You wish to hear the story of my life eh? You desire to know why I wear this golden eagle on my chest and do battle with the 5th Column and the Rikti where ever I can find them? Very well, I shall tell you. Sit back and hopefully you will learn something.
I was born in 1920, on October 20th in Paragon City. My father named me Alex after his grandfather. My childhood was a pleasant one. We were wealthy and well educated.
And then, when I was 9 years old, the stock market crashed bringing my family into ruin. We were homeless and poor. In the years that followed, my father became involved with a group that called themselves The Wolves.
On October 20th, 1933, my 13th birthday, Tony The Fang Clements, my fathers employer, burst into our home.
Mr. Clements. What are you doing here? my father asked the man wearing a plain gray suit.
He looked up from under his hat at my father, then to my mother and rested his eyes on me. Did you really think we wouldnt find out? Mr. Clements asked my father as 3 goons entered our living room.
Find out what? my mother asked as she grabbed me.
Well, Mrs. Nash, it would seem your beloved husband tried to sell us off to the police, Clements informed us.
WHAT? my father asked astounded. I
I would do no such thing Tony. You know how much I owe you and the Wolves
Yes I do. Its bad enough these costumed freaks are busting us and every other mob out there, but now we are informed that one of our own has tried to betray us, Mr. Clements continued. There is no use denying it. We have suspected you for a long time and been following you, Mr. Nash. If you come clean to me now, I have been told to spare your life and the lives of your family.
My father hesitated a moment, looking at my mother and me, then to Mr. Clements and his goons. He then sighed and lowered his head saying, Its true. Im sorry Tony. I told the cops where the meeting with the other mob bosses was set to take place.
BANG!
Shocked, my father, mother and I all looked at the smoking gun in Tony Clements hand. We then looked over at my father and the bullet wound in his chest.
BANG!
The shot to his head made me realize that my life as I knew it was over. The other goons took out guns of their own and promptly riddled my mother and myself with bullets.
In complete disbelief, I fell to the ground and heard Mr. Clements say, See? Now it wasnt so hard to admit you made a mistake was it? Unfortunately, we cant allow people to make mistakes anymore. We have enough to worry about.
Hey boss, one of the goons said as he was standing over me. You aint gonna believe this.
I was half unconscious from shock and disbelief but I did notice Mr. Clements walk over to me.
What in the name of
he muttered.
BANG! BANG! BANG! And I fell unconscious. The last thing I saw was my mothers blood and her favorite necklace, a golden eagle, lying on top of it.
I smelled blood and awoke to find myself wearing bloodstained clothes, but I realized I felt fine. I had no wounds on me, and I remembered being shot at. Wait, had the bullets actually hit me? Yes, I am sure of it. I could feel a few bruises but it seems the bullets bounced off me. Then whos blood was
I clenched my fist in anger and tried to sit up, but realized I was in a trunk of a car. My clothing was covered in bullet holes and my feet were chained together with my hands chained to them.
The car stopped and I heard car doors open. Then the trunk opened and I recognized the bridge I was on. I was in Independence Port and there was the Fang and his goons looking down at me.
Hey kid, Tony said to me. Too bad you had to wake up. Now you probably realize what were going to do to you. Had you been asleep, you would have died easily, but oh well. I dont know how come our bullets dont hurt you, but Id bet you still need air, or at least food. So dumping you should kill you one way or another. Toss him in boys.
The goons grabbed me as I protested, pledging my allegiance to Tony, but they fell on deaf ears. Before I knew what was happening, I was falling toward the water.
SPLASH!
The weights on my feet pulled me down to the bottom of the lake very fast with me trying to get free all the way.
I clenched my fists and pulled with all my might and, after a moment, to my surprise, blades sprung from my hands. I was so startled that let out a gasp of air. I remembered I was underwater and hoped these blades could cut the chains.
They did indeed cut them. They cut them like a hot knife through butter. I didnt even try getting the chains off my wrists yet, I just swam what I thought was up as fast as I could.
I broke the surface and gasped a breath of air that never tasted so sweet. I was still under the bridge and swam toward the shore after enjoying the air for a while.
I spent the remainder of my birthday in an alleyway with rats and tears as company.
The next day I learned that my house had burned down in a house fire and my family and I burned to death. Slightly different than what I remembered.
I decided to pay Tony Clements a little visit, but first would need to find out where he was. Using a trench coat and hat that I borrowed from a guy in a dinner, I began asking around. I knew that this was a bad idea to find him since he would know someone was looking for him, but it was all I could do.
