The History of A World - Part I

Today is July 4th - Happy Independence Day to my fellow citizens of the USA! 

Today seems like a great day to talk about history.

Specifically, the fictional history of the Superheroic setting of my current Champions RPG campaign 'UNITY', based on my friend William Corpening's seminal 'Age of Champions' game. Essentially, this is my present take on Will's Champions Earth-Wilcox Charlie-1. 

This variant on Will's universe is centered on Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A and the campaign Champions: UNITY, now over a year old, is probably my third distinct version of that milieu. 

I've always been enamored with the idea that this isn't just a Super Hero universe but a clearly Alternate Earth Super Hero universe. It's history and nature is not the same as that of our real world. Here is an overview and some highlighted differences between our own world and the one in our game. 

What follows is information known to, or at least available to, the average civilian on Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A. For the most part I am leaving out Superhero specific events - first appearances, battles, etc. - unless those events have a direct effect on society-at-large and the prevailing culture(s) of the Earth. References to things that the superhuman community and/or the players would know but the average world citizen wouldn't will be highlighted in pale green. 

Prehistoric

Roughly 66 million years ago, an asteroid/meteor impact altered the Earth's climate and sent a cloud of debris into its atmosphere that caused a mass extinction event, eventually eliminating 3/4 of the species on the planet (including the dinosaurs). 

It has been suggested that tied to this event was a cosmic phenomenon that eventually resulted in the world's Superpowered population. Specifics on this anomaly remain a mystery and investigation continues. 

An as yet not understood geological/seismic situation created a section of sub-surface Antarctica preserving prehistoric conditions and numerous dinosaur species in a region now known as 'The Lost World'.

Ancient World

The continent of Atlantis is destroyed by geological upheaval. A large number of it's inhabitants are saved through the use of magic, transforming them into a variety of sub-oceanic forms. 

A dissident group of alien refugees, previously of the Vilarian species, land their colony ship at the bottom of what is Earth's Atlantic Ocean today. The highly technologically advanced Vilarians kick the Atlanteans out of their homes and the latter are forced to resettle in a section of the former Atlantean continent they call Lemuria. Today's Atlanteans are descendants of the alien Vilarians and the former 'true Atlanteans' are now known as Lemurians. 

A conflict between the world's Magical entities and practitioners creates a barrier between the realms of the 'Divine', 'Infernal', and 'Arcane' that prevent access to and from the realms of the 'gods', demons, angels, and other supernatural beings. Up to the present day, no one can visit Asgard, Olympus, and other such places. Likewise, none of the gods or goddesses of myth can come to Earth. Note that while most people do not wholly believe this story, it is a common tale told in different variations in countries all over the world. It is as popular and well known as tales of Santa Claus. 

The Modern World up to the 21st Century

The general level of scientific and technological advancement on Champions Earth-AD-1A is higher than that of the real world due to the number of individuals with Superhuman Intelligence and the corporations/organizations they created. This starts to really impact the everyday life of the average person following the second World War.

1920s-1940s 'The Golden Age'

Masked heroes and villains first appear in the 20s and 30s, though rumors and folktales go back as far as the late 1880s. Most are local to particular cities with a few globetrotting types. For the most part the whole thing is chalked up to here say and urban legend, although there is great excitement over these stories among the populations of the US, Canada, and Europe. Referred to as 'Pulp Heroes and Villains', the terms Superhero, Supervillain, superbeing, and superpowers do not enter common parlance. The majority of these individuals do not have metahuman abilities but are rather people of remarkable skill. 

A group of Extraterrestrial War Machines came to Earth as the prelude to an invasion. Starting with the first craft landing at Grover Mill, New Jersey - October 30, 1938 - the alien crafts immediately began attacking locals with devastating weaponry, even though said locals attempted to make peaceful contact. Over the course of several hours, the invaders waded through conventional military responses to their presence. It wasn't until one of the aliens disembarked from their vehicle and discovered an extreme allergy to Earth's biosphere that the Humans realized their opponents were far from invincible. 

The incident was broadcast live over the radio, announced by a Orson Welles. The events and their similarity to the H.G. Wells novel 'War of the Worlds' began what would eventually develop into a massive, worldwide fear and hatred of aliens. 

The first confirmed, widely acknowledged appearances of what we identify as Superheroes and Supervillains today begins in the late 30s and early 40s, leading into and increasing with the onset of World War II: Costumed, masked individuals with powers and abilities beyond those of normal Humans. While such people may have existed before this, the more common use of telephones, cameras, and film enabled definitive documentation of their presence. 

The Axis Powers were rumored to have a mad scientist working for them who had given himself superpowers through the use of a terrible serum. He and others like him invented incredible weapons of war to use against the Allied forces. This situation prompts the Allies to assemble a team of the superpowered soldiers to fight the enemy; The Allied Champions become the first official Superhero Team known to exist by the general public. 

