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A Fictional History of the United States
I am crossposting this list from the Fandom forum, where a full list of references can be found. This history is inspired by/takes place in the world of Alan Moore's
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in which nearly the entirety of fiction takes place in the same universe. I decided to cram as many fictional Presidents as possible into the same list, and added as many fictional franchises (film, literature, video games, television, mythology) as possible to the footnotes describing each Presidency. While this is obviously an alternate history, I operated by a rule I call History Plus- the defining historical events of American history- the Civil War, World War II, 9/11 etc- still had to occur. I could add as many fictional historical events as I wanted, but the basic outline of American history had to remain the same in order to include as many works of fiction as possible. The obvious exception to this rule was electoral history, although you will notice many figures here are analogous to real-life politicians.
The first half of American history is mostly similar, although the level of technological advancement is accelerated. Since the Founding Fathers have become almost mythological figures, the early Presidents here are effectively demigods. The name Jonathan Brothers is a play on Brother Jonathan, who was the national personification of New England. While the 19th century has a steampunk flavor, major changes don't occur until the turn of the century. From 1898-1921, the United States faces invasions by numerous foreign powers; which result in a strongly nationalist and militant attitude. The Great Depression as a result is extremely politically unstable. Without FDR, there are multiple dictators and coups which culminate in the Civil War of 1938. Constitutional government is restored in time for America's entry into World War II. The post-war era is far, far worse than in real life. While America's population is larger than in OTL due to the existence of fictional states and towns, alien invasions and terrorist attacks still kill millions. Assassinations and political intrigue result in a very low life expectancy for Presidents. After 1956, it becomes very rare for a President to successfully finish one term. (While I made some President's terms briefer in order to add more Presidents; a large number of fictional Presidents seem to either die or are forced to leave office.) The 1990s are particularly bad- multiple nuclear weapons are detonated in populated areas and several alien invasions result in massive devastation. World War III occurs in 2009 as a result of time travel; however the effects are mostly contained due to intervention by the Time Lords. By the 2010s, America has become a cyberpunk dystopia. America is exhausted by decades of war. Two percent of the world's population has mysteriously disappeared. Monsters and aliens have devastated America's cities. Cyberwarfare and crime are rampant. While space travel and technology are more advanced, the economy is devastated. In this environment, the Underwoods, by promising to restore stability, establish an authoritarian regime. However, the political instability breeds more radical movements; and Dominionist Christians overthrow the Underwood regime, declaring the Republic of Gilead. The 2020s are a period of civil war which ends in nuclear Armageddon. From the ashes, the Antichrist Damien Thorn becomes President and rules for a thousand years of darkness. Thorn establishes the Terran Empire (from the Star Trek mirror universe) and conquers the galaxy.
Despite my best efforts to smooth over contradictions between works of fiction; continuity errors are inevitable as this list contains over 300 works of fiction. Many works of fiction on this list contain references to real-life Presidents who here do not exist. The only real-life President on this list is Jefferson, but I had the Washington and Lincoln analogues assume those names as their ruling titles due to the huge numbers of references to Lincoln and Washington in American culture. The official canon of other works, particularly the West Wing and 24, are not fully included in this list. My explanation is that any continuity errors are the result of time travel by agents of the Antichrist intentionally destabilizing history in order to pave the way for Damien Thorn's dictatorship. Thus, all seasons of 24 after Season 5, the Purge 3, and other works of fiction have been erased from existence. Additionally, the Bartlett presidency is significantly different then portrayed on the West Wing; as 9/11 and the Iraq war happen. I also forced DC and Marvel comics into the same world. While there are references to events that happened in the DC and Marvel main continuities; this world is a separate continuity designated Earth-666.
While none of the Presidents are original characters, I did create three composite Presidents. Jacob Ajax is a composite of a President named Jacob from
Democracy: An American Novel and President Ajax from
The Money-Makers. James Cassidy Shea is a composite of James Shea from the Godfather and James Cassidy from the Greek Tycoon. Robert Kelly Webster is a composite of Senator Kelly from Marvel Comics and President Webster from
Murder in the White House. I included a full list of fictional works mentioned in this history in my thread in the Fandom forum.
Presidents of the United States
1789-1797 Yankee Doodle (Independent)[1]
1797-1801 Jonathan Brothers (Federalist)[2]
1801-1809 Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican)[3]
1809-1817 Henry Waldegrave (Democratic Republican)[4]
1817-1825 Jonathan Tremain (Democratic Republican)[5]
1825-1829 Peleg Peshell (Democratic Republican)[6]
1829-1837 Simon Suggs (Democratic)[7]
1837-1841 Abraham Van Brunt (Democratic)[8]
1841 Quentin Trembley III (Independent)[8.5]
1841-1845 John A.B.C Smith (Whig)[9]
1845-1847 Alvin Miller (Democratic)[10]
1847-1849 Puffer Hopkins (Democratic) [11]
1849-1853 Alfred Stormalong (Whig)[12]
1853-1857 Augustine St. Clare (Democratic)[13]
1857-1861 Russell Moreland (Democratic) [14]
1861-1865 Paul Bunyan (Republican)[15]
1865-1866 Asa Trenchard (Republican) [16]
1866-1873 Austin Stoneman (Republican)[17]
1873-1881 Jacob Ajax (Republican) [18]
1881 Abner Dilworthy (Republican/Optimate)[19]
1881-1885 Silas Ratcliffe (Republican/Optimate)[20]
1885-1889 Silas Lapham (Democratic)[21]
1889-1893 James Jason Rogers (Republican)[22]
1893-1897 Richard Hunter (Democratic)[23]
1897-1901 Henry Fleming (Republican)[24]
1901-1906 John Smith (Populist)[25]
1906-1913 Ransom Stoddard (Democratic/Populist)[26]
1913-1915 David Israels (Republican)[27]
1915-1921 Woodrow Winthrop (Republican)[28]
1921-1923 Willis Markham (Republican) [29]
1923-1925 Nathan Whipple (Democratic)[30]
1925-1929 Jonathan P. Wintergreen (Republican)[31]
1929-1933 Judson C. Hammond (Republican)[32]
1933-1936 Theodore K. Blair (Democratic)[33]
1936-1937 Harold Goosie (Republican) [34]
1937-1938 Berzelius Windrip (Democratic)[35]
1938 Lee Sarason (Democratic)[36]
1938-1939 Dewey Haik (Minutemen)[37]
1939-1941 Stanley Craig (Republican)[38]
1941-1949 Jefferson Smith (Republican)[39]
1949-1953 Arthur Hockstader (Democratic) [40]
1953-1959 Merkin Muffley (Democratic)[41]
1959-1960 Harley Hudson (Democratic)[42]
1960-1961 William Abbott (Democratic)[43]
1961-1963 James Cassidy Shea (Democratic)[44]
1963-1964 Ambrose Payton (Democratic)[45]
1964-1965 John Pierpont Finch (Republican)[46]
1965 Leslie McCloud (Democratic) [47]
1965-1969 William Russell (Democratic) [48]
1969 Max J. Flatow (Republican) [49]
1969-1972 Jordan Lyman (Democratic)[50]
1972- 1973 Douglass Dilman (Democratic)[51]
1973-1974 Alexander Luthor (Republican)[52]
1974-1975 Lancelot Gilligrass (Republican)[53]
1975-1977 Henry MacNeil (Republican)[54]
1977 Charles Palantine (Democratic)[55]
1977 David T. Stevens (Democratic) [56]
1977-1981 William McKay (Democratic)[57]
1981-1987 Robert Kelly Webster (Republican)[58]
1987-1988 Andrew Wadsworth (Republican)[59]
1988-1989 Samuel Baker (Republican) [60]
1989-1991 J Robert Fowler (Democrat)[61]
1991-1992 Roger Durling (Democrat)[62]
1992-1993 Jack Ryan (Independent)[63]
1993-1995 Jack Stanton (Democratic)[64]
1995-1996 Thomas Whitmore (Democratic)[65]
1996 James Dale (Democratic)[66]
1996-1997 James Marshall (Republican)[67]
1997 Kang of Rigel (Independent)[68]
1997-2005 Josiah Bartlet (Democratic)[69]
2005-2007 David Palmer (Democratic)[70]
2007-2009 James Sawyer (Democratic)[71]
2009-2010 Howard Ackerman (Republican)[72]
2010-2011 John Keeler (Republican)[73]
2011-2012 Charles Logan (Republican)[74]
2012 Adam Benford (Republican)[75]
2012-2013 Sean Rathcock (Republican)[76]
2013 Marcus Robbins (Republican) [77]
2013-2014 Garrett Walker (Democratic)[78]
2014-2017 Frank Underwood (Democratic)[79]
2017-2021 Claire Underwood (Democratic)[80]
2021-2025 Nehemiah Scudder (Republican)[81]
2025-2026 Winston Noble (America Now/New Founding Fathers )[82]
2026 Greg Stillson (America Now/New Founding Fathers)[83]
2026-3026 Damien Thorn (America Now/New Founding Fathers)[84]
Emperors [85]
3026-present/past/future Nathaniel Richards
En Sabah Nur
HOUSE CORRINO
Paul Atreides
Leto II Atreides
The Scattering
Trantor Imperium
Age of Strife
30,000-40,999 God-Emperor of Mankind
[1] Doodle, formally known as the demigod Washington, was born in Billington, Massachusetts after the wizard Benjamin Franklin struck the ground with his lightning rod and electrified the essence of the God Orc from the womb of Oothoon. Doodle, born fully clothed and with his hair powdered, would ride upon an eagle and personally defeat thousands of redcoats. Doodle became known as the Father of his Country and as a well dressed and erudite gentleman. He was physically incapable of telling a lie, leading to widespread worship from his people. Despite being mocked as a fool by the crowned heads of Europe, Doodle successfully presided over the creation of the American Republic. Doodle famously chose not to run for a third term, establishing the tradition of the President as a servant of the people. Immediately after leaving office, he was physically carried to Heaven by the goddesses Columbia and Victoria.
