My GWF 2087-2110 History

[David Morse]

GWF 2098 Highlights

From WPU issue 1.8

FINAL BLOWOUT FOR THE GLADIATORS

Just hours before Galacticade was to take place, Spike called a press conference. With him were Brute, Massacre, Slaughter, Mayhem, and Vengeance.

“I called this meeting to give you one last chance to back out, Mayhem,” Spike began. “You know what I think of you, but Aethrans don’t fight each other. Pull out of our match or you’re history with us.”

“No way,” Mayhem growled. “I’m gonna smash your head in and take your belt.”

Massacre spoke up next. “Talk to him, Vengeance. We don’t want a war with our own countrymen, no matter how much we hate him. This is your last chance to avoid it.”

“Avoid it?” Vengeance said with a sly smile. “I’ve been counting on it all year. You three are the ones who are history. Now meet the future of the Gladiators!”

Suddenly two more men appeared from behind the stage curtains. Both wore Gladiator face paint. One, though changed greatly in appearance, was clearly Thunder. The other was a huge individual, not as tall as Brute but well over 300 pounds. The stranger clubbed Brute to the ground with what appeared to be a table leg, while Thunder and Killing Machine attacked Massacre, Mayhem began hammering Spike, and Vengeance applied the eye cleaver in an obvious attempt to blind the young bodyguard Slaughter. Caught off guard and outnumbered, Spike and his allies were quickly placed at a disadvantage. The huge newcomer continued to batter the nearly unconscious Brute with his club, and Slaughter seemed in serious danger of losing his eyesight permanently. Spike fought bravely against Mayhem, but he was unable to free himself to help his teammates.

Then, out of nowhere, help arrived. Predator had come to the aid of his enemies! The young member of W. A. R. crashed into Mayhem from behind, knocking the Aethran maniac down and giving Spike the advantage. Predator then grabbed the microphone and smashed it into the face of Vengeance, forcing the psychotic Gladiator to break his hold on Slaughter. The distraction was enough to allow Massacre to knock Thunder down, and Spike quickly smashed Killing Machine from behind. Their advantage lost, Vengeance and his allies fled the room, leaving their enemies bloodied and Brute senseless just hours before the Ultimate Gladiators’ title defense against the New Order.

(From later in the update, after the year-ending Galacticade card on which the New Order took the tag team titles from Brute and Massacre):

Next Massacre issued a prepared statement regarding the Aethran conflict: “We don’t know why Predator chose to help us, but he may have saved Brute’s life. We may disagree with Predator on a lot of things, but he showed that he understands Aethran loyalty better than Vengeance and Mayhem do. We issue an invitation to Predator to discuss our differences at any time--and we are serious about the discussion. We may not like him, but we do owe him now.

“As for Vengeance and his bunch, there is little doubt that they cost us the tag belts today. Brute was not himself, and to be honest neither was I. We don’t know who their new man was, and we don’t care. The civil war is on now. I’m reporting their attack to our leader, Thakur the Oppressor, and we’ll let him rule on the situation. But we will have revenge on them, even if we have to fight three on five.”

Asked about his actions and Massacre’s statement, Predator replied, “I just reacted. Spike and I were close once, and although I’ve fought Spike, Brute, and Massacre as hard as I could, I have respect for them. Vengeance is a just a criminal, and he’s sick. I couldn’t let him and his men get away with their sneak attack. And yes, I know who their new man is, but I don’t really want to discuss it now. This is even too demented for Vengeance. As far as talking to Massacre, though, I can’t answer that now. My first loyalty is to W. A. R. I’ll talk this over with Destructon, and we’ll make a decision together on what to do.”

[David Morse]

Highlights from the Gladiator Civil War in 2099.

From WPU Volume 2 Issue 1:
GLADIATOR CIVIL WAR IS OFFICIAL
The most eagerly anticipated press conference was that of the Gladiators of Aethra. Spike, Brute, Slaughter, and Massacre entered together, while on the other side of the stage Vengeance came in with Mayhem, Thunder, Killing Machine, and the huge man who had attacked Brute at Galacticade. In the center was an unfamiliar figure in Aethran facepaint.

“I am Thakur the Oppressor,” the stranger in the middle announced. “Because our Aethran contingent has chosen to divide itself, I am taking charge. We will field two teams this year, and in addition to their regular matches they will also battle each other. You can see here on stage the way the teams break down. At the end of this year, or perhaps next, I alone will make a decision on which Gladiators are allowed to remain in this federation.”

Vengeance then took the microphone. “The old Gladiators are finished,” he said. “We are the new vanguard of Aethran dominance, and that is what we will be called: ‘Gladiator Vanguard.’ Next year we will add another awesome member. But for now, say hello to our new bodyguard. Brute met him at Galacticade. This is Malice, known on Aethra as “the Butcher.”

“So this is the famous Malice,” Massacre broke in. “From what I hear, he’s even sicker than you are, Vengeance. But can he wrestle?”

“He won’t need to,” Vengeance replied calmly. “We already have you outnumbered.”

“Not hardly,” Spike announced triumphantly. “Meet our newest member.” Looking at the back of the stage, Vengeance finally lost his composure, and Mayhem started shouting obscenities. Amid the commotion, Predator walked to the side of Spike. “We’ve got the history and the tradition of Aethran wrestling on our side,” Spike continued. “Now we also got Predator, and you know he can wipe the floor with any of you. Watch out, Vengeance, ‘cause he only joined us when we promised he could have first crack at you.”

“I did not approve this,” Thakur interrupted in a stern and disapproving tone. “This man is a traitor. He will be sent back to Aethra for punishment.”

“No, Thakur,” Massacre replied, shaking his head. “He’s with us, and although we respect you, you’re not sending him back. If you can allow a criminal like Vengeance and psychos like Mayhem and Malice to continue in the GWF, then you can certainly forgive Predator.”

“Great Thakur, this man has no place in our battles now,” Vengeance said, far less steadily than usual. “You must send him back. The law demands it.”

“Since when do you care about the law?” Spike spat out sarcastically. “If anyone should go back, it’s you.”

Thakur studied the situation for a moment. “No,” he said at last. “Don’t forget, Vengeance, I am the law as far as you’re concerned. Predator, I’ll allow you to compete in this war on one condition. If your team loses, you’ll return to Aethra with me for judgment, and your teammates will be judged for assisting you.”

“I accept your condition and your authority,” Predator said immediately. “But if we win, Vengeance and his men will no longer be allowed to carry the Aethran name in the GWF. Agreed?”

Thakur nodded. “Let the contest begin!” he declared. “And consider yourself warned, Spike: if you lose, you’ll never see daylight again. You are assisting a traitor to the empire. As of now, you and your teammates are no longer welcome on Aethra until you prove yourselves worthy again. You will come home only for wrestling cards. And Predator will not be allowed to come for those.”

A few hours later, Predator answered questions regarding his strange new alliance. “Destructon and I decided that I could do more good for W.A.R.’s cause this way. By teaming with the Gladiators, I’ll try to show them that their past ways have been wrong. Brute, Massacre, and Spike have a lot of respect on Aethra, and if they change, others will follow. But people like Vengeance and Malice have to be stopped. They are the evil that infects Aethran society, and I’m going to prove it to Spike and the others.”

Spike replied in a later statement. “We’ll see who convinces who. We ain’t no one’s heroes. If the fans want to cheer for us, fine. If not, it don’t matter. Neither do Predator’s goals. He can help us, and that’s what matters. When this is all over, we’ll see if he’s ready to claim his heritage like he should’ve last year. We’ll finish Vengeance’s team and convert Predator all at once, and then the Gladiator tradition will live on. In fact, that’s what you can call our team: ‘Gladiator Tradition.’ The power of the Aethrans will dominate again!”

