The Red Badge

THE RED BADGE

Creator: Mark Halegua

Characters

Al Spade

Sarah Spade

Bronson Mays

Aaron Agnew

Herman Ross

Steven Harris

Captain Kuark

Maybell Haskell

Walter York

Bruno Carbone

“Bat” Batelli

Red Badge: A 1930s era vigilante.  He wears a western range duster outer coat so deep red it's almost black. Hat is wide brim with flat top the same color. His face is always obscured by the hat, but he also wears some kind of a mask covering his head completely with only eye holes. His other clothes, gloves, and boots are the same deep red. He is just over 6 foot tall and average weight, however his height is difficult to gauge because of the hat and boots.  He moves with an almost balletic grace, but doesn't lack strength when needed. His main weapons are two modified Colt .45 automatics. The spent shells are captured in a hard plastic like shroud on the side of each, and the front of the guns have a short suppressor attached which create a “squee” sound each time the guns are fired   He also uses red stiletto throwing knives. The guns are held in special holsters in outer pockets of the duster. The duster has a special lining, which has a limited ability to stop up to .45 caliber bullets, but he still feels the shock when they hit. He knows pressure points and Jiu Jitsu for hand-to-hand fighting. He will kill, but prefers not to; he prefers crippling his opponents with guns, knives, or hand to hand.  He has a bad attitude and when he gets into a rage anything goes. The questions about the Red Badge are -- what set him off?  Why is he targeting the Bruno Carbone gang? And ... who is the Red Badge?

Al (don't call him Albert) Spade: A disgraced ex-cop detective from a medium sized western city (Kansas City?) who resigned rather than go to trial. He moves to Central City, another medium sized mid-western city where his sister lives and takes a job as a radio reporter at KACM covering the crime beat. He's hard hitting and constantly berates the police captain and mayor for not doing more to stop crime, especially the rampant murder, robbery, and racketeering. He is not liked in certain circles, but the station manager and owner are full square behind him. They know about his disgrace and believe him when he says he was framed. 

Sarah Spade: Al's sister. She owns a house in a good section of town, is a college graduate with a degree in business and owns a small store selling dresses and women's hats and finery. She is attacked one night, robbed, raped, and beaten viciously, and left for dead in an alley. She is found and taken to a hospital where she recovers slowly, but is crippled (not necessarily permanently) has trouble talking and sometimes understanding the world around her. Al moves into her house to help her, and is very protective, blaming himself for the attack, thinking it’s a message from the crime lords.

Bronson Mays: Sarah's boyfriend. She was on her way to meet him when she was attacked. He was going to propose, and still has the engagement ring. He owns a small factory developing and manufacturing specialty materials in metal and plastics. Physically just over six feet tall and well muscled; boxed in college and played running back on the football team.  He has a temper.

Aaron Agnew: In his 60s, mostly bald and slight of build.  Wears horn rimmed glasses and owns a fix-it shop repairing household items like toasters, radios, etc. Has a basement workshop where he works on deadlier items. He used to work for a weapons manufacturer in Europe during WWI as a designer, but no one knew that part of his life.  He knows how to use the weapons he designs very well.  A good friend of Al and Sarah's parents (now deceased).  He's more than a little upset about what has happened to Sarah.

Herman Ross: Radio station Manager. He loves the attention Al's reports get and his ferocious hatred of crime. Protects Al from any outside complaints from the city politicians, advertisers, and anyone else.

Steven Harris: Radio station owner creating his own mid-west radio network of which KACM is the flagship. As a reformer, he has been threatened and pressured by city politicians and criminals. Also does what he can to protect Al and keep outside pressure off to ratchet down Al's constant attacks on crime and the politicians who are either on the take or ineffectual in stopping the explosion of lawlessness.

Captain Kuark: The current Police captain. Very political, seemingly ineffectual. Reportedly on the take and one of the reasons many believe crime has exploded in the city.

Maybell Haskell: A secretary at the radio station who adores and has a crush on Al. He's oblivious to it. 


Walter York: A former detective from the Brooklyn police force. A bodyguard for Harris.  Big and brawny.


Bruno Carbone: Ruthless gang-leader of the biggest mob in the city.


“Bat” Batelli: Carbone's number one enforcer.  Uses a baseball bat to make his point and enjoys using it.

“The Red Badge” MYSTERY MEN & WOMEN V #1 (Airship27)