David B. Ruggles

David B. Ruggles, aka Champ, is a world-class Olympic athlete and philanthropist, critically acclaimed for both his near-superhuman strength and his globe-spanning acts of charity. As a founding member of The Covert Operators, Champ has undertaken an oath to protect humanity from all manner of threats and evil. Working alongside his best friends Cap, Ace, Devil and Doc, Champ is the 'muscle' of the team, providing both physical prowess and (at times) simple, common horse-sense in times of crisis. In the Landmark Continuity, Champ is closely associated with Ace Brogan and Major Triumph, having grown up in the same part of Empire City. All three regularly meet for poker night at Metropolis Tower, where the beers are chilled and the stakes are penny-ante.

Background
David Benoit Ruggles grew up in the slums where his Mother worked odd jobs to make ends meet. His Father was a drunk who died in a car accident before he was born. He grew up learning to cook well and did the chores to help out. Dave had always been a big kid, attracting the attention of numerous local gangs; however, he turned all them down, recalling how they'd mailigned his Dad as a bum and his Mom as a 'slag'. Fortunately David met a retired coach named Bernard, who steered him on the right track. Becoming a second Father to young Dave, "Bernie" taught him many lessons about life and responsibility, not the least of which was to alwaystake care of family. Working out daily at Bernie's Gym, David became an expert boxer, pushing himself to the limit to against much more experienced opponents.

Under Bernie's tutelage, Dave became a prize-winning weight-lifter, wrestler, and all-round athlete. Hyperbolically declared "The World's Strongest man," he eventually went onto international fame as an Olympic decathlete - and true to his word, Dave always took care of family. Within a few years, his mother was living in a beautifully furnished home without a care in the world. It had been an uphill battle but worth the effort to see his mother smiling and relaxed.

Having earned a ton of money from his many victories, Dave decided to follow in Bernard's footsteps and give back to his community. Co-ordinating with City Hall, Dave started building a Youth Center for disenfranchised kids like himself. This was, perhaps, the greatest achievement in his life: as his Mother proudly told him, he'd learned what it took to be a man (or, as Bernie so tactfully remarked, "You done good, kid - look't you, grown-up all responsible an' determined - not some cheap punk with a gun!").

The Covert Operators
Shortly before his 30th birthday, Champ agreed to take part in a Survivor-style TV series in return for a sizable donation to his Youth Center. Picked up in a private jet, Dave was flown to an uncharted island where his aircraft was inexplicably shot down by a surface missile. Incredibly enough, Champ survived unscathed, managing to swim ashore on some floating debris. Further attacks followed as he fought his way to the center of the island where he met four other survivors - 'Doc' Eddie Bake, Captain James Lockhart, 'Ace' Jenny Dare and 'Daredevil' Barry Finn. All five teamed up to stay alive and discover who had lured them to this Killing Zone.

Their "host" turned out to be a sociopathic hunter known as Chase Stalker. Obsessed with hunting the world's most dangerous prey, Stalker pursued them through a series of lethal traps, gradually honing their combined skills until they outwitted their crazed adversary. At Jennifer's suggestion, the group decided to stick together: having survived this insane adventure (where they should have died so many times over), all agreed that fate had united them for a reason. Naming themselves The Covert Operators, they now deal with threats of sometimes cosmic magnitude. Striking from the shadows, The Operators allow humanity to go about its normal day, unaware of the secret histories of this darkening world.

Permissions
'Champ' David Ruggles is a public domain character derived from the Golden Age of Comics. The current version was proposed by Josh Downing on PDH Facebook, 12 June, 2023.