History

Prehistory: Several figures rise in various lands, triggering legends that snowball into full-fledged mythologies.

Pre-History: Man roams the Earth without match, gaining speed and spreading virulently. A few great men and a few great women manage to become legends. The little evidence archaeologists can dig up shows:

15000 to 8000 BCE: Modern humans emerge as the dominant species. Most don't have any distinguishing metahuman abilities, but a few records and pieced-together cave inscriptions imply most metahumans adopt roles as prime hunters of societies or as shamans and archaic political leaders.

5000 to 2500 BCE: The Egyptian dynasties are founded by what many scholars believe are the first metahumans: the gods, Ra and his disciples. Current theories conclude they functioned through use of unknown communiques between their followers and the leaders of the pantheon.

2700 BCE: The Sumerian king Gilgamesh slays monsters, saves civilization, and builds the walls of Uruk in twelve days and twelve nights - single-handedly. His legend has since been changed and remade, but all current evidence leads experts to concur he was one of the first confirmed metahumans.

1750 BCE to 1492 CE: The indigenous people of the American super-continent split off into numerous tribes and sub-groups, some settling and creating massive cities, other roaming as vagabond-kings and vagrant-queens. The people continue in this tradition, with what is believed to be the highest concentration of metahumans in the ancient world at almost one in every ten children born. This is thought to be the reason for the Far West's lack of technological advancement and inability to resist the overwhelming force of the Europeans who would take over.

1300 to 1200 BCE: Heroes (the equivalent of the modern day super-hero, though without masked counterparts) of Greece and Troy clash for the honor of their gods. Metahuman scholars and experts believe inspiration for the Greek gods and their pan-Mediterranean counterparts throughout the world came from a shadowy group of very well-connected, very powerful superhumans.

1000 BCE to 1000 CE Masked crusaders and other heroes are mistaken for avatars of the gods in South Asia. This trend continues until the modernization of the world, or around the Industrial Revolution. Some claim to be divine spirits made flesh and bone, others decry their own legends and fight for power or self-interest.

60 BCE to 17 CE: Roman expansion makes extensive use of state-raised metahumans to conquer much of the known civilized world. The fall of Caesar is occasionally attributed to a mysterious Man Behind the Curtain or to a group of shadowy string-pullers, though little evidence suggests this has much to do with superhumans.

32 CE to 400 CE: With the strategic state-sponsored killing of a famous, bearded Jewish criminal (which the looniest conspiracy theorists will find ways to pin on the Catholic church) the Roman empire seizes European power. However, as they spread, their stronghold on the metahuman population is weakened, and many escape, forming their own seats of power. They lead to a weakened Rome and eventually the fall.

474 CE to 516 CE: A man now known as Arthur seizes power in a small region of what is now the United Kingdom with the help of the believed mutant Merlin. Though the story is still believed to be myth by contemporary historians, those willing to believe and search the area of his former Utopian kingdom are constantly finding new and astounding evidence to suggest Camelot was more than just a fable.

650 CE to 1850 CE: The wandering tribes of the Middle Eastern deserts have an unusually high concentration of metahumans, but the powerful advances in warfare, respect for the sciences, and the politically influential Muslim scholars throughout this time lead to eradication and almost-genocide of many groups due to religious and societal hatred for those born with abilities not fully understood. The first known instance of metahumans being sold into slavery is documented around 1250 CE, as are the first metahuman revolts a few years later. Some, who lack formal proof, have even suggested the ancient land feuds in the Holy Lands comes as much from the settled metahuman populations as it does ideology.

732 CE —: The Catholic church suppresses metahumans and other exceptional individuals, except in few, related cases (most of which involve espionage for His Holiness the Pope). Elsewhere, heroes are silenced for various other reasons - mostly political. Those who survive are stronger for it, and most flee across borders to the far reaches of the Eurasian continent and Africa.

