1946…

Reginald Hawkwood leapt into battle with his shield held high. As the Cavalier, he wore a silver knight’s helmet with chainmail and a red tunic covering his torso with brown boots and gloves. The silver shield and helmet provided more than enough protection against the Nazis’ guns once they opened fire, allowing him to rush into the small mob and begin bashing them with shield swings and haymakers. “How often do you chaps need to be taught this lesson?,” he said as he kicked and punched his way through the mass of soldiers, “As long as justice and democracy exists, your kind will always lose.” Through the crowd, he spied a German officer wearing a black gas mask. He called himself the Kommandant.

The Kommandant stood at the edge of the New York pier, holding a remote control device in his hand, “That is where you’re wrong,” he shouted to the Cavalier, “The Third Reich may have fallen but the Fourth Reich shall be victorious!”. His black gloved hand pressed a button on the device. Behind him, a large, robotic T-rex emerged from the water and began stomping toward the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Reggie used his shield to ram the last soldier into the water and tackled their leader to the ground.

“Turn that blasted thing off, Kommandant,” he ordered as he raised his shield, ready to strike.

“Crush this remote if you like. Kill me if you wish. It won’t be enough to stop my weapon.”

Suddenly, a helicopter zoomed overhead, toward the giant robot and once it was above the weapon, it descended. Reginald could scarcely make out the figure who emerged from the side hatch and dropped down onto the back of the T-Rex. He watched as the figure tore open a metal panel with his bare hands and seemingly began toying with the mechanics inside. “No, my weapon!,” the Kommandant shouted but Reginald delivered a final punch that took him out. The T-Rex began to shimmy and sink below the water just as the copter circled back with a dangling rope ladder. The figure jumped off the back of the metal monstrosity, held on to the ladder and rode it to the pier where he made one final leap onto the deck.

The man was tall and muscular with a square jaw, dark hair and a charming smile that looked as if it rarely faded. He wore a tan safari jacket and black pants with a knife in his belt. “Hope you don’t mind me dropping by?,” the man said as he strode forward and shook Reginald’s hand, “The name’s Rex Robinson.”

Reginald had seen news reel footage of the man and was quite familiar with him, “I recognize you, Robinson. You may call me the Cavalier.”

“I’ve heard of you as well. You’re making a name for yourself here in New York, but going by your accent, I think you might be one of our cousins from across the pond.”

“Indeed, I am,” he noticed the helicopter landing nearby, “I say, who is flying your craft? I don’t see a pilot.”

“I’m the pilot, even when I’m on the ground. It’s one of my latest inventions,” Rex held up his own remote control device, “So, it looks like you have everything well in hand. If you need help in the future, don’t hesitate to call.”

“I might take you up on that offer.”

1967 …

Hank Hawkwood leapt into battle with his electro-javelin held high. As the Cavalier, he wore silver plate armor with a helmet that exposed his chin and a red cape. The Soviet soldiers fired their hand guns but the bullets bounced off the armor as Hank began taking them out with kicks and throws. The electro-javelin wasn’t sharp but the tip sent an electric current that stunned most enemies. “Don’t mind me, fellas,” he said as he moved through the hall of the secret lair, “I’m just looking for the cafeteria.” Once he came to the end of the hall, he saw a lab and in the center was the stolen Thermonuclear Device. He moved carefully into the room, barely catching a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a large figure rushing him. The punch sent him across the room and into the wall with his armor saving him from serious injury.

The large Soviet super soldier in front of him wore a red body suit with a yellow hammer on one shoulder and a sickle on the other. He also wore yellow boots and gloves as well as a yellow mask that exposed his nose and mouth, displaying a thick mustache. “Very arrogant, American,” Anton Varkov, AKA Red Steel, smiled as he came closer, “You should have known it would not be that easy.”

Hank shoved the javelin into his gut, sending several volts into his system. Red Steel grit his teeth and slapped the weapon away, then grabbed him by the helmet and threw him to the other side of the room. “You must be Red Steel,” Hank groaned as he picked himself up.

“And you must be the Cavalier. I thought one of my comrades killed you already?,” he stormed forward, “I make sure this time, ya?”