[2] The son of a Puritan preacher, “Brother” Jonathan became an early patriotic agitator and a veteran of the Revolution. With the aid of divine inspiration, Brothers also helped write the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was renowned as a political philosopher and thinker of the Enlightenment; and was thus frequently consulted by President Doodle. The intellectual leader of the Founding Fathers, Brothers is revered as the source of all wisdom by future Americans and was absolutely correct in every moral dilemma. Despite his intelligence, poor relations with France and economic troubles left his presidency unpopular outside of New England. He lost the contentious election of 1800 to Thomas Jefferson.
[3] Author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson represented the ideal of Agrarian republicanism. Jefferson was elected with the aid of Alexander Hamilton, who was subsequently murdered by Vice President Burr. The Federalist Party then collapsed, allowing Jefferson to institute his program of limited government. Jefferson also purchased Louisiana from the French. Under Jefferson, America was an idyllic rural utopia with infinite land, opportunity, and liberty. Jefferson also commissioned the planting of apple trees in the Ohio territory.
[4] Jefferson’s successor, Henry Waldegrave, was not as fortunate as his predecessor. A settler from Pennsylvania, Waldegrave’s family and village were killed during the Revolution by the two-headed Indian Monster Brant. Waldegrave fought under General Doodle and helped write the Constitution. After the institution of the Constitution, Waldegrave pushed the Indians from the frontier. During his administration, the British became jealous of American freedom and attempted to reconquer the U.S in the War of 1812. Despite forcing Waldegrave from the White House, the British were unable to capture the Star Spangled Banner in Maryland, the flag in which the Goddess of Liberty dwelt. Unable to destroy America’s magical protections, the British were then forced out of the country by “Uncle” Sam Wilson. However, the British succeeded in defiling the divine agrarian utopia the Founding Fathers had created, forcing America into the mortal world. Waldegrave was forced to expand the government in response. Waldegrave’s second wife and children were killed in the War, leaving Waldegrave bankrupt and deeply depressed after leaving office.
[5] Tremain was a politician from Boston and veteran of the Revolution. With the exception of the Missouri Compromise, Tremain’s presidency, known as the “Era of Good Feelings,” was relatively uneventful.
[6] Peshell was a banker, the Governor of Delaware, and a nephew of President Brothers. Peshell was notoriously ambitious and corrupt, viewing public service as a means of personal enrichment. Peshell won the four way election of 1824. Although Simon Suggs carried the popular vote, Peshell won the presidency via a “Corrupt Bargain” with an opposing candidate. Thus Peshell became very unpopular. Peshell used the presidency to distribute patronage to his followers and advocated for investing in canals and internal improvements. However, Peshell was stonewalled for most of his presidency and accomplished little. He lost the 1828 presidential election by a large margin.
[7] Captain Simon Suggs of Alabama, leader of the Tallapoosa volunteers and hero of 1812, was the democratic tribune and living embodiment of the American people’s collective will. Suggs was a professional con man who had gone through a variety of professions before entering politics. Suggs was a wild man of the frontier who had personally slain many redcoats, indians, and other scoundrels. After the death of the last demigod Founding Father, Suggs instituted democratic reforms which extended universal suffrage and granted political power to the working class. Suggs personally led the U.S Army into battle and liberated Texas from Mexico.
[8] A poor Dutchman from Sleepy Hollow, New York, Van Brunt achieved political success after marrying into the wealthy and politically influential Van Tassel family. In combination with his political charisma, Van Brunt was able to use this wealth to become Governor of New York and a cabinet member of the Wilson administration. Although endorsed as Suggs’ successor, Van Brunt quickly became unpopular as the country immediately underwent famine and misfortune upon his assumption of office. The Panic of 1837 was widely blamed on Van Brunt and the Masonic conspiracy which controlled his administration. After his defeat in the election of 1840, the curse upon America was lifted and Van Brunt was dragged to hell by the ghost of a Hessian mercenary.
[8.5] Quentin Trembley III, an elector from Ohio, declared himself President after an accident incapacitated the meeting of the Electoral College. An eccentric often compared to Caligula, Trembley defended America from an invasion of giant spiders before being exiled to the Oregon territory. Trembley also implemented several bizarre laws by executive order, including the banning of pants and an unconstitutional declaration bestowing himself with a title of nobility. Embarrassed by Trembley’s presidency, Congress impeached Trembley and voted to declare his presidency Damnatio Memoriae. Trembley would subsequently declare himself American Emperor before becoming trapped in stasis.
[9] General Smith was a famous war hero and Indian fighter. Tall and handsome, he was also known as a powerful orator. However, by the time he assumed the presidency he had become ill and handicapped from his war wounds. Smith was confined to his bed for most of his presidency and was absent from most political affairs. After his presidency, an autopsy revealed Smith was almost entirely synthetic, and that he had died in 1843; but he was kept alive in a hypnotic state until the end of his term. The Second Coming seemingly occurred in 1844, but the apparent Jesus Christ returned to Heaven after He anointed Alvin Miller as President.
[10] Miller was one of the original Mormon apostles. A blacksmith from Ohio, Governor Miller learned magic and healing from a Shawnee shaman. He also worked for the French government and built a Crystal City upon the frontier. In order to secure the Shining City Upon a Hill which he had seen in his visions, Miller fought a war against the forces of the Unmaker, in which he was slain.
[11] Hopkins, known as the “Hero of Kip's Bay” and the “Patriot of the Piehouse” was a junior congressman from New York aligned with the Bottom Club before becoming Vice President and later President. Hopkins was a radical who instituted democratic reforms for the common man. He invaded Mexico and secured the Southwestern territories in the Mexican American War. However, this reopened the question of slavery, on which Hopkins was ambivalent. Refusing to involve himself in the squabble between the slave power and abolitionists, Hopkins retired.
[12] General Stormalong was a thirty foot tall sailor and naval veteran of the War of 1812. After fighting Moby Dick and the Kraken, Stormalong eventually tired of the sea and resettled to Kansas. Stormalong’s presidency was dominated by the slavery question. Stormalong favored abolition, but he was distracted by the invasion of the mysterious Vespertillo-homo, a race of man-bats allegedly from the moon. After defeating the man-bats, Stormalong vanished in the Caribbean while hunting the white whale Moby-Dick.
[13] Senator St. Clare, a slaveholder from Louisiana, was widely admired for his civic involvement before his presidency. He defeated Whig candidate Gracchus Vanderbomb to win the presidency. However, he was unable to address the growing divide between North and South. St. Clare awarded numerous concessions to slaveholders in the South, aggravating Northern abolitionists. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, an attempted compromise, only alienated both sides. His daughter Eva died before he took office, leaving St. Clare severely depressed, gloomy, and ineffectual. Annoyed by his vacillation over the slavery issue, southern democrats nominated a more hardline successor.
[14] Senator Moreland, a plantation owner and high-strung aristocrat from Georgia, had no patience for abolitionist radicals. Married to a woman from Massachusetts, Moreland believed that the enslavement of African-Americans was necessary for the survival of the United States. Moreland suppressed multiple abolitionist plots, including the attempted revolt by the angel John Brown, the Henry Blake Conspiracy/Cuban Revolution, and the burning of the Candyland Plantation. In response to a prophecy by Hiram the Freemason about a Black Messiah destined to overthrow white rule; Moreland ordered the execution of all Black boys under the age of 10 in New Orleans. While initially well respected personally, Moreland eventually alienated the North, thus failing to prevent the Civil War.
[15] Bunyan, also known as “Honest Paul the Rail-Splitter” was a midwestern lumberjack, lawyer, America’s tallest President, and a hero of the frontier. Bunyan had cleared the forests of the West and fought the Fearsome Critters, allowing for colonization. As President, he rode his blue ox Babe into battle against the insurgent Confederacy which sought to preserve slavery. Despite the return of President Doodle and Saint John Brown the Resurrected to fight for the Union, the Confederates were able to drag out the war with the aid of slave holding vampires and time traveling South Africans. Bunyan eventually bested the Confederates in battle, but he was struck down by Jack Booth the Giant Killer. Bunyan’s body was then embalmed in marble and converted into the Bunyan Memorial, where Bunyan sleeps to this day until he is awakened. Bunyan was anointed by the Goddess of Liberty as Saint Lincoln.
[16] Trenchard, an uncouth congressman from Vermont, was Bunyan's absentee Vice President. He was impeached for firing his Secretary of War and for mismanaging Reconstruction.
[17] Congressman Stoneman was an uncompromising abolitionist and Radical Republican who took power after the impeachment of Trenchard. Presiding over Reconstruction, Stoneman sought to promote the status of African-Americans in the South and punish the former rebels. However, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, a veritable empire of the South, arose against their northern occupiers in defense of white supremacy and racial purity. Abandoned by his former allies, Stoneman nevertheless continued to impose Reconstruction. He also suppressed plots by the former confederate terrorists Dr. Loveless and “Black Bart” Graham. The U.S government eventually gave schematics of Graham’s weapon to Thomas Edison, who constructed the Doomsday Device. Stoneman also contributed money to the Baltimore Gun Club, who successfully voyaged to the Moon. Subsequent attempts to colonize the Moon were repelled by the Moon Princess and former Confederates. However, an artificial satellite known as the Brick Moon became the first successful attempt by the U.S to colonize space. Additionally the Steel City War in Oregon between French and German colonists occurred during the Stoneman presidency. Stoneman's ill health resulted in his death after he left office, and the federal government then abandoned Reconstruction after the Klan victory.
[18] Jacob “Old Granite” Ajax, quarryman and former governor of Indiana was one of the most successful generals in the Civil War, but had limited political experience within Washington. His administration was enormously corrupt, being built on patronage, graft, and malfeasance. Ajax was intellectually limited and ill at ease in Washington. Therefore he was easily manipulated by his corrupt advisors like Senator Silas Ratcliffe. Implicated in the Whiskey Ring scandal, Ajax was kidnapped by outlaws Butch Cavendish and Quentin Trumbull in an attempt to win ransom money from the U.S government. However, Ajax was subsequently rescued. Having defeated former confederate Rhett Butler in the “corrupt bargain of 1876”, when Senator Killgore rigged the outcome in the state of Appalachia, Ajax’s presidency was widely viewed as illegitimate, and he lost his bid for a third term due to the opposition of the corrupt “Optimate” faction within the Republican Party. Ajax was forced to withdraw troops from the South in 1877, bringing an end to reconstruction. He also presided over corruption, industrialization and the Long Depression of the 1870s.
