Black One (2020 Texas Gladiators)

Black One
Biographical Information
Home country	United States of America
Homeworld	Earth
Death	2020, Free Town, former Texas
Physical Information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Chronological / Political Information
Citizenship	American (former)
Fictional Information
Created by	George Eastman Aldo Florio
Portrayed by	Donald O'Brien
First Appearance	2020 Texas Gladiators
Final Appearance	2020 Texas Gladiators

“	We are the new order! The one free and true, strong and reliable force to emerge from the ruins of the Atomic War! Any who oppose us are bound to fail... Because we are the pre-destined inheritors of power over this planet!	”
–Black One, declaring ownership over Free Town

Black One was a fascist conqueror of post-apocalyptic Texas. A survivor of the Atomic War, Black One built up an army of violent criminals willing to obey his command and enslave other residents of the former American state.

In the year 2020, Black One's army captured the oil-producing settlement of Free Town. He was shortly thereafter killed by members of the Rangers.

Biography

Capture of Free Town

Black One oversaw the conquering of Free Town. After his troops had taken control, Black One walked through the streets to speak in front of the gathered surviving citizens. He declared that he would bring order, and explained how he and his forces would stamp out any rival factions, while sermonising about how the Atomic War had been caused by politics and religion. He demanded complete fealty, and commanded that all unwed citizens of age were henceforth to be segregated. The Ranger Nisus rushed out of the crowd to attack, but was gunned down by Black One's men. (FILM: 2020 Texas Gladiators)

Rule of Free Town

While overseeing the running of the former Caltex Petrol Company, Black One received news that other Rangers had emerged seeking revenge for the death of their comrade. His subordinate Catch-Dog demanded twice his usual fee to engage with his former allies, which Black One grudgingly agreed to. (FILM: 2020 Texas Gladiators)

After Catch-Dog assumed the Rangers to be dead in a landslide, he returned to Black One and received the rest of his payment. Black One laughed at the thought of Catch-Dog scraping the remains of their corpses from the ground with a knife. (FILM: 2020 Texas Gladiators)

Liberation of Free Town

Black One screams in pain from the axe lodged in his chest.

Black One was outraged upon discovering that the Rangers had survived. He mobilised his men in defense of Free Town, and stood with them at the barricaded entrance. He was shocked to see the Indigenous population had allied with the Rangers in an attack on him, and fled when they began firing their bows and arrows, easily penetrating his army's thermal shields. (FILM: 2020 Texas Gladiators)

Death

At the culmination of the siege, Black One emerged from hiding with a thermal shield and attacked Halakron and Maida. He slowly advanced on them while they fired at him repeatedly with their weapons, unable to penetrate the shield. Red Wolfe fired several shots at him from a higher vantage point, catching the dictator off guard. Black One fired at the Ranger with his pistol, but was unable to prevent the Ranger from shooting a hatchet out of its display case and into the path of Halakron, who picked it up and threw the unheated weapon straight through Black One's thermal shield, ending his cruel reign. (FILM: 2020 Texas Gladiators)

Weapons and Abilities

Technology

• Thermal Shields: Lightweight, portable barriers carried by his troops that deflected oncoming bullets but allowed bullets from guns used by the wielder to pass through to the other side. Their weakness was to cold projectiles, such as the tips of arrows. (FILM: 2020 Texas Gladiators)

Notes

• Black One was portrayed by Irish actor Donald O'Brien. The character's death scene originally involved Black One's skull being cracked open by an axe, but the filmmakers thought it to be over the top.
• A reviewer for the October 1987 issue of Texas Monthly called the character a "splendidly eel-brained villain". Brad Jones, in-character as the Cinema Snob, jokingly stated that the character's baldness indicated his status as leader, and compared the character's appearance to Bull Shannon.
• The character was never referred to as "the" Black One, only as "Black One".

Appearances

• 2020 Texas Gladiators (first and final appearance)

See also

• Crazy Bull
• Prossor