(Note: Like Predator and Slaughter, the "Malice" I refer to here was originally my creation. Tom conveniently created a gladiator by the same name a few years later. In fact, Tom's Malice even looked like mine, mohawk and all. Tom's was a much better wrestler, so I just wrote it in as Malice having had a cleansing and stared using Tom's Malice in place of mine.)

From WPU 2.1: Galactic War Supercard

The most shocking moment of Galactic War occurred near the end of the card as Brute and Massacre made their way to the ring for their GWF tag title match against the New Order. From out of the shadows Mayhem, Killing Machine, Thunder, and *Malice attacked the Ultimate Gladiators and their young bodyguard, *Slaughter. Mayhem dropped Massacre with a piledriver on the concrete floor, Killing Machine and Malice hammered Brute to the ground and attempted to break the big man’s legs, and Thunder tripped and battered Slaughter. Predator and Spike came rushing out to intervene, but Vengeance was waiting in ambush to knock the rescuers down with a wooden club. Having knocked out Slaughter, Thunder joined Vengeance in his attack on Spike and Predator, while Mayhem and Killing Machine continued to hammer their victims mercilessly. Mace, Dreggs, and Destructon stood in the ring uncertainly when the attack began, clearly not knowing which side to take or even if they should become involved. When Predator went down, however, his former W.A.R. teammates came to his aid, chasing the Gladiator Vanguard team out of the arena. W. A. R.’s intervention saved Spike and Predator, but Brute and Massacre were both seriously injured. The tag title match was declared no contest, and the spectators watched in stunned whispers as Mace and Dreggs helped carry their sworn enemies to the dressing room.

“Brute and Massacre will never be champions again while we’re around,” Vengeance bragged after the event. “They won’t be fighting anyone for a while. If they were smart, they’d give up now. Gladiator Vanguard will win this war, and we’ll send those pathetic losers back to Aethra for the punishment they deserve. As for W. A. R., we have a warning: stay out of this fight from now on. We can take you out, too, and if you get in the way we will.”

From WPU 2.3: Gladiators challenge New Order for tag belts at Cosmic Mayhem Supercard
THE MAIN EVENT: The New Order, shunning tradition as usual, entered the ring first. Then the ring announcer introduced the Ultimate Gladiators as challengers for the tag titles. As the Gladiator entrance music started, everyone in the arena braced himself: all remembered the Gladiator Vanguard’s attack on Brute and Massacre at Galactic War the last time these two teams were scheduled to meet and Vengeance’s promise that the Ultimate Gladiators would never again be champions.

True to form, Vengeance, Thunder, and Killing Machine, all armed with clubs, leapt from the shadows as soon as the curtains blocking the dressing room moved. Suddenly the Vanguard members stopped short. The men who came through the curtains were not Brute and Massacre.

The Vanguard team found itself confronted by Wolf, his face splashed for the first time since 2086 with Aethran facepaint. And beside him stood an old friend, perhaps the last man the Aethrans expected to see.

Iron Mane had returned to the GWF!

With a roar Wolf and Iron Mane dove at the Vanguard team. Right behind them came Spike and Predator. Vengeance and his teammates, outnumbered and stunned by the appearance of the Animen, turned and fled the scene with Wolf and Iron Mane hot on their heels. Seconds later Brute and Massacre emerged with Slaughter beside them, and the three made their way to the ring while the fans screamed in confusion and excitement.

The Ultimate Gladiators thus finally got the title shot they earned by winning the 2099 Galaxy Cup. When the fight ended, however, the Gladiators were still without the tag belts. The New Order had control throughout the match, and it took less than five minutes for Dreggs to lock Massacre in the “Twist and Shout.” Brute tried to make a save, but Mace intercepted him. Massacre had no choice but to submit, and the New Order retained the titles.

Wolf and Iron Mane then joined the Gladiator Tradition team for the War Games.

From WPU 2.4:
A PLOT REVEALED: PREDATOR AVOIDS ARREST

At the press conference that announced the institution of War Dome Warfare, Thakur the Oppressor stunned the GWF by announcing that Predator would be allowed to return to Aethra for the event. The young star of the Gladiator Tradition team had been forced to sit out all matches on Aethra for the past two years, knowing that a return to his home planet would mean arrest and imprisonment on desertion charges. Days before the supercard, however, Massacre announced that Predator would cancel his appearence in the Ultimate Escape match.

“We have information from Aethra that the offer of amnesty for Predator was part of a plot to capture him,” the Gladiator Tradition leader said. “If Predator had appeared with us, they would’ve arrested him as soon as he stepped onto the planet. This was just another part of Vengence’s sick plans. Lucklily, we found out in time. Predator will watch the card from a safe distance on some other world.”

Thakur denied all knowledge of the plot, saying that he had simply been misinformed. Vengeance, however, was livid. “Predator may have gotten away this time, but we’ll see him in chains yet. I don’t know how Massacre found out about our plans, but someone’s gonna pay. We’ll take care of this security leak. Next time we go after him, Predator’s finished.”

From WPU 2.7: SPIKE SURVIVES ATTACK BY VANGUARD
A tragedy nearly took place on a card at the Mira Galaxy Dome when Spike narrowly escaped serious injury at the hands of the Gladiator Vanguard. After a match in which Spike defeated Killing Machine, the Machine’s Bodyguard, Malice, knocked Slaughter, Spike’s only ally in the building, unconscious from behind. Thunder and Mayhem then rushed the ring, grabbing the big superstar from Gladiator Tradition and pinning his arms to his sides. Vengeance then appeared on the scene with a heavy miner’s chisel and moved toward Spike, an evil smile on his face. Before Vengeance could strike, however, Killing Machine snatched the object from his ally’s hand, saying that he wanted to be the one to use the chisel on Spike.

“It’s time you and me settled some old scores,” Killing Machine gloated before the helpless Spike. “You’ve been trying to shut me up for years. How does it feel to be at my mercy? But you won’t get mercy from me! I’m gonna take your eyes out. I’m gonna make you sorry you ever messed with me.”

Vengeance frowned. “Get on with it!” he snapped. “If you want to carve him up, do it.”

“Just hold on,” Killing Machine replied, still waving the chisel in front of Spike. “I want to enjoy this. He’s had it coming for years.” Killing Machine continued to taunt Spike for over a minute, ignoring Vengeance’s protests at the delay. Knowing that Wolf, Brute, Massacre, Predator, and the members of W. A. R. were not on hand, the masked man seemed to feel that he had time to make Spike suffer before commencing with his attack.

Then, as Killing Machine continued his verbal assault, help arrived. Justice, Dreadnaught, U. S. Patriot, and the Canadian Bomber flew into the ring, smashing the members of the Vanguard down and freeing Spike. Killing Machine dropped the chisel and fled, followed closely by his teammates.

An angry Vengeance sent a warning to Spike after the event. “You got away this time because Machine was over-excited and those wanna-be cops from the FDF interfered,” he raged. “We’ll still get you. There’ll be another day, and I’ll see you out of action yet.”

The incident seemed to convince Spike of Killing Machine’s identity. “How many people could hate me that much?” he asked. “You heard him. He said I tried to shut him up, and he’s said stuff like that before. It’s gotta be Fury. We sewed his mouth shut, and now he can’t keep it shut long enough to get his job done. But this was his last mistake. Kraken’s not the only one he’s gotta worry about. Let him get back in the ring with me. He can hide his face, but he can’t hide from me.”

