The Awful Steeple-Man

The Awful Steeple-Man
The cover of the first stand-alone comic book featuring Steeple-Man.
Publication information
Publisher	A. F. Smart Co.
First appearance	The Boy's Paper (April 1950)
Created by	John Pike
In-story information
Alter ego	Edmund Alastair Harrow
Species	Human
Place of origin	Limmes, Great Nortend
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, durability, agility, stamina, reflexes, balance, endurance &c. Precognition of attack and danger, and ability to see for miles Able to jump extremely far, high and accurately, and to climb smooth surfaces High intelligence

Steeple-Man is a fictionary superhero created by John Pike in 1950, in the May 1950 issue of The Boy's Paper, a boys' magazine published in Great Nortend. He is the alter ego of Edmund Harrow, an undergraduate student residing at the fictional St Hilary's College at the University of Limmes. In the stories, he gained his superpowers one evening whilst sitting at the top of the steeple of the college chapel. A thief had broken into the chapel sacristy. A bolt of lightning struck the steeple cross and shocked Harrow, who stumbled over the edge. He discovered his new powers, and managed to ring the chapel bell as well as subdue the thief, before slipping away into the darkness.

Creation

The character of Steeple-Man was created by the writer John Pike, and his long-term illustrator, Michael Westover. Comics were increasingly the main draw-card of the numerous boys' magazines, and Pike needed a character which boys, as well as potentially older readers, would enjoy. The decision was taken by the then editor of The Boy's Paper, Robert French, to create a superhero character, which was quickly gaining popularity.

Pike based the character on the university antics which he himself, with his fellow college-men, would do to amuse themselves, climbing onto the numerous steeples, towers and rooftops across the grounds of the University of Limmes. The name 'Steeple-Man' was chosen to reference that pastime, known in college circles as 'steepling'. Initial concerns that the paper would be condoning trespass and dangerous activities such as steepling were addressed by Pike, who argued that necessarily any superhero character would be undertaking dangerous acts, and that nothing exciting would come about from “gentlemen in top-hats at the opera”.

The first short comic story featuring Steeple-Man was published in the April edition of The Boy's Paper in 1950, which featured the character without much explanation of his background. The first issue of the stand-alone comic book series, The Awful Steeple-Man, was published in June that same year, and detailed the origin story of the character.

The title quickly became the best-selling stand-alone comic book and by 1963, its sales had surpassed even those of The Boy's Paper. To-day, it remains the most popular comic book title, and largely the only mainstream superhero character in Great Nortend. The title has begot an array of villains and allies, which too have gained popularity and in some cases, their own series.

Abilities and powers

A lightning strike, implied to be the Holy Ghost, imbued Edmund Harrow with the a number of superpowers and abilities after he prayed that someone would stop a thief stealing college silverware.

Steeple-Man has superhuman strength, speed, balance, endurance and agility, with the ability to quickly scale walls and buildings, and to jump with incredible power over exceeding large distances. He has night-vision, as well as the ability to see for miles. He also has precognitive powers and can thereby sense danger. Harrow is given a high scholastic ability and intellectual mind as a result of the strike, leading to his excelling in his university studies.

Supporting characters

The world of Steeple-Man has a large array of supporting and recurring characters. Harrow's parents are never seen; however, it is said that his father is a Major in the Royal Army, and that Edmund is the middle child of three. Harrow's best friend is throughout the storyline Peter Wilcock, and is the only person in-college to know his secret identity. He has had a number of love interests, including his chambermaid, Polly Dolton, his college tutor's daughter Mary Almonge, as well as his childhood sweetheart, Lucy. Harrow finally marries Lucy in the February issue of 1993.