Big Bang - Beacon

The Beacon is Big Bang's answer to Green Lantern, but with a hard hat, from the 1940's Earth B. Geologist Scott Martin is exploring a strange, eerie cave when he breaks the light on his hard hat. Following a source of light he discovers an underground city, which is powered by a huge crystal. Captured as a spy, Scott is thrown into a dungeon with the deposed ruler of the city, a fellow named Zarkon. He had been overthrown by a tyrant named Tyrnos, who had gained fantastic powers by wearing a fragment of the Ko-Dan crystal on his crown. Using the tools in his cave digging kit, which his captors were apparently too stupid to confiscate, he escapes the dungeon and ends up defeating Tyrnos in a battle of wills during which the Ko-Dan crystal flies into the empty lamp casing on his helmet. He restores Zarkon to power and is rewarded with being allowed to keep the crystal. Returning to the upper world he assumes the identity of the Beacon, but doesn't really maintain a secret identity, despite the fact he's wearing a mask. He was financed by Texas oil tycoon Aloysius "Oily" Boyd so he can fight evil without having to maintain steady employment. I made Beacon from various GI Joe-type parts. The helmet was a British style WWII helmet I found at a miniatures show (never know where you might find useful items) to which I affixed a crystal (how appropriate!). The symbol on his chest is made from a small triangle of plastic sheet with a nail through it and the cape is T-shirt cloth.