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List of 100 Bullets characters

100 Bullets is a fictional crime drama published by Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. As with other noir and pulp characters, both protagonists and antagonists of 100 Bullets are deeply flawed.

Augustus Medici
First appeared in issue #5, he is Trust's most powerful member. Augustus is the de facto leader of the thirteen families and has plans to bring peace to the rivalries that plague the Trust. Since the death of Daniel Peres, Augustus became even more powerful and has consolidated his position by removing the Peres family from power. Other family heads are now plotting against him. Through Shepherd, Augustus monitored Graves and his schemes, as well as his son. Later events have forced him to deal directly with Graves and accede to Lono's suggestion to pardon Kotias and Vasco for their participation in a failed scheme to assassinate him. It seems that his power is ever increasing, with all the remaining houses dominated by his position. It also seems that he had an agreement with Graves and Vasco about protecting Rothstein. It is eventually revealed that Augustus, Graves and Vasco were the masterminds behind a decades-long plan to assume control of the Trust, a plot which drove most of the series' events and many characters' motives. With the death of Vasco, both Augustus and Graves agreed to a sit down with the remaining houses, with Augustus prepared to discuss the terms of what he termed his "surrender" to the newly aligned Trust power of Megan Dietrich, Tibo Vermeer, and Joan D'Arcy. Augustus then negotiated the appointment of the House of Vasco to Agent Graves, before stepping down to hand the House of Medici to his son, Benito. In issue #100, Benito is killed by the remaining houses, minus Graves. Graves confronts Augustus, stating that he knew his actions would lead to his son's death, but before this can be confirmed, it is revealed that Lono is in Augustus' chair. After Dizzy shoots Lono, Graves executes the unarmed Augustus.

Benito Medici
First appeared in issue #20. Augustus' son and heir apparent, mentored by Mr. Shepherd, Benito is a spoiled and reckless young man with a seeming excess of luck who is more interested in gambling than in his responsibilities towards life or the future of the Trust. A botched attempt made on his life on the orders of Fulvio Carlito, as well as Mr. Shepherd's death later on, led him to reassess his priorities. He was pursued by Megan Dietrich but appeared enamored of Dizzy Cordova, whom he tracked down to Mexico. There, he spent time living with Dizzy, Wylie Times and Mr. Branch. After his incapacitation at the hands of Victor Ray and an interrogation by Lono, Benito was reminded of his importance within the Medici Family, and to the Trust at large. Returning to the Medici estate in Florida, Benito seemed to have given his future inheritance more thought. He ordered Lono to capture a Minuteman as a gift for his father; however when Lono returned with a beaten and bound Dizzy Cordova, Benito shot Lono in the face: an attempt to kill his own family's warlord. Benito then tended to Dizzy's injuries. After Javier Vasco's assassination, Augustus returned home to meet with the remaining leaders of the Trust, from the houses of Dietrich, Vermeer and D'Arcy. The meeting resulted in Augustus' removal of himself from power, and the elevation of Benito to head of the House of Medici. Benito was then immediately found strangled and drowned to death in issue #100. Graves claims Benito's death was engineered intentionally by his father and the younger Trust did it, but it is also hinted that Lono killed him in revenge for Benito's shooting his face.

Megan Dietrich
First appeared in issue #4, she is series' femme fatale; a charming, confident yet deadly member of the Trust. Megan had risen to become the head of the Los Angeles-based Dietrich family, also running the family securities firm following the death of her father. A seemingly staunch supporter of the House of Medici and a close friend of Augustus, Megan had a hidden agenda and was not above murder to protect her own interests, also displaying more than a passing interest in Benito Medici. Megan was shot in an intentionally unsuccessful assassination attempt by Victor in San Diego (in issue #66). Soon after, she consummated a deeper partnership with Augustus Medici, who was able to convince Megan to not seek retribution for the attempt on her life. Megan's relationship with Augustus appeared to be headed towards a possible marriage, but the relationship was terminated by Augustus. Megan then teamed up with Vermeer and D'Arcy as they plotted against Medici and Graves to realign the Trust under her leadership. In issue #99, she was seen seducing Benito (the brand new head of the house of Medici) in the pool where he would be found dead in the next issue. She was shown to be possibly both racist and sexist in issue #100, when she reacted to Graves' naming of Dizzy Cordova as the new Agent of the Minutemen. Megan was killed in an explosion engineered by Cole Burns (which also ultimately claimed his life as well) in issue #100.

Roland Dietrich
First appeared in issue #69 (in a flashback), Roland was Megan's father and the Head of the House of Dietrich around the time of the Atlantic City incident. He was present in the 1962 meeting at which he and Axel Nagel approved Graves's ascension to the role of Agent and leader of the Minutemen. He voted in favor of the Trust's dissolution of the Minutemen, on the advice of Graves and despite his reservations. Ultimately, this led to his capture and brutal execution at the hands of the Minutemen in Atlantic City.

Javier Vasco
First appeared in issue #25. Javier Vasco's Seattle-based family has historically been viewed as aggressors within the Trust. They have had problems with the Nagel family which were dealt with by the Minutemen, but a rivalry was still evident. Javier was seemingly quite suspicious of the intentions of the House of Medici in restructuring the Trust and eliminating the Minutemen. He had formed a trio of dissent along with Helena Kotias and Fulvio Carlito, planning to eliminate Augustus Medici with the apparent agreement of Graves, in return for his reinstitution. Javier persuaded Axel Nagel to commit suicide, apparently as a consequence of some obligation. It was recently revealed that Augustus, Graves and Vasco were the masterminds behind a decades-long grand plan that is only now becoming clear, which included Vasco feinting the opposition role. He was eliminated by Will Slaughter in issue #98, who was contracted for the hit by Joan D'Arcy. His House is eventually handed over to Graves in the Trust's realignment.

Helena Kotias
First appeared in issue #25. Based in Aspen, Colorado, Helena was unhappy with the leadership of the Trust. She was part of the alliance between the Kotias, Carlito and Vasco families determined to remove Augustus Medici from power. The trio met with Agent Graves, offering him to reinstitute the Minutemen in exchange for his help. It appeared that Helena was a very close ally of Javier Vasco and Lono even referred to her House as a wing of the House of Vasco. She is killed by Victor in issue #86 along with another Trust head, Constance Von Hagen.

Mia Simone
First appeared in issue #24. Based in Dallas, she was another ally of Medici. Graves considered the Simones to be the weakest of the families of the Trust. Mia was close to both Megan Dietrich and the late Daniel Peres, and seemed dismissive of the aggressive influence of the Vasco family within their organisation. She was killed in issue #76 in a fatal fall mysteriously arranged by Remi Rome.

Tibo Vermeer
First appeared in issue #25. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, it was first speculated that the House of Vermeer was in alliance with the House of Vasco after Vermeer and Javier Vasco approached Lars Nagel in issue #72. Vermeer's true allegiances and motivations are unclear, but seem to be largely based in self-preservation. He was last seen with Megan and D'Arcy, preparing to sit down with Graves and Augustus. He is killed by Cole Burns in issue #100.

Daniel Peres
First appeared in issue #23. Daniel Peres was head of the Peres family and powerful within the Trust. During a summit meeting, Peres delivered a message to Augustus Medici from Graves. Peres tried hard to prevent a war between the former close friends, but was killed by Cole Burns in issue #25. The House of Peres was then absorbed by the other then-12 families.

Peres was killed on the same bench in Atlantic City as Mr. Branch would later be.

Anwar Madrid
First appeared in issue #25. Based in New Orleans, father of Rose Madrid and a supporter of Augustus Medici in the elimination of the Minutemen, Anwar also had a personal ax to grind against the Trust's former soldiers because of Wylie's doomed relationship with Rose and her subsequent death. Wylie Times killed Anwar Madrid (in issue #56) shortly after being reactivated as a Minuteman.

Rose Madrid
First appeared in issue #52 (in a flashback). Daughter of Anwar Madrid and heiress to the House of Madrid, Rose was also secretly romantically involved with Minuteman Wylie Times. This relationship, which broke the rules of both the Trust and the Minutemen, was doomed due to Rose's involvement with a conspiracy against the House of Medici. Rose was executed by Wylie upon Shepherd's orders, causing a rift between the two men. Rose's relationship with Wylie and her death was one of several reasons why the Trust voted in favor of eliminating the Minutemen. It was revealed in a flashback that Rose's plot against Medici was being manipulated by someone within the Trust, which prompted Wylie to agree to Graves' plan to fake the deaths of the Minutemen.

Fulvio Carlito
First appeared in issue #25. Fulvio Carlito had been openly critical of the direction in which the Trust was heading. He had formed an alliance with the Kotias and Vasco families to terminate Augustus Medici. The trio induced Agent Graves to not interfere with the achievement of their goals. It was revealed that Carlito was behind a failed assassination attempt of both Augustus and Benito in Miami. Lono's first overt action as the Trust's new Warlord was to capture and torture Fulvio for information concerning the alliance (in issue #65), and to subsequently to eliminate the House of Carlito upon his death.

Axel Nagel
First appeared in issue #25. An elder member of the Trust, he seemed as skeptical as Vasco about the abandonment of the Minutemen. His family apparently had disagreements with the Vascos which had to be adjudicated by the Minutemen (presumably in a brutal fashion). He was considered an ally of the House of Medici and his family was based in New York City. Axel was instrumental in approving Graves' elevation as the head of the Minutemen in 1962. This was against the wishes of the Trust's then liaison, Mr. Shore, who distrusted Graves' closeness to the Houses of Medici and Vasco. Axel Nagel died in issue #69 after willingly taking poison given by Vasco, who promised Axel to pass the House of Nagel onto his children rather than fold.

