PETROV SZYMANSKI

Real Name: Petrov Szymanski

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-148611) human;
    citizen of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Occupation: (At least as of October, 1988) acting administrative director at the Siberian Project

Group Membership: Siberian Project (Dr. Timor Besedin, Gregirova, Gennadi Shepalev, Sergei "Serge" Vladimiroff, Anya Zotov);

Affiliations: Red Sun Military Task Force (Coojeechiscue/Nadehzda, Dehman Doosha/"Johnny Do," Shivowtnoeh/Irina Mityushova, Sillatochca/Leonid Vishnevetsky);
    at least formerly, on the level that they were both associated with Siberian Project: Rodstvow;
    possibly Mindwolf (Michael Petrov);
    although Szymanski may or may not appreciate it, Justice and the Medusa Web and Psi-Force members saved his life by destroying Rodstvow

Enemies: Justice (John Tensen), Medusa Web (Babel/Thame Panagitis, Backfire, Dustoff, Gatto di Sangue/"Blood Cat," Imprint, Potiphar/Nungali Kashab, Relampago/"Lightning," Skybreaker/James Colin Anderson, Thunderhead/Donner Kopf/Gunther, Troublemaker), Psi-Force (Thomas Boyd, Lindsey Falmon, Tyrone Jessup, Kathy Ling, Wayne Tucker), Rodstvow,

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: At least formerly the Siberian Project, Yamal Peninsula, Siberia, U.S.S.R.;

Powers/Abilities: Petrov Szymanski was a loyal Soviet, and he demanded perfection from others, typically using abusive or sarcastic language to express his opinions.

    He had experience in supervising military security operations (he was called comrade, but I don't see anything to confirm that he himself was military, or KGB, etc.).

History:

(Psi-Force#27 (fb) - BTS) <April 5, 1988> - After destroying the Psi-Hawk, Rodstvow teleported back to the Project grounds, bringing with him the four surviving teenagers present whose parabilities had formed the Psi-Hawk mind gestalt: Thomas Boyd, Lindsey Falmon, Kathy Ling, and Wayne Tucker (Crawley had left the group, Jessup had remotely animated Psi-Hawk with his electromagnetic projection ("astral self"), Inyushin had perished saving her teammates from enemies; Boyd and Falmon had more recently joined the group).

(Psi-Force#27 (fb) - BTS) <September 4, 1988, 1:30 AM> - Acting administrative director of the Siberian Project, Petrov Szymanski wrote a journal entry, detailing progressive understanding of the paranormals they had in residence there (noting that Rodstvow had gifted them) that had allowed them to understand so much in the last five months. He also detailed the individual recoveries and progressions of those paranormals.

(Psi-Force#27) - Szymanski was present at a Siberian Project meeting that also included Gennadi Shepalev, Anya Zotov, Serge Vladimiroff and Red Sun's Nadehzda (Coojeechiscue) and Leonid Vishnevetsky (Sillatochca). When he argued that they could not allow the autistic pyrokinetic Dehman Doosha to jeopardize their status. When Shepalev asked whether he was suggesting they murder him because of disability, Szymanski clarified that he was suggesting that they murder him because of his parability.

    When Sillatochca lashed out at Vladimiroff, Coojeechiscue contained Sillatochca, reminding him that -- for better or for worse -- Vladimiroff was her superior. Szymanski advised her that it would be worse, if her team did not begin to perform according to expectations. Coojeechiscue countered that they were not performers but rather paranormal soldiers, but Szymanski instructed her that they were his soldiers, to do with as he commanded, and he advised her that she should not forget that.

    During Dehman Doosha's planned lobotomy, the boy awakened and generated flames that threatened even those in the observation booth, including apparently Szymanski, who ordered the boy to be shot in the head. As the boy's powers progressively raged, Thomas Boyd -- who had taken control of the communications center -- convinced the boy to cease his fiery onslaught. He then addressed the Project's leaders, advising them that the operation was over. To force the Project's compliance, Boyd threatened to erase every file in their system, but he also offered to let them kill him if he failed to make progress with Johnny. Vladimiroff and Shepalev accepted the deal, and Szymanski stated that they had established a very beneficial relationship with Boyd that day. Vladimiroff subsequently advised the others that if Boyd succeeded, they would have a pyrokinetic solider of limited intelligence and that, if he failed, they would have resources with which to blackmail him into submission, namely the other Psi-Force youths.

