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Properties: The Pitt was initially the result of the atomization of land, air, property and organisms within a 25' mile spherical radius centered 10 miles above the city of Pittsburgh.

    All of the atomized matter, as well as the residual energies following the Star Brand massive release, settled into the bottom of the resultant Pitt, although dark clouds and atomized airborn debris obscurred vistualization of the Pitt.

    The edges of the Pitt were initially smooth, like polished glass, fused by the unleashed energies.

    Massive amounts of water from rivers entering into the region swiftly poured into the Pitt, and -- due to rupture of tectonic plates, a large volcano soon after pushed up from the middle of the Pitt.

    The contents of the Pitt were impregnated with Star Brand energies and the combined materials of everything atomized.

    Material known as "Pitt Juice," within the fluid at its bottom and periodically erupting from solid material like geysers, tended to have mutagenic effects on the people and animals exposed to them.

    Animals and/or people were mutated into monstrous and often savage forms, some people gained superhuman forms and abilities, and some paranormals were further affected by "Pitt Juice" exposure.

    The volcano periodically spewed magma, molten rock, which poured down its edges via gravity and threatened to incinerate anyone or anything it touched.

    The volcanic eruption and the magma it spewed progressively decreased the depth of the Pitt.

    The region between the edges of the Pitt and the volcano came to be known as the Ditch.

    Both men were aware that the being known as the Old Man had previously attempted to transfer the Star Brand power into an asteroid, and that the energies released had resulted in the "White Event," which had empowered their Earth's paranormals.

    They were also aware that 90% of the power could be expelled thusly and that Ken could exhaust his remaining 10% protecting himself from the energy release.

    Myron gave Ken a dumbbell and advised him to fly to the dark side of the moon to ensure that no one would be affected by the energies the transfer would unleash.

    Fearing being left helpless on the moon and wanting be able to get to a hospital quickly if needed, Connell instead flew 10 miles into the air.

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(The Star Brand#12 / Marvel Graphic Novel: The Pitt#1) <December 22, 1987 6:06 PM EST (see comments)> - - Concentrating his powers to focus and contain the blast, Connell initiated the transfer, and the resultant energies unleashed "vaporized" (or perhaps atomized) everything (except Connell himself) within a 25 mile radius (see comments) in all directions, including the upper atmosphere/ozone layer).

(Marvel Graphic Novel: The Pitt#1) - Kohler witnessed as Connell's form was carried away, while everything and everyone in the region surrounding the vaporized region was pulled toward the point of origin to replace the resultant vacuum.

(Marvel Graphic Novel: The Pitt#1 (fb) - BTS) - Over a million people perished in the blast, and hundreds of towns and villages were destroyed.

    Tectonic plates were ruptured, and a hotbed of volcanic activity was left behind.

    The waters of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers poured into the crater in a spectacular waterfall, combining with the seemingly inert material left behind from the destroyed matter and the Star Brand energy).

(Marvel Graphic Novel: The Pitt#1 (fb) - BTS) -  <6:08 PM> - 26 miles away from the destroyed region, the car transporting Janey, Leonard, Marge & Timmy Robinson (confirm last name) was pulled into the Pitt, arriving 8 minutes later.

(Justice#18 - BTS) - Having sensed Glen Baker's power and his having used it only for personal gain, Justice confronted him and stated his purpose. Unconcerned, Baker related his recent visions. Tensen told Baker that if he had truly foreseen armageddon, he could make sure Baker was not there for it. Baker told Justice he did not think Justice would have the time, and immediately afterward they saw and felt the effects of the destruction (see comments)

(Justice#18 - BTS) - A nearby dog was killed by the sound of the implosion, and Justice tried to catch a young girl who was pulled through the air by force of the air rushing to fill the vacuum, but the girl's coat ripped, and she continued to fly toward the source of the vacuum. Meanwhile, Baker wrapped the chains from a swingset around his neck, allowing the force at which he was subsequently pulled to break his neck, apparently killing him.

     <6:17 PM> - As those at the Griffis Air Force Base in New York registered that Pittsburgh had been turned into a crater, 50 miles across, Henderson contacted the Chief of Staff.

    <6:51 PM> - Soldiers brought Col. MacIntrye Browning -- who had felt the vibration four minutes earlier -- from Washington, D.C., to lead the investigation.

    <9:01 PM> - Browning's jet (aka "Close-Up") arrived over the site and found no one from Pittsburgh within radio signal.

    After a few passes to investigate the vapor-covered crater, he contacted "Tin Lizzie," instructing Jenny Swenson to use her MAX suit to investigate as Spitfire.

(Justice#18 - BTS) - Having kept himself on the ground with a force field, Justice released it to catch an infant in a carseat, after which he formed a field around the two of them as they were pulled toward the source of the vacuum.

    After what seemed like hours, the force of the wind faded, and they crashed to the ground.

(Justice#18 (fb) - BTS) - Justice and the baby were found by local senior couple Willie and Edna, who brought them back to their house, 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. They called the police, who were too busy to respond/investigate.

