[World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

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Here we go I still don't have the campaign city written up but here is the campaign setting overview and timeline up until 1992. I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to give me any thoughts you might have on the setting or timeline.

 

Also I want to thank some of my fellow city of heroes players who likely will never read this but I used their character names anyway

 

World Overview:

 

Genetic Mutants have always existed along with Magic both they were once extremely rare. During WWI the Germans released a chemical agent that accidentally activated these mutant genes in several regiments of many of the solders at what is commonly referred to as the Strasbourg Event. Most of those present died from the uncontrolled changes erupting though their bodies. Those who lived and did not suffer the immediate effects of the now active genetic trait passed this on to their decedents. The First real powered Supers appeared around the end of WWII.

 

In the modern era they estimate there are approximately four hundred Class B and above Metahumans worldwide, with another fourteen hundred Class C or lower Metahumans. This figure accounts for the Kiev Experiment of 1961 and the Barrister Outbreak in 67. The highest concentration of Metas are Germany, Great Briton, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain and the US. Some use their abilities for the betterment of all. However, there are those who see their gifts as a way to attain personal power. In 1984 the Metahuman Crime Prevention Act allowing the altered humans some degree of police protection when serving the public good.

 

 

In the US there are three major government agencies that monitor vigilante and Metahuman activity. The Bureau of Metahuman Affairs who maintains records of all registered Metahumans as well as testing on all newborn children. Instituted in 1966 there is believed to be a growing movement of parents choosing to give birth outside of traditional means to avoid any Meta Testing. The Metahuman Crime Prevention Division of the FBI who handle the tracking of all registered vigilantes and the prosecution of unregistered vigilantes as well as those who violate the MCPA. The third agency the Atlas Group is an independent think tank funded by the US Army. Some theorize that Atlas is a front for Global Environmental Operations an organization believed to use captured Metahumans for illegal experimentation and financial gain. GEO’s motives are unknown.

 

There is one other agency outside the US that operates within the country with any legal authority. The Xeno Consortium a network of Metahumans and empowered normals sectioned by the UN to address global threats. The Xeno Consortium works closely with the BMA and MCP to monitor potential threats. The Xeno Consortium operates with almost complete anonymity their true identities only known to the members of the UN Defense Counsel.

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Timeline Part 1

 

Timeline: (The timeline presented below only details significant events that diverge from Real World History)

 

Part 1: Dawn of the Metahumans

 

April 1918: In late April a contingent of Allied forces make a push outside of Strasbourg in Germany itself, their target a fortified munitions depot. The base was heavily fortified and had a US solder, Marcus King, not infiltrated German Armor the Strasbourg Event may have never happened. Privet King uses the Armor to puncture the German defenses; literally plowing through barricades and the base walls this triggering the release of an experimental nerve gas. The hydrogen fuel tanks explode inside the base expelling the nerve gas for an estimated quarter mile.

 

The gas, dubbed Kaiser’s Box or KB, reacted with the human body in a way none had expected, activating a common recessive trait in those present. The violent genetic shift caused the deaths of over five thousand Allied and German troops with a 99.4% fatality rate. In the end there were only 39 survivors found by Allied forces another 9 were unaccounted for. This was the pivotal event that changed the world.

 

May 1918: Survivors were taken to medical facilities outside of Paris along with the bodies of fallen solders for study. Over the next thirteen days some the Survivors both Allied and German began to change. Some horrific others not as dramatically but all displayed qualities beyond the scope of human potential.

 

June 1918: Rumors begin to leak from Germany about experimentation on captured forces with Kaiser’s Box.

 

August 1918: Those who did not show any side effects from Kaiser’s Box were eventually released.

 

September 1918: The first and last super powered battle of WWI occurs. At the ruins of Kaiser Box Base Specialist Marcus King, Codenamed American Armor faces off against the German Übermensch. A reporter for the BBC records the event. Übermensch is defeated when American Armor fires a barrage of Artillery Shells using only his hands to detonate the blasting caps.

 

The US announces that in addition to American Armor there are six other Metahumans currently enlisted in the US Army. The US Seven are: American Armor, once a poor black child from New York, his body now more durable than even the Russian Super Tanks. Vigilant, a sniper with increased sensory powers and the ability to generate beams of concentrated light. Patriot, a battery sergeant from the Strasburg Event with the ability to communicate telepathically. Gunner, a telekinetic. US Steel, physically superior to any enlisted man outside the Seven. Turbine, with the gift of flight. Bolter, faster than any man alive and able to generate a static aura capable of destroying electronics. The term Metahuman is picked up by multiple news sources and becomes synonymous with altered humans and super powers.

 

Within a week the US Seven were joined by the British Thermite capable of engulfing his body in flames as well as produce fires hot enough to melt metal and London Fog with the power to control the weather.

 

This is known as the Dawn of the Metahumans.

 

November 1918: The Armistice at Compiègne is signed.

 

1919 – 1935: Other Metahumans begin to crop up in the US, Great Britten, France and Germany none however take the global stage as the veteran US7 and British duo of Thermite and London Fog.

 

June 1933: Germany begins Übermensch Project to research the Kaiser Box Effect.

 

May 1936: France announces a national Metahuman research program along with the discovery of Impossible Man a solder from WWI exposed to KB whose body had slowly been evolving ever since. Since the war Impossible Man had developed the ability to reshape his body to mimic other people’s appearance or that of any animals.

 

August 1936: Germany hosts the Summer Olympics unveiling the first battalion of Übermensch. The games quickly degrade into a spectacle of Nazi propaganda and disbelief at the sight of sixty four trained Metahuman solders.

 

The shock of the Summer Olympics can be felt around the world.

 

1937 – 1938: Many of the world powers compete to replicate the German success in the Übermensch Project.

 

September 1939: Germany invades Poland

 

WWII Begins.

 

The Übermensch Brigade march on Warsaw supported by German Artillery they take the Polish capital with little resistance.

 

December 1939: The first Canadian troops arrive in Europe included in the battalions is a group of three Metahumans collectively known as the Maple Star.

 

June 1940: Germany occupies Paris at the expense of 19 of the Übermensch Brigade held off by ImpossibleMan.

