THE PULP

REAL NAME: CASEY DEES

1st APPEARANCE: VOL.1, Issue #11

STATUS: DECEASED

TITLE: NONE

ALIASES: NONE

POWERS/ABILTIES: SCIENTIFICALLY ENHANCED STRENGTH, AGILITY, COMBAT SKILLS, SPATIAL DISPLACEMENT
POWER LEVEL: 7-8

AFFILIATIONS: CHRISTIAN WALKER, NICK ROBERTS, JOHHNY “ROYALLE” STOMPINATO, EDWIN BRUBAKER, TED HENRY, DANNY NUNCIO

The stuff of underworld myth, the shadowy Pulp has been serving his unforgiving brand of vigilante justice for nearly 50 years. A man of great physical stature, with a massive muscular body hovering near 6''6', he roams the night, clad in black armor with a voice resembling a window rattling car stereo “with the bass turned to maximum.” Coupled with his imposing frame, The Pulp possesses powerful strength and a surprising agility, which helps him deftly navigate the city's rooftops and best his quarry in close combat. Would be assailants are often treated to the electrified end of Pulp's fighting staff, a device that can incinerate a combatant's vital organs with one jolt.

The Pulp's legend is fueled as much by organized crime folk-lore as whispers concerning his status as a microbe, a possibility suggesting the scientific augmentation of his abilities. Microbes are routinely unstable in temperament, and consistently exhibit bouts of anger and rage akin to those behaviors evidenced in steroid abusers. Such behavioral qualities fit The Pulp's methods of justice and further the notion the he may in fact be either a scientific genius or responsible for the murdering the man who granted him these enhanced capabilities. Further muddying the Pulp's history are the unsubstantiated ties to Johnny "Royalle" Stompinato, an association off-limits from media scrutiny due to a court sanctioned gag order. Attempts to delve into the mysterious Pulp have proven fatal, as author Edwin Brubaker suffered an unexplained death following the publication of his in-depth look at The Pulp entitled, "Shadows."

Further insight into The Pulp's exploits died at the hands of Detective Christian Walker. When a powerless civilian dressed as Diamond (Danny Nuncio) is murdered, Walker and Pilgrim are assigned to the case. They discover a succession of gruesome murders, each victim a costumed power: Zora (Jillian Armature), Triphammer (Flint Harrison), and Flint (Steve Levine). Pilgrim's canvassing of the dorm rooms adjacent to the location of the Nuncio murder leads her to a student dressed as Retro Girl, huddling in her darkened room. She'd been one of a number of students participating in the real-life role playing game called "The League of Powers" and witnessed Nuncio's murder at the hands of a mysterious man dressed in “black kinky bondage style mask and armor”, with outsized yellow gloves “resembling robot hands”, who seemingly dropped from the sky onto the rooftop.

A police artist's sketch combined with a forensics match of the ballistics culled from historic files and the recent string of victims confirms Walker's suspicions that the perpetrator of the murders is in fact the true Pulp and not a copycat. A disastrous confrontation with Johnny Royalle leads to Pilgrim's suspension from the force, as she is inadvertently responsible for Royalle losing an arm during teleportation. With Walker now alone in pursuit of the Pulp he turns to former power Nick Roberts. The retired weapons outfitter of The Pulp provides Walker with a single clue, the name Casey Dees. Walker's trail runs cold at Dees' former residence, but he catches a lucky break when a child on the street mistakenly points out the deceased Retro Girl flying overhead. Surprised, Walker levels his gaze to a rooftop where a caped figure stands in silhouette against the evening sky. Walker gives chase and learns the figure is yet another costumed student named Cameron Lindon, who had been pursing Walker dressed as Suncurse. Lindon had been trying in vain to inform the Detective that he too had witnessed Nuncio's murder. Walker admonishes the man for his stupidity and for breaking the law, as civilians wearing a powers costume is a federal offense. Walker orders Lindon to remove the costume and to meet him at his car below on the street.

Walker is mulling the question, "Why did you take her?" posed by the Pulp and overheard by Lindon the night of Nuncio's murder when an energy blast lights up the block. Walker looks skyward in time to witness Lindon's still costumed, smoldering body fall to the street. Through smoke and crackling electricity another figure appears above. With the suspect leaping rooftops above him, Walker is in pursuit below. Up

a fire escape and onto a roof Walker finds The Pulp dashing to the ledge and issues a standard police warning. The Pulp ignores the Detective and as Walker fires his weapon, the Pulp vanishes in mid-leap. The vanishing act troubles Walker as The Pulp has never before exhibited the power of spatial displacement. Instantly, The Pulp is behind Walker sailing two vicious strikes past the Detective's head. Walker jams his gun under The Pulp's chin and fires four shots at point blank range. Yet again, The Pulp vanishes, this time leaving his electrified staff in Walker's trembling hands. With The Pulp gone Walker checks his clip, empty. He holster's the firearm and brandishes the staff waiting. A wild left from The Pulp narrowly misses Walker's chin. Walker counters with a sweeping blow of the ignited staff, but again his is too late. Silent moments pass. With a sudden upward and behind his back thrust Walker impales The Pulp upon the staff.

The force of the strike and the cascading energy sends The Pulp crashing onto his back and Walker seizes the upper-hand, increasing the pressure. In his dying moment, The Pulp responds to Walker's pleas for a confession with, "The rule of the day. Get them before they get you, and you win."

Later Walker will learn from the student dressed as Retro Girl that she and another participant in "The League of Powers" role-playing game had hired The Pulp for a paltry $500 to spice up a game that was losing its appeal. The Pulp had refused the money and according to the woman, he began to act strangely. Within twenty-four hours The Pulp had murdered 4 members of the game.