A World in Flames
World in flames documents events surrounding the return of Doctor Destroyer and the thwarting of his plot to conquer AltEarth in August 2006 by the New League of Heroes and their allies. The final outcome of these events is detailed in the Lost Episode of the City of Secrets campaign.
The aftermath (September 2006 to February 2007), which forms the background of the City on a Hill campaign is detailed inFrom the Ashes.
A Global Threat
Believed to have been killed over 10 years ago, Doctor Destroyer, the archvillain and would-be conqueror of AltEarth, has returned. At noon GMT on the day following the mass escape from Stronghold, Destroyer broadcast a message to the people of AltEarth in most major world languages and over thousands of channels announcing his claim of "dominion over the lands and beings of the Earth."
Another, even more ominous, message followed a few days later. Destroyer delivered an ultimatum to the leaders of the world, threatening to kill 9 out of every 10 human beings on AltEarth in 72 hours if they do not agree to declare him Earth's unidisputed monarch.
A Coalition of Superhero Groups calling itself the New League of Heroes has mobilized to try to locate Destroyer and thwart his plan.
Villains Attack!
In major cities throughout the world, but especially in the United States, supervillains and villain teams have mounted coordinated attacks. For example, the villain Gamma attacked Millenium City; he murdered Cyclone of the Watch before the team was able to drive him off. Among the villains involved in the attacks were many recent escapees from Stronghold.
Background: Stronghold Breakout
A sleeper agent of Destroyer's in Stronghold released the mentally unstable and immensely powerful Gamma from hotsleep, allowing the radioactive mutant to burst the walls of the super-prison with nuclear explosions. Newly installed robot guards, developed by Spikedriver's company, Clayton Industries, aided in the coordinated breakout that followed (resulting in a government investigation of the company and a crippling scandal). Doctor Destroyer appeared at the meeting of the new League of Heroes at Invincibles Tower, claiming credit for the attach on Stronghold and daring the heroes to attempt to stop it. Most of the heroes present rushed to Nevada; the Punishers and the New Champions, however, decided, instead to travel (separately) to Sierra Leone. Despite the efforts of heroes and law enforcement, the breakout resulted in the escape of many of AltEarth's most hardened super-criminals; only a handful have since been apprehended.
United States
Sattellite Network Destroyed
The United State's network of spy satellites has been destroyed. Some debris from these satellites impacted on the earth’s surface, depositing sensitive technologies and radioactive materials at unknown locations throughout the world. Orbital debris ha grounded low-earth-orbit flights and made transport to and from the Gateway space station extremely hazardous, hampering efforts to re-establish communication with the missing Intrepid spacecraft as well as necessary maintenance on the Orbital Solar Energy Collector that supplies power to cities throughout the world as it traverses its elliptical path. This has disrupted or delayed power transmission from Millennium City to Dubai.
Background
In Episode 10, the New Champions confronted a Destroyer Double in a secret bunker of Doctor Destroyer’s in the forests of Michigan. The Double launched a coordinated missile strike from submarines stationed throughout the globe that completely destroyed the United States network of satellite surveillance.
Boston Massacre
The Boston-based superhero team, The Minutemen, are all dead, missing, or out of commission. Their headquarters, The Lodge, has been destroyed. The Black Mask clawed from beneath the rubble only to lapse into a coma; the bodies of The Alchemist and other members have since been recovered. Coarse, however, formerly the archvillain and ally of Doctor Destroyer known as The Reflection, has dissappeared. Now that the shadow of Destroyer has fallen across AltEarth once more, many suspect that the Reflection was responsible for the murders, once again carrying out the orders of his former master. (For the truth regarding the incident,see Coarse's background history).
Diplomat for Destruga?
A long-time ally and one-time minister of Doctor Destroyer during the archvillain's bid for nationhood for his island battlestation, Menton has been seen in New York City in the company of various UN diplomats. This is unusual, as Menton is more active in Europe. It is also of grave concern, because Menton is believed to be AltEarth's most powerful mentalist.
Law enforcment officers who have attempted to question Menton have ended up wandering off, forgetting why they were dispatched; some have even aided in Menton's escape. A task force of mentalists associated with the new League of Heroes coalition, including Dementia of the New Champions, is scouring the city in search of Menton.
Asia
Under the cover provided by the destruction of the U.S. network of spy satellites, India has launched a major attack all along its border with Pakistan, accompanied by an intense campaign of air and missile strikes. Western media outlets report that the city of Lahore, in Punjab, has already fallen in a lightning attack and that the superior conventional forces of India are now proceeding North to Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Indian forces have also made significant penetrations in the desert province of Sindh.