Lars and Anna Nagel
First appeared in issue #70, they were the twin heirs to the House of Nagel. Before they could decide who will lead the House of Nagel, Anna was deceived by Lono. After Lars finished an unexpected business dinner with Vasco and Vermeer, Lono told Anna that Lars was there trying to ally himself with the men who killed their father. Back at their hotel room, Lars unknowingly drank champagne that Anna spiked with lethal pills. When Lars tells his sister that he had decided that she should assume control over the House of Nagel, Anna tried to stop him from drinking his champagne. Already too late, she swallowed the rest of the pills after her brother's death, an act of suicide. The House of Nagel was absorbed by the other Houses soon after.

Sigmar Rhone
First appeared in issue #25. Based in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Sigmar was a loving husband and father as well the head of the House of Rhone. He also had covert extramarital affairs with some of the female members of the Trust. Instantly recognisable by his white beard and love of cigars, he owned a casino, record label, media outlets as well as other business interests. He received confirmation of the duplicity of Graves and other Trust leaders from Megan's bodyguard, Kate (who was another one of Sigmar's sex partners). Rhone was then forced to witness the cold blooded murder of Kate, as well as his wife and young children by Minutemen Victor Ray and Remi Rome, acting on Agent Graves' behalf. He himself was then executed.

Joan D'Arcy
First appeared in issue #25. The head of the Chicago-based House of D'Arcy was alleged to be allied to the House of Medici. In the wake of the elimination of eight Trust families, Joan D'Arcy approached retired Minuteman Will Slaughter to perform hits on Abe Rothstein, a covert ops specialist who assisted Agent Graves with intelligence, briefcases and "magic bullets", as well as Javier Vasco. She has survived two attacks by Remi, and was being targeted by Victor, until Graves called him off. She participated in a sit down with the remaining houses and Graves. She was apparently suffocated by Cole Burns in issue #100. Her name is derived from Joan of Arc.

Constance Von Hagen
First appeared in issue #25. She is killed by Victor in issue #86 along with Helena Kotias. Like Helena, she had a clandestine affair with the late Sigmar Rhone. Although her House's name was not mentioned in the book, Brian Azzarello confirmed the character's family name after the series had drawn to a close.

The Minutemen
Led by Agent Graves, the Minutemen are seven killing machines who policed The Trust, originally thirteen rich, corrupt, and powerful families. Mr. Shepherd, himself a former Minuteman, held the position of Warlord (liaison between the Trust and the Minutemen) and trained Lono and Wylie personally though it is unknown if he trained the rest. The Minutemen were supposed to be killed off on the Trust's orders - instead, their deaths were faked and the members hypnotically hidden in new lives by Graves and Shepherd.

The "hibernating" Minutemen lived very different lives under widely different identities, some going back to the personal lives had before becoming Minutemen while others took on new identities and lifestyles entirely. The Minutemen could only be "reactivated" upon hearing a code-word known by Graves, chosen for its uncommonness and specificity to "the greatest crime in the history of mankind". Additionally some sort of physical/mental trauma seems to play a role in the reactivation of several Minuteman, as some characters are subjected to extreme circumstances as an apparent part of their "waking up". To what exact extent this trauma is tied to the reactivation process (or if it intrinsically is at all) is unknown, as the reader is not explicitly shown every character's specific reactivation process.

Agent Philip Graves
The main character of much of the series, Agent Philip Graves is a mysterious and enigmatic man who presents wronged individuals with the opportunity for revenge without consequences. He is first introduced in the eight-page story in the 1998 Vertigo Winter special "Silencer Night", before appearing in 100 Bullets issue #1. Graves is a man in his mid-to-late sixties who appears like a police or government agency official.

Philip Graves was a Minuteman until he was elected to the position of Agent in the early 1960s after the death of Agent Neil Walker. His new position was contested by then-Warlord Mr. Shore, who implicated Graves in the death of Walker and as being in league with other Trust members, but Shore was overruled by Trust leaders Roland Dietrich and Axel Nagel. As Agent, Graves was the head of the Minutemen up until their apparent demise in Atlantic City. Graves himself was believed dead by the Trust until his re-emergence, shortly before the beginning of the series.

After his presumed death, Graves retained his access to the attaché cases containing evidence of a crime, a gun with 100 untraceable bullets, and immunity from law enforcement to give to whomever he pleased. Many of the people he approached were being given an opportunity to deliver justice as they saw fit. In some instances, the person was unknowingly used for the Trust's purposes. In other cases, Graves uses the attachés to test the person's morality and constitution for varying purposes (sometimes as a precedent to recruitment into the Minutemen). Graves' access to the attachés was eventually halted due to the death of his supplier, Abe Rothstein.

His true motives were unclear for much of the series, but it became apparent that Graves was looking to avenge his betrayal by taking down the Trust. It was eventually revealed that Graves, along with Augustus Medici and Javier Vasco, had masterminded a decades-long grand plan to assume power over the other houses of the Trust. After Vasco's death, Graves and Augustus agreed to sit down with the remaining members of the Trust where, as part of a peace agreement brokered by Augustus, Graves was forced to resign as Agent, only to assume rule over the vacant House of Vasco. Graves was required to select a new Agent from the remaining Minutemen: Cole, Victor, Jack, Dizzy, and Loop.

In issue #100, Graves appointed Dizzy as the new Agent and tasked her with punishing those responsible for the death of Benito. He then went to confront Augustus, blaming him for his son's death. When Graves found Augustus he chose to punish him personally, shooting the unarmed Medici in the chest. This accidentally set off an explosion which killed Megan Dietrich and Cole Burns, and appeared to seriously injure Dizzy. The series concluded with Graves cradling Dizzy's body in the middle of the burning household, as she claimed that as a Minuteman, she must kill him for killing Augustus and moving against another family of the Trust. Their ultimate fates are not shown, but Graves' mood in the series' closing moments was one of despair, as he declared his life has been ruined, and he did not resist as Dizzy took aim at his throat in a panel drawn to ape Michaelangelo's Pietà. It seemed extremely unlikely that he would survive. Throughout the series, Graves is always shown to be meticulous and calculating, rarely showing any outbursts of emotions. In some rare instances, he is shown to very much care personally for certain characters (such as in his almost fatherly relationship with Dizzy). Although he does not appear in every issue or story arc, Graves' presence dominates most of the action and intrigue that occurs in the book.

He is possibly an atheist, as when Lono asks him if he believes in God during issue #100, Graves responds, "No".

He was described by series creator Brian Azzarello as "the only character who never lies".

The character appeared as an easter egg in the panels of Azzarello's run of Batman "Broken City". He is based on a composite of actor Lee Marvin and writer Brian Azzarello's grandfather, a Massachusetts police officer.

Lono (a.k.a. "The Dog")
First appeared in issue #5. A dangerous, larger-than-life beast of a man born in Hawaii in 1962, Lono is generally presented as the series' most irredeemable character. A Minuteman at the time of the events of Atlantic City, Lono is an ultra-violent, sadistic man prone to enjoying committing such cruelties as torture and rape in the process of pursuing his own ends. He is preternaturally strong and extremely tough, and on multiple occasions is shown to have sustained apparently deadly injuries (such as multiple shootings at close range), only to reappear in a later issue. He is suggested at times to be genuinely psychopathic or even simply insane, but is shown as the series progresses to be somewhat more intelligent and cunning than he is first given credit for.

Lono was the only Minuteman not present for the events of Atlantic City, a matter later revealed to have been engineered by Shepherd, who wanted Lono to succeed him as the Trust's Warlord in the event of his own death. Believing his comrades dead, Lono served his own interests until Graves' reappearance and subsequent activation/training of several Minutemen. Eventually, Lono was framed for robbing a bank by Shepherd at Graves' request as punishment for killing Milo Garret (whose true identity was unknown to Lono as he beat him to death - Milo was also the only Minuteman he actually cared about). While in prison, Shepherd told Lono that he was to train the already incarcerated Loop Hughes to become a Minuteman as his personal penance.

Before his death, Shepherd told Lono to formally assume his place, revealing that he had never trained Lono to remain as a Minuteman and had always intended him to become Warlord of the Trust. Lono threw himself into his new role with characteristic enthusiasm and somewhat uncharacteristic brains and guile, covertly recruiting several Minutemen as his team and seeking to recruit new ones such as his former prison protege Loop Hughes. Lono even went so far as to attempt to bring Crete, the Medici family's unfailingly loyal bodyguard, into his group of new Minutemen, though ultimately was unsuccessful.

Lono anticipated that Graves would attempt to kill Augustus Medici, and worked to position himself as a confidant to the Medicis with considerable influence over Benito. When Lono finally met Dizzy Cordova, he stated that he blamed her for killing Shepherd, which led to a brutal fight between the two. Lono captures Dizzy and offers her (bound and beaten) to Benito, oblivious of Benito and Dizzy's previous relationship and his fondness for her. Benito responds to Lono's act by shooting him in the face. However, the bullet fails to kill Lono, who then fled the Medici property, sustaining multiple severe injuries in the process.

Lono contacted Loop while Loop was in the midst of a standoff with remaining Minutemen Victor, Cole and Jack, and in a rage encouraged them to kill each other if they were so inclined, since that's what Graves and the Trust had wanted them to do. In issue #100, Lono breaks back into the Medici grounds and confronts Graves before being shot several times by Dizzy and falling out of a window. The next time the window is shown, his body is absent and there is a trail of blood, leading away.

Lono's fate was revealed in the miniseries Brother Lono.

Milo Garret (a.k.a. "The Bastard")
First appeared in issue #27 (and previously, in a flashback sequence in issue #10). After Atlantic City he was deactivated, and assumed the life of a hard-boiled and heavy drinking private detective in Los Angeles, reminiscent of the antihero character types popular in "pulp" stories and the classic film noir genre. His face appears fully wrapped in bandages for much of his part in the series, the result of a supposed recent car accident that left him badly disfigured.