Destructon 3000, always interested in the Aethran’s activities, was not as convinced. “It may be Fury,” he said. “Does it matter? Spike had better just be happy. Killing Machine saved him without meaning to. He gave the FDF time to interfere. From now on, W. A. R. will make sure that Spike and his teammates have backup ready. The Gladiator Tradition team has been honorable all year, and as long as they stay that way, we’ll help make sure that Vengeance and his men don’t do any more damage.”

Despite Iron Mane being injured badly by Vengeance in mid-year, the Gladiator Tradition ran away with the 2099 War Games.

[David Morse]

Gladiator Civil War 2099 Conclusion

From WPU 2.8:

A PLOT REVEALED: CIVIL WAR BLOWOUT

The Gladiator Civil War came to a shocking conclusion at a special press conference just before Galacticade. Thakur entered the press room first, followed by the members of the Vanguard (Vengeance, Thunder, Killing Machine, Mayhem, and Malice) and the Tradition team (Spike, Brute, Massacre, Predator, and Slaughter). With all the Aethran wrestlers assembled behind him, Thakur took the microphone and spoke.

“I’ve called you all here to announce the winners of the Gladiator Civil War. This competition has achieved its purpose by putting Aethran wrestling back where it belongs, at the center of GWF attention. I will not waste words now. The winners of the Civil War are the members of the Gladiator Vanguard.”

As the Vanguard team shouted its approval, Brute and Massacre stood with shocked looks on their faces. Predator too remained silent, though his expression seemed less surprised. But Spike, unable to contain himself, grabbed the microphone.

“What are you talking about?” the big man demanded. “I just won the wrestler of the year award. Brute and Massacre were tag team of the year again. We dominated the War Games! How the hell can you say they won?”

“It’s my decision!” Thakur shouted back. “Awards and the War Games mean nothing. Those things involve too many non-Aethrans. In head-to-head competition, I have judged the Vanguard superior. There is no appeal possible for you.”

“But I beat Mayhem for the Galaxian title . . .” Spike argued.

“Silence!” the Aethran general roared. “Do you dare question my judgement? We made an agreement. I’ve named the winners. Now you and Predator will go back to Aethra to be judged as traitors, and Brute and Massacre will retire from wrestling. Or do you plan to challenge my authority?”

Spike stepped back in dismayed silence. It was Massacre who replied, his voice low and quiet. “No, Thakur. We had a deal. We’ll honor it. Tonight will be our last appearence in the GWF.”

Suddenly Predator stepped up, his face set in a devilish smile. He put his hand on Massacre’s shoulder.

“Cheer up, partner,” the young Aethran said. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re all staying right here to wrestle for as long as we want.”

“Shut up,” Spike growled. “We made a deal. We’re Aethrans, and we don’t back out of an agreement. I don’t like this either, but the only honorable thing to do is submit. We’re beaten. Don’t make us help them against you.”

Predator laughed. “Honorable? Thakur and Vengeance don’t know anything about honor. This whole Civil War was a sham from the beginning. We never had a chance. Thakur decided before it even began who would win--and I can prove it.”

“You’re lying!” Vengeance raged in a low, dangerous voice. “You’re a coward, but you’re not going to escape us now. What kind of proof do you think you have?”

Without warning, a new voice entered the conversation. Destructon 3000 stepped onto the stage, accompanied by Wolf, Iron Mane, Raven, Mace, Dreggs, Stalker, Terak, Justice, and the Incredible Badger.

“Tapes, for one thing,” the cyborg announced. “We recorded a few of your meetings. These tapes go all the way back to the beginning of last year. We can prove to the whole galaxy that this was a plot. We can show them Thakur promising you would win.” Destructon turned to Spike. “You were cheated. You’re not obligated to surrender to them. All of us are here to back you up.”

Thakur’s face had gone black with anger. “How?” he demanded. “What gave you the right? And how could you get such tapes? This has to be a lie.”

“We had the right because even though we opposed the old Gladiators, they were more honest than you and Vengeance. Predator believed he could reach them. And as bad as they were, they were better than Vengeance and Mayhem. As for how, we had a spy. He was sitting right in the middle of your meetings, and you never knew it.”

“A spy?” Thakur answered. “Who could have . . .”

He was stopped by a laugh from Killing Machine. In a quick movement the masked man stepped away from his Vanguard teammates and took his place between Predator and Wolf.

“I could have,” Killing Machine announced. “And I did. I had to put up with you sickos for two years, but it was worth it to see the looks on your faces now.”

“Damn you,” Mayhem screamed. “I knew it. I knew you were Fury. You’re working with Destructon again. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

Killing Machine laughed again. “You’re forgetting that Fury spent the first half of 2098 chained up in Ghengis Khan’s dungeon. Yes, I was working with Destructon, but I’m not Fury!”

Slowly Killing Machine unzipped the hood of his body suit. The assembled reporters let out a gasp as he removed his mask. It was Bounty Hunter!

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Predator broke in. “Spike, Thakur lied to you. We have the proof. Do you still plan to go back to Aethra with them?”

Spike looked at the general with murder in his eyes. “I just wish I could get you in the ring,” he glared. “I used to admire you. I was proud to be an Aethran. Now you make me sick. We’re not going anywhere. We’re gonna stay here and break your boys into little pieces.”

“You can still be proud,” Predator announced. “The Aethran Command knew nothing about this plot. It was all Thakur and Vengeance. We’ve sent copies of the tapes to the High Command. I think they’re gonna want to talk to you, Thakur. When they find out what you’ve done, they’ll be so embarrassed that they’ll strip you of every honor you ever had.”

Shouting an obscenity, Thakur leapt forward at Predator, but he was held back by Vengeance and Thunder. The members of W.A.R. and the other wrestlers Destructon had brought onto the stage moved between the two Gladiator teams.

“I never did like you,” Wolf snarled to Thakur. “I couldn’t stand you even when I was training on Aethra. If it makes you feel any worse, and I think it will, making Bounty Hunter our spy was my idea. You’re finished. I’d like to slap you up right now, but Destructon says this isn’t the time, and this was his plan from the start. He made sure you’d be so outnumbered today that you’d have no choice but to back down. Now get the hell out of here before I decide to settle things with you myself.”

Beaten, the Gladiator Vanguard team withdrew. Destructon and Predator promised a special press conference to explain what had happened. The Gladiator Tradition team left the press room escorted by Destructon’s forces, their careers saved by the cunning of their oldest and most bitter enemies.

Also from WPU 2.8:
SPECIAL INTERVIEW: PREDATOR, DESTRUCTON 3000, WOLF, BOUNTY HUNTER
The following interview took place on the day after Galacticade.

Q: Gentlemen, the events we watched yesterday were incredible. Can you explain further how all of this happened?

Predator: I guess it’s my job to start the story. Back in 2097, when I was still on Aethra, I got wind of a plot brewing between Vengeance and Thakur. I can’t really say how I heard it, because that would put Thakur on guard in the future. Anyway, when I was negotiating with W. A. R., I told Destructon what was going on: that Vengeance was plotting to take over the Gladiator team. I warned him that no matter how much he hated Brute, Massacre, and Spike, Vengeance’s team would be worse.

Q: Okay, so how did Wolf and Bounty Hunter get involved?

