History of Earth-Prime

• Humans evolved by the Preservers found the civilization of Atlantis. They quickly rival the Serpent People of Lemuria in science and magic, their culture producing some of the most notable Master Mages in history, including Los the Seer; the traitorous Malador the Mystic, who is imprisoned in a magical tomb for treating with dark forces; and Naran the Wise. The two nations fight a series of terrible wars over the millennia.
• The hunter, now in full control of the Preserver computer his mind was stored in, uses advanced technology to create a new, perfected body for himself. Exploring the world, he studies among the greatest civilizations, always seeking to advance what he believes to be enlightened principles without regard to common opinion. As his body ages—much slower than normal humans—he uses the Preserver computer to rest and regenerate, granting him virtual immortality.
• The Ice People, blue-skinned humanoids who carve a civilization based on magic and science, establish a thriving city above the Arctic Circle. They retain cool relations with the Atlanteans, who believe them to be a lost colony, and ignore all other civilizations.

In solidarity with rebels in Boston, anti-British protesters in Kingston dump shipments of tea into the Great Bay. Governor Terrance Stype, needing a scapegoat, holds harbormaster James Forrester responsible and has him hanged after a public show trial.

James Forrester’s widow, Elizabeth, fashions a costume reminiscent of a Colonial soldier and joins the Revolution as the masked Lady Liberty. Using her numerous contacts, she makes sure vital intelligence passes to the right people. The freedom fighter quickly develops a strong working relationship with Major Joseph Clark, although her broken heart and his dedication to the Revolution prevent it from becoming more.

• Lucius Cabot takes advantage of the chaos of the war to send assassins after a surviving member of the Vervain family—Governor Strype’s wife, Constance. The young witch manages to send her children and their nanny to safety before Cabot’s assassins claim her life. Governor Stype, enraged at the death of his beloved wife, blames Colonial agents and retaliates against the Colonial forces, awakening the Vengeance Spirit. The terrible force possesses Stype, fueling and feeding upon his rage. Lady Liberty, Minuteman, and the French hero Bastille fight the possessed Stype in his manor. The battle engulfs the house in flames and Stype is lost despite the heroes’ attempt to save him.
• Major Joseph Clark, using both his legendary guile and intelligence recovered by Lady Liberty regarding the supposed death of Governor Stype, takes advantage of the leaderless British troops and stages a brilliant assault, driving them from Freedom for good.
• Following the liberation of Freedom, Major Joseph Clark becomes a special agent of the Continental Army, performing missions throughout the Colonies.

Following the end of the American Revolutionary War, the Minuteman disappears, although stories of his bravery continue to inspire generations to come. Major Joseph Clark returns to his farm and marries, raises eight children and largely retires from public life.

• The Spirit of Liberty, deeply traumatized by the beginning of the American Civil War, invests two women with her power: Columbia in the Union and Southern Belle in the Confederacy. Other costumed “wonders” gather on either side, forming the Union’s Patriot Regiment (Minuteman, Columbia, Goliath, Ironclad, Pathfinder, Sharpshooter, and the Lion-Man) and the Knights of the Confederacy (Achilles, Southern Belle, Night Stalker, Mermaid, Nunnehii the shaman, the Ranger, and the Fouke Monster).
• The war is bloody and terrible for both sides, and takes a heavy toll on the heroes who each fight for the ideals of their homelands. Many of the Regiment and the Knights are dead, maimed, or mad by the war’s end in 1865, much of their history quietly buried and forgotten.

Englishman Herbert Warren recruits Adam Prophet to help in tracking down a killer he believes is a time-traveler from the future. Prophet in turn recruits a group known as “Prophet’s Crusade”: brilliant scientist Emily Swift; Garret Gaunt; Oberon Peake, the Fourth Earl of Tembroke; and Rostov, a silent Cossack hunter. The eclectic group travels the globe hunting the vile murderer known as Doktor Raub, thwarting many other paranormal threats along the way, including the Si-Fan cult of assassins and the resurrected mad Sikh and his terrible submersible. The group’s exploits remain generally secret until Prophet’s journals are uncovered more than a century later.