Milo was hired on a case involving a painting owned by Megan Dietrich that was targeted by Lono and Echo Memoria for purposes unknown. Neither Lono nor Megan recognized Milo, due some combination of the bandages that obscured his face, the long time since seeing one another and/or his frequent usage of assumed names and casual misdirection (a habit he presumably acquired in his new profession as an investigator). In the process of pursuing the case, Milo uncovers several clues associated with the series' greater conspiracy before eventually being awakened to his true nature as Minuteman and regaining his memories. However, having previously been quite open in his personal dislike and distrust of Graves, Milo was unwilling to return to the world of the Minutemen, preferring his new life and all that it involved to the prospect of returning to the group. To that end, Milo engineered his own demise being beaten by Lono's hand and ultimately shot in the mouth by the same Lono, the full story of Graves' intended role for him only becoming clear to Milo in his dying seconds.

Milo was reputed to be perhaps the most ruthlessly "wicked" of the Minutemen, earning him the code name "The Bastard". Because of his personality he got on well with Lono; when Shepherd reveals to Lono that the man he killed was Milo (whom he didn't recognize due to the bandages on his face), Lono shows sincere regret.

Milo was reactivated in issue #34 after seeing the painting "La Morte dil Cesare" (and its depiction of the word "Croatoa" above a doorway) in Megan Dietrich's house.

Cole Burns (a.k.a. "The Wolf")
First appeared in issue #9. Cole was the first Minuteman shown to be reactivated, shortly after he accepted Graves' offer to avenge his grandmother's untimely death. Prior to his reactivation, he worked as an ice cream salesman, and was running small deals for a local racketeer in New Jersey. He had a girlfriend, Sasha, but the events of his resumed life as a Minuteman apparently left anything between them finished.

Cole spends much of the early series as Graves' "right hand man" and was shown to be fiercely loyal to him even when not fully understanding Graves' plans himself. It was Cole who carried out the murder of Daniel Peres, and assisting Remi Rome in the killing of Mia Simone under Graves' orders. He was also later sent with Mr. Branch to retrieve the La Morte dil Cesar painting from Ronnie Rome, only to find Branch dead once that mission was completed.

Following the deaths of Branch (with whom Cole had become friendly) and Wylie Times (with whom Cole was, if not friendly, at least purported to mutually like and/or respect one another) he became disillusioned with Graves' plans. Cole took the painting, then met with Jack Daw and Loop Hughes, seemingly in consideration of changing sides. Lono, who refused to trust Cole after his years of loyalty to Graves, ordered Loop over the phone to terminate Cole on the spot. Loop's attempt to comply with this order is then halted by Jack. Cole and Jack led Loop to a secluded rural area, apparently to execute him. At this point Jack turned on Cole, knocking him out, and allowing Loop to escape. It is later revealed that Cole's intention was supposedly never to kill Loop and the two leave the woods together.

A short while later, Cole and Loop run into Jack at a motel, where he is found with Echo Memoria. Cole shoots Echo whilst she and Jack are engaged in sexual intercourse, killing her to avenge Mr. Branch. A standoff ensues, and after assessing their predicament, as well as their roles in the motives of their respective bosses, Cole and the remaining Minutemen (Jack, Loop and Victor) set out to the Medici estate to confront Graves and the Trust.

In issue #100, Cole covertly killed Tibo Vermeer and Joan D'Arcy, before confronting Megan Dietrich. Trapping her in a room doused with gasoline, he taunted her with his lighter. The sound of an unexpected gunshot, fired by Agent Graves in another room, caused Cole to accidentally drop the lighter, incinerating both Megan and himself. The lighter is seen to pass through his hand grasp before falling, and given his preternatural reflexes, it is possible that he was able to recover the lighter, but like some of the other Minutemen in the finale, chose his own ending.

Cole's codename, "The Wolf", is reflected in his personal story arc in 100 Bullets. He is at first depicted as unquestioning and loyal to the assumed leader of his "pack" (Graves), but gradually becomes more independent as another leader (Wylie) dies and Cole finds himself with a greater degree of power. Eventually he seizes a powerful token (the much-sought-after "La Morte dil Cesar") for his own purposes, and ends the series as a Minuteman gone rogue, killing off Megan Dietrich's would-be alliance with the remaining Trust powers and looking every bit the predator circling his final kill before his death.

Cole was reactivated in issue #9 when a junkie, paid by Graves, whispered the word "Croatoa" to him. He was fully "awakened" after his ice cream truck exploded and he was caught by the blast.

Wylie Times (a.k.a. "The Point Man")
First appeared in issue #28 (and previously, in Cole's flashback sequence in issue #10). A seemingly unimportant gas station attendant and part-time smuggler in El Paso, Texas, Wylie was revealed to have once been thought of as the most intelligent and focused of the Minutemen, as well as by far the best marksman and the deadliest of all the group with a gun. Before his deactivation, he was widely considered the most skilled of the group and served as their field leader. He attracted the attention of Dizzy Cordova after an unsuccessful attempt by Shepherd to reactivate him. Some time after that, Graves offered to Wylie an attaché whose contents implicated Shepherd in the murder of Rose Madrid, his deceased lover and a member of a family of the Trust.

After being reactivated by Graves in New Orleans, Wylie briefly flared with purpose in order to confront his demons, finally making peace with Shepherd (and his own part in Rose Madrid's death) shortly before Shepherd was slain. Soon however, Wylie reverted to his directionless ways, tagging along behind Dizzy through the Mexican desert. Wylie told Graves off when he requested Wylie bring Dizzy into the fold, and was forced to kill his old partner Coochie and his men when they confronted Wylie and Dizzy upon Graves' orders.

After encountering Victor Ray, Wylie decided to meet with Graves and exchanged words with Cole and Remi, suggesting he had figured out Graves' plan after mentioning that Graves was possibly attempting an atonement for a dark deed in his past. Tragically, Remi mistook Wylie's reaching for matches in his pocket as him drawing a gun and shot his former leader through the chest (although Victor later suspected other possible motivations for the shooting). Graves rushed to Wylie in shock and horror, but was too late to save him. As Wylie died, he had a vision of Rose coming to greet him in the afterlife.

Wylie was set apart from the other Minutemen by his skills and leadership. In the course of the series, Wylie is revealed to be the group's commander after Graves. These traits, along with his marksmanship, are likely the reason for his being codenamed "The Point Man". Wylie is one of the more redemptive characters in the series, having shown a greater capacity for empathy and caring for other people than several of his fellow Minutemen. He became especially close with Dizzy Cordova, and their relationship carried several parallels to Wylie's with tragically lost love, Rose Madrid.

Wylie was reactivated in issue #53 by a musician citing the title of a song he had written, "Blue Day for Croatoa". The title was suggested to the musician by Graves.

Victor Ray (a.k.a. "The Rain")
First appeared in issue #50 (and previously, obscured in a Cole's flashback sequence in issue #10), where he recounted the story of Roanoke and the origins of the Trust. Graves activated Victor while on his way to meet Dizzy in Chicago for the first time, although this fact is only revealed much later on in the series. For an extended period of time, Victor remained unaffiliated with the rest of the Minutemen as they became reactivated, for reasons known only to him and Graves.

Recruited by Lono and Loop shortly after they were released from prison, he carried out the apparent assassination attempt on Megan Dietrich in San Diego and escaped unnoticed. It was later revealed in issue #79 that Lono engineered the purposely botched assassination attempt to solidify power amongst members of the Trust. During this time, Victor also served as a mentoring partner of Loop in the ways of the Minutemen. Eventually, Victor deserted Lono's group in the Mexican desert in favor of Graves, apprehending Branch and Dizzy and leaving an unconscious Benito for his former comrades.

Victor (along with Remi) struck again in issue #84, gunning down the wife, children, and associates of the House of Rhone before killing family head Sigmar Rhone himself. He also assassinated Helena Kotias and Constance Von Hagen. Later when Remi was horribly injured, Victor visited him in the hospital, and was the only witness to Remi's suicide. A short while later, Victor was also seen in Omaha, targeting a gun at the household where Tibo Vermeer, Megan Dietrich and Joan D'Arcy were meeting, but the attack was called off by Graves at the last minute due to Vasco's death. He was then made aware of Loop, Cole and Jack's whereabouts and confronted them in an armed standoff at Jack's motel. His loyalty to Graves shaken by Cole's defection, Victor teamed up with the remaining Minutemen to confront Graves.

Victor leaves the series with Loop and his own father, Will Slaughter, driving away from the burning house of Medici as the series' climactic events unfold.

Victor consistently shows complete control over his emotions and utter dedication to his work. He is notable among the Minutemen for his apparently high intelligence and tremendous precision in executing his missions. Victor is also a highly accurate shot, able to shoot Megan Dietrich just above the heart, as ordered. While Victor appeared the most unquestioningly loyal to Graves of anyone through most of the series, he ultimately chose to side with his intuition rather than follow Graves to his possible/probable death in issue #100.

Victor was reactivated immediately prior to the events depicted in issue #1. Agent Graves whispered the word into Victor's ear moments before he first approached Dizzy.

Jack Daw (a.k.a. "The Monster")
First appeared in issue #21 (and previously, obscured in a Cole's flashback sequence in issue #10). Jack's life was ruled by a heroin addiction while he worked occasional odd jobs as a bouncer in Boston. He was given an attaché by Graves that was (apparently) the only one containing a picture of its recipient, essentially prompting him to commit suicide. After receiving the attaché, Jack instead carried on with his life of addiction and crime.

Jack and his friend Mikey later made their way toward Atlantic City, where they ran across a business run by Mikey's cousin: a zoo full of wild animals that, for a fee, could be "hunted" by mafiosi for thrills. When a caged tiger brought back vague memories of his previous life, it is revealed that Jack was a Minuteman at the time of the events of Atlantic City, and that after being deactivated, he had merely descended into a pattern of substance abuse fueled by depressive self-loathing that had been established much earlier in his life.

