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In the year 1982, with the world exhausted by the second
and third World Wars (you remember them, don't you?), civilization has been conquered by Emperor Seng I who rules the planet from a palatial palace in New-New York.
Gene West is chosen by a resistance group composed of scientists to be the test subject for a special experiment which gives him super strength and invulnerability.
Armed with these powers and his knowledge of history and future technology, he is sent back thru time to the 1940s where he fights as
Power Nelson, the FutureMan to keep Seng I from rising to power, wearing an eye patch when in civilian guise to disguise his secret identity. (Hey, if eyeglasses worked for Clark Kent...)
Created in 1940, before America entered World War II,
Power Nelson the FutureMan was the cover feature for the brand-new comic book
Prize Comics.
Interestingly, in the series' "future" of the 1980s, America
won both world wars, but was so drained of resources and manpower that Seng I easily took control!
Though he only appeared on the first six issues' covers,
Power Nelson's strip ran until #23, then disappeared, his (and the world's) final fate unknown...
Until 2008.
Alex Ross revived him in
Project SuperPowers as present-day (2008-9)
President West, the apparently-ruthless ruler of an oppressive United States. (Ross also revived Golden Age android hero
Dynamic Man as a ruthless industrialist! See a theme?)
Whether President West is
the Gene West who went back to the 1940s or a parallel-universe version is yet to be disclosed. (Time-travel paradoxes! Ain't they FUN?)
In addition,
President West is apparently in league with Emperor Seng II (Yes
II, not
I!) who may be either Seng's offspring or someone who usurped power and took the name.
(Seng, and other Golden Age arch-villains, as well as President West and
Dynamic Man form
The Supremacy, which secretly controls the Earth's major governments!)
And West reappears, in costume as
The FutureMan aka
President Power in
Project SuperPowers Vol 2!
Offhand, I'll bet things didn't go quite as planned for
Power Nelson in the "untold tales" after
Prize Comics #23...
With Gene West taking a major role in
Project SuperPowers (and the fortuitous purchase of a near-complete
Prize Comics run) we at
Atomic Kommie Comics™ have also decided to revive "Earth's Last Hope" as part of the
Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ line of kool kollectibles!
So, check him out, before he disappears into a time loop or alternate universe, or something!