Superheroes are not a new concept.
For as long as people gained extraordinary powers, from magic, mutation, radiation, non-human lineages, or even just rising above their peers through intensive training, there have always been those who have seen their gifts as a responsibility to protect others. The costumed aspect is relatively new, with even Mr. Wonder, the quintessential hero, only really embracing it in more modern history1, but most trappings of the job like secret identities are something that stretch back throughout most of human history, and even Atlanthean and Junean history as well. But there exists something older than heroes. Something as old as humanity itself, perhaps even older.
In the beginning, there were monsters.
Humanity and its neighbors missed the true era of mega-fauna2, but the mortal races still emerged into worlds full of dangerous beings that truly ruled over them, and the fledgling people ran underfoot afraid of these true masters. Proto-civilizations struggled for existence in the shadows until salvation finally showed itself.
In the beginning, there were monsters… but then came the gods.
Walking the earth, these divine beings fought back the darkness and let the new races expand and settle until they too were ready to take up arms and defend themselves against the things that once terrified them. For a time, you could find gods everywhere the mortals were, or at least close by, watching over them.
However, over time the majority of these gods have faded from memory. After all, some were no greater than the guardian of a small village whose flock was wiped out by some plague or famine thousands of years ago. Their names were erased along with whatever small collection of homes they’d watched over, ruins of the mortals’ dwellings as much their grave markers too.
Others persisted but diminished as their era came to a close. Some like the Meditarri gods were eroded away as human empires expanded and undercut them, their people looking towards the vast Paxian Empire and the innovations it brought with it for their protection and comfort. Some were like the Nurther gods, who simply drifted away from the lands they had settled to pursue their own whims. The civilizations of man, Althanthea, and Junea that flourished kept the memories of their deities alive in myth and legend, but as the ages passed they all but ceased to look to them for protection in the world with hardly any monsters left in it. Like children who had left their childhood homes behind, the mortals of the worlds left the protection of the gods as they grew.
Sadly, these beloved memories of the gods would be tarnished when the Thelees sought out the divinities during the Great War to justify their ideology. Former protectors were enticed to turn on humanity in exchange for the promise of the rulership they once possessed. Alsun, Orit, and Eretha, each a god of war of pantheons left behind by time, gave their blessings to the rising forces from Duchard who had begun to invade the world. Which is to say nothing of the many other deities of various domains that were conscripted as the growing empire forcefully expanded in the events of the Great War.
But some chose to resist, especially their progeny who had lived among mortals their whole lives. These gods and godborn answered Mr. Wonder’s call to strike back against the cruelty and hatred, along with many of what were considered to be the first modern superheroes, supporting the armies of the world against the Thelees.
These were legendary warriors who had seen the last true war and had fought to bring about the modern era. While they vehemently denied worship in the wake of the conflict, they commanded respect and their deeds spoke for themselves. Even if many spent much of their power during that conflict, using up much of what power they still possessed against the gods and superpowered mortal forces, and now were no greater than most of the heroes of the world, any one of them was still a powerhouse that could shake the very foundations of a place like Victory City.
Which was why Ned had been dreading running into the Stormdaughter. On paper, the two of them were both veteran superheroes who had a lot of experience keeping the world safe, but the Vikor demigoddess stood head-and-shoulders above people that stood head-and-shoulders above the spider hero.
More pressingly, he knew she was here for revenge. And while Ned had a lot of respect for his fellow heroes, the spider hero knew that when you started to blur the line between justice and righting personal wrongs, things tended to get dicey. Collateral damage started to feel justified. Hurt people hurt people and all that.
That’s why Ned had been avoiding Amberheart these past few days (well, more than normal. Given that he wasn’t on a team, he didn’t really have a place of his own there, and his patrols tended to give him the workout the gym supplied). Oddly enough though, his “tipline” hadn’t tripped since he’d first heard she was on her way, despite her reputation. That worried him more, considering Stormdaughter had a reputation for her lack of subtlety and hotheaded retaliations in fights. Revenge running cold could be more dangerous than arriving in a giant stormcloud, as there was no telling when things were about to run wild.
Unfortunately, it looked like Ned was also alone here when it came to knowing that the demigod in front of them was here with murder in mind, judging by Orbit’s reaction to her.
“Stormdaughter! You’re a long way from Orion!” he all too happily cheered for her, apparently okay with her defending solo heroics in a way he didn’t extend to Ned.