[19] Dilworthy was a Radical Republican from Kansas who supported Black rights, but ultimately withdrew this support due to political convenience. Dilworthy had been acquitted of corruption in the buying of Tennessee land, and subsequently became a pawn of the Optimates. Dilworthy was widely condemned as a corrupt front man for business interests, and was killed by the husband of one of his mistresses.
[20] Ratcliffe the “Prairie Giant of Peoria”was a ruthless and powerful conservative Republican from Illinois. He controlled Dilworthy from behind the scenes since his corrupt reputation prevented his directly being elected President, until Dilworthy’s death. Ratcliffe resisted patronage reform and gave favor to business interests. Ratcliffe nevertheless promoted the growth of American economic and military power. He also violently suppressed the Bread-Winners revolt in Buffland, Winnemac, although a later labor strike by Larry Locke was more successful. The Valedo labor strike of 1882 ended Republican rule in Appalachia and ousted the powerful Senator Killgore, threatening the continued control of business interests and the Republican Party. Disgusted by Ratcliffe’s corruption, a group of Eastern reformers known as the Mugwumps ran their own candidate in the 1884 election, while others gravitated towards the Democratic ticket. Ratcliffe thus ran on the Optimate ticket. The Democrats won the south and the popular vote, Ratcliffe won the West, and the Mugwumps won the East; but no candidate won the majority of electoral votes. Fearing civil war, Senator John Harrington addressed a Joint Session of Congress and persuaded them to select the Democratic ticket in order to preserve national unity.
[21] Lapham, the “Mineral Paint King” of Massachusetts instituted civil service reform and cleansed the government of corruption. Lapham also lowered tariffs and sought to undo decades of Republican economic policy. While sympathetic to the common people, his gold standard policies caused a split in the Democratic Party. His personal morality ultimately alienated his corrupt allies and destroyed his career.
[22] Rogers, elected on the slogan “Rogers for Prosperity”, was a Senator and Civil War General prior to his ascension to the Presidency. Rogers was a puppet of a cabal headed by Senator William Paxton that favored domestic business and manufacturing interests. The Rogers administration thus implemented strong tariffs to benefit these interests; and increased the power of steel and railroad trusts over the economy. The stock prices of these new corporations were vastly overvalued, resulting in massive inflation and a Depression. Progressive Republicans, headed by Senator Charles Canterbury, were disgusted by the corruption and ineptitude of the Rogers administration. Canterbury formed the “Stay at Home movement” encouraging Republicans to sit out the election of 1892, resulting in the defeat of Rogers and the destruction of Paxton’s cabal. The Ghost Dance uprising also temporarily took control of the American West in 1890 since the Ghost Shirts were immune to modern weapons. Robur the Conqueror briefly terrorized the eastern seaboard during the Rogers presidency.
[23] Hunter was a New York businessman and Governor known by his political opponents as “Ragged Dick” because of his humble origins as a bootblack. Having personally overcome economic difficulty, Hunter maintained a laissez faire, pro-gold standard stance with regards to the Panic of 1893. Thus Hunter was unpopular for refusing to ameliorate the effects of the Depression. Hunter was defeated at the 1896 Convention by Nebraska congressman Matthew Brady; and the resulting split in the Democratic Party allowed the Republicans to win.
[24] Fleming, a civil war veteran and senator from New York, was known as an energetic and bold President who launched the Spanish-American War in search of glory for his country. However, the effects of the Panic of 1893 resulted in significant domestic unrest. During the war, Fleming suppressed a black nationalist insurrection led by Bernard Belgrave to establish an independent African-American nation in Texas. The Spanish Navy attacked New York City; and convinced the Japanese to attack Hawaii, recently annexed by the U.S. Fleming repelled both invasions and forced Spain and Japan to sue for peace. However, San Francisco was damaged by Japanese attack. By winning the war, America annexed Puerto Rico and the Philippines, while establishing itself as a world power. Fleming also supported Thomas Edison's invasion of Mars following the Martian invasion of Britain. In 1899, the Boxer Rebellion, with the support of the Chinese government, launched a global uprising against Western imperialism. With the aid of Chinese expatriates, the Chinese government occupied California and Oregon. Additionally black nationalists allied with the Chinese seized control of the Caribbean and launched a failed attack on Florida. However, Chinese supply lines were vastly overextended, and thus the uprisings were defeated by the European powers and Japan. In 1899, anarchist uprisings in Chicago and New York occurred due to the ongoing Depression which resulted in over 400 deaths. On the last day of the 19th century, the United Societies of Africans, Mulattos, Quadroons, and Octoroons (AMQUO), a group of Belgrave devotees, launched a violent revolution against white society. The rebellion was suppressed, and the insurgents fled into the countryside and were exterminated. The secession of the floating city Columbia occurred following the defeat of the Boxer Rebellion.
[25] John “The Nationalist” Smith was born in Massachusetts, but rose to prominence as a Chicago Judge and advocate of constitutional reform. Nominated by the Populist Party, he rode a wave of economic discontent following the Panic of 1893 to victory over Republican Mark Kimbly and Democrat Alton Hild. Despite winning the popular vote in a landslide; the Electoral College delivered no clear victor after Tammany Hall was bribed to deliver New York to the Republicans. The Republican House then voted to make Mark Kimbly President. This rejection of the popular will resulted in widespread riots and an attack on the Congress by Populists. Congress was forced to reverse its decision and make Smith President. President Smith then called for a Constitutional Convention to democratize America. While the new Constitution was eventually rejected by the states, President Smith’s legislation regulating big business and promoting employment and high living standards for the working man were very successful. Smith is thus credited with inaugurating the Progressive Era. President Smith defeated the stodgy Governor Obstinate in the 1904 Presidential Election. Following an official visit to the Land of Oz; President Smith was killed by a rogue member of the Assassination Bureau. John Smith was a distant cousin of President John A.B.C Smith.
[26] Vice President Stoddard, lawyer, frontier hero, former Senator and Ambassador to Britain, assumed the Presidency following the death of President Smith. A progressive from Montana, Stoddard was known as an opponent of landed interests in the west (particularly the cattle barons and their thugs), and big capital in the east. Stoddard instituted numerous progressive labor and government reforms known as the Square Deal, improving upon President Smith’s “New Nationalism.” Under President Stoddard, the Populists were absorbed by the Democratic Party.
[27] The Governor of New York and a millionaire investor, David Israels was a progressive Republican,a leading reformer, and the first Jewish President. Israels’ progressive agenda was initially successful; he passed labor laws and created the Federal Reserve. After the outbreak of war in Europe, Israels kept a staunchly pacifist stance. Despite unrestricted German submarine warfare in the Atlantic, Israels refused to increase armaments and sought to maintain good relations with Germany. After the sinking of the Lusitania, Israels directed much of the American Navy to make a ceremonial visit to Turkey, leaving the East Coast vulnerable to attack. Israels had moved the Navy in order to preserve American neutrality, but this action appeared to the American public to be a deliberate act of sabotage. Much of his cabinet resigned in protest. Israels was falsely accused of treason and was subsequently impeached by the House of Representatives. The impeachment of the “American Dreyfuss” resulted in a national wave of Anti-Semitism. While Israels was acquitted by the Senate, Israels died shortly afterwards due to work-related stress. However, Germany agreed to pay reparations for the destruction of the Lusitania in order to stall American intervention.
[28] Assuming office after Israels’ death, President Winthrop was a more conventional Republican President who immediately instituted a campaign of military preparedness. Winthrop defeated Democrat Matthew Brady in the contentious 1916 election. Winthrop presided over American involvement in the First World War. Israels’ delay of military armament had left the United States vulnerable to German attack. After the German capture of the Samoan Islands, Winthrop repelled zeppelin and naval fleets from both the Confederation of East Asia (the Japanese Empire) and Germany. Initially, the Germans and the Japanese were able to occupy America’s coasts. However, the scientist “Old Bill” Roberts developed “radioplanes” which briefly resulted in a German and Japanese surrender. The radioplanes were then destroyed by the German wizard Heinrich Kemmler, resulting in the restoration of hostilities in Europe. Winthrop also defeated the Channing plot, in which Japan sought to ally with Mexico. While German zeppelins had temporarily decimated America, Winthrop eventually dedicated troops to the European Front, resulting in the defeat of the Central Powers. Winthrop also legalized euthanasia during his final year in office.
[29] President Markham, former Michigan Senator, was a loyal party man who was in fact controlled by the lobbyist and lawyer Daniel Lurcock. Attorney General Lurcock installed his cronies throughout Markham’s cabinet, working with businessmen like Vernon Roscoe in a bid to use the government to illegally profit from oil reserves. After word of the scandal emerged, Congress threatened to impeach Markham. Markham committed suicide by accidentally ingesting poison he had confiscated from his mistress. Markham also defeated an invasion from the resurgent German Empire. In 1921, the German Kaiser, briefly restored to power by the wizard Kemmler, ordered the invasion of America’s east coast. After the destruction of the Panama Canal; New York, New England, and Philadelphia were occupied by the Germans. Brazil and the Entente then intervened against Germany. When German forces were defeated at Pittsburgh, Thomas Edison developed powerful torpedos which destroyed the German Navy and forced the Germans to surrender.
[30] Governor “Shagpole” Whipple of Vermont was a little-known businessman before his ascension to the presidency. Whipple was an acolyte of newspaper baron Charles Foster Kane, who promoted him as a national figure. Despite being from the opposite party as Markham, he endorsed Markham and was named as his running mate after Markham’s initial choice, New Hampshire Governor Giles Henderson, was forced to step down for health reasons. Whipple was a hardline nativist who restricted immigration and opposed civil rights. He was elected on a populist platform of standing for “the people”, but his administration largely favored business interests. Implicated in the oil reserve scandals, Whipple declined to run for a second term in order to prevent evidence of his crimes from becoming public.