(Psi-Force#28 - BTS) <October 4, 1988> - Vladimiroff attempted to assert dominance and control over the rebellious Ling, which backfired as Ling defeated Shivowtnoeh and broke Vladimiroff's jaw and fingers. Vladimiroff presumably went into medical treatment and/or departed, as he was not seen again.

(Psi-Force#29) <October 5, 1988> - Alongside Gennadi Shepalev, Szymanski watched from the booth as Coojeechiscue, Shivowtnoeh, and Sillatochca engaged in "free-for-all" combat in the Combat Situation Room. Gennadi provided constructive criticism, noting their faults, but Szymanski interrupted, noting the performance to have been absolutely pathetic. Gennadi recommended "comrade Szymanski" curtail his aggressive tactics as they were counterproductive, but Szymanski disregarded this advice and rushed into the situation room, noting that -- despite a year's worth of intensive training -- it was the Red Sun operatives who were counter-productive. Szymanski continued, singling out Sillatochca first, noting that he should be serving the state proudly as opposed to the "whimpering, self-possessive, repressive attitude you have affected." He further told the operatives to go shower and change, as it stunk in there. As he walked out, he instructed Coojeechiscue to meet him in the debriefing room afterward and he would evaluate "yet another pathetic performance."

    Szymanski, Shepalev, Anya Zotov, and Coojeechiscue subsequently met to review the status of things, and Gennadi and Anya both expressed concerns with evidence of the awakening of the telepathic Wayne Tucker. When Szymanski expressed his opinion that it did not matter, Coojeechiscue asked if was casting aspersions on their paranormal task force again, and he told her that she did not need him to do that (implying that they did that themselves). He clarified that he was instead implying the obvious, that the Americans (Psi-Force) could escape any time they wanted and that no one could stop them. Anya countered that they still had an option if they were crazy enough to use it, and Shepalev responded, "God have mercy...we still have Rodstvow...

(Justice#29) - As Soviet helicopters closed on the Medusa Web, forcing them to a planned location, Szymanski noted that they were almost within range and ordered his troops to inform outpost six to be ready for them.

Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Alan Kupperberg and Chris Ivy.

    See the New Universe primer.
    There was no sliding timescale in the New Universe, so KGB references are not topical, nor was Soviet-Afghan warring.

    Szymanski noted how much they had learned since the arrival of the Psi-Force members, so presumably he was present when they arrived, but we otherwise don't know when he became the director. I am not including events prior to the members of Psi-Force being brought to the Siberian Project, but I will do a full profile on the Siberian Project in the future, and in the meantime, there are profiles on Anya Zotov and Gennadi Shepalev, and there will soon be one on Serge Vladimiroff, which details the Project's previous activities.

    Szymanski's speech was generally shown between brackets (except one time when he yelled, "No?!!"; as well as in Justice#29, in which none of the Soviet's speech was in brackets), indicating it was translated from Russian, and there is not evidence that he speaks English.

    Despite his hostile treatment of her, Szymanski always called Coojeechiscue by her first name, Nadehzda...which is kind of annoying, since we never learned her surname.
    Actually, in Justice#29, he did call her Coojeechiscue, but again, that was a different writer.

    I don't think Szymanski was seen following his interaction with Rodstvow.
    After Rodstvow's destruction, he may or may not have continued to work at the Siberian Project.

    There was a different artist on each of the issues featuring Szymanski, so he tends to look pretty different in each issue. The receding hairline (but not bald like Vladimiroff) and lack of a beard distinguishes him from the other leaders in the Siberian Project...although he didn't even have the receding hairline in Justice#29, but that was not just a different artist, but a different writer; the editor was the same.

    "Crasniye" means "red", but the "solleetsi" word doesn't exist. It seems to be a misspelling of "solntsa" - "suns".--Mike Castle

    Thanks to HBK123 for providing scans while I was having scanner issues.
    Maybe around the 40th anniversary of the New Universe, they'll do a batch of Omnibuses...Omnibi? and the images will be digitally remastered and available. Wouldn't that be nice?

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Petrov Szymanski should be distinguished from:

• other Petrov or Szymanski characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

Appearances:
Psi-Force#27-28 (January-February, 1989) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Alan Kupperberg (penciler), Chris Ivy (inker), David Wohl (assistant editor), Howard Mackie (editor)
Psi-Force#29 (March, 1989) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Rodney Ramos (penciler), Chris Ivy (inker), David Wohl (assistant editor), Howard Mackie (editor)
Justice#29 (March, 1989) - Peter David (writer), Lee Weeks (art), David Wohl (assistant editor), Howard Mackie (editor)

First posted: 08/06/2024
Last updated: 08/09/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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