Destructon 3000: We decided we needed a spy in the Gladiator camp. Predator was too young, and we knew Vengeance wouldn’t trust him. So we approached Wolf. We figured he knew as much about the Gladiators as anyone in the GWF, so we asked his advice. He suggested Bounty Hunter.

Q: But Wolf, you were still feuding with Bounty Hunter at that time, even though he had joined the Savage Kingdom earlier in the year.

Wolf: Yeah, I didn’t trust him at first. But he had plenty of chances to turn on Terak’s team, and he didn’t do it. I figured he was the best bet. Since he’d just switched sides a few months earlier, Vengeance believed he hadn’t really changed. It was a gamble, but it seemed like the best idea.

Destructon 3000: So Bounty Hunter became Killing Machine. Actually, we were more confident than Wolf was. We were sure he’d stay loyal to us.

Q: So when Wolf shook Bounty Hunter’s hand at the farewell press conference, he knew the Hunter wasn’t really retiring?

Wolf: That’s right. It was a way of encouraging him, and I also figured it would put Vengeance more off guard if he thought even I trusted Bounty Hunter. He’s too sick to believe anyone can ever change, so he must have thought he had us all fooled, even me.

Q: Who else knew about this? Terak? The other members of W. A. R.?

Predator: Other than the four of us, only Amazonia and the Badger knew. Badger helped convince Wolf to trust Bounty Hunter. The others only learned about it a few minutes before we interrupted the press conference.

Q: Hunter, you gave up the GWF belt for this project. You were the champ when you retired.

Bounty Hunter: This was more important. It was a chance to do something to make up for all the garbage Guile had me doing all those years. It was a chance to say thank you to the new friends who accepted me when I left the Department of Power.

Q: You gave everyone the impression you were Fury. On several occassions you screamed about having your mouth shut. Was that intentional?

Bounty Hunter: Not at first, but when everyone started saying I was Fury, I decided to play along. Vengeance thought it was funny. If anyone had stopped to think, they would have realized that Fury was chained up on earth when I started as Killing Machine. I couldn’t have been Fury, but no one thought things out that much.

Q: What was it like spending two years with Vengeance and Mayhem?

Bounty Hunter: Pure hell, man. Those are sick men. And I had to play along. I had to help them attack Brute and Massacre at last year’s Galacticade. I was afraid they’d suspect something when I stalled their attack on Spike a month or so ago until help got there. But I couldn’t let them injure Spike permanently. I just wish I’d been around to help Lycanthrope when Mayhem got to him.

Q: You must also have been the one who leaked the Vanguard’s plan to capture Predator at Wardome Warfare.

Bounty Hunter: That’s right. That was a risk, too, but if they’d caught Predator on Aethra, he never would’ve escaped. I had to warn him.

Q: So the plan worked. Now what? What do you think Thakur and Vengeance will do?

Predator: That depends on the Aethran High Command. I don’t expect much. The Command is pretty corrupt. I’d like to see them break Thakur down like I said they would at the press conference, but I’m not counting on it. I don’t think the war’s over yet. But at least we won this battle.

[David Morse]

Other GWF 2099 Highlights

At the year-opening press conferences, Lance At-Las announced that the knee injury he had suffered at the hands of the Cosmic Forces in late 2098 had forced him into retirement. Dragonmaster and Pulsar re-joined the Titans as the Alliance disbanded.

Chaos won the Galaxy Cup singles Tournament. The Ultimate Gladiators won the tag team tournament.

In WPU 2.3, Quasar, frustrated with his own performance, announced that he was taking some time off from wrestling.

Later, at the press conference announcing the War Games rosters, Vengeance revealed that Quasar would be forming a tag team with Kati the Samoan Warrior and would be joining the Gladiators for the War Games, although Vengeance also indicated that someone else was behind the forming of this new tag team.

Fury's sneak attacks on Krakan continued into the summer of 2099. Fury later admitted to the attacks in an interview and revealed the torture Krakan and Ghengis Khan had put him through.

Janus, having joined the Federation Defense Fighters, formed an alliance with Cassandra to battle Pegasus and Dream Lover.

In WPU 2.6, Mayhem attacked and badly injured Wolf's son Lycanthrope when Wolf and his allies were not in the building. Lycanthrope would be out of action for the remainder of the year.

At the Starclash supercard, the Incredible Badger and Trainer Jim announced the formation of a new wrestling league. The league would be called the United Stars Wrestling Federation and would work cooperatively with the GWF. The USWF would begin holding cards later in 2099.

(Note: The USWF was originally made up mostly of my own creations, including a group of young wrestlers that I had made to form a training league in 2097 called the Titan Training Alliance. The USWF also featured a few former GWF wrestlers, originally including Sectarian, Wildcat, Death Masque, Marcel de Sade, and Fury. I also brought in a few creations I had received from other promoters, such as Homicide from Steve Minskoff and Dagger Mack from Andrew Karas. Finally, I sometimes used special cards in the USWF; for example, the original Overkill card, which was released several months before he arrived in the GWF with slightly different stats, made a short run in the USWF as a warm-up for GWF action. Though the USWF continues to contain a lot of my own creations and those received from other players, it later morphed into my version of the CPC, and I use the CPC sets for it now.)

In WPU 2.7, Pulsar was attacked by Kati and Quasar, who then held the Titan star while Bishop Hell threw fire in his eyes. Pulsar was put out of action indefinitely.

In late 2099, a hooded figure began shadowing Holocaust's matches. Holocaust denied any knowledge of who the figure was.

At the year-ending Galacticade supercard, Dreadnaught turned on his tag team partner Justice and was joined by Chopper Mattock in beating Justice down. Later in the evening, Holocaust, at the time a member of W. A. R., was joined by Dreadnaught and Mattock in an attack on Wolf. Dreadnaught was later revealed to have been the masked figure who had shadowed Holocaust.

Also at Galacticade, Krakan was revealed to be the one who had brought together Quasar and Kati as a tag team. Krakan announced that Quasar and Kati would join his Deadly Militia in 2100.

[David Morse]

GWF 2100 Press Conferences

(from WPU 3.1)

At the year-opening press conferences, Holocaust announced the formation of a new group, the Dominators, of which he would be the leader. Other team members were Dreadnaught, Powerhouse, and Terak as the manager. All members expressed disappointment in their previous teammates and cited W. A. R. and the FDF as their main targets.

The Vanguard team welcomed Overkill to its ranks. Max Shield and Mandrill also made their debuts.

Justice announced that he was leaving the FDF to move the to the new federation, the USWF, as a member of a team to be managed by Lance At-Las.

Cannibal and Splatter, the tag team known as "Thirst for Blood," formed a new group called "Murderer's Row" with Death's Head, Cycle Hog, and a young wrestler named Hurricane.

(Note: Hurricane was my own creation. Originally known as Storm, he was part of a young tag team from Neptune recruited by Terak. The team began in the Titan Training Alliance in 2097. In 2099 Storm turned on his partner Skyfire, and in 2100 he changed his name and joined Cannibal. Eventually Hurricane would become a long-standing member of the USWF.)

The USWF welcomed several new faces, among whom were Justice, Ursa Major, and Wolf's son Lycanthrope. Also entering were Malice, the vicious Aethran who had previously served as a bodyguard for the Vanguard team in the GWF, and Wrath, an angry young giant whose was the product of his mother's rape at the hands of an Aethran soldier during an invasion. Wrath, once of the most impressive physical specimens in the USWF, had a deep and open hatred for all Aethrans and for the members of W.A R., who he considered traitors because they had helped the Gladiator Tradition team the year before. Predictably, Wrath and Malice targeted each other.

