Origins

Born in 1969, Craig Carson was the youngest of two brothers to a lower middle class family in East Vancouver. His father, a shoe salesman, abandoned the family when Craig was 5, and his mom died of pancreatic cancer when Craig was 12. With no one else to raise him, Craig's brother Jack, seven years his senior, dropped out of school to pull them through. The two boys, didn't have it easy, but despite the tragedy of their childhood, they survived and were generally a happy, very close family. Craig's childhood, regardless of the tragedies, was not the proverbial "unhappy superhero childhood." And despite the changes that were to come, that closeness never changed.

And things were about to change very drastically.

On a cold night in late February 1983, Craig spotted a woman perched on a ledge of a tall building in East Vancouver, with a crowd shouting at her to jump. Her intention was clear. Determined to save her, Craig climbed the building to talk her down; the woman, seeing Craig's courage and compassion, declared "you are worthy of the power of Living Thunder!" and a lightning bolt struck Craig from out of the sky. Craig awoke in a superhuman body, which he dubbed Thundrax.

(For a more detailed version of Thundrax's origin, see Night of the Thunderbolt).

SUNDER

Gifted with the "Living Thunder", Craig was able to transform himself into the mighty Thundrax. As Craig said later: "I was a fourteen year old boy scout in the body of a god. I had two options: I could either pick up girls, or fight crime. I was terribly shy, so I fought crime."

Thundrax battles Hunter-Patriots in the Canadian North.

A few weeks after gaining his powers, Craig encountered Vancouver's SUNDER (Superhuman United Nations Defense Emergency Reserve) super-team, foiling a VIPER and GRAB robbery at a library in downtown Vancouver. SUNDER's leader Shamus, a telepathic detective, liked what he saw in the kid and inducted him into the team (quietly overlooking the fact that Craig was barely in his teens). It was a bit rough balancing high school and super heroing and keeping his identity a secret, especially from his brother.

Craig served with SUNDER for nine years. Their mainstays were Shamus, the semi-reformed vigilante Mark (Avenger) Derringer, the frost-powered mutant Cryo, mining engineer turned superhero Flux, mutated Canadian astronaut Greg (Solar Sentinel) Jenkins, the powerful earth elemental Elemmus, and George, a physicist who refused to accept any codename. Serving under UNTIL's sponsorship, these heroes fought numerous bizarre villains including the would-be messiah Borealis, the chaotic cosmic entity Amok, the would-be conquerer Overlord, the mad geneticist Malachite, the international criminal mastermind known as the Colonel. a group of super thieves called PLUNDER, the superhuman pest Dark Prowler, as well as VIPER.

In 1984 SUNDER first encountered the demon lord Zorasto lieutenant of a demon-god named Asmiak. Zorasto used roleplaying gamers to unwittingly perform a ritual that transformed Vancouver's Stanley Park into a huge pentagram that would serve as a portal to Hell. SUNDER closed the portal, then traveled to the infernal reaches to rescue them, a trip that cost SUNDER the life of their fire elemental ally Inferno. Zorasto would return to plague the team -- especially Thundrax -- on numerous occasions.

The most deadly of SUNDER's enemies were Black Spectre and his Brotherhood of Terror, a team comprised of nearly a dozen villains which also included Avenger's father Master-Mind. In 1985, the Brotherhood effectively conquered Vancouver through their proxy Masquerade (who, as William Donaldson, became Vancouver's mayor) and embarked on a campaign to besmirch their reputation that portrayed Thundrax as destructive, stupid and psychotic. It was Craig's first brush with the power of the press, and one which probably colored most of his reactions to negative publicity to this day.

The plethora of villains made for an intimidating apprenticeship: as Craig later noted, he had literally gone to Hell and back before he was old enough to legally drive a car.

SUNDER also encountered a group of high-tech Western Canadian separatists who were the forerunners of the Hunter-Patriots. The team beat them easily, and figured they were a joke that would never appear again. Thundrax came to deeply regret that assessment.

SUNDER was a small local team which garnered little attention outside of British Columbia. However, despite their relatively low profile, they were powerful and capable, and were a surprisingly effective weapon in UNTIL's arsenal of super humans. There was, however, one incident that would prove especially pivotal for Craig's future.

A Mission in Life

In 1986, SUNDER encountered Borealis once again, this time hijacking a cargo of grain. It seemed like a typical supervillain plan, if a little below Borealis's usual world-conquering standards. The team charged to attack, when Borealis revealed that he was hijacking the grain for an underground network devoted to famine relief in Ethiopia.

"Just what are you doing about that, SUNDER?" Borealis challenged them.

Craig's brother Jack, in Two-Fist gear.

The words haunted Craig. Idealistic teenager that he was, it occurred to him that he had to do more than just punch out the world's problems. The world needed much more, and SUNDER (and superheroes in general) were capable of doing much more. Craig got together with his teammates and set up a private foundation. Using Flux's mining engineering expertise and the earth elemental Elemmus's ability to find deep mineral and petroleum reserves, SUNDER went into business, with the goal of creating a cash stream to found charitable projects. Craig, who was politically liberal, enthusiastic, and a good public face, agreed to front the agency. It was extremely successful. Though Craig only kept a small portion of profits for petty cash, when the price of resources shot through the roof in the 2000s, his fortunes grew exponentially. By 2005, he was an accidental billionaire.