After the personal revelation, Jack parted ways with Mikey, kicked his heroin habit once and for all, and took up bareknuckle street boxing in Atlantic City. Graves, openly scornful of the waste that Jack has made of his life, seemed reluctant to reactivate him before he could fully overcome his erratic and dangerous tendencies. Lono then fully reactivated Jack, though whether this was under direct instruction from Shepherd, Graves, or by his own inclination is unknown.

After working for Lono for a while and traveling with Loop and Victor Ray, Jack bolted on his own after receiving the La Morte dil Cesar painting from Cole. He was later found with Echo Memoria by Loop and Cole. Jack then joined the surviving Minutemen as they went to confront Graves in the series' finale. In issue #100, Jack was confronted by Crete, who attempted to stop him from entering the Medici household. The two fought and ultimately tumbled into the alligator pit during their struggle, where it is strongly suggested that both were eaten, but given the nature of the story and Jack's massive strength, his survival is not out of the question, leaving his future unknown.

Jack is physically the largest of all the Minutemen which makes him able to inflict and sustain large amounts of pain. Lono himself stated that Jack was the one most capable of taking out any of the other Minutemen due to his massive size and skills as a fighter. This, paired with the ongoing struggle with his crippling heroin addiction, is the most likely inspiration for his nickname: "The Monster".

Before the series' final issue, Jack reveals that he's developed a distaste for killing after having lived the life of a Minuteman. He nevertheless seemingly dies in the finale while engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the equally imposing Crete. This lends credence to Graves' suggestion that he is his own worst enemy, as Jack remains married to his self-destructive tendencies to the end.

Jack was reactivated in issue #68/69, whilst facing Lono is an underground boxing match. Lono arrived for the fight with the word Croatoa freshly tattooed across his stomach, revealing it to Jack when he removed his shirt for the fight.

Remi Rome (a.k.a. "The Saint")
First appeared in issue #70 (and previously in Cole's flashback sequence in issue #10). The seventh Minuteman was concealed by Graves himself, following the Atlantic City incident. Remi's life after being deactivated consisted of working as a meat packer and living at home with his mother and brother in Cleveland. Following his reawakening and an assault on some meat thieves, Remi rejoined Graves' fold. In his capacities as a Minuteman, Remi is shown to be remarkably sadistic, displaying cruel tendencies at times on the level of Lono, as when he volunteered to kill Mia Simone, and when executed the family (including young children) of Sigmar Rhone with Victor Ray.

There seemed to be some bitterness between Remi and Cole as they both went out of their way at times to insult one another. In Mexico, Remi was responsible for murdering Wylie Times when he ostensibly mistook Wylie's reaching for matches to be the drawing of a gun. The subsequent elimination of the Rhone faction culminated in the murder of Rhone's family and mistress (both of which Sigmar Rhone was forced to watch, helplessly, until his own elimination occurred).

Remi lost both of his hands in an explosion during his second botched attempt to terminate Joan D'Arcy. Because of this career-ending injury and possibly due to some lingering guilt over Wylie's death, he jumped from the roof of the hospital he was admitted to, an act of suicide. Meanwhile, his brother Ronnie was being carted into the same hospital from an ambulance after an automobile accident. Prior to his suicide, Remi told Victor the incoming (and unknown to him as his brother) victim of the accident would be helpless for the rest of his life, but the hospital would still save him. Betting he'd never miss a target and assuming his mother (who had suffered a false heart attack days before his hospitalization) is dead, he says he'll see her soon and jumps as Ronnie opened his eyes just in time to see Remi descend. Although his impact not actually shown, Victor looks with surprise and utters a one syllable laugh.

Remi's couldn't-care-less attitude seems to have annoyed many people. His own brother, Ronnie, claimed to have hated him (even as he loved him), and Graves confronted Remi violently about his behaviors on at least one occasion. His immature behavior might be attributed to the fact that Remi was relatively young as a member of the Minutemen - likely the youngest member at the time of the group's dissolution in Atlantic City. His tendency not to over-think orders and ruthlessness in executing missions made him Graves' workhorse, and a natural partner for the disciplined and experienced Victor Ray.

Remi was reactivated in issue #73 after Agent Graves paid a homeless person to write "Croatoa" in the snow on Remi's car.

Isabelle "Dizzy" Cordova (a.k.a. "The Girl")
First appeared in issue #1. The first person to be visibly approached by Graves, Dizzy was an ex-gangbanger who accepted his offer to avenge the deaths of her husband and child at the hands of crooked cops after her release from prison. She was subsequently recruited by Shepherd on behalf of Graves and sent to Paris, ostensibly to be briefed by a reticent Mr. Branch on the nature of her employers.

Dizzy was undergoing training by Shepherd to replace Milo as a Minuteman (perhaps the first female one), and was contested for control between Shepherd and Graves. When she refused to go with Graves, her apparently accidental activation by Wylie led to Shepherd's death at her hands. Grief-stricken, she sought solace in the desert surrounding Juárez with thoughts of revenge against Graves until she was soon confronted by the attentions of three men: Wylie, Branch and Benito Medici. Graves later explains that if it was he who activated Dizzy - Shepherd would still be alive.

Following Wylie's death, Dizzy was taken to Graves by Victor Ray, and agreed to become a Minuteman. From that time forward, she accompanied Graves until finally running into Lono at the meeting of Graves, Augustus Medici and Javier Vasco. Lono (who blamed her for Shepherd's death) attacked Dizzy, and after a fight subdued and delivered her personally to Benito. When Benito saw Dizzy beaten and bound, he shot Lono, and took Dizzy inside to tend to her injuries.

In issue #100, Dizzy was named the new Agent of the Trust by Graves, and was tasked with punishing whoever killed Benito. She confronted Megan, but was interrupted by Cole, who had prepared to deal with Megan himself. After Dizzy left Megan to Cole, the pools of gasoline in the room were accidentally ignited by Cole's dropped lighter, and the resulting explosion seriously injured Dizzy. She was thrown from the balcony and fell onto a vase which shattered, possibly injuring her spine. Graves found her lying on the ground in the burning house, and told her that he had killed Augustus Medici. In the final scene of the series, Graves cradles Dizzy's body in the burning house, and she pressed a gun to his head. As an Agent, she says that she must punish him for taking action against another house. Their ultimate fates are not shown, but since Dizzy is unable to walk out of the burning, isolated house, her survival appears unlikely.

Louis "Loop" Hughes (a.k.a. "The Boy")
First appeared in issue #15. Loop was a relatively well adjusted teenager living in Philadelphia, foregoing the gangster life-style of his peers. Despite his being the target in Graves' attache, Loop decided instead to reconcile his differences with his estranged father. After their reunion, Loop was tutored by Curtis for a short while before Curtis' death.

Soon after, he was implicated in a murder and sent to prison, an outcome intended by Graves, after Loop declined an offer to work for him. While imprisoned, he was trained to become a Minuteman under Lono, at Mr. Shepherd's request. The two were released following Shepherd's death, and Loop followed Lono in pursuing Sheperd's unfinished agenda.

Loop's first assignment as a Minuteman was to act as spotter for Victor Ray in the failed assassination attempt on Megan Dietrich. With Lono promoted to Warlord of the Trust, Loop found a new mentor in Victor. He was ordered to kill Cole by Lono but was stopped by Jack. After several more attempts by Lono to break the remaining Minutemen apart, Loop eventually joined Victor, Cole and Jack to confront Graves and the Trust.

In issue #100, Loop kills several body guards in the climactic events at the Medici residence before finally deciding that he did not want to be a Minuteman and, just as he intended to do after his father's death, Loop walks away. During the series' climactic events, he was shown driving away from the burning house of Medici with Victor Ray and Will Slaughter, having decided not to go down the violent path of a Minuteman.

Mr. Shepherd
First appeared in issue #2. An equally mysterious associate of Graves, Joseph Shepherd was a former Minuteman who became their trainer and liaison with the Trust when he was appointed as its Warlord. He was ordered by the Trust to eliminate the Minutemen, but instead worked with Graves to conceal six of the seven that were present at Atlantic City. His true loyalties remained unknown as he maintained his own agenda somewhere between that of Graves' and the Trust's. Vying with Graves for control of Dizzy Cordova, Shepherd was mortally wounded when Wylie activated her, but he managed to appoint Lono as his successor and entrust him with Loop's training before succumbing to death in the desert somewhere near Juarez. He also cited Dizzy specifically as the replacement for Milo Garret, which suggests that Milo's death may have been manipulated more intentionally than previously thought.

In the "Tarantula" story arc, Mr. Shepherd's origin story revealed him to be a New York park basketball player who had served in Vietnam before being dishonorably discharged (it is implied for reasons to be related to his homosexuality). Agent Graves recruited Shepherd for the Minutemen after he was unable to prove Shepherd murdered a young man whom the story intimates had beaten another man into a coma. Graves was impressed by Shepherd after his own inability to prove the young man's guilt, as Shepherd seemed totally unrattled by any intimidation. Graves' decision to recruit Shepherd despite his homosexuality proved to be the last straw for Loop's father Curtis Hughes, who was excluded from the Minutemen because of his race, but had remained in service to Graves in the apparent hope that an exception would eventually be made if he proved himself capable and loyal.

Will Slaughter
First appeared in issue #87. A retired Minuteman, Slaughter has been working as a contract killer in order to support his young wife and three girls. According to himself, his replacement as a Minuteman was someone he raised himself (a son or otherwise). He has recently been brought back into the activities of the Trust by Joan D'Arcy, following the elimination of three Trust heads within one week. He killed Mr. Rothstein on D'Arcy's orders, and later assassinated Vasco. He was next seen sneaking into Lono's room, and appeared ready to kill him, but Slaughter quietly walked away when he overheard Lono's phone conversation with the remaining Minutemen. Slaughter was revealed to be the father of Victor Ray in issue #100, and is seen leaving the Medici estate with Victor and Loop Hughes during the climactic melee.