(Note: Obviously, Wrath was also one of my creations. He would become a major part of several storylines over the years.)

Dynamo and Gemini also entered the USWF as the tag team "A Cut Above" and quickly won the tag team championship.

[David Morse]

GWF 2100 Highlights

At the Galactic War Supercard in February, Vengeance and Mayhem attacked Bounty Hunter to gain revenge for his actions in revealing their treachery in the gladiator civil war. Bounty Hunter's knee was badly injured. A few days later he once again announced his retirement, this time for good.

In the middle of an interview with the new Dominators group, Holocaust kicked Dreadnaught off of the team, pointing out Dreadnaught's failing health.

The USWF held its first major event, a year-opening tournament called "The Star Challenge." The event, which featured both singles and tag team tournaments, would become an annual fesitivity for the USWF. Winners of the first tournaments were a newcomer from another Galaxy, Pormak Landiron, who beat Justice in the finals, and the Estorian tag team Estoria Reborn, who beath Death Masque and Shadowmaster in the finals.

(Note: Landiron, Estorian Reborn [Mantric and Altret], and Shadowmaster were my own creations. Landiron was supposed to be a major figure, but he never worked out, though he stayed in the federation for several years. The Estorians were a good team tag for a couple of years, at which point Altret left. Mantric has been a major figure up to the present. Shadowmaster became a manager after just a couple of years.)

In Mid Spring, Pegasus was attacked by the Matador and thrown out of the Citadel of the Elite. He would join the Gladiators for the War Games.

When the War Games rosters were announced, Ram joined the Dominators as a permanent member and Defender of the Realm also joined the team for the War Games, deserting the King's Court. Mandrill joined Doomsayer's group for the War Games, while Max Shield joined W.A.R.

In mid-year, after several inexplicable decisions by Commissioner Carter, Omega began calling for Carter's resignation.

Darkos left the GWF in mid-summer and joined the USWF as a manager.

At the midpoint of the War Games, the Gladaitors released Pegasus, who joined Omega's Defenders of the Galaxy, and brought Actagon back to the present time as a War Games teammate.

Also in the middle of the War Games, the Citadel added a new member, "the Dark Traveller." The newcomer would say nothing about himself. His skin was almost transparent ebony, somewhat like a photo-negative.

(Note: The Dark Traveller was not my creation. He was an official CotG character. It's probably not hard to figure out who he was.)

In the USWF, a strange new tag team formed featuring Wrath and Fury. Fury was still officially a member of Reynard B. Guile's team, but Wrath refused to have anything to do with Guile or to have Guile at ringside. Guile continued to accompany Fury for singles matches. Wrath and Fury became, surprisingly, the most dominant team in the federation--and, more surprisingly, fan favorites, though they did not play to the fans at all-- and won the tag titles before the end of the year. Fury eventually broke away from Guile completely.

Kati returned from the USWF and joined the Dominators for the conclusion of the War Games after walking out on his tag team partner Quasar.

After a controversial ending at the Starclash supercard in which Chaos won the GWF Heavyweight Championship from Raven, Omega called for an official investigation of Commissioner Carter.

At the conclusion of the War Games, the GWF governing board suspended Commissioner Carter. Massif was named interim commissioner. Once Carter was suspended, Omega took a leave of absence from the federation.

Pathfinder, a young giant discovered and trained by Massif, chose to leave the USWF for the final few months of the year, hinting that he had a special training opportunity.

(Note: Pathfinder was my own creation, originally as a member of the Titan Training Alliance in 2097.)

W. A. R. (with Max Shield) ran away with the War Games.

Raven was named wrestler of the year. Titan Fury was tag team of the year.

[David Morse]

GWF 2100: Dramatic Titan Returns

From WPU Vo. 3. Number 7

The conclusion of the Titan Challenge Supercard:

Lights out match: Titan Fury vs. Above the Law

Above the Law came to the ring first, accompanied by the Overlord, as the special conditions of this Falls Count Anywhere match allowed managers at ringside. Dragonmaster and Rising Sun entered next, but without Lord Nexus. Dragonmaster then took the ring microphone.

“I warned you that I had a surprise, Bishop,” the Titan said. “Lord Nexus isn’t here because we chose to bring a bodyguard instead. He’s someone I’ll bet you didn’t expect to see. Come on out--PULSAR!!”

As the capacity crowd at the Titan Sportatorium screamed, Pulsar walked out of the dressing room to ringside. One side of his face was heavily bandaged, but he moved with determination and showed no other sign of the injuries inflicted upon him by Bishop Hell just over a year ago. Above the Law was incensed, screaming insults at Pulsar, Titan Fury, the fans, and everyone else in sight.

The match that followed was brutal. Rising Sun took Bishop Hell outside the ring and beat him all over the arena, at one point even going back into the dressing rooms. All four competitors were bloodied within ten minutes, and Titan Fury had broken at least five chairs by slamming Bishop Hell into them.

In the end, however, the inspirational return of Pulsar was not enough to save Titan Fury. As Rising Sun and Pulsar hammered Bishop Hell on the floor, Defender of the Realm executed a “Defender Cannon” on Dragonmaster in the ring and rolled him up for the pin and the victory.

From WPU 3.8

Three days before the Galacticade weekend, Pulsar appeared as a guest on what would turn out to be the most explosive edition of the Johnny Rocket Show in 2100. As the injured Titan explained the medical procedures he had undergone since being burned in 2099, the interview was interrupted by Bishop Hell and Defender of the Realm.

“You don’t know when to quit, punk,” Bishop Hell said with an evil smile on his face. “I thought we were rid of you for good. I guess this time we’ll have to make sure you never see again.”

As Johnny Rocket dove for cover, Defender of the Realm grabbed Pulsar and pinned his arms to his sides. The Titan struggled, but he was clearly not in shape to contend with an active wrestler. With Lord Nexus, Titan Fury, and the other members of the Alliance not in the building, Pulsar seemed to have no help available.

Then, as Bishop Hell prepared his “Hellfire,” Quasar burst into the room and landed a flying kick to the villain’s head. As the Defender pulled back in surprise, Pulsar flipped him forward and freed himself. Not willing to fight with the odds even, the members of the Brotherhood beat a hasty retreat from the room.

With the television cameras still rolling, Pulsar and Quasar stood facing each other. No one watching could help but remember that Quasar, along with his then-partner Kati, had been involved in the incident that resulted in Pulsar’s injury. After a moment of tense silence, Quasar spoke.

“Man, I never expected to see you back again,” he said, his voice choking with emotion. “When I saw you come out with Dragonmaster and Rising Sun at the Titan Challenge, I couldn’t believe it. But I suppose I should have known. I always knew you had guts. Seeing you come back made me think about what real courage is.

“I don’t blame you if you hate me, Pulsar. I held you while the Bishop burned you last year. It was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. I don’t have any excuses: I was taking Krakan’s orders, and the whole attack was his idea from the beginning. I was a fool, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just want to say I’m sorry. I don’t even have the words to say how sorry I am.

“I don’t know if you or the other Titans can ever trust me again, but I’m here to offer my help. We were friends once, man. I’ll do whatever you want to make up for the past, and I’ll be right beside you when you go after the Bishop and Krakan. If you’ll have me with you again, I can help you get them.”

Pulsar looked at Quasar cautiously for a long minute. Then, in a low voice, he answered.