China insists that Taiwan was directly involved in the recent submarine attacks on U.S. satellites and is providing material support to the terrorist network that carried it out. “Taiwan is a rogue state,” Beijing declares, “that threatens the world; its support for terror must be stopped.” China deploys large naval forces into the Taiwan Strait and announces a total air and sea “quarantine” of Taiwan.
Background
In 2005, Pakistan continued to increase levels of covert support for insurgents operating in Kashmir and spreading into Punjab. In early 2006, India dramatically increased its counterinsurgency operations in Kashmir and Punjab. Pakistan responded by infiltrating a number of special forces teams, which attacked military installations supporting the Indian Operations.
In March 2006, India mobilized for war. International efforts to resolve the conflict, led by the United States and Britain, resulted in a temporary cease-fire. In May, however, skirmishes in Kashmir resumed. The Superhuman Division of the Indian Army’s Central Command raided the city of Gilgit in the Pakistan-controlled Northern region, clashing with Pakistani supers. The involvement of super-powered combatants was seen by analysts as a clear sign of further escalation.
At the end of June and beginning of July, Chinese troops began massing in Aksai Chin, an area of Chinese-controlled territory in Kashmir as well as along the China / India border. Taiwan publicly denounced China's "imperialist aggression" and pledged military support for Pakistan.
On July 31, 2007, India declared war on Pakistan. Hours later, India's ally, Taiwan, also declared war on Pakistan. Chinese troops began moving into Kashmir to "stop the hostilities between the parties" and "restore peace and order" to the region. It was clear to most observers, however, that China was acting in support of Pakistan.
Atlantis
The underwater empire of Atlantis is in the midst of a civil war instigated, at least in part, by Doctor Destroyer. Anti-surface-dweller elements in the military have joined with members of an oppressed caste in a revolution against the Atlantean aristocracy and its allies. Some Atlantean military forces appear also to be acting directly in support of Destroyer's latest scheme. Atlantean forces defended those submarines intercepted after launching missiles that destroyed the U.S. satellite network.
Background
For over a decade, Doctor Destroyer has been harbored by an anti-surface dweller sect of the secretive and isolationist Atlanteans. During that time, he has worked to broaden the membership and expand the power of those in Atlantean society subscribing to this ideology. In his tract, Thus Spake Zerstoiten, Destroyer linked the anti-surface-dweller ideology to a rejection of the caste system that regulates the rigidly hierarchical Atlantean society. His message was especially embraced by the members of the lowest caste, the “scaleless ones.” Recently, Destroyer has manipulated this political movement to ever-greater militancy, arming his Atlantean followers with advanced weapons of his own design, and urging them to engage in a revolution to overthrow the ruling aristocracy.
Sierra Leone
President Meade launches cruise missile strikes against Sierra Leone, destroying military barracks and bases, factories, shipyards, docks, and rail lines. The presidential palace is also reduced to rubble; it is unclear if President Sheku Koroma was in the palace at the time, or if he survived.
In a televised national address, President Meade produces evidence that a submarine belonging to the Warlord (aka President Sheku Koroma) launched missiles at U.S. satellites form a location in the Great Lakes. She declares that Sierra Leone has committed an attack against the United States and a blatant violation of its territorial waters. She further points out that the Koroma regime has been engaged in international arms trading and that its national military has been completely infiltrated by terrorists and terrorist sympathizers.
Guinea
Still recovering from the a nationwide strike protesting increases in the prices of rice and fuel, and the scandal following the brutal response of Guinea’s security forces against demonstrators and bystanders alike, the country is now on the brink of a refugee crisis. As the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) begins to relocate some of the thousands of refugees from Liberia who have taken refuge in the country, thousands of Sierra Leonine refugees still fear returning to their country so long as Koroma's brutal regime remains in place. Now, U.S. air strikes against Sierra Leone have led to a fresh wave of refugees into Guinea.
Iraq
Iraq is in the midst of or at least on the verge of a civil war and it does not appear that U.S. troops will be able to re-establish security or be withdrawn for the country for some time. The top U.S. military official in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, says that civil war in Iraq is “certainly possible,” calling it “the most significant threat right now” in the country.
Background
The Iraq War continues, even in the face of a scandal over torture at Abu Ghraib, the declaration of the war as illegal by the UN, revelations of doctored intelligence leading up to the war, the end of the search for WMDs, rising U.S. casualties (particularly in the face of IED attacks), and violent mayhem in Baghdad. July offers the highest casualty count for Iraqi civilians since the war began.
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