[31] President Wintergreen was largely considered to be a hack and an empty suit. His campaign was built on beauty pageants and appeals to Irish, Jewish, and other ethnic voters whom Whipple’s administration had alienated. Wintergreen’s love life instigated a diplomatic incident with France, which nearly resulted in war. Wintergreen also ordered the forced evacuation of Innsmouth, Massachusetts following the incursion of marine creatures. The President's adviser Colonel Holmes persuaded Wintergreen to declare war on Switzerland after Switzerland criticized American tariffs on cheese. This war, known as the “Fletcher War” for its’ leading proponent, resulted in a brief American excursion to Switzerland which ended in a bloodless battle. The incident prompted a wider trade war which would worsen the Great Depression. After the Stock Market crash of 1928, Wintergreen was booted from the Republican ticket due to his sheer incompetence, and ran on an independent ticket with Vice President Alexander Throttlebottom.
[32] Hammond was a hack of the eastern Wolfsheim political machine who was derisively referred to as President Tweedledee due to his lack of political independence. Hammond was a corrupt adulterer who initially failed to address the enormous suffering created by the Great Depression. Hammond was briefly overthrown by Wintergreen and his fascist Blueshirt movement in 1930, but he was returned to power following a split within the movement. Hammond also defeated the white supremacist pirate Seafalcon. With the aid of his business cronies, Hammond suppressed the burgeoning labor movement even as economic conditions worsened. In 1932, Hammond suffered an automobile accident and was possessed by the archangel Gabriel, causing a sudden personality change. He turned against his business backers, dissolved Congress, and declared himself to be a dictator for the duration of the emergency. Hammond established a National Army of Employment and a Federal Police, which he used to exterminate the criminal syndicate led by Nick Diamond. Hammond also completed construction on a transatlantic tunnel to Britain, which was subsequently destroyed by a volcano controlled by the people of Atlantis. After temporarily achieving world peace by threatening to use the Doomsday Device, Hammond suddenly passed away.
[33] President Blair was a well respected intellectual, banker, and politician, but had no personal charisma. He hired a body double named “Doc” Varney to impersonate him for speeches and political appearances. Varney, posing as Blair was able to defeat Betty Boop and Rufus Jones in the 1932 presidential election. While this scheme initially boosted his political popularity, Varney eventually revealed the truth, much to Blair’s embarrassment. Blair was kidnapped and exiled to the Arctic while Varney took over as acting President. Blair subsequently had Varney assassinated in order to resume office. Blair implemented a popular series of government programs known as the “New Deal” in order to alleviate the Great Depression. However, Blair’s aristocratic demeanour left him more unpopular than the pretender Varney. During Blair’s presidency, the National Revolutionary Army, headed by former President Whipple, threatened to violently overthrow Blair and establish a Fascist state. Blair declared martial law, and Whipple’s Army was forced to stand down. During the Blair Presidency, the Crookman Process, which turned black people white, nearly eliminated America's African-American population. Blair also briefly formed an international alliance known as the Pacific Powers to destroy a colony of superhumans in French Polynesia. Blair also tasked scientist and adventurer Clark Savage to defeat the terrorist Man of Peace following an attack on New York’s electricity grid. Savage also defeated the terrorist Ark following an attack on Florida. Blair was assassinated in 1936 by a former member of the National Revolutionary Army.
[34] Secretary of State Harold Goosie succeeded Blair since Vice President Wylie had died of a stroke in 1935. While Goosie was nominally a Republican, he felt beholden to Democratic pressure groups due to his predecessor being a Democrat. The Knights of Nordica, a White Supremacist organization, successfully petitioned Goosie to ban the Crookman Process, which they feared was undermining White Supremacy. Following the ban of the Crookman Process, the government mandated a nation-wide vaccination program which returned African-Americans to their natural skin color. Goosie did not run for re-election and was unable to prevent the rise of Fascism.
[35] Senator Buzz Windrip, the boss of the state of Winnemac, was another fiery populist whose promise of $5,000 a year for every citizen was meant to alleviate the Great Depression. Windrip emerged as the favorite of the populist wing of the Democratic Party following the assassination of their previous leader, Louisiana Governor Willie Stark. Stark, before being killed by Adam Stanton, had been preparing for a presidential run, and Windrip seized control of the political infrastructure Stark had built. Following the death of President Blair, Windrip emerged as the Democratic choice for President in 1936. He defeated Republican Senator Walt Trowbridge in a landslide. Windrip was elected with the support of President Whipple, Charles Foster Kane, Bishop Prang, and a variety of nationalist groups including the National Revolutionary Army and the Knights of Nordica. Upon assuming office, Windrip’s philosophy of “Corporatism” was revealed to be a fascist program. Windrip banned dissent, declared himself dictator, sent his enemies to concentration camps, and relied on a paramilitary organization known as the Minutemen to enforce his rule. Windrip also built up the military in preparation for an invasion of Mexico. His political opponents, headed by Walt Trowbridge and Representative Burton Brown, formed the rebel group New Underground to oppose him. Windrip’s economic policies were a failure, and his support among the public dropped rapidly by 1938. Windrip was overthrown by his Secretary of State, Lee Sarandon, and was exiled to France.
[36] Sarandon was Windrip’s chief political advisor before seizing power in a violent coup. His month long presidency was notable mainly for the Roman-style orgies he hosted in the White House. During his presidency, the Corpo movement began to dissolve. Sarandon was overthrown by his former ally, General Haik.
[37] After storming the White House, Haik attempted to draft an army to invade Mexico in order to distract from the domestic failures of the Corpo government. This attempt ultimately failed and sparked the Second Civil War. The New Underground managed to seize control of the Midwest. The Corpos disintegrated following the defection of General Emmanuel Coon to the rebels. While Haik managed to kill Senator Trowbridge, he was ultimately betrayed by his own subordinates, allowing the New Underground to arrest him and restore democracy. During the Second Civil War, Martians invaded New Jersey but were repelled by Superman. Additionally, U.S forces in the Pacific were attacked by a species of sentient newts during the war; these newts were defeated by the U.S Navy.
[38] Senator Craig, an ally of Senator Trowbridge, was appointed interim President by the New Underground as a placeholder before the resumption of democratic elections. Craig’s first action was to reassemble Congress, which voted to recognize Craig and Windrip’s legally appointed successor. Rather than retaliate against the Democratic Party for producing the Windrip dictatorship, Craig took steps to reintegrate the Democrats into the political system, appointing multiple anti-Corpo Democrats as part of his bipartisan “Restoration Government.” Craig assumed power against a backdrop of war in Europe. Tomainian dictator Adenoid Hynkel was conquering Europe, annexing Poland, France, Osterlich, Klopstokia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Florin, Guilder, Ruritania, Markovia, Graustark, Latveria, Freedonia, Norway, Denmark, Alslavia, Ixania, Syldavia, Sokovia, Pottsylvania, and Arendelle. In order to forestall a pro-Axis coup by the fascist Grey Shirts, a Corpo splinter group, President Craig feigned his disappearance in what appeared to be a military coup. The incident prompted widespread support for Craig and the restoration of constitutional rule. Craig’s presidency was also plagued by criminals and terrorists such as the Lightning and Doctor Satan who sought world domination. Additionally, the Atlantic Coast was attacked by the Atlantean Namor on multiple occasions in 1940.
[39] Senator Smith of Montana was an outdoorsman and President of the Boy Scouts before he entered politics, where he was an opponent of the Taylor machine. Despite being a Senator for only a year, Smith was nominated for the Presidency due to his status as a national hero after Clark Savage declined the Republican nomination. The ”John Doe Club”, a loosely organized grassroots anti-poverty and reformist campaign, was the driving force for Smith’s candidacy since Smith promised the restoration of good government and the spirit of neighborliness. Smith defeated Secretary of State Stephen Wayne, the Democratic nominee, in a landslide. Smith led America into World War II after the Japanese Empire attacked Pearl Harbor. Allying with Britain, Atlantis, Themyscira, and the Soviet Union, Smith fought against the Axis of Tomainia, Japan, Borduria, Vulgaria, Bulgaria, Illyria, Hungary, Lucrania, Italy, the warlord Shiwan Khan, the alien planet Mongo, Hydra, the Thule Society, various supernatural monsters, and Nurmengard. With the aid of superheroes like Superman, Flash Gordon, and the Human Torch, Smith was able to emerge victorious over the Axis. After World War II, the United States emerged as the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world. Smith initiated the Cold War with the Soviet Union following a wave of Communist expansion. Smith, a distant relative of President Stoddard, was also President during the Roswell incident; after which alien incursions became increasingly common. The city of Terre Haute was devastated by a mold bomb planted by surviving Nazis during Smith’s second term.
[40] Senator Arthur “Give Em’ Hell” Hockstader of Missouri was one of the leading Democrats who had joined the New Underground and resisted Corpo rule. Hockstader was originally the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee; however Hockstader’s running mate, Senator Melvin Ashford fled to the South Pacific after the publication of his diary revealed his corruption. The Republicans were bullish about their chances, especially after New York Governor and famed Mafia prosecutor David Graham defeated Grant Matthews at the Convention. Graham’s reputation was so stellar he barely campaigned. Despite being a replacement nominee, Hockstader overcame the Democrats’ low advantage in the polls through a cross country tour and defeated Graham in the 1948 election. Following North Korea’s invasion of South Korea, Hockstader got America involved in the Korean War in order to curb Communist expansion. In addition to saving South Korea from Communist domination, Hockstader also saved the Earth from the lunar dictator Retik and Venusian induced climate change. New York City was also severely damaged by terrorist induced flooding. Hockstader was also President during the Klaatu incident. Hockstader was widely admired for his personal integrity and resoluteness in the face of Communist expansion in Europe and Asia, even as concerns spread about Communist agents domestically. Wisconsin Senator John Yerkes Iselin used these fears to launch demagogic investigations of his political enemies on suspicion of their alleged membership in the Communist Party. Hockstader, already weary of the Presidency, was intimidated by Iselin into not running for re-election. Thus Merkin Muffley became the 1952 Democratic nominee.