 

July 1940: Impossible Man is executed by Heinrich Mueller leader of the Übermensch Brigade.

 

January 1941: British Troops along with Thermite and London Fog attack Italian-held Eritrea, reversing the tide of the East Africa Campaign.

 

April 1941: US7 moved into Greenland during occupation.

 

September 1941: Siege of Leningrad is held off by Russian forces along with RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut.

 

Appearance of the first public Metahuman infuriates Nazi forces. The Übermensch Brigade lead by Heinrich Mueller are dispatched to Russia.

 

October: The Red Juggernaut is held at a standstill by the Übermensch Brigade supported by a division of German Armor.

 

Nazi forces take Kiev.

 

November: Stalin calls the Red Juggernaut to Moscow.

 

Stalingrad is taken.

 

British troops launch an offensive in Libya, North Africa. London Fog is slain in the offensive.

 

December 1941: Attack at Pearl Harbor. Many US casualties are averted with the intervention of Kawai a Hawaiian Metahuman unaffiliated with the US government.

 

May 1942: Japan begins the Kyoto Project looking to emulate the Übermensch Brigade. The Axis relationship is strained as Germany refuses to give over data from the KB2 used to create the Übermensch Brigade.

 

August 1942: Operation Watchtower begins the Battle of Guadalcanal as American forces led by Doctor Midnight invade Gavutu.

 

October 1942: Second Battle of El Alamein begins with massive Allied bombardment of German positions.

 

The Übermensch Brigade is dispatched to El Alamein where they are met by Thermite along with US and British forces.

 

Propaganda spreads as the numbers of the Übermensch Brigade continue to dwindle. Of the original sixty four solders only twenty two remain.

 

November 1942: The German forces hold strong at El Alemain and force Allied forces to withdraw.

 

With the Übermensch Brigade removed Russian forces redouble their efforts on Stalingrad.

 

 

December 1942: The US 7 are deployed along with reinforcements to march on El Alamein.

January 1943: With the arrival of the US7 the tide finally turns at El Alamein as Heinrich Mueller is killed on the battle field.

 

The Red Juggernaut is dispatched to Stalingrad as part of an all out offensive finally retaking the city.

 

November 1943: Battle of EmpressAugustaBay. Japan destroys 4 light cruisers and 8 destroyers with the aid of Kamikaze the first and only successful Metahuman born of the Kyoto Project.

 

June 1944: D-Day US forces storm the beaches at Normandy led by the US7. Casualties include Vigilant, Turbine and Bolter.

 

October 1944: The Auschwitz Crisis comes to a head with the rebirth of Joseph Wygsil a Jewish detainee used for experimentation. Joseph of The Gas Man as he would later be called is able to produce the deadly cyanide gas used to exterminate so many. After a bloody conflict The Gas Man leads other Treblinka survivors to aid in the Warsaw Uprising.

 

March 1945: The US firebombs Japan destroying the Kyoto Facility. It is believed tat the fallout from this attack sparked the surge in Japanese Metahumans.

 

May 1945: Doctor Midnight and Kamikaze meet for the first time in the Empire of Viet Nam there is no clear victor.

 

The Battle of Berlin ends with the destruction of the KB2 Research Facility and the unconditional surrender of General Helmuth Weidling.

 

August 1945: The first nuclear weapon ever used in war, "Little Boy", is dropped on Hiroshima by the Enola Gay.

 

Soviet Union declares war on Japan; the invasion of Manchuria begins about an hour later.

 

Doctor Midnight and Kamikaze meet again as a second atomic bomb; "Fat Man" is flown to Nagasaki. Both are killed in the subsequent blast.

 

Soviet troops enter China and Korea.

 

Emperor Hirohito issues a radio broadcast announcing Japan's unconditional surrender; V-J Day declared in the United Kingdom.

 

September 1945: Japan signs the articles of surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri in TokyoBay.

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Timeline Part 2

 

Part 2: Evolution

 

1947 – 1962: The number of Metahuman Births rises at an alarming rate.

 

1946: The world begins recover from the destruction of the Second World War

 

February 1947: The Lebensborn Project is uncovered. Birth records over twelve hundred children are found to have been born of the Übermensch 64. These children were taken throughout occupied Europe to German strongholds to be raised in hopes of producing new Übermensch without the violent side effects of direct exposure to KB2. The birth records use Code Names with Blind dispersion for maximum saturation. The cipher used for actual record is missing.

 

June 1949: The last known canisters of Kaiser Box 2 are destroyed. As the Cold War grows it is rumored that one canister of KB2 was smuggled from Berlin to Kiev.

 

July 1949: RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut is sent to an undisclosed location for testing. Rumors surface that due to his inhuman constitution he is being used to refine KB2 trough his circulatory system for further RRX testing. US intelligence reports that he has been cryogenically frozen to preserve his body.

 

July 1949: The US begins research into cryogenic stasis.

 

The Red Scare reaches its peak, with the naming of numerous American celebrities along with non-enlisted Metahumans as members of the Communist Party.

 

June 1950: North Korea begins a civil war crossing the 38th Parallel.

 

July 1950: Patriot leads the initial US deployment into South Korea under the command of General Douglass MacArthur.

 

September 1950: Truman sends the Military Assistance Advisory Group, MAAG, to Vietnam to assist the French.

 

October 1950: US Forces push into the Manchurian border to be routed by North Korean Nationalists. Patriot scarifies himself keeping a strategic view to organize a retreat telepathically.

 

November 1950: The American Armor and US Steel arrive leading a platoon to strike Pyeongyang where it is believed Patriot is being held.

 

One the eve of the strike on Pyeongyang orders are received not to engage beyond the 38th Parallel. US Troops secure a base of operations along the boarder.

 

December 1950: US Forces are ordered to withdraw. US Steel organizes the retreat. Officially, American Armor is AWOL when he crosses into North Korea. Alone the veteran Metahuman enters the Pyeongyang military base. With little resistance American Armor is able to locate Patriot. As they flee the North Korean base the Metahuman heroes are cut down by Tungsten encased napalm artillery rounds. The event was recorded and later televised by North Korean Nationals as a sign of their military might.

