City of Heroes: SUNRISE

A Campaign Setting for Heroes Unlimited

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Do you hear it? The slow, inevitable march of my forces?

The opening bumper music blares from the television set. The OReilly Factor is on tonight. Caution: youre about to enter the No-Spin zone! A lone figure stands in the shadows of a dark room watching the program.

As the opening credits end, Bill OReilly smiles into the camera. Good evening. We've got a lot

to cover tonight, from trouble in the Middle East to Obamacare and the President's response. But first we have this bombshell. The screen switches to a clip from an earlier broadcast of Fox newswoman Megyn Kelly.

Breaking news from Paragon City where Synapse announced today that the Freedom Phalanx is disbanding, citing a lack of membership and the growing public disillusionment with superheroes following the events of Sunset. Synapse is apparently the last remaining member of the Phalanx alive. In related news, Gotham City is in the midst of an unprecedented mob war that has continued to escalate following the Sunset disappearance of the Batman. . . . Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Like the hands on a clock, there is nothing you can do to stop it once it is wound up. Did you hear that? OReilly gleefully beams. Did you hear that? Looks like the heroes of Paragon City are finally taking my advice!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The world does not need their Ubermensch mentality lording it over us common men like Greek gods. Look what superhumans have done in the Rogue Isles. It was a corrupt and lawless land even before Lord Recluse's disappearance. Now it's in the middle of a civil war, and not a single person in Arachnos, the 5th Column, or the Council can gain permanent control of any territory. Its a haven for terrorists of the worst sort. Now, I know what you're going to ask me, OReilly continues. You're asking me, Bill, what about all the good those heroes have done? To which I must ask, do you want a piece of my mind?

Well, of course you do. These so called superheroes have been nothing but a blight on the community since the close of World War II. They cause nothing but property damage and loss of life and now what few heroes remain after the Sunset have finally gotten the message. We can take care of ourselves and we don't need them. We can do just fine without those no-good, above-it-all, spandex-wearing pansies, and I for one think it's high time they hang up their capes and lead a normal life like good hard-working people like you and me!

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Most of the Heroes of Paragon may be gone. . . . We do not need all of these superheroes of questionable morals and secret identities. What are they hiding behind their checkered masks? . . . .but some. . . . And in response to this so-called Sunrise," OReilly coldly continues, this movement of stubborn heroes harkening back to the glory days of their self-named Golden Age, I say this: not in Paragon City! Not in my nation! Not in my world! And I say to every one of you, my loyal audience, give them a piece of your mind! Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. . . . .choose to fight when others tell them not to. But they can no more fight me than they can fight Fate. They cannot thwart my plans. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. We'll be right back, the smirking face of Bill OReilly beams at the cameras.

*************************

In August of 2012, a signal came to Earth. It was first picked up by the Australians, but over the next twenty-four hours, the nations of the world received the same warning: The Battalion is coming. What Rikti allies Earth had gained informed us of the true severity of the danger. The Battalion was made up of the very creatures the Rikti fought prior to their transformation. And that war was costly. With this new information, a plan was formed. Called SUNSET, it was executed in November, 2012. Few knew the exact details, but the results were immediately felt. Our ability to access the shards of the Multiverse was cut off, and the Portal Corporations gates went dark. Praetoria and Ouroboros also became inaccessible. But the most striking change was that the majority of the worlds heroes and villains simply vanished, never to be heard from again. Some fundamentalist Christians called it the Rapture. Others with more knowledge postulated that Pandora's Box was closed once more. Initially, people feared what would happen now that so many heroes were gone. But after a while, people learned there wasn't much to fear. We saw that life went on without the heroes, wherever they were. Whatever happened to them, we continued and went on. And the world seemed to welcome this new quiet life. It was the end of an age of heroes, some said, and, after all these years, we were finally at peace. Now, a year later, the world has changed. In the Rogue Islands, Arachnos was fractured by the disappearance of Lord Recluse and his chief lieutenants such as Captain Mako and Ghost Widow. As the in-fighting among the leaderless factions continues, the Council and Fifth Column have carried their war into the Isles and are attempting to carve out their own territory and topple Arachnos once and for all. Viper has not made inroads into the Isles (yet), but Demon is currently scouring the Isles for lost or under-defended magical artifacts. Thraxis Industries has largely remained aloof from the infighting. Dr. Thraxis and General Flameskull have seized control of the PTS Station to prevent an apocalyptic meltdown of biblical proportions. In Paragon, the public has become cold to heroes because of the Sunset disappearances and the resulting rise in street crime and violence. A good number of heroes have hung up their capes. The Freedom Phalanx has disbanded due to low membership numbers (Synapse being the only main member remaining) and also due to the rising public disapproval. The Paragon Mutant Society has retreated to their hidden Faultline base due to a rising tide of anti-mutant sentiment. The Longbow Corps is operating at reduced funding and was forced to withdraw from several ongoing operations. And yet, crime still persists, and people sometimes still need a hero. A new generation has taken up the challenge. A small movement of superheroes, calling themselves the Sunrise, has decided it will become Paragon City's next generation of heroes. This is not a super group, but a loose alliance of like-minded individuals. Their time is now.