s just an Kknnrrggee average achiever. On Earth, he would make Homeworld Tiger Moms squeal in delight. Trigahr Abilities Versed in advanced spatial quantum Can manipulate mechanics and inter-dimensional physics, kinetic energy Kid Kinergy’s problem is that he is absurdly Personality socially awkward, and, without intending it, Cautious, incredibly condescending. intelligent, He was imprisoned, as were all of his people, thoughtful because their intelligence was a tremendous Archetype threat to the Kring, whose desire to “build The Magician a wall around the universe” catered to low- education voters. CHARACTERS 12 LADY LIGHTNING Descendant of a thousand year old Monarchy, Real Name Lady Ng is not in direct line to serve as the Lyt Ng Queen of Zznntxx, but she is a member in Homeworld good standing of the court. Well, maybe not Zznntxx such good standing considering some of Abilities Lady Ng’s more scatological escapades. Ability to move Lady Ng is a bit like the Kim Kardashian at tremendous of Zznntxx. Famous in her youth for her speeds extravagant escapades and her hedonistic Personality ways, now that she’s older she hasn’t come Sarcastic, to terms with how such antics can seem fun-loving, undignified. gambler She was imprisoned for trying to get the Archetype Commander of the invading Kring fleet The Lover caught in compromising pictures. She thought sexual blackmail would be a good way of manipulating the Kring. She didn’t know the Kring were asexual. She is happy to be on Earth where celebrities who peddle in sex are properly respected. CHARACTERS 13 MICRO Real Name Several generations ago, the Danysisians Mai Chroh found their world had become drastically Homeworld overpopulated. They developed the Danysis biological ability to reduce their size, thereby Abilities alleviating both their housing shortage and Can reduce the dire status of their food supplies. his size while Chroh was a graduate student in bioorganic maintaining his sciences, who was imprisoned by the Kring – mass as were all academics of their world – because Personality of the threat their research posed to the Shy, curious, empire.