 

January 1951: President Truman announces they cannot justify any direct reprisal spite of the tragedy. American Armor acted as an individual not as a solder breaking orders when negotiations were in place for the release of Patriot.

 

Riots break out in Washington DC at cries of the army’s racism.

 

February 1951: The Washington Riots are quelled after Vernon Johns speaks at the Washington Monument giving his speech entitled the Price of Patriotism.

 

May 1951: US Steel retires his command.

 

December 1951: One year later the memorial service is held for American Armor and Patriot at the ArlingtonNationalCemetery. The estimated attendance is over two hundred thousand.

 

July 1953: Cease Fire between North and South Korea established.

 

February 1954: Reports from spies in the USSR report that RRX-001 has been moved to Kiev along with four military companies and Russia’s top scientists.

 

September 1956: The US Army retains an independent think tank, the Atlas Group to research the development of Metahumans and their abilities.

 

January 1957: US Army begins Metahuman recruitment drive.

 

April 1961: The Bay of Pigs, US forces invade Cuba quickly taking the beachhead. Fighting intensified as the US moved to take the Causeways. With the US forces are 2 Metahumans, Richter with the ability to cause earthquakes and tidal shifts and Moon Dog a metamorph capable of becoming a huge wolf. After loosing Air Support fighting worsens on the ground. As supplies run low Richter holds the grounds at the causeway as Moon Dog evacuated most of the remaining troops. Although unsuccessful US causalities are a minimum.

 

May 1961: A contingent of 12 Metahumans is sent along with 400 US Special Forces Troops to train South Vietnam Solders.

 

This is touted as a show of force by the US as they tout the name Patriot12 lead by Thunderbolt and American Shield.

 

June 1961: An explosion outside the Russian city of Kiev can be seen for over five hundred miles.

 

October 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis. When tensions break a salvo of Land to Sea missiles are fired at the naval blockade. Russian RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut along with Richter and Moon Dog prevent the missiles from hitting their targets. The Soviets agree to withdraw their nuclear missiles from Cuba, in exchange for an agreement to withdraw similar American missiles from Turkey, and guaranteeing that the US would not take further action against the Castro regime.

 

September 1963: Isis a Metahuman with the ability to control Plants disrupts a Klan rally preventing the lynching of two men in Mississippi. The Mississippi State Patrol and Local Law Enforcement issue a warrant for the arrest of Isis.

 

July 1964: 5000 US troops along with a team of 12 additional Metahumans referred to as Division 2 are deployed to Vietnam.

 

Moon Dog resigns his post as a conscientious objector.

 

March 1965: Metahuman Civil Liberties Act Passed allowing Metahumans to use their gifts without fear of reprisal so long as they violate no other standing law and in addition laws could not be enacted specifically to alienate Metahumans.

 

May 1965: After several other public acts charges against Isis are dropped under the pressure of the media backlash.

 

November 1965: The Battle of Ia Drang marks the fist major battle in the Vietnam War. The 1st and 7th Calvary along with the Patriot 12 are supported by the 2nd Specialist Battery M and suffer only minor casualties.

 

July 1966: Bureau of Metahuman Affairs established.

 

December 1967: A Metahuman under the name Underground attacks the Institute of Professional Legal Studies in Belfast releasing a variant strain ok KB2. The attack exposes over fourteen hundred students to the Underground Variant killing thirteen hundred and twelve. What follows is a six day standoff known as the Barrister Event. The survivors are taken hostage and held within the general auditorium by Undergrounds men.

 

The standoff is finally broken when two Metahumans, Fog Child and The Tabor Eagle finally force Underground to retreat. Most of those working with Underground flee only two are apprehended. Both refuse to speak.

 

None of the survivors show any immediate change.

 

March 1968: In the village of My Lai Division 2 goes against direct orders from the company commander. Division 2 turned on Charlie Company. There were no survivors. In the aftermath Division 2 surrenders upon the arrival of a passing US helicopter.

 

Public outcry against Metahumans soared at the initial reports. It would be over four years before the My Lai report is released. This is the spark of several anti-Metahuman advocacy groups. Of these groups the most outspoken are Humans Against Altered’s Dictatorships, HAAD.

 

Division 2 is quietly exonerated on all charges and reassigned.

 

May 1968: The two conspirators arrested at the Barrister Event are assassinated during prisoner transport. There are rumors that the KB2 strain was linked to the Kiev Experiment. This is never confirmed.

 

June 1968: Pending the trial of Division 2 the US pulls all enlisted Metahumans worldwide.

 

August 1968: Great Britton announces the formation of the Knights of the Realm, a team of eight Metahumans led by Thermite. Each knighted by the Queen for individual acts of bravery they would serve at her leisure to protect the crown and kingdom from any threat, operating with Police and Military as necessary. The Knights of the Realm include Fog Child and Tabor Eagle.

 

June 1970: Global Environmental Operations is founded in Australia with the mission statement: Finding A Better Future Through The Suffering Of Today.

 

March 1972: 2 US Metahumans Richter and Salvo are captured in the Easter Offensive. Reports from the battle agree that the North Vietnamese used weapons that somehow neutralized the Metahuman’s abilities.

 

April 1972: The My Lai Report is released detailing the actions of Division 2 and the genocidal orders of the Charlie Company commander.

 

Several notable anti-Metahuman groups disband peaceably. Most others unify under the umbrella of HAAD.

 

January 1973: Paris Peace Accords are signed and the US begins moving troops out of Vietnam. The release of US POWs begins.

 

1974 – 1982: Metahuman crime rates begin to rise as do Metahuman Vigilantes.

 

1975: The Metahuman Criminal Dynamite Duke is stopped from destroying an office building in Los Angeles by a Hollywood reporter and Martial Artist. Refusing to cover a story so close to his personal life, the local media sensationalizes the event dubbing him Reporter Zen. During this time the phrase Empowered Normal is first used becoming synonymies with non-Metahumans willing to stand against super-powered criminals.

 

January 1976: Bicentennial Celebration in WashingtonDC is disrupted an aerial dog fight between the Metahuman Everett and a militant group known as the Patriots of Humanity.

