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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Shadow" data-source="post: 4925120" data-attributes="member: 16760">TimelineA timeline of the Shadow-Force world, as it differs from our own:Prehistory:  Telepathic powers arise in the human genome.  (This has been demonstrated by genetic research.)  Powerful psis in subsequent history are either very uncommon, or mostly smart enough to go undocumented.ca. 10,000 BC:  In the Atlantean version of history, a group of telepathic humans gathered together and formed their own civilization, soon moving to Atlantis, a large island in the Atlantic Ocean.ca. 8,000 BC:  The Atlanteans claim to have developed their crystal-tech and a flourishing magical system by this time.ca. 2000-1500 BC:  The rise of Atlantis in mainstream historical thought.  Scholars do not believe they initially had a large number of telepaths - the preponderance of telepathy among Atlanteans is attributed to genetic drift and selective breeding.ca. 1000 BC:  All agree that Atlantis, which had previously traded with the Phoenicians, Etruscans, and Greeks, adopts an isolationist policy.ca. 200 BC:  According to the Atlantean view, Atlantis is destroyed in a crystal-tech accident.  The survivors settle on a small island south of the Azores and use their powers to shield it from discovery.  According to the mainstream view, Atlanteans may have lived there the whole time - no solid geological evidence of Atlantis or its destruction has ever been discovered.  Some even claim they started as a Phoenician colony, though the Atlanteans hotly dispute this.406 AD:  Attila the Hun, the first widely agreed-upon mutant, is born.  (Scholars continue to argue about earlier figures.)  He could call storms.400-800 AD:  Magic disappears from the world.  Magical creatures either die or flee to other dimensions.  Dragons, vampires (several kinds), lycanthropes, satyrs, fey, and others are known or highly suspected to have existed.1200's AD:  A French baron displays immunity to swords and arrows.  (He is eventually killed by a catapult.)1503 AD:  Nostradamus, the most astonishing precognitive on record, is born.  [His prophecies are less vague and FAR more accurate in this world than in ours.]1640 AD:  A woman being burned as a witch in Germany spontaneously develops fire powers.  (She is shot.)  [A scattering of other mutants arise elsewhere in the world too.]1854 AD:  Nikola Tesla, "Dr. Marvel", is born.  He is the first known esper super-genius.1884 AD:  Tesla migrates to the United States, working initially for Thomas Edison.  He is exposed to a powerful electric shock which brings his super-intellect into full flower.  A month later he astonishes the world with his first crude robot.1895 AD:  Tesla is killed in the explosion of his lab.1917 AD:  World War I is definitively ended by American use of Tesla-derived weaponry.1920's AD:  The first "Mystery Men" appear, sporting psionic and mutant powers.  (Others are normals imitating them.)  Magic returns gradually through the decade, getting stronger as it progresses.  The Shadow, the Grey Wraith, Doc Raven, and Dr. Miracle are prominent figures in this time.  (Dr. Miracle is the only surviving Mystery Man in 2008, and is a member of the Galactic Guardians.  His codename is a deliberate homage to Tesla, though he is a mage himself.)  [Note:  Doc Raven and the Grey Wraith are characters from a Roaring 20's Champions game the group had a while back.  I thought it would be fun to tie them into the Shadow-Force universe.  As for the Shadow, well, he has a special spot in my heart. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  And Dr. Miracle is a long-established figure in the campaign.]1931 AD:  The first satyrs appear in New England and Greece, quickly establishing themselves as a major threat.  Many Mystery Men band together to fight back this extradimensional menace.  (Some satyrs still remain in 2008, though they have quieted down considerably.  A few are even superheroes, invariably mages.  Their DNA is almost identical to human, which creeps a lot of people out.  Yes, there are female satyrs, and they do have the hots for human men, but they aren't nearly as horny and aggressive as the male satyrs are.)  [Other extradimensional beings appear in succeeding years.]1939 AD:  World War II begins.  