Golden Age
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1908:
Tunguska Event

1931:
The Shroud, the first recognized costumed "Mystery Man," begins his fight against crime. Other costumed vigliantes who fight corruption and injustice soon begin appearing in the shadowy underworld of American cities. Their exploits fill pulp magazines and radio serials.

1938:
Xargothians launch an invasion in Grovers Mill, New Jersey. The failed invasion is later covered up by the US governmment as a radio hoax so as not to alarm the populace. The man singlehandedly responsible for stopping the invasion with his newfound powers later becomes the world's first "superhero," known as Paragon.

Pararagon's first public appearance, inspires a "Golden Age" of heroes. Other individuals with "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men" begin appearing.

Inspired by the account's of these "supermen," Hitler initiates a program of genetic and occult experiments designed to create a superhuman master race.

Realizing that metahumans pose a serious hindrance to their plans to conquer the Earth, the Xargothian Empire begins a covert, long term campaign to eliminate metahumans from existence.

1939:
World War II starts in Europe.

1940:
U.S. Congress passes the Superhuman Registration Act. It requires all superpowered individuals to register with the government.

A number of "mystery men" band together as the Justice Patrol, the world's first superteam.

1941:
Using a combination of science and dark sorcery, Hitler finally succeeds in creating a handful of super-soldiers, known as the Ubermenschen. Unopposed, the Ubermenschen help cut a swath across France. They are the first nationally recognized superteam.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt forms the Freedom Brigade, a coalition of almost all known costumed heroes, charged with aiding the war effort and protecting United States shores from Axis threats. The Brigade is answerable only to the President and the War Department. The Sentinel is named the Freedom Brigade's field commander.

1941 to 1945:
All in all, nearly 50 superhumans appear publicly on all sides of the war. Their efforts mostly cancel each other out, as they spend most of their time battling each other and acting as cover for normal troops.

1945:
Germany surrenders.

U.N. charter signed.

German powered infantry armor project discovered near Berlin, and genetics experiments designed to create more superhumans (and their results) found at Dachau and Auschwitz. They are confiscated and studied by the Allied governments.

U.S. "Manhattan Project" perfects atom bomb; Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed.

W.W.II ends.

1946:
Following the War, many "mystery men" go into retirement.

The Freedom Brigade is disbanded.

1947:
A Xargothian spacecraft crashes in the New Mexico desert near Roswell. The military initiates a massive cover-up. The captured craft and alien bodies are studied in a secret government base known as Area 51. The Xargothion technology becomes the basis for much of the experimental technology later used by CAPE.

1949:
NATO founded.

1951:
Senator Joseph McKarthy claims that several members of the Justice Patrol are covert communist agents and are ordered to appear before the House of Un-American Activities Committee. McKarthy offers no proof of his allegations and the Justice Patrol are cleared, but the highly publicized scandal has destroyed the heroes' reputations and the group formally disbands.

1954:
Dr. Frederick Wertham publishes his book "Seduction of the Innocent," which purports that children who read about and idolize superheroes become hardened to violence, and even accept it as a useful problem-solving device. He also claims that superheroes are an important factor in juvenile delinquency, teaching children to be cruel, bigoted, sexually warped, dishonest, and contemptuous of virtues like pity or love.

The Golden Age comes to an end.

Silver Age
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1956:
Suez Crisis: Saudi Arabia uses its metahuman forces to seize control of the Suez Canal, causing untold damage and loss of life.

Hungarian Rebellion: After the Hungarian rebels successfully fight off the Soviets initial tank deployment, the Soviets send in their metahuman forces. The metahumans crush the rebellion, but the death toll reaches into the thousands.

1958:
The Dynamo makes his debut, inspiring a new Silver Age of Heroes.

As a response to the escalating Cold War, both the U.S and the Soviets reactivate their national superteams.

1960:
The Guardians form. Founding members include Dynamo, Huntress, Paladin, Jack Frost, and the Unknown Soldier.

1961:
Bay of Pigs Invasion.

1963:
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.

1964:
US Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, paving way for war in Vietnam.

1965:
Vietnam troop buildup includes the stationing of the U.S. superteam.