 

Anti-Metahuman groups use the event as an example of how Metahumans can destroy the US and all those without so called gifts.

 

November 1977: Richter is released form the Hanoi prison.

 

March 1979: Three Mile Island Accident, one survivor is located.

 

April 1979: The Body of Salvo is released.

 

March 1980: Refugee act Passed supported by foreign national and political speaker Joseph Wygsil, once known as The Gas Man.

 

January 1981: GEO establishes its first international office in Romania.

 

January 1983: German Metahuman Flanke prevents the boming of a Marine base in the Middle East.

 

March 1984: Australian Police uncover a plot by GEO using native Aborigines to test variants of KB2.

 

1985: GEO relocates their corporate offices to Romania before charges can be filed.

 

July 1986: Humans For Life a splinter group of HAAD bombs the Atlas Groups central building in CambridgeMass.

 

September 1986: Metahuman Crime Prevention Act is passed and the MCPD is formed.

 

May 1989: A radioactive bomb detonates over a small south Pacific the island is uninhabited by the explosion sparks strange growth in plant and wildlife. No government or organization takes credit for the explosion. UN investigations turn up no results.

 

June 1989: Dubbed ZeroIsland the blast site is quarantined and UN/NATO forces are placed in and around the island.

 

A US/United Kingdom research facility is established on the western shore.

 

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Timeline Part 3 and Organizations

 

Part 3: Beginning of the Modern Era

 

February 1992: President George H. W. Bush of The US and President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation declare a formal end to the Cold War.

 

RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut attacks Red Square.

 

Metahumans from around the world gather to combat the Red Juggernaut including: Xenoform, a British metamorph. Richter a veteran US Metahuman. The Russian RRX-226 Havoc X, able to create waves of force that disrupted molecular bonds of anything touching the ground. RRX-233 Siberian Tigress, with the power to manipulate the temperature. Golden Arm, a German Solder with super strength, his arms encased in metal no modern ballistic could penetrate. Thunder Maiden a Greek Metahuman with the ability to generate Storms and Lightning and Dynasty, British Metahuman with the power to manipulate probability and read minds.

 

Xenoform and Richter work to coordinate the assembled Metahumans. It is unknown if RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut can be killed. Since first surviving the experimentation that birthed the Super Solder his body had not aged.

 

After a three day deadlock Xenomorph scarifies himself to encase The Red Juggernaut in a stone cage crafted by Richter. This gives Havoc X long enough to Charged Golden Arms limbs with a single destructive charge. Xenoform is literally torn in two as The Red Juggernaut escapes his prison. Before he can act the Red Juggernaut is struck by Golden Arm, Storm Maiden and Siberian Tigress piercing his armored flesh. Without thinking Richter creates a stone spike impaling the Red Juggernaut, killing him.

 

April 1992: The Xeno Consortium is formed.

 

March 1996: Declassified documents reveal that between the years of 1949 and 1958 RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut was sealed in a Hyperbolic Tank infused with KB2. The subsequent Refined Kaiser Box was then used on pregnant volunteers. Although casualty rates were reduced significantly, the number of stillborn children was almost 100%. Surviving subjects did not produce any other side effects.

 

Metahuman Classifications:

 

There are eight basic Metahuman power level designations set out by the Atlas Group they are as follows:

 

S Class: Metahuman with abilities that cannot be measured by current technology. There are no S Class Metahumans known to exist currently. There are multiple WWII era Metahumans are left in the S Class as they had long retied before the Atlas Group defined the 5 Classes in 1972.

 

A Class: Metahumans with an active mutagenic gene with no apparent genetic defects, exceed four times a standing human record for strength, speed, agility or intelligence, and possess abilities beyond the scope of human limitations such as flight.

 

B Class: Metahumans with an active mutagenic gene, exceed three times a standing human record for strength, speed, agility or intelligence, and possess abilities beyond the scope of human limitations such as flight.

 

C Class: Metahumans with an active mutagenic gene with no apparent genetic defects, exceed twice a standing human record for strength, speed, agility or intelligence, and possess abilities beyond the scope of human limitations such as flight.

 

D Class: Metahumans with an active mutagenic gene; exceed twice a standing human record for strength, speed, agility or intelligence, and possess abilities beyond the scope of human limitations.

 

E Class: Metahumans with an active mutagenic gene and either exceed twice a standing human record for strength, speed, agility or intelligence, or possess abilities beyond the scope of human limitations.

 

F Class: Metahumans with an active mutagenic gene and exceed a standing human record for strength, speed, agility or intelligence.

 

G Class: Metahumans with an active mutagenic gene.

 

Empowered Normals: Although these humans do not have an active mutagenic gene they operate under the protection of the MCPA using advanced technology, magic or some other form of compensation to compete in the Metahuman realms.

 

*Note: The Benchmark Exception: Metahumans showing abilities above the benchmarked average of similar gifts for higher Classes have been known to be shifted upward on step. These are designated as Class “X2”

 

New Organizations:

 

Atlas Group: Known for their work with the US Army the Atlas Group focuses primarily on the classification of Metahuman abilities. It was the Atlas Group that originally crated the eight principal tiers of Metahuman definition. Occasionally the Atlas Group does field research with sanctioned military teams.

 

 

Bureau of Metahuman Affairs (BMA): On the surface the BMA catalogs Metahumans in the US. The BMA is also responsible for researching possible unregistered Metahumans. Additionally the BMA is known for applying pressure to young Metahumans regarding military service and has been one of the loudest voices in pushing for a mandatory Draft for all Class C and above Metahumans.

 

Global Environmental Operations (GEO): Based out of Romania little is known about the motivations of GEO. Their actions worldwide only add to this confusion. While funding multiple green technologies GEO is known for some of the worst human rights violations. With offices in unstable countries they operate outside of government. GEO has been linked to multiple terrorist cells throughout the world but due to their closed financial records no direct funding has been established. The EU, Japan, Russia and the US all have trade embargos prohibiting the sales and distribution of GEO products or their subsidiaries. GEO has on numerous occasions made attempts to establish footholds in these markets.

