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Okay, if you haven't seen this movie yet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_League_of_Extraordinary_Gentlemen_%28film%29), then I can assure you that you've missed out on a good one. I guess some folks might differ, but I cannot see how. It is based upon a comic/graphic novel series of the same name (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_League_of_Extraordinary_Gentlemen), which I personally did not enjoy as much (I didn't even buy it...I sat one evening in a Barnes & Noble bookstore and read it there...lol).

I don't want to see any "TL/DR" comments. If you think so, then just don't read this and post that. There's no need for that (and I WILL report such posts). Otherwise, I look forward to seeing what everyone has to contribute!

Spoilers contained below! And not concealed!

















The comic and movie posit the idea of a series of famous British literary heroes and anti-heroes, of the nineteenth century, being drawn together by the British government as a sort of team of superheroes to fight a great evil that is attempting to precipitate World War I. The contact is a man named "M" (fashioned loosely after the "M" character in the James Bond series of the 20th century), who later is revealed as the villain "Moriarty" (in an interesting twist, he is also the "Fantom"...the initial villain of the story (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Moriarty). The League is being called together to prevent the Fantom from precipitating World War I. The heroes include greats from British literature of the 1800s (and you'll forgive the length here, but I am going to include, below, images from the movie website which have floated around the internet) along with the character names. After this post, I am going to ask you to speculate on this, and try and re-imagine the same concept with the heroes and anti-heroes of your own culture (and national history).

Now, some of these characters were re-vamped a bit by the author of the comic and the producers of the movie to give them each a past mired in controversy, with the intent that those pasts would create conflict. And it works well in the movie, even if it does not necessarily hold with the characters as originally conceived in their original stories in literature. Those characters included:

1. Allan Quatermain
An adventurer and crack shot with a rifle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Quatermain), Allan is imagined in this movie as an aging hero who has left the British Empire behind, and settled down to what he hopes will be a quiet retirement in the depths of Africa. He becomes, in many ways, the leader of the "League". He is played, ever so effectively, by Sean Connery.




2. Captain Nemo
Commander of the legendary Nautilus submarine, Captain Nemo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Nemo) is here re-imagined as a man of Indian nationality (keeping in mind that, in the nineteenth century, India was still under the sway of the British Empire), whose dark secret is his worship of the evil Indian death goddess Kali. He is an expert in the martial arts as well. And is played ever so well by actor Naseeruddin Shah. His character is assisted, in the movie, by one American literary character, the sailor named "Ishmael" (narrator of the story Moby Dick, which was written by Herman Hesse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_%28Moby-Dick%29). Ishmael is first mate of the Nautilus in this story.




3. Dorian Gray
A dark character by any standard (and oddly, whose last name is spelled the American way rather than the British "Grey"), his conflict lay in the infamous painting of himself, which ages while he remains immortal (so long as he does not look upon the painting). Dorian Gray (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorian_Gray) controversial character in the story, he is played as a "fop" or "dandy", what in modern parlance would be said to be a "metrosexual" (as the closest possible comparison). And he is played most outstandingly by actor Stuart Townsend.




4. Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde
Another great and dark character from British literature of the nineteenth century (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Case_of_Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde), whose dark controversy is rather obvious if you know the character. And he is played amazingly by actor Jason Flemyng.




5. Wilhelmina Harker
This is a subsidiary character from British literature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelmina_Harker), taken from Bram Stoker's Dracula. She is the wife of chemist Jonathan Harker, who was an associate of the vampire hunter, Professor Abraham van Helsing. Together, they hunted Count Dracula. And this story infers that Wilhelmina ("Mina") must have been attacked and bitten either by Dracula or one of his lesser vampire minions, thus giving her vampire-like powers (but without the aversion to, and weaknesses from, daylight). She is played very convincingly by actress Peta Wilson.




6. The Invisible Man
In the graphic novel, the character IS the Invisible Man of the original literary story (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Invisible_Man). But due to copyright issues, the producers of the movie had to re-imagine the character to be a thief, named Rodney Skinner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Skinner#Rodney_Skinner) who broke into Professor Griffin's laboratory and stole his formula, thus gaining the benefits (and curse) of it. He is played very well, and in Cockney style, by actor Tony Curran.




7. Tom Sawyer
The only other American literary character in this story (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Sawyer), in this the character is now a young adult, and serving as a member of America's Secret Service. He is also a crack shot with a rifle (and pistols), but in a very frontier "American" style of shooting, which draws some pointed criticism from Allan Quatermain. Quatermain then takes the character under his wing to teach him accuracy, and he becomes a protege of sorts. He starts out by having infiltrated the Fantom's henchmen, and then reveals himself in an explosive scene in the movie.