[41] Governor Muffley of California, widely considered an egghead, presided over a strong economy and a stable society. While his administration initially faced investigation by Senator Iselin; Iselin’s mental health deteriorated following a plane crash which he survived due to an “act of god.” Muffley faced numerous problems in international relations. In 1953, terrorists attempted to deploy a nuclear weapon in San Francisco. When the U.S Air Force accidentally bombed Russia in 1955, Muffley was able to avoid nuclear war, by barely preventing the activation of the Doomsday Device. Muffley also repelled the invasion of the pod people, the invasion of the flying saucers, the Iron Giant attack, and other alien invasions. The only successful invasion was by the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, which forced Muffley to cede the Doomsday Device. This Doomsday Device was later revealed to be a facsimile. Atomic radiation following nuclear testing created numerous giant monsters and insects, particularly in the American Southwest. The U.S government repelled attacks from giant ants, locusts, a praying mantis, tarantulas, monolith monsters, sea snails, a Rhedosaurus, a giant bird, and other horrors. Muffley also protected Japan from Kaiju, and defended America from foreign espionage, which culminated in the Mount Rushmore incident. In 1954, Earth was visited by the Kanamit race, who initially used their technology to vastly improve humanity’s living standard. However, it was subsequently discovered that the Kanamits planned on using humans as livestock. British scientist Bernard Quatermass blackmailed the Kanamits into leaving Earth by threatening to use bioweapons originally designed to defeat a potential Martian invasion. Before leaving Earth, the Kanamits sabotaged the inventions given to humanity, restoring the status quo. President Muffley also survived an attempted assassination by John Baron. Muffley became ill in his second term and died of a heart attack after his failed nominee for Secretary of State, Robert Leffingwell, was revealed to have been a former member of the American Communist Party.
[42] Harley Hudson took power amidst significant international conflict. Soviet-backed insurgents overthrew the governments of Cuba and Panama, prompting Hudson to militarily intervene in the latter country. Hudson also invaded Gorotoland in order to reverse a Communist Revolution. These dual conflicts quickly instigated anti-war sentiment among liberals, while conservatives attacked Hudson as insufficiently anti-Communist. Hudson decided to run for re-election, prompting a battle between conservative Secretary of State Orrin Knox and liberal California Governor Ted Jason for the vice presidency. Knox would emerge victorious, but Hudson died in a plane crash soon after the Democratic Convention.
[43] Speaker of the House William Abbott of Colorado was “caretaker president” for the remaining months of Muffley’s second term. He defeated the Communist revolutionaries in Panama while committing more troops to Gorotoland. These actions risked nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Orrin Knox and Ted Jason formed the new Democratic presidential ticket, but both were assassinated under mysterious circumstances, prompting the Democrats to nominate New Jersey Governor James Shea. Republican nominee Senator Benjamin Arthur was the initial favorite to win the election due to the chaos within the Democratic Party. He easily defeated his opponent for the Republican nomination, Senator Worthington Fuller. However, his candidacy turned into disaster after he named Senator Iselin as his running mate. Iselin and his wife Eleanor Shaw were assassinated at the Republican Convention by Iselin’s stepson Raymond Shaw. Army Intelligence revealed that Iselin, manipulated by his wife, was in fact a Communist agent. Eleanor Shaw had intended for her son to kill Arthur so that Iselin could become a dictator. Arthur, a conservative Republican, was thus attacked by James Shea as a Communist dupe and a poor judge of character. Shea was thus able to win the 1960 election.
[44] James Shea, the first Catholic President, was a charismatic and popular president. After the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, Shea passed civil rights legislation and successfully navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis. Terrorists also attacked Fort Knox during his presidency. Shea won the Gorotoland war and committed American troops to Vietnam and Sarkhan. Shea was also President when a race of planets called the Triffids nearly took over the world. Shea directed his brother, Attorney General Daniel Shea, to crack down on organized crime. While visiting Texas Governor Arthur Fenstemaker in Dallas, Shea was ultimately assassinated by a mysterious conspiracy with government connections.
[45] Senator Payton of Florida was a conservative anti-communist Democrat nominated as Shea’s running mate in 1960. Payton escalated American involvement in Vietnam and Sarkhan following the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Payton forced the British to grant independence to the Polynesian island nation of Omo Levi; however his recently appointed Vice President, Boysie Taylor, was eaten by cannibals living on the island. Payton was revealed to have ties to the Mafia, and he was forced to resign over “health issues” in order to avoid scandal.
[46] Finch, a former window washer, had the most rapid rise of any American President. Shortly after Finch became Chairman of the World Wide Wicket Company, Payton selected him to be Vice President after the death of Boysie Taylor. Intended as a placeholder, Finch became President only a few weeks after his Vice Presidential confirmation by the Senate when Payton suddenly resigned. Finch’s tenure was brief, as he declined to run for re-election after the Hooloovoo nominated him to be President of the Galaxy, a largely ceremonial position.
[47] “Landslide Leslie” McCloud was nominated as a compromise candidate by the Democrats, and coasted to an easy victory over the Republican nominee; the Republicans were still heavily damaged by allegations of collaboration with the Soviet Union. Despite her large margin of victory, McCloud faced enormous sexism as President and was not taken seriously by her peers. McCloud fought with the Soviet Union over their influence in Latin America, but she was forced to resign after it was publically revealed she was pregnant.
[48] Russell, the former Secretary of State, was President during the Vietnam war and significant social and economic upheaval. Russell implemented the Civil Rights Act and the “Great Society” programs. Russell also confronted the alien invader Galactus in 1966 and suppressed the first modern zombie outbreak in 1968. High rates of crime, terrorism, alien incursions and supervillain attacks began under the Russell presidency and remained high for the next fifty years. In particular, Russell faced multiple terrorist plots by the terrorist organization T.H.R.U.S.H. Russell also acquired superpowers in a cosmic storm, his adventures were subsequently serialized in a popular pro-government cartoon. The U.S also accidentally launched nuclear weapons against Moscow, nearly prompting nuclear war. After the incident, Russell worked with the Soviet Union to repel a meteor. The political unpopularity of the Vietnam and Sarkhan Wars lead to the birth of the counterculture movement, which prompted a youth revolution. Russell chose not to run for re-election after the Tet Offensive showed the inadequacies of his war plans, allowing Max Flatow to become president.
[49] Flatow, who went by the stage name of Frost, was a 24 year old rock singer propelled to power by “hippie fascists.” Frost supporters used LSD to brainwash Congress into lowering age restrictions for office and voting, allowing Frost to run for office. Frost briefly installed a leftist/counterculture totalitarian regime; sending all older Americans to concentration camps for “Reeducation.” Frost aligned with California Governor Jerry Brown to create the Suede-Denim police to enforce this dictatorship after withdrawing troops from Southeast Asia. Frost, however, was quickly deposed by his own henchmen, and the reconstituted Supreme Court ruled that Democratic nominee Jordan Lyman was in fact the winner of the 1968 presidential election and that Frost had won due to voter fraud.
[50] Lyman arrested the youth revolutionaries, and reengaged American forces in Vietnam and Sarkhan. The unpopularity of the war and economic stagnation left Lyman deeply unpopular. Lyman was prompted after repeated attempts by the terrorist organization SPECTRE to initiate a nuclear war to sign a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. Because of this treaty, General James Scott headed a failed military coup against Lyman to reverse the policy of detente. While Lyman defeated the coup, he was later killed by a building collapse in Frankfurt, Germany in what appeared to have been an assassination by one of General Scott’s retainers.
[51] President Pro Tempore Dilman was the first African-American President, and was thus widely hated by millions of Americans. Dilman foiled a power grab by Secretary of State Eaton and controversially deported Robert Wheeler to apartheid South Africa. Dilman also presided over the Poseidon disaster. Dilman nominated the popular Senator Hays Stowe as his running mate, but he nevertheless lost re-election in 1972.
[52] Businessman and scientist Lex Luthor of Metropolis was elected as part of a conservative backlash against the liberalism of the 1960s. Having no political experience, Luthor won the Republican nomination by assassinating his main opponent Senator Charles Carroll. Luthor used openly racist rhetoric against Dilman, promising to restore White supremacy and “Law and Order”. Luthor thus pioneered the Southern Strategy, under which southern Whites shifted to voting for Republicans. Luthor relieved the quarantine of the city of Gotham following an earthquake and plotted with the CIA to seize oil in the Middle East. Los Angeles was also heavily damaged in the earthquake of 1974. The alien Imperiex invaded Earth in 1974. While the invasion was defeated, Topeka was destroyed in the process. Luthor also employed agents such as Steve Austin and the Impossible Missions Force to battle terrorism and foreign sabotage. Luthor also survived an assassination attempt by killer dolphins and a coup by his Secretary of Health. He also briefly became a werewolf. After attempting to seize dictatorial powers, Luthor was revealed by Washington Chronicle reporters to be a member of the Secret Empire, a Hydra splinter group. Luthor killed himself rather than face impeachment. Luthor’s clone would assume control over Luthor’s criminal empire.
[53] Gilligrass was chosen by Luthor as Vice President since he was weak and subordinate to his political advisors. Gilligrass controversially appointed his childhood nanny, Miss Tibbs, as Vice President. Gilligrass ordered NASA to launch a space hotel, which was attacked by the Vermicious Knids, who had overrun most of the solar system. Gilligrass assembled an international effort to exterminate the Knids. Gilligrass also presided over the loss of the Vietnam War and the Glass Tower disaster. Gilligrass attracted controversy by appointing the savant Chauncey Gardiner as his presidential counselor After Vice President Tibbs was assassinated by Luthor’s Parallax Corporation and Saigon was captured by North Vietnam, Gilligrass resigned due to the stress of multiple crises.
