Phalanx

An Australian Superhero Team

by David Carroll

This article details a group created several years ago as a representative team of Australian superheroes for an RPG, and I've have finally put it up here, for everyone's enjoyment. In part it is a tribute to the Southern Squadron, although it contains a large number of other references as well. Note that one of the inspirations was not the other Aussie superhero called Lusus, created by Doug Holgate in Dollboy, which I only found afterwards. (I was stunned.) I've considered changing my character's name, but think they can co-exist peacefully for the moment. Maybe one day there'll be a crossover...

As well as a detailed background for each character, I have done up stats in the Champions system (all those funny looking numbers at the bottom of each page, if you were wondering -- yes, they all mean something). I have not converted it into the most recent version of the game (the long anticipated Hero System 5th Edition). It would seem appropriate to do a set of alternate stats for Joseph Italiano's Australian RPG Super Squadron, but I'm not sure they'd get much use.

• See my page dedicated to Australian Comics

Based in Canberra, The Australasian Super Hero Enforcement Service (ASHES) is an organisation that coordinates and oversees a number of super-powered beings in both Australia and New Zealand, including the Sydney-based Phalanx and the Melbourne-based Phoenix. Created by a special act of parliament in 1998, it is currently run by the very British Rex Collins and maintains a surprisingly small staff (ASHES HQ is generally referred to, not entirely kindly, as Postbox). Although not Australian, Collins was offered the job thanks to experience gained at home in the UK, both as a Brigadier in the British army (he saw action in the Falklands) and adviser to the crown on paranormal phenomena. The other public figure within the organisation is Judy White, a kindly woman whose mastery at the art of the entertaining (and distracting) press release has earned her the nickname Dr Spin.

Members of the Team

• Lusus
• Kankatha
• Tiger
• Ex Machina
• Sun Strike