Ed Johnson Presents: HOW THE MIGHTY #3

Ed Johnson Presents: HOW THE MIGHTY
(A series of interviews with former heroes, villains & sidekicks that once ruled the skies.)

INTERVIEW THREE - Tread

Up until now I haven't interviewed a hero of the caliber of this particular individual.

Today we talk with Captain Issac Matthews! the Bio-human that was known as Tread. Unbeknowist to us all - (though believed retired) Tread continued to serve for many years with the united governments. Even after his first team, the very public Saviors disbanded.

Matthews with The Saviors O-Man, Tool and Queen Hephatsut prevented earth from being invaded by the Vlon.

In his years with Bold, Outworlder and Friday he stopped the likes of The Tsar, Parnarssus and the Smith Syndicate.

He has thwarted more attempts to destroy the world than I can count. Matthews was a true Super Hero.

That said, I arrive at his current location. The Sevier Institute for the criminally insane.
Entering the gates my heart sinks the same way it did when I had first heard of his final days as Tread.

Apparently, Captain Matthews had lost his ability to comprehend between "now & then". What I mean by that is with his speed powers he was capable of not only moving at great velocity but also breaking the barrier of time.

Originally it was a great asset to the team but eventually it became one of their greatest hindrances.

Matthews upon discovery of this ability simply used it for short jaunts to get an upper hand on enemies. Unfortunately it became an obsession, a bit of an addiction and he began to abuse it..

Why wait for something to happen when you can stop it before?
Became: why allow that person to even be born?
Which then became: Why not control...everything?!

His team eventually stopped him and he ended up here.

He is locked in a box that resonates sounds preventing him from concentrating on anything more than talking.

NOTE: Due to his accelerated metabolism Matthews appears emaciated - however he is fed several hundred pounds of food a day - but immediately burns it off.

He refused any direct photos to be taken of him.

Readers - Tread:

HTM: Do you prefer Captain Ma-

Tread: IIIISsssac - Pppppplease

HTM: (Matthews is unable to control his speed any longer - and is heard as if yelling out of a moving car. From here on - I'll edit in post)
Issac great.
I hope you don't mind but I've taken a no nonsense approach to these interviews and just start asking the questions I believe people want asked - is that OK?

Tread: Do your worst.
(I believe is what he says)

HTM: You were seen after your group became public figures as one of the greatest heroes ever.
What happen?

Tread: What do you mean?

HYM: Well y..you held California hostage.

Tread: ...They lost faith in me.

HTM: "They" who?

Tread: Everyone!
My team, my superiors.
The people.

HTM: But you were altering history.
In fact an unclosable inter-dimensional rift still exist.
It has to be monitored to prevent -

Tread: Monsters from coming through. I know I know.
In comparison to the good I'd done - I thought it a small price.

HTM: 60,000 was the death toll of the Narvi beast that came through.

Tread: What am I suppose to say to that? Can't make an omelet...

HTM: I'm at a lost with your caviler attitude toward this.

Tread: of course you are. I don't expect understanding from one of you!

HTM: One of me?

Tread: Does God explain every little thing?
No he does what he knows is best and let's you all come to understand.
When I stopped Parnassus by removing his knee no one questioned me because he was an immediate threat. I raised my Level of consciousness. I was trying to solve issues before they became issues. Then saw the potential to not allow horrible things from the past from happening at all!!

HTM: Like Hitler?

Tread: ...Should I have stopped and told everybody my every move?!
Do you know -Tsk!
It was frustrating enough that I had to slow down to talk to you slow moving morons!

HTM: No regrets then?

Tread: I was making things better you misariblelittlenothing!I'maGodthatprotectedyou!Getonyourknees!Getonyourknees andworshipme...

I could no longer understand the answers Captain Matthews was giving. But somehow I think I knew more or less the point he was trying to convey.

Next Month:TBA

Ed Johnson Presents: HOW THE MIGHTY #2

Ed Johnson Presents: HOW THE MIGHTY
(A series of interviews with former heroes, villains & sidekicks that once ruled the skies.)

INTERVIEW TWO - Professor Hammer

Though not a Muslim, Professor Cornelius Hammer believed in the seventies as did Malcolm X the decade prior that the integrationist program was futile. The NOI argued that there is no precedent for the absorption of Negroes into the greater white American mainstream in fact or in history, that integrationists are asking for something the American socioeconomic system is inherently unable to give them -- mass class mobility, so that at best Negroes can expect from the integrationist program a hopeless entry into the lowest levels of a working class already disenfranchised by automation.

