The Sanitizer

The Sanitizer - originally published under the Sinclair Serials imprint as Squeaky Clean Adventures in 9929 AR - is a long-running Guild Pidgin language comic book series featuring the adventures of the eponymous Sanitizer, a super-powered martial artist with several cleaning-themed powers.

Historical Details

Background

Gershom Sinclair was a 35 year old comic artist in Vivaldi Peak in the year 9929 AR. He was the founder of Sinclair Serials, a small publishing house which specialized in newspaper adventure serials, comic books, and graphic novels. Much of his work up to that point was syndicated, primarly for use in the Commonwealth regional edition of The Guild Gazette, though he much preferred the longer storytelling format available in comic books. A decade veteran of the comic industry, Sinclair was disappointed with the longevity of his previous works on the shelves of MartMart International general store racks - his primary method of distribution.
Having witnessed the onset of the War of Reunification in his youth, Sinclair was thuroughly sick of the political bickering and violence which had defined his life up to that point. He wanted to put something on the shelves which could provide anyone, regardless of connection with either Voxelia or the Coalition a means of escape into a world where that war had never taken place. It was this milieu in which he concieved the idea of The Sanitizer, a hero who would embody ethical consideration, the virtue of a cool head, and a belief in a peaceful, ordered future.

History

Like Sinclair's other comic books, Squeaky Clean Tales and all derivative works (such as Manifold Sky R) was primarily distributed through MartMart International locations. Sinclair chose to write these comic books in Guild Pidgin, despite his hatred for its "over-simplified" nature, because this (in combination with his distributor) would ensure that it could reach as many members of the literate public as possible without regard to national boundaries. As of the year 10,000 AR, comics connected to The Sanitizer remain the longest running and most pervasive comic series in Manifold history, with issues translated into all major languages (even the ovinex tongue). Film adaptations have proven difficult due to some of the hero's acrobatic exploits being difficult to replicate convincingly with modern special effects techniques.

Public Reaction

Squeaky Clean Tales was, ironically, no stranger to controversy during its initial run. Coalition readers took issue with notable comparisons between Brightview Aerodyne, The Sanitizer's employer, and Dr. Calvin Slaus-Braun's company Auburn Aerotechnical. This controversy was not aided by the notable similarity in appearance between King Efaystus and Dr. Slaus-Braun himself. To this day, it remains unknown whether this was intentional or not, as both Dr. Slaus-Braun and Sinclair ran in Burning Hearts Social Club circles later in life and may have met on more than one occasion at Maximilian's Bolide. Voxelian readers, on the other hand, sometimes found the comic difficult to source, as College of Bards agents regarded some issues - rightly so - as well-disguised anti-war propaganda.
The Sanitizer as a series is often praised for its willingness to tackle thorny philosophical issues, in keeping with the education of it's protagonist, without sacrificing storytellng. Galveston Maclean, the Sanitizer's alter-ego, was studying philosophy in college when he achieved the meditative state required to unlock his powers; this background provides an opportunity for the character to muse on the deeper nature of his situation even while clobbering goons with a flaming mop. Sinclair (almost always) has a deft touch with regards to the issues he injects into his storytelling, with twists often centering on the main character being forced to deal with a difference between several equally good - but mutually exclusive - stances. Indeed, The Sanitizer himself has often struggled with the fact that the Forgism-based 'Way of the Cleansing Path' from which he derived his own belief system is not inherently good - just because something is 'ordered' or 'clean' does not mean it is necessarily 'good' or 'just'.