Eventually, the team neutralized most of the major threats in Vancouver, and the team drifted apart. The Brotherhood of Terror dissolved due to internal squabbling. Shamus, the team leader and Thundrax's mentor, walked into a fog and vanished in 1988, disappearing as mysteriously as he had appeared in 1983.

In 1988. Craig graduated from high school and began pursuing a degree in social services at the University of British Columbia. His first year roommate was a young, practical joking First Nations student named Billy Edenshaw, himself secretly the superhuman Ravenspeaker. After the typical "misunderstanding" where they tripped over each other's secrets, they became good friends and Thundrax took Ravenspeaker under his wing and taught him the tricks of the crime fighting trade. However (much to Craig's disappointment), Ravenspeaker refused Craig's invitation to join SUNDER.

After the defeat of Zorasto in 1990, gatherings of SUNDER became rare occurrences. The team gradually drifted apart; Avenger and Cryo retired to raise families, Solar Sentinel joined the Canadian Space Agency. SUNDER broke up in 1992 after a final battle with Borealis.

Jack

Jack Carson, boxer and plumber, didn't realize his brother's identity. He (as well as Craig) also didn't realize he had an enemy. The demon lord Zorasto was, for reasons that remain a mystery to this day, an ancestral enemy of the Carson family. After Jack was crippled by a rampaging sewer monster, Zorasto came to him and offered to restore him to health. Jack agreed, and became the Demon Knight Jaxx, a weapon Zorasto quickly turned against SUNDER. Fortunately the team discovered a ritual to restore Jack to health, and in 1990 trapped Zorasto in a mystic gateway. The demon lord lay bound within the hellgate for twenty years. Still empowered (though no longer demonic) Jack decided to become a superhero and christened himself "Two-Fist". He was assigned to UNTIL's flagship UNITY team, where he served with distinction from 1990-1992.

Destroyer

Thundrax in the shadow of his old enemy, Dr. Destroyer.

In 1991, Craig was invited by Henderson Electronics to a gathering of major superheroes in San Francisco. It was a major coup for Craig -- until the conference was interrupted by Dr. Destroyer, who negated the powers of every superhuman on earth! Destroyer claimed that superpowers would destroy the world, and that he alone could save it. Powerless, Craig nonetheless confronted the megalomaniac, helping to delay him long enough for other heroes to locate and destroy Zestoiten's machinery.

The next year, Destroyer contacted Craig and requested a private meeting, at a neutral location in San Francisco. Craig was baffled that the great Destroyer would choose to speak with a second-string Canadian superhero ("that's like the Chicago Bears challenging the CFL Ottawa Rough Riders to a game"), but nonetheless agreed. Zerstoiten, annoyed at Craig's moral stand the previous year, made Thundrax an extraordinary offer -- if Craig believed that superpowers were such a good thing for humanity, Destroyer would give them to every person on the planet! Moreover, Zerstoiten would give Craig the choice. Thundrax was shocked by the offer, but nonetheless considered it -- and refused. The two men parted company amicably, though Craig contemplated fighting and trying to subdue the armored powerhouse.

Unfortunately, tragedy was to result a few months later, when a battle with Destroyer in Detroit resulted in the loss of the city. UNITY was refused permission to enter the city, but Jack Carson defied orders. He arrived too late to stop Destroyer, and was performing assistance for the survivors when his comm went silent. Jack was found, dead, several hours later, impaled through the chest with a giant spike, presumably by a superhuman looter. The identity of his killer has never been found. Craig blamed himself for what happened, wondering what would have been if he'd accepted Zerstoiten's offer.

The Northern Guard

Thundrax helped train Justiciar and served on two teams together. There's an enormous bond of respect and friendship between them.

After a couple of years soloing in Vancouver, Craig received a phone call from one of Canada's most prominent heroes, Forceknight III (Lyle Doerksen) who asked for his help in battling a secret Gadroon invasion. Joining forces with other noteworthy heroes, the Guard tracked down Gadroon technology to the lab of the super villain Cyberlord, where the team freed David Burrell from stasis: he became the superhero Justiciar and joined them. Together they tracked down the Gadroon to their landing site, repulsed the invasion, defeated the Gadroon leader, the Inquisitor, and decided to remain together as a team. This was the start of the second Northern Guard, arguably the finest hero team Canada ever assembled.

(For more on the formation of the Northern Guard, see: We Stand On Guard (Again) For Thee)

In the public eye, Thundrax took a back seat to Forceknight and some of the more prominent members, but (with the exception of his teammate Augury, with whom there was mutual dislike), the team looked up to him as an emotional anchor. While in the Northern Guard, Craig mentored young superheroes (just as he had been mentored by SUNDER's Avenger and Shamus). He helped train Ravenspeaker to become Vancouver's superhuman protector and worked alongside Forceknight III in grooming Justiciar to become a top rank superhero.

Snowblinded

There was one area where Craig was tragically unsuccessful: romance. He had a crush on Ann Eagleton, his teammate Snowblind, who in turn only had eyes for their teammate Voyageur. After numerous misadventures -- including the revelation that she was the daughter of the monstrous Inuit god Kigatilik! -- Craig finally got his girl. Unfortunately, the first night they were together, Craig lost control of his powers and accidentally electrocuted her! Ravenspeaker made a devil's bargain with Tax'et to raise her from the dead, and Craig, having lost his virginity in the most traumatic way possible, retreated into a social shell for nearly fifteen years. Snowblind eventually married the Swedish superhero Seger and left the team; both were murdered by Eurostar in 1997.