“I don’t know if I can trust you again either. For the past year I’ve hated you as much as any of them, because I thought we were friends. We were tag team champs together. When you left the Titans, it hurt me more than anyone. But you risked yourself saving me today, since I’m not in shape to be much help against Above the Law. If Thantos can change, and Bounty Hunter can change, then maybe you can come back to what you used to be. I don’t know what to say right now. I need to talk to Nexus and Dragonmaster. But if you want to sit down and discuss this, I guess I’m willing.”

After another short silence, Pulsar extended his hand to his former partner. The move finally made Quasar’s control break, and a stream of tears ran down his cheeks. The two left Rocket’s stage together, ending the dramatic interview session and perhaps indicating a reunion of AirTitan in 2101.

[David Morse]

GWF 2100: Carter's Corruption Revealed

From WPU 3.8:

SOLARIS RETURNS TO EXPOSE CARTER

The press conference announced by Solaris at the awards banquet took place at 10 AM on December 15, the day of the Galacticade card. The events that transpired will make this date memorable for fans and historians of the GWF for as long as the sport of wrestling continues.

Solaris took center stage as the proceedings began in the Los Angeles Sports Arena press room. Behind him stood a young, dark-skinned woman, GWF board of directors chairperson Katrina Gold. Also in attendance were acting GWF commissioner Massif, management council vice-chairman Commander Sam, Chaos, Morpheus, the Dark Traveler, and a worried looking Zachary Carter.

“Thank you all for being here,” Solaris began. “The honorable Ms. Gold has allowed me to take charge of this news conference. I have just returned from a trip into the future--to the year 3000, to be exact. What I discovered was shocking, and it explains in part the actions of former Commissioner Carter.”

“I’m not the former commissioner yet, Solaris,” Carter snapped, but Katrina Gold cut him off.

“If you don’t remain silent, I’ll give Massif permission to gag you,” Ms. Gold declared. “You’re in enough trouble as it is. We know all about what you’ve been doing, and we know how and why. Just be quiet and let Solaris finish.”

Solaris then continued. “As I said, my trip to the future was enlightening. I discovered that there had indeed been tampering with time travel between 3000 and our time. As you all know, the GWF is not the only organization in possession of time travel equipment; ours is simply the most sophisticated and least risky to the traveler. But I discovered first that several representatives from our time had visited 3000 in the past year, and all of them inquired actively into the character and abilities of the wrestling stars of that time period. Then I heard that the most recent visitor had claimed to be the employer of the previous representatives and had come to finalize the deal they had set up. The description I received of that man matched Morpheus perfectly.

“Apparently Morpheus made his trip to the future in the interval between last year’s Galacticade and the start of the new GWF year in 2100. He also seems to have used the GWF time travel equipment, since I’m sure he didn’t want to risk himself on black market transportation. To do this, he would have needed help from the GWF offices. Only two men had access to the GWF time travel equipment, myself and Zachary Carter, and I know I didn’t help Morpheus.”

“You can’t prove . . .” Carter began to protest, but a threatening move from Massif silenced him again.

“We have enough other proof of your activities, Carter,” Solaris replied. “But I’ll get to that in a minute. Morpheus had apparently made arrangements to bring a wrestler from the year 3000 into our time without the erasing of that man’s memory. He planned to use this man’s knowledge of wrestling’s future to the advantage of the Citadel. And that man is standing here on stage.” Solaris turned to the Dark Traveler. “I know who you really are. The charade is over.”

The Dark Traveler simply smiled. “Aren’t you clever? Just who do you think I am, and what do you plan to do about it?”

“In your own time, you’re known as Infinity-plex,” Solaris answered. “And what we plan to do is send you back to the year 3000.”

Again the dark man smiled. “You got the name right,” he said, “but I’m not going anywhere. I didn’t sign a contract with you to bring me here, so you have no authority to send me back.”

Solaris looked toward Katrina Gold. “We anticipated this reaction,” Ms. Gold said. “We admit that we have not yet decided how we will enforce our decision. However, we do have the authority to ban you from GWF action. You will not compete at tonight’s event, and you will not wrestle in the GWF again until we reach an agreement with you.”

“And what are you accusing me of?” Morpheus broke in. “I traveled to 3000 with Carter’s permission. It was legal. You can’t touch me or Chaos.”

“Alright,” Ms. Gold answered. “Now we’ll deal with you. Our secret investigator has concluded his report, and he has found evidence that you have been coercing Zachary Carter into acting in your favor for over four years.”

“What evidence?” Morpheus scoffed. “Who is this investigator?”

“Actually, there were two men working on this case. One handled the legal end, while the other did the covert work. We’ll bring them out now.”

In answer to Ms. Gold’s words, two familiar figures stepped out onto the stage. The first was Trainer Jim. The second was Dreadnaught.

“We will release full details of the investigators’ findings later,” Ms. Gold said. “For now, I’ll just say that Dreadnaught has tapes of Carter’s recent conversations with you, Morpheus. We’ve heard Carter confess everything you and he did while he pleaded with you to save his job. He’s obviously been under your thumb for a long time.”

By this time, Carter was nearly frantic. “He forced me to do it,” the former commissioner cried. “I was blackmailed. I didn’t want to help him.”

“We know all about it,” Trainer Jim broke in. “We also know how he blackmailed you: he found out that you were betting illegally on GWF action. That alone is enough reason to take away your job.”

“And that is exactly what we are going to do,” Ms. Gold added. “Zachary Carter, you are hereby fired as GWF commissioner. The UFSP police are waiting outside to talk to you. Not only will you never work in connection with the GWF again, but you will face criminal charges for illegal gambling.

“As for Morpheus and Chaos, we have not yet decided on their full punishment. However, one thing is clear: Chaos gained his chance to win the Galaxian title through Morpheus’ illegal influence. This is clearly conduct unbefitting a champion. We therefore strip Chaos of the GWF Heavyweight championship, effective immediately.”

“What!” Chaos roared, entering the conversation for the first time. “You can’t do that!”

“We certainly can,” Katrina Gold answered. “As of now, the Galaxian title is vacated. Infinity-plex, or the Dark Traveler, is suspended indefinitely. The managerial status of Morpheus is under review. And Zachary Carter is fired as GWF commissioner. These are the decisions of the GWF board of directors. Full information on the activities of Morpheus and Carter will be released to the press. We hope to name a new commissioner within a month. Until then, this press conference is over.”

The stage cleared quickly, with Carter led away by Massif to face the UFSP police. The assembled press was left in stunned silence to await details on the biggest scandal in GWF history.

Also from WPU 3.8

GWF INTERVIEW: SOLARIS

Solaris entered the GWF as manager of the Supreme Gods in 2088. He retired in 2095 to pursue other interests, but when the GWFF was established on Kronos, Solaris was named commissioner, and he has served in that position since. Twice in the past two years Solaris has shut down the GWFF due to indications of time travel abuse, of which Solaris maintains sole GWF control, and the Kronos federation is currently inactive. In late July of 2100 Solaris embarked on a mysterious mission to investigate possible tampering with the time laws by visiting the future. His dramatic return and disclosures at Galacticade are chronicled elsewhere in this update. Shortly after the explosive supercard, Solaris sat down with the WPU staff to give a further explanation of the situation.

Q: We asked for this interview in hopes that you could give us more information on the Carter/Morpheus scandal. What can you tell us?

Solaris: It all seems to boil down to a blackmail scheme. Morpheus found out that Carter had been betting on GWF matches, which, of course, is serious misconduct for the commissioner. He held the information over Carter’s head, forcing him to rule in the Citadel’s favor and to allow the use of our time travel equipment.

Q: How long had this been going on?