Mr. Shore
Shore was the Trust's Warlord during the Fifties and Sixties, when the late Neil Walker was the Minutemen's Agent. Shore was described by Graves as a "Company Man", disliked by Graves and the likes of Vasco and Medici for his apparent loyalty to the traditional powers who led the Trust. Shore opposed Graves' elevation to the position of Agent in 1962, believing that Graves had allegiances with the young family heads, and a separate agenda of his own which would taint the Minutemen. Shore is no longer active, and probably dead, but this is not confirmed.

Mr. Branch
First appeared in issue #12. Branch was a journalist who was offered the attaché by Graves. He chose to investigate the origins of Graves' power and uncovered the existence of the Trust along the way. This earned him a traumatic visit from Lono, as well as an encounter with Shepherd, who revealed to him the deeper history of the Trust and the Minutemen.

Branch fled to Paris, and continued to research his obsession at great personal risk. He was briefly scared off the case by Cole Burns during Dizzy Cordova's visit to Paris, but developed an infatuation for her, which led him to accept a dangerous request by Megan Dietrich to return to the States. Diverted from meeting with Megan, he was compelled by Cole to track down Echo Memoria in Europe, but reneged on the deal in order to chase after Dizzy. He found Dizzy in Mexico along with Wylie Times and Benito Medici. The quartet lived together until Victor captured Dizzy and Branch and brought them back to the States (with Branch losing a finger in the process).

Cole then met Branch once more, and tasked him with the recovery the stolen La Morte dil Cesar painting from Ronnie Rome. Branch met his end in Atlantic City in issue #88, at the hands of Echo Memoria. Cole would later kill Echo to avenge Branch, with whom he had established an unlikely friendship.

Curtis Hughes
First appeared in issue #15, Curtis was the father of Loop Hughes. He left his family when Loop was very young, and eventually took up working as a collections man for small-time mobster Rego in Philadelphia. Curtis was a past acquaintance and operative of Graves, and he enjoyed at least token respect from most of the Minutemen. It is revealed that Curtis was once selected by Graves to become a Minuteman himself, but the Trust blocked his appointment because of his race, and as a consequence his role was restricted to assisting Graves in the recruitment and training of other Minutemen (including Mr. Shepherd). His disillusionment with the Trust based on their racism led to him eventually leaving Graves' service.

After Graves' gave Loop an attaché containing his father's picture, Curtis became reacquainted with his son, whom he mentored for a brief period of time. Curtis then refused Graves' offer of an attaché of his own, and as well as another chance to become a Minuteman in his advanced age.

Covering for his son Loop over some stolen money owed to Rego, Curtis was finally killed by Rego's henchmen in an arson attack.

Echo Memoria
First appeared in issue #26. An art thief of Italian origin, Echo was first seen in Paris, touting herself as a prostitute to Branch in order to extract information about the Trust from him. She was next seen with Milo Garret as part of a scheme to steal the La Morte dil Cesar painting. She disappeared with Lono and the painting after Garret's death, but soon left him as well. She was immediately arrested at the airport as she attempted to flee the country by purchasing a plane ticket with some of the stolen money used by Shepherd to set Lono up.

Some time later, Echo was apparently released from custody and, according to Cole Burns, returned to Europe. Later, Graves sent Ronnie Rome to Europe to retrieve the La Morte dil Cesar painting from her. Echo was next seen in Atlantic City in issue #88 talking to Mr. Branch, and he is later found dead at the same spot where they met. Eventually, Echo then met up with Jack, who was in possession of the La Morte dil Cesar painting, before she was killed by Cole Burns in retaliation for the murder of his friend Branch.

In the end, her body was wrapped in the painting she had so long sought, and both were dumped into a swamp. The entire significance of the painting to Echo is never fully made clear.

Ronnie Rome
First appearance in issue #70. The brother of Remi Rome, Ronnie was an enforcer for small-time mobster Mimo Pallidino in Cleveland. Ronnie was given an attaché from Agent Graves, with Remi as his target. Remi found the attaché before it could be used, and confronted Ronnie about it, but the gun was not actually fired until the pair find themselves in a shootout with meat thieves (a battle that left Ronnie crippled).

Following the assault, Remi disappeared (to resume his life as an activated Minuteman) and Ronnie was eventually visited by Agent Graves. Graves made use of Ronnie, sending him to Italy to recover the La Morte dil Cesar painting from Echo Memoria. Ronnie delivered the painting to Cole Burns, who came close to shooting Ronnie in revenge for Remi killing Wylie.

After finding out about Remi's accident, Ronnie was on his way to visit his brother in the hospital when his taxi was overturned in a road rage-related accident. Ronnie was last seen on a stretcher outside of the hospital where Remi committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the hospital. It is unclear if Remi fell on his brother or not, but it is made clear that Ronnie did witness his brother's fall.

Crete
First appeared in issue #23. Crete is the massive, quiet bodyguard of Augustus Medici. Crete is shown to possess great skills at his job, has tremendous physical strength, is an excellent fighter and tracker, and despite his size is preternaturally quick. He declined Lono's attempt to recruit him as a soldier when he was made Warlord of the Trust, preferring instead to continue to provide his services to the House of Medici. Crete seems to be incredibly loyal to the Medici family and will stop at nothing to protect them. He openly detests Lono and repeatedly states that he will kill him if he does anything to harm the Medicis. It is revealed that Crete was once recruited to join the Minutemen (presumably by Graves), but he chose to become the Medici's bodyguard instead.

In issue #100, Crete stands in the way of Jack Daw from entering the Medici household, fighting him until they fall into the alligator pit, where they are both apparently eaten.

Abe Rothstein
A very well-connected arms dealer with substantial ties to local organized law enforcement, FBI, CIA and "higher", he was an ally of Graves, and is the apparent source of all of Graves' attaches, guns, untraceable bullets and legal immunity. He was tortured and killed by Will Slaughter in issue #91 at Joan D'Arcy's request, thus ending Graves' "game".

title: List of 100 Bullets characters


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Eastern Park

Eastern Park was a baseball park in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York in the 1890s. It was bounded by Eastern Parkway—later renamed Pitkin Avenue when Eastern Parkway was diverted—to the north (home plate); the Long Island Rail Road's Bay Ridge Branch and Vesta Avenue (later renamed Van Sinderen Avenue) to the east (left field); Sutter Avenue to the south (center field); and Powell Street to the west (right field). The ballpark held 12,000 people.

It was originally the home of the Brooklyn Ward's Wonders of the Players' League in 1890. After the one-year Players' League experiment, the park became the part-time home of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1891 and then full-time during 1892–1897, between their stints at the two versions of Washington Park. Some sources erroneously say that it is here that the nickname "Trolley Dodgers", later shortened to "Dodgers", first arose, due to the need for fans to cross various trolley lines to reach the ballpark. Although the Dodgers played at Eastern Park in 1895 when the name "Trolley Dodgers" was first used, the name was based on the dangers of trolleys in Brooklyn, generally, and not trolley lines that needed to be crossed to get to the game. There were no trolley lines near Eastern Park at the time.

Eastern Park was considered difficult to reach, and although the team survived there for seven seasons, the venture there was a failure. When Charlie Ebbets acquired the Dodgers, he moved the team back, to the second version of Washington Park, which was both closer to the city center and offered a lower rent.

The park also hosted numerous college and amateur football games during its heyday, notably the Princeton–Yale game of 1890. There was also a track installed, and both bicycling and running races were held from time to time. It was also the home venue of the short-lived Brooklyn Bridegrooms Soccer Team in 1894. This was a spin-off of the Baseball Franchise that took part in an ill-fated attempt by six baseball franchises to fill their stadiums in the off season by running a soccer league. Brooklyn were top of the league when the uncompleted season was cancelled and play never resumed.

Site Today
The old ballpark site is now home to a mix of commercial and light industrial tenants including Gershow Recycling scrap yard.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Eastern Park


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Lettomanoppello

Lettomanoppello (Abruzzese: Lu L'lètt) is a town and comune in province of Pescara, Abruzzo, central Italy. In Roman times the area was known for its asphalt mines and later for a white stone that could be carved.

Geography
The town is situated near the Majella National Park, about 30 minutes away from the city of Pescara. The mountainous region offers sightseeing in the wilderness or on its highest peaks. The elevation stretches from about 300 m above sea level and a road leads right up the top, at 2100 m. During winter it becomes a spot for skiing and winter sports in the mountains.

The town is commonly called "Lu Lette" and the mountain passages are commonly called "Passe Lanciano" by locals.

History
The history of the current town dates back to the 11th century but was certainly occupied earlier by Romans, who excavated asphalt in the area. It is also quarried for its white stone and marble.

Notable people

 * Donald Valle (1908-1977) American businessman and owner of the eponymously named Valle's Steak House.

title: Lettomanoppello


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The Magical Mimics in Oz

The Magical Mimics in Oz (1946) is the thirty-seventh book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the first written by Jack Snow. It was illustrated by Frank G. Kramer. The novel was followed by The Shaggy Man of Oz (1949). The novel entered the public domain in the United States, when its copyright was not renewed as required.

Plot
Princess Ozma and Glinda the Good are planning to leave Oz, to attend the Grand Council of the fairy queen Lurline, held in the Forest of Burzee every 200 years. Dorothy Gale is surprised when Ozma appoints her to rule Oz during their absence; but Ozma reminds Dorothy that she is a princess of Oz.

Chapter 3 shifts attention to the evil Mimics in their lair in Mount Illuso. The Mimics habitually shift "from one loathsome shape to another" — an ape body with a head of an alligator, and a serpent with black butterfly wings, and a toad with a hyena's head are a few of their choices. Their rulers, King Umb and Queen Ra (a play on "umbra"), reveal their plan to counter Lurline's controlling magic and attack Oz. The shape-shifting royals and their minions fly to Oz as big black birds, and waylay Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. By stepping into their shadows, Ra and Umb take the shapes of Dorothy and the Wizard; the originals are paralyzed by the magic, and are carried off to Mount Illuso by Mimics. Ra and Umb, in their stolen forms, search Ozma's library for the antidote to Lurline's magic spell.

