OUBLIETTE

Every Wednesday, news stands are bombared with the new releases of comic books- even in the world of OUBLIETTE. This is true in the worlds of DC and Marvel; some of the citizens of Smallville follow the comic book exploits depicted in Avenging Angel- a fictitious serial, while the denizens of the Marvel Comics universe see their own deeds plotted out and drawn in the printed form. The citizens of the OUBLIETTE universe read the titles published each week from DC and Marvel.

The simple truth is that everyone needs heroes- even heroes. In a world where humanity scorns their saviors- grouping their would-be heroes in with the villains that persistently plague them, it’s no wonder why.

The world first learned of the existence of Neo-Sapiens on September 8, 1945, when the man claiming himself to be “the Fuhrer of the Fourth Reich” used his psionic talents to amass a new army from amongst the allied forces still occupying Europe. During the war, five exceptional people had revealed their gifts to their respective countries. United they had stopped the Fuhrer but they had terrified mankind.

More and more SPBs appeared- some became allies to the Vindicators, the world’s premier group of super-heroes; others seemed hell-bent to become opposition to the heroes’ cause. In the eyes of the people however, there was nothing that separated the heroes from the villains. Each possessed frightening abilities and while they may have had the power of gods, they still have the fragile minds of mortals. Nothing ensured that their champions of today would not be their tormentors tomorrow; there was no assurance that the heroes would always use their powers for the good of mankind and that led to man’s budding contempt for the super-powered beings.

NEO-SAPIENS In the years that followed, many men devoted themselves to learning more and more about Neo-Sapiens. At times it called the “Neo-Sapien epidemic” and other times it was known more simply as a crisis or situation. In the early days, many feared that Neo-Sapiens were normal humans who had been infected by a new plague engineered by the Nazi forces. As the world transitioned out of the World War II era and into the Red Scare, nations began to accuse each other of manufacturing SPBs to be used as weapons.

It wasn’t until the early 1970s that anyone had truly learned anything. Doctor Alf Mitchell was the first to realize that the situation was hardly an outbreak; the geneticist discovered that Neo-Sapien abilities were hereditary, passed on from parent to child. It was impossible for the child of two humans to manifest Neo-Sapien abilities; however, it was possible for a Neo-Sapien to give birth to a human child.

He also theorized that if their abilities were hereditary, then Neo-Sapiens may have shared a common ancestor- a genetic benefactor bestowing uncanny abilities on the rest of mankind.

In the years that followed, Doctor Mitchell went on to make other discoveries concerning the Neo-Sapien race. He discovered that a Neo-Sapien’s abilities could manifest at any age- in infancy or in their golden years. The catalyst for such an evolution was stress; Neo-Sapiens manifested their abilities out of necessity. A woman may find herself possessing super-strength when her child is pinned under a car; a man could discover his ability to fly after falling from a ladder.

Humanity was learning more and more about Neo-Sapiens, but their opinion of them was not changing. Man still viewed the existence of SPBs as a threat to their wellbeing… and acted accordingly.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE On September 8, 2001, fifty-six years to the day that the Vindicators had first formed… the seventh incarnation of the team disbanded and the world entered a Time Without Heroes. With the lapse in protection, a Druzian Neo-Sapien named Jihad single-handedly moved against the United States. Three days after the Vindicators disbanded, a Neo-Sapien performed the terrible events of 9/11 and humanity had finally had enough.

Not only were SPBs to blame for causing it, many blamed them for not preventing it. One voice seemed more powerful than the rest- Forrest N. Bedford was a retired army officer who had climbed the ladder of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Bedford was a Grand Dragon amongst the order, and one with ambitions far surpassing the group. From the Klan he formed the Church of Genetic Purity, a church dedicated to all that the KKK had once stood for, but encompassing “genetic impurities” such as Neo-Sapiens and other SPBs.

Two years into their creation the group had their first martyr. In 2003, Mort Bedford was killed by a Neo-Sapien. Troy Olsen’s abilities had manifested and killed the young man and the sixteen-year-old atoned by taking his own life with his abilities. Still, the damage had been done. Mort’s death had spurred the CGP onward while also encouraging Forrest’s wife Amy to run for office- campaigning to become a senator on an anti-NS platform.

DYNASTIES Despite the persecution they face, some SPBs have become something of pop culture icons. These super-powered celebrities are typically dynasties- the son or daughter of a legendary hero. To date, the most well known dynasty is the Lodestone dynasty. The legacy began during World War II, when William Loder first took on the name as an ally of the first incarnation of the Vindicators. Over time, the original Lodestone found himself the leader of the team’s second roster.

Though William Loder disappeared in 1957, he left behind his legacy. The mantle of the Lodestone was inherited by his unborn son, James.

James Loder served the world and the Vindicators as the second Lodestone through out the 1980s. Though he continued to act as the Lodestone into the 1990s, his son Jacob had joined a second team of Vindicators operating parallel with his father’s.

In 2007, James and Jacob both lost their lives during the events of the White War. The mantle was then taken up by Jacob’s son Magnus- a recent graduate of the New Vindicators Academy of America. Within a year Magnus found himself leading a new team of Vindicators- alongside veteran member Falkenburg and the armored hero Portal.

Other dynasties exist, however. Canada has long been defended by Captain Canada- the original fighting side-by-side with the original Lodestone in the Vindicators. He too vanished without a trace a half-century ago, only to leave the mantle to his son. His grandson as well would one day claim the name of Canada’s defender, as would his great-granddaughter during her tenure with the New Vindicators Academy of America.

Coach Crag and Miss Mist, two members of the 1970s’ incarnation of the team (Vindicators IV), have also begun something of their own dynasty. The pair gave birth to twins- Cloud and Cassandra Goodman, codenamed Fog and Hourglass. As well, Rumble is the daughter of the Aurelius (Doctor Steven O. White) and Phenomena.

Some countries have their own dynasties, however. China had long been blessed to be protected by the Drake- a family of shape shifters who take on the form of a dragon to defend the country.