Solaris: Believe it or not, since 2096, even before Morpheus re-entered the GWF. But they were careful to be less obvious until this year.

Q: What changed?

Solaris: The Dark Traveler, or Infinity-plex, as he’s properly called. Morpheus counted on his knowledge of the future to help him take over the GWF.

Q: How was this discovered?

Solaris: I found out parts of it by visiting the year 3000, as I explained at the press conference. But as far as the blackmail, that was Dreadnaught’s contribution.

Q: That’s one of the surprising parts of this story. Why Dreadnaught?

Solaris: He was perfect for the job. Remember Comrade Terror? He was a cosmic terrorist before entering the GWF. He knows more about undercover operations than anyone else we knew. He jumped at the chance to help, since he wanted to do something to make up for turning against the FDF. We asked Trainer Jim to help him, since Jim has a lot of connections and could work through legal avenues. But Dreadnaught apparently picked a few locks and got inside Morpheus’ office. He placed a telephone bug, among other things. Jim got that approved by the UFSP police, so it was legal. I don’t know all the details of how they worked it, but they UFSP was convinced by the early evidence Dreadnaught turned up that there was cause for the bugging.

Q: You’ve said “we” several times. Were you in on the decisions?

Solaris: Of course. I was always in contact with the federation offices.

Q: How much damage did Infinity-plex do with his knowledge of the future?

Solaris: Not much yet, I think. I doubt he told Morpheus the truth most of the time. He’s an evil person, and he just used Morpheus to get here. He would have wanted to use his knowledge for his own benefit, not the Citadel’s.

Q: If he knows the future, didn’t he know that the plot would be exposed?

Solaris: When you travel back in time, you can change the future. He may have known, though. I wonder if it has occurred to Morpheus that he may have been double-crossed yet.

Q: What will you do about Infinity-plex now? He says he won’t go back.

Solaris: I have an idea about that, but I can’t say now. I may have to go back to the future to get some help.

Q: What will happen to Carter?

Solaris: No more than he deserves. He got himself into this mess. I expect that he’ll be sent away for quite a while.

Q: Will you be the next commissioner?

Solaris: No. I need to figure out what to do with Kronos. We have to tighten our time-travel security, and frankly the GWFF isn’t drawing crowds in its present form anyway. But we have some ideas for how to solve the problems. We’ll be making an announcement soon.

Q: So is this story of Carter’s corruption over now?

Solaris: Morpheus will still have to be dealt with, but that will be the job of the next commissioner. And it won’t be over until we get Infinity-plex back to his own time. As long as he’s here, he can cause problems. No, I don’t think you’ve quite heard the last of this yet.

[David Morse]

GWF 2101: Year-Opening Press Conferences

(from WPU Volume 4 Issue 1)

GROGAN TAKES OVER AS GWF COMMISSIONER
In a press conference held at the Deimos media center on January 17, 2101, the Mighty Grogan was officially named to succeed Zachary Carter as the new commissioner of the GWF. Grogan has served in a similar capacity in the USWF for slightly over one year.

(Note: I had brought in Grogan as USWF Commissioner because he seemed to me the most likely candidate from among the classics sets about a year before Tom introduced him as GWF Commissioner. Just another fun coincidence.)

GROGAN’S INAUGURAL PRESS CONFERENCE

New GWF Commissioner Grogan held his first official press conference on February 1, 2101, three days before the annual Galaxy Cup tournaments. The event was made noteworthy by several important announcements from the commissioner.

“I want to thank the GWF board of directors, the management council, and the fans and wrestlers of this great federation for this opportunity,” Grogan began. “I am honored by the appointment, and I promise to do the best job I can in being fair to all.

“I was hired to be an active commissioner, and in the wake of the Morpheus/Carter scandal, the Gladiator Civil War, and other issues, several decisions have had to be made.

“First, regarding the vacated Galaxian title: In the past when situations such as this have occurred, the Galaxy Cup tournament winner has been named champion. However, because GWF wrestlers are coming off a layoff of over one month when they compete in the Galaxy Cup, they are not at their best, and this is therefore not a fair method of determining a champion. Instead, we will hold a separate tournament in February, with the final match being fought at the Galactic War supercard.

“Second, regarding the status of Morpheus: the manager of the Citadel will be suspended and barred from GWF events for 60 days. He also will be fined $200,000 and will forfeit his team’s seat on the management council for two years. Finally, we have been informed by the UFSP police that Morpheus may face criminal prosecution on charges of blackmailing Zachary Carter.

“Third, regarding the Infinity-plex situation: Solaris is currently negotiating with our visitor from the future and hopes to have an announcement before the beginning of the Galaxy Cup tournament. Infinity-plex will not be eligible to compete in the tournament.

“Fourth, due to the retirements of Spike, Brute, and Massacre, the team known last year as the Vanguard will now reclaim the name of the Gladiators of Aethra and will resume its seat on the management council. However, that seat will be filled by Vengeance. Carter’s action regarding Thakur’s deception in the Civil War was too lenient. I am therefore suspending Thakur from the GWF for one year.

“Fifth, I am happy to say that the management council has approved two new seats for Mandrill and Max Shield. We know that both expect to bring teams into the GWF soon, so they deserve to be represented.

“Sixth, I have a decision that is long overdue, and Carter’s failure to act on this situation is further evidence of his corruption. Three years ago Doomsayer returned to the GWF in a body that he had stolen from another individual. While this crime is not punishable by law, it will not be sanctioned by the GWF. Doomsayer is hereby banned from the GWF for as long as he inhabits the stolen body. He has already been escorted away from Deimos and will not appear at the Entropy press conference.

“We look forward to a great year in the GWF. Thank you all for attending.”

A SURPRISE FOR THE CITADEL

The Citadel of the Elite held the first team press conference this year, and it turned out to be a dramatic event. With Morpheus suspended by Commissioner Grogan, Chaos acted as spokesman for the group. He was joined on stage by the Matador of M83 and Enigma. Superiority Complex was scheduled to return from their year-end break the following day.

“So Grogan thinks he can punish us by suspending Morpheus?” Chaos scoffed. “Morpheus will be back in two months. The fine is nothing to us, and we don’t need the management council, either. We’ve already won. We’ve driven Omega out of the federation. We’ve driven Pegasus out. Star Warrior, Thantos, Alpha Force, and Colossus will be next, and then we’ll rule without competition.”

Suddenly a voice from the side of the stage interrupted him. “I’d think you’d get sick of being wrong all the time, you overpumped mutant,” it said. “But then again, you’re not smart enough to know when you’re beaten.”

Chaos turned angrily toward the intruder. It was Pegasus! Beside him stood Omega and two other individuals. One was slightly taller than Pegasus himself, a huge young man who, though he had obviously lost at least twenty pounds since last seen, was a familiar face to USWF fans: Pathfinder of Ceres. The other was a shorter, slimmer, and clearly younger man with darker features and long black hair.

“I’d like you to meet some friends of mine,” Pegasus said smugly. “Their names are Pathfinder and Black Hawk. Of course, you already know Omega, the man you ‘drove out of the federation.’”

Shouting an insult, Chaos led his men menacingly forward, but Pegasus’ friends were ready. Pathfinder decked the Matador with one backhanded swing of his left hand, while Black Hawk caught Enigma in a flying head scissors that the flamboyant masked man himself would have been proud of and sent his victim sailing across the stage. Chaos was left alone, face to face with Pegasus.