She grinned back at him and it appeared genuine, an arm resting at her hips as she gave a courteous but relaxed wave.
“Ah, a familiar face, so to speak. You belong to the band of heroes known as the Starlight Squad, if my memory is to be trusted? I believe we have battled alongside each other before,” she looked him up and down, clearly searching her memories for the exact incident.
“Life Tyrant’s spore satellites,” Orbit reminded her. “We were there to clear the way.”
Her grin spread out into a full smile, slightly revealing a carved stone tooth towards the back of her jaw that didn’t match the color of the others around it. Legend had it that she’d traded blows with one of the final storm giants of the sea to lose that one, only to have it replaced by a runestone carved by her Valkir mother. What exactly it did depended on the story and Stormdaughter refused to clarify which was true. The sight of it made Ned tense, another reminder that she’d walked straight out of legends and stories directly into his city.
Those legends had a lot of dead monsters in them. As a boy, Ned had always felt bad for a few of them that hadn’t seemed so bad. Not all the monsters of old wanted nothing more than to kill mortals, even the legends that glamorized the gods didn’t pave over that fact. And Ned couldn’t help but feel wary about a demigoddess with a bone to pick with some unknown villain tipping over rocks in Victory to sift through the villains she could find.
“And you must be the famed ArachNed,” she held out a hand to him. “I’ve heard tales of your deeds even in Orion.”
He glanced down at the offered arm. At first glance, the demigoddess didn’t look nearly as muscled as some of the heroes he met, but there was an oddness to the exposed flesh of her forearm. It was… off. He couldn’t tell if it was the color or the shape of the muscles or something else, but the lizard part of his brain was screaming to him that this wasn’t a human hand and to beware of getting near it unless he wanted to be crushed. Nevertheless, he took it upon himself to grab the hand in his own and gave a firm shake. Hero work is about doing things that scare you after all.
Speaking of being a hero, you run into a lot of people who get used to their own supernatural strength and even some civilians who work hard labor or hit the gym a lot who have these crushing grips or rattle your arm. Ned had spent weeks learning to not do that to people himself as his powers settled within his body during the aftermath of first wearing the amulet he’d found in that junkyard, after being forewarned by a veteran hero before he yanked someone’s arm out of their socket. So he braced himself for the overly enthusiastic wrench on his arm that he’d need to compensate for.
Instead, it was like a band of silk wrapped around his fingers and flowed his arm through his own movements. His arm moved like it was caught in a river’s flow, or perhaps more accurately like it was caught in the breeze. There was a single squeeze of the hand at the end, matching his own strength in a way that didn’t fight him to the point of discomfort, which was the only thing that assured him that he had just experienced a handshake at all. It felt like the tangible reminder of her mortal side grounding him after he experienced divinity for the first time.
Well… despite what anyone said, including the man himself, Ned considered this the second time he’d shaken hands with someone godly. Both of them had left him feeling odd in completely different ways.
As Stormdaughter broke their handshake she looked over at the awed newbie who was clearly not expecting one of Orion’s legends to show up here of all places, a reassuring smile on her face. Thank goodness someone was finally around here that could do that. Hm… should I add that to a list of animations for the next mask? I already tried a full face projector with my red and yellow suit and people did not like that one…
“Ah, I have been rude, young one. Please what moniker do you claim?” she gestured to the kid.
“Oh, um, I’m Energy Lad! I have the ability to shoot energy blasts out of my hands!” the new hero pointed to the E on his chest.
The advantage to a face concealing mask like Orbit or one that selectively showed off animations like Ned’s was that you didn’t show off a noticeable twitch on the face like Stormdaughter did. Energy Lad missed it, but Ned knew Orbit had seen it as well, and knew the hero also had a similar reaction behind the mask. Ned figured he was already the bad guy here, or at least the bad guy who had stuck around, so he might as well push the issue.
“Um… Are you married to that one? Feels like you’ll need to change it soon,” he offered as tactfully as he could.
To Ned’s non-surprise, Orbit sighed in that way that said a lecture from a concerned hero was coming. The actual surprise was that the monochrome hero adjusted to face the teen instead of him. Apparently, despite Ned being more than willing, it looked like the monochrome hero was going to be the one to really rain on Energy Lad’s parade.
“I haven’t asked yet, but with a name like that, you’re not old enough yet to be hero-ing, are you?” the gravity hero moved straight past addressing a poor starter name and right into the topic that would truly get the kid in trouble.