    <10:02 PM - 2:00 AM, December 23> - Kohler investigated the crater, at the bottom seemingly encountering the ghosts of those who died in the destruction; he subsequently resolved that this had been a delusion caused by his difficulty in processing the mass destruction.

    <10:11 PM> - 15 miles from the edge of the crater, MacIntyre had the field soldiers establish a perimeter, with only security G-7 passing beyond that point; with this unprecedented event, MacIntyre disregarded the lack of martial law, ordering the shooting of any trying to pass that point.

    <11:02 PM> - Spitfire flew the 15 miles to the depth of the crater, recording her findings and saving the Robinson family from beneath the water covering the bottom, although both she and they were exposed to the material later referred to as Pitt juice (the Star Brand energy-infused residue from the destruction).

    They reached the surface at 1:04 AM.

    <December 23, 1:29 - 1:43 AM> - Swenson related her findings to MacIntrye, and he ordered the base camp to be sealed up tightly, with no signals going in or out unless they were through him. After MacIntyre contacted the Air Force base in Cheyenne Mountain, he was given authority "you can take this as from the commander-in-chief...you have maxium authority in this. Do anything you deem necessary to keep that area sealed."

    When Smitty and his reporter associate flew a helicopter over the crater, they repeatedly refused commands to follow them back to a holding area. Ultimately, Browning authorized the helicopter to be shot down, which it was.

    <3:18 AM> - After Swenson showed MacIntyre her MAX armor's analysis of the entire zone of destruction, he instructed her to return to the crater to gather more data. When she suggested that everything within the crater was dead and that she could save lives by exploring the perimeter, he forbade it, resulting in her departing with her armor.

    <4:21 AM> - Spitfire observed Kohler within the crater, but he sank below the water to avoid her. Kohler resolved to find Connell (not that he knew his name) and make him pay in order to avenge Pittsburgh.

    <4:57 AM> - Having discovered the existence of the Pittsburgh crater, Soviet authorities sent word to US news programs, who reported the information over their television network.

    <Shortly after 6:06 AM> - Col. Browning wrote his report, referring to the event as the "Pittsburgh Effect" and the resultant site as the "Pitt" (to which he had heard it ghoulishly referred). He speculated that the "super hero" who had showed up in Pittsburgh as likely involved.

Comments: Created by John Byrne, Mark Gruenwald, Sal Buscema, Tom Palmer & Stan Drake.

    See the New Universe primer.

Pitt size:

• The blast that created the Pitt was supposed to have created a hole 15 miles deep and to have vaporized everything within 25 miles of Ken Connell's energy release, which makes sense as he had flown 10 miles into the air prior to his...mishap.
  
• They also note that the crater on Earth was 50 miles wide, which seems to make sense, but at 10 miles below its center, the sphere is not going to be 50 miles across...
• specifically, courtesy of Mathematics teacher Loki, the diameter of the crater based on the above information would be just over 45.8 miles across.
  
• Perhaps the force of the sudden vacuum, etc. caused the edges of the crater to crumble and collapse, swiftly expanding to swiftly reach that 50-mile distance?
• Or, perhaps, Connell's efforts to contain the energies distorted the field into more of an ellipse than a sphere?
• Browning's report did note that the radius of destruction, including earth and atmosphere was 50 miles, so perhaps that was the most accurate, and the other reports were early estimates that could have been rounded up?
• The inside front cover to D.P. 7#19 notes the Pitt to be a 25 mile mide crater surrounded by 15 miles of debris.

Pitt date:

The Pitt issue gives the date/time of its creation as 6:06 pm EST, December 22, 1987.

Star Brand#12 has the date/time of the comics convention as 10:37 AM EST, December 19, 1987.

 The Old Man pours his energies into Ken, who then shows up Myron's place in that ravaged/healing form before passing out.

    After he wakes up, he seems to depart within minutes and unleashes the energies that causes the Pitt.

    So, there is no description of nearly 3.5 days passing between the Old Man encounter and the Pitt creation...but it was dark out when alien-looking Ken arrived at Myron's, so that's half a day, and then presumably it took Ken three days to recover despite that not being mentioned?

    Or, was it mentioned somethere...or have I otherwise missed something?

    The vision of the energy blast would have been observed almost instantly for Justice, but the sound and effects from miles away would have been delayed. As the speed of sound is about 767 miles per hour, or 12.78 miles per minute, or .21 miles per second, I believe it would take 5 seconds to travel 1 mile.
    Although he may not have had any way to accurately judge the time, Tensen believed that he and the baby had flown for hours. A reporter noted the winds to have been 300 mph. He obviously wasn't moving at the speed of sound, but he was traveling quickly enough (and with enough force) to be pulled through the air for long enough to seem like hours.
    And then he drove for an undetermined distance before getting out of the car 3 miles from the as-yet-unnamed Pitt.
    I don't see how we have enough information to calculate exact distance, etc., but I am confident that the sound and wind would have taken "a long time" after the flash/vision of the the energy release that caused the Pitt.

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