Umb and Ra are not capable of imitating the Wizard and Dorothy convincingly; people become suspicious, and Toto exposes them — but not before the Mimic royals find what they are looking for. Back in Mount Illuso, they conjure a gigantic red spider that spins a magic web; this negates the influence of Lurline's spell, and allows the Mimics to launch a mass attack against Oz.

Dorothy and the Wizard are imprisoned in a cave deep within Mount Illuso. There, however, they see a blaze of brilliant fairy light that restores their power of motion. The light stems from a button on the cave wall. They press the button, and a hidden door opens to expose an elevator and its attendant. Hi-Lo, a living wooden puppet, takes them to the top of the mountain. There, the two Ozites discover Pineville and are led to the fairy Ozana, who had been delegated by Lurline to watch over the malicious Mimics. Ozana has spent her lonely days and years creating her Story Blossom Garden and her wooden puppet people (one of whom has escaped to the outer world, to become Charlie McCarthy). Ozana is shocked to discover that the Mimics have evaded her guardianship; she leads Dorothy and the Wizard back to Oz.

The attacking Mimics arrive in Oz disguised as beautiful birds, with gorgeous plumage of "Red, blue, green and gold...." The residents are seduced by their beauty, and the Mimics quickly duplicate and paralyze them. The trick works only on humans; fierce beasts like the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger are magically sedated, while the Scarecrow, the Patchwork Girl and other non-human creatures are simply tied up.

The Mimics have largely accomplished their ends when they confront the simultaneous arrivals of Ozma and Glinda, and Ozana, Dorothy, and the Wizard. Ozana's magic is powerful enough to subdue Ra and Umb and reverse their spells. The Mimics, back in their grotesque forms, are herded into the mirrored grand ballroom of Ozma's palace; good magic imprisons them in the ballroom's many mirrors, from where they are sent back to the interior of Mount Illuso. Order is restored to Oz, and celebrated with the usual concluding banquet. Ozana is rewarded with an invitation to live in Oz; her Pineville people and her Story Blossom Garden are magically transported to Oz so that she will not miss them.

A new "Royal Historian"
Jack Snow was the fourth official chronicler or "Royal Historian" of Oz, after Baum himself, Ruth Plumly Thompson, and long-time Oz illustrator John R. Neill. Snow made a conscious attempt to return to Baum's inspiration for Oz; in both of the Oz books he wrote, The Magical Mimics and The Shaggy Man of Oz (1949), he deliberately avoided using any characters introduced by Thompson or Neill. Snow crammed Magical Mimics with Baum's characters, sometimes presented in long rosters. Little room was left for original characters; Snow's main creations were his Mimic villains, plus the fairy Ozana, her kitten Felina, and her wooden puppet people the Hi-Los.

Prior to their acceptance of Snow as an Oz author, publisher Reilly & Lee had solicited veteran children's-book writer Mary Dickerson Donahey for the job. Dickerson Donahey turned the publisher down, however, since she judged that "it would be too much of a struggle to keep track of all the characters and plots in the series."

Snow drew upon a range of Baum's books for hints and inspirations. A talking Toto, for example, is important in Snow's narrative; Baum first made Toto speak at the end of Tik-Tok of Oz. Yet the work that Snow relied upon most heavily for Magical Mimics was Baum's sixth Oz book, The Emerald City of Oz.

Mimics and Phanfasms
Snow based his villainous Magical Mimics on the Phanfasms in Baum's Emerald City. In the eleventh chapter of that book, Baum states that "the Erbs are the most powerful and merciless of all evil spirits, and the Phanfasms of Phantastico belong to the race of Erbs." Snow makes his Mimics another type of Erb; they live within the hollows of Mount Illuso, a peak next door to Mount Phantastico. Like the Phanfasms, the Mimics are ugly and malevolent shape-shifters; they have the additional trick of being able to copy the appearance of humans, simply by stepping into their shadows. People duplicated in this way are paralyzed by the magic, but remain conscious.

The Mimics' inherent malice orients them against all that is "good and happy and just in the world" — which makes them an obvious danger to Oz. The fairy queen Lurline foresaw this: as soon as she had enchanted Oz into a fairyland, Lurline placed one of her followers in watch over the Mimics, to forestall their mischief.

Structure and nuance
Snow also structures his story as Baum did his Emerald City. In that book, Baum expanded upon the simple narrative type he often favors to tell a double story, shifting perspective between views of the good and the evil characters. Snow does the same in Magical Mimics.

The two books are also united by subtle commonalities. One example: while General Guph is travelling to the Mountain of Phantastico in Emerald City, Chapter 11, a friendly talking squirrel advises him to "Look out!" As Dorothy and the Wizard walk to Ozana's cottage in the tenth chapter of Magical Mimics, they also encounter the advice of a friendly talking squirrel.

Story Blossom Garden
One notable imaginative feature of Snow's book is Ozana's Story Blossom Garden. Ozana's magically-bred human-faced talking flowers appeal to be picked, so that they can tell their stories into people's ears. Every flower tells its own unique tale, and each type of flower relates one kind of narrative. Roses tell love stories, though rambling roses tell travel stories. Tulips tell Dutch stories. Pansies yield fairy tales, while a tiger lily will recount "a thrilling story of splendid silken beasts in their sultry jungle lairs." A "spicily-scented" pink carnation can provide "an exciting story of intrigue and adventure in high places." Water lilies supply sea tales, while lotus blossoms and poppies offer their own seductive choices. Even the occasional weed offers a tale, about "Dick Superguy — greatest detective in the world!"

Reception; later editions
The first edition of Magical Mimics was not a commercial success; a backlog of unsold copies delayed the next Oz book, originally projected for 1947, until 1949. Kramer's illustrations for Magical Mimics have been criticized as deficient.

Magical Mimics had been out of print for decades when the International Wizard of Oz Club issued a reprint in 1990, with an Afterword by Michael Gessel. Other editions followed, from Books of Wonder (1991) and Kessinger (2007).

title: The Magical Mimics in Oz


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Gliding competition

Some of the pilots in the sport of gliding take part in gliding competitions. These are usually racing competitions, but there are also aerobatic contests and on-line league tables.

History of competitions
In the early days, the main goal was to stay airborne for as long as possible. However, flights could last for days and some pilots killed themselves by falling asleep. This type of duration contest was abandoned by 1939.

From the earliest days of gliding there was also 'free distance' flying. Pilots launched themselves from a hill top, attempting to glide as far as possible. Once pilots learned to exploit ridge lift and thermals, flights could be extended further. Eventually they mastered flying from thermal to thermal, resulting in ever longer retrieves. As the pilots and gliders became better, the winner of a competition day might fly so far that they could not get back to the competition site for the next day. Turn-points were therefore used. Those pilots who managed to fly all the way to the turn-point and back would score the same distance as for free distance flights. When pilots and gliders became even better, most of the pilots would complete the task. Points were then awarded for speed.

Initially, observers would be stationed at the turn-points to verify that the pilots rounded them. Large easily seen contest numbers (sometimes in addition to the glider's registration) were, and still are, located on the bottom of one wing, and each side of the fin, to ease identification. As the years progressed, pilots used (film) cameras to photograph each turnpoint from the air to prove that they had rounded each one and a barograph to prove that they had not landed en route. Today, all tracking methods have been totally replaced with GPS-based FAI approved flight recorders to (securely) log their positions and flight so that they can prove that the task was correctly completed. The flight recorder is usually part of the navigational instruments of the glider, but sometimes a separate logger (see picture) is carried, mainly as a back-up.

Present day
Modern gliding competitions now comprise closed tasks where everyone races on an aerial route around specified turn-points, plus start and finish points, that brings everybody back to base. The weather forecast and the performance of the gliders, as well as the experience level of the pilots, dictate the length of the task. Today, most of the points are speed points. The general rule is to set the task so that all pilots have a fair chance of completing it, with the fastest pilot gaining the most points for that day.

With the advent of GPS, new types of tasks were introduced such as speed or distance tasks within assigned areas, and speed or distance tasks with pilot-selected turn-points (during flight based on perceived advantages). Despite the use of pilot-selected turn-points made possible by GPS, tasks over a fixed course are still used frequently. In the European Gliding Championships in 2005, a task of 1,011 km was set in the open class; the longest task in an international competition.

The FAI Sporting Code for gliders sets out the rules and procedures to be used to verify soaring performances in competitions and badge flights. The main objective of these rules is to ensure that a consistent level of proof is achieved for all flights.

Levels of competition
Competitions are held at the local, regional, national and international level. Strong performance at the regional level allows pilots to gain a high enough ranking to enter national championships. Thereafter international competitions are available for the most ambitious pilots: the European Gliding Championships, and the World Gliding Championships. Gliding made an appearance as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics. There was also the prestigious Barron Hilton Cup, which was an invitation event for the top pilots. There are now six classes open to both sexes, plus three classes just for women, and two junior classes (See Glider competition classes).

Some competitive classes (Sports Class in the US, Club Class elsewhere) have scoring systems that are handicapped based on the type of glider each pilot is flying. This allows pilots to compete on a relatively equal basis even if their gliders have widely varying performance.

A typical competition day
Gliding contests generally last one week, but international contests last two weeks. Sometimes days are allocated for practice before the contest to allow non-local pilots to familiarize themselves with the contest area.