The Northern Guard continued successfully until 1998, facing foes like the Ultimates, Mechanon, Magnus Aignur (a technician who'd worked for Albert Zerstoiten who posed as Dr. Destroyer), Magnifique, ARGENT, VIPER and its Dragon Syndicate superteam, the demonic Tilingkoot, as well as extradmensional invasions from the parallel dimensions of Cabotia and Laurentia. They faced powerful extradimensional villains like the Entity, the Song, and Le Seigneur d'Histoires, enduring death and heartbreak as well as experiencing amazing triumphs. For a second time, Craig found a superhuman family to call his own (he remains close to Ravenspeaker, Justiciar, and the now retired Forceknight). In the end, the team was torn apart by prophecies and the machinations of one of its own, Augury, who'd been driven insane after her sojourn in Laurentia. Augury later joined the arch villain Borealis and became one of Canada's most wanted criminals. After 1995, Craig became a part-timer with the team, splitting time between the Guard and an even more famous squad of heroes.

UNITY

In 1995, Craig, while still serving in the Guard, was offered part-time membership in UNITY, the same UNTIL superhero team that Jack has served on. Quasar, the reformed Dr. Destroyer commander who had just become team leader, wanted to honor Two-Fist's memory and atone for his part in Destroyer's holocaust. Offering Jack Carson's brother a spot on the team seemed like a good way to do it. Craig accepted the offer.

Unfortunately, public backlash to Quasar's appointment in UNITY caused a panicked reaction among the UNTIL brass, as the press demanded that UNITY be a fully transparent operation. The team's UNTIL coordinator, Captain Nicholas "The Wolf" Silvers threw them a bone by revealing Thundrax's identity, previously a closely guarded secret. Craig was now "outed".

My Ex-Secret Identity

Craig was furious, but his teammates persuaded him not to resign -- or punch Captain Silvers to a bloody pulp. In truth, however, with Jack's death, there wasn't anyone Craig needed to protect. His secret identity had long passed its point of usefulness.

The most telling consequence of Craig's secret identity was the destruction of his old family home in East Vancouver, committed by a coalition of the dregs of his SUNDER enemies: Punk-X, Punk-Z, Dark Talon, Null and Void, Deathclown, and the Scions of Zorasto. They intended to destroy Craig's old neighborhood, but were stopped by the Northern Guard.

Silvers was dismissed, but Craig remained bitter about the loss. Also, he generally felt intimidated within UNITY. He didn't speak some of the members' native languages and found it much harder to make friends than usual. One of his few close friends on the team, the American superhero Wildstar, died in 1996 after he foolishly swallowed a super villainess' power gem. Craig was devastated.

No Mircea

Craig made several powerful enemies during his time in UNITY. The most noteworthy was Vladic Dracul. In an adventure in Romania, UNITY ran afoul of Vladic's eldest son Mircea, who was working with Stephen Bathory and the Army of the Impaled in a plan to prevent anyone on earth from performing sorcery -- except for vampire mages who stood on Wallachian soil, whose own occult powers would be greatly augmented. In the ensuing conflict, an army of Saracen ghosts defeated the Impaled. and UNITY invaded Castle Dracul, which straddled the real world and the world of nightmares. It was Craig who held Mircea when Archdruid impaled him with a stake of white hawthorn, destroying him utterly, and Vladic has not forgotten it.

Thundrax in his seldom worn UNTIL uniform.

The Hand of God

In 1996, UNITY had its most dramatic case -- the super villain Dark Seraph had come into possession of a dimension-spanning artifact called the Hand of God. UNITY charged into the Nexus of All Realities, where they joined forced with teams from five other dimensions to defeat his plan to reshape reality in his image. It was the most epic battle of Craig's life. In the end, Darkest Seraph was unmade from the timelines of Creation (though a shadow of his previous self would later return in the so-called Champions Universe) and Peacekeeper, a Buddhist Saint from the Gestalt Universe, assumed the role of keeper of the Nexus.

This high point in Craig's career, however, soon gave way to a decline. Epic wins don't equal longevity. In 1998, due to the treachery of Craig's teammate Augury and a dire warning from the great Land spirit of Canada, the Guard was forced to call it quits. Craig became a full-time UNITY member, but by 2000, he'd burnt out. The stress of globe trotting and a rivalry with his (now deceased) teammate Union finally became too much. He quit to go back to Vancouver, where he occasionally teamed up with his friend and former pupil, Ravenspeaker.

Starforce

In the post SUNDER-era, with Ravenspeaker and Thundrax protecting it, Vancouver was a much quieter place for super crime than it had been in the 80s: a band of terrorists from Awad, and VIPER were the two major sources of trouble. With relatively little to do, the bored Craig became increasingly interested in politics. In 2001, he was asked to run for mayor. He declined, but admitted he was open to switching careers. "Wherever I can do the most gooc, that's what I'll do."

Craig sparring with his Starforce teammate.

