In 1917, Colonel Steven Trevor was shot down over the Pacific Ocean, considered killed in action before his miraculous return accompanied by a woman claiming to be the princess of the Amazons. This WONDER WOMAN was the first superpowered being recorded in modern history and would go on to help turn the tide of the war, joined by fellow metahuman and gifted individuals such as the Atlantean warrior; NAMOR THE SUBMARINER, the super-speedster and the gadgeteer Dan Garrett, better known as the BLUE BEETLE. Along with Steve Trevor, this 'all-star squadron' became known as the DEFENDERS and would go on to inspire the first iteration of the JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA following the war's conclusion.
The Justice Society flourished during the following decade. While Namor returned home following the war, Wonder Woman stayed and travelled the globe in search of other individuals like herself, gathering the likes of HAWKMAN, HAWKGIRL, GREEN LANTERN and THE HUMAN TORCH. While Johnny Quick found himself a rival in the form of THE WHIZZER. Later editions still would go on to include the SANDMAN, STARMAN and WILDCAT.
Unknowingly, however, the presence of the Justice Society had unintentionally jumpstarted a super-soldier arms race. Dr. Abraham Erskine; a German biochemist and physicist who had spent much of his early life studying the human species had devised a way to create a 'Super Soldier Serum' but ultimately his research was misused resulting in the creation of the RED SKULL. Fleeing to America, Dr. Erskine came into custody and protection of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or the S.S.R. who put the good doctor for 'Project Rebirth' which ultimately brought the world the paragon known as CAPTAIN AMERICA.
Following the Second World War, faith in heroes had become jaded, with many seeing them as government weapons. This was further solidified when the Justice Society was forcibly disbanded when the S.S.R. approached the heroes with an ultimatum; become government-sanctioned and registered heroes or be forcibly retired. One by one, the heroes disappeared back into the shadows, though some resisted and were publicly unmasked and jailed for trumped-up crimes. By the 1960s, masked heroes were considered a thing of the past, but gifted individuals were still rising.
Dubbed, the 'Children of the Atom', mutants were rapidly becoming more common among youth leading to Charles Xavier and his confidant, Erik Lehnsherr to found the XAVIER INSTITUTE FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS. The creation of this school would go on to give birth to the X-MEN while Erik would later turn his back on Charles, taking the name MAGNETO and forming his own BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS as the mutant scare continued to rise.
With this threat at home, the former S.S.R. was transformed into the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or simply S.H.I.E.L.D. under the leadership of NICK FURY. Founded in the wake of the Allied victory over the Axis powers and HYDRA during the Second World War, S.H.I.E.L.D. is an American extra-governmental counter-terrorism and intelligence agency tasked with maintaining both national and global security. The division was organized to protect the United States from all possible threats including tracking not only the rising mutant threat but any form of metahuman that arose. Though even under the watchful eye of S.H.I.E.L.D. the world wasn't ready for the devastating meteor shower that nearly wiped out a portion of Kansas during the fall of 1989.
Hidden amongst this meteor shower was a small intergalactic spacecraft carrying the infant Kryptonian; Kal-El, who would be discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent. The Kents raised the young boy as their own, but the world was forever changed the day the young Clark Kent revealed himself as SUPERMAN. Superman's appearance began a new age of heroes, while the red and blue blur reigned above the city of Metropolis, New York found itself a menace in the form of SPIDER-MAN while Gotham's corruption was preyed on by the BATMAN.
The modern history of heroes is unknown to most people. Still, those within S.H.I.E.L.D. and A.R.G.U.S. are well aware of just how long ago beings of extraordinary power decided to join the modern world.
Justice Society formed after World War I, was forcibly disbanded
-WWI
-The Defenders? (Wonder Woman, Namor, Johnny Quick, Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett))
-WWII
-Justice Society founded in the wake of World War II
-The SSR offers the JSA an ultimatum of join, and become government superheroes or forcible retire, resistance meant unmasking and/or jail time.
Justice League formed when a hostile Atlantis surfaced. Shortly after Atlantis was revealed, Wakanda introduced themselves to the world.
When an alien threat caught the Justice League by surprised and lured them off planet, an invasion threat forced the hand of SHIELD to activate the Avengers Initiative. An act originally planned as a counter measure to the Justice League.
Justice League members include Batman, Superman, TBD,
Avengers includes Diana Prince, co-founder alongside Colonel Nick Fury, Iron Man and originally Thor and Captain America before both deflected to the Justice League.
Thor was originally SHIELD's answer to Superman.
Justice League:
Superman
Batman
Ant-Man
Wasp
Hulk
The Flash
Later Members:
Aquaman
Captain America
Black Panther
Thor
Green Arrow
Black Canary
Avengers:
Captain America
Wonder Woman
Thor
Iron Man
Green Lantern
Black Widow
Later Members:
Aquaman
Hawkeye
Namor
Scion, a new coven of powerful and scorned wielders of the arcane and mystic. It is by Scion's hand that the world's leading heroes have vanished.