Each day an initial decision is made as to the likelihood that the conditions for the day are adequate to remain aloft. If so, the pilots are told to prepare (assemble) their gliders and move them onto the runway launch grid and prepare to launch. The order of the gliders on the grid is predetermined for each day and rotates amongst the pilots. The contest pilots gather at the start of each contest day to learn about the day's forecast weather conditions, to obtain briefings on operational and safety related issues, to hear about the previous day's results (if any) and possibly to hear from the previous day's winning pilot(s). Behind the scenes, the weather forecaster will discuss the local predicted conditions for the day with the task-setter (which is sometimes a committee). Once the task for the day has been decided, a pilot's briefing is held to describe the task and provide an update on forecast weather and any airspace restrictions. Often a non-competing pilot will make a preliminary flight to verify conditions aloft (known as a "sniffer"). Launching takes place when the director believes that the gliders can stay airborne.

The task for the day is based on the predicted soaring and weather conditions of the day and is made up of a combination of a minimum time in the air (between 2 and 5 hours) coupled with a collection of locations (turnpoints) which must be overflown (within a specified radius). Some turnpoints may be mandatory, others may be optional, or a combination of both. Some days, the conditions are simply not suitable for flight; these are referred to as "non-contest" days. In a typical 7 day regional contest, at least 3 days must be "contest days" to constitute a valid contest. If every day of the contest can be flown, then at least one day will not be flown (known as a "rest day"), in an effort to increase safety by preventing excessive fatigue.

Launching all the gliders usually takes less than an hour. While gliders are being launched, the other gliders which are already airborne will attempt to remain aloft and stay in the vicinity. Gliders that land due to loss of lift are allowed to relaunch ("re-light") but must wait until all other gliders have been launched at least once. Once all gliders in a class are launched and have had time to get into a position to start, the launch director will announce that the "start gate is open" via radio. This means that pilots can begin flying their assigned task and can start immediately, or might delay their start for tactical or weather-related reasons. The pilot must announce his start time via radio. Each pilot will then attempt to fly the task as quickly as possible.

Some pilots will be unable to find lift at the beginning of the flight and thus must return to the airport for an additional tow (known as a "re-light"), where they will attempt to start their flight again – this is allowed any number of times. If the pilot is unable to find lift during some part of the task he may be forced to 'land out' in a farmer's field or at a distant airfield. Sometimes this is caused by deteriorating weather, sometimes because of rejecting an area of lift and flying on in the hope of finding even better lift (since the object is not to use every encountered lift source as this takes time without any gain in distance). The pilot will garner some contest points even if he has not completed the task for the day. For those that land out, the glider is either de-rigged and towed back in a trailer (always if landing at a non-airport), or (if at an airport) a tow-plane can be sent to re-launch the glider and so return it to base (both cases are known as a "retrieve"). Generally the start and finish locations are at, or quite near to, the home airfield for the contest. If there are severe weather conditions, an alternate "safety finish" location may have to be announced to the competitors.

Scoring
Each glider carries a device for recording its GPS position every few seconds in a secure format. Following landing, the pilots hand in their loggers to the scorer for downloading. The scorer uses computer software to analyze the resulting GPS data. This provides evidence that the start, turn-points and finish have been legitimately reached. The winner on each competition day is the fastest around the task and is given the maximum score of 1000 points. This score can be devalued if very few gliders get around the task. This is because that luck was probably a key factor if only a few gliders get round the task. The scores for other pilots are then assigned according to their speed relative around the task of the winner. A small proportion of the maximum score is given for the distance covered so that competitors who do not complete the task, will still get a score. In some competitions handicapping that is based on the performance of the glider is used and so further factors are applied before determining each pilot's score for the day. Preliminary scores are usually available within a short time after the last landing, but there may be protests and penalties. The final scores are usually formally announced at the beginning of the next contest day during the pilot's briefing for the next day's task. Often the winning pilot in the each class is asked to speak about how they won.

Water ballast
It may seem counter-intuitive, but pilots put water ballast into compartments in the wings to make their planes heavier. Modern gliders can take large quantities of water (a Nimbus-3 can hold 272 kg). The objective is to increase the gliding speed, while maintaining the same gliding angle. The downside is that the glider will climb more slowly in thermals. However, in the right conditions, the time lost in climbing more slowly is more than recouped by the increased speed to the next thermal.

The benefits depend on three factors: the aerodynamic performance of the type of glider at various speeds and weights, the strength of the thermals on the day and the width of the thermals on the day. The increased sink rate will have a small percentage effect on the climb rate in strong thermals. The extra weight of ballast requires the pilot to bank more to stay in narrow thermals and this also increases the sink rate.

Competition pilots usually launch with ballast. If the thermals are weaker and/or smaller, it may be better to continue the flight without ballast and so they may dump it soon after the start or part way round the course. However it is possible that conditions may strengthen and so sometimes keeping the ballast throughout the task may be advantageous.

The airframe of a glider is not designed to withstand the stresses of a hard landing while the glider is loaded with water. Consequently, pilots start emptying the ballast tanks shortly before the gliders cross the finish line so they are empty when they land. This results in spectacular images when competition pilots cross the finish line at low altitude. Recent rules changes are making this practice less desirable for safety reasons.

Racing strategy and tactics
Races are won on the basis of speed over the day's course. Time on course is measured from when each pilot leaves the start zone until they finish. Each competitor may elect to start any time after the start opens. To allow all competitors sufficient time to get into a good position to start, competition rules specify that no competitor may start until twenty minutes after the last competitor has launched. The start can be a line, or it can be a cylinder several miles in radius. In both cases there is a specified maximum altitude for the start and competitors typically will attempt to start as close to the maximum start height as possible.

One of the more important decisions of a flight is when to start. This decision is based mostly on each pilot's desire to be on course during the strongest weather conditions of the day. There are also competitive considerations. Often competitors will try to start just after other pilots, using them as "markers" for favorable lift conditions ahead on course. Using this technique, a skilled pilot can make up several minutes on the earlier starters during the early portion of the flight. Pilots who are being followed in this way may use a variety of tactics to shake off pursuers, such as doubling back after a start and starting again. Each pilot may start as many times as he or she chooses – only the last start counts. However, playing an endless game of "start gate roulette" can have disadvantages. Late starters can find themselves still out on course when the soaring weather becomes weak or wholly unsuitable. The best pilots are therefore also good weather forecasters.

The most important factors influencing the overall speed at which glider can fly around a given course is the average strength of the rising air the pilot chooses for climbing and the directness of the route chosen around the course (no credit is given for deviations, but a detour to reach stronger lift can often more than make up in speed for the extra distance travelled). Experienced pilots typically pass by relatively weak lift, selecting only the strongest lift for climbing. However, being too selective runs the risk of getting too low to the ground and being forced to accept any available sources of rising air (no matter how weak) in order to avoid "landing out". This can cost the competitor valuable time. The best pilots also are expert at getting the most out of each source of lift by maneuvering their glider quickly to the center of the lift where the rate of climb is greatest. They also are highly skilled as using a wide variety of information (weather forecasts, terrain features, clouds, other gliders on course) to estimate what conditions are likely to be like ahead on course and adapt their flying tactics to maximize their overall speed.

It is often possible to fly efficiently by merely slowing down in the rising air while flying straight ahead on course, instead of circling, then speeding up again when the air is no longer rising. This technique is known as 'dolphining'. If the conditions are favorable, the glider can gain enough energy from each source of lift and maintain its overall height for long distances without circling. Days with steady, moderate winds can be good for this, as the thermals often will line up into cloud streets, enabling the pilot to race without having to turn. Choosing a flight path directly on course line may not be the best tactic if a slight diversion can keep the glider in rising air for longer, or at worst keep out of the strongly sinking air.

Throughout the task gliders will often fly together in 'gaggles', because a group of gliders is more likely to find better lift than one glider on its own. Pilots sometimes have to decide whether to stay with a gaggle or go on their own in another direction where they believe there will be better lift. On days when there are no cumulus clouds to indicate where there is lift, gaggle flying is the norm. However gaggle flying makes it more difficult for a pilot to gain significantly more points than the other competitors.

One of the last key decisions that each competitor makes is determining when the glider is high enough to reach the finish line. This is a critical decision because, on the one hand, taking on unnecessary altitude wastes time because there are no points gained for arriving high at the finish. On the other hand, running out of altitude before the finish can result in a costly (and embarrassing) "land-out". For any given lift conditions, there is an optimal final glide speed to minimize the overall time required – the stronger the lift, the faster (and steeper) the final glide should be. Pilots use sophisticated glide computers to calculate the altitude required and to track progress along the way. Most pilots plan their final glide with extra altitude ranging from several hundred to more than a thousand feet as insurance in case unanticipated sinking air is encountered on the final part of the flight.

Grand Prix
In an attempt to widen the appeal of gliding contests, a new format contest, the Grand Prix, has been introduced. Innovations introduced in the Grand Prix format include simultaneous starts for a small number of gliders, tasks consisting of multiple circuits, and simplified scoring.

Online contests
Informal internet competitions are also popular where pilots upload their GPS data files and are automatically scored based on factors such as distance, achieved speed and whether the task flown was declared in advance. In 2009, 13.424 pilots worldwide participated in a contest sponsored by a German aviation magazine, 'Aerokurier', though other countries also operate their own national 'ladders'.

Aerobatics
Aerobatic competitions are held regularly. In this type of competition, the pilots fly a program of maneuvers (such as inverted flight, loop, roll, and various combinations). Each maneuver has a rating called the "K-Factor". Maximum points are given for the maneuver if it is flown perfectly, otherwise points are deducted. Efficient maneuvers also enable the whole program to be completed with the height available. The winner is the pilot with the most points.

