Dark Dire

***"In this world. I fought not only for justice but for the right to exist in a world that struggled to see beyond the pigment."***

## Dark Dire

* Dark Dire
* Stuart Freeman

### Relatives

Mr. Freeman (Grandfather), Malcolm Freeman (Father), Gloria Freeman (Mother), Samuel Freeman (Brother),

### Affiliation

The Super Society (formerly), The Black Panther Party

## Dark Dire

Dark Dire was a influential man, born in 1917, he was the first ever "Costumed Fighter" in the 20th Century. Many would hear folktales about superpowered people in ancient times but there were debates if they truly lived or not. He would put on a dark suit to cause fear to his enemies hearts. He would fight with the Super Society in WW2 & The Korean War, by the Mid 50's he left and he helped and funded Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton with the Black Panther Party in 1966. Which was a group that was active in the United States between 1966 and 1982, with chapters in many major American cities, including San Francisco, Halstern City, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Philadelphia.

## Origins

Stuart Freeman was born in the town of Duvall, Alabama. Known for its famous battle in the Civil War. Duvall was about 7 minutes away Montgomery and was heavily segregated. Although the black side was a close knit community who owned farms and owned businesses. Stuart's father Dewey was a very successful farmer who owned cattle and Stuart would help him. Throughout the years, the family would come across trouble when at night White supremacist racist vigilante groups associated with the Ku Klux Klan would shoot their livestock or mess their crops to sabotage their business.

He’d hear stories on how his grandfather was the greatest bounty hunter from Mississippi after being freed from slavery, this would inspire him to become a fighter of justice just like him.

## Dark Dire

Tragedy struck in 1935, The Ku Klux Klan all show up to the Freeman Ranch and torch it at night, His father, his mother, his brother, and his Pet Dog all perished in the flame, the Duvall Police Department did not do anything about it. Stuart saw them ride away, they were all from the City of Montgomery. To evade the police, he would put on a Dark Black Sack and sewed a dark spandex suit to traverse. He was already strong from being a farm boy but he would learn to fight on his own and he was lethal. In January 11th 1936 on a cold snowy day in Duvall, there was a Klan Meeting and a lynching, Dark Dire showed up with his father's Mauser '98 and a revolver and he would murder the people who killed his family, when he lost ammo, he then beat the Klan leader to death with his fists. This caused the Duvall Police Department to finally care and cause a report.

He became a vigilante to protect his people in Montgomery, he would upgrade his suit and wear a terrifying all black suit white eyes to strike fear in his enemies making him the first costumed vigilante and he would kill more members of The Klan. He then was ruled as a criminal after he would do the Klan’s methods of torture to them back. But if the Klan did it to him, no one would bat an eye. Dark Dire wanted to leave these accusations behind but he couldn’t leave the people who look up to him behind. Dark Dire would then be wanted by the whole white south but to his people he was seen as a savior who would protect them from the brutalities that racists would do. His Vigilantism inspired a rebellion of masked heroes all over the nation, of every race & color who either loved what he was doing, or just wanted to be a living comic book. In December 1940, the Montgomery Police Department would arrest him and there was a famous a trial and they wanted to execute him, people protested outside the city hall and there would be many fights. Ultimately, they decided to execute him with electrocution Before they did, The President of the United States along with Dakota Bob Jones, a U.S General came themselves to stop them.

## The Super Society

FDR & Dakota wanted Dark Dire to help them, They free him and drop the charges, in return they join S.A.G.E. and fight in the War with other superheroes. Dark Dire at first was hesitant, would rather die then work for the same people who caused him turmoil his whole life, but he then accepted, he was then brought into The Super Society in 1941. He met many of the heroes in the group, there were a lot of mixed emotions. Patriot Eagle the leader, believed he was a savage who killed people in gruesome ways, though then accepted him, Paladin Man was one of the teenagers who were inspired by him to fight crime so he respected him. Battle Diamond respected him the most, they were both farm boys and although Battle Diamond didn't agree with his morals on killing, he admired his drive to save the people he cares about. The two would become friends. Although, JetStream and Green Justice didn't want to work with Dark Dire.

Dark Dire saw some battle and after the war, he was convinced by Battle Diamond to stay in the team after it. The two would be in New York City and Halstern and Dark Dire had a lot more respect up in the north. The two were a duo and fought crime. Dark Dire then left the team in the 1950's after Battle Diamond did and Dark Dire moved to California and fought crime there in San Francisco. He also became an Activist and was a close friend with many of them. He was there on stage when Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered this iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. In 1965 he meets college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in the 1960's by his house in Oakland and they are inspired by Dark Dire. They tell him about the BPP, An Organization they made after the police killed Matthew Johnson, an unarmed young black man in San Francisco, Dark Dire was interested by and he saw himself in them trying to protect their people, Dark Dire with his money he made fighting crime being paid by S.A.G.E. would help them fund with the Free Breakfast for Children Programs, education programs, and community health clinics. He would also march with civil rights activists and host and fund events.

In 1969, J. Edgar Hoover, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), described the party as "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country." Dark Dire was also seen as a target. In 1968, two days after the assassination on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and with riots raging across cities in the United States, 17-year-old Bobby Hutton was traveling with other BPP members in a car along with an older Dark Dire. The group confronted Oakland Police officers while Dark Dire advised them that it wasn't smart to, they still did and then fled to an apartment building where they engaged in a 90-minute gun battle with the police, Dark Dire went in the stop the two from shooting. The standoff ended with Hutton voluntarily surrendering. Dark Dire sacrificed himself by saving the boy. The Oakland Police shot Freeman more than 12 times, killing him. Two police officers were also shot. He became the first member of the party to be killed by police. Eight other Panthers, including Chief of Staff David Hilliard and Bobby Hutton, were also arrested.

## Legacy

Dark Dire was seen as the first costumed hero and fighter and will be remembered as an influential man, In the 1997, Director Spike Lee made a movie about Dark Dire named 'Dire' where he himself played Stuart Freeman.

## Trivia

* He is inspired by Batman & The Punisher & His Costume is Similar to Black Panther.
* He is also a play on to 'The Phantom' The world's first comic book superhero.
* His Grandfather is a reference to Django Freeman.
* In Vigilance, Stuart Freeman (a fictional character) gets killed and saves Bobby Hutton but in real life, Bobby Hutton was shot and killed making him the the first member of the party to be killed by police. Seven were arrested.