 

*Note: Romania failed to join the European Union in January 2007 in this timeline.

 

Metahuman Crime Prevention Department (MCPD): Although technically a branch of the FBI the MCPD operates with virtual autonomy. The MCPD operates at both the local and national levels often paired with local police forces in cities known for a high Metahuman populations such as New York and LA. The MCPD handles local registration offices in these cities as well monitor the activities of registered Metahumans and empowered normals. The MCPD Defense Team works to protect the rights and identities of registered Metahumans and empowered normals as well as prosecuting non-registered Metahumans acting outside of the Civilian Code of Justice or violating local, state or federal laws.

 

*Note: Registered Metahumans identities are kept classified: secret, although recruiting officers may be aware of a Metahuman or empowered normals true identify the personal screening process used is the same as military personal. Outside of recruiters who may have passing knowledge of local Metahumans only those of Director level and above with proper clearance have access to the Metahuman Registrant Data. Even during litigation the MCPA allows Metahumans and empowered normals to be tried under their code names.

 

Xeno Consortium: Founded in 1992 after the fall of the Soviet Union the Xeno Consortium was originally formed to defeat the Russian powerhouse RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut who after learning of the termination of the RRX Project stormed KGB building in Moscow. The strongest heroes from Great Brittan the US along with other former RRX Solders joined forces to defeat Red Juggernaut in a three day standoff. After the Red Square Conflict the Six surviving heroes were almost immediately contacted by the UN Security Counsel to form a special Task Force to combat world threatening Metahuman threats. The name comes from the Metahuman known as Xenoform a US metamorph who helped assemble the original team who defeated RRX-001 and was slain on the second day of combat. The Xeno Consortium has grown to eighteen fulltime members and a network of over two-hundred monitors and contacts.

 

CampaignCity: San Angelo

 

Description Pending

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Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

After talking with some of my friends I thought I should but of some of the background stuff behind the setting. One of the things that appealed to me in the favorite age thread was the Retro Golden idea that seems to have evolved in some comics.

 

I wanted to try and capture that with heroes who were certainly larger than life and could still be heroes not bogged down with force fed introverted drama. As the time line progressed I wanted to mature the stories but try and keep that feel.

 

One thing I took from the later ages though was the idea of a government you can't necessarily trust. They may do may good things but some times one should have to wonder. On that note, BMA is my tribute to the BIA for all of those who have a card doesn't everyone need their own agency?

 

To help reinforce the iconic status of Metahumans there was a conscience effort to limit the total number world wide and even then not all of them have super classed powers. With the addition of a single modern Avengers/Justice League Scale team my hope was that this would come through.

 

When/if I get to use this setting I plan to have the PCs the only heroes in campaign city with possibly one or two exceptions.

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Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Ok,a city to go with the setting. Now all I have to do is wait ...

 

CampaignCity: San Angelo

 

A coastal Southern California city located north of San Diego located along Interstate 5. With a population of just over 3.1 million and covering 16 square miles it is the seventh largest city in the United States competing with San Diego as the economic center of San DiegoCounty. It is home to miles of beaches, a mild Mediterranean climate and 4 military institutions within six miles, including the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Marine Corps.

 

San Angelo also houses the University of California, San Angelo, UCSA, one of the countries top scientific research facilities. San Angelo’s economy is largely comprised of seven major industries: biotechnology, computer sciences, electronics manufacturing, defense-related manufacturing, financial and business services, ship-repair and construction.

 

In addition to UCSA San Angelo is home to Institute for Metahuman Research, Dynamic Biotech Corp and the Isis Foundation. All three dedicated to the study of Metahuman anomalies.

 

Over the last seventy years the city of San Angelo has evolved, originally founded by Dynamic Biotech as a west cost research facility in unincorporated San DiegoCounty. Staffing over seven hundred researchers and twenty two hundred in support staff the DBC leverages government grants for Metahuman research to provide inexpensive hosing for employees.

 

The population around the DBC facility explodes as other businesses move in to support local researchers. In 1947 DBC sponsored the ground breaking for the University of California, San providing higher education for the children of San Angelo. This was designed to eliminate stress placed on older researchers with growing families DBC provides partial scholarships for all employees and immediate family.

 

As the city continued to grow the academic nature of its foundation crumbled under the weight of its own growth. With the anti-Metahuman sentiment of the sixties and seventies much of the government funding DBC and San Angelo enjoyed was cut back. The once spiraling towers of the city of the future quickly turned to fortresses hold outs against the growing urban blight.

 

A dock fire in the north wharf changed the direction of the city. A Metahuman by the name of Eric Thatcher, later known as the Combuster escaped from the DBC research Facility after being admitted by his mother some six years prior. With the ability to generate and manipulate fire he had long had problems controlling his powers and suffered from violent mood swings. It is unknown where the Watcher came from but his arrival was seen as a godsend. A man unafraid of the Metahuman rampage the Watcher intervened. Police had blocked off the area leaving an unknown number of civilians trapped in the old shipping district, many poorer workers or immigrants.

 

Police and Fire rescue got their first look of the Watcher as he lead several of the hostages from the catacombs of burning warehouses. However, there could be no reasoning with Combuster. According to witnesses unable to negotiate wit the Metahuman, Watcher took the fight to the one place Thatcher was just another man, underwater. Using two pair of handcuffs the Watcher anchored himself and Combuster to a truck bumper that had been left on the pier. The fires had damaged the structure enough that it took little effort to send them into the cold night waters. The unconscious Combuster was delivered to the DBC Research facility.

 

The Watcher would go on to protect San Angelo from other threats including local gangs and organized crimes as well as Metahumans such as Combuster, Trickster and Trident. In the years before the Studio 17 Disaster that brought an end to his career. Those two encounters would be cited repeatedly in the push by California senators for the MCPA.

 

After several incidents with various Metahumans DBC and IMR along with state law enforcement began construction of the Citadel. A prison designed to house Metahuman criminals. However, due to political red tape the project was eventually scrapped in the wake of a national penitentiary BlackMountain in Utah.

