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+++ timeline [2026/02/23 17:09] (current) – editor
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 **466**  During the Battle of Wippedesfleot, Hengist slays Uther Pendragon. The skirmish is small but brutal, and Merlin interferes, showing himself for the first time in history, his display of magic enough that Hengist doesn't invade Brittania again.
-The Lady of Lake bestows Excalibur on Merlin, claiming only someone worthy of the sword can wield it. Merlin, unable to wield the sword himself, uses magic to place it into a stone from the hollow realm below and claims to the vying factions of nobles after Uther Pendragon's death that only the man worthy of being king can pull the sword from the stone.
+The Lady of Lake bestows Excalibur on Merlin, claiming only someone worthy of the sword can wield it. Merlin, unable to wield the sword himself, uses magic to place a different sword into a stone from the hollow realm below and claims to the vying factions of nobles after Uther Pendragon's death that only the man worthy of being king can pull the sword from the stone.
-**479** Arthur, at the age of 18, discovers his lineage and is told by Merlin about the sword in the stone. He goes to the stone and easily pulls out Excalibur, the sword that will make him the King of Britain. Merlin becomes Arthur's advisor and guide, helping him to establish Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table.
+**479** Arthur, at the age of 18, discovers his lineage and is told by Merlin about the sword in the stone. He goes to the stone and easily pulls it out, the sword that will make him the King of Britain. Merlin becomes Arthur's advisor and guide, granting him Excalibur and helping him to establish Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table.
 **480 - 485** Early years of Arthur's reign, including his marriage to Guinevere and the establishment of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Morgana le Fay, Arthur's half-sister and a powerful sorceress, begins to make her presence known, often clashing with Merlin and scheming against Arthur's rule. It is revealed that Morgana le Fay was once Merlin's apprentice, learning much of her powerful magic from him before turning against him and using it for her own purposes. These years are marked by civil war in Britain as Arthur consolidates his power and starts using Excalibur to fight off monsters from the hollow realm.
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 **1954 - 1955** The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education marks a significant advance in the civil rights movement, declaring segregated public schools unconstitutional. Rosa Parks' arrest leads to the Montgomery bus boycott, a crucial event in the civil rights movement. Simultaneously, the first supervillain, the White Knight, emerges in Bendis City, advocating white supremacy through violent means.
-**1957 - 1958** The USSR launches Sputnik 1, igniting the space race. In an unexpected move, Jericho destroys the satellite, acting independently and without U.S. authorization.  NASA is established to advance the U.S. space program. Meanwhile, Justin Case confronts the White Knight, battling the supremacist faction in Bendis City.
+**1957 - 1958**  In Bendis City, John Knight is born at home to Samson Knight and wife Theresa. The USSR launches Sputnik 1, igniting the space race. In an unexpected move, Jericho destroys the satellite, acting independently and without U.S. authorization.  NASA is established to advance the U.S. space program. Meanwhile, Justin Case confronts the White Knight, battling the supremacist faction in Bendis City.
-**Thursday, November 19th, 1959** A Diver ship from Jericho's universe appears above Bendis City, initiating the Second Diver Incident. Jericho engages and destroys the ship, but its pilot, a powerful Diver, emerges to battle him. Their fierce clash causes extensive destruction and loss of life across Kansas, Bendis City, New Mexico, and Texas. Jericho ultimately defeats the Diver pilot and takes the body aboard his own ship, while also recovering as most of the destroyed spacecraft, refusing the United States' request for both.
+**Thursday, November 19th, 1959** A Diver ship from Jericho's universe appears above Bendis City, initiating the Second Diver Incident. Jericho engages and destroys the ship, but its pilot, a powerful Diver, emerges to battle him. Their fierce clash causes extensive destruction and loss of life across Kansas, Bendis City, New Mexico, and Texas. Jericho ultimately defeats the Diver pilot and takes the body aboard his own ship, while also recovering most of the destroyed spacecraft, refusing the United States' request for both.
 ===== Silver Age and the Civil Rights Movement =====
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 **1962** The Cuban Missile Crisis occurs, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. President Kennedy manages to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the crisis, but tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union remain high. Costumed criminals and vigilantes start becoming more and more common place. The Mescalero Apache reservation in New Mexico experiences a technological boom after discovering the ruins of the Diver ship that Jericho destroyed.