As for the kid himself, he simply froze, looking very guilty. Ned definitely didn’t want to be the one to bring it up himself since he’d definitely started this gig even younger than Energy Lad, but times had changed, especially for several cities in Amera over the past decade regarding younger heroes. Groups like the Young Guardians were actually overseen by veteran hero groups and had specific contracts with the government put into place, making them some of the only “sanctioned” hero organizations. While Ned was willing to fight tooth and nail for solo heroism, the law was very clear and detailed in Victory at least about how minor heroes were allowed to fight crime.3
“I was hoping to audition for the Young Guardians…” Energy Lad admitted, pressing his hands together. “I thought that if I caught a villain in action then…”
Orbit sighed again, “You haven’t even taken a full evaluation? You said you shoot energy blasts? Do you know what kind and what your normal ranges are? Your max output?”
The mortified youth looked away.
Aw, come on. I was just going to bat for operating solo here…
Orbit apparently was more than fine with being the wet blanket here and decided to continue.
“You got very lucky here, not just with a villain who was pulling punches, but also that you didn’t actually get into a fight. There were too many unknowns here and a lot more people could’ve gotten hurt. I know what it’s like to feel like you need to prove yourself to get on the team you admire, but we’ve got these rules for a reason!”
Ned glanced over to Stormdaughter, who seemed content to stay out of this. With the young hero looking more and more ready to hang up his mask and tights, Ned figured he needed to step in. Not really to come to the kid’s defense, but more to soften the blow.
“Look, Energy Lad,” Ned used the name despite really thinking it was the wrong choice for the kid to have at the moment, “this attack is probably going to be the first of many, and we’ll need more heroes soon enough. With Dr. Maniacal out of the picture, a lot of people are going to try to show off for Overlab.”
Which made this all the weirder that no one could give him a name on this villain.
He brushed aside his internal concerns and continued, “This means that a lot of villains are going to be showing off dangerous stuff in front of a lot of witnesses. You need to know exactly what you can do if you’re going to be slinging energy blasts at them.”
“And have a team to manage everything in the fight and keep everyone safe,” Orbit cut in. Ohhhh... Ned couldn’t argue with him in this case but oh man… he was pushing it!
“...Those are the rules,” Ned conceded, more to get Orbit to back off than anything else, even if memories of his teenage years spent covered in bruises understood the point of having backup. “Tell you what, if you go to Amberheart and get your evaluations done, Orbit here will make sure that the Junior Hero Association will know that you want to help out.”
Orbit did a double take but thankfully seemed quickly won over by the idea. No doubt the prospect of corrupting this young hero to the idea that heroes always operated in teams was too tempting to pass up even if it came with more work. As for Energy Lad, his sunken shoulders began to rise a little bit at the prospect of having some attention from the heroes he admired.
Good luck, kid. Just… change that name to something you’ll be fine with in ten years. Sure there’s plenty of heroes that constantly change their mantle, but that mostly just frustrates everyone who tries to keep up with them.
“Perfect!” Stormdaughter boomed, shaking everyone out of their conversation. “Now, I should like to talk to these two heroes for a moment, assuming you take no offense with that?”
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She didn’t wait for Energy Lad to even nod before pushing both Orbit and ArachNed away, quite literally. Ned wasn’t that light despite his acrobatics, but he still felt like a small kitten being scooped away by an overly affectionate human owner with the way she practically lifted him with her arms. Ned guessed behind the mask that Orbit was equally as rattled given the moment it took to steady himself on his legs when she released them.
Stormdaughter didn’t wait for either of them to recover before immediately launching into questions, her voice suddenly much more quiet, as though going from a storm to a soft rain.
“From what I’ve gathered, this brazen robbery was meant more for the prize than the prestige,” she summed up Ned’s own observations quickly. “Do either of you have insight on who this dastard might be?”
Ned shook his head, having several of his own questions on why the demigod was getting involved with a relatively mundane smash and grab.
Orbit mirrored his gesture but added, “From what I heard, it sounded like a costume we haven’t seen. When the Arrestors show up, we’ll have a better picture of it.”
You will. That ding I just heard means I’ve already got it, Ned thought.
“Then, moving on, I should ask: what, pray tell, did this armored behemoth carry within it?”