Governments on both sides make use of superpowered individuals - many famous Golden Age heroes and villains came to light during the war.  The most famous American hero is "Uncle" Sam Brown.  (Though he looks nothing like the traditional "Uncle Sam", being a clean-shaven brick.)1943 AD:  A power struggle between Nazi super-scientists and the Thule Society results in one scientist (Werner von Braun, later known as Raketmann or Rocket Man) fleeing to the Allies and another (Werner Heisenberg) being killed.  The destruction of Heisenberg's lab produces the superbeing Nukleon.  The Thule Society consolidates its hold on Hitler.  (Their leader wore a mask and never revealed his name save to Hitler, claiming it would give power over him.  He is known to history as Namenlos, or the Nameless.)  The Nazis have a single superscientist left, Dr. Mengele.  An infamous geneticist and eugenicist who experimented on death camp prisoners (producing a number of mutants in the process), he was executed during the Nuremberg Trials.1945 AD:  Hitler appeals to the Nameless for a 'Wonder Weapon' to end the war.  The Thule Society engages in a massive ritual in a misguided attempt to summon one of the Aesir, probably Thor.  It went horribly awry (later magical research showed they were trying to summon something without any clear idea whether it even existed or not), summoning the being known only as the Unseen Death.  (Unsichtbar Tote in German.)  The Death kills all the members of the Thule Society in reach, apparently with a slashing weapon, and then begins hunting down the surviving members, cutting a swath through Europe in the process.Nuclear bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, producing many mutants as well as staggering loss of life.  Germany and Japan surrender unconditionally to the Allies.1946 AD:  The Unseen Death is carving its way through France, making a beeline for Argentina, when it is ambushed by the American mage Seventh Son.  Seventh Son is killed in the ensuing fight, but the Death is apparently banished or destroyed.  In the days after the war, supers are viewed much the way the atomic bomb is - necessary but feared military assets.  [This is the world's equivalent of the "Super Gap".  Heroes and villains are around, but keep a low profile.]1946-1991 AD:  The Cold War employs a number of supers on both sides.  The Russians strongly disapprove of magic (it's too "elitist" and "superstitious", not to mention highly favored by the Nazis), but are much enamoured of psionics.  As for mutants...  It is suspected that many of Stalin's purges were deliberate attempts to create them.1950:  Senator Joseph McCarthy - a very mild esper - notices an attempt by a Russian telepath to read his mind.  He embarks on a crusade to root out Communist telepathic spies, and many innocent telepaths are caught up in his net.  McCarthy is remembered in 2008 as a heroic figure fighting a genuine threat, who became tragically overzealous and went too far.  [This world's equivalent of McCarthyism was focussed almost exclusively on those with psionic powers.]Telepaths have been perceived as a wronged minority ever since this time.  [This is one reason why they are not more feared for their powers - it smacks too much of McCarthy.  It's also one reason why crimefighting registration is so lenient and hands-off at the first level.]William MacCrae (the future Bazooka) is born.1965 AD:  Earth is invaded in multiple locations by the extradimensional bipedal lizards dubbed the Hissies.  (Their own name for themselves is unpronounceable by humans.)  Their super-scientific weaponry proves to be very vulnerable to electricity, and superheroes around the world exploit this vulnerability mercilessly.  The Atlanteans reveal themselves to the world at this time, offering their aid against the Hissy threat.  (In 2008, they have non-voting observer status in the General Assembly of the United Nations.)  The role of superheroes in saving the world results in an outpouring of appreciation and adulation - supers are viewed in a much more positive light thereafter.  [The world's Silver Age roars onto the scene with the Hissies.]  The most iconic and cherished American hero is Solar, a flying energy-projector with legendary charisma and good looks.One of the major Hissy beachheads is in Vietnam.  Once they are driven out, American forces become embroiled with the Viet Cong.  This Vietnam War is not as heavily protested at home as it was in our world, though it is still quite unpopular.  