Supporting the Allied Champions was a newly created division of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) called the Paranormal Research and Intelligence Mission to the United States or PRIMUS. PRIMUS remains active to this day.  

1940s-1960s

Scientific advancements in the areas of chemistry, medical procedures and technology, physics, and other fields are greater advanced by the Allies' own Doctor Jean-Louise Jeanis (aka Dr. Genius) and information recovered from Axis research. Among the data recovered from the enemy was the 'Destroyer Formula', a Super-Soldier Serum with dangerous, even deadly side effects. Shared with all the Allies, the USA reworked the concoction into the 'Avenger Formula', eventually resulting in the first government created Superhero, The Golden Avenger. 

Following World War II, the United Nations was established to promote and maintain peaceful relations between its member countries. Due to a series of political conflicts between the 1950s and 1970s, some of which involved Superhumans, the United Nations was given increased powers to govern and moderate international interactions and security concerns.

In the late 50s or early 60s, the UN established the United Nations Tactical Intelligence League - UNTIL - a worldwide espionage, law enforcement, relief and rescue, and counter-terrorism agency. A large part of UNTIL's charter gives them jurisdiction over international Superhuman incidents and situations between the special security organizations of its member nations. Basically, if America's SHIELD, called PRIMUS, and the USSR's SHIELD, called Condition: RED, have a disagreement, UNTIL has the right to step in and facilitate a resolution. 

The Roswell Incident, a US government operation to recover a military weather balloon is mistaken for the crash of an alien spacecraft. The situation sparked numerous UFO and extraterrestrial conspiracy theories. Following additional investigations by independent organizations, including the questionable Extra-Solar Society, it was successfully revealed that aliens of were indeed involved. This cast doubt on government transparency and further fueled distrust of aliens.

The Dodgers never left Brooklyn and continue to play at a remodeled Ebbets Field. The Mets do not exist. New York's baseball teams are the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees (aka The Bronx Bombers). 

The world's leading airline for international transportation of both people and cargo is Pan American World Airways. Their headquarters, the Pan Am Building, is located at 200 Park Avenue in New York City, NY. In reality, the Pan Am building, completed in 1962 and having a very distinctive elongated, octagonal design, was sold to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and renamed the MetLife Building in 1981.

Logo of Pan American World Airways

The Pan Am Building

The Civil Rights Movement is both further embattled and emboldened when superbeings on both sides of the divide become involved, inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and others. At the same time, the actions and words of a number of popular superheroes directed peoples attention back to the speeches of key leader of the movement. The aftermath of this era is better in the Champions universe than it was in our own real world. Champions Earth-AD-1 is more racially accepting and balanced than our Earth is. Sadly. 

1960s-1970s 'The Silver Age'

AT&T launches the first commercial orbital satellite in 1962. In the following 5 years the number of satellites in orbit reaches over a dozen with the level of technical advancement nearly three times that of AT&T's Telstar 1.

The Scaramangler Foundation was established in the early-to-mid 1960s, providing assistance, emergency aid, housing, training, and other vital services to super powered individuals and their families. This organization was founded by Reverend Joseph Scaramangler in hopes of helping those who develop super powers without the ability to control them. Scaramangler was further inspired by his own son, a super genius intellect who designed most of the technology used by the Foundation beginning at the age of about 6.

The non-profit group is mainly paid for by it's 'sister entity' (keep reading) through the development and 'sale' of devices used by the various governments of the world to deal with Supers. A for-profit corporation called Scaramangler Industries builds tech such as superhuman containment cells, defense robots, and 'Danger Room' training facilities for various Superhero teams and security agencies like UNTIL, PRIMUS, and others worldwide. 

Scaramangler Industries has also developed advancements in personal communications and computing resulting in things like the 'S-Phone', the extremely popular and common cellular phone nearly everyone has today (which includes augmented reality, interactive holographic capabilities) (See below in the Bronze Age). 

At present, the Scaramangler Foundation is headquartered in NYC with facilities in nearly 100 countries across the planet. 

Logo of the Scaramangler Foundation

1970s-1980s 'The Bronze Age'

The United States of America landed on the Moon (officially called Luna) on July 20th, 1969. The Soviet Union landed their module in 1973. A European Union lander touched down in 1975. By 1982 the USA and EU had permanent Scientific Research bases. The United Soviet States Republic established their base by '84. China landed and established their base in '86.

At present, 2023, there are five major bases, another dozen smaller operations and outposts, and a total population of roughly 5000 consistent Human residents on the Moon. There are also 3 Space Stations in Earth orbit, including the massive International Space Station that serves as a hub for numerous spacecraft from a dozen different countries and at least a half dozen corporations.