Casualties and incidents

 * In 2023, two gliders taking part in a competition flight collided when their flight paths unexpectedly crossed in a thermal. In the crash, the tail of one of the gliders was severed, causing the craft descend out of control. The pilot was fatally injured.
 * In 2022, a pilot taking part in a gliding competition broke his neck after hitting a tree in a rough landing after taking part in a gliding competition in Shropshire, UK. The pilot was airlifted to hospital but died there 20 days later after contracting pneumonia during spinal surgery.
 * In 2017 an Australian pilot was killed when his glider crashed while taking part in the New Zealand's South Island Gliding Championships.
 * On July 26, 2014 two gliders made impact with one another at 4,500ft during a competition. One pilot had to make an emergency exit, abandoning his plane using an emergency parachute, where he landed in a field in the path of a combine harvester.
 * On September 2, 2007 a glider pilot was killed and his co-pilot seriously injured when they crash landed in high winds during a competition in Banffshire, Scotland.
 * In 2007, a German gliding champion died when he crashed his glider during the FAI World GP Gliding Championships in Omarama, New Zealand.
 * In 2006, a father and son competing in the South Island Regional Gliding Championships in New Zealand died when their motor glider crashed into a mountain.

title: Gliding competition


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Chen Xilie

Chén Xīliè (died February 11, 758 ) was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. During the An Shi Rebellion, he surrendered to An Lushan and served as chancellor of An's state of Yan at Luoyang. After Tang forces recaptured Luoyang, he was forced to commit suicide.

Background
It is not known when Chen Xilie was born, but it is known that he was from Sòng Prefecture (宋州, roughly modern Shangqiu, Henan). However, nothing else is known about his family, as no family tree was given for him in the table of the chancellors' family trees in the New Book of Tang. Chen was known to be well-studied, particularly in Taoism-related mysticism, and was also a capable writer.

During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
During the middle of Emperor Xuanzong's Kāiyuán era (713–741), Emperor Xuanzong was interested in the classic texts, and often had scholars explain the texts to him. Originally, this was done by the officials Chǔ Wúliàng (褚無量) and Yuán Xíngchōng (元行沖). After Chu died in 719 and Yuan died in 729, Emperor Xuanzong engaged Chen Xilie and Féng Cháoyǐn (馮朝隱) to frequently explain the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching to him. Chen was initially promoted to be Mìshū Shàojiān (秘書少監), the deputy head of the Palace Library, and also succeeded Zhang Jiuling in heading the imperial institute Jíxián Institute (集賢院). Whenever Emperor Xuanzong was writing something of importance, Chen would assist him in drafting the language. In 742, when the official Tián Tóngxiù (田同秀) reported seeing an appearance of Laozi above Dānfèng Gate (丹鳳門), Chen was one of the officials who submitted a statement flattering Emperor Xuanzong for the holiness of his reign.

In 746, after the chancellor Li Shizhi was removed from office due to machinations by his colleague Li Linfu, Li Linfu believed that Chen had a subservient personality and would be easy to control, and therefore recommended Chen to succeed Li Shizhi. Emperor Xuanzong gave Chen the designation Tóng Zhōngshū Ménxià Píngzhāngshì (同中書門下平章事), making Chen a chancellor de facto. It was said that Chen followed Li Linfu's directions in all matters and that Chen merely signed all documents that Li Linfu wanted him to sign. Later, he was made Zuǒ Xiàng (左相), the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor, as well as the minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bīngbù Shàngshū). He was created the Duke of Yǐngchuān (潁川公).

By 752, however, Chen was instead aligned with the rising Yang Guozhong—the cousin of Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine Consort Yang Yuhuan—against Li Linfu. When Li Linfu's close associate Wáng Hóng (王鉷) was implicated in a rebellion plot contrived by his brother Wáng Hàn (王銲), Li Linfu tried to extricate him, but Chen and Yang insisted that Wang Hong was guilty and should be further investigated, eventually leading to Wang Hong's being forced to commit suicide. Further, both Chen and Geshu Han also accused Li Linfu of associating with another general who rebelled around that time, the ethnically Tujue general Lǐ Xiànzhōng (李獻忠). This added to the apprehension that Li Linfu had at that point about Yang's rising power, and Li Linfu died in fear around the new year 753.

After Li Linfu's death, Chen continued to serve as chancellor, along with Yang, but actual power was wielded by Yang. It was said that all important matters were decided at Yang's mansion, not at the office of the chancellors. Meanwhile, when Yang was able to successfully posthumously implicate Li Linfu in Li Xianzhong's rebellion, causing Li Linfu to be posthumously dishonored and his family to be exiled, Yang and Chen were created greater ducal titles—in Chen's case, the Duke of Xu—to award them for "discovering" Li Linfu's plot.

Meanwhile, though, Yang was apprehensive of Chen as well, and therefore tried to squeeze him out of power entirely. Chen himself was apprehensive and therefore offered to resign. In 754, Emperor Xuanzong made Chen a senior advisor to his son Li Heng the Crown Prince and removed him from his chancellor position, replacing him with Wei Jiansu.

During Anshi Rebellion
In 755, the military governor (jiedushi) An Lushan rebelled at Fànyáng. In 756, after declaring himself emperor of a new state of Yan, he advanced on the capital Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee. After his forces entered Chang'an, Chen Xilie, who was distressed over not being in an important position at that time, submitted to An, along with the officials Zhāng Jūn (張均) and Zhāng Jì (張垍). An had them delivered to Luoyang, which he had made his capital, and made Chen and Zhang Ji chancellors.

In 757, by which time An Lushan's son Ān Qìngxù was the emperor of Yan and Lǐ Hēng was the emperor of Tang (as Emperor Sùzōng), Tang counterattacks, led by Emperor Suzong's son Lǐ Chù the Prince of Guǎngpíng and with Uyghur assistance, recaptured Luoyang. Some 300 former Tang officials who had accepted Yan offices, including Chen, changed into mourning clothes and begged for forgiveness. Li Chu had them released, but soon had them escorted to Chang'an, which was by then again Tang's capital. After they formally paid respect to Emperor Suzong and apologized, they were delivered to the supreme court and placed under arrest. They were tried jointly by the officials Lǐ Xiàn, Lǚ Yīn, and Cuī Qì (崔器). Cui and Lü proposed that all of them be executed. Li Xian opposed, instead proposing six different grades of punishment, and Emperor Suzong accepted Li Xian's proposal. 18 officials were beheaded, while Chen and six others were ordered to commit suicide. It was said that Chen was allowed to commit suicide rather than being publicly executed because Emperor Suzong remembered how Emperor Xuanzong had favored him.

Notes and references

 * Old Book of Tang, vol. 97.
 * New Book of Tang, vol. 223, part 1.
 * Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 215, 216, 217, 218, 220.

title: Chen Xilie


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Tteokguk

Tteokguk or sliced rice cake soup is a traditional Korean dish eaten during the celebration of the Korean New Year. The dish consists of the broth/soup (guk) with thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok). It is tradition to eat tteokguk on New Year's Day because it is believed to grant the people good luck for the year and gain a year of age. It is usually garnished with thin julienned cooked eggs, marinated meat, gim, and sesame oil.

History
The origin of eating tteokguk on New Year's Day is unknown. However, tteokguk is mentioned in the 19th-century book of customs Dongguksesigi as being made with beef or pheasant used as the main ingredient for the broth, and pepper added as seasoning. The book also mentions the custom of having a bowl of tteokguk in the morning of New Year's Day to get a year older, and the custom of saying "How many bowls of tteokguk have you eaten?" to ask a person's age.

In the book The Customs of Joseon written in 1946 by historian Choe Nam-seon, the New Year custom of eating tteokguk is speculated as being originated from ancient times. The white tteok signifying purity and cleanliness have been eaten during that specific day and it became a ritual to start off the New Year for good fortune.

On Seollal
In Korea, on Lunar New Year's Day, a family performs ancestral rites by serving tteokguk to their ancestors during a joint meal. Although tteokguk is traditionally a seasonal dish, it is now eaten at all times of the year.

Ingredients and varieties
The broth is generally made by simmering the main protein (beef, chicken, pork, pheasant, seafood) in a ganjang-seasoned stock. In the past, pheasant meat or chicken was used to make tteokguk's broth, but nowadays, beef is mainly used. The stock is then strained to clarify the broth, and long cylinder-shaped garaetteok are thin-sliced diagonally and boiled in the clear broth. Garnish is added before serving; the garnish may vary by region and personal taste, but usual staples are pan-fried julienned egg yolks and whites, gim and spring onions. A drizzle of sesame oil is common just prior to serving the teokguk.

Varieties of tteokguk include saeng tteokguk or nal tteokguk, a specialty of Chungcheong province, where a mixture of non-glutinous rice with glutinous rice is made into small balls or rolled into a garaetteok shape and then sliced into a boiling broth; joraengi tteokguk  from the Kaesong region with the tteok twisted in small cocoon shapes; and gon tteokguk  from the island of Jeju, which uses sliced jeolpyeon tteok rather than the usual garaetteok.

Another variety, tteokmanduguk, is literally tteokguk with additional mandu. North Korea eats a lot of manduguk on New Year's Day, and South Korea eats a lot of tteokguk. Gyeonggi-do Province and Gangwon-do Province, which are located in the middle, eat a lot of tteokmanduguk.

In popular culture
A movie with the name Tteokguk (English title "New Year's Soup") was released in 1971 starring Yoon Jeong-hee and Um Aing-ran.

title: Tteokguk


text:
HMS Achille

Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Achille, after the Greek hero Achilles. The French spelling celebrates the capture of ships of this name from the French.

 * HMS Achille (1745) was an 8-gun French sloop captured in 1745 during the War of the Austrian Succession and later captured by the Spanish.
 * HMS Achille (1778) was a 78-gun third-rate ship of the line, originally launched as the French Annibal in 1778. She was renamed Achille in 1786, and was captured at the Glorious First of June in 1794. She was broken up in 1796.
 * HMS Achille (1780) was a storeship purchased in 1780 and sold in 1784.
 * HMS Achille (1798) was 74-gun third rate launched in 1798. She fought at the Battle of Trafalgar and was sold in 1865.

title: HMS Achille