Just then, the wall exploded, chunks of debris striking Red Steel and knocking him down. Hank coughed and waved the smoke from his face as he saw a figure emerge from the hole in the wall with a plasma rifle slung over his shoulder. “I got here just in time from the looks of it,” a deep and jovial voice could be heard. Hank recognized the square jaw and the smile immediately. Rex Robinson had not aged as far as he could tell, at least going by the photographs his father used to show him. He even still dressed in a safari outfit. “Robinson,” Red Steel picked himself off the ground, “We meet again. You’ll not be so lucky this time, ya?” Red Steel raced toward him but Rex effortlessly blocked the punch and gave him a karate chop to the neck which rendered him unconscious.

“Lights out, Anton,” Rex said confidently as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Rex Robinson?,” Hank removed his helmet, exposing his face, “Boy am I glad to see you.”

“Hank Hawkwood, is that you?,” Rex proudly shook his hand, “Nice to finally meet you. Your old man told me a lot about you.”

“That’s nice to know,” Hank grew solemn, “I wish he were still here.”

“He went out fighting and saved lives while doing it,” Rex placed a hand on Hank’s shoulder, “He was a hero, a good friend and a great teammate. I have no doubt you will do him proud.”

“Thanks, that means a lot… Especially coming from you.”

“Last I heard from Reggie, you gave him a grandson. Is that right?”

“Yes, his name’s Artie. He was born just before my dad passed. I also have a younger son named Kevin.”

“I bet they’re a handful. I look forward to meeting them someday,” Rex moved toward the Thermonuclear Device, “But for now, let’s take this thing back to Washington.”

1992…

Arthur Hawkwood leapt into battle with his broad sword held high. As the Cavalier, he wore a black suit of armor that covered his entire body with a full mask with red lenses and a black cape. He dropped down into the sewer in pursuit of the super powered serial killer known as Blood Shadow. Artie was a young hero, having decided to construct his own suit of armor after the passing of his father. He used a flashlight mounted on the side of his helmet to see in the darkness and when he noticed a shadow along the wall, he spun and threw a punch.

His gauntleted fist plunged into the palm of a very strong hand where it was held in place. He recognized the broad smile and chiseled features, although the man now had flecks of grey in his hair and the hint of crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes. “Easy, now,” Rex Robinson said as he carefully let go of Arthur, “It’s me, Rex Robinson. We’re on the same side. Your name’s Artie, correct?”

“Only my friends call me that,” Arthur stepped back in anger, “And as long as I’m wearing this suit, you call me the Cavalier.”

“I’ll give you one thing, you have the same fire your father had. Your grandpa, too.”

“I wouldn’t know. I never knew my grandfather.”

“I did and let me tell ya -“

“Look old man, you were friends with my family, I get it. But you don’t know me.”

“That’s right, I don’t know you,” the smile faded and Rex bowed his head respectfully, “I wish I had gotten to know you sooner. The same goes for your brother. I’m sorry to hear about what happened to him… and your father.”

“My brother died in some stupid bar fight. My dad was so torn up about it, he retired but that didn’t stop him from getting gunned down by an asshole who wanted cash,” Arthur shoved a finger in his face, “None of it makes sense to me so don’t bother trying to make sense of it yourself.”

“Listen here, when you live as long as I have, you lose quite a bit, son. I take offense to you suggesting I don’t know about suffering. I’ll admit there’s a lot that still doesn’t add up in this world but you know what I do?”

“I don’t give a shit!”

Arthur threw a punch, but Rex snatched his wrist and casually flipped him onto his back, then finished his sentence, “… I keep going forward. Now, are you gonna lie here in a sewer feeling sorry for yourself or are you gonna help me save a few lives tonight?”

Arthur stood up, “I.. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, son,” the smile returned, “You’re grieving. It affects us all.”

“… But we keep going forward.”

“Always.”

A dark figure dropped down from a tunnel above, splashing in the water. Blood Shadow had a completely black costume with red vein-like streaks running along it. He stretched his arms out and long, black claws emerged from his fingertips then he hissed, “More blood for my dark lord!”

“The rest of the conversation can wait,” Rex took a fighting stance, “We’ll take this creep down first.”

“Let’s do it,” Arthur raised his sword and they raced into battle together.

2023…

Michael Hawkwood sat at his desk, wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt on a Saturday night. Doctor Ansari kept recommending him to try dating again but his attempts at finding someone across multiple aps was fruitless so he turned to his job instead. Some of his matches seemed interested in “group dating” once they learned he was bisexual while others tried ot convince him he was either gay or straight, depending on the gender and orientation of the match. He decided that work was less stressful and toxic so he grabbed a cup of ramen noodles and happily got busy. He had just finished an assignment and was ready to turn in when he heard a knock at the door. When he opened it, he saw a tall man with a famous smile and a strong jaw. He was still as muscular as ever but his hair was now grey and there were crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes.

