Sad Tales of Freedom's Fallen HEROES
Contents
THE FREEDOM LEAGUE
Last Stand at Freedom Hall
Civilians in a blind-panic fled to Freedom Hall seeking shelter. Outside Captain Thunder and Lady Liberty stood as the last and greatest champions of the decimated Freedom League. Lady Liberty using the Light of Liberty to deflect away the hail of energy bolts raining down upon them. Captain Thunder rending ships apart with his bare hands.
As the huddled masses watched with fear, enemy shock troops released an anti-ion wave, that nullified Captain Thunder's electrical powers. As he fell from the sky, Lady Liberty diverted her attention from the attackers in order to try to heal him. A barrage of particle weapons tore through their bodies, and they collapsed in each others arms.
Inside Freedom Hall, Raven worked feverishly with tissue samples of Grue prisoners from the early part of the assault, trying to develop some sort of paralyzing bio-agent to use against them. A handful of human witnesses were close enough to the sealed entrance of the underground lab when the invaders broke through the hall. It was said, that she didn't even put up a fight. She just stood there weeping and was cut down by energy bolts. Moments later Freedom Hall was in ruins, explosions from within and from without. The husk of the Hall remains in Freedom Circle in ruins as a trophy to the Star-Khan.
The Bowman
Bowman IV (Fletcher Beaumont III): Grandson of the original Bowman, first graduate of the Claremont Academy, and
member of the Freedom League.
The Bowman, newest member of the League was the first to fall. Leading a counter-offensive into the heart of the overwhelming drone army with hundreds of police, army personnel, and civilian militia. It was said that his presence alone inspired hope in Freedom's defenders, until for one split second he hesitated--deciding on a target for his final arrows...
Captain Thunder
Captain Thunder (Ray Gardener): Former test pilot who gained super-powers when a lightning bolt struck the cockpit of
his experimental plane. Captain Thunder is super-strong, able to fly and control electricity. He’s the current chairman of
the Freedom League.
During the Last Stand at Freedom Hall - Outside Captain Thunder and Lady Liberty stood as the last and greatest champions of the decimated Freedom League. Captain Thunder rending ships apart with his bare hands. As the huddled masses watched with fear, enemy shock troops released an anti-ion wave, that nullified Captain Thunder's electrical powers. As he fell from the sky, Lady Liberty diverted her attention from the attackers in order to try to heal him. A barrage of particle weapons tore through their bodies, and they collapsed in each others arms.
One of the last heroes to fall was Captain Thunder. His powers increased with his rage at the betrayal of the Star-Khan, and lightning ripped through the invading fleet. Captain Thunder flew higher and higher, destroying all before him, aiming to destroy the Khan’s personal ship, and the Khan himself. Unluckily, before he could reach it ships which were still intact charged him up with pure electricity. The overload of energy ripped the poor hero’s body apart, but the Captain’s will was to strong. Gathering the very powers that had destroyed his body he turned into pure energy and rocketed towards his final destination. With no physical form the impervious shields and walls could not stop him. Captain Thunder knew he was dieing but he still had one task to do, but the Khan was prepared. As Thunder flew into the bridge the Khan spun round and impaled him on a spear of cosmic force. And so the great Captain Thunder died, attempting to end something which had already finished. But even his death is remembered for as he fell through the ship and space the vast energies he had contained exploded outward, ripping a huge hole in the fleet, as his life finally ended.
Johnny Rocket
Johnny Rocket II (John Wade): Member of the Freedom League with super-speed, grandson of Johnny Rocket I. Outed as
gay as few years ago.
Johnny Rocket between heartbeats could be felt as a blur on the battlefield--either bludgeoning entire platoons unconscious or evacuating scores of civilians from harm's way. The invadering Khanate Shocklords outmaneuvered him by irradiating air pockets around a group of endangered civilians. As Johnny blazed through the area to remove the civilians, his hyperspeed metabolism turned his cell structure cancerous. Each use of his super-speed accellerated the disease. Johnny privately fought the disease spread for weaks before he was eaten alive by it.
Doctor Metropolis
Dr. Metropolis the “Spirit of Cities” that appeared after the Terminus Invasion to help rebuild Freedom City, able to control
and shape urban environments. A member of the Freedom League.
The destruction being levelled against Freedom City by an alien menace drove Doc Metro into a rage. With dozens of heroes already fallen, in a stroke of heroic inspiration he transferred his consciousness into the Statue of Centurion ("the big guy that watches over us") and began blindly smashing his way through Grue War Machines and the Khanate Armada. He was scattered into atomic particles by an orbital pulse beam from the Star-Khan's ship.