-**1963-1966** Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C., advocating for equal rights for all people regardless of race. Later that year, President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas, sending shockwaves throughout the country. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking riots and unrest across the country. The Black Panther Party is founded in Oakland, California, advocating for the self-defense of African Americans against police brutality.
+**1963-1964** Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C., advocating for equal rights for all people regardless of race. Later that year, President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas, sending shockwaves throughout the country. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
+**1965** Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking riots and unrest across the country.
+**1966** The Black Panther Party is founded in Oakland, California, advocating for the self-defense of African Americans against police brutality.
 **1967** The Summer of Love takes place in San Francisco, with thousands of young people flocking to the city to participate in the counterculture movement.
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 **1970**  The Kent State shootings occur, with National Guardsmen firing on unarmed student protesters at Kent State University.
-**1971**  Aztlan annexes Loving County in Texas, leading to widespread panic among Americans living in the southern states. Aztlan becomes increasingly isolated on the global stage, with the United States and other nations imposing economic sanctions and other measures in response to the nation's aggressive actions.
+**1971**  Aztlan annexes Loving County in Texas, leading to widespread panic among Americans living in the southern states. Aztlan becomes increasingly isolated on the global stage, with the United States declaring war and other nations imposing economic sanctions and other measures in response to the nation's aggressive actions.
 **1972-1974** The Watergate scandal rocks the United States, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
 The landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade legalizes abortion in the United States, sparking controversy and protest on both sides of the issue. President Gerald Ford takes office after the resignation of Nixon, facing a difficult political climate and ongoing international tensions.
-**1975** The end of the Vietnam War brings relief and controversy to the United States, with many calling for accountability for the government's actions. In Aztlan, the city-state launches their own satellite into space, challenging Jericho's earlier warnings. Jericho responds by destroying the satellite and launching a counter-attack against Aztlan. However, Aztlan's superior technology allows them to drive off Jericho, though not without suffering significant losses. The incident leads to further tensions between Aztlan and the United States, as well as the metahuman community.
+**1975** The end of the Vietnam War brings relief and controversy to the United States, with many calling for accountability for the government's actions. In Aztlan, the city-state launches their own satellite into space, challenging Jericho's earlier warnings. Jericho responds by destroying the satellite and launching a counter-attack against Aztlan. However, Aztlan's superior technology allows them to drive off Jericho, though not without suffering significant losses. Samson Knight dies of a brain aneurysm.
+**1976-1978** Jimmy Carter is elected President of the United States, defeating incumbent Gerald Ford in a close election. The New York City blackout leads to widespread looting and violence, with metahumans said to be involved. The Love Canal disaster in upstate New York raises concerns about the environmental impact of metahuman abilities. Both incidents lead to renewed calls for metahuman regulation and registration.
+**1979** Aztlan launches a new satellite into space, causing further tensions between the city-state and the United States. Jericho, still harboring resentment towards Aztlan, destroys the satellite and attacks the city-state once again. This time, the Aztlan military has developed new technology that is specifically designed to combat Jericho's abilities, and they are able to draw blood from him, the first time anything other than a Diver has been able to do so. While Jericho is forced to retreat, skirmishes between Aztlan and the United States continue.
+**1980** Aztlan annexes Dona Ana county, with Mexico preparing soldiers on the border. Steven Strong and Richard Stratton are born in Bendis City.
+**1981** After a very bloody battle with heavy casualties for the United States and Mexico, an armistice is declared and Aztlan is recognized by the United Nations as a sovereign state.
+===== Iron Age and Emergence of the Cowl =====
+**1982** The meteoric rise in super-powered crime in Bendis City and other major metropolitan areas leads to Ed Meese proposing the Metahuman Registration Act.
+**1983** The Cold War continues to escalate, with tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union coming to a head over the deployment of intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe.
+**1984** The Metahuman Registration Act becomes law, leading to widespread protests and demonstrations from metahuman rights groups. The law requires all metahumans to register with the government and be subject to strict regulations and oversight. Twins Alice and Brandon Knight are born to John Knight and his fiance, Helen White.
