Philip Francis Nowlan

Armageddon-2419 A.D. (Illustrated) Philip Francis Nowlan

Anthony Rogers is a veteran of World War I and is working for the American Radioactive Gas Corporation. He is investigating reports of unusual phenomena in abandoned coal mines near Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. On December 15, while investigating one of the lower levels of a mine, there is a cave-in. Exposed to radioactive gas, Rogers falls into a state of suspended animation, free from the ravages of katabolic processes, and without any apparent effect on physical or mental faculties. Rogers remains in sleep for 492 years. He awakens in 2419 and, thinking he has been asleep for just several hours, wanders for a few days in unfamiliar forests. He finally notices a wounded boy-like-figure, clad in strange clothes and moving in giant leaps, who appears to be under attack by others ... The hero of Armageddon 2419 A. D., Anthony Rogers, later appeared in the various comic strips, radio shows, and film serials that followed as Buck Rogers. Buck Rogers was a huge success, and spawned many imitators such as Flash Gordon.