Master Mage Broken Crow perishes at the massacre at Wounded Knee. Lady Violet Pennyworth takes on the mantle of Master Mage. Believing in cooperation between mages of good will, she organizes several European and American occult groups into a single organization she calls the Order of Light in the hopes of one day creating “a net of lights cast about the globe.”

Master Mage Lady Violet Pennyworth dies thwarting the efforts of Kar’Kradas, Whisperer in the Shadows Between Worlds, to invade Earth’s dimension. The Order of Light takes on the responsibility of seeking a new Master Mage. The Cult of Kar’Kradas steals Pennyworth’s copy of the Manual of Modrosus before the Order of Light can consolidate their position.

• Thomas Osiris Prophet is born to Adam Prophet and his wife, the former Emily Swift. Born an albino, the child grows into a specimen of physical and mental perfection, becoming the adventurer “Doc” Prophet, Man of Marble.
• In China, Tzin Sing—the future Dr. Sin—is born in a remote farming village. At a very young age the child displays incredible genius in the sciences.

A Thule Society expedition discovers the location of Ultima Thule. While amused by the humans and their primitive notions of “racial superiority,” the Ultimans reject the Thule Society and erase their memories of their visit. However, one ambitious Ultiman, Kal-Zed, travels to Germany, presenting himself to Adolf Hitler as der Übermensch.

In England, Amanda Phipps-Gordon discovers a mummified body covered with glowing Celtic tattoos while on an archeological dig. Unearthed magic and past-life memories invest her as Lady Celtic, mystic protector of the British Isles.

The Nazis initiate a series of brutal pogroms against Jewish citizens. During the assault, troops led by Wilhelm Kantor murder Professor Helmut Shaal and his wife Gertrude; recognizing their mystic potential, Czech mystic Honza Krisovar spirits away their twin children, Wolfgang and Sophie, who become the mystic light-bearers White Rose and White Thorn.

The Thule Society enacts a special project to draw upon the power of the mythological Aesir to aid the Reich. The project produces only two successes: Karl Reinhardt, a soldier in the German army, is empowered with the lightning powers of Donar, Lord of Thunder; and Ingrid Hildebrandt, daughter of a high-ranking Thule Society member, becomes host to one of die Walkürie (the Valkyrie).

Keiko Ishido, a mutant with the ability to control the emotions of others, having driven her abusive husband to suicide and worked her way into the corridors of organized crime, comes to the attention of the Green Dragon Society in Japan, who recruits her as Geisha.

Bayview Heights teenager Johnny Wade is soaked in experimental rocket fuel when the stolen truck hauling it crashes. The chemicals speed Wade’s metabolism to superhuman levels, allowing him to escape the subsequent explosion. Following another car from the scene, he uses his new super-speed to apprehend the criminal gang that was trying to steal the fuel. Hearing one of the criminals describe him as moving “like a rocket,” Wade adopts the name Johnny Rocket and begins his career as a crime fighter.

The Freedom Brigade forms to protect Lend-Lease shipments from Axis saboteurs. Its members: Commander USA; Dr. X; the Invisible Agent; the Magister, a crime-fighting jurist armed with his Gavel of Justice; The Mysterious Madame Radium; and the Sea Hawk, a shipyard heiress who developed a powerful flying submarine to combat the dreaded Nazi Wolf Pack.

FBI secretary Donna Mason discovers a fifth column cell is planning to attack the Bureau’s headquarters. Unsuccessfully trying to warn her boss, Agent Dan Bradley, she is shot and Bradley is abducted by the criminals. Close to death, Mason experiences a vision of the Spirit of Liberty, who gives her a chance to save either herself or Bradley. She chooses Bradley without a thought, so the Spirit heals Mason and infuses her with the power of Lady Liberty. The new heroine saves Bradley and breaks up the spy ring

A German U-boat sinks a luxury liner in the Atlantic. Lounge singer Lynn Sidon is thrown overboard, but is rescued by Prince Thallor of Atlantis. Recognizing her as the subject of an ancient prophecy about a siren of the surface world, Prince Thallor takes the singer to an ancient Atlantean temple hidden in a sea cave. There, she is infused with the power of the Sirens.