+**1985** The United States and the Soviet Union sign a historic arms control agreement, easing tensions between the two superpowers. Meanwhile, the metahuman community continues to grapple with issues of civil rights and government regulation. The situation comes to a head when a group of metahuman terrorists attack the White House, leading to a massive crackdown on metahuman rights and increased government surveillance of the community. Miller Terrace vigilante Bastion is killed by the supervillain Toxic. Helen White is killed by thugs in an alleyway in Kane Plaza, dying in John Knight's arms.
+**1987** John Knight emerges as the Cowl, waging a bloody war in Kane Plaza and Miller Terrace with the Tagliettis and Giodarnos. His various crimefighting antics lead to a rise of supervillains in the area, specifically enemies of the Cowl, referred to as his rogues' gallery. A list of his most prominent human supervillains includes Black Rose, a criminal mastermind who nearly manipulates the Tagliettis and Giodarnos into uniting under her rule, Mister Crime, a brilliant thief whose heist plans sometimes count on the Cowl's intervention, and Pitfall, an engineer with a penchant for making complicated death traps. The Tagliettis and Giodarnos both start financing metahumans with dangerous abilities to kill the Cowl. The space shuttle Challenger explodes during launch, killing all seven crew members. The government blames Jericho. Danielle Hayden is born in Bendis City.
+**1988** After their work is stolen by Voyage Technologies, powerful metahuman couple Strattos and Shockwave emerge as supervillains, targeting Voyage Technologies and Knight Industries, the most prominent technology conglomerates in the world. The Cowl frequently clashes with them, but is thwarted in all of his encounters with them. With the rising supervillain population and the lack of superheroes to match them, the CIA begins a recruiting drive.
+===== Rise and Fall of the New Wave and the Third Diver Incident =====
+**1989** The CIA sanctions the first superteam, the New Wave, which includes heroes like Blue Streak, a speedster, Crimson Crusader, a protege of the Cowl's who is able to create hard-light constructs, and the White Dragon, a man able to transform into a powerful Chinese dragon. Justin Case isn't brought on due to performing top-secret missions in the Middle East. When the team makes its debut, the Soviet Union also begins a recruiting drive for their own superteam. Aztlan successfully launches a third satellite into orbit, despite protests from the United States. This satellite is destroyed like all the others previous, but Jericho notedly doesn't attack Aztlan this time.
+**1990** The New Wave develops their own rogues' gallery, with villains like Psycho, a telepath with mild reality bending powers, the Red Dragon, a Japanese woman with powers similar to the White Dragon's, and Warmaker, the leader of a terrorist cell calling themselves the Equalists, human supremacists who desire to put an end to metahumanity.
+**1991** The New Wave finds themselves at odds with Strattos and Shockwave during a series of robberies. Despite their best efforts, Strattos and Shockwave maintain their undefeated streak, succeeding in each of their heists and avoiding the New Wave and the Cowl at every turn.
+With metahuman crime in the United States being significantly higher than the rest of the world, the Department of Metahuman Control is established, given even greater powers than the CIA to neutralize, monitor and guide metahuman citizens of the United States. The New Wave becomes its first Armored Division, resulting in uniform changes for the whole group.
+**1993** Aztlan launches a manned mission to Mars. Jericho allows the ship to go unmolested, but on the return trip destroys the ship, killing the entire crew and throwing the ship into Aztlan, costing millions of dollars and dozens of casualties. Not to be deterred, later in the year Aztlan launches medium orbit satellites, bringing internet to the rest of the world.
+**1994** Aztlan and United States military personnel engage in a brief skirmish in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to a shutdown of AOL, the United States' top internet provider for a brief period.
+**1995** The Third Diver Incident occurs when a Diver ship appears through a portal over Bendis City. Jericho destroys the ship, but the resulting battle with the pilot leads to the intervention and deaths of the New Wave, as well as over a hundred thousand casualties. The DMC is granted even greater powers than before in the aftermath.
+===== The Metahuman Boom, SAVI and Y2K =====
+**1996** A surge of metahuman births and latent metagenes being activated happens across the country. The DMC starts pushing for metagene testing at birth, but the bill is vetoed by Bill Clinton. Aztlan introduces SAVI, an operating system controlled by a virtual intelligence with an advanced language model that allows it to have almost human-like interactions.