So, now here's what I'd like to ask each of you to attempt. Let's take the concept of this great story (whether the graphic novel series or the movie), and twist it around a bit. The basic concept is to take great literary heroes, anti-heroes and villains from your own culture, from ANY time period, and re-imagine the story with them! Remember to try and stick either with famous literary characters from your culture, or characters from your national (or regional) folklore. And if you use historical figures (as I have done in a few cases below), try not to go overboard by using too many. And remember, try to provide links to some references about each character!

I have done so for this first post. Being an American, I have taken great characters not only from American literature (and, in keeping with the original story, I have used characters from the nineteenth century), I have assembled my own "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" with an American flair! In this, as in the original, I have not only included a woman character, but also at least two characters of non-Caucasian race. It's not only the politically correct thing to do (heh heh), but also because there are legitimate heroic characters of American literature and folklore who were Hispanic, Native American, etc.

Because of some limitations, I have had to draw upon REAL people from the time as well. Granted, each of these real people had rather generous and exaggerated legends built around their names, but that only serves to help the story I would imagine them being involved in. Not all of these characters had controversies in their lives, just as not all of the literary characters of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen did. It doesn't mean that conflicts of some kind could not be imagined or added for flair and character conflict in some imagined storyline. Where there was an existing conflict, I noted it. Many western characters from American folklore had "dime novels" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_novel) and stories written about them, making them into popular (and often exaggerated) legends...even in their own time! Perfect for this sort of thing.

I have no story yet, though I will try to add one later (just an outline/summary, which is all I am really expecting from anyone who contributes their own stuff). For your own, feel free to be imaginative and creative! Remember, in movie productions and even fictional books, the authors and producers twist things around to suit their stories!

MY 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. William "Buffalo Bill" Cody
The de-facto leader of the group, Buffalo Bill was a real-life hero of the American west (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Bill), though his personality was rather exaggerated once he took to the entertainment industry with his traveling "Wild West" show (which included other great names of the time period). His great controversy of the past, of his younger days, was that he was an Indian fighter, and he killed a good many of them. He also served as a scout for the U.S. Army. Even though, later on, he became a friend of Native Americans of the plains and employed many of them in his shows. Like Allan Quatermain, he was a crack shot with a rifle, and a colorful adventurer of a man. I imagine him being played by actor Sam Elliott. (Of course, as a more aged Buffalo Bill I guess...lol...just like Sean Connery's Allan Quatermain.)




2. John Henry
A popular African-American (black) character in American folklore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_%28folklore%29), John Henry was a railroad worker who drove rail spikes with his great sledge hammer. A man of incredible strength. I imagine someone like actor Tony Todd playing him.




3. Pecos Bill
A legendary cowboy in American folklore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecos_Bill), it was said that he was a big man, who rode a huge montain lion, and used a rattlesnake as a whip. He was a wild adventurer who even once rode a tornado in order to break it (as if breaking a wild stallion). His great controversy was that, once, he lassoed his wife with his rattlesnake, thus estranging her. I'm not quite sure who could play such a colorful, exuberant character, but I'll think on it. Perhaps Billy Bob Thornton!




4. Calamity Jane
Another real person from American history (of the old west), Martha Burke was another western-style adventurer and crack shot with a rifle and pistols, who had quite a legend built up around her. She was also associated, for a time, with Buffalo Bill Cody and his shows, and also served as an Army scout. She even knew Wild Bill Hickok, and hung out for a time in Deadwood, South Dakota. She eventually suffered bouts of depression, and took to alcoholism, and those were her controversies. As to who would play her? Not sure really. But probably some young woman rather more attractive than the historical Martha Burke, who could serve as a romantic foil for the Zorro character...a strong woman not easily swayed by a Latin romantic come-on.).




5. Paul Bunyan
From the woodlands of the northwestern North American continent (America and Canada) comes the legend of Paul Bunyan, a great lumberjack who was of enormous size...a giant from birth. His legend originated with the French Canadians, and it is said his companion was a great blue ox he named "Babe". He was said to have carved out the Grand Canyon by dragging his great axe behind him, and created Mount Hood by piling rocks on top of his campfire to extinguish it. lol There are many other stories about him tied to the geographical features of the American continent too. In my story, I would reimagine him without Babe in tow, but as being a man capable of growing to increasing size (depending on what was needed). Sort of the counterpart to Mr Hyde. As to a controversy, I know of none. Nor of a particular actor to play him.



