CLASSICS

2074
 IN THE BEGINNING
THERE WAS . . .

CLASSICS 2074, What a concept.

It's the first year of the GWF. The first year of the wrestling federation of the future
that we've all come to love and adore.
After the many years that l've written about the GWF, I almost hate to write this edi-
tion, I worry that it'll destroy the mystique and sense of mystery that surrounds those mythi-
cal early days.
But I guess there's still enough mystique to go around, After all, in CLASSICS 2074
we only meet eight (when you count Omega and Morpheus it's really ten) of about thirty
wrestlers who competed in 2074. Then there's the ''underground'' and ''secret'' wrestling fed-
erations where guys like Omega and Morpheus were competing prior to 2074. Plus there's
the mystery involving the years 2075, 2076, 2077, 2078, 2080, 2081, 2082, 2083, 2084, and
early 2085. Add to that the federation in Dimension X where Chaos and the Matador of
M83 were wrestling in 2090 and I guess there's still enough mystique to give us another
twenty or so CLASSICS game editions! (Don't laugh! I never would have dreamed ten
years ago when the first game edition appeared that l would someday produce over fifteen
regular game editions. four CLASSICS editions, a BIRTHDAY BASH edition, and so on.
So anything is possiblel!)
I hope you're still enjoying this cosmic romp called the GWF. I hope you enjoy the
early feuds. like the Guardians vs. Dorado Sundown, Santon the Loner vs. Torin Caelum
and Commander Sam vs. Torpor.
Hang in there promoter! CLASSICS 2074 is just the latest proof that Champions of
the Galaxy is the most intricate and impressive form of modern-day mythology that exists!
Every new edition is a new chapter in an increasingly sophisticated cosmic saga. Thanks for
your support, because l could write this stuff forever!

Until Vortex gets a water phobia . . .

Brought to you by the CLASSICS crew at Federation Headquarters:

Only TOM FILSINGER could write with such dramatic flair! None but BRIAN
BENDIS could capture the look of an era with such panache! Who else but BOB
HOFFA could have given the final product such class? Only MARK ASHBY
could make the rest of us look good by minimizing our bareheaded mistakes! No
one but YOU could have supported us and legitimized this silliness!
 OUT OF THE ASHES OF THE HORRIBLE
GALACTIC WARS RISES A NEW HOPE . . .
THE GWF!
The early history of the GWF has been described in the original CHAMPIONS OF
THE GALAXY Wrestler Description Guide (first edition handbook) and CLASSICS 2079.
The rest of the story remains lo be told here . . . In CLASSICS 2074.
The Galactic Wars officially began in 2058 when an army from CTA-102 violated
a peace treaty and attacked Titan. many planets from star systems as far away as Cyg-
nus, Corvus, and Dorado, took sides and joined the war. The war began as a battle be-
tween a few planets and escalated into a full-blown galactic brawl! When the dust finally
settled, over 12 billion people across the galaxy had been killed and two entire planets
were destroyed! The aggression became so contagious that some groups, like the
Aethrans, without any enemies in particular, started attacking everybody regardless of
their side! It was the Aethrans who took the aggression to its most heinous level when
they destroyed an entire planet, Davvros, in the Shuala system. The planet Davvros
wasn't even involved in the war.
The destruction of Davvros occurred in 2072 and it stocked the rest of the galaxy.
Everyone was shocked and repulsed by the unjustifiable tragedy (Davvros had a popu-
lation of 3 billion) and they hastened to end the war before more casualties could
mount . . . Or, more realistically, before the Aethrans struck with vengeance again !
Peace was declared in 2073 and fifteen years of horrible aggression had finally
ended. There were no victors, only many losers. The war had become an end in itself,
fought not for a cause, but for the sheer competition of winning and inflicting the most
casualties. The Aethrans represented the worst of this tendency.
Omega and Morpheus, two outstanding athletes, argued that legalizing violent
sports (which had basically been outlawed by the United Federation of Stars and Plan-
ets in 2050) would give people an outlet for instinctual violent urges. ''Let people see
and experience their inner aggressions through others,” Omega argued, “or we will
someday face a war more ghastly than the one that just ended.''
Omega held the Heavyweight Belt for most of the first year of the GWF. Mor-
pheus and Toxin Caelum provided him with his most intense competition for the singles
belt in the earliest days. But two men from Dorado, called Dorado Sun down, had other
ideas. Blacklash and Bullwhip came in 2074 to steal control of the GWF away from
Omega and Morpheus! The result was the earliest and most classic power struggle in
the history of the federation! Star Warrior and Thantos had not even entered the GWF
yet!
CLASSICS 2074 is the incredible story of the first year of the GWF and the show-
down between Omega and Morpheus against Blacklash and Bullwhip. Omega and
Morpheus had wrestled (perhaps illegally) in underground federations prior to 2074 and
faced rugged competition. But never did they face such naked aggression and the pur-
suit of power as they would in 2074 against Dorado Sundown!