 

The Citadel was later converted into a join research facility between DBC and IMR but was abandoned after the firebombing during the 82’ riots. Since then the facility has remained closed. Before his retirement the Watcher engaged the Trickster on several occasions at this location. Currently it is rumored to be gathering place for the Metahuman gang Trinity.

 

San Angelo has seen its share of good and bad, heroes and villains. The sprawling metroplex has grown to encompass several smaller towns in outlaying areas and in recent years has seen resistance due to the crime rates and urbanization of the countryside.

 

Some of the major tourist attractions include: The Breakers, an experimental power plant located two miles off the coast. SolomonTowers a one hundred and four flow hotel, dining and shopping experience located in the heart of downtown San Angelo. The West Aquarium located near the southern wharf it houses sea life from across the world and offers a glass enclosed observation deck that stretches nearly a kilometer along the ocean floor.

 

No city is perfect but San Angelo navigates a careful balance. Some see the three Metahuman research facilities currently used by DBC and IMR as only inviting further trouble but since the MCPA went into effect San Angelo has seen its share of defenders. Home to some of the smartest minds in the country San Angelo continues to prosper in spite of the rising crime rates and growing homeless population. For all its imperfections there is no other city like San Angelo.

 

 

Rehnquist Island

 

Originally home a small research facility maintained by IMR the island gained semi-autonomy when Rehnquist Trading Co, the shipping industrialist first broke ground in 1977. Since then island has grown out to sustain several major off shore operations; including a second Metahuman research facility and refineries for Excel Mobility Oil and Great Brittan Petroleum. This small island connects to San Angelo by two six lane bridges and is currently home to some two hundred thousand people.

 

As an industrial hub most citizens of Rehnquist are blue collar workers confined to towering apartment buildings, most middle and upper management live outside San Angelo in the residential districts roughly fifteen miles from the Southern Bridge.

 

What the brochure won’t tell you is that Rehnquist Island is one of the poorest districts in San Angelo with the highest crime rate. The public beach has been closed since 94’ and police ride four deep through the area.

 

Old Town or Gorge Town

 

In 1965 a 6.7 magnitude earthquake devastated San Angelo literally splitting the city at its seams. A sweeping valley was created through midtown running from 3rd Street down to 22nd along Kirby Avenue and Lee Road. The drop was just over eighteen feet. As rebuilding efforts began the buildings within the ninety five block area were deemed structurally sound and safe for occupation. New roads were built at 22nd and 3rd leading into the sunken area.

 

Within ten years most of Old Town was covered by new roads matching the lanes below. Most Buildings in Old Town have entrances at both the main level and Old Town level. However, Old Town itself has evolved into a kind of Red Light District filled with bars, strip clubs and brothels. Old Town is sometimes seen as a kind of upscale drug den with a crime rate below the city norm. Police speculate that this is due primarily to a kind of self regulating anarchy. The police have little to do in Old Town as the worst they often find are homeless congregating during rain storms or cold winter nights.

 

As science continued to advance an urban renewal project was started in 89’ replacing most of the structural supports along the streets with new materials. The new support beams are considered capable of withstanding another earthquake the magnitude of the 65’ quake. Fortunately this has yet to be tested.

 

Old Town was home to one of the Strangest Events during the 1990 Riots. This section of the city reported no vandalism or gang violence. In fact no cops were ever called to Old Town during the riots. It is unclear how the district avoided any of the attacks that plagued the surface streets during that trying time.

 

Characters in the Metahumans Rising Setting

 

Doctor Midnight One of the early Metahumans not part of the US7. His service in the military only became public while in the Pacific.

 

Moon Dog A pivotal hero during the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis who left the army as Vietnam escalated.

 

The Watcher Not part of the timeline itself working on this character inspired me to develop the Metahuman Rising setting.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Very nice stuff so far

 

 

Keep going please

 

 

QM

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Very nice stuff so far

 

 

Keep going please

 

 

QM

 

Thank you.

 

What would you like me to expand on?

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Thank you.

 

What would you like me to expand on?

It'll have to wait until tomorrow,but sure...

[death tribble]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

You wanted criticism.

 

You mention Stalingrad being attacked in 1941. It wasn't it was 1942.

The Germans drove for the North particularly Moscow. It would be more fitting for the Red Juggernaut to defend the home city first and all the more galling for the Germans.

 

You have May 1941 following December 1941. I assume you mean May 1942

 

El Alemain Mk 2 finishes in November 1942.

My suggestion is have Henrich Muller die at the battle of the Kasserine Pass in February 1943. Although the Germans win the battle (real history) they lose their figurehead.

 

Treblinka closed in October 1943. There was a revolt in August 1943 which you can use for the Gas Man. Otherwise make Treblinka Auschwitz

 

Early 1951 is too early for Martin Luthor King unless you make him older. He is 21 in the timeline. Who will listen to a student at that time with no previous experience ?

 

Other than that the Timeline is very good.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

You wanted criticism.

 

You mention Stalingrad being attacked in 1941. It wasn't it was 1942.

The Germans drove for the North particularly Moscow. It would be more fitting for the Red Juggernaut to defend the home city first and all the more galling for the Germans.

 

You have May 1941 following December 1941. I assume you mean May 1942

 

El Alemain Mk 2 finishes in November 1942.

My suggestion is have Henrich Muller die at the battle of the Kasserine Pass in February 1943. Although the Germans win the battle (real history) they lose their figurehead.

 

Treblinka closed in October 1943. There was a revolt in August 1943 which you can use for the Gas Man. Otherwise make Treblinka Auschwitz

 

Early 1951 is too early for Martin Luthor King unless you make him older. He is 21 in the timeline. Who will listen to a student at that time with no previous experience ?

 

Other than that the Timeline is very good.

Thanks for the heads up. In the first section I changed the 1941-1942 typo and Treblinka to Auschwitz. I didn't want to change the deployment of the Red Juggernaut as the fighting over Stalingrad struck me a major point in the history. Also, somehow if my mind it equated to not having to resort the Scorched Earth tactics of salting the ground. I could be off on that one but that was the logic.

 

The El Alemain entry was prolonged compared to the real history due to Metahuman influence. I had intended this as just be a continuality blip but you seem very knowledgeable on WWII history please let me know if this would cause any real change.