“Iota Isotopes,” Ned answered. Orbit looked over at him, so he explained, “Call said Lockwide, who have contracts for four labs. The one in this area specializes in Iota Isotopes, and that looks like the containment pylon in there.”
Orbit grumbled but verified that was the case.
Stormdaughter frowned, “Iota Isotopes, a shortcut to strength. Does this mean the villain was looking to empower themselves?”
“Unlikely,” Ned answered first again. “While tech villains aren’t above trying for a quick one up, Double I’s tend to be looked down upon when you’re already in the business, and no one that could speed run a robbery quick enough to get out before anyone on the bandwidth managed to arrive is an amateur.”
“Plus if you’ve got your setup this down, hitting yourself with Iota would be a mistake,” Orbit added. “Mutations could interfere with your tech or make you not fit the suit anymore. I’m not ruling out that the guy might have powers already, but I don’t think that they did this for a quick boost.”
Ned noticed something on Stormdaughter’s face at the mention that the perp might have hidden powers, but it quickly vanished.
“Unfortunately,” she continued the train of thought they all were running through, “if Victory is to be anything like glorious Orion, Iota has too many who would seek to buy it to try and stake a lookout anywhere in particular. If I might be so bold, I have doubts that tracking any recent activity from merchants of the Isotope might even come from this daring robbery.”
Orbit and Ned nodded. Iota Isotopes weren’t cheap to make but weren’t exactly too hard if you knew how. More than a few side businesses were running underground, potentially even out of the lab that synthesized these ones, to supplement some earnings. Iota Isotopes weren’t just useful to scarf down for a weak power, they also worked great as power-sources for other gadgets. Ned had been forced to navigate the grey market himself for a project back in the day. He’d briefly considered if this was part of a similar venture from the villain, but the gas can and standard issue mag cables made him think that whoever this was didn’t make their own toys. No idea if Orbit had figured that out yet and Ned was still feeling a little spiteful there, so let him learn it when everyone else did and see the value of operating as a larger group like he wanted to.
After a moment where all the heroes fell silent, considering their options, Orbit finally asked the important question, “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you in Victory, ma’am?”
Ned waited to see what was about to happen. Would Stormdaughter actually lie about it? Or perhaps worse, actually tell the truth and attempt to rope in every hero for this manhunt? Ned knew that she’d visited Amberheart already but whatever went down there didn’t make it to his “tip line”.
The demigoddess was quiet for a moment before looking up to presumably meet Orbit’s gaze, though somehow it felt like she was looking into Ned’s eyes as well, looking straight past the holograms on his mask and into his soul.
“I’m here because the man who killed Maniacal may once have plagued Orion as well, and I wish to try to catch them before they slip away again,” she admitted. “However, I know that the horizon is full of portents which foretell a rush to try and fill the shoes of the fallen scientist. With Victory being where he was vanquished, the city is set to see many a villain becoming active quite soon. I shall be working with you, the heroes of this city, to help manage this tide. I have already met with your Azure Avenger, but it is my hope to meet with representatives of each of the true protectors of this fair city and get an idea of what to expect of it before I try my own hand here.”
That was… way more level headed than he thought. Orbit clearly didn’t know about the connection between the guy who offed Maniacal and Orion, or specifically the connection to Ms. Alsdottir here, judging from the intake of breath that Ned heard. And Ned certainly caught how much the demigoddess just left out with that explanation.
She adjusted herself to meet his gaze this time, “What’s wrong? Did my reputation leave you thinking I would simply take charge and attempt the most direct solution?”
Well, yeah.
She laughed, somehow knowing his answer behind his mask.
“I was named ‘hero’ in the eras before Mr. Wonder gave the name new meaning!” she chastised him. “In those tales, were not the guile and strength of one’s mind not just as important as bravery and the strength of one’s arm? I am aware my good nature and directness in battle have led to many a misunderstanding of my methods of heroism, but one does not survive the many trials my Jarlden brothers put me through since my youth without an ounce of wit.”
She nodded towards him, “From your reputation, I am told you favor trickery as well. Then you understand that one must know their enemies and allies well, even for one who strikes out alone against unfamiliar foes. The dastardly foe that escaped me once before shall not do so again!”
Ned noticed a fire in her eyes, and could feel the bloodlust hidden just under her voice’s boisterous boom.