In 2002, Craig got another unexpected offer, this time from Celestar. He and the Cosmic Canuck had never been particularly close -- Celestar was at best skeptical of those who had joined the profession after the Mighty Canadians folded -- but over the years Craig had won his respect. He and Forceknight had founded the Toronto-based Starforce superhero team and brought in the European hero Potenstorm to help them, however the Swede had failed to work out. Thundrax was recruited to reinvigorate the team and make them a potent fighting force. Craig agreed to serve for one year. In that year, Starforce fought a new gang of foes called the the Forces of Nature, battled the now-defunct terrorist group Canada First!, and teamed with the New Knights and Ravenspeaker to stop the unlikely alliance of the Haida death god Tax'et and the European pagan demon-god Samhain from releasing Kigatilik.

It was Craig's first stab at actually leading a superhero team, and he didn't enjoy it very much. The roster: Thundrax, Surfacer, Fire Maiden, the CN Tower, and Trumpeter, weren't the most powerful team of Canadian heroes ever assembled, and Craig found his tactical options limited, especially compared with the Guard. The nadir came when the CN Tower was kidnapped by his brother, the insane Dr. Babylon, who had taken over New Bedlam Asylum in Fell's Point and was using at as a nexus point in a plot to drive all of humanity insane. During the rescue attempt, The Tower was killed, and for the first time, Thundrax took a life in battle, as he was driven into a berserk frenzy by Babylon's Insanity Engine. Thanks to Trumpeter, the team survived the encounter and destroyed the Engine. Trumpeter managed to talk Craig out of retiring from the supers business for good. Edmonton's goofball lycanthrope Polar Bear replaced the Tower on the team, who came to be known as "the out o'towners" in Toronto for the lack of a local member on the squad. He openly admitted that the team's lack of acceptance among the locals bothered him.

The Battle for the Soul of Canada

Shortly after the Tower's death, StarForce embarked on their biggest adventure, "The Battle for the Soul of Canada", which Justiciar dubbed "Craig's Big Time Travel Adventure". An encounter with Captain Chronos at the CN Tower's funeral led to Starforce being catapulted through time to several key dates in Canadian history. In the end, it turned out the Nazi war criminal Baron Nihil, Hitler's designated anti-Canadian super villain, had stolen some of Chronos's time travel technology and had summoned a Time Predator to destroy key points in Canadian history in order to cause Canada to unravel. These points were:

1759, where he planned to reverse the outcome of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

Thundrax confronts Takofanes during the Bloodmoon

1812, where he planned to assassinate General Issac Brock at the start of the War of 1812. The incident, ironically, led to the creation of Thundrax's old ally, the Canadian Ghost, a member of the original Northern Guard.

1838, where they stopped the original Hunter-Patriots from burning down what later became the capital city of Ottawa.

1870, where he planned to drive Louis Riel even further into insanity, leading the Red River settlement to commit mass suicide.

1972, where he planned to have the Russians win the Summit Series.

The adventure climaxed in 1960, at a hospital in Dartmouth Nova Scotia where Alice Burrell gave birth to her son David, the future superhero Justiciar. Nihil planned to have the Time Predator infect David's spirit so he would become a living symbol of despair. Things went from bad to worse when Justiiciar, having woken from stasis. was drawn backward through time so the infection could be planted. However, Alice sacrificed her life to save her son, and Chronos regained what Nihil had stolen. With Justiciar back, Craig happily ceded command of the team to his old friend.

Though he didn't realize it at the time, Craig's tenure as leader of Starforce was rewarding. It increased his public profile and he began to be regarded across Canada as a leading national superhero, not the second-stringer he'd been for most of his career. However Borealis's admonishment from 1986 still haunted him, as well as Zerstoiten's accusation that he was afraid of real change. He had now been a superhero for twenty years -- but was dressing up in tights and beating up bad guys all that there was? Was being a second-tier Canadian superhero all he was capable of becoming? Craig decided to take a gamble with his life. In 2004, Thundrax retired from super heroics, and found a new career.

Politics

Vancouver-East elects "The Mullet"

Extremely popular in Vancouver, particularly on the city's east side where he grew up, Craig decided to turn to the political arena, becoming an elected member of the Canadian parliament for the Vancouver East riding. Despite his wealth, Craig deeply identified with working class stiffs, the people he remembered growing up with. Craig ran for the NDP, Canada's leftist party. He was named the NDP's Justice Critic, spending much of his time discussing metahuman issues. As a nationally-known ex-superhero, his political opponents often used that history against him, much to his dismay.

More positively, Craig served as Parliament Hill's unofficial superhuman protector, most notably in 2006, when he and Red Ensign III and Ottawa's COMET team repelled an attack by Baron Nihil. However, Thundrax also found life on the sidelines to be far more difficult than he had anticipated. In 2005, with the help of Craig's former teammate Augury, Borealis escaped Stronghold North. In 2007, he was badly shaken when Red Ensign III was murdered by Baron Nihil, and in 2008, when Vanguard (a Vancouver-based team he'd help to mentor) and Forceknight IV (Alan Hellion) were slaughtered by Necrull. Canada's super villains were becoming increasingly dangerous.

Craig's political career kept him in the spotlight, arguably more than ever before. He lost his Justice Critic portfolio in 2008, when he broke with the party to support Canadian troops in Afghanistan, and while rumors that would jump ship and run for the Liberal leadership were patently false, they were enough to keep Craig from advancing up the party ranks. By 2009, Craig had become tired of politics; as a member of the opposition he felt like he had accomplished nothing, and his personal grudge against Canada's conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper, reached the point where he could barely stomach going into the House. Now he looked for an opportunity to make a graceful exit.

