Supreme Commander

Supreme Commander is a founding member of the Knights. He is ranked as perhaps the premiere superhero on Earth. Supreme Commander is the husband of Solar Queen.

William Harding was slightly too young to enter World War I, but he did anyway with some forged papers and his older brother James vouching for him. The Harding boys were eager to become heroes in the last War to End All Wars. William lasted long enough to get shot and breathe in some mustard gas, and be saved alongside some others by a pilot named Redeagle. He was getting sent home like a wounded dog, which angered him greatly since his older brother was still out finding glory on the battlefield. Of course a month later he was horrified to learn his brother's body would be going home as well, having died in those same trenches. He sank into a deep depression and considered suicide. A friendship saved him. The pilot who had saved him in the trench, an American Indian named Redeagle, continued visiting him in the hospital and helped him not give up. He urged him to honor his brother's memory and also see the good he could still accomplish.

Harding was too near death himself to return to the front, but his deep devotion to Uncle Sam paid off and he was chosen for some more glory. Pulled out of the hospital, William Harding entered a secret program to create the ultimate war machine.

Though they damn near killed him, the experiments succeeded. Harding became a superhumanly strong, virtually indestructible tank of a being. Uncle Sam was happy. Harding was ecstatic. A lasting partnership was formed. He wanted nothing more than return and wreak vengeance on the Kaiser's soldiers. But the war was waning and his anger cooled as his powers grew. After hostilities ended, he assumed he would only use his new found abilities to aid the eternal peace of the New World Order they were establishing.

When the War to End All Wars proved to be misnamed and hostilities broke out again in the very same spot, Harding was redeployed to Europe in 1939. This time he went with in with a group of like-minded associates, which included the very same Captain Redeagle who had saved his life in the renamed WWI. They formed the world's first team of superheroes. Since his passion for vengeance had cooled over the years, he opted not to use the Avenging Angel codename he had planned on. When he was named leader of the new team project, he opted instead for the more neutral Supreme Commander. They chose the name Knights for the team, because honorable Knights of the Crusades were a favorite childhood subject of interest for him and his new associate Dr. Darke was an expert on the Middle Ages.

The Knights had four years of glorious adventures fighting the villainous Nazis and their minions. During this period the core members formed a strong bond. Via his amazing magical talents, Dr. Darke granted them all greatly extended lifespans in reward for his friendship.

Following VE day, as the focus of the War shifted to the Pacific Front, the team's attention was divided among the continents. Supreme Commander and several other members remained behind in Europe to aid in the reconstruction. The rest of the team moved to the Pacific and defended troops there as they prepared for the coming invasion of Japan. This proved a fatal flaw as the menace of the Crimson Dragon arose in Asia. On August 9, 1945, three members of the Knights were killed flying over Nagasaki, Japan, in an atomic bomb blast detonated by the Crimson Dragon. Included in those casualties was his best friend, Captain Redeagle, the man who had saved his life yet whom he had failed to save. Harding never forgave himself for losing a second set of brothers-in-arms in a Second World War.

Feeling deeply guilty, Supreme Commander took a hiatus which extended into a full year in order for himself and the team to grieve, consider the possibilities, and regroup. During this time Tom Rush served as interim Team Leader and moved the team to Queen City, USA, and established a permanent headquarters.

When he returned to his leadership role, he embraced his life and heroic function. He recruited new members over the years, including the young Sun Girl, who would later become Solar Queen and his wife.

Following the tragic events of Darke Day, when the destruction of their headquarters and invasion of Earth by the demonic hordes of Dhrell revealed exactly what Dr. Darke had inadvertently done, Supreme Commander felt he had no choice but to defend the Earth at all costs. Repelling the demon king, he then led the invasion of Hell. Things did not proceed as well as planned, so in the end Supreme Commander had no choice but to divide his forces and send half his team back through the portal to defend the Earth while he and the rest remained to fight. He demanded his wife Solar Queen be one of the ones to return to Earth. He was last seen locked in mortal combat with Dhrell and the hordes of Hell when the portal was resealed by Dr. Darke.

Powers:

Supreme Commander is superstrong. He has lifted many tons, most famously the back end of a sinking battleship. Due to his strength he can leap immense distances. He has great endurance and his skill is virtually invulnerable to injury. He has withstood machine guns blasts at point blank range. With his strength and invunerability, he can punch through rock or steel without injury.