 

In the second piece of the History Changed Martin Luther King Jr to Vernon Johns and older Civil Rights activist.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the history and I'm hoping it sets the tone I was going for. Thank you for the notes and please let me know if you catch anything from above.

[OddHat]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Just wanted to add to the chorus here. Some nice stuff.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Just wanted to add to the chorus here. Some nice stuff.

 

Thank you.

[death tribble]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Thanks for the heads up. In the first section I changed the 1941-1942 typo and Treblinka to Auschwitz. I didn't want to change the deployment of the Red Juggernaut as the fighting over Stalingrad struck me a major point in the history. Also, somehow if my mind it equated to not having to resort the Scorched Earth tactics of salting the ground. I could be off on that one but that was the logic.

 

The El Alemain entry was prolonged compared to the real history due to Metahuman influence. I had intended this as just be a continuality blip but you seem very knowledgeable on WWII history please let me know if this would cause any real change.

 

In the second piece of the History Changed Martin Luther King Jr to Vernon Johns and older Civil Rights activist.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the history and I'm hoping it sets the tone I was going for. Thank you for the notes and please let me know if you catch anything from above.

 

The El Alemain battle is over a very large front whereas something like Stalingrad is confined to one place. Knock on effects from a battle that is not a seige (which Stalingrad was) might mean a British retreat and change of General and reduction of morale. This was the battle that made Montgomery's name and reputation after all. Because of the length of time you are suggesting it would have a knock on effect to redeployment of the Afrika Korps back in Europe or more of them being captured in Africa and thus a reduction in German manpower if the Allies win in North Africa. The timetables move forward. This could have a knock on effect to the invasion of Italy and could postpone D-Day until 1945. You also have the Germans getting other weapons like the V1 and V2 and using them to more effect if things are delayed.

 

As regards The Juggernaut, having him at Stalingrad is no problem but the date is. Consider the German blitzkreig of 1941 goes for Leningrad and Moscow and is only defeated by the early snowfall and one of the coldest winters on record. The Germans change tactics in 1942 and go for Stalingrad which has been spared any attention up to this time and the oilfields in the South. So a possibility to consider is this. The Germans are stopped at Leningrad by the Red Juggernaut in 1941 and go onto surround the city as they did in the war anyway in a long lasting seige when he is recalled. He then turns up at Stalingrad the following year. This gets him involved in two of the key fights between Germany and Russia.

Look up Leningrad in Wikipedia and Stalingrad and you can see the differences in the years.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Your right about Leningrad, and I liked the idea of the withdrawal. Although, With the Afrika Korps I may go in and add an update later but I need to read up a bit first. I didn't want to move D-Day back, just because I thought that might throw players off in case it ever came up.

 

Also, I've done some write ups for a few of the heroes mentioned in the timeline. Hopefully I can add a few more as I go along but these were the ones that jumped out at me. I'm going to add them here and a running list above since it seems I can edit posts no matter how old.

 

Doctor Midnight One of the early Metahumans not part of the US7. His service in the military only became public while in the Pacific.

 

Moon Dog A pivotal hero during the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis who left the army as Vietnam escalated.

 

The Watcher Defender of San Angelo he is not part of the timeline itself working on this character inspired me to develop the Metahuman Rising setting.

 

I hope the changes I've made help to flesh out the world for you further and I thank you for your insight into the real world details of the war.

[death tribble]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Glad to see that you are finding the feedback useful.

You don't have to change the timeline but if you want to keep things on the same line as they are in Real Life then you will have to explain why x doesn't lead to y etc.

 

One thing you can also look at is this:- The plot to kill Hitler.

How does this affect the German paranormals ?

Are they targeted for death at the same time or not ?

Are they implicated in the plot and then killed ? If so is this openly as was done for the other conspirators or covertly to stop it affecting morale ?

 

Similarly what does Stalin do about the Red Juggernaut after the war. Look up Zuchov, one of Russia's commanders and see what was done to him.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Similarly what does Stalin do about the Red Juggernaut after the war. Look up Zuchov, one of Russia's commanders and see what was done to him.

 

I've been trying to locate information on Zuchov online I'm not finding much. Do you have a link or two?

[death tribble]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Well perhaps if I had put in the right spelling it would have helped.

Zhukov.

 

If you still can't find him, look in Wikipedia for the Battle of Stalingrad and then at the Russian commanders. Then find the one beginning with Z.

Anyone who could be a leader or a threat to the leadership could be exiled to another part of the state.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Ok, now I found him, and that does give some insight. The core similarities are that they are both Russian Heroes from the war. However, Zhukov was a leader and Stalin saw him as a political threat. I had not pictured the Red Juggernaut as someone with political interests beyond being a patriot. However, this did give me an idea on his back story and the RRX program.

 

July 1949: RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut is sent to an undisclosed location for testing. Rumors surface that due to his inhuman constitution he is being used to refine KB2 trough his circulatory system for further RRX testing. US intelligence reports that he has been cryogenically frozen to preserve his body.

 

July 1949: The US begins research into cryogenic stasis.

 

March 1996: Declassified documents reveal that between the years of 1949 and 1958 RRX-001 The Red Juggernaut was sealed in a Hyperbolic Tank infused with KB2. The subsequent Refined Kaiser Box was then used on pregnant volunteers. Although casualty rates were reduced significantly, the number of stillborn children was almost 100%. Subjects did not produce any other side effects.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

I finally found a wiki to use. Here is a link to the Metahumans Rising page.

 

I'll be adding more information over the next few days.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Updated Campaign Setting with: Rehnquist Island and Old Town

 

The entries are included below for ease of reference.

 

On a side note I found out yesterday that Champions already has a San Angelo, I may be changing the setting name soon, I'm not sure if I want to go that far but I thought it was a funny coincidence.

 

Rehnquist Island

 

Originally home a small research facility maintained by IMR the island gained semi-autonomy when Rehnquist Trading Co, the shipping industrialist first broke ground in 1977. Since then island has grown out to sustain several major off shore operations; including a second Metahuman research facility and refineries for Excel Mobility Oil and Great Brittan Petroleum. This small island connects to San Angelo by two six lane bridges and is currently home to some two hundred thousand people.