Return to Millennium

Later in the year, reports came out that Dr. Destroyer had returned to Millennium City. This reopened serious emotional wounds. Blaming himself for what had happened in Detroit --- especially the death of his brother, Craig effectively abandoned politics to come to Millennium City and search for him.

Craig was determined that Detroit would never happen again. And although his self-confidence has been shaken from time to time, he hasn't wavered from that goal -- find Zerstoiten, and make him answerable for his crimes.

A New Career

In the last five years, Thundrax has established himself as an A-level superhero. His old SUNDER teammate Flux transferred control of his company to Craig, founding Flux-Carson Enterprises, a major player in petroleum, mining, and space development. He's stood up for manimal rights, and opposed mandatory metahuman registration, taking advantage of a loophole in Canada's laws to provide asylum for many who wish to avoid signing up with the government. He signed up with the Protectors of the World, but left the team recently due to personality conflicts.

The Final Days

In June, 2015, Craig considered an offer to rejoin the Protectors when tragedy struck. On June 29, a category four tornado touched down on the outskirts of Millennium City, Craig battled the cyclone, attempting to push his storm empathy power into full weather control and calm the twister. He succeeded, saving hundreds of lives but at the cost of his own. No body was ever found, and some folks believe that one day, Thundrax will return.

(For a more detailed account of Thundrax's origin, see Day of the Tornado).

Craig Carson, patrolling near Millennium City's Ren Center.

POWERS

Craig is strong. Very strong. Respect the muscles.

• SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH: Yeah, he's strong. Really strong. Thundrax can lift 400 tons (which I'm placing at the upper echelon of the "9" rating on the Reldin scale). He can comfortably hoist much smaller weights (in the 50 ton range) nearly indefinitely. After his fight with Dreadnought in 1986, Craig undertook extensive training in structural engineering. He's a great person to have around when a building is collapsing and people need to quickly evacuate.

• INVULNERABILITY: Yeah, he's tough. Spent uranium rounds bounce off his skin like rubber. He can withstand *small* tactical nuclear explosions (please note the word "small": if he was at ground zero at a Hiroshima-sized event, he probably would be vaporized) and survive in deep space (provided he holds his breath). He doesn't regenerate instantly, but serious injuries -- except head injuries -- usually heal in 6-8 hours. His body is highly resistant to radiation, and he can hold his breath for about 2-3 days. Cell decay, except for skin and hair, is extremely slow, and Craig's brain cells don't die at the normal rate in his natural body. Were Craig to be killed, or have his soul removed from his body, it would take weeks or possibly months before it reached a state which might be recognized on sight as "dead". Craig can, however, be stunned or beaten under by repeated high power rounds, so while he's invulnerable (ie. not likely to be seriously injured), he's not invincible (ie. even a squad of agents or a skilled gunman can take him down). Like a normal human, his body does have weak points that can be exploited by a skilled fighter.

• FLIGHT: Craig can fly. He has a maximum flight speed of approximately Mach 2 (1300 MPH). He can also supercharge himself to burst flight at much greater speeds for a few seconds. His evil counterpart, Darknolt, was able to transform himself into a thunderbolt and move short distances at the speed of light: Craig has recently learned how to duplicate this, but his control is rudimentary at best.

• THUNDER POWERS: Craig can summon a thunderclap at will, disorienting those around him. He can also shoot devastating arcs of lightning, though he prefers to punch things. Also, Craig can supercharge his body with electricity, enhancing his strength for short periods of time.

• IMMORTAL BODY: Craig's physical body hasn't aged in the 30 years he's had it. It's also extremely resistant to high levels of heat, cold, and radiation, and surprisingly resistant to telepathic control (though not on par with a trained telepath). Craig's body is clearly a divine avatar of some kind. The exact deity and pantheon have been left deliberately vague, but Thundrax is most probably related to primal storm deities. The Hittite deity Tarhunt, whom the Hittite Sword-God identified with Thundrax, has its analogs in the proto-Indo-European deity Perkwunas, the Slavic deity Perun, the proto-Germanic deity Thunaraz (better known to us as the Scandinavian Thor), the Celtic deity Tanaris, and the Sanskrit Parjanya. Thundrax could be an avatar of one of those, a related deity from a now-lost culture, or a primal force common to all of those gods (and possibly to North American thunder spirits as well). The identity of the goddess who bestowed the Thundrax body on Craig is another major mystery. Signs point to it being a primal mother goddess, the Hindu Prithvi Mata, herself a derivation of the proto-Indo-European Plithwih, being the most accessible derivative.

• STORM EMPATHY: Thundrax is the embodiment of the Storm. While the archetype is controlled by Craig, the powers that manifest in Craig's body sometimes have a will of their own, pushing Craig into new, wild experiences (preferably those that require him to use his powers). A side effect of this power is that he can sense oncoming storms and gauge their strength and duration. Another side effect is that Craig tends to get wilder when the weather's raging around him. Finally, when Craig is badly hurt (or powerless), exposure to storms will revive him. Craig doesn't consciously control the weather, though when he's in a very bad mood, there will sometimes be a roll of thunder, even in a clear sky.

Craig taking a shortcut over the American desert.

• QUICK CHANGE: Perhaps Thundrax's oddest power is his ability to change into any sort of clothing in a thunderclap. One of the items in his wardrobe is an anti-Qlipthothic suit, designed to help him survive in the madness of that dimension, which was built by Dr. Wraithe of the Protectors. (The suit, however, will only protect him for a few minutes. You can't thwart primal chaos and anti-life *that* easily.)

