# From the Vault: The 1990 Origins of Cleveland's Superheroes *Before the novels. Before the website. Before Defenders of the Land became a published superhero series, there was a kid, a notebook, and a whole lot of imagination.* **By Jason Jones | The Defenders of the Land Archives** --- ## Where It All Began In 1990, long before *Defenders of the Land: Book One — Origins* reached readers, the characters who would eventually populate Cleveland's superhero universe were already coming to life. Not on computers. Not with sophisticated drawing software. Just pencils, colored pencils, loose-leaf notebook paper, and whatever ideas came to mind. The surviving pages tell the story of a young creator attempting something bigger than individual superhero drawings. There were recurring characters, secret identities, original villains, origin stories, strange inventions, and even attempts at continuing adventures. It was crude. It was ridiculous. It was sometimes completely nonsensical. And it was the beginning of something that would survive for more than three decades. ## Meet the Original Cast Some familiar faces appeared remarkably early. **Super Zerdo** was already flying around in his distinctive outfit, delivering outrageous insults and facing off against villains. **Inspector Billy**, the peculiar detective with his trademark hat, was solving mysteries and getting himself into strange situations. **Doc Dork** was already causing trouble, plotting elaborate schemes, and serving as a recurring antagonist. **Fist-O-Mite**, the flying boxing glove with an attitude, was important enough to receive his own introductory adventure. **Flaming Head** even had his own illustrated feature, proudly advertised as *The World's #1 Hottest New Superhero.* And **Bouncin' Bob**, an early character with oversized muscles and an unmistakably cartoonish appearance, provided a glimpse of ideas that would evolve over the years. The names, personalities, and designs weren't always identical to their modern counterparts. But the foundation was there. ## The Original Super Zerdo One surviving notebook page is titled simply *Secret Identity.* It identifies Super Zerdo as **Harvey Wilcox Hawkins III**, a far cry from the modern Seth Zerdo. Harvey was an awkward boy who desperately wanted to make people laugh and be accepted. His life changed when he witnessed an airplane crash involving someone he admired. Rather than seeking attention, he rushed into danger and began rescuing passengers. The young hero became famous for his bravery, receiving medals and national recognition. But his greatest accomplishment wasn't becoming popular. It was discovering that helping others mattered more. That early origin contained a theme that remains important to Defenders of the Land today: **heroism isn't about being the strongest or most popular person. It's about what you choose to do when someone needs help.** Of course, the original Super Zerdo also possessed some rather questionable equipment, including razor-edged boots and a boxing glove containing a radiation-filled lead weight. Some ideas probably deserved to remain in 1990. ## Inspector Billy Takes the Spotlight Another surviving story carries the wonderfully dramatic title: **Inspector Billy in: Jungle Heat** The premise begins with disappearing trees and rising temperatures. Naturally, Inspector Billy responds by having a soda machine and a pizzeria delivered. Because when the world is facing an environmental catastrophe, apparently the first priority is refreshments. The story eventually turns into an investigation involving disappearing forests, struggling businesses, a lumber operation, and suspicions that Doc Dork is behind everything. There are disguises, absurd dialogue, explosions, and an ending that would feel right at home in a Saturday morning cartoon. Even at this early stage, Inspector Billy was more than a supporting character. He had his own adventures, his own sense of humor, and his own particularly unusual approach to detective work. ## Enter Fist-O-Mite One of the most interesting surviving pages announces: **"And now for... a rare look at a new character named Fist-O-Mite."** The character makes an immediate impression with his memorable introduction: *"Catch me if you can, wimp!"* What follows is an adventure over the Pacific Ocean involving a mysterious island, ultraviolet security beams, traps, captivity, and a confrontation with Doc Dork. Super Zerdo becomes involved, and the story eventually brings the two heroes together. The final narration describes the events as a bond between two friends who were meant for each other. This is especially interesting when looking at the modern Defenders of the Land universe. Fist-O-Mite may have changed considerably over the decades, but his attitude, unusual appearance, and relationship with Super Zerdo were already being explored in those early stories. The original adventure closes with the gloriously understated words: **THE END, DUDE.** Some things simply cannot be improved upon. ## A Universe Before There Was a Universe Looking through these surviving pages reveals something beyond the characters themselves. There were handwritten lists of weapons, secret identities, character occupations, signature catchphrases, and recurring enemies. There were attempts at dramatic cliffhangers, continuing adventures, and character introductions. Characters crossed between stories. Villains returned. Heroes formed friendships. The concept of a connected superhero world was already taking shape, even if nobody would have called it a cinematic universe back then. These weren't professional comics. They weren't created for a publisher. They were the product of imagination and the simple enjoyment of inventing something new. And perhaps that's what makes them worth preserving. ## March 1990: The Surviving Pages Several of the original pages contain handwritten signatures and dates from February and March 1990. They have survived the passing decades remarkably well. The notebook paper is aged. The pencil markings have faded. Some dialogue is difficult to read. There are eraser marks, uneven panel borders, and occasional spelling mistakes. None of those imperfections need to be hidden. They are part of the story. They show exactly what these adventures looked like when they were first created. ## From Notebook Paper to Published Novels More than 35 years later, those early characters have found new life. The modern *Defenders of the Land* series returns to Cleveland, where a new generation of heroes faces mysterious threats, bizarre scientific experiments, and dangers that could change the city forever. Super Zerdo, Inspector Billy, Doc Dork, Fist-O-Mite, and Flaming Head have been reimagined with expanded histories, personalities, and relationships. The stories have grown more ambitious, but the original spirit remains: unusual heroes, unexpected humor, unlikely friendships, and the belief that even the strangest characters can make a difference. **Book One: Origins is now published**, bringing the world that began in those notebooks to a new audience. And **Book Two is on the way.** The adventure that started on loose-leaf paper in 1990 isn't finished. It's just getting started. ## Preserving the Originals The artwork and handwritten comic pages featured in this archive are original surviving materials from the early development of the characters. Rather than replacing them with polished modern illustrations, these pages offer a glimpse into the creative beginnings of the universe. Some character identities and origins differ from the published novels. These early concepts are preserved as historical material rather than current story canon. They are a reminder that every fictional universe starts somewhere. Sometimes, that somewhere is just a school notebook. --- ## Included files in this batch - `1990Vault_p8_inspectorbilly_jungleheat_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_p9_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_p10_world_out_of_air_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_p11_explosion_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_p12_fistomite_intro_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_p13_captured_superzerdo_fistomite_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_p14_alien_mountain_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_p15_cleaned.png` - `1990Vault_end_dude_cleaned.png` **Note:** This zip contains the first cleaned batch, based on the pages from the latest set you shared. Additional pages can be cleaned and packaged in a follow-up batch.