Eventually I was told that Tony was in Perez Park, in the amphitheater. I made my way there as fast as I could and found Tony waiting for me with 4 guys. I immediately saw my mothers necklace around Tonys neck. It made my blood boil.
You the one whos been askin about me? he shouted as I walked toward him.
I didnt respond, only kept my head down and walked toward him.
What did you want with me brat?
Revenge
I muttered.
Hahaha, Tony laughed. You just made your last mistake kid. His goons pulled out Tommy guns and opened fire at me.
I looked up as the bullets bounced off my flesh, tearing the coat and my shirt to peaces.
What? You?? How did you? Tony stammered when he recognized me.
I clenched my fists and tried to make my blades come out again as I ran at the group on the stage. They didnt come out, but I still clobbered Tony Clements well and knocked him to the ground.
Next I was hit from the butt of a gun by the goon on my right. I shouted angrily and went to uppercut the thug, and now my claws decided to join the party. To my surprise my blades sprung forth as I connected my fist to the goons chin, and I saw the blades come out the top of his head.
Yes I had planned on killing Tony and whatever goons were protecting him, but I was only 13 years old, and I just killed a man. I was a little taken aback. Actually that was an understatement. I was downright terrified. I was no better than Tony now in my eyes.
I could still feel my mothers blood on my shirt and realized that I had just killed a man.
BANG!
Tony shot my head at point blank and sent me to the ground. His 3 goons stepped in front of him and began riddling me with bullets again. I raised quickly and chopped the guns apart and got a few of their hands. The goons fled in terror and Tony turned to run as I dove at him.
I pinned him to the ground with my claws through his shoulders into the cement below us.
AHHH!! Please
Please kid, dont kill me. Ill give ya whatever you want! Tony pleaded for his life.
Youre right, Mr. Clements, I said coldly. You will give me what I want. I then moved my hands down together carving a V on his chest.
I will spare you the description of his face as he died under my claws, but at the time I was extremely satisfied.
Hey kid! I heard someone shout from inside the woods. I looked up and saw a man wearing a black suit with a white and blue crown on the jacket. Come here fast before the cops or the Statesman shows up.
Without really thinking about it, I did what the man told me and walked into the forest after I grabbed my mothers necklace.
The man was Edmond Sussex. He was a member of a group called The Dukes. He had been extremely impressed with the way I handled Tony Clements. He and Tony had been rivals for years.
The Dukes were one of a few mob organizations that werent joining with the others to try and fight the Statesman. Edmond knew I had strange powers just like them and decided to try and make me the Dukes bodyguard.
I didnt care what happened. I was just an empty shell. My whole life had been taken from me and I was grieving for 3 years. I did many things I am not proud of during those 3 years, both then and now.
The year was now 1936, and I was 16. The Dukes had, thanks to me, become somewhat important, though still on the lower end of the power scale. They had forced me to learn to use my abilities to better serve them, and I soon discovered my ability to fly and the ability to heal wounds that actually hurt me faster. Maybe that is why the Dukes played with fire and went after some politicians that were trying to legitimize the Freedom Phalanx. My life was about to change again, but this time it was for the better.
We were meeting with a few other mob groups to discuss the possibility of merging, when there was a crash at the door. Edmond sent me to investigate. As I turned the corner, I saw, in full glory, The Statesman.
He looked at me and in a flash was in front of me punched my head, causing me to jerk to the side. I looked back at him and smiled. I brought my left hand up drawing my claws at the same time, just as the Statesman jumped back.
You must be The Claw that I heard the Dukes had, he said to me.
A pleasure to meet you Statesman, I replied.
I never expected you to be a kid, he told me a little surprised. Why are you throwing your life away son?
I am not your son! I shouted and flew at him with my claws aimed at his chest. He caught my wrists and kicked me through the ceiling. He then flew after me and tried to swipe his face, but missed.
I turned around to see him standing behind me and lunged my fist forward.
CRACK!
One of my claws on my right hand had broken near the base when I hit the Statesmans chest, and hurt like hell. I had always wondered what was inside my claws and now I saw the metal was just as think as skin and there was muscle and bone inside of them.
I screamed in pain and hoped the Statesman wouldnt waste me while I was unable to do anything.
Give up kid, he told me. It isnt too late to turn your life around.
And do what, fight crime along side of you? I asked sarcastically clenching my wrist that now housed the broken claw.
You can do anything you want to do son. That is why this country is so great. A person can pull themselves up out of the lowest levels of poverty and be an outstanding member of the community.
We paused for a moment.