6. Hiawatha
This is confusing, as there is both a real Native American from history named "Hiawatha", and a literary character from a story known as "The Song of Hiawatha". I have chosen the latter for this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Hiawatha). In this poem, Hiawatha is from an unnamed tribe, vaguely reminiscient of the Ojibwe, living on the shores of Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes of the northern United States. He was known as a man of adventure, discoverer of corn ("maize" to the Native American peoples), falling in love, and coming to accept European settlers and their beliefs, and then admonishes his people to do the same just as he, essentially, rides off into the sunset in his birchbark canoe, off into the west. I imagine the Native American actor Rodney A. Grant (who played "Wind In His Hair" in Dances With Wolves) playing him.




7. Zorro
Most of us know him, thanks to recent movies. Zorro is the "Robin Hood" of the western American frontier...in Hispanic/Mexican California around the (then) village of Los Angeles...and others (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorro). An expert with a rapier and a bullwhip, and hero to common Mexican citizens being overtaxed and abused by representatives of the Spanish colonial government (the "alcaldes"), he rides around in his black costume and mask righting wrongs, all with the flair and panache of Spanish legendary characters. He had a sidekick, the deaf mute named "Bernardo". I imagine Zorro as the flashy, romantic and witty character of the group.

While this is a bit out of date, I still imagine the actor George Hamilton playing him, as he did in the very excellent movie (from the early 80s) Zorro, The Gay Blade (the "gay blade" part comes from a point in that movie where his twin brother, Ramon, who is gay (and very effeminate...having run away from his boyhood home because he couldn't fit in with the very macho 19th century Latin culture, and joins the British Navy, renaming himself "Bunny Wigglesworth" ), takes over for him temporarily when he is injured...reassuming the machismo Latin persona of his twin brother. Ramon uses a bullwhip exclusively (the "gay blade", if you follow), instead of a rapier, and dresses more colorfully: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083366. Watch the trailer posted on the IMDB page, and you will see what I mean. Hamilton was great in the role!).




Finally, as to a villain for this group? I spent a lot of time with this, but I came up with the historical American bad guy "Black Bart" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bolles). This man, whose real name was Charles Bolles, was an infamous stagecoach robber, who lived to a ripe old age, and spent time in prison for his crimes. But he'd be a good foil for these other characters. As to who would play him? Again, not really sure here. But here's a look at the real man in his heyday:

Well I'm certainly glad I expended that energy...

Hmm....I should have something up in a couple days as I figure out my ideal roster.

Ah, thanks so much buddy! You have pulled me out of the fire!

Fantastic,you have my extreme thanks for sharing these with us.

I especially love the ones about Captain Nemo,who is portrayed by James Mason in Disney's 20,000 Leagues under The Sea,and Dr. Jekyll/Mr.Hyde.

-Celtic Lilly

I've got to stop doing these sorts of topics. Clearly either no one wants to actually read a little, or no one cares to participate...

Well, I was working on my roster, but the laptop flipped out on me, and I was without it. Just so you know my picks, here you go:

TEAM FOUNDER/CO-LEADER: Professor X (X-Men)
CO-LEADER/ON-FIELD LEADER: Batman (Batman)
MUSCLE/ENFORCER: Hellboy (Hellboy/B.P.R.D.)
MARKSMAN: Vash The Stampede (Trigun)
MARKSMAN: Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Trigun)
SCOUT: Black Cat (Spider-Man)

VILLAIN(S): The Entire Cast of the Twilight Saga

-- I'll explain everything in greater detail once I've done a few other things.

This is not at all what I had in mind, dude. You may wish to read the first post in the topic again. Superheroes are not really supposed to be a consideration here. More like established literary characters or cultural/ethnic legends (historical or fictional).

Nacy Wake
Also known as "The White Mouse", she helped the Liberation of France and the defeat of European fascism in the Second World War. While her special talent does not ednorce brute force she has recieved special SOE survival training, along with and unarmed combat, explosives, Morse Code and radio operation, surveillance and night parachuting.



John E. Butts
His rank in the war was Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Co. E, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, he was in Normany and France. He and his four brothers entered the war, however, he was the only one to die...
A quote from Heros of World War II describing his brave actions...



Robert G. Cole

He lead his battion towards thelast four bridges on the road to Carentan when his entire unit was suddenly pinned down by enemy fire, with his disgregard for his own saftey he rose during the fire and rallied his men to fight on.

To edit, I'm just going to edit this post as I get the other players too.

Not a bad start at all! Thanks for bringing this back to life, Bats!

Haha no problem. I was a little suprised that no one else has done this.