The Main Character

Galveston Maclean was a student of philosophy at City State University, graduating just in time for the economy to collapse. Finding no work in his chosen field that would keep him fed and housed under the city’s high cost of living, he was forced to take up a janitor position in the office tower of a man who, by night, was actually the mighty super scientist King Efaystus. Even when surrounded by brilliant men of science and industry all day, Galveston found his days lonely and his work monotonous. He turned his attention to the great works of Forgist philosophy that he had been exposed to in his education, searching for some kind of greater meaning to this existence. Soon, he found what he was looking for - but not what he was expecting...
Galveston began to train in the martial arts in private, spend countless hours in contemplation, and expose himself to the elements in an effort to evoke a transcendent spiritual experience. At some point along his journey of self-discovery, Galveston gained the ability to use his work routine to enter into a meditative state. A previously unknown spiritual power grew within him, swelling in proportion to his focus and calm – what he articulated as the process of ‘cleansing the mind.’ Every stroke of the mop was him imposing order on the natural entropy of the universe by sheer force of will. This became for him a metaphor for the necessity of spreading justice and good through society as well – if the mind could be put to right, then so could society.
What Galveston did not consciously realize was that, in addition to finding the joy in even the mundane and frequently disgusting nature of his profession, his mental conditioning was also unlocking a latent telekinetic ability, specifically aquakinesis. He could control the PH level of water near him, manipulate the movement of the water in his own body to accomplish great feats of acrobatics, and amplify the absorbency of any cleaning tool he wielded. With these powers, he found he could challenge the spiritual dirtiness of the world, from malice to corruption. He had become… …THE SANITIZER!

— Preface to The Sanitizer Annual #3: In the House of Baleful Eyes

Galveston Maclean (A.K.A. The Sanitizer) is described as a lean, unassuming Elovisian man. He works as a night janitor in the Brightview Aerodyne research complex under the auspices of the company's owner, the enigmatic super-scientist Dr. Hester Lord (A.K.A King Efaystus, a gadget-using superhero based on a lightning god of Old Voxelian lore). Maclean was a philosophy student at City State University and, in his studies, accidentally discovered a real path to spiritual enlightenment - and, by extension, powers beyond the ken of known physical laws.
The Sanitizer uses his power to pursue the 'Way of the Cleansing Path,' a philosophy which requires him to stand up against the forces of entropy in the world. To this end, the Sanitizer exacts vigilante justice against criminals and tyrants alike, though he is often confronted by questions of whether or not this actually fulfills his duty to universal order - or, in fact, if entropy is even a bad thing in all situations. Obviously, all of this is accompanied with copious puns and one-liners relating to cleaning up the dirtiness of the world.
Canonically, The Sanitizer's powers include:

• Martial Arts: The Sanitizer is a Gam Pfa'a practitioner, wielding his mop like a ba'amba to deal crushing blows. He is an average student of the martial arts when not employing his aquakinetic powers.
• Aquakinesis: The Sanitizer's real superpowers almost all derive from his potent - yet short-ranged - control over the movement and physical properties of water. He can use this to create strong acids or bases out of water, split and recombine the atoms of water to create flames, or freeze water into crystaline blocks, but only within around 5-10 feet of his body. He frequently uses this power in combat to tune the kind of damage he deals with the dampened head of his mop. The smell of water he manipulates often changes in ways which would be expected for similar cleaning solutions (i.e. sasparilla degreaser for bases and lemon disinfectant for acids).
• Durability: By freezing his own sweat and controlling the movement of water molecules in his own body, The Sanitizer can armor himself against physical damage to a limited degree. He can also use his aquakinesis to cause his wounds to dry and blood to clot, though these are intensely painful.
• Mobility: By throwing about the water in his own body tissues, The Sanitizer can rush around the battlefield at high speeds, leap long distances, parkour over and around obstacles, or even run up sheer walls and across ceilings. He cannot fly with this ability, though he does have a light step.

The Sanitizer's power derives from his ability to maintain control over his emotional state, having gained his power through a unique meditative state he achieved through the repetitive motions of cleaning surfaces. When he is driven to distress, his power usually weakens; if enraged, however, he sometimes loses control of his power and becomes a danger to his environment instead. Shield Maiden is important to his story because, as a 'hex mage,' she can draw off the 'spiritual taint' generated by uncontrolled emotions, allowing him to retain control over his powers in the face of a chaotic world.

