Gene Peeples

Gene Peeples is a character in Tales of the United Solar System Alliance, who has also appeared in Cactoid Jim, King of the Martian Frontier, both a part of the Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars universe. He is played by James Urbaniak.

Gene has been the Captain of the United Solar System Alliance Spacecrafts Orsino and Olivia, and is currently an instructor at the USSA Academy.

He has, an ex-wife, Gretchen, and a now-deceased wife, Linda Peeples, and daughter, Erica Peeples.

History[]

In T-Minus, Commander Gene Peeples is the Captain of the starship Orsino. Peeples takes the Orsino to Mars to help Sparks Nevada with the War of the World between the Science Beings and Technology Beings. However, an energy burst and the radiation around Mars at the time caused major problems with the Orsino, and Peeples was forced to order his crew to abandon ship. He also sent the robot Techs, who was also glitching from the radiation, to help Sparks Nevada. He, Linda, and Erica all escaped safely.

In Cactoid Jim, King of the Martian Frontier - MurderMen, Peeples is now the captain of the Olivia, which has been boarded and mostly taken over by MurderMen. Before Cactoid Jim arrived to save him, Gene had to kill his nephew and godson, Sal. As the episode starts, he is trapped on the other side of the ship from Linda and Erica, and he, Cactoid Jim, The Red Plains Rider and Chicky Sullivan, manage to make it to the escape pod where Linda and Erica await.

However, when they arrive, they discover Erica has shot and killed Linda for being MurderManned, but not before Linda was able to bite Erica, thus ensuring Erica would soon be MurderManned. Erica begs her father to kill her, though after already killing Sal earlier, Gene finds he cannot also kill his daughter. Instead, The Red Plains Rider shoots and kills Erica before she can be MurderManned to spare Gene the agony of watching his daughter transform or having to kill her, and to prevent anyone else from being MurderManned after the transformation. Unfortunately, the this brands Red an outlaw as the shooting was broadcast to the entire population of Earth via Chicky Sullivan. Gene thanks Red, and offers her escape via a space coffin, which safely takes her back to Mars.

In New Frontiers, Gene Peeples is now a professor at the USSA Academy. He was allowed to keep his rank of Captain even without the starcraft. He is in charge of eight cadets and is the professor of Applied Space and Space Theory curriculum. Peeples still records in his journal, waxing about how he can hear his daughter singing whenever he journals. He fears that where his humanity used to be is now just an empty void.

He has taken a particular liking to Pemily Stallwark, saying that some things about her reminds him of Erica. He believes that Pemily is capable of empathy and leading a more normal life after her PTSD from Punishment Soccer. Superintendent Hammler, however, does not believe she is capable of more, and wants Peeples to enact a "Code Red" on her. Peeples refuses, and asks Joyce Alvarez, another cadet, to befriend Pemily. When a Lizard Man from Planet 30 attacks, Peeples is trapped under rubble. The Lizard Man is one that Peeples had fought earlier in his career and recognized, who is now planning to take over Earth. After being paralyzed by the Lizard Man, Pemily encourages Peeples to open the present she gave him earlier in the episode, which is a blaster. With it, he blasts and kills the Lizard Man.

Offscreen, Gene later sends Pemily to Mars to deputy for Sparks Nevada, thinking that real-world experience will do her some good.

Appears In[]

The Tales of the USSA segment of the Original Graphic Novel
T-Minus (TAH #58)
MurderMen (TAH #92)
New Frontiers (TAH #117) (Note: The Complete “Christmas on Mars” show from December 8, 2012 also contains the New Frontiers segment.)