The Muslims told Negroes to be proud of their African heritage, to make a new identity for themselves by adopting an X or a Muslim surname and dropping their slave name, thereby severing all ties with a history of subservience to whites. The Muslims urged Negroes to be polite in their dealings with whites and to be non-violent, even if provoked. But if attacked, the Muslims say, a Negro should defend himself by any means at his disposal.

Most of the information above was obtained from an article written by A.B. Spellman where he interviewed Malcolm X. I referenced it before interviewing this month’s Super personality because Professor Hammer’s entire criminal career was based on a theory he claimed mirrored the vision of Malcolm’s and The Nation of Islam prior to Malcolm’s visit to Mecca and his fall out with the NOI. Hammer saw himself as a leader of black people and claimed to have their best interest at heart. What he didn’t explain was that he also had a "SUPER" ability.

A powerful ability to control the minds of individuals and make them do his bidding - to zealot proportions.

Before his capture he caused the deaths of over 200,000 blacks through loyal servitude and had to be lobotomized to eliminate his mind controlling ability. Amazingly his intelligence was not altered by the procedure. Today we talk to the man that could have been our savior but instead choose to become known only as prisoner 810439 at the McIver Penitentiary.

I have to point out that I do not wish to glorify the professor or his actions in any way. I just felt it "fair" to hear from both sides - if I were going to interview former super beings.

Readers - Professor Hammer.

HTM: Hello Professor. Thank you for meeting with me.

PROFESSOR HAMMER: Always happy to help out a brother.

HTM: I think what anyone familiar with the situation would like to know most is - why?

PH: If you have to ask then you haven’t seen it yet.
You’re still clouded by the false kindness of devils.
You are being permitted to live, allow you to eat and fuck.
Permitted for as long they allow it.

HTM: A lots changed Professor –

PH: Has it?
How much has honestly changed son?
We get cable in here you know.
I’m not literally living in a box.
Ask yourself, about those levies. Ask yourself about the war.
Man, ask yourself how folks that know less english than you - that have just gotten here, own more and get more respect.
How much has changed?
Did you hear? We just found some new oil down New Orleans way.
Wonder who’ll benefit.

HTM: Does that justify you leading people – black people – the people you claim to love to their deaths?

PH: You know, most people won’t do shit unless personally provoked and even then, it’s so they don’t look like no punk in front of other - people.
How often do you do it - see shit that’s fucked up – bitch about – then forget it?
We are waiting for the next Malcolm, the next Martin – the next Jesus to save us Man. We think we need a leader. What we need is to realize is that we’re all leaders. Leaders of one.
Plus one…plus one…plus one…

HTM: …You didn’t answer my question.

PH: Yes I did, but you still can’t see.

HTM: Profess –

PH: - My powers didn’t work!
My powers didn’t work unless somewhere inside that person I was trying to make "do" something…they wanted to…

HTM: You’re saying all those people wanted –

PH: I just personally provoked them.

HTM: Why should I believe you?

PH: Young brother, the option for that to even matter has been removed.
To keep you from…seeing.

NEXT MONTH: Tread

Ed Johnson Presents: HOW THE MIGHTY #1

Ed Johnson Presents: HOW THE MIGHTY
(A series of interviews with former heroes, villains & sidekicks that once ruled the skies.)

INTERVIEW ONE - FRIDAY

Some of you may remember, but most wont that once, long ago - we were protected by beings of great power, skill and integrity. From the fifties til about the late seventies vigilantes and "bio-humans" we called “super-heroes” prevented all manner of threats from befalling us. From kittens in trees to diabolical plots to turn us all into frogs concocted by maniacs the people in PJ's were there.

All up until, In October of nineteen seventy the hammer finally came down on our protectors and they were hunted and imprisoned or worst. The catalyst, failure to prevent the death of then President Coney.

Irony of current pop culture strikes a sharp cord. Films like award winning “The Amazings” and comic stories with similar themes like “Rebellion” are more poignant than they can even imagine. I have made it my mission of sorts to get these people an opportunity to at least live in the country they once protected with their lives.

A few months ago after some research and cross referencing I learned that the woman that was the vigilante once known as Friday had returned to the states and I was determined to get her to tell her story to the world. When I contacted her she told me she was familiar that I was a bit of a super-hero historian and that my lobbying helped make it possible for her to return to the states. She then agreed to let me interview her.

I nearly wet myself.

On Thursday the twenty fourth of august I entered Montifoire Medical center and a weight of depression overwhelmed me. It was omnipresent. The feeling only increased as I spoke to the employees.