You didnt want to kill me did you? he asked me.
No
I admitted. It was true. Deep inside me somewhere I envied and admired the Statesman, somewhere past darkness that possessed my heart.
Turn yourself in, The Statesman told me. You can turn your life around and begin anew.
Ill think about it States
Thank you for beating me, I said to him. I then flew away to think.
I later heard that The Statesman defeated most of the Dukes and the other mob bosses at the meeting and they were in jail for a long time.
6 months later, the Citizen Crime Fighting Act of 1937 passed and the Freedom Phalanx became official. Had I been defeated after that, I probably would have been locked up and never seen the light of day.
I got a job unloading and loading ships in Independence Port for the next few years. My attitude began to change and I finally was starting to move on in my life. Few people knew of my past and my alter ego, The Claw was all but forgotten.
Speaking of claws, I did discover how potent my healing ability was when I realized that my broken claw had complexly regenerated. I was very happy that day, but I did miss it a little. It was a reminder of sorts to me about how life can change in an instant. Haha, I guess that is just another example when life changes.
Then on December 7th, 1941, while I was helping to load the ships going off to help the battle in Britain, the Nazis attacked. The ship I was on was hit with a blast of energy that tore through the ship with ease. I grabbed as many people as I could and flew to the shore as the ship sunk. It had been a while since I used my powers so I was a bit rusty but once on shore I began to take my vengeance on the invaders.
I was finally becoming happy in life, and now something was trying to change that again. I was not going to sit by and do nothing this time. I knew what the Nazi creed was, and I might even have fit their mold, but no one has the right to kill innocents. I do realize the hypocrisy of killing to prevent killing, but the Nazi would not rest until only their chosen people were the only ones left on earth. I wasnt going to let any other children grow up the way I had.
I attacked and killed as many of the invaders as possible, and got hurt in the process, but I was still able to fight and kept going.
When the battle was over, the sea was burning and people were drowning. I stood overlooking the water and realized that my life had changed again. The blood of the innocent had once again been spilled.
The United States declared war on the Axis powers and super powered people and normal people all over the country were stepping up to stop this evil from spreading. I felt I must too. I took a red shirt and put the symbol of America, my home, on it. I chose the Eagle for patriotism, but also because of the last image of my mother, covered in her own blood with her golden eagle necklace shinning above it.
The Golden Eagle was born.
When it came time to choose a group to join, there was only one in my mind. The one man that changed my life, and probably saved it too, the Statesman was the only team I would be willing to join. And so I joined the Freedom Phalanx, as did many others.
We were put into the 1st Hero Brigade. During training, the Statesman was walking around looking at all of us. He stopped when he got to me.
I recognize you, he said to me. You are the Claw correct?
No, sir, I told him. The Claw died more than 5 years ago.
Did he? the Statesman asked. What is your name?
I am Alex Nash, sir. I am here to make sure the blood of the innocent is not spilled again. I am the Golden Eagle, I said to him looking him in the eyes.
He patted my shoulder and moved on. I now knew what I was meant to do in life.
Not long after that, the 1st Hero Brigade was sent to North Africa to fight on the war front after a surprise attack on Paragon City by the 5th column that we beat easily. Our first battle was against the German panzer tanks. I admit I was nervous. I took a few rockets to the chest on the attack on Paragon City and those stung. I wasnt looking forward to trying out a tank shell.
The battle began and I tried my best. I found cutting off the barrels of tank or destroying it treads did stop them. I also found out that tank shells hurt a lot, but I survived the battle. Many others were not so lucky. This first battle cost us greatly.
The orders came down the 1st Hero Brigade was to be broken into small groups. I was joined the Dream Doctor as a member of the Sand Kings.
With the exception of the war, those were good days. I grew to respect the Dream Doctor almost as a father, and the rest of the Sand Kings were like an extended family to me.
We operated completely behind enemy lines, sabotaging and kidnapping German officials. I do not wish to go into details about my time with the Sand Kings, but they were what made me who I am today.
Eventually the Germans sent the Storm Korps to fight us and other groups in Africa. Those super soldiers did completely unspeakable things that I shall never tell anyone about.
The war progressed, and the Sand Kings were pulled from Africa and were preparing to help with D-Day. I was commanded to go with members of the Dawn Patrol and Freedom Phalanx the night before and provide cover for the normal soldiers.
Then came D-Day. The beginning of it wasnt so bad for me physically, but mentally it was shattering. I saw thousands upon thousands die that day and I wish I could take the place of one of them to give them back the life they lost.