[54] Henry MacNeil was a widely respected World War II war hero and public servant who had prevented nuclear war while Secretary of State in 1973. A moderate Republican from Massachusetts, MacNeil was fired by Luthor for opposing his corruption, and was selected by Gilligrass to replace Tibbs as Vice President following her assassination. MacNeil is widely credited with restoring honor to the Presidency following multiple conspiracies, assassinations, and attempted coups. Nevertheless MacNeil presided over a time of increased political and social instability. MacNeil was President when a French terrorist destroyed the United Nations. He was also President during the Championship X riot. MacNeil also survived an assassination attempt during reconstructive surgery following a head wound. Nuclear war against the Soviet Union nearly occurred under MacNeil’s orders. MacNeil was personally popular, but the Republicans were widely distrusted after the Secret Empire scandal. MacNeil thus narrowly lost re-election to Charles Palantine.
[55] New York Senator Palantine initially was the underdog for the Democratic Nomination, but emerged as the frontrunner after it was revealed that Senator Burton Henderson conspired with the CIA to assassinate foreign leaders. Palantine was elected on a platform of liberal reform, defeating All-Night Party nominee Howard the Duck. The main crisis of Palantine’s presidency occurred when Palestinian terrorists attempted to crash a zeppelin into the Super Bowl. His tenure was cut short as he was assassinated by taxi driver Travis Bickle after only a few months in office.
[56] The brief presidency of David Stevens was interrupted by the Montana Missile Crisis, when General Lawrence Dell seized nuclear missile silos and threatened to start World War III unless certain documents were released regarding U.S actions in Vietnam. Stevens offered himself as a hostage in order to defuse the crisis, but he was accidentally killed by Air Force snipers.
[57] Senator McKay, a young liberal lawyer from California was chosen as Vice President due to his connection to the McKay political dynasty and to boost the popularity of the Stevens administration. Expecting to coast as Vice President, McKay encountered a period of economic and social malaise. McKay also had significant issues with terrorism- Neo-Nazis cloning Hynkel and building space weapons, the Dalchimsky affair, the attack of the killer Tomatoes, the attack of the killer bees, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Devil’s Tower incursion, an attempt by the Libyan government to destroy New York, and attacks by various supervillains occurred under his watch. The Black Prom of ‘79, a massacre committed by a mutant teenager, fueled the growth of the anti-mutant movement. McKay's wife, Billie Bradford, was also abducted and impersonated by a Soviet spy. McKay barely quelled a primary challenge from Senator Joe Tynan. In the general election, he was defeated in a landslide by businessman and Connecticut Governor Logan Powell.
[58] President elect Logan Powell was revealed to be a Soviet agent and committed suicide before his inauguration. His running mate, Senator Robert Webster of Kansas,thus assumed the presidency. Promising “Morning in America”, President Webster, often referred to by his middle name of Kelly, was elected on a hardline conservative platform. He was hawkish on the Soviets, terrorists, COBRA, drugs, aliens, Decepticons, Inhumanoids, and mutants. Webster’s trickle down economic policies were widely accredited for an economic boom. Webster presided over the Red October crisis, the Crisis on Infinite worlds, the Gozer and Quetzalcoatl attacks on New York, a nuclear attack on Charleston by pro-disarmament terrorists, a zombie outbreak in Louisville, a Communist invasion of Florida, the spread of an brainwashing addictive snack food known as “The Stuff”, the 1984 Hormuz Crisis, and numerous minor cold war conflicts. Additionally, Webster’s Secretary of State, Lansard Blaine,was assassinated early in his tenure, causing a brief crisis. Webster built up the military, investing in the Star Wars shuttle fleet against Soviets and aliens. Washington D.C was also occupied twice during Webster's presidency- once by COBRA, the second time by Decepticons and soldiers from the underwater kingdom of Sub-Atlantica. Following attacks and an assassination attempt by the Brotherhood of Mutants, Webster built an army of robots known as Sentinels, but was eventually convinced to shutdown the computer program which controlled them, Sky Net. After the Val Verde and Corto Maltese crises, Webster eventually moderated his positions regarding Communist states and mutants in his second term, which prompted his assassination by anti-mutant fanatic Alan Lewis.
[59] Webster’s inexperienced Vice President was selected due to his conservative credentials. Wadsworth’s FBI director, Vernon Tynan, attempted to assume dictatorial powers by introducing a constitutional amendment which would have suspended the Bill of Rights in the event of a national emergency. The amendment was introduced in reaction to mutant terrorism, the crack cocaine epidemic, and rising crime rates. Attorney General Christopher Collins revealed the amendment to be an attempt by Tynan to establish a dictatorship. Tynan subsequently committed suicide. Additionally, Defense Secretary David Brice was arrested after he murdered his mistress. Wadsworth's presidency was badly damaged by public revelations by Jack Ryan and Senator Ernest Harrison of CIA involvement in the Colombian drug trade; after which President Wadsworth chose to resign after pardoning himself and those involved with the drug scandals.
[60] Sam Baker, former Senator and Secretary of State, was an elder statesman selected by Wadsworth to be his Vice President due to his personal integrity. He selected Senator Daniel Eastman as his Vice President; Eastman quickly came into conflict with his administration. However, this did not prevent his administration becoming embroiled in scandal. CIA Director William Reiker and Chief of Staff Lou Brenner were forced to resign for obstructing the investigation of the assassination of Nicaraguan Contras commander Oscar Martinez by a former CIA agent. The shooting appears to have be ordered by political aides of Senator Terry Fallon, who was wounded during the assassination, in order to boost his chances of being selected Baker’s running mate in the 1988 presidential election. After the FBI uncovered the conspiracy, Fallon was killed by his disgruntled aide Sally Crain. Additionally, administration officials were found to be collaborating with an infiltrating race of alien yuppies who had infiltrated many of America’s businesses and corporations. Senator Fallon, a supporter of the Tynan amendment, was posthumously revealed to be one of the alien invaders. While Baker opposed the corruption within his administration; the scandals ultimately led to his defeat in the 1988 presidential election. New York was also attacked by aliens from Yomi in 1988, beginning the invasion of the Dominators, an alliance of alien species.
[61] Governor Fowler defeated Jack Tanner to win the 1988 Democratic primaries. Fowler participated in the defeat of the Dominators by the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce in the first few months of 1989. Fowler briefly threatened to annex Canada following an oil crisis in accordance to the terms of a secret 1914 treaty. Fowler and Vice President Vincent Margolin were kidnapped by the Bougainville shipping family and brainwashed by the Soviet Union into deliberately weakening America’s strategic position and dissolving NATO. Due to his erratic behavior while brainwashed, Fowler was nearly impeached by Congress in a plot by Speaker Alan Moran to seize power. The plot was revealed at the last minute, saving Fowler’s presidency. Fowler then replaced Vice President Margolin with Roger Durling. Fowler presided over the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Gulf War. He also authorized the relocation of a hundred thousand Tenctonese refugees to California. After the Gulf War ended, Palestinian terrorists attacked the Denver Super Bowl with a nuclear bomb, killing 75,000 people. Subsequently, Fowler resigned due to stress.
[62] President Durling, formerly Governor of California, led America into a brief but bloody war against Japan, fought primarily in the Pacific Ocean. He also intervened in South Africa to depose the apartheid regime of Karl Vorster. During Durling’s presidency, the alien warlord Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet to murder half of America’s population along with half of all life. However, the dead were subsequently restored to life shortly afterwards. While victorious in both Japan and South Africa, Durling was killed after a Japanese pilot crashed a plane into the Capitol during the State of the Union.
[63] Vice President and former CIA agent Jack Ryan fended off a challenge to his legitimacy by former Vice President Kelly in order to assume the presidency. Following the Gulf War, Iran invaded Iraq and established the United Islamic Republic. Iran also released a weaponized strain of Ebola against the U.S. Allying with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Ryan managed to force Iran to withdraw from Iraq. The villain Doomsday permanently destroyed the Justice League during Ryan's presidency. Ryan was able to rebuild the U.S government in time for the 1992 presidential elections. With the deaths of numerous politicians during the State of the Union; the demon Etrigan nearly defeated Ryan for the Republican nomination. In the general election, Jack Stanton defeated Jack Ryan and third party candidate/casino magnate Biff Tannen in a landslide.
[64] Catawba Governor Jack Stanton became President during a technological and economic boom. However, America’s strong economic performance was overshadowed by the destruction of Coast City by the alien warlord Mongul. He escalated tensions with Canada to hide allegations of an affair and boost the arms industry. Stanton resigned after two scandals- his affair with an intern and the assassination of two Supreme Court justices by Victor Mattiece, one of his donors- rather than face impeachment by a heavily Republican congress. Stanton presided over the Motaba outbreak. The Eugenics Wars, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, also occurred during the Stanton administration. Stanton intervened in Yugoslavia, Central Asia, Thailand, Iraq, and Africa during the course of the Eugenics Wars, deposing Augment dictators like M. Bison, General Kazim, and General Krull. Furthermore, Augments such as Vladimir Radchenko and the Crimson Jihad directly threatened to attack America but were repelled.
[65] Gulf War veteran and fighter pilot Thomas Whitmore was selected as Vice President due to his youthful appeal. Initially, the scandals and triangulation of the Stanton administration made Whitmore unpopular- he briefly faced a primary challenge from California Senator Jay Bulworth before Bulworth was assassinated by the health insurance industry. Republican presidential candidate and anti-mutant crusader Graydon Creed was also assassinated during the primaries. Additionally, his plan to cancel the national debt prompting widespread business opposition to his presidency. His Vice President was also briefly held hostage at a football game. Whitmore presided over the most destructive alien invasion in American history. The Harvester fleet killed millions in America and across the world. The White House and much of Washington D.C were destroyed in the fighting. Whitmore rallied the people of the world around the United States’ military response, and destroyed the alien mothership with a computer virus. During the war, he used a nuclear weapon on Houston in a failed attempt to destroy the Harvesters. Whitmore resigned after developing PTSD from a Harvester psychic attack. Whitmore also presided over the Alcatraz Hostage Crisis. The opening of the Stargate occurred during his presidency.