From security guards to nurses, no one seemed to want to be here.

Arriving at the desk, I asked for the name I was given to get directions to the room.
“I’m looking for Marta Ramirez?”
“Five twenty six” the nurse told me without looking up from whatever she was looking at behind the desk.
“Which –?” I never finished asking.
“Take the elevator at the end of the hall to the fifth floor and follow the signs.” She answered without a glance.
“Thank you.”
After fifteen minutes of aimlessly wandering without so much as a “can I help you?” I found her room.
“Marta?”
From behind a multi-print curtain I heard a bright “Yes?”

As I came around, my mind’s eye half expected the leather and rubber clad woman that swung through the New York night in the seventies to be sitting on the bed. Instead I found a frail and small woman with a big smile listening to her walk-man cassette player.

I said hello to the woman that called herself Friday.

HTM: Hi

FRIDAY: Hey! Ed?

HTM: Yes. (Marta was now blind from glaucoma and diabetes) How you doing today?

FRIDAY: Any crash you can walk away from?

HTM: - Yeh?

FRIDAY: I use that same philosophy when I wake up. Come, talk to me.

HTM: So, where have you been?

FRIDAY: Oh, I spent a lot of my time in Spain and Puerto Rico. The "Brown" places [Laughs].

HTM: You know, for years it was thought you were African American?

FRIDAY: I Know! That just goes to show you how people just judge with their eyes you know? I think that hurt me - when they announced that I wasn’t white... It became a whole different thing. A lot of Spanish girls were messed up back then. People were so crazy.

HTM: It’s too bad that we handled things the way we did.

FRIDAY: "We"? Don’t be too hard on yourself. What are you, thirty?

HTM: Thirty-five.

FRIDAY: Oh you were a baby – baby! [Laughs]. Let that shit go.

HTM: How did you get started?

FRIDAY: Um…God, it was such a long time ago. When I was growing up, things weren’t like they are now. There wasn’t no chances – especially for Spanish girls. A lot of us did what we saw our moms do, which was to get pregnant. I remember, I never wanted that you know? Being somebody’s mom was never my thing.
So eventually I started dating this guy that was in the black panthers and he started taking me around and showing me what was what, or at least what he thought was what. Me, being told that all you have to do is find yourself a husband and have kids all my life - I ate it up. My skin was dark so if I didn’t talk alot nobody could tell that I was Puerto Rican.

HTM: You got involved?

FRIDAY: Involved!?! Shit I was blowin’ shit up! Literally! [Laughs] It was beautiful. I felt so free. I felt like I was doing stuff that mattered. Then I’d come back to the block and almost explode myself cause I couldn’t tell nobody what I was doing you know. Everybody was talking about boys and who was arrested or who got in a fight over wearing the same dress to a party or something stupid like that and I was pissing the FBI off!

HTM: How long did you do that?

FRIDAY: About a year – then I caught my boyfriend fucking this white girl. I couldn’t believe it. Such a freaking hypocrite. So I didn’t work with the panthers any more after that.

HTM: They didn’t say anything.

FRIDAY: Yeah they did, but when I told my ex I’d turn his ass in if he didn’t get them off my back – he told them that I was just a stupid spick and not to worry about me. I guess they believed that shit. Anyway I had the bug now right. I wasn’t gonna just stop and be mommy now. But what, I didn’t have the panther “cause” to follow or an agenda so what was I gonna do? And like on cue this dude steals this old lady’s purse in front of me one night. I don’t know what came over me – this was a big dude. My ex had taught me some stuff from before so I go after this dude. I get him in his knee and he goes down then I start on his thingie. [Laughs] He begged me to take the purse back. Wah-la, Friday was born.

HTM: What was your toughest challenge?

FRIDAY: After I got in the paper for bringing down the Bookworm I was in. I started hanging out with the big timers – Gatekeeper, The O-Man, that queen bitch? Anyway, them. They were my toughest challenge. I didn’t have any powers and they did, so getting their respect was.

HTM: You finally got it.

FRIDAY: You damn right! [Laughs].

HTM: Do you miss being out there?

FRIDAY: Everyday.

HTM: The government is giving you a pardon.

FRIDAY: Pardon my ass – gimme a parade. Gimme back my damn twenties! [Laughs].

HTM: I want to thank you so much for being my first interview.

FRIDAY: Wha - It’s over!?! I was just getting started shit!

We both laugh - and I fall in love with her a bit.

Next month: Professor Hammer