NOTE: You can use the Omega and Morpheus playing cards from CLASSICS 2079 for
thier battles in 2074. Both men used the same moves, looked about the same, and were
in their prime in both 2074 and 2079.
 CLASSICS 2074
SCOUTING REPORTS

OMEGA OF CETUS

Main Feuds: Morpheus. Torin Caelum,

Dorado Sundown
Tag-Team: The Guardians (with Morpheus)
Finisher: Use CLASSICS 2079 card

Background: The GWF truly represented Omega's ideal in its first year. For
example, Omega not only battled Morpheus in classic struggles for the Heavy-
weight Belt, but he also formed a tag-team with Morpheus to challenge the
brash challenge by Dorado Sundown!

MORPHEUS

Main Feuds: Omega, Torin Caelum.

Dorado Sundown
Tag-Team: The Guardians (with Omega)
Finisher: Use CLASSICS 2079 card

Background: Morpheus was not fond of Omega in 2074. but he was even less
fond of Blacklash and Bullwhip! Morpheus could trust his rival Omega to uphold
standards of honor and fairness, but not Dorado Sundown! If Blacklash and
Bullwhip would have been successful In their attempt to take over, who knows
what the GWF would look like today?
BLACKLASH AND BULLWHIP
Main Feuds: The Guardians and
Crosscurrents
Tag-Team: Dorado Sundown
Finishers: Blacklash and Bullwhip use a tag finisher called
RUSTLER'S STAMPEDE. When their opponent is down in the
middle of the ring, Blacklash and Bullwhip both climb on top of
opposite turnbuckles and jump down feet-first on their opponent!
No wonder it's called a stampede! It's rough . . . and painful!
Blacklash has also mastered another finisher, SUNDOWN,
which is a deadly falling head rammer that he uses in singles
matches.
Bullwhip likes to finish his opponents with his TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH finisher.
He places his opponent in a sitting position on the turnbuckle and then executes a dev-
astating slam to the mat!

Background: Here come two tough hombres!

No sooner did Omega and Morpheus announce the formation of the GWF in 2074,
than Blacklash and Bullwhip stormed to Deimos to sign their first match! From the start
they've made their intentions clear - to take over the GWF and give Omega and Mor-
pheus the big boot! How audacious!
Blacklash and Bullwhip are from the Dorado star system (Yes! Promoter, there
really is a Dorado star system!) where the inhabitants are the originators of what we
would call a Western style! Inhabitants from Dorado, brawlers and troublemakers, have
traveled throughout the star system for millions of years. secretly landing on planets
where they can blend in and spread their ''style'' throughout the universe. One planet that
Doradians infiltrated was Earth in the first stages of the Wild West era, In fact! rumor has
it that Jesse James himself was actually an alien from Dorado, but this is mere specula-
tion,
While both men are rough and rugged brawlers, Blacklash is the one with impres-
sive wrestling skills to boot. Bullwhip is a brawler and he's as tough as nails. With the
GWF in its infancy, Blacklash and Bullwhip are trying to seize their chance to take over
the federation before anyone knows what hit it!
It might have worked against lesser men, But Omega and Morpheus (with the
hindsight that is perfect since we know the future of the GWFI) were more than up to the
challenge. And rather than foolishly divide their forces, Omega and Morpheus immedi-
ately recognized that all their hopes for the GWF would be swiftly crushed if Dorado Sun-
down were able to take control. Though neither Omega and Morpheus particularly en-
joyed tag-team wrestling and didn't go out of their way to be ranked or win the tag belts,
the Guardians still rank as perhaps the greatest tag-team in GWF history!
Dorado Sundown's legacy will always be that they were the only team that could
bring Omega and Morpheus together! Though Blacklash and Bullwhip were a great tag-
team and great singles wrestlers, they left the GWF in 2076. frustrated that they could
not surpass Omega and Morpheus. They joined a smaller wrestling federation in Alpha
Centauri and were active until 2093.
TORIN CAELUM
Main Feuds: Santon the Loner
Morpheus, Omega
Finisher: CAELUM'S GRIP. Torin's finisher is a variation
of the traditional cobra clutch, expertly applied.
Background: Torin is from the star system Sagitta. He
is known for his incredible competitive edge and his
mastry of basic wrestling moves. Quiet by nature, Torin
works hard to win the Heavyweight Belt and bring honor
to the Sagittan people.
In 2074, Torin was unfortunately getting past his prime, which just shows
what a great wrestler he must have been In the 2060s and early 70s! He still
had enough skill in 2074, however, to challenge superstars like Omega and
Morpheus. Honorable and even-handed, Torin Caelum represented (like Mighty
Grogan did) the very best that the GWF could be.
Mainly a loner, Torin wound up in an infamous early feud against another
independent wrestler, Santon the Loner. The two men are opposites in terms of
wrestling style. Torin prefers wrestling moves and fighting fair while Santon is a
power wrestler who likes a good brawl. It was a classic Hero vs. Villain feud in
the GWF before the terms ''hero'' and ''villain'' were officially used.
For Torin, the coming of the GWF was too late for him to win the acclaim
he surely would have won ten years earlier. He officially retired in 2080. Cur-
rently he runs a wrestling training school in Sagitta that was attended in 2097
by Colossus.