1066 CE to 1102 CE: Robin Hood prances around central England, fighting for the poor. Or himself. Or both. Meanwhile, the Normans of France and the tribes of Anglo-Saxons do battle with scores of superhumans in their ranks. William the Conqueror is said to have used A battalion of all of France's metas to take the English lands and kill their kings. His victory is admired by most metahuman scholars and strategists as the first to demonstrate the dire power of mixed armies.

1200 to 1650 CE: Many legendary Japanese mythological figures such as Momotarō and Masamune are seen and written about, perhaps the first metahumans recorded in Japan and the Pacific. In Mideastern Asia, presumed avatars of god and nature make themselves known, becoming famous throughout and enjoying lavish attention in their slices of the world.

1492 to 1776 As the New World begins to fall under foreign rule, metahumans and baseline warriors band together, using their own wits to, ultimately, fail to revolt. The examples set a high precedent for conquerors wishing to explore the land. Contemporary archaeological studies reveal the most powerful metahumans at the time hailed not from any major country but from the then-uncharted islands in the Pacific and the area now known as Mexico City.

1500 CE —: Most super-heroes work through legacies of secrecy and any mention of them by this point is regarded as little more than ignorant folklore. The first superhuman teams are believed to be formed in this time, the first being The Civilised Men - a group of dedicated Germanic metahumans devoted wholly to furthering the agenda of an as-yet unknown leader. Those in the kingdoms of the modern-day Europe Union are mostly baseline, but some muscle their way into knighthood or charm and hypnotize their way into courts through metahuman intervention.

1620 to 1870: Slavery in the Americas is rampant, and many foreigner's religions are reignited by metahuman abilities again interpreted as holy (or unholy) avatars. The scientific revolution in Europe and the Enlightenment are thought to be headed by a unified group of metahumans and baselines with immeasurable skill. The technology invented in the time is mostly though lost, but certain blueprints and ancient workings show the greatest minds of the time were capable of fantastical inventions.

1690 to 1702: The Salem Witch Trials hysteria spreads throughout the colonies, and some metahumans are burned at the stake, pressed, hanged, or jailed indefinitely for witchcraft. The church reignites their secretive crusade of metas, but this time they are ready. It is generally believed the downfall of power beginning around the end of the Holy Crusades and the splits of the church into numerous sects were orchestrated by metahumans with grudges who did not forget the churches past.

1773 to 1785: The beginnings of the American Revolution, a long, difficult series of known and unknown battles that raged for years. Finally, the colonies gain independence with significant foreign aide, which marks the first use of modern metahuman combat. Famous guerrilla fighters like Francis Marion are believed to be just a few of numerous superhuman participants on the American side. The astonishing victory over the British empire is now known to have been mostly won by soldiers, but the strategic ambushes and supply-line requisitions by American superhumans were vital. The English also cease suppression of their metahuman population after losing the colonies, in an attempt to restructure their army. Where previously the metahumans would fight side-by-side with baselines, the loss to the Americans revolutionized metahuman combat and led to a string of assassinations by those willing to work for a better tomorrow. They would eventually employ them in battles against other metahumans.

1811 —: Hushed, covered-up battles between various para-governmental superhuman groups (starting with the War of 1812 and continuing thereon) are waged in secrecy. None are recorded in history books - most are kept off of paper, but all wars featuring major powers at the time had silent metahuman battles in addition to baseline warfare. The then-British/French-controlled nation of Canada emerges as the foremost and strongest metahuman-producing country, and is kept out of most major battles as a result.

1861 to 1865: Showcasing perhaps the most inventive use of superhumans in battle, The War Between the States (American Civil War) utilized novel strategies and tactics. The Confederacy used immensely powerful metas to turn the tide, but The Union of the United States Army was victorious largely in thanks to the expert planning of the likely-superhuman Abraham Lincoln. His subsequent death is one of the foremost mutant conspiracy theories.

