Johnny Saturn

The world of Spire City is just like our world, except that there are superheroes, and there is the city itself, which doesn’t exist in our maps. Spire City is a bit like Chicago, but there is also much of Indianapolis in it. Spire City is an upper Midwestern city founded on the northwestern banks of a large body of navigable water: whether this body is one of the Great Lakes or a wide place in Mississippi or Ohio Rivers is not specified at this time. Like Chicago, the skyscrapers of Spire City stretch on and on, like a huge steel and glass forest. Like most Midwestern cities, there is a strong international element, and yet an equal measure of shabbiness.

Spire City was built on relatively even terrain and laid out in a grid pattern. Each block is bisected by two alleys, making space for four buildings. Over the last century and a half, some of these blocks were redeveloped for much larger structures, buildings that take up entire blocks, like Spire City General Hospital, the Spire City Government Center, assorted arenas, etc.

There is an extensive subway system under Spire City that has been in use since the 1880’s. Beneath this is a huge honeycombed world made up of access tunnels, reservoirs, sewers, steam tunnels, abandoned subway stops, and the basements and boiler rooms of forgotten, no longer existent buildings. This is the realm of the mole people, and they have established communes and towns down here, pirating their essential needs from the world above. They feed what they don’t need to the alligators.

To the northwest of the city lies Mount Hollyrood Cemetery, gated in idyllic peace. To the southeast of the city there is a broken industrial district, a rust belt relic with little beauty. This is where the abandoned bridge piling featured in the first story arc is to be found, as well as the shabby Wissenschaft Inc. factory.

When speaking of superheroes, there are a few distinctions to be made. First, superheroes are called meta-heroes or metas here. Second, mystery men are different from meta-heroes. Mystery men had their heyday in the 1920’s and 30’s; they rarely had any super powers, but often relied on gimmicks and tricks to fight crime and corruption. These vigilantes were a tough breed, not above killing if they had to, but now they are mostly gone. Meta-heroes, which are now the predominant form of vigilante in Spire City, usually have meta-powers (also called hyper powers) or advanced technology at their commands.

In Spire City, the highest profile meta-group is the Squadron Premiere. This collective, founded by Utopian and the Staff of Life, has as many as two dozen meta-heroes at any given time. Their underworld counterpart is the Scavengers. The Squadron Premiere is a regional division of the Collective of Champions, based out of New York City and part of the United Nations. There is also an International Society of Metahumans, which is based in The Hague and backed by the League of Nation’s Permanent Court of International Justice.

Meta-heroes in Spire City’s America are usually licensed, much the way bounty hunters are licensed. Indeed, it was not necessary to amend the constitution for this, since the provisions for bounty hunters cover them nicely. Licensed meta-heroes are typically bonded, and it is up to their home city to cover the bond. Law enforcement clearance is awarded to each meta-hero by the police commissioner or the mayor. Similarly, there are national