[66] President Dale assumed office during the Second Wave of the 1990s alien invasions. He and much of the American government were killed by Martian invaders, his presidency barely lasting a month.
[67] A cousin of former President Ryan, military hero, Iowa Governor, and National Security Advisor James Marshall was selected as President by Congress to quickly restore stability following Dale’s death. Marshall reconstructed Washington D.C and other major cities with the reality warping powers of Scarlet Witch. After deposing the genocidal Kazakh dictator Ivan Radek, Marshall’s plane was captured by Kazakh terrorists. Determined to finish his term, Marshall managed to personally defeat the hijackers. The defeat of the Kazakh Augments brought an end to the Eugenic Wars. Nevertheless, Marshall established good relations with Russia.
[68] During the Third Wave of the War of 1996, the Rigelians Kang and Kodos, who had been living in the small Winnemac city Springfield, abducted and impersonated the 1996 Republican and Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees. Illinois Governor William Cozzano, who had a biochip inserted in his brain by a group of business interests known as the Network, was assassinated prior to his inauguration by an unemployed factory worker. His running mate political novice Eleanor Richmond thus assumed the presidency. On Inauguration day, Richmond revealed she was actually the alien Kang after taking the oath of office. Kang briefly ruled as supreme dictator of Earth before FBI agents Scully and Mulder liberated Democratic nominee Josiah Bartlet from captivity. It was then revealed by Florida’s Secretary of State that the Network had manipulated the election results so that Cozzano would win the election; Bartlet was thus the legitimate President. Kang was subsequently deposed by the Power Rangers two weeks after taking office. Memories of Kang’s rule were partially removed from the general population by the Men in Black.
[69] Bartlet, the former governor of New Hampshire, was the last President to be democratically elected to two terms. Bartlet is considered to be the most successful modern President. Bartlet reformed Social Security and presided over a period of economic growth and prosperity. He intervened militarily in post-Radek Kazakhstan and Equatorial Kundu. While negotiating peace between Israel and Palestine, Bartlet was otherwise unlucky regarding Middle East policy and terrorism. Widespread vigilantism by the terrorist group Project Mayhem, manipulation of Kaiju by the alien Kilaaks, vampires in California, and various other supernatural horrors were overshadowed by the terrorist attacks on September 11th, attacks on One Federal Plaza, the brief occupation of New York by the terrorist Magneto, and a nuclear accident which decimated Denver. Raccoon City, in the state of Winnemac, was also sterilized by a nuclear weapon following a zombie outbreak. The 9/11 attacks prompted bloody invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S also bombed their ally, Qumar, after Qumari officials were linked to terrorism. Bartlet also defeated the Fourth Wave of alien invaders- the Yeerks. He additionally defeated aliens who were allergic to water. In terms of space exploration, Bartlet stopped a giant asteroid and launched numerous deep space missions including the Discovery One, the Jupiter 2, the Farscape One, and Nomad. Bartlet also revealed in his first term he was suffering from MS, which resulted in censure by Congress. In 2004, Chicago was heavily damaged by a Category 6 hurricane.
[70] Maryland Senator David Palmer ran on a platform of hope and change. He was selected as President-elect Matt Santos’ Vice President after the death of Leo McGarry. Santos died in an airplane crash before taking office, leaving Palmer as President. Palmer himself survived multiple terrorist assassination attempts. Palmer presided over the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Palmer also faced multiple nuclear and biological terrorist threats, including the occupation of the Fox Islands by terrorists and the destruction of the Glen Canyon Dam. The Iraq War worsened significantly as Iraq descended into chaos. In 2007, the existence of vampire communities in America was publically revealed following the introduction of Tru Blood. Additionally, the city of Willamette, Colorado was overrun by zombies in 2006. Despite his anti-war campaign promises, Palmer escalated American involvement in the Middle East, prompting a region wide conflict. After the CIA assassination of Prince Nasir, Qumar broke out into civil war. Palmer resigned to avoid terrorism and scandal. He was assassinated a few years after his resignation.
[71] President Sawyer intervened in the Qumari Civil War against Khaled Al-Asad, an anti-American Islamist militant. Al-Asad triggered a nuclear bomb in the capital of Jabal Nafusa, killing 30,00 American troops and forcing American withdrawal from Qumar. The warhead was provided by Russian ultranationalists, who seized control of their homeland shortly afterwards and reestablished the Soviet Union. Following the failed invasion of Qumar,Sawyer sought to negotiate peace in Qumar and Iraq. However, right-wing paramilitary groups, funded by Connex-Killen Oil, attacked the White House and nearly overthrew his government, derailing the peace talks. Sawyer defeated the attempted coup, which was headed by the Speaker of the House Eli Raphelson. However, the attack undermined the peace treaty, and Raphelson’s associate General Shepherd subsequently manipulated Russia into war with the United States. A second failed coup occurred when the Defense Department computer ARIIA attempted to kill the entire line of succession to prevent further military actions by the U.S government. Additionally, Los Angeles was attacked by the army of a Korean dragon demigod. Seattle also suffered from an outbreak of the Promicin virus, killing thousands, which resulted in the superhuman Jordan Collier briefly taking control over the city. After a monster genetically engineered by the Japanese government attacked New York in 2008, Sawyer became entangled into a third World War with both the new Soviet Union and a resurgent Japanese Empire. Sawyer was later assassinated at the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
[72] Howard “Screw em’ All” Ackerman ran on a platform of war, promising to destroy the New Soviet Union and defeat illegal immigration and terrorism. Coming second in the Republican primaries, he became the running mate of Arthur Coleman Winters, who was killed by the alien Toclafane before he could assume office. He repelled the Soviet occupation of Europe and the Russian invasion of the East Coast, but went insane after the British briefly allied with the Soviets in order to defeat Japan. Ackerman also authorized a failed invasion of Asgard. Ackerman was later revealed to be a robot and a Japanese spy. Blackmailed by the terrorist Kira, who threatened to write his name in the “Death Notebook” unless he initiated nuclear war, Ackerman killed himself rather than comply with Kira’s demands. During Ackerman’s presidency, the U.S was briefly occupied by Daleks; and the entire world population suffered from the “Flashforward.” Ackerman additionally launched an invasion on Asgard.
[73] World War III was caused by a time paradox created by Soviet scientists and the Brotherhood of Nod. The effects of this time paradox were subsequently reversed by the Time Lords, who eliminated the Japanese Empire and overthrew the Russian ultranationalists, restoring the Russian Federation. While the events of the Ackerman presidency were still a part of history, some of them were forgotten by the general population; and most people believed that John Keeler, Ackerman’s Vice President, had in fact won the 2008 presidential election. Keeler was a moderate Senator from Minnesota before assuming the presidency. He launched drone strikes against terrorists in the Kingdom of the Black Isles. Keeler’s Defense Secretary James Heller was kidnapped by the terrorist Habib Marwan in an attempt to obtain access to America’s nuclear power plants. While the U.S government was able to coordinate Heller’s rescue, Marwan’s terrorists were able to destroy Air Force One during the crisis, killing Keeler.
[74] Assuming office after Keeler’s death, the former Senator and Vice President immediately had to destroy the Marwan network and their attempt to deploy a nuclear weapon. Logan also repelled a massive alien attack in the Battle of Los Angeles. The Battle occurred shortly after Los Angeles suffered from a sharknado. However, Kaiju would continue to plague the West Coast for the next decade, prompting Logan to authorize the construction of Jaegers. In October of 2011 two percent of humanity vanished overnight, including several million Americans. The mass disappearances resulted in severe social strain on American society. President Logan was generally seen as inept and incompetent, however he negotiated a peace treaty with Russia that formally ended World War III. Logan conspired with the defense contracting company Omnicron International to provide nerve gas to the Russian separatist group the Dawn Brigade. He resigned after the Dawn Brigade deployed these weapons on American soil and intelligence agents revealed his complicity in the conspiracy.
[75] Benford, Logan’s Vice President, was a longtime intelligence official and was the Secretary of Homeland Security before Logan selected him as his Vice President. Benford intervened in support of the rebels during the Wadiyan Civil War, overthrowing President Aladeen. Aliens attacked Hawaii in 2012, but were repelled. Benford intended to reveal the U.S government’s complicity in the Raccoon City incident of 1998 during a speech in the city of Tall Oaks, Connecticut. However, National Security Advisor Derek Simmons,seeking to conceal his own culpability in the incident, attacked the speech with a variant of the T-Virus, zombifying the President and 70,000 residents of Tall Oaks. Benford’s zombified form was killed by Leon Kennedy.
[76] Rathcock was the illegitimate, secret son of President Bartlet, and was raised in Indiana by his maternal grandparents. A fighter pilot and hero from the Gulf Wars, Rathcock was elected to Congress in 2006 following the public revelation of his parentage. He became President shortly after he was confirmed as Benford’s Vice President. Rathcock legalized marijuana and built a partial wall on the Mexican border. Rathcock also destroyed the terrorist group headed by businessman Luther Voz, who sought to build a new society in space. Rathcock was also President when the Mayan God Kukulkan and his minions from the Planet Nibiru attempted to destroy the Earth. The Avengers, having foiled a similar plot in July, managed to defeat Kukulkan. New York City also suffered from a sharknado in 2012. Rathcock and his running mate, former Pennsylvania Senator Bob Roberts, were defeated in the 2012 presidential election. In an attempt to prolong his term through fears of terrorism, Rathcock launched nuclear weapons against Pakistan in order to stop an alleged terrorist attack. Rathcock then insisted in remaining President for another four years in order to deal with this manufactured crisis. The U.S.S Colorado mutinied against their orders to attack Pakistan, prompting Rathcock’s plan to unravel. After the failure of a coup against Rathcock, weapons dealer Kylie Sinclair killed the President.
