The Old Soldier

© Juke Box Productions AstroFacts Status: Unknown; his death has been presumed many times. Personal Data InfoDump Headlines: October 10, 1972: Old Soldier Fights For North Vietnam? Appearances (in Publication Order): Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.1 #2 Wizard Presents: Kurt Busiek's Astro City #1/2 Astro City: The Dark Age Book One #1 Event Timeline 1972/10/10     Caption Old Soldier Rumored to Have Stood Against American Troops in Vietnam. The Old Soldier "I could have sworn it was solid rock behind me. But all of a sudden he was there, moving past me..." ---Elliott Mills The origins of the Old Soldier are lost to time. He is an almost mythological figure, who fights for justice on his terms, rather than siding with any one country or political view. His recent appearances have him siding with the United States for the most part, with sightings in the Civil War, the Spanish-American war, and both World Wars. One exception to this is Vietnam, where he reportedly stood against American intrusion into a civil war. There is no film footage of these actions, and no photographs. History The Old Soldier has been reportedly seen at the following times 1863 1898 1918 1944 1952 or 1953- in Pyongyang, or possibly earlier in the Korean War. 1959- aiding Honor Guard against Shirak in a netherworld. 1972- Standing against American Troops in Vietnam. 1975- at the fall of Saigon. Unspecified Time-Forgotten Time Crisis. Powers Anti-aging The Old Soldier does not appear to age between his scattered appearances across time. This could be a resistance to the normal aging processes, or... Time Travel Capabilities? His arrival at crucial points in history suggests some form of teleporting power or device. Equipment He carries a long-sword with an ornate hilt, a flintlock pistol, grenades, a bayoneted rifle, and a canteen. Observations He displays a keen awareness of tactically important information, such as an altar being the key source for generating a mystical area. Speculations, Theories He does not appear when photographed, filmed, or recorded in any manner. While probably NOT a vampire, this trait suggests perhaps a ghostly source for his powers and origin. It's possible that he might be King Arthur himself based on some of the information provided. He appears when someone is at a specific time of great need, providing them with inspiration to fight on. It's widely thought the sword he carries is Excalibur. Inspiration for his creation might tie into Douglas MacArthur's famous quote, "Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away..." Rocket newspaper reporter, Elliot Mills mentioned his last appearance prior to 1959, as occurring in 1944. Conflicting reports exist of an appearance in the early 1950s, presumably in the Korean War. This could be Mills getting older, just forgot about the appearance in Korea, but as a reporter it seems out of character.