Historically Important Issues

Squeaky Clean Adventures #1: Meet... The Sanitizer!

Squeaky Clean Adventures #1 introduces us to the titular main character, The Sanitizer. He uses his abilities to beat up a small group of cat burglars breaking into the office building he's mopping, narrowly avoiding getting shot by dissolving the incoming bullet with a corrosive stroke of his mop. This issue introduces his ability to leap long distances, scale sheer walls, and manipulate the acidity of water in his mop and bucket.

Squeaky Clean Adventures #2: A Crisis of Faith?

In the immediate aftermath of Squeaky Clean Adventures #1, The Sanitizer has a panic attack when he realizes that he almost got shot to death. Losing the composure required to channel his power, he becomes weakened. This issues also introduces the Shield Maiden, a defector from the recurring villainous corporation known as Indopticus Analytics. Shield Maiden has the power to sense, cleanse, and place curses and enchantments; she uses this power to draw away the spiritual darkness that was supressing Maclean's power, allowing him to become The Sanitizer once more.

The Sanitizer Annual #1: The Chemistry of Corruption

In The Sanitizer's first annual edition, a graphic novel entitled the The Sanitizer Annual #1: Chemistry of Corruption, the mad chemist "Bonkers" Bill Brixton reveals the true nature of The Sanitizer's power: a precise, if short-range, control over water. The Sanitizer's speed, high jumps, wall-running, and general physical prowess is described as stemming from his ability to telekinetically control the water in his very tissues. Similarly, his ability to cause his mop's damp head to strike with flaming, acidic, or basic impacts comes from his ability to split the water found therein into its individual hydrogen and hydroxide ions. After The Sanitizer defeats Brixton's dreaded Distal shamblers, the hero uses this new self-knowledge to learn new powers, namely the ability to armor himself in ice crystals and harden his flesh by thrusting the water in his skin cells against incoming impacts.

Manifold Sky R: Volume 1

Manifold Sky R is a superhero ensemble speculative fiction series set in an alternate Manifold Sky setting where magic and super-science exist. The 'R' in the title stands for Recursion, as numerous issues suggest that there may be a universe which contains the universe of Manifold Sky R. Numerous sub-universes are also known to exist within the world of Manifold Sky R. Indeed, the heroes of Group R are frequenly faced with philosophical and ethical conundrums relating to matters such as simulated intelligences (i.e. Maggie the living Stage Automaton) and the responsibilities one holds towards people, organizations, and institutions one helped to create.
In Manifold Sky R: Volume 1, it is revealed that The Sanitizer, along with King Efaystus, Velvet Throttle, Shield Maiden, Lucky Roller, Maggie, and Crosshair Corsair, form the superhero team known as Group R. Shield Maiden and The Sanitizer are captured by Tasker Hobbes from Indopticus Analytics. Hobbes eventually tricks The Sanitizer into thinking that he has tortured Shield Maiden to death in revenge for her defection from Indopticus. As Shield Maiden is The Sanitizer's long-term girlfriend by this point in the comic book storyline, this terrible news causes The Sanitizer's power to go berserk, casting a wave of acidic fog out to dissolve the city - starting with Hobbes' own hideout. King Efaystus and Maggie create an alkali fogger to cancel The Sanitizer's power long enough for him to be sedated by a dart fired by Crosshair Corsair, while Velvet Throttle and Lucky Roller give chase to the fleeing Tasker Hobbes. Group R fights through Hobbes' goons and recovers Shield Maiden from the trunk of his car, but the villain barely manages to slip off into the night. The issue ends with The Sanitizer recovering in a hospital bed, from which he proposes to Shield Maiden.

Type

Imagery, Graphic Novel / Comic Book

Medium

Paper

Authoring Date

9929 AR (ongoing as of 10,000 AR)

Authors

• Gershom Sinclair

Signatories (Organizations)

• Sinclair Serials