“Michael?,” the man shook his hand proudly, “I’m Rex Robinson.”

“Wow, yeah, I-I know,” Michael was stunned. Despite the intimate family history, despite all the photos he had seen over the years, despite all the adventures he heard about growing up, nothing prepared him for this meeting. This was Rex Robinson: the super strong genius who likely knew every fighting style known to man. He was an inspiration to all the Hawkwood men who wore the Cavalier armor and beyond that, was a mentor to just about every modern superhero. He mentored Ryan Bennings and helped found the IMD. He was the “Hero of Humanity” as the old movie serials and radio shows used to announce. This was the man who single-handedly thwarted an alien invasion. This was Rex Freak’n Robinson! But why was he at his apartment? “Please, come in,” Michael motioned for Rex to come inside and quickly shut the door, “Can I get you something to drink or anything?”

“I’m quite alright, thanks,” Rex hung his coat politely on the rack and sat down, “I stopped by because I heard rumors there was a new Cavalier in town. Or perhaps more to the point, I heard a rumor the Cavalier was missing and presumed dead and someone took his place,” Rex looked at the photo of Arthur on Michael’s coffee table, “I was happy to know old Artie was still alive and kicking. As for the new fella, I figured it must’ve been you.”

“Yes, sir. It was me,” Michael tried to relax and sat across from him, “But it’s not permanent. I was just convincing my dad to retire by tying up some loose ends.”

“How did it go?”

“I guess it went alright,” he brushed his hand through his hair.

“If you don’t mind my saying so, I have a certain knack for reading people. Especially if they all come from the same family where they run their hands through their hair when stressed. Would I be wrong in thinking the mission didn’t entirely go the way you planned?”

Michael smiled. Rex Robinson was a genius who was skilled in multiple fields and it showed, “Yeah, it probably could have gone better.”

“I understand. When missions go belly-up, it sticks in your craw a little.”

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it a little these days.”

“Give it time and I’m sure you’ll improve.”

“Well, I’m not sure this is something I’m interested in doing long term, to be honest.”

“So you said. Tell me, Michael, what are you up to these days?”

“Trying unsuccessfully to get a date,” he laughed, “Otherwise, I’m working… and I go to the gym.”

“Working out is good. Do you train at all?”

“I was doing some boxing and getting pretty damn good at it, honestly.”

“It runs in the family,” Rex smiled proudly.

“In a way, yeah, but I’ve gotten a little bored of it. I’ve thought about joining a dojo instead.”

“It certainly seems like you’re itching to get back into action,” Rex leaned in ,”Might I suggest getting back into the superhero game?”

“No, thank you… sir. It’s a little complicated to be honest but I don’t know if it’s the best idea for me.”

“True. These things always get complicated,” Rex sat back and looked out the window, “I don’t know if you realize this but with the rumor of the Cavalier being dead, crime has risen in the city. It went down a bit when you were active for a couple of days but it’s back up.”

Michael ran his hand through his hair again, “I heard something about that and yeah, it’s terrible but I don’t know if there’s anything I can do, personally. I mean,… other than suiting up but like I said, I’m not sure that’s what I need to do right now.”

“I understand completely,” Rex rose to his feet, “I won’t waste any more of your time tonight, Michael but before I leave, I’d like to invite you you to come along on some trips in the next few days. There are some people I’d like you to meet.”

“Sure,” Michael stood up, “Hanging out with Rex Robinson sounds great. Who are we meeting?”

“Friends of your father,” Rex’s smile widened, “And his father. And his father before him. The name Cavalier has generated a great deal of allies over the past several decades. I think if you met these people, you’d come to understand this city needs him. It’s a moniker bigger than one individual person.”

“I really doubt I’ll change my mind, sir but… It’s always fun to learn about family history. Especially since I never really knew my grandfather or the original Cavalier.”

“Terrific,” Rex raised his hand and firmly shook Michael’s, “And I think by the end of it, if you don’t decide to continue being the Cavalier, well, at least you’ll have a few stories to tell.”

“Sounds great.”

“I’ll be in touch and we’ll set a few dates aside,” Rex took his coat and draped it over his forearm, “It was nice meeting you, Michael.”

“It was great meeting you, sir.”

Rex closed the door and Michael sat back down, then slumped in his chair, “Rex Robinson… Holy shit.”