TRIBUNE

Real Name: Buck Ralston

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: Actor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: His agents (Blake & Remo named)

Enemies: Communists, Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Foggy Nelson, New York Three

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None (see comments)

Base of Operations: Southern California;
    also used a New York mansion

First Appearance: Daredevil I#70 (November 1970)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powers/Abilities: The Tribune used a gavel that fired a blast able to stun a person into submission; once blasted, his victims were subject to his mental commands via the Dominator, which was worn on his belt and projected mind-control waves. Those under his control then became his agents, working in the field to frame others of crimes and/or bringing in those suspected of subversion to be tried and blasted by him. He referred to his blast as "the living death."
    Ralston was sufficiently accomplished as a fighter to briefly hold his own against Daredevil, and even to stun him with a boot to the head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History:
(Daredevil I#70 (fb) - BTS) - Buck Ralston was one of the biggest movie stars in history.

(Daredevil I#71 (fb) - BTS) - Seeing America "going to Hell in a handbasket," due to toleration of anti-government protestors, etc., Ralston decided to send a message to those who didn't love America the way he did.

(Daredevil I#70) - Ralston gathered a crowd on Hollywood Boulevard, promoting patriotism. He introduced himself to Karen Page, who was in line to get the female lead in his upcoming film, but he suspected she might be a Communist when she suggested that patriotism could be carried to extremes.

    Later, as the US Vice-President arrived at the New York Hilton, a peaceful protest turned violent when the Tribune's agents set off a bomb to frame the protestors. Watching news of this from his Southern California home, Ralston, vowed that America would be America again, people would listen to the government, and the protests would stop; those who didn't want to fight for America would be taken care of. As the Tribune he would decide who was a good American and who was a "rotten Red," and he would take care of the traitors to give the government more time to concentrate on war and economy.
    The Tribune's men then brought in a draft-dodger/conscientious objector, and the Tribune found him guilty of high treason against the US and sentenced him to the "living death." He instructed his men to dispose of the youth in the usual fashion, and then to return to their patrols, taking into custody anyone they suspected of subversive activities, such as peace rallies.
    Ralston was pleased to see that the police were reacting to the explosion by arresting many of the protestors.
    Meanwhile, Daredevil spied several men (agents of the Tribune) near the rally carrying explosives, and he confronted them. As the men fell before him, one of their number set off a stick of dynamite, stunning Daredevil and allowing them to escape. The nearby police rushed to the scene and arrested three innocent protesters, and Daredevil, fearing his secret identity would be exposed if he were taken to the hospital, fled the scene rather than refute the charges against the protestors.
    Despite believing the innocence of the protesters (the "New York Three"), Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock were assigned to prosecute them. After charging another protestor with treason and sentencing him to the "living death," the Tribune vowed that he would be the judge of the New York Three, and that the world would watch as those traitors died.

 

 

 

 

 

(Daredevil I#71) - Two men faked a mugging to serve Daredevil a summons to appear in court as a witness in the trial of the New York Three. While Murdock ran an appeal in the Daily Bugle for any witnesses of the bombing to come forth, Ralston and his men arrived in New York, making base in a rented mansion. Shortly thereafter, Ralston and his men confronted and blasted the judge, then replaced him and replaced his bailiffs with his own men. As the trial began, Daredevil entered the courtroom, after which the bailiff introduced the honorable Tribune, who vowed that the traitors would receive a fair trial and proper justice before being condemned to death. Foggy objected and rushed him, but the Tribune found him in contempt and opened his law book, which released a knock-out gas that dropped Foggy. Recognizing the Tribune's agents in the courtroom, Daredevil feared to act because someone might be hurt in the ensuing scuffle.
    Daredevil initially allowed the mock trial to play out, but while on the witness stand he sensed a hum coming from the Tribune's belt. Snagging the belt with his billy club, tearing it from his waist, and shattering the Dominator, Daredevil released the Tribune's agents from his mind control. Without the agents to threaten the crowd, Daredevil than directly confronted the Tribune, but fell victim to a kick to the head, allowing the Tribune to flee to his helicopter on the roof. Daredevil sensed a ticking bomb within the "blind justice" statue, rushed it to the roof, and hurled it at the Tribune's helicopter. The explosion destroyed the helicopter and apparently slew the Tribune.
    The Tribune's men apparently confessed to having been controlled into setting the bombs, and the charges against the New York Three were dismissed.

 

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Gary Friedrich, Gene Colan, and Syd Shores.

    The Tribune was originally going to have been named the Eliminator (as advertised in the monthly comic checklist), but they changed it at the last second, because they thought it was too close to the name of Daredevil's old foe, the Exterminator (later Death-Stalker)).

    Though topical, a newspaper ad placed the date of Daredevil I#71 as October 1970.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:

Tribune's agents

 

 

    These were political protestors and others the Tribune deemed to be traitors. Following a blast from the Tribune's gavel and submission to his mental commands via his Dominator, these men acted as his agents, gathering other "traitors," for the Tribune to turn to his cause. They also acted as his agents, setting off a bomb during an anti-war protest to frame the protesters, and serving as muscle to contain the courtroom during the Tribune's trial of the New York Three. When the Dominator was destroyed, the Tribune's agents regained their own minds.

 

--Daredevil I#70

 

 

 

 

images: (without ads)
Daredevil I#70, p1, panel 1 (Ralston with hat)
        p10, panel 2 (Ralston face)
        p11, panel 3 (Tribune full body)
        p12, panel 1 (Tribune's agents)
        p13, panel 2 (Tribune's gavel-blast)
    #71 cover (sentence of death)

Appearances:
Daredevil I#70 (November 1970) - Gary Friedrich (writer), Gene Colan (penciler), Syd Shores (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Daredevil I#71 (December 1970) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gene Colan (penciler), Syd Shores (inker), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 08/12/2006
Last updated: 08/12/2006

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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