SANTON THE LONER

Main Feuds: Torin Caelum
Finisher: SPIKE PILEDRIVER. Santon is the master of
the piledriver and his deadly falling version of this hold
was unforgettable.

Background: The problem with writing about Santon is

that nobody knows anything about him! In fact . . . San-
ton isn't even his real name! When Santon entered the GWF, he brought with
him a power style that was truly his own. Fiercely independent, Santon signed
matches against all comers and sought no alliances. He wouldn't even tell the
GWF what his name was! Frustrated. Omega dubbed him ''Santon.'' which liter-
ally means a recluse or loner. He's been announced as Santon ever since . . .
and he doesn't seem to care one way or the other! As mysteriously as he en-
tered, Santon departed without warning in 2079 and never returned. Who was
this man?
 CROSSCURRENTS
Main Feud: Dorado Sundown
Finishers: Thetis and Vortex
use a move called WATERY
GRAVE as their finisher. When
the opponent is struggling to
his feet in the middle of the
ring, both men propel them-
selves off the ropes and deliver
a double shoulder tackle!
Background: From the depths of the sea on the watery planet of Thalassis
comes the incredible tag-team, CrossCurrents! Thalassis is in the Corvus star
system.
Thetis and Vortex are from an underwater civilization and can only survive
outside water for a few minutes. As a result, Thetis and Vortex wear special
suits in the ring which gives them the supply of liquids that are necessary for
them to retain their strength.
As you might imagine, the wrestling style of CrossCurrents is fluid, con-
stant motion. Thetis and Vortex are masters of diving-type moves off the turn-
buckle or propelling off the ropes.
Thetis and Vortex were the first tag-team specialists in GWF history. ln tag
matches CrossCurrents could compete with great opponents like Dorado Sun-
down. In fact, Blacklash and Bullwhip would often become very frustrated in
matches with CrossCurrents and Blacklash once described Thesis and Vortex
as ''slippery as eels!” Thetis and Vortex gave so much of their attention to tag
wrestling, however, that as singles wrestlers they were ( and i apologize for
this . . . ) like fishes out of water!
CrossCurrents lasted in the GWF until 2082 and had some classic
matches against the Estorians during their career.

COMMANDER SAM
Main Feuds: Torpor
Finishers: STAR SPANGLED BANNER. When Sam
has his opponent just about finished off he raises his
arm like he's holding a flag. Then he runs towards his
opponent with a devastating elbow forearm that often
ends the match!

Background: Here's Commander Sam, the angry young man of the GWF!
Like many of the early marginal GWF stars, Sam is a military fighter turned
wrestler. It was a natural progression. With the end of the Galactic Wars, many
fighters with an angry grudge entered the GWF to get revenge against their
enemies . . . or to just blow off some steam! Most of these fighters did not last
Iong because, while competitive and tough, they lacked the necessary skills to
win in the GWF.
Not so with Sam . Though he didn't become a star overnight, Sam already
showed potential in his first year in the GWF. He showed so much potential, in
fact, that Omega became his unofficial mentor, as Cosmos (Thantos) wouId be-
come a few years later.
In 2074, Sam faced the first of many feuds against fighters from the Cyg-
nus star system. Sometimes Sam would team up with the Guardians in three-
man tag matches against Dorado Sundown and Torpor.
Commander Sam’s trademark toughness and bad temper were already
evident in 2074 and his feud with Torpor was an example of passion over wres-
tling skill. Already in his twenties, Sam learned the wrestling trade very quickly
in 2074 and in a few years was one of the best wrestlers in the GWF.

TORPOR
Main Feuds: Commander Sam
Finishers: CYGNUS AIR RAID. Torpor would try to end his
matches by climbing to the top of the turnbuckle and deliv-
ering a deadly swooping clothesline on his unfortunate op-
ponent!

Background: Torpor was one of the most celebrated war heroes in the Cygnus
star system. He won many medals for outstanding flying ability in the many air
raids that the Cygnus military fought against Earth during the Galactic Wars.
Torpor and Sam saw each other many times during the War.
When the War ended, Torpor entered the GWF to continue his grudge
against Commander Sam. Torpor was among the first non-human wrestlers in
the GWF, but he was not the first alien “star”. This honor went to Mangus, De-
stroyer of Humans, who was the first great alien wrestler.
Torpor never successfully adjusted to being a wrestler. Though he and
Sam were about equally competitive in 2074, Sam improved dramatically in
2075 and 2076, while Torpor never quite got the hang of GWF wrestling . Fi-
nally after a few years of trying and failing, Torpor retired from ring action in
2076. Such was the fate of many wrestlers in the early days of the GWF. Not
until later did the sport evolve to the point where great champions, like Star
Warrior and Thantos, forged Iong and successful careers.