It is February the 4th, 2011. To say that the world still reels from the attack on Manhattan a month ago would be an understatement. The remnants of Manhattan have stopped smoldering but the shock still persists. Within a mere hour, earth's most powerful heroes were wiped out completely, killed by the greatest supervillain the world has ever known, Dr. Destroyer.
He was taken down in the end by Paladin, the greatest hero of them all, but it cost him his life, too.
Suddenly, the world is without its mightiest protectors. And the mighty and meek alike begin to quake in their seats. For who will save them now from dictators, madmen or aliens? Who would be capable of taking up the torch?
The United Nations have decided to find out. For the last two weeks, the world's population has been bombarded with an incredible ad campaign calling out for those who feel the call to adventure and heroism...those stalking the streets of their hometowns as cowled vigilantes...the metamen, latent fonts of incredible power...and the wizards, bearers of secrets magnificent and terrible. All have been called. Fame and the thanks of the entire world await those who succeed. Death looms over those who don't.
On this day, the recruitment has started in earnest. Hundreds of people, would-be heroes and established figures alike crowded the ferries exiting San Francisco bay towards Alcatraz. Once a prison, the island by now houses the official headquarters of the Guardians, an ultra-tech facility that was home to the most beloved and powerful people on the planet for many years. Both those who could fly and those who needed to take more mundane means of transport first laid eyes upon the three sleek metal towers reaching for the sky, the middle one housing parts of the oldest lighthouse on the entire west coast. The left one is topped by a huge cannon-like device, a brutish but terriby effective machine - a retrofitted Godslayer cannon left over from the last Yazur invasion.
The other one sports a helipad large enough for four helicopters parking side by side.
Over the years, the island has been enlargened and tunnelled under, leaving everyone guessing how large the facility actually is.
The three towers all sport the traditional Guardian logo - a globe behind a shield that sports a large G in red and gold - leaving no one in question as to whom the island belongs to...
It has been a long day, full of gruelling and exhausting tests, medical checks, database searches to make sure no villain snuck in, fingerprinting, power displays in the holographic exercise rooms...you were all glad when it was finally over and the announcement had been made.
Of all the people who could have been chosen...it was you. A new group of heroes, here to fill the shoes of the most beloved and popular superheroes on the planet.
The news is still pretty baffling and, naturally, you have been left alone in the main meeting hall by Mr. Maywheather, UN liason and the one responsible for the entire process. Seeing you all pretty burned out, he decided to continue with tours and introductions later, leaving you in the care of the AI called "Watcher", which runs the base with complete efficiency with a bit of snark as an added bonus...
Basically, you have all been fitted with comms and shown your quarters and are currently in the main meeting room, a large hall dominated by a round table, the midst of which is basically a holographic projector currently showing earth. You got a bit of time to do the introductions and rp a little