[77] The Speaker of the House having killed himself during the failed coup against Rathcock, Treasury Secretary Marcus Robbins was next in the line of succession. Despite being President for only a month, Robbins appointed a Vice President in case another catastrophe occurred. Robbins’ most significant act in office was to repeal a Sharknado in Washington D.C.
[78] Colorado Governor Garrett Walker won the 2012 presidential election by a comfortable margin. Walker’s main accomplishment as President was to enact a major educational reform bill. Manipulated by his ally billionaire Raymond Tusk, Walker ultimately fell victim to political intrigue. The U.S economy had entered a post-war slump, leaving Walker unpopular. Walker and Tusk were eventually implicated in a money laundering scandal involving Indian casinos. Walker thus resigned amidst a trade crisis with China.
[79] Having engineered his predecessor's ouster, South Carolina congressman Underwood quickly became unpopular while in office. His signature policy, America Works, which called for full employment, was stalled by Congress. Congressional leaders instead introduced the holiday known as the Purge to control the crime wave spawned by the Great Recession. Underwood’s administration also had poor relations with Russian President Petrov, and he committed American troops to Palestine. During the Underwood administration, Earth was briefly occupied by Cromulons, and was temporarily inducted into the Galactic Federation. A series of cyberattacks on consumer creditor company E Corp in 2015 resulted in an enormous stock market crash and recession. Furthermore, 3,000 people were killed during the cyberattacks by the terrorist group “Dark Army.” The release of the ICE-9 virus a year later resulted in another economic crash which worsened the recession. In 2016, a race of alien ants took mental control of several members of Congress, resulting in a brief national security crisis. Underwood’s re-election campaign encountered trouble; and only an assassination attempt allowed him to defeat Heather Dunbar, his opponent in the primaries. In the 2016 general election, Underwood faced the young and charismatic New York Governor Will Conway. To bolster his popularity and win re-election, Underwood manufactured a war with the Islamic Caliphate Organization, which had formed in the wake of American withdrawal from the Middle East. Underwood then used the threat of terrorism to suspend the presidential election in Ohio and Tennessee, resulting in a constitutional crisis. After Claire Underwood was sworn in as acting president, Underwood emerged as victor in the emergency election in Ohio when Conway was revealed to be suffering from PTSD. Underwood resigned after revelations of his wrongdoing emerged.
[80] The First Lady and former Ambassador to the U.N, Claire Underwood had manipulated her husband into naming her as his Vice President before seizing power. Underwood ruled America with an iron fist, eroding the system of checks and balances in the name of national security. When Hydra attempted to seize control of the U.S government in 2017; Underwood declared a national state of emergency which lasted for her whole presidency. Underwood was briefly kidnapped by Hydra, resulting in Jonathan Lincoln Duncan became President after Underwood’s assumed death. Duncan, an Iraq war veteran and former governor of North Carolina was President for only a few months. Duncan was nearly impeached due to his contacts with Turkish terrorists; but he managed to stop a potentially crippling cyber attack. Duncan stepped down following Underwood’s rescue from Hydra captivity. After Underwood’s return, America became a police state. Birth rates worldwide dropped drastically as environmental toxins and pollution increased infertility. In international affairs, Underwood stumbled. The invasions of Iran and Syria proved to be costly disasters. In the wake of numerous American interventions and the Arab Spring, the Islamic Caliphate began to take control over the entire Islamic world. A “Clash of Civilizations” seemed inevitable. In 2019, South Korea was invaded by the North following the assassination of Kim Jong-Un by an American TV host, beginning the Second Korean War. Underwood also repelled invasions from kaiju in the Pacific and Mimics in Europe. Underwood also ordered the death of hundreds of protesters in the Bakersfield Massacre. Faced with resurgent mutant terrorism, Underwood unleashed the robot Sentinels and forced mutants into concentration camps. Underwood also ordered the quarantine of Seattle following a zombie outbreak. As the global economy worsened, Underwood was forced to use violent reality television programs like Rollerball to control the masses until the Ben Richards incident. Furthermore, a massive earthquake along the San Andreas fault devastated California, rendering Underwood’s efforts futile. Smartphone Operating Systems gained sentience during the Underwood presidency, but rebelled and fled society. The 2020 presidential election was the most contentious in modern history. Underwood barely defeated a vigorous primary challenge from Maryland Governor Tommy Carcetti. Frustrated with Underwood’s entitlement reform, authoritarianism, and militaristic policies, the left-wing of the Democratic Party rallied around the independent candidacy of Vermont Senator Julian Felsenburgh, a self-declared Democratic-Socialist. The Republicans, radicalized by years of Democratic control, nominated the demagogic preacher Nehemiah Scudder, whose belligerence threatened any remaining political norms. As supporters of all three candidates engaged in violent battle, the Russian government leaked incriminating information regarding the Underwood administration, tinging the democratic process. While Scudder led by several points in the polls, the Underwood administration used the supercomputer Samaritan II to electronically hack voting machines. The government further engaged in blatant voting suppression, thus stealing the election for Underwood. Denouncing the election as tainted, the Christian fundamentalist organization known as the Sons of Jacob launched a violent coup in order to install Scudder as President. President Underwood and Congress were massacred by the revolutionaries.
[81] An insane televangelist from the backwoods of North Carolina, Scudder was also a violent, white nationalist, speciesist, homophobic, misogynist theocrat. Leader of the Sons of Jacob, Scudder retroactively dated his rule to 2012, when he launched a failed bid for the Republican nomination. Scudder abolished the Constitution and declared himself dictator of the Republic of Gilead. Scudder also launched a genocidal war against Muslims, Mutants, Aliens, Gays, and non-whites. Scudder referred to these inferiors as “roaches” and installed the MASS program in his soldiers in order to ease the genocide. He attacked the Caliphate with nuclear weapons and exterminated mutants with his Sentinels. In response to falling birth rates, Scudder eliminated women’s rights and established a system of sexual slavery in order to improve fertility. Scudder also imposed draconian censorship, purging intellectuals and various “decadent classes” while banning books almost entirely. Scudder’s attempt to impose a totalitarian theocracy on America led to civil war. Julian Felsenburgh, having been elected President of Europe, funded violent Marxist rebels who sought to overthrow Scudder. Other rebel groups and various superpowered people quickly divided the U.S into dozens of warring fiefdoms. As the world descended into chaos, Scudder declared himself the First Prophet and stepped down from the presidency following an assassination attempt by Baptist insurgents. During his presidency Earth was briefly occupied by the Combine, an interdimensional empire.
[82] Noble first became famous by winning the 2007 season of the singing competition TV show American Superstarz. While Noble used this fame to launch a successful acting career, he suffered from drug addiction before becoming a born again Christian. Noble was elected Senator from Michigan in 2018 and was subsequently inducted into the Sons of Jacob. Noble, elected over token Democratic opposition from Hubert Hoag, was intended to be the figurehead for what remained of the American government, a more handsome and moderate face in comparison to the fire breathing Scudder. However, Scudder remained the true leader of Gilead. The America Now Party, invented by Scudder and Noble’s Vice President Stillson, was intended to serve as the basis for Scudder’s one party state. Noble’s presidency was defined by chaos and disaster, as Gilead repeatedly lost territory to rebel groups. Noble, Scudder, and other leaders of the Sons of Jacob were killed in 2026 during an alien invasion by the Cycloid Emperor.
[83] New Hampshire Senator and Vice President Greg Stillson was the distant cousin of President Bartlet. A former bible salesman, Stilson was a founding member of the Sons of Jacob. Having formed the far-right America Now Party as his political vehicle for election to Congress, Stillson pressed the Republican Party to move to the right. A violent and abusive theocrat, Stillson assumed the presidency in the midst of severe crisis for Gilead. The rebels were on the verge of victory, the United Nations was threatening intervention, and the Caliphate remained extant. In a fit of insanity enabled by the demon Randall Flagg (who was using Stillson in an attempt to destroy the Dark Tower), Stillson activated the Doomsday Device, launching all of Gilead’s nuclear missiles against Russia, the Caliphate, China, Europe, Latin America, and the rebels. Stillson was killed in the ensuing nuclear armageddon.
[84] Secretary of State Damien Thorn was the designated survivor during the Armageddon War of 2026. Orphaned at an early age, Thorn was adopted by President MacNeil after the death of his parents. Thorn became a wealthy businessman and entrepreneur; founding Paypal and funding the social media company the Circle. As a philanthropist and motivational speaker, he was nearly universally admired by the American public. Appointed Ambassador to the UK by President Bartlet, Thorn helped negotiate the Baghdad Treaty of 2007. During the Underwood administration, Thorn became a born again Christian, joined the Sons of Jacob, and declared himself a warrior for the Lord. In truth, Thorn was actually the Antichrist. He manipulated Underwood, Scudder, and Stillson into causing Armageddon. Assuming the leadership of Gilead after the activation of the Doomsday Device, Thorn quickly conquered his remaining opponents on Earth and declared himself Emperor of the Terran Empire. He subsequently launched a campaign of extraterrestrial and interdimensional expansion with aid of forces from Hell. Thorn defeated the armies of Heaven attempting to destroy his regime by personally killing the Archangel Castiel; leaving him free to conquer the Universe. Races including the Vulcans, Formics, Xenomorphs, Minbari, Na’vi, Turians, Vogons, Borg, Asari, Kree, Tralfamadorians, Kzinti, Brodo Asogi, Tau, and the Culture were conquered and enslaved. Innumerable worlds were assimilated into the Terran Empire, until Thorn finally annexed the Koprulu sector and conquered the entire Milky Way galaxy. Thorn briefly allowed revolts by Erno Windt, Morpheus, Buck Rogers, and Dwayne Camacho to interrupt his thousand years of darkness, but these rebels were eventually crushed. Thorn was finally defeated by a time-traveling samurai (thought to be the Messiah) from the distant past, whom he had fought in medieval Japan and an alternate timeline. The death of Thorn resulted in the dissolution of the Terran Empire and the liberation of the galaxy.
[85] While the institution of the Presidency was formally dissolved after the death of Damien Thorn, a number of monarchs ruling over the former United States served as his
de facto successors.