EQUIPMENT

In addition to the anti-Q suit, Craig has a micro communicator, operated via electronic impulses, implanted under his skin below the right ear. It contains a chip to simulate his voice on a comm frequency. He also wears a micro camera contact lens which can capture pictures (and transmit them via the comm.)

Recently Craig was subject to two protective enchantments. First, his life force is protected from drains: when he's subject to those powers, the surrounding life force of the planet will instantly replenish him. Second, he was given a couatl feather. This provides additional protection from elemental forces and will also resurrect him if he dies -- once.

VEHICLES

Craig doesn't necessarily need vehicles, but he enjoys a good ride. The "Thundercycle" is an experimental air cycle that Craig sometimes rides for fun. It can reach speeds of up to 300 km/hour, even over uneven terrain, and has sufficient armament to take the battle to VIPER's latest generation of heavy tanks and Lemurian invasion craft.

"Yeah, He's a cool guy."' - Blockade

"This guy is awesome and his a nice mullet, but he cut it. I was really digging it too. Me and my team at UNTIL would totally be happy to trains ton you, even though we'd get pinned in one minute." -Killer Spider

One of the oldest Thundrax comics lines (thanks to Recyclable for the cover!)

Thundrax helped me better define myself as a super. As a Kid, I worshiped the ground he walked on, and wanted to be just like the muscled mullet. Ever since I met the guy in person, however, I find his personal humility and calm strength to be a bit mellowing. It's easy to tell after spending ten minutes with him why he's such a well respected and known hero. I think without knowing him, I would have ended up in a much different place. Our sparring matches are great (Although usually messy) And one thing about him I can say for sure, without hesitation... Thundrax is my favorite scratching post. - Wolvesbane

The world would be a darker place without Thundrax. I don't always see eye to eye with him, but there's never been a disrespectful disagreement between us. I like to think I'm an accepting and loving person but Craig really has a handle on what acceptance means. A good hero, a good fighter, a good friend. If more people could hang up their pride and just do what needed to be done like he does, we'd be a lot better off. He doesn't go out of his way to boast or make himself seem like an amazing person which is why I'll respect him more than any blowhard vigilante with a larger bodycount. I hope the day never comes when Thundrax won't answer the call for help. - Giga Gal

Thundrax is one of the most humble people you'll ever meet, and that's a good thing, because if he advertised himself as the hero he really is, he'd come off as a boaster. The truth is is that Thundrax is one of the greatest assets the world has at its disposal. Whether people see it or not, he's one of the best heroes to grace the Earth. He takes a lot of flak from all sides but he just shrugs it off, smiling all the while... not to mention I have not seen anyone who can break a man's bones with a single clap. - The Peacemaker

Craig Carson...now that is a name I can trust. Although his actions can leave much of the press questioning him for his choices, he always has what is right in his actions. To be honest, that's the way it should be. That what being a hero is all about: doing the right thing, regardless of what others may think. When I was at my lowest, he got me back on my feet, reminding me of that fact. Knowing that he's on the side for not simply the law, but for the sake of life, is more than enough for me to count him as an ally and a friend. - Darius Phen

One day, I hope to have punched as many supervillains as he has. He is a true inspration, and kicks arse. Can I say arse here? - Skadi

Mr. Carson's about the most professional hero I ever met and an amazin' human being. Just being in the same room as him makes me stand up a l'il straighter, a real inspiration to those of us just making our start. I'll always be grateful to him for takin' the time out of his day to talk to myself and so many others. Oh and he has the best hair in the business! -Stargirl

My god. He's literally the nicest old guy I know. I mean seriously, hes sweeter than a glass of Kool-Aid that'd give you diabetes. There will never be a more well rounded hero. I...mean I'm not a hero by any standards. But if I wanted to be one. I'd learn quite a bit from him. And the best thing is...he can always get better. We all can. He treated me well despite my past... I cant say much more outside of that. Hes a real hero. And if someone don't like that, we can take it outside. - Persephone

One of the boldest ones I ever knew of. Strong and fast, kicking me all over. A patriotic hero who bears the colors of his own country and somebody who has made me wear tights. Although I'd say he should change the "business in the front, party in the back" looks, a lot of 80s right there. - Commander US/Captain US

In all my years, I have not met anyone as honourable as Craig. He never fights dirty, and treats the ill with the utmost respect. He treated me with so much kindness during my time of need, in fact, I believe he was truly the only one who ever did. He even offered me a house! A HOUSE! That's like ... offering a bum a house! Oh wait ... ANYWAYS! The sparrings were always fun and very helpful. He has improved a long way, both body and soul. I should know and if anyone says otherwise, well then THEY'RE WRONG! - Protector

I don't think of myself as a "hero". I've met maybe two or three people that I would genuinely call "heroes", in my life. Craig's one of them. - Wolfgirl

Good vs. Evil! Thundrax and the Champions face the might of the corrupted Kings of Edom in the Gateway Between Worlds.