“If we must wait to learn more,” she nodded towards the armored car, “then I shall have to continue my patrol. The truly helpful staff at your Amberheart Tower are endeavoring to temporarily add me to your city’s network and allow you all to contact me. I hope to see more of you both at the Tower when next your city’s heroes gather. Still, I hope that you shall allow me to assist you with finding this mysterious new element in your city, even if this is unrelated to my own search.”
Her eyes flicked between Ned and the truck, a hint of a knowing smile on her lips. Well, looks like someone’s worked with nosy people like me before.
She began to lift off from the ground, lightning crackling between her feet and the road below. Stormdaughter nodded before either of them could say a word and quickly shot towards the sky, thankfully without a thunderclap behind her. Ned shot a glance over to Orbit who shook his head.
“I’ve got to go take care of Energy Kid thanks to you,” he chided, but his tone let the spider hero know that he was looking forward to it somewhat. “Just don’t screw up anything and try to play nice for once.”
Don’t embarrass Azure, Ned translated.
“It’s Lad. Also, see if you can’t get him to change his costume. The E doesn’t make a great symbol.”
Orbit looked him up and down, “This from the guy who doesn’t use a symbol. Shouldn’t you have a spider on your chest?”
Oh, he just had to pick at all the sore subjects, didn’t he?
“Legal issue…” Ned muttered. “...Don’t even know how you can trademark that… I don’t need a big spider on my chest anyways!”
Orbit just shrugged, which drew attention to the cool O shaped symbol on his chest. Darn it, now Ned was remembering when he’d tried to work a big A with spider legs onto his third costume.
“Anyways, I got it. I’ll behave,” he walked away, passing by the car in order to subtly pick up the drone and its data. “Just so long as you don’t try to poach the kid for the Squad. You know that Kid Cosmic was only allowed on because of the ‘family business’ exception. You only get to indoctrinate the ones you raised yourself! Let the Guardians have their crack at him!”
Orbit exaggerated a full roll of his entire head to let Ned know that he was rolling his eyes behind the mask and left to go herd Energy Lad to Amberheart. Meanwhile Ned queued up the video as he let his mechanical legs launch him away from the scene, waving goodbye to Carrie and the guards as he did so.
Yep, don’t recognize this guy at all. Could be anyone to be honest. Looks like some kind of projectile launcher on the gloves, some lasers mounted to a harness under some fairly standard power armor (not a bad idea but kind of risky if you’re planning on getting into an actual fight), an actual fairly competent set of jetboots (Ned had tried to go off theme just once for a set of those and hadn’t managed to get them right. Thankfully no one else had seen the test footage of that), and a few assorted gadgets. There was something about the guy that seemed familiar but that could mean anything from someone around here splurged for some serious upgrades or it was a traveling villain, maybe even one of Maniacal’s goons who was trying to grab some funds before bouncing out.
Ned was tempted to continuously run the footage as he bounced around town but he already felt distracted by Stormdaughter’s appearance. Over the years, Ned had met a few heroes who ended up on a personal revenge tour, and it always got messy, and none of them helped storm the beaches to bring down the entire Thelee army and the divinities backing them.
Tracking down whoever this guy was in the footage was important, no doubt about it. Too many unknowns and the timing was weird. Not to mention they were a villain terrorizing Victory City! But Ned knew his true focus to keep everyone safe would have to be finding whoever was at the center of the OC3002116 case before it was too late.
--------------------------------------------------
Thana hovered above Victory City, staring down at it and trying to will something, some clue or lead or anything to just appear.
I can handle this.
She’d landed several miles outside of town on that first night, years of experience warring with the storm inside her, forcing her to the earth far from anyone. Every raw emotion had been ignited, her travel through the clouds on Storm Unending feeding the metaphorical storm as much as the actual one.
The door creaks open-
No.
She stopped the memory, exhaling mist that crackled with energy. She focused on her breathing. She had buried her mother and overcome her loss. She’d survived her father’s betrayal of mankind. She regularly dueled Magll and Rundi, her brothers, once the closest friends she’d ever had, who had made oaths dozens of eras ago to lay her low. She survived taming the Storm Unending. She’d even moved past that apartment once before.
I can handle. This.
Opening eyes she didn’t realize she’d squeezed shut, Thana looked over Victory. Countless mortals lived here, most of whom went about their lives every day unperturbed by the various superhumans that lived amongst them. There was admiration, grievances, camaraderie, love, and even outright hatred between those born to a mundane existence and those that walked that path that gods and monsters once did. Most simply lived their own lives and accepted that on occasion, a battle would block off a street they used or their lights would flicker because a kaiju was stomping around the park nearby. They trusted their protection to the heroes and that most villains that appeared on a day to day basis were not actually the type to harm them.