+**1997** A wave of new superheroes and supervillains emerge, especially in Bendis City, where the largest concentrated metahuman boom is happening. An updated SAVI passes the Turing Test, leading to the United States temporarily ceasing its own artificial intelligence projects.
+**1998** The first appearance of the supervillain known as Jacket, whose one-day killing spree results in the death of dozens of innocents, several DMC operatives, and a few superheroes. He is killed by the Cowl, but resurrects and escapes DMC custody during an attempted cremation.
+**1999** A young metahuman, Carl Walker, is killed by Equalists and his body is put on display in Kane Plaza. Many riots follow, with some members of the superhero community refusing to fight superpowered criminals until justice is served. Y2K theorists predict SAVI will kill everyone.
+**2000** SAVI is accused of violating the privacy rights of several citizens in the United States, leading to troubled debates across the world about the nature of AI. Aztlan hosts the World Expo, showcasing off even more advanced technology, including appliances powered by SAVI.
+===== The Patriot Act and the rise of the Vanguard =====
+**2001** The September 11th attacks shake the United States to its core. Members of the caped community assist the other heroes of the terrorist attack, many of them becoming incredibly sick and even dying in the aftermath of the search and rescue missions. Aztlan and the United States form a military alliance after the Patriot Act is signed a month later.
+**2002** The DMC is granted even greater powers with the Patriot Act, and begins active surveillance on suspected metahumans, including wiretapping. Shatterpunch makes his official debut by stopping the metro from derailing in Bendis City.
+**2003** A coalition made up of the United States, Aztlan, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland begin military operations in Iraq. Captain Justice emerges into public eye stopping a bank robbery. Not long after, the superheroine Speedster makes her own debut, preventing a terrorist attack by the Equalists at the Bendis City sports stadium.
+**2004** Paladin makes her debut assisting Shatterpunch in his first fight with Jacket, who would later become his nemesis. The Cowl also assists, but Shatterpunch ultimately wins the battle by beating Jacket to death and burying him under tons of concrete. It isn't the last they see of him.
+**2005** Leviathan emerges from the ocean and attacks Bendis City for the first time. This massive entity is stopped by the Cowl, Shatterpunch, Paladin, Captain Justice, and Speedster, who form the Vanguard after they manage to drive him into the ocean.
+===== Invaders, the Superhero Rennaisance =====
+**2006** The Man in Red makes his debut, quickly becoming the Vanguard's archnemesis. His mind control abilities are among the most powerful the DMC has ever seen, at one point forcing the DMC to shut down the Samson Knight neutralizing device and causing the biggest riot to date there. The vigilante Brickhouse also emerges in Everett Park, neutralizing the street gang F-Block.
+**2007** The Hive Invasion happens, proving without a doubt what the governments of various countries knew already: we aren't alone in the universe. Avalon emerges for the first time and further shakes the people's understanding of the world by introducing magic en masse to the population. The invasion is repelled thanks to the efforts of Avalon, the Vanguard, Jericho, and much of the caped community. Sir Bedivere and Wizard are inducted into the Vanguard.
+**2008** Avalon is recognized as a sovereign nation by the United Nations, and King Arthur declares the United Kingdom under his protection. Concerns are raised that it means the UK was annexed by Avalon, but Avalon largely leaves it to its own devices. Jericho announces to the world that he will no longer interfere in Earth's interstellar development.
+**2009** Many of Bendis City's citizens experience large spots of memory loss, later to be revealed by the Vanguard to be one of the Man in Red's tricks, where he reportedly took over the city for a short period of time and acted as its mayor. The validity of these claims are yet to be confirmed by the DMC, but the Man in Red disappears for a time after. Barack Obama becomes the first black President of the United States.
+**2010** Captain Justice is named Man of the Year by Time Magazine. A DMC agent with ties to the Equalists shoots the unregistered vigilante Dauntless, leading to riots and protests from the caped community, including the Vanguard, with the exception of the Cowl.
+**2011** Reports of alien abductions become more commonplace. The DMC declassifies their findings on the Grays and other extraterrestrial civilizations, and Aztlan reveals the United States had a living Gray in custody, though during their annexation of Roswell they found and terminated the Gray.