CAPE (Central Authority on Preternormal Endeavors) is formed by the federal governmet to deal with metahuman criminals and other threats to national security beyond the means of conventional peacekeeping forces to handle. Jack Rogers, the former Golden Age superhero known as the Sentinel, is named as the the new agency's Director.

1968:
First Stronghold (maximum security super-prison) facility is opened.

1969:
Metahuman lobbying organization SAFE (Superhuman Alliance For Equality) founded in U.S. to counter Nixon Administration attempts to require all metahumans to be inducted into the military. SAFE also demands that the Superhuman Registration Act of 1940 be repealed on the grounds that it is a violation of civil liberties.

1970:
Dynamo and Huntress get married.

1973:
Dynamo and the Huntress retire from crimefighting in order to raise their newborn twins. Paladin takes over as the Guardians leader.

1974:
President Nixon resigns from office over the Watergate Scandal.

Personal Privacy Act signed into law. Telepathic invasion without cause is prohibited

1975:
SAFE fails in getting the Superhuman Registration Act repealed, but they do get it significantly revised. Following the revisions, only sanctioned metahuman crime fighters and metahuman criminals are required to register their powers and identities with the government. Private metahuman civilians are no longer required to do so.

1978:
The skull-faced vigilante known as the Nightstalker makes his first appearance.

The Unknown Soldier quickly frees the American hostages in Iran.

1979:
Paladin resigns from the Guardians because he believes they have become more interested in being media stars than true heroes.

The U.S. Department of Defense creates Operation:Super-Shell to study the possibilities of powered armor as an alternative to a dependency on metahumans

1980:
In a landmark decision, the U.S Supreme Court rules that the right to an individual to his privacy granted by the Personal Privacy Act outweighs the government's "need to know." Mental search warrants are now outlawed.

The remaining Guardians, as well as numerous other heroes, are all killed in an epic battle to save the Earth from the extradimensional entity known as Thanatos. The world is saved but at a huge loss of lives. Paladin blames himself and goes into retirement. The Silver Age comes to an end.

Modern Age
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1986:
Announcement of positive identification of "power" genes in metahumans. Also identified are the genes for human intelligence-and that they are mingled in the same portion of DNA as the "power" genes: in fact they are inextricably linked with them. The philosophical and religious implications of this discovery rock the globe.

1989:
Constantly over budget and endlessly exceeding the bounds of it's operating parameters Operation:Super-Shell is officially shut down.

The Teen Force forms. Members include Huntress II, Blizzard and Kid Samson.

1990:
Vigilante crimefighters Apollo, Nightweaver, and Street Justice band together as the Night Shift.

Iraq invades Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War.

1991:
Gorbachev resigns from office as the Communist Party in the USSR starts to dissolve.

1992:
Apollo kills crimelord Tobias Falcone, a.k.a. the Power Broker. A million dollar bounty is put on his head by Falcone's daughter. Apollo leaves for Japan to raise his newfound daughter in safety.

1997:
A new team of Guardians is founded by the Huntress II and the Unknown Soldier. The team's new recruits are Shockwave, Iceman, and Overdrive.

2000:
Celebrity sex-symbol, Pamela Anderson, becomes impregnated by Captain Marvel, a member of the Guardians. The child comes to term in only a few weeks, placing Anderson in intensive care. Upon giving birth, the child grows to adulthood in just a few hours, exhibiting powers identical to those possessed by Captain Marvel, and violently escapes from the hospital. Pamela Anderson has a restraining order placed against Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel's bastard son dubs himself Harbinger and demands that all laws regarding metahumans be revoked within 24 hours or he will cause the Mir Space station to crash into the Earth. During the battle against Harbinger, Captain Marvel sides with his son and betrays his teammmates. Despite this, the Guardians are able to save the astronauts, before the space station crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. Harbinger and Captain Marvel escape capture. The Guardians do not disclose Marvel's betrayal to the general public. They state that he quit the team and went into semi-retirement.

War on Terror
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2001:
The currently active Guardians (Iceman, Prowler, Harry the Magician, and Electra) are declered MIA after a strange battle in Central Park against beautiful armored women riding winged horses. It is reported that the team members drove the warrior women back through the glowing portal from which they had emerged, but the portal collapsed behind the heroes, apparently trapping them in the same place the portal had originated. Where exactly that point of origin is remains a mystery and is the subject of countless media speculation.