She grit her teeth, thinking about the truck robbery, about the destroyed traffic signal by the ridiculous badger man, about the bakery window that had been shattered in the fight between the Young Guardians and a villain wielding a toppled tree. All these small incidents where no one had been truly hurt, but still.
They trust us to protect them. And we…
The heroes she’d met these past few days had been no less courageous, and if she was being honest, no less competent than most she’d joined in battle with at Orion City. There were many a jest made about the quality of Victory City compared to its nearby counterpart, but the little time she’d spent here had put most of them to bed. Friendly barbs traded in rivalry, the kind of sport she enjoyed to be honest.
Still, the part of the storm inside that was anxiety wouldn’t quiet down. It screamed, “They’re not ready. You’re not ready. The monsters are too much!” It was maddening!
Thana knew she craved wins here. Something tangible. To see as many of the ne’er do wells locked away as it took to prove that her side, the side of justice and heroism, was not helpless against the rising tide. But she also knew the reality of the Arrestors and the limited resources available to combat powers and keep a super powered combatant contained.
...Combating powers…
The memory had been what had forced her to land those few days ago. To be honest, it was probably why she was so nervous. When she’d finally met with the Azure Avenger, she found she was unable to tell him the truth about the OC3002116 incident, about Marquis Blood. She’d learned to her relief that the files about it didn’t include the information about that part of the tale. Unfortunately, that left her alone with the truth.
The mystery villain who had reemerged to slay Dr. Maniacal had already come close to ending the life of a legend before, aided by a villain forgotten to time. It was not the first time someone had brought Thana Alsdottir close to the gates of Valhir, nor would it be the last, but there was no need to jump into the open mouth of a hungry wolf knowing it plans to bite.
“I told the spider jester that one should know both one’s allies, but also their enemies,” she spoke to herself, far from anyone else’s ears. “Perhaps the unease I feel would be better soothed by learning more of this city’s underworld.”
Yes… Maybe she just needed to be reassured that the villains of this city were no greater than those dastards of Orion. And maybe this would allow her to make some headway towards uncovering the identity of her mysterious foe.
The demigoddess began to lower towards the city, withdrawing a small device from a leather satchel at her hip. Her phone.
The device could be maddeningly addictive, so she sealed it away lest it tempt her from her duties. Being raised amongst the Vikor led to a certain… appreciation for immediate gratification which this horrible rectangle was all to eager to oblige her. She did not appreciate the fact that it felt like it undid years of honing her patience so easily.
Still it was useful in accessing the records from Amberheart Tower and if one was familiar from experience over the years, one knew how to navigate the hidden pathways the less honorable used on the intranet. The results she came across seemed promising enough.
Still, it would not do to attempt to go to these places in her current garb. Thana carefully considered her next move. It was obvious but in some ways risky. Nevertheless she steeled herself. The form would be… familiar and uniquely vulnerable to the current situation.
Maybe it needed to heal too.
“I must do this. I can do this,” the Shield of the Defenseless assured herself as her form crackled with light.
A different woman emerged, one who hadn’t been seen in years. This woman lightly landed atop a nearby rooftop, her steps purposeful and her goal set as she made her way to the nearby roof access.
mild" in "mild PTSD symptoms and under extreme amounts of stress while in possession of godlike powers" is the important word there. Nothing to worry about.
1. According to records and stories told by the man himself, Mr. Wonder had been saving people since the 12th century in some form or another, leading to many a question if one local legend or another across the world could be attributed to this hero.
2. Pockets of mega-fauna are still found around the globe, but the true age of the dinosaur, kaiju, dragons, and more is widely agreed to have ended millennia ago
3. For decades since the Great War, younger heroes were a staple of superheroes in general, often seen as a way for youths with strong sense of justice to learn the ropes under veteran heroes and learn to control their powers. This practice fell under scrutiny as the years went on and public opinion turned towards other programs to help super powered teens process their powers in less violent ways, as well as a few tragic incidents fighting villains. There exists several programs, like the Junior Hero Association, which provide exceptions to “the age of heroism” laws with multiple safeguards and restrictions, but this tends to be one of the few major restrictions governments around the world and the hero organizations collectively agree to put on superheroism.
