CRUSADER

PERSONAL DATA

HISTORY

Peter St. Claire was an American serving with the British forces during the First World War, having gone overseas to join the fighting before the United States joined the conflict. Peter's unit was slaughtered by Ottoman forces at the Battle of Gallipoli. As he lay dying on the battlefield Peter had a vision of a glowing robed woman carrying a sword and laurel wreath. The woman claimed she was the Spirit of Freedom and showed Peter images of oppression that was occurring all across the world. She asked if Peter was willing to become her soldier and he agreed. Peter awoke to find himself transformed into the powerful figure of the Crusader.

Using his newfound powers, and guided by an innate sense that directed where he was needed, Crusader fought in many battles for the remainder of the First World War. He was mainly seen in the eastern theaters of the Balkans and around the Middle East and to a lesser extent in Russia. He generally appeared on battlefields where one side was being slaughtered, or more often where a civilian population was being massacred.

Sightings of Crusader were few and far between after the end of World War I. Crusader resurfaced, appearing much as he had before, on the battlefields of France at the start of the Second World War. Even after the surrender and occupation of France, Crusader continued to battle Nazi forces and aid the French Resistance. During this time the Resistance referred to him as Victory, and his actions would serve as an inspiration for the modern French national super-hero Victory.

Crusader battled against the Axis forces in France and elsewhere in Western Europe until December 1941. Shortly after the American entry into the war the Axis forces used occult means to erect a mystical barrier over the European and Asian territories under their control. The barrier was intended to keep the super-powered Mystery Men (and Women) of the American All-Star Squadron from getting directly involved in the war. Any super-powered (what would now be termed "metahuman") inviduals who crossed the barriers would fall under the control of the Axis powers, and heroes whose powers were tied to magic of any kind were especially vulnerable. This sidelined most of the American heroes from aiding their forces overseas. Unfortunately for Crusader, he was already in the European area of effect of the barrier when it was erected.

Falling under the thrall of the Axis powers, Crusader became their pawn. He was renamed Fenris by the Nazis and sent back into France to crush the very Resistance forces he had previously been helping. Fortunately for the French Resistance, these actions were anathema to the Spirit of Freedom and Crusader's powers soon began to fade. With his effectiveness gone, the Nazis turned crusader over to one of their scientists, a Dr. Wahrman, who was instructed to learn the source of Crusader's powers in an effort to duplicate them for the German government. When this investigation turned up nothing of value, the depowered Crusader was imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp. By the time Dachau was liberated in 1945 the Nazi brainwashing efforts and horrors he had witnessed at the camp had caused Crusader to develop amnesia.

While his powers remained dormant because of the amnesia and trauma, his abilities still had the effect of slowing Peter's aging process, keeping him appearing to still be a man in his twenties as the decades passed. Over the years the instincts linked to his powers would draw Peter towards places where freedom was under threat, where he would often take an active part opposing that threat despite his powers still being dormant. Under various names, as his slow aging necessitated a new identity every decade or two, Peter found himself involved in the opposition to McCarthyism in the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, and the Anti-Aparthied efforts in South Africa. He was present at Tiananmen Square in 1989, and in Rwanda and the Balkans in the 1990s.

Recently the villain Vandal Savage located Peter and abducted him as part of a plan to seize control of the powers of Earth's Avatars. The plot was thwarted by Justice Inc. and as a result Peter regained his memory and his ability to activate his powers. Back to full power for the first time in over half a century it remains to be seen what Crusader will now do.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Peter St. Claire is a normal human being until he activates his powers and transforms into Crusader. As Crusader he is superhumanly strong and has been seen lifting battle tanks that weigh nearly 50 tons. He can also cover 200 yards in a single leap and can run at 25 miles per hour. Crusader is also resistant to small arms fire and nearly impossible to kill. Crusader's powers have also slowed his aging; when transformed into his Crusader form he still looks the same as he did in World War I, while his human form currently appears to be in his mid- to late-thirties when in reality he is over one hundred years old. As an avatar, Crusader's power have been known to decrease and increase in level when faced with situations that have a major impact on the source of his power, in this case the Spirit of Freedom. In times and places of major oppression his powers will increase, while if he is forced to act against Freedom his powers will lessen or even disappear.

Crusader is also a highly skilled fighter, having served on the front lines of several wars. He is adept at using a variety of firearms and is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant. He is also an experience military strategist.

Warp Zone | DC Heroes | Heroes | Crusader