The Freedom Brigade, outraged at the attack on Pearl Harbor, leaves to great fanfare on a mission of revenge against Tokyo. Dr. Tomorrow intercepts the heroes, informing them that if they reach Tokyo they will be captured and brainwashed by Axis scientists, then sent to murder scientists and heroes before being killed. The time-traveling hero offers to transport them to his Earth, which has no heroes, where they can truly make a difference against the world-dominating Nazi regime. The heroes agree to accept Dr. Tomorrow’s offer and are never seen again, becoming known as “The Forgotten Brigade.”

President Roosevelt, convinced of Dr. Tomorrow’s sincerity, orders the formation of a team of American superheroes called the Liberty League. Dr. Tomorrow, as the League’s first recruit, is named team leader and Freedom City becomes the group’s headquarters. Bowman and Arrow, Centurion, Envoy, Freedom Eagle, Johnny Rocket, Lady Liberty, and Midnight become the group’s first recruits.

A number of new superheroes appear, including the Patriot, successful subject of a top-secret U.S. government program; Siren; and the Human Tank and Gunner. Their appearance is matched by a number of new super-villains, including Opal, Dr. Zero, Marionette, Magnifico the Magician, and the swamp creature Tom Cypress, who band together as the Crime League. Similarly, the ranks of the Nazi Übersoldaten swell with such names as der Totenkopf (Death’s Head), Sea-Wolf, and Schlasbringer (Sleep-Bringer). Kamikaze joins the Hinomaru in Japan.

An unexpected storm throws Langston Albright overboard from the trawler on which he is working. Sinking into Great Bay, he finds himself surrounded by dark shapes. Suddenly infused with the power of light, he rises from the water and tows the trawler to safety. Albright adopts the costumed identity of Beacon.

The Allies of Freedom attempt to capture Wilhelm Kantor, but Nacht-Kreiger slaughters nearly all of them before taking off towards Freedom City. White Rose and White Thorn pursue and manage to trap the Nazi shadow-creature in a subterranean prison of light at the cost of White Rose’s life and White Thorn’s freedom.

The Grue Unity and the Lor Republic wage a series of skirmishes in Earth’s solar system, resulting in several UFO sightings. A damaged Grue scout ship crashes near Roswell, New Mexico. The U.S. government covers up the crash and moves the wreckage and remains of the crew to a top-secret location.

Wilhelm Kantor rapidly ages one of his clones to adulthood; dressing him in the uniform of an Imperial German officer and christening him the “Killer Kaiser,” the Nazi mastermind presents the clone as himself gone mad. When the Killer Kaiser perishes aboard his Battle Blimp two years later, the world believes Kantor is dead.

Lady Liberty’s powers inexplicably fade and eventually disappear altogether. Although she continues to operate without them for a time, Donna Mason eventually retires as a crime fighter. Strangely enough, as the years pass, the public’s memories of the specifics of Donna Mason’s time as Lady Liberty slowly and inexorably fade as well.

SHADOW initiates a second Operation Inundation using Overshadow’s army of clones. The plot is foiled when the Scarab pushes his mental powers to the limit and turns the clones against each other by making them, temporarily, believe they are the true Overshadow.

Overshadow unleashes the Scions of Sobek and the immortal sorcerers attack Freedom City, seizing control of the minds of most of the Freedom League. Scarab’s new protégé, Brainstorm, tries to defeat the Scions, but is no match for their sheer strength and perishes just as the Scarab arrives. Scarab, still not at full-strength after taxing his abilities during Operation Inundation, pushes himself past his limits to free the League from the Scions’ control, dying in the process. The League overcomes the Scions with the aid of Eldritch.

Mentac reveals his origins to the rest of the Atom Family. The group travels to the Moon to confront Lady Lunar and frees the city from her despotic rule. Although the rightful heir, Mentac abdicates and helps set up a democratic system of government. Mentac finally confesses his love for Andrea, who wholeheartedly returns his feelings.