+**2012** A massive earthquake rocks Bendis City, killing hundreds and costing the city millions of dollars in property damage. Voyage Technologies and the city make a deal, and Voyage Technologies begins to run disaster relief programs for free.
+**2013** Paladin's primary battlesuit is stolen by a group of mercenaries, some of them empowered. The Vanguard track them down to retrieve the suit, and while they are successful, pale imitations of the model start seeing use by a handful of criminals.
+**2014** The Man in Red returns in form, turning the Vanguard against each other in a brawl that causes the city to almost lose faith in the superteam. Captain Justice manages to break his hold over the team, and the Man in Red goes into hiding once more.
+**2015** An Aztlani terrorist organization known as the Red Sun launches an attack on a United States army base, leading to a border dispute. The Vanguard is called in to defuse the situation, but things take a turn for the worse when Jericho shows up and violently ends the skirmish.
+**2016** Voyage Technologies releases their first Helper, a robot designed to look lifelike and be an assistant at home for tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and helping raise children.
+**2017** Voyage Technologies is contracted by the DMC to create them the "Metahuman Containment Vehicle", which is designed with antikinetic technology to transport high-powered metahumans. It is widely successful, with some vehicles being stolen and utilized by various criminal organizations. Donald Trump is elected President.
+**2018** Leviathan attacks Bendis City for the second time. This time he manages to extract valuable technology from Voyage Technologies before he's driven back into the sea. Later that year an earthquake heralds the return of Jacket, stronger than he's been before. The resulting brawl between Shatterpunch and Jacket leads to Jacket being the first prisoner of the Black Zone in Samson Knight.
+**2019** Shatterpunch begins exhibiting signs of a split personality disorder. The Vanguard and the others struggle to help him cope with it, as his more malicious persona seems aware of his normal persona but not vice versa. They manage to keep him under control for the time being.
+===== The Pandemic and the Fourth Diver Incident =====
+**2020** A robot called Z3R0 makes its debut, proving to be one of the most advanced machines the world has seen and assisting in a skirmish with the Hive that happens in Bendis City. Z3R0 doesn't reveal the identity of its creator, only claiming it is programmed to obey the DMC and the Vanguard. The Vanguard ultimately adopt the machine. The Covid 19 pandemic starts, with metahumans more susceptible to it.
+**2021** The DMC faces increased scrutiny and criticism from the public and government officials, with allegations of discrimination and abuse of power. The Cowl speaks out in defense of the DMC and advocates for reform. Leviathan begins attacking Bendis City on a regular basis, causing the United States to increase its already bloated defense budget.
+**2022** A census reveals alarming statistics: one in ten people in the United States has metahuman powers, and one in five people subscribe to Equalist ideas. Dawson Meeks, former five-star general, is elected Congressman in California, despite his Texan roots.
+**2023** One awful day it is revealed that Shatterpunch's malicious persona, calling himself Fracture, has been killing regularly and has been the cause of many of Bendis City's worst crimes since 2019. A brutal confrontation of the Vanguard leads to his surrender, but moments after a portal opens above Bendis City and three Divers emerge. After a brief and devastating battle with Jericho, the Vanguard and many other heroes intervene. The loss of life and the damages are unprecedented. Captain Justice is among the dead. Jericho takes the corpses of the Divers and leaves Earth.
+===== The Modern Age =====
+**2024** John Knight retires as the Cowl and opens up, under government sanction and scrutiny, Steven Strong Academy, a school for the empowered and otherwise gifted to learn how to put their powers to better use and become productive members of society. He also starts the Tactical Response Training program, a not-so-secret training program where he is trying to build the next generation of superheroes. Dawson Meeks becomes governor of California.
+**2025** After recovering from their injuries and traumas, the Vanguard emerges again under the leadership of Paladin, who also reveals she is Alice Knight, the daughter of the Cowl and current CEO of Knight Technologies. It isn't long before an intergalactic incident pulls the Vanguard, with the exception of the Cowl, away from Earth.
+**2027** Current year. A new threat emerges in Bendis City, anonymous and calculated, starting the most dangerous gang war to date.
+===== Distant Future =====
+**4045** Doctor Tomorrow is born.