Then came the real battle for me. The Storm Korps launched a major counter attack and filled the sky with their troopers. I was up there all afternoon trying to take them out fast. The Statesman was also fighting up in the sky, and it was very good to fight along side him. However I couldnt keep up with the hero. He moved so fast and took out so many of them I thought he was going to pop. I eventually lost sight of him and continued to fight, but I was getting very beat up and tired. I had fallen to the ground several times already but I couldnt stay down.
The battle ended and we won. When my last opponent fell, I passed out and crashed into a bunker. I woke several hours later in a make shift hospital surrounded by hundreds of other super powered people. I asked how many survived and was told that there were great casualties and the Statesman himself was wounded very badly.
I was out of the hospital in a day and on the frontlines 36 hours later.
The war in Europe was fought pretty similar to the battles in Africa for me. Most of the surviving Sand Kings stayed together and we continued our brutal trek across the continent.
The war was coming to a close. We hadnt seen much of the Storm Korps since D-Day, but didnt miss them. Hitler shot himself and the remaining Storm Korps was holed up in their Black Forest stronghold. The Statesman himself planned the final assault and I was overjoyed at the briefings.
The battle began and was slow tedious work. The Storm Korps were spread out over a huge underground labyrinth filled with traps and ambushes. I was usually in front because what ever hit us usually didnt hurt me much, and what ever did hurt me, was healed fast.
Over those 5 days, many heroes died. I was also taken out of the war on the 4th day of the battle. We were very far and I was put in charge of a scouting group to explore a section of tunnel. I triggered a trap that closed in the walls around us, but I was able to hold them open by standing in the way and got most of the people out, but one guy, The Unseen Servant, got pinned. I tried to pull him out but the walls were crushing me. I was pushed out from in between them managed to get my arm and leg back in to try and pull him free, but I couldnt and the walls crushed my arm and leg. They were amputated there and I limped back to base and was out of the war. Seeing Servant crushed to death under my command was one of the worst moments in my life.
But the battle continued, and we won. The world calmed down and I returned home to Paragon City. The Statesman visited me one day as he was recovering.
Hello Alex, he said when I answered the door.
Statesman, what a pleasant surprise. Please come in, I told him.
We sat and talked for a little while when he asked me, So what do you plan to do now Alex?
Well sir, I replied. I have had enough blood on my hands and seen enough death for my life time. I am going to retire from the super hero job.
I understand your decision, but now that Nemesis was somewhat successful in taking over the country, I fear there will be many imitators, he said to me. I was hoping I might be able to count on you if things got out of hand.
I thank you for the compliment sir, but there are enough heroes to make up for my absence, I replied. I am sick of seeing battle
After Statesman left, I never saw him in person anymore. Its not that he took my decision badly; he was very supportive if disappointed.
I spent the next 56 years building airplanes and was bought out by Boeing. As for my missing arm and leg, I eventually got them replaced with cybernetic ones, but by 1970 the real ones had grown back.
Then in 2002, the Rikti invaded. When the disks first appeared I spent the entire day in Perez Park staring at one. I just knew something was going to happen, and I wanted to be ready. Yes there had been threats to Paragon before, but this seemed different. This seemed like an invasion, and I was right.
I hadnt used my powers for any real effect in over 50 years so I was very rusty. I doubt I could have even stopped a tank shell then. I tried my best to hold them off, but I got beaten badly. I was shown just how weak I had gotten. Over the 6 months of the war, I got a little stronger, but not much.
Then Dr. Science came up with his plan, and the Statesman asked me personally to help in its enactment. There would be 2 teams, Alpha team consisted of over 1000 heroes and Omega team with 50 members. Alpha team would draw out the Rikti and Omega would sneak into one of the portals and try to take out the power generator in the Riktis home reality and close their portals. I volunteered for Omega team, but Hero1 and the Statesman felt I was better suited for Alpha.
The battle began and we did our job. D-Day was bad and this was close to it. I dont know how the Statesman can keep fighting with everything hes seen. Of the 1000 of us, only about 200 were left when the Rikti began to retreat suddenly. We were only too happy to let them go. I was exhausted and covered in their blood. My body was bruised and cut, but I was still standing.
The city was near defenseless when the war ended and I learned that the 5th column had survived. Since my old and new enemies were out there, I decided to come out of retirement. It was time to stop acting like a weak child and realize that like or not, I had a job to do.
I re-registered and learned that my old name, Golden Eagle was taken by some hero who probably didnt even know of me, and thus I was forced to register under the name The Golden-Eagle.