Inmates at Blackstone Federal Penitentiary, led by Doc Abattoir and Countess Azure, incite a riot. The warden and 40 guards are killed, as well as both of the instigators and the villains Ramrod, Sir Razor, the Wraith, the Silver Satyr, Ms. Malice, and the triplets known as ConflagNation. Only the clear-headed actions of the prison staff, led by rookie guard Joshua Drummer, and the technology of Dr. Abby Wallace keep any prisoners from actually escaping. Public blame for the disaster falls on the city administration as well as absent heroes, despite evidence distractions had been set up to keep heroes like Centurion occupied during the prison break. CODE, in particular, lambasts against the failures leading to the riot; their membership swells as a result. The day after the Blackstone Riot, an envelope—anonymously sent by Doc Abattoir—arrives at the Daily Herald, containing the secret identities of the Eyes of Night. The newspaper publishes the information, effectively ending the heroic pair’s anonymity.

During Callie Summers’ sixteenth birthday party, Dr. Sin re-emerges from hiding and kidnaps his granddaughter. Duncan Summers—reclaiming his Raven identity—and Jasmine Summers track down the villain, but while successful in freeing their daughter, Jasmine is killed when she throws herself in front of her father’s death ray to save her husband. Not long thereafter, Callie Summers begins operating covertly as the Raven.

Facing irrefutable evidence of corruption and FORCE Ops’s revelation of the mayor’s ties to organized crime, the Moore administration is soundly defeated by Michael O’Connor, Jr. and his “No Moore” campaign. Moore, while never personally charged with a crime, leaves the city in disgrace. The Price of Freedom team is disbanded and most of its members, facing corruption charges, leave the city. Mayor O’Connor devotes his effort and fortune to reestablishing the public’s trust in the government, immediately working to repeal the Moore Act.

Its ranks decimated during the invasion, FORCE Ops disbands. Ethan Keller, exhausted by the constant fighting and humbled by the Terminus Invasion and the loss of so many of his friends, retires as Archer and becomes a freelance security consultant.

Mayor O’Connor activates the Special Tactics and Regulation (STAR) Squad of the FC Police Department to deal with super-powered threats; Leonard Upton is appointed to head up the squad. The STAR Squad faces its first challenge when the Fear-Master activates an experimental device that turns the citizens against superheroes. The officers are able to rally enough people to fight their fears and force the villain to retreat.

Maximus, Tesla, Victoria, and Chase Atom are revealed to have mutant powers. Maximus has powers over his body’s atomic structure, Tesla displays the ability to generate and manipulate nucleonic energy fields, Victoria has the power to change her shape, and Chase displays telepathic abilities.

Duncan Summers completes the renovation of Claremont Academy and takes in its first new group of students, including Bowman (Fletcher Beaumont III), Megastar, Nereid, Seven, and Sonic.

The White Knight, a radical racist empowered by the dark entity Mr. Infamy, attacks the opening ceremony of the Celebrate Diversity festival in the Riverside district. Johnny Rocket is able to prevent the White Knight from disrupting the ceremony, although the villain escapes capture.

The deep ones mobilize the Atlantean military to invade the surface world but are stopped by a combination of the Freedom League and Atom Family; the Next-Gen take their teammate Nereid to free her father and the rest of the Atlantean royal family from the deep ones’ influence, averting the invasion.

Jack Simmons, having been diagnosed with inoperable cancer, volunteers for AEGIS’ Project Ironmonger. His memories are downloaded into an android body, which is given the identity of deceased agent, Faraday Irons.

The Grue kidnap and replace the Atom Family with Grue duplicates and imprint Darr’Kann, a specially bred and modified warrior, with the powers of all of the Atoms, intending him to be the first of a new generation of super-Grue. However, psychic interaction with the Atoms, enhanced by the telepathic abilities of Chase Atom, breaks Darr’Kann’s connection with the Meta-Mind. Filled with fear for his life and personal ambition, the so-called Meta-Grue turns against his master.

During a freak lightning storm, a teen girl appears in Freedom City. Calling herself “Centuria,” she claims to be the daughter of the Centurion from an alternate Earth, sent across the dimensional boundary because their world was being invaded by the Terminus. Tests prove she is telling the truth, but it is too late to save her home Earth. Centuria enrolls in Claremont Academy.