Lady Liberty
Lady Liberty III (Beth Walton-Wright): Current wielder of the Light of Liberty and member of the Freedom League. Married
to police detective Trevor Wright.
During the Last Stand at Freedom Hall - Civilians in a blind-panic fled to Freedom Hall seeking shelter. Lady Liberty using the Light of Liberty to deflect away the hail of energy bolts raining down upon them. As the huddled masses watched with fear, enemy shock troops released an anti-ion wave, that nullified Captain Thunder's electrical powers. As he fell from the sky, Lady Liberty diverted her attention from the attackers in order to try to heal him. A barrage of particle weapons tore through their bodies, and they collapsed in each others arms.
Raven
Raven II (Callie Summers): Costumed crimefighter and member of the Freedom League. Trained by her father Duncan, the
first Raven.
During the Last Stand at Freedom Hall - inside Freedom Hall, Raven worked feverishly with tissue samples of Grue prisoners from the early part of the assault, trying to develop some sort of paralyzing bio-agent to use against them. A handful of human witnesses were close enough to the sealed entrance of the underground lab when the invaders broke through the hall. It was said, that she didn't even put up a fight. She just stood there weeping and was cut down by energy bolts.
Siren
Siren II (Cassandra Vale): Voodoo loa (goddess) of the sea, bonded with a mortal psychologist, and wielding power over the sea and weather. Protector of New Orleans.
Siren was able to initially neutralize large parts of the invasion force using her weather control powers to delay troopships and battle craft but she had to leave herself vulnerable to do so. The villainous Baron Samedi took advantage of the bodies of the Police assault force that had been led by Bowman's last stand and used his zombies to overwhelm Siren. She was drowned in a sea of undead flesh, her powers tied up, protecting her precious city. Nearly beaten to death at the hands of the Puesdo, Baron Samedi would be taken down by the remaining heroes and locked away in Blackstone.
Star-Knight
(Maria Montoya): First Terran to join the Star Knights, assigned as the Star Knight of Earth’s sector of space.
The Star Knight, called to the Star Knight homeworld, could only watch helplessly as the Star Khan pierced Earth's defenses.
"We are sorry MariaMontoya-star-knight-initiate, but he has the right," Mentor said, his words of comfort useless to Maria.
" I should be helping them!" she screamed.
"Star Knights are bound not intefere. Star Khan has legitimate grievances with Earth and its inhbitants. He has broken no intergalactic sanctions in his actions," repeated Mentor.
"Then Damn your laws! And Damn You! Send me back!" she cried.
"Very well," said Mentor sadly.
Maria Montoya found herself back on earth and made her way to the freedom league headquarters. She didn't have star knight armour anymore but she was still a crack shot and Bowman elected her his second in command. She was by his side, her rifle empty and plinking away uselessly at a Nova-class assualt rig with her pistol when the final plasma blast came.
THE ATOM FAMILY
As soon as the aliens began the attack, the Atoms began to prepare to repel the invaders, sadly the Khanate had preparations of his own.... The insidious warlord had paid the Meta-Grue to kill the Atoms when the attacks commenced. Using his shrinking powers, he infiltrated The Goodman Building and shut down all the power within, disabling [Dr Atom], he then confronted [Jack Wolf] and easily killed the aging adventurer with his bare hands. He then crept his way up to the Atoms quarters and battle began.
Meta-Grue had surprise on his side and manged to disable Victoria with a well placed Mental Blast, upon seeing this Tesla charged at him, throwing puch after punch whilst Maximus arrived on the scene. Sadly his arrival distracted Tesla, which gave Meta-Grue just enough time to snap her neck like a twig. Driven near mad with grief Maximus and the newly arrived Chase did battle with the Meta-Grue, the boys were no match for him however and Maximus fell to the warrior's onslaught, but he did manage, with his dying blow, to stun the Meta-Grue, giving Chase the opportunity to escape using Comso's teleportation powers. He fled to Farside City, attempting to get help against the invaders of Earth.
Max Atom
Oldest of the Atom siblings (b. 1985), with the power to alter his molecular structure to grow, shrink, or become incorporeal at will.
Meta-Grue had surprise on his side, throwing puch after punch whilst Maximus arrived on the scene. Driven near mad with grief Maximus and the newly arrived Chase did battle with the Meta-Grue, the boys were no match for him however and Maximus fell to the warrior's onslaught, but he did manage, with his dying blow, to stun the Meta-Grue, giving Chase the opportunity to escape using Comso's teleportation powers.
Tess Atom
Second of the Atom siblings (b. 1986), a brilliant budding scientist with the power to generate and project nucleonic radiation.
Meta-Grue had surprise on his side, upon seeing this Tesla charged at him, throwing puch after punch. Sadly Max's arrival distracted Tesla, which gave Meta-Grue just enough time to snap her neck like a twig.