Supers of Fortune opens for business. Team members include Blitz, The Captain, Kinetica, Master Menagero, Roughneck, Verve, and Zena.

Terrorists attack World Trade Center and Pentagon, leading to the "War on Terror".

USA PATRIOT Act passes. Among many other sweeping powers granted to law-enforcement agencies, mental search warrants are once again permissible. Civil Libertarians are outraged.

American forces go to Afghanistan to route out Al-Queda terrorists responsible for 9-11attacks.

Captain Marvel is defeated by a prototype Minuteman robot and taken into federal custody.

Anthrax scares plagues the US Postal service. The femme fatale Belladonna, claims responsibility.

2002:
President Bush pushes for war against Iraq.

Guardians return to their proper time after having been trapped in the WWII era for nearly a year. They are shocked at the events that have occured since their disappearance.

The Supers of Fortune battle terrorist organization MEDUSA. Blitz is killed during the confllict.

Under threat of legal action by Paramount Pictures, The Captain officially changes his code name to Sci-Fi.

Under investigation by the Defense Department, Rupert Renspottenick (aka Master Menagero) is taken to a secret, undersea, military prison for metahuman "enemy combatants". While there, he assumes the powers of his psychic interrogator, Cassandra Thatcher and turns them against her. Rupert and Captain Marvel, a fellow prisoner, make their escape together. Unhinged by Rupert's psychic assault, Cassandra snaps under the pressure of Rupert's last order; to destroy all records and knowledge of Rupert's imprisonment and escape. Using mind controlled prisoners with fission based powers, Cassandra destroys the compound with a thermonuclear explosion. All prisoners and personnel are destroyed as well.

The Supers of Fortune, alongside former Guardian, Captain Marvel, destroy a Xargothian mind control compound on the Moon. The Xargothian enclave is reponsible for secretly fanning the flames of anti-metahuman sentiment on Earth. Captain Marvel, along with his villainous son Harbinger, die in the climatic battle.

2003:
Space shuttle Columbia explodes, killing all seven astronauts.

Department of Homeland Security is formed.

Worldwide anti-war protests take place.

America and a "Coalition of the Willing" go to war against Iraq. America uses superhuman forces as part of its "shock and awe" campaign. Meeting very little resistance, Baghdad falls within three weeks.

First cases of SARS reported.

The mysterious patron of Supers of Fortune is revealed to be well-known television producer, Avi Arad. Arad renames the team Meta-Force, and informs the members that they are contractually obligated to star in a new superhero reality show of the same name. The television show is directed by Guy Flairentino, with the assistance of his cameraman Calvin Smith. The show become a huge hit.

NATO assumes control of peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan.

Electra, fledgling member of the Guardians, accepts an offer from Guy Flairentino to join Meta-Force. Avi Arad deems her the team leader to boost ratings for the show. The other team members are outraged.

Massachusetts Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage.

The now insane Cassandra Thatcher, dubs herself Epiphany and begins stalking Master Menagero.

Saddam Hussein is captured by American troops.

2004:
Iraq weapons investigator David Kay resigns, says there's no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, one of the Bush administration's chief reasons for launching war in Iraq.

U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. Images spark outrage around the world.

Meta-Force battles the Serpent Queen on the secret isle of Amazonia. Paralyzed with fear, Electra dies of a power malfunction.

The Meta-Force TV show is canceled despite huge ratings due to the number of deaths among cast members. The team members are released from their contracts and go their separate ways.

Gay marriages begin in Massachusetts, the first state in the country to legalize such unions.

Sept. 11 commission harshly criticizes government's handling of terrorist attacks.

U.S.’s final report on Iraq’s weapons finds no WMDs.

Bush reelected president.

Red Cross alleges abuse at U.S. run Guantánamo prison.

2005:
Hurricane Katrina pounds Gulf Coast. New Orleans, which was spared the full force of the hurricane when the storm moved east, suffers calamitous damage as levees break, submerging about 80% of the city. The Pentagon sends six U.S. Navy ships and eight rescue teams to the Gulf Coast to help in the relief effort. Looting is rampant. Death toll in New Orleans is feared to be in the thousands. Officials call the devastation the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

The metahuman terrorists known as the Metahuman Liberation Front claim responsibility for Hurricane Katrina. They warn that more disasters will follow.

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