 

As an industrial hub most citizens of Rehnquist are blue collar workers confined to towering apartment buildings, most middle and upper management live outside San Angelo in the residential districts roughly fifteen miles from the Southern Bridge.

 

What the brochure won’t tell you is that Rehnquist Island is one of the poorest districts in San Angelo with the highest crime rate. The public beach has been closed since 94’ and police ride four deep through the area.

Old Town or Gorge Town

 

In 1965 a 6.7 magnitude earthquake devastated San Angelo literally splitting the city at its seams. A sweeping valley was created through midtown running from 3rd Street down to 22nd along Kirby Avenue and Lee Road. The drop was just over eighteen feet. As rebuilding efforts began the buildings within the ninety five block area were deemed structurally sound and safe for occupation. New roads were built at 22nd and 3rd leading into the sunken area.

 

Within ten years most of Old Town was covered by new roads matching the lanes below. Most Buildings in Old Town have entrances at both the main level and Old Town level. However, Old Town itself has evolved into a kind of Red Light District filled with bars, strip clubs and brothels. Old Town is sometimes seen as a kind of upscale drug den with a crime rate below the city norm. Police speculate that this is due primarily to a kind of self regulating anarchy. The police have little to do in Old Town as the worst they often find are homeless congregating during rain storms or cold winter nights.

 

As science continued to advance an urban renewal project was started in 89’ replacing most of the structural supports along the streets with new materials. The new support beams are considered capable of withstanding another earthquake the magnitude of the 65’ quake. Fortunately this has yet to be tested.

 

Old Town was home to one of the Strangest Events during the 1990 Riots. This section of the city reported no vandalism or gang violence. In fact no cops were ever called to Old Town during the riots. It is unclear how the district avoided any of the attacks that plagued the surface streets during that trying time.

[Certified]

Re: [World Overview & Timeline] Metahumans Rising

 

Aliens, yeppers almost every comics got them. Although I'm not sure how I want to incorporate them entirely into the setting as of yet I thought it would be nice to have a bit of a teaser.

 

The Thing That Never Was

By Michael G Simons

 

Roswell, New Mexico 1947 an unidentified object crashes in the fields of a local farmer. After an investigation the US Government releases a report stating the crash was a downed weather satellite. This has been the birth of countless conspiracy theories on aliens and alien abduction. The truth is of course stranger than fiction.

 

In July of 1939 a small team of US scientists in Great Falls, Montana decode transmissions from a non-terrestrial source. The transmission contained a single binary string. It took six months of analysis to fully decipher. The string was determined to be a cipher translating a series of sounds into binary. In February 1940 the scientific team responded with a similar code using the modern alphabet.

A second transmission was received nine months later with detailed instructions and design schematics for a powerful light based communications system. The team of scientists spent six months just putting the plans together, another seven before they realized what they had been given. Patterning a single transistor used in the communications array the scientists founded the Atlas Group and secured funding to begin construction of the communications array.

The project took almost three years during which time no further transmissions were received. Due to a lack of machining technology the final device spanned twenty two hundred square feet and stood over fifteen feet in height. Almost three times the dimensions outlined in the original blue prints.

The Communications Laser, dubbed the Star Window went online in March 1945. It allowed for instant communications between the Atlas scientists and their strange benefactors. As the great video monitor of the Star Window flickered to life those gathered got their first glimpse at alien life.

An insect like race, their thin bodies were supported by a dark brown exoskeleton. A pair of long slender arms sat above a smaller set that rested on their chests. Their faces a strange mix of human and insect features, large bulbous black eyes and slender nasal cannel tapered to a narrow segmented jaw. They called themselves the Avr’Dryix and they spoke perfect English.

They spoke of three interstellar empires that spanned hundreds of worlds each locked in conflict with one another. Earth had been spared the destruction of war as it was seen as primitive and insignificant. The Avr’Dryix had once been a peaceful people, they were diplomats and scientists before the war began. To survive they had become little more than weapons manufactures claiming neutrality by selling to both sides. They had been monitoring Earth for nearly a century watching the scientific explosion f the 19th century. They saw in humanity the genetic potential that was unlocked by the Kaiser Box virus and knew it was time to act.

Should either the Ryedoom or Zy become aware of mans new found abilities they would quickly become a target. They sent each message as a test to see who if any had the intellect to decipher or understand their transmissions. Now the Avr’Dryix were willing to help. They would send a compilation of scientific research to aid in the advancement of modern technology. This included deploying a battery of five cloaking satellites to obscure the activities on the surface from long range observation.

 

It would take two years before the satellites would arrive. Disguised as long range probes their speed was cut drastically to avoid suspicion. The scientific data was delivered through the Star Window but was not nearly as advanced as the information provided for the communications array itself. With one notable exception, the Avr’Dryix provided multiple genetic research tools and testing equipment schematics. The Atlas scientists were told that as the technology was introduced into society and adapted for human use further transmissions would continue but they could not risk and dramatic departure from the forecasted evolution of events.

In July 1947 the first of five satellites crashed in Roswell New Mexico. Contained within was technology only the Atlas Group has begun to understand. By they time they arrived at the crash site the US army was already present. Unsure of how to salvage the disaster representatives from the Atlas Group approached the General of the Eighth Air Force on site and confided in him the full scope of the situation. The original scientific team who had made contact with the Avr’Dryix was flown to Washington. On July 8th the official report of a downed weather balloon was released. This event has tied the Atlas group and US government together since that time although it was not until 1956 this relationship is publicly acknowledged.

It is believed that over the next six months the US Army and the Atlas Group work in moving the downed satellite to a secured location for further study. Although I have been able to locate supporting evidence and testimony for these events up to the Roswell crash I cannot begin to speculate what has become of the original downed satellite or what technologies are truly human and what is based on the integrated Avr’Dryix science.

 

- - -

Michael G Simons is the writer of seven books including; They Walk Among Us, and Behind Ivory Walls. His radio show is rebroadcast in over twelve countries and four languages.

 

Link to wiki page