Earth's orbital satellite network(s) received an overhaul by Scaramangler Industries and Mann Enterprises under contracts from the United Nations and various telecommunications corporations. 

The Stonewall Riots and Gay Rights Movement that began in 1969 and moved onward from the early 1970s involved a number of superhuman personalities, the most notable of which were previously labeled 'Supervillains'. Three particular individuals, Passion Storm, The Rainbow Archer ( I ), and the Red Rapier, were both extremely outspoken and made a large cultural impact that did a lot of good in the long run. Sadly, all three men experienced disappointing to downright tragic lives post the 1980s. Images associated with the three - especially Passion Storm's emblem and the Rainbow Archer's bow and arrows are symbols still used by LGBTQ+ advocates today. 

Passion Storm's emblem and the symbol of the first Rainbow Archer

While in the real world mass production and widespread use of the modern cellular phone started in the 1990s, the S-Phone goes into production sometime near the start of the 1980s. Inspired by the ubiquitous 'Communicators' in most Comic Books and Sci-Fi movies and television shows, Will predicted the cell phone by suggesting all the UNITY members had a Communicator and most regular folks had a lesser 'civilian' version.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the USA's 40th President. He served two consecutive terms from 1981 to 1989. During his time in office, the USA adds two new states to its membership and two new stars on its flag. The Washington District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are fully recognized states on Champions Earth-AD-1A.

Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the nation's dissolution and re-organization in 1987, is greatly inspired by dealings with President King to make reforms in his own country. Gorbachev became the first president of the democratic United Soviet States Republic, established following the end of the Soviet Union.

Left: The Flag of the United States of America (note the 52 stars),

Right: The Flag of the United Soviet States Republic (stars represent its 24 republics/states)

In the early 1980s the 'Silver Age' incarnation of the world's leading superhero team, The Champions, disbands after a disastrous mission against the villains Kineto and Sundown. The incident saw the hero Garrison quit the Champions prior to the event, the death of team leader Tower, and the neutralizing of the powers of member Tachyon (after his abilities overloaded while helping to save New York City.).

Following this, public and political opinion on superheroes waned considerably. The prevailing view was that they were unreliable compared to security agencies such as UNTIL or PRIMUS and/or more trouble than they were worth. While a few superheroes remained active in New York, no full time team protected the region. During this same period, California's Protectors operated with only four or five members, the British superteam 'The New Knights of the Round Table' were reduced to three active members and it seemed the entire international superhero community was smaller overall and poorly organized.

Responding to this situation, UNTIL contacted the superhero Omni - a former member of The Champions - with an idea for an emergency response network that could get superheroes to the places they needed to be as quickly and efficiently as possible. Omni liked the idea a lot and had a number of suggestions on how to improve on the basic concept. The end result, officially established in 1985, was christened UNITY. UNITY members can be contacted by UNTIL rapid response specialists and assigned to situations in need of superhero attention. Supers would be directed to emergency situation based on their location, abilities, familiarity with what is happening, and other factors. "The right hero, to the right place, at the right time", said Omni at the UNITY unveiling event. Omni convinced former superhero and teammate Tachyon (whose was still thought of positively by most people) to serve as UNITY's Public Relations agent. 

The internet, originally called the World Wide Web Network - often nicknamed 'the Web' or 'the Net' - goes online in a format similar to but somewhat more limited than what we have in the real world today. A popular website dubbing itself 'Superhero Hype' collects and covers superhuman activity and related news in the USA. 

The positive image bolstered by Tachyon and the remarkable success of UNITY's operations over the next five years completely reversed society's view of superheroes, once again making them a trusted and desirable institution. 

Two aliens of the Hzeel species on a scouting mission to Earth kidnap Joseph Scaramangler as insurance against Superhero retaliation once their presence was discovered. Tragically, Scaramangler was accidentally killed during an attempted rescue operation by PRIMUS. Joseph's son Christian, generally a recluse, enters the public eye as the new head of the Scaramangler Foundation and joins the Superheroes of UNITY using prototype technology of his own design. Christian Scaramangler is very charismatic and popular and subtly pushes an anti-alien rhetoric even as Omni, leader of New York's UNITY group, is promoted to being the Director of Operations for UNITY as a whole. 

I'm going to stop here for now and consider this Part I. Expect to see Part II very soon. 

What do you all think? Any interest in this?

It was fun for me to write this all down this way. Much of it comes from material I either wrote out in a greatly expanded fashion long ago or I've never put it to paper. A lot of it was just stuff I've kept rolling around in the back of my mind for some 35+ years.

Anyway. To Be Continued...

Happy Birthday USA!

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