Things had to change. Everyone knew that. What once was a great honor would soon become a terrible burden. Financially, funding these little pet projects was something not even the government appeared willing to do after awhile. During the 40s, before and even after the Second World War, they were heroes. Everyone knew them by name, or at least, their alias. No one bothered question any of it. The police even welcomed their help. They were given awards, homes, money, a few even starred in television shows at one point. One of the brightest stars was Haelmon, leader of the Renegades. Haelmon was a man of incomparable strength. His Renegades were the ultimate superhero group of their day. The other members included: Lady Day, Joey Wind, Maelstrom, Dee Valance, and Black Lotus. Together, they defeated crime, kept the city of Herron at bay and altogether kept the peace. Everyone wanted to be them. But, alas, all good things had to come to an end.

Many of the villains had banded together. They called themselves the 7th Sanctuary and by 1947, were the primary targets of the Renegades. Led by Nocturne and Tempest Godspawn, the 7th Sanctuary set out to make the lives of those who lived in Herron a living hell and they succeeded. Buildings were destroyed, lives were killed and Lady Day was kidnapped. It all seemed too much for the Renegades to handle. When Haelmon attempted to rescue Lady Day and was defeated by the powerful Nocturne, everyone knew that the reign of the superhero had officially come to an end. After the event, many other groups disbanded, fading into obscurity. The whereabouts of Haelmon was never disclosed. For a few more years, Black Lotus and Dee Valance attempted to keep the Renegades alive, but realized that it was no longer any use. The Herron City Police Department, filled with corruption and a lot of anti-super sentiment, made sure that no Super was allowed in their city and many were eventually banned unless they went away quietly.

By the year 1951, the popularity of these heroes and many others soon faded. Those who were still remnant had gotten into trouble with the law, with each other, or had burnt themselves out entirely. The government, realizing that continuing to fund these groups would only result in failure, ordered the Superhero Secrecy Act. This act forced all Supers to go into hiding and prohibit the use of their abilities in public. It was a blow to the scene. Not too many people knew what became of most of their icons, as many had secret identities. The middle of the 50s saw a great deal of change in Herron. With the Supers no longer in control of the city, crime was able to rise. The 7th Sanctuary rose to the occasion, with the cops and politicians at their mercy. Nocturne turned Herron City in his playground and it all crumbled around him.

People were begging for their heroes again, but because of the Secrecy Act, none stepped up to the plate. Many had either started to get accustomed to “normal” life, or had no interest in helping anymore. There was also that risk of ruining the lives that they had gotten used to. A few people, however, rose to the occasion, though did so anonymously. These vigilantes’s were able to keep Nocturne and 7th Sanctuary on their feet. Nocturne began to fear for his own safety and that of his group. Secretly, he was left wondering if Haelmon had something to do with this. Though defeated, Nocturne hadn’t been able to completely destroy Haelmon and it was something that haunted him every night though no one knew this but him.

The whereabouts of Lady Day was also a mystery and many had assumed that either she too had disappeared or had been killed by 7th Sanctuary. When a member of 7th Sanctuary, Ivy Reed, went missing, Nocturne knew that something was amiss. No Supers had come forward, however and he was left to brood about his suspicions quietly. Off and on, new groups would quiet emerge, some lasting longer than others. Two of these groups, The Apostles and Titans, seriously became a thorn on 7th Sanctuary’s side. The Apostles were formed in 1953 by William Sullivan. Sully, as he preferred to be called, liked to operate his group during the day. It was a change of pace because a lot of groups, mainly during the Golden Years, operated at night. Sully and his Apostles main goal was to try and find the Renegades. Even though the Apostles were strong in their own right, they really considered themselves the Second Coming as far as the Renegades were concerned. Sully studied and idolized Haelmon, which worried Nocturne a great deal.

On the other side of town were the Titans. Unlike their Herron City counterparts, the Titans cared little about 7th Sanctuary, the Renegades or anything concerning “old, dying Supers”. This group was led by Lilly Page and was more youthful and rebellious in spirit. They ignored the Secrecy Act and boldly paraded themselves about. Mercury City was a far cry from that of Herron. It was more modern and many Supers flocked to this Mecca. 7th Sanctuary had no bounds here and many Supers were able to do as they pleased. It was a real haven and the Titans had the corner on it. This only further angered Nocturne and he sought to try and take over Mercury city as well. Fearing the same sort of oppression, the Titans took a stand against him, with many other Supers following suit. This caused a great deal of strife simply because many Supers were supposed to keep their identities hidden from the public. Now that 7th Sanctuary expressed some interest in Mercury City, the ideals of the past were soon coming into question in the present.

The year is 1955 and a lot has changed in the span of only a few years. The Renegades are still MIA, the Apostles are further irritating 7th Sanctuary, the Titans are trying to hold their ground, and many are openly questioning whether the Secrecy Act is worth it at all. In the meantime, normal human citizens are quietly paying attention to the storm that is slowly starting to erupt in both Herron and Mercury. They have little say in the manner and are only hoping that whatever fight happens, they are left out of. For now, both cities are on the verge of something extraordinary. It’s an exciting place to be if you’re a Super. Are you a good guy, or a bad guy? Do you work solo or in groups? Are you just a human, watching anxiously, or are you completely indifferent? Choose your side, but don’t let them choose for you. You might not like the outcome!