Vicky Atom
“Vicky” is the third Atom sibling (b. 1988), a shy young woman with elastic powers.
Meta-Grue had surprise on his side and manged to disable Victoria with a well placed Mental Blast.
Chase Atom
The youngest of the Atom siblings (b. 1989), with growing telepathic powers and a mysterious connection to the Moonstone.
Meta-Grue had surprise on his side, the boys were no match for him however and Maximus fell to the warrior's onslaught, but he did manage, with his dying blow, to stun the Meta-Grue, giving Chase the opportunity to escape using Comso's teleportation powers. He fled to Farside City, attempting to get help against the invaders of Earth.
NEXT-GEN
It was a gamble, and they knew it. The Freedom League was fighting the invasion, and they were losing. They had to try. Seven began the spell. It was a lengthy ritual that would take no less than seven days and seven nights (or longer or shorter, as fits your invasion timeline). Around her, forming a gauntlet through which the invaders must pass, the Next-Gen stood silent vigil. Bolt was the first to fall, slain by a stray energy blast as he broke ranks to try and help his father. Nereid and Megastar fought bravely, knowing that their lives were forfeit but willing to give Seven the chance she needed to complete the spell. Their teamwork was poetry in motion as Megastar struck from above while Nereid struck from below. But they, too, fell. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most experienced of the Next-Gen, Sonic, was the last of the guardians to fall, holding on through sheer willpower through the last few minutes of Seven's spell. As for Seven herself, the strain of the spell killed her moments before the invaders could.
"Sir you gotta get outa here, save the other kids..."
Chris questioned to his Headmaster...
To which Summers barks
"WE HOLD THE LINE!" ...
Chris slams his hand down on his megas tatoo and says
"MEGASTAR!" and the small framed boy becomes a heroic statue of cosmic power. "SIR!! We got this!! You trained us for it!! SOMEONE'S gotta train the others...."
looking up to his student, Summers steps back as Claremont's gates blast open ... it's the first time Chris has seen Duncan Summers smile, as he glances to his Next-Gen kids...
"I don't suppose Mr. Beck that could be you..."
Megastar chuckles, as Sonic passes between he and the Headmaster...
"Yeah right, Sir... Blue-Boy here's never gonna pass biology..."
Summers says no more as a solumn look comes across his face, twisting his cane in one hand slightly the silver tip pressure release tip opens - he tugs the inner cavity then offers his hand to Megastar.
Chris shakes his former Headmaster's hand almost saluting him in respect as the inner courtyard begins to fill with GRUE Shark Troopers...
Summers disappears into the hidden panels of his office, hoping to lead the remainder of the powers student body from the Administraion Building beyond the woods off campus.
As Next-Gen close the huge oak doors leaving Seven to her conjuring within the Headmaster office, Megastar unfolds the bit of cloth Summers had handed him... The shape is that of a domino mask stretched at it's ends into several points - the points of the RAVEN'S mask. Chris smirks saying
"I knew it" under his breath...
"Knew what?!?" Sonic asks as the two best friends begin a jog down the long hallway toward the Claremont Academy stained glass window looking out across campus.
"Nada man!" ... Chris says...
"Cool, git into character then." Lemar barks as their jog turns into a run...
Chris quickly ties the mask around his fist as the carpet turns up when the boys take flight.
"Meg, you with me?" Chris thinks...
"100% Christopher, I am tracking metamorph signatures approximately 5.42 meters beyond the access points to Claremont-Admin, I suggest speed increase of 13% to draw fire from Lemar Phillips (code-name SONIC) as we break the ..." -- chirps MEGAS the alien symbiote from somewhere deep within Chris Beck's heroic body
"Already there Meg!!" Megastar yells as the stain-glass smashes over him.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?" Sonic says as his powers flare his voice following up his friend, Hero-Killing blaster bolts sprawing around them.
"I SAID .........." .... but Sonic would never hear his friend..... Watching Megastar plow into the first six squads of Alien scum easily swept off their feet and into the quad now flooded with the sea of water called Nerid!
As the last of the stained glass falls, Sonic glances back to see and eldritch glow emmenate down the storied hall.......
"We're gonna make it" he thinks
as the entire campus falls beneath the shadow of Star-Khan's battle cruiser...
THE OTHER HEROES
Foreshadow
(David Sloane): Precognitive crime-fighter who tries to prevent the tragedies he foresees.
He has known this day would come for many years now. Moments before the invasion began, in an insignificant back alley within the Fens, Foreshadow confronts a criminal (insert character here). As the invasion begins, Foreshadow fulfilled the destiny he has foreseen for himself, for this moment: To save the petty thief who would one day help free the world.