1914 to 1918: The first World War sees a huge increase in technology, and finally gives baseline humans a competitive edge against metahumans. The new technology allows the otherwise superhuman-deprived nations (such as Austria-Hungary) to be major (if small) contenders on all war-fronts.

1921 to 1922: A small band of disillusioned metahuman war veterans uncover a centuries-old plot implicating almost every aristocrat still holding power in the systematic enslavement of metahumans for the entertainment and pleasure of kings. This underground slave ring was brought down, but rumors today claim it may not be as dead as we think.

1931 to 1945: The German government is said to commit controversial (and as yet unproven) genetic experiments to make super-soldiers in the coming second World War. France and England's growing metahuman population proves no match for the military juggernaut that was the Axis forces. Eventual aide from foreign superhumans does little to help, and the conflict eventually (for the first time in over 700 years) becomes more about numbers and technology than selective, secret, superhuman warfare. The ensuing American superhuman aide infiltrating Germany and France is key, but the war is ultimately won thanks to the baseline men and women who fought for freedom.

1945 to 1991: The Cold War between the American superpower and the Socialist Republics of the world is waged secretly between government employed metahumans and highly-traned baseline operatives. Though little collateral damage ensues, much of the general hostility is directly tied to metahuman battles either unknown or suppressed to the public. With the fall of the Berlin wall, superhumans finally call a peace treaty.

1961: Comic books featuring fictional superhumans, previously only pulp, begin publishing at an astounding rate, though reports of actual superheroes remain only whispers and mocking rumors. The public, though, begins believing in them, and the literature begins reflecting a more mature and socially-conscious superhuman populous.

1992 - 1994: Canada's Scarlet Eagle single-handedly stops hundreds of terrorists under the employ of J's Crew from taking over the city of Montreal, finally cementing the fact that heroes and villains exist in the world. He begins appearing on radio talk shows and television slots in costume and with a charismatic persona. The world falls in love with a collective sigh.

1993: The Canadian government releases classified information regarding the use of metahumans. Several other governments follow. The previously-thought fringe-sciences of Metabiology and the schools thought untouchable without metahumans are given full-funding and respect.

1995 —: The media loves the supermen-and-wonderwomen saving the world. The most famous among them have massive contracts and endorsements and become household gods. The public, with almost no exception, adores them. The few fringe sects who demonize them are generally and without remorse ridiculed. Every political side loves them, the left seeing defenders of justice and society, the right seeing the ultimate expression of freedom and self-reliance.

1996: Denmark establishes the Standby High-Readiness Brigade, a team of European superhumans ready to defend the world if a threat breaks out. The team only lasts six months, when they fail to diffuse a hostage situation. After that, they disband in general shame, but a few form an informal superhero team to defend Denmark regardless. Without government regulation or rules, they are deadly - but entirely effective.

1999: The United States of America passes the Masked Act (formally called the Making America Safer through Knowledge and Evidence Decreed Act of 1999), which allows humans to fight crime as masked vigilantes assuming they register their secret identities with the United States. Many heroes disagree, and migrate to Canada or Europe, but the few that do stay are not outed as most feared. Some even form complex working relations with police and investigation bureaus.

September 2001: The Twin Towers in New York fall, and though some are saved from death, the events and ensuing demise of American hero Liberty Lad further prove America is in desperate need of superhuman defenders.

2002 —: The Office of Metahuman Affairs is established as a brother to the Department of Homeland Security in the United States. It, along with counterparts in most advanced countries, oversees foreign and domestic national superhuman efforts with help from various international metahuman liaison offices and plethora of attorneys and diplomats. In addition, it oversees the state licensing system for superhuman registration.

2009 —: The United Nations establishes the Superhuman Unit for the Protection of Earth, or S.U.P.E.s, the first global government-sponsored superhuman team. They are lead by the world-famous Scarlet Eagle, renamed The Swan. Though numerous other super-teams exist, the S.U.P.E.s represent the first transcontinental, multi-ethnic, internationally-funded team. It has proven in times of need that it can highly effective.

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