What can I say about Craig? He's a class act, a sweet guy and humble too. Hell, he's been at this since before I was in junior high! Errr... look, I really shouldn't comment. Suffice to say, he does his thing and does it well without letting it get to his head. Like, he knows where the line between confidence and cockiness is. Erica Nidhogg

Craig is honestly one of the few people I look up to. He makes the ideals I work for everyday actually worth the time. The results and the man speak for themselves. Always glad to help a real hero. Eric Deringer

Thundrax is a bit of a quandary. Not often does a foreigner make America sit up and take notice, but he has done just that. Most of my party would decry him for his actions against the Registration act. I however believe this is a sign that we should, at the very least, re-examine exactly what the current laws do to those it effects. A true hero doesn't just punch villains in the face, but also brings to light the problems of all the downtrodden. Thundrax has done this. Senator Arthur Toye (CA)(R)

Is he that guy with the mullet? What's the deal with that? It's, like, always shiny...Wait, are you writing this down? Dragonfly

He is not just a hero to the people. He's someone you can really count on when things are going rough. Craig is someone who, to me, defines what the idealogy of a hero should be. Not just a hero... but a friend, too." - Cosmic Glory

Y'know, I never thought I would meet one of the big-time heroes, let alone team up with one. It was a bit of a humbling experience, I guess. I mean he's friggin huge, and he's scary strong...but that mullet, ehh. I hope that I get the chance to team up with him some more, though I doubt I could really amount to as much as someone like him. It's like I'm on the hometown baseball team, and he's in the big leagues. But, as they say, one can dream, eh? -Lightwave

By nature and trainin', I'm no hero. I'm a soldier. At the end of the day, while I'll put myself on the line fer others, there's a place above. Goin' from the action, ta the ideal. That's Craig. He IS the super-hero ya wanted ta be when you were a kid. An' it's hard. it weighs on'him. But he can't always show it. He's been doin' this fer years, an' when the goin' gets tough, when ya've lost so much ya wanna give up? There's Craig, wipin' a tear from his eye, diggin' his heels in, an' pressin' on. An' you can't help yerself, you pull yer ass off'a the dirt, spit the blood outta yer mouth, an' take yer place beside'em. THAT is what a hero is. Somebody that speaks ta the greatness in ya ya never knew ya had. An' if after this time, I've made a hero outta myself? It's from his example. -Hunter

Imagine through most of your childhood you keep hearing about this one guy. He's big. No; he's huge. Kids have his face on their lunchboxes. Now imagine when you're finally all grown up, you meet him. He's just as amazing and friendly and intimidating as you expect him to be, and that's alright. Now imagine he takes you to the Moon, fight a baby cosmic being and the two of you blow a part of the Moon up. That was one of my first missions with Thundrax. Guy's every bit as legendary as you'd expect. - Avro

He is a good man. - The Emissary

Dem abs. - Gloria Harper

Powerful, commanding, competent, yet humble and selfless. This man is not just a good hero, but he is a good man and a great asset to humanity. I an honored to have worked alongside him. - Lenora Carver AKA Ice-Heart

I suspect he owns a denim jacket. Take that as you will. Anyway, Craig...irritates me. From time to time. Not on purpose, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual. At the very least, you can trust him as far, if not farther than you can throw him. Which, as it turns out, is pretty far should you know how to do it. Kastor

I look at Craig and I see hope for the future. He is a truly amazing man and I am blessed to know him.Muse (@MallyBurns)

Craig is the real deal. When your public face and private face are the same person, that's the definition of integrity - Caliban

Thundwax is a gweat guy! He is my hero and he's very handsome! - Chocolate Chip Chelsea

Baddrax, the Thundrax of Earth Xtreme!

'Drax? I've sparred with him a few times. Hes like a punching bag that punches back like a freight train, makes for good practice. Takes care of the "bigger" threats in the world though. While I'm taking a weapons stockpile in Westside he's out beatin' the high hell out of some intergalactic monster. Needless to say we're in good hands with guys like him around. - Suckerpunch

For someone who seems to have it all, I'm so surprised that it hasn't gone to his head. Thundrax is one of the most down to earth and friendliest people in the hero community. He is a good example for all and he makes me feel proud to be Canadian. - Spirit/Winterstar

Sir Thundrax is one of my heroes. If I were like Sir Thundrax, I would not be striving to be the perfect Knight... I already would be. - Chivalry

Sascha see plenty humans, good and bad ever since Sascha end up on Earth. Many things Sascha not understand about how humans work. But Comrade Thundrax Comrade who defend values all good persons understand, no matter how many stars away. -Real Soviet Damage

Craig is one of the most genuine people I have ever met, what you see is what you get. He is friendly and honest, the type of person you can talk to about anything and will never judge you. I have nothing but respect for him and I am proud to call him my friend. Love you buddy! - Lady Liberty

Craigo? Good cat, good fighter...and I can say I've beaten him in a spar. Man's good on his word though, and that brew was much appreciated - Throwdown

I wouldn't want to get on his bad side...Not to say I'm not prepared for that.. - Mr. Blank

What can I say that hasn't been said about Craig? He is the best of us, what all of us should strive to be. If'n you'll pardon my language, fuck Superman, Craig is a real hero. He is my mentor, my friend, my favorite sparring partner, a brother, and my role model. There are very few people that I trust and he is one of them. - Keioseth

He's a good- no...great- no...Super- no...Well- let's just say I'm a huge fan. - Proud Patriot

Craig is a excellent hero and a great representation of what the human superheroes can be. He was probably the first heroes I shook hands with and the first one who has shown great dedication to not only helping the community, but looking out for his fellow hero. - Plasma Beast

