The Secret History of The Geist

As told by Richard Grey on the night of Jan 17^th, 2024.

“The first Geist was a man named William Kane. He was a simple man who ran a gym in the west side of Brisby – where Hannigan is today. One day in 1939 he just simply decided he wasn’t going to stand by any longer and watch criminals terrorize his neighborhood. He fashioned a costume to disguise himself and protect his livelihood from reprisal, and starting cleaning up the streets as the first Geist. He was a ghost in the night, hunting criminals from the shadows.”

“There was a rich kid who trained at his gym named Bruce Wade. In 1940 this kid was kidnapped by some stupid punks. But Bruce’s parents Thomas and Tina had been gunned down by criminals just like the ones that kidnapped Bruce, and a thirst for vengeance was why Bruce had been training so hard at the gym. William eventually tracked down the kidnappers so he could rescue the kid. Instead he found Bruce had already beaten them unconscious. Impressed and concerned at the same time, William took it upon himself to begin personally mentoring him. Bruce was talented; it wasn’t long before he was joining William on his nightly patrols as the first Cardinal.”

“In 1954 William suffered a serious injury. A combination of this injury, his age, and the ever-growing increase of crime finally forced William to retire. Bruce carried on his legacy and became the second Geist. Bruce was The Geist for about 10 years. In that time he trained a new Cardinal, a street-smart kid named Drake Todd. They continued to try and stem the ever-growing crime problem the way they always had until 1963, when the world suddenly changed.”

“That was when Morbius and other superhumans appeared publically to the world. Emboldened, more and more super-powered criminals began revealing themselves. Many took to crime quickly, and Bruce had trouble adapting to this new world filling up with super powered threats. In 1964 a heist he tried to break up went sideways, and Bruce was killed.”

“Drake had little time to mourn the death of his mentor. He donned the familiar guise of The Geist and became the third man to wear the identity. But he stepped out of the shadows, joining the ranks of super humans who used their powers to help others. Drake realized that if he was going to fight against these super villains he needed to learn how to adapt to this new world. There was no better way than to join with them.”

“Shortly before Bruce’s death, he had a one-night stand with a woman named Tanya Gale. She became pregnant but never got the chance to tell Bruce before he died. Tanya mis-understood the events of his death and believed that The Geist had killed Bruce. When she gave birth to their son she named him Damien Wade and raised him as an assassin to exact revenge. He trained for years to prepare himself for this inevitable confrontation.”

“The initial battle was a draw. Drake was shocked to realize who Damien was. They clashed several more times before Drake was finally able to convince Damien of the truth. Once that happened Damien abandoned his previous beliefs. Directionless, he was surprised to be offered the role of the Cardinal; to follow in his late father’s footsteps. He accepted.”

“William Kane, the original Geist, passed away in 1980 – the same year the government’s experiments to create superhumans was exposed. Between those two events Drake and Damien retreated from the public eye. They diligently worked in secret from the shadows, continuing the mission which William started all those years ago. Finally, in 1986, Drake retired due to his own age catching up with him. Damien officially became the fourth Geist.”

“Eleven years ago I lost my own family. The Geist helped bring those responsible to justice. I pieced together the fragments of his appearances in order to track him down. I initially thought I just wanted to thank him, but eventually I realized I wanted to do more; I wanted to help people like how he helped me. When I finally came face to face with Damien he was reluctant to train me. He had already lost one Cardinal. Undeterred, I shadowed him, determined to help. It took a few months I was able to be in a position where I could actually be a help to him. Once I did though, he finally accepted me. He brought me into his confidence, taught me about the legacy of The Geist, and trained me as the newest Cardinal.”

“Then two months ago… things went bad. Damien and I had tracked the villain Dread to his current hideout. We thought we were prepared. We were not. Before we knew it we were trapped with only moments left to survive. Damien took quick stock of the situation and found an escape, but only one of us could use it. He insisted I go. He assured me he would find another way out and be right behind me. But he didn’t. He sacrificed his life so I could escape. Dread was captured, I survived… but Damien did not.”

“Ever since Bruce took on the mantle, his vast family fortune and company was passed down to each successor. This time it was no different. With Damien dead, I found myself the new owner of Spirit Enterprises. I inherited this legacy and vast responsibility, and now here I stand before you. I share all this with you so you know I’m not hiding anything. The Geist has been in the shadows for too long – it’s time to step out again.”

Image Credits:
First Geist: Palladium Books
Current Geist: AZ_Rune