“We didn’t come for a fight today,” Pegasus continued. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m back, I’m with Omega full-time now, and I’m coming after you. Your days of dominating this federation are over. Today was just a warning. Imagine what would have happened if Alpha Force and Colossus would have been here. Next time they will be, and together with the GameMasters we’ll keep coming after you until you break.”

With that, Pegasus and his entourage turned and left the stage. Chaos stood alone, with the groggy Matador and Enigma trying to regain their senses, and fumed as he watched them exit. Everyone in attendance could see that the big man from Dimension X had been shown up, and all knew someone would have to pay for it.

(Note: Black Hawk, like Pathfinder, was my own creation and has been a major figure in my USWF since his introduction.)

Other news from the press conferences:

The Fighting Titans welcomed Quasar and Pulsar back to their team.

Solaris introduced a rival for Infinity-Plex: Infinity, like Infinity-Plex recruited from the year 3000 and the most hated rival of Infinity-Plex. Commissioner Grogan announced that Infinity had allowed his memories of the future to be altered in order that he might return to 2101 and battle his rival. He would not be eligible to compete for titles.

Shortly after the announcement regarding Infinity, Infinity-Plex accepted a similar arrangement with Commissioner Groan and was reinstated to wrestle after having his memory altered.

Solaris also introduced a third wrestler from the year 3000, Rune Laars, who had for undisclosed reasons requested asylum in the past. Laars would eventually join the FDF and team with Janus in the tag team "Space and Time."

Holocaust announced that his team, "The Dominators," would now be managed by Magnus Colby, thus marking the return of the wealthy Colby to the GWF.

In an interview, Pegasus revealed that he and his friend Pathfinder had a bet regarding which of them would be a champion first.

Heracles won the Galaxy Cup singles tournament, defeating Max Shield in the finals. The two had been friends and occasional tag team partners in 2100, but Heracles had joined Krakan's Deadly Militia after ambushing Actagon at the Galacticade supercard in December.

Thunder and Overkill won the Galaxy Cup tag team tournament, defeating the new tag team Island Storm (Kati and Heracles) in the finals.

The USWF named "Trainer" Jim Powell as its new commissioner. New additions to the federation included Meteor, Eagle, Pharaoh Khety, and Blazing Skull. Eagle soon formed a tag team with Wildcat.

[David Morse]

GWF 2101: Pegasus Wins First Heavyweight Title

(From WPU 4.2: Galactic War Supercard Main Event)

The finals of the Galaxian championship tournament matched Pegasus against Soldier of Fortune in a Titan Death Match with Massif as referee. Pegasus took control early, but Soldier fought back, knocking the bigger man out of the ring. As Soldier tried to follow Pegasus outside, Massif restrained him. After a brief shoving match, Massif decked Soldier with a “Volcanic Drop.” Pegasus reentered the ring and caught his downed opponent in a “Project Pegasus,’ but, amazingly, Soldier kicked out. The match proceeded for another ten minutes, with Soldier of Fortune putting up a tough fight, but at the fourteen minute mark Pegasus caught him in a “Cetus Figure Four.” Soldier struggled for as long as he could, but in the end he was forced to submit, giving Pegasus the GWF championship.

The scene that followed was perhaps the biggest celebration of any title change in GWF history. A host of wrestlers filed into the ring to congratulate the new champion: Omega and Pegasus’ teammates in the Defenders of the Galaxy; Raven, whom Pegasus defeated in the tournament semi-final; Janus and Wolf, two of Pegasus’ oldest and most bitter enemies; Commander Sam and the FDF, Max Shield, the Fighting Titans, Exo-King, Vyper, Stalker, and various others. Even some members of the rulebreaker camp joined in, including the defeated Soldier of Fortune, Mesmer, Generation X, Thunder, and Overkill. Finally, Commissioner Grogan entered, holding the Galaxian title belt that he would formally present to the new champion. Before he could speak, however, Justice stepped forward and asked to say a few words.

“Several years ago, I sentenced you to jail for gambling,” Justice reminded Pegasus and the audience. “Neither one of us has ever forgotten it, but a lot has changed. Back then you were a wild kid. Now you’re a man, and a good one. I’ll be proud to call you champion.”

As Pegasus and Justice shook hands, apparently ending years of animosity, Grogan smiled and prepared to make the presentation. Once again he was interrupted, this time for an even more dramatic statement. Cassandra caught the new commissioner by the arm and whispered briefly in his ear. Grogan nodded, and Cassandra took both the championship belt and the microphone.

“Pegasus, you’ve shown us all how much your wrestling ability has improved,” she said. “Now you have to show that your attitude has improved as much. And I truly believe you will. I’m very proud of you, and I’m honored that Commissioner Grogan has allowed me to present you with the belt that signifies the title you won tonight: Champion of the GWF!”

As the capacity crowd at the Io Coliseum screamed, Cassandra embraced Pegasus, then handed him the championship belt. Visibly moved, Pegasus took several seconds to compose himself before he spoke.

“I want to thank all of the fans and all of my friends here in the ring for their support,” he said. “I especially want to thank Omega for all he’s done for me. And thank you, Cassandra, for what you just said. It means a lot to me. I’ll do my best to hold this belt with pride and dignity for as long as I can.” He started to turn away, but then, with a grin, spoke again. “And somebody tell my friend Pathfinder that I win the bet: I got my title first. He owes me dinner. Someone tell him I’m coming to collect, and I’m bringing everyone in the ring here along.”

As the crowd continued to cheer its new hero, the multitude of wrestlers filed out of the ring. In a sense, it was only one match, but in another everyone in attendance sensed that a new era in the GWF had begun.

REACTIONS TO THE NEW CHAMPION

Several wrestlers and other GWF figures made interesting comments in the days following Pegasus’ Galaxian title victory. The following are some of the most noteworthy statements:

Janus: “Why the big celebration in the ring? I think there were two reasons. First, we all respect the way Pegasus has gotten himself together. When I entered the federation, he was the most obnoxious person around. Then his career fell apart, and no one really wanted him. He fought back, and he proved that he’s a better wrestler and a better man than he was. Second, it was a statement to Chaos. It’s been a long time since anyone has stood up to him the way Pegasus did at the press conference before Galaxy Cup. Then Pegasus proved he could back up what he said. This is a big step for everyone who wants to see Chaos’ domination end, and we all want him to know that we’re behind Pegasus all the way.”

Soldier of Fortune: “Man, I’ve fought everyone in this federation since 2089, and nobody has ever hit me harder. That includes Chaos, Massif, Exo-King, Brute, Overkill, and anyone else you want to name. And Pegasus is faster than any of those guys. I don’t like him much, but I’ll give him credit: he earned the title.”

Commander Sam: “Pegasus always had talent, but he lacked character. Now, because of Omega, he has both. He may be champ for a long time.”

Krakan: “This is a crock. Heracles won the Galaxy Cup. Heracles should be champion. I’m demanding an immediate match. My man earned it. If he doesn’t get it, someone will be sorry.”

Reynard B. Guile: “Sure, Pegasus is champion, and now Omega will get all the credit. That’s the way I always get treated. I discovered Pegasus, but does anyone remember that? Of course not. I get no respect for my genius.”

Raven: “I’ve gone around with Pegasus a lot of times, but I’m convinced he’s changed. And I’ve already felt what he can do in the ring. I congratulate him. Sooner or later I’ll want the GWF title again, but for now I think I’ll go after the IP belt.”

Chaos: “He’s living on borrowed time. He’s got my belt. It’s only a matter of time until I get it back. Pegasus is a loser, just like he’s always been. Everyone is getting excited over nothing.”