Craig a.k.a Thundrax is by far one of the strongest people I've ever come across. His fists pack a wallop! No doubt about it, I could also see him being an iconic image to Canada. They need someone like him. - Dominick

"Even though he represents America's hat, I can't say anything negative about him. The guy is a beast, I wouldn't wanna fight him." - Citizen 13

"Mr. Carson is a good mate, to put it bluntly. I've talked to him a few times, and generally he's been a pretty nice bloke. There really isn't much else I can say about him, although other people have commented that he's a great hero. It would be kind of redundant to repeat what everyone else says about him." - Tomonari

"I've heard about Thundrax several times when I was trained by UNTIL. I could say he's an inspiration to me, but sharing the same power doesn't make us the same. He has his ways and I have mines." - Black Storm

"He's Definitely a guy I admire. Saw a speech he did when he was a MP. I think I saw him in 2011 during the NHL All-Star Game, in one of the boxes." - A.L.I.C.E.

"Dependable. Resourceful. Good to have in a fight. When it comes down to it, I think most would agree he's the hero other heroes aspire to be." - Sparrowhawk

"Thundrax and I never really saw eye-to-eye while he was a Protector. Guy likes to do things the old-fashioned way, and I guess I respect him for that. I also know that, sometimes, the old-fashioned way is old-fashioned for a reason." - All-Star

"Craig's a pretty nice guy for a high-profile hero. I used to look up to him when I was a teenager, he and Defender both. If the two of them went at it, I think he would win." - Netherstrike

"The mullet, eh? Blondie strikes me as a decent, hard-working type, even if he's an ex-politician. But hey! No-one's perfect, right?" - Snowtalon

"Thundrax is a natural born leader, champion, and the very definition of a Hero. I would follow him to the ends of the Earth if he thought it was the right thing to do. And despite all of this, he's extremely humble and would never take advantage of anyone who looked up to him. I hope I can come close to being half of what he is before my heroing days come to an end." - Razira

"Looking at him for who he is and not what his powers can do, Thundrax is the perfect example of what a hero should be. I pray that I might one day be worthy of being anywhere near the hero he is." - Canadian Fist

"At cheerleading practice one time, we were all asking who would date what superhero? I was asked if I would date Thundrax. THUNDRAX?!?!? YEEEEWWWW! He's like....old." - Ebony Shade

"Craig, he is a damn good friend. One of the best friends a man can ask for. That and the fact he can smack me around like a rag doll makes for damn good spars!" - Luke Rogers

"Okay he must eat toxic waste for breakfast lunch and dinner, but at least he's no incubi." - Mars Morand

"Have ran into him plenty of times both off and on duty and I gotta say he is one helluva guy. We both got our own views on how to handle things but I will both respect and back up his decisions most times. Although I will fight him on which brew is better." - SoulStar

"He's a great role model and someone I've always looked up to. As a global hero, it's always comforting to know he's there in case things go south. He is definitely a superhero's hero." - African Violet

"I don't know where to begin, so much has been said about Thundrax. He probably is the first name that comes many people's mind when you ask them to name a hero and if he keeps moving forward like this... the world will start to wonder if he is wearing the Canadian flag on his tights or if Canada choose to use his tights as its national flag. Speaking of which, he looks even greater when he removes his shirt..." - Katerra

"Hmmm... an Thunder man oky. This person follow the rules and the god will be proud. with this person will be my friend but they have a lucky. because the Thundrax will save and do freedom." - Spider-Web

"Thundrax is a wonderful mentor and role model, not just for Canadian Supers, but for the other citizens and supers of the world as well. On top of that, he's a fantastic sparring partner" - Captain Canada

*tap tap* "This thing on? Oh, uh, Craig's a cool guy, seems pretty mellow and down to earth and stuff, and thunder powers? Suh-weeeet!" - Humungor

To be filled in by other characters. Please add your remarks here.

SCREENSHOT GALLERY

Costumes

Craig's worn a number of costumes over the years, including:

• 

  Thundrax's post-Starforce costume, worn from 2002 to his returement in 2004, then from September 2009 to 2010, following his return to action.

• 

  Thundrax's most well-known costume, worn from September 2010 to September 2011, and which he resumed wearing in January 2012.

• 

  Thundrax's alternate costume, worn September 2011 to December 2011, with facial hair.

Artwork

• 

  Thundrax, by Smackwell.

• 

  Thundrax vs. Firewing, by Charles Logan

• 

  Night on Mullet Mountain, by Raphael diSanto

• 

  Charging into Action with the Silver Age Sentinels, by Dorway Studios

• 

  Art by Kenpudiosaki

• 

  Art by Tovio Rogers

• 

  Art by Phil Cho

Comics

Comic books adapting Thundrax's adventures in the Demonflame adventure pack are available online.

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzHmfdC4jXPpYTNkMzY1YmUtMWJlYy00MDY3LWFjY2YtMWI4YjhhZmU2Yzdl&hl=en&authkey=COmCqc4B

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BzHmfdC4jXPpZDhjMjNmMGEtOGQxNi00ZmRhLTk0YzItNzI2MDA0NmM4Y2M4&sort=name&layout=list&num=50

Fiction

Short stories featuring Thundrax can be found here.

The Undefeated

It Beats the Alternative

Theme songs

RPG Games Stats

Unofficial stats for Thundrax in the paper and pencil RPG game Champions can be found uin the Champions of the North Outtakes file, which can be found here:

http://www.herogames.com/freeStuff.htm