Death of the Silver Centurion

Summary

"Oh, God. No. Oh, dear God, no. I didn't mean to...I swear I didn't mean to--!"

-Silver Centurion's (reported) last words

On the afternoon of November 10, 1975, hero and villain did battle in the streets of Los Angeles. The hero: Silver Centurion, an armored superhuman capable of producing electromagnetic energy that had taken to defending LA in defiance of the then-active Chase Act. The villain: Decimo, an energy manipulating superhuman that sought to take down Centurion. But news of their battle quickly reached a third party: the Superhuman Response Division, an offshoot of the FBI dedicated to combating and eliminating superhuman threats--and, at the time, apprehend any superpowered vigilantes operating outside of government control. And so the Los Angeles field branch dispatched a squadron to take care of the problem.
The SRD arrived on the scene just in time to witness Silver Centurion's final attack--a massive beam of electromagnetic energy that completely enveloped Decimo. When the light faded and the smoke cleared, Decimo was gone, seemingly obliterated by the attack. In a state of shock, Centurion turned to the squadron that now surrounded him, guns trained on him. With hands up, he stepped towards them, possibly to give himself up. In response, the SRD opened fire on him. Silver Centurion died on the scene.
The Superhuman Response Division thought themselves justified in their actions: a superhuman decided to play hero outside the law and killed someone. However, the next day, to the shock of everyone, Decimo revealed himself to still be alive, making an appearance before the Los Angeles field office. It was then that eveyone realized the truth: Decimo had faked his death, and the SRD had jumped the gun on judging Silver Centurion guilty. And so, in their efforts to prove that they were in control of superheroes, the Superhuman Response division showed the country their true colors.

"I really should be thanking you. You got that silver nuisance out of my hair once and for all."

-Decimo's (reported) message to the head of the SRD's LA office

Historical Basis

With the exception of a few details, the above story is a fairly accurate description of the events surrounding the death of the Silver Centurion. Silver Centurion was a member of the Armored Auxiliary, a Los Angeles-based superhero team who operated outside of government oversight, along with four others (Gold Gladiator, Iron Imperator, Copper Compulsor, and Platinum Praetorian). Together, they dedicated themselves to fighting crime and corruption in the city. He and other members of the Auxiliary had run-ins with both the SRD and the LAPD in the past, but never to the extent as the one on November 5.
This wasn't the first time Centurion had clashed with Decimo, either. Decimo (real name currently unknown) was the nickname of a prominent superhuman criminal in the Los Angeles underworld, and the Auxiliary had managed to put many of his underlings and associates behind bars. It's still unknown how exactly he was able to fake his death, but it's theorized he was able to dissipate his entire body into ionized plasma and later re-formed it. It's also unknown why he made his presence known at the SRD's field office the next day.
Postmortem identification revealed that Silver Centurion was actually 37-year-old Sterling Knight, a lifelong LA native and member of the local chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Knight championed for civil rights both in and out of costume, and he and the rest of the Armored Auxiliary were known opponents of the Chase Act and the government's treatment of superhumans. He was survived by his wife Lynn and his two daughters, Sylvia and Tatiana.

Cultural Reception

News of Silver Centurion's death sparked outrage across the nation. Thousands showed up in Los Angeles to attend Knight's funeral and mourn his passing, including the entirety of the Samaritan Society, the first superhero team to form in defiance of the Chase Act. People had long been skeptical about the Superhuman Response Division's tactics, and support for the government had been extremely low ever since the Watergate scandal, but this was the tipping point. The SRD's reputation was irreparably tarnished by the incident, and the public's increased support for unregistered heroes snowballed into calls for the repeal of the Chase Act. And indeed, five years later, the United States agreed to render the Chase Act null and void.

In Literature

The story of Silver Centurion's death, as well as its aftermath, has been the subject of numerous books and essays over the years. In addition, Marvel Comics named Iron Man's Silver Centurion armor in honor of him, which made its first appearance in Iron Man Vol. 1, #200.

In Art

About six months after the Silver Centurion's death, a statue was erected in the lobby of the SRD's headquarters in DC overnight. The statue stands at approximately 30 feet (9 meters) tall and depicts the Silver Centurion in full armor. The pedestal is engraved with the words: "Our Eternal Shame." All attempts to remove and/or destroy the statue have proven futile, leaving many speculating that its creation was magical in nature. The statue still stands in the headquarters to this day. The artist is still unknown.

Date of Setting

November 10, 1975

Related People

• Sterling Knight

Related Organizations

• Superhuman Response Division