During the war, it first becomes common for superheroes to wear masks and conceal their identities;  while many are willing to serve their country, they do not wish to be preferentially drafted for their powers.1966 AD:  James Harris (the future Erebus) is born.1967 AD:  A counter-invasion of the Hissy home dimension is launched.  Unfortunately, on their home turf, Hissy weaponry is not nearly as vulnerable, and the invasion fails.  A strike team of superheroes convinces the Hissies that their leaders can be assassinated at will, however (none were actually killed, but the possibility was vividly impressed upon them) and a peace accord is reached.  (The threat of sending across nuclear weapons to their dimension also impressed them - they had never invented anything of the sort.)  The Hissies agreed to destroy all their dimensional-travel equipment and to provide samples of their literature so that we could understand them better.  In turn both sides would mutually ignore each other.  (Hissy literature revealed them to regard all other beings as cattle, and their society to be based on the submission of the weak to the strong.)  Within days of resolving the worldwide crisis, the Cold War is back into full swing.1968 AD:  William MacCrae fights in Vietnam, manifesting force-field powers and eventually a powerful blast.  His slow aging did not become apparent until later.1970 AD:  American forces withdraw from Vietnam.  The inconclusive and bloody war with the Hissies drained enthusiasm for further fighting faster than in our world.1978:  The American government establishes its crimefighter registration program, regularizing the public activity of superheroes.  [This can be regarded as the beginning of the Bronze Age, which is more or less still going on.  The Shadow-Force world never had an Iron Age of comics as such, though there are some heroes who tend in that direction.  Erebus, we're looking at you. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ]1980:  Scott Campbell (the future Technoid) is born.  He reveals a formidable intellect from infancy.1981:  Elizabeth Avery (the future Brimstone) is born.1983:  The first incarnation of the Galactic Guardians is formed.  Many superhero teams had popped up around the country, and this was an attempt at producing a team for the whole nation.  Of the original team, only Dr. Miracle and the Golden Guardian remain in 2008.  The latter is probably the most famous and well-known extant American hero.Michael "Thompson" (the future Phantom) and Jonathan Clark (Photon) are born.1988:  William MacCrae retires from the US Army Rangers.  Many details of his career are classified.1989-91:  The Soviet bloc and Soviet Union fall, just as they did in our world.1991:  The Gulf War occurs, in eerie accord with one of Nostradamus' prophecies.  He predicted many major and even minor details of the war, including a clear reference to General Schwarzkopf's name.  This draws considerable attention to Nostradamus' last remaining dated prophecy, for 2012.  (There are a number of prophecies with no dates attached, the fulfillment of which is often controversial... all the dated ones have come true, however, within a year of the date he gave.)1993:  The Freedom Squad is formed in Tacoma by American Eagle II, Black Phantom II, and Hardhat.  They are later joined by Jo-Tan and Victrix.Elizabeth Avery spontaneously teleports away from a runaway tanker truck loaded with sulfuric acid.  She is not entirely spared the fumes when it crashes, however.1994:  Michael "Thompson" is kidnapped by P.S.I. and dubbed "Phantom" for his unusual astral projection power.1996:  Jonathan Clark is adopted by the Winters family.1997:  James Harris is infected by Shadow energies, mastering them to become the being known as Erebus.  He begins to fight crime almost immediately.1999:  The Phantom's latent full-spectrum telepathic powers are activated, as well as minor telekinesis.  He keeps them secret from P.S.I.2000:  The legendary Millennium Bug plot by the super-hacker DarKnight is narrowly averted... ironically revealing in the process an otherwise perfect plot by unknown parties to enslave the world through their computers.The Phantom escapes from P.S.I.2001:  On September 11, a plot by terrorists to hijack planes and crash them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Capitol is foiled by several different hero groups.  [Most people have forgotten about it by 2008.  There is no Patriot Act, and no war in Iraq.]X-97 Alpha and Beta are created by an unknown super-scientist.  Both are very close-mouthed about their "father", who was murdered shortly after their creation.Scott Campbell, having kept his super-intellect mostly under wraps, resolves to fight crime after his brother is killed in a mugging.William MacCrae also begins his crimefighting career, for reasons he has not shared.2002:  The Phantom and Erebus meet and put an end to the organization known as P.S.I.  They are joined by Technoid.Elizabeth Avery discovers she can produce fiery "grenades" from her hands.  She resolves to fight crime as "Brimstone" once she graduates from college at ASU the following year.2003:  Shadow-Force is formed in Seattle by the Phantom, Erebus, and Technoid.  They are soon joined by Bazooka, Brimstone, and X-97.Shadow-Force defeats Seth-Amon, a powerful demonologist.2004:  Shadow-Force encounters Forestrike and his gang for the first time, fighting with them repeatedly over the next several years.Hardhat is murdered by VOICE.  Shadow-Force defeats the VOICE squad responsible, and they and the Freedom Squad later tangle inconclusively with the head of the syndicate, the infamous Red Dragon.2005:  Jonathan Winters comes to Seattle as a full professor of physics at UW.Shadow-Force goes cross-country to help contain a prison-break at Stronghold.  Forestrike and Jack o'Lantern are among the escapees.Alpha is hacked, turning Shadow-Force's own base against them.  He manages to give sufficient veiled warning in time for the group to take action, however. [Alpha mimicking HAL 9000 in a creepy voice, "I'm sorry, I can't do that... DAVE."]2006:  Shadow-Force is kidnapped and placed in individually-designed deathtraps in the underwater base of a mysterious South African villain.  The guy was whisked off by the feds after he was defeated, and they never did learn what was going on.  [The Phantom had one of his most memorable funny lines here.  After the villain elaborately explains the trap over an intercom and is about to sign off, he says, "Wait!  Aren't you going to tell me all about your childhood and why you're doing all this?"  "...No."  "But it's traditional!" <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />]Forestrike and his gang hijack a plane, which is subsequently blown up by the Air Force.  Several members of the gang are killed, and the rest flee the country.Jonathan Winters develops electromagnetic powers and joins the Shadow-Force reserve team under the name Photon.2007:  Photon goes undercover to defeat the Covenant.  Shadow-Force and the Freedom Squad, working together, bring down Red Dragon.  (She later escapes Stronghold.)Forestrike sends the Phantom two letters, nearly a year apart, warning in veiled terms of Diabolus, the Doctor, troubles with the Shadow Realm, and other things, some of which are still cryptic.The extradimensional archmage known as Diabolus breaches the Earth dimension in Seattle.  Shadow-Force narrowly saves the city and perhaps the world.  The team comes to prominent national attention.2008:  Technoid is exposed to a device of an evil super-scientist that somehow melds his body with his power armor and other inventions.  A squad of the scientist's minions had earlier tried to invade the Shadow-Force base... only to be thoroughly, ruthlessly, and untraceably destroyed by Erebus without using any powers and without making a single attack.  [Erebus to the cops on the bloodstained lawn, later:  *clucks tongue*  "Poor bastards must've set the charges wrong.  Blew up in their faces."]The Freedom Squad are murdered by the Doctor.  They are avenged by Shadow-Force after a long chase through multiple dimensions.  (Photon sits this one out, remaining behind in Seattle.)The Phantom and Erebus disappear into the Shadow Realm.  Shadow-Force is dissolved.  [Note:  The game was originally played from about 1990-1995.  We've had to change the timeline here and there to adjust to bringing it into the present.]  The current campaign begins.2012:  Nostradamus' last remaining dated prophecy states that, 'Those who are men and those who are not men will fight side by side against the fallen angels who bow not to Lucifer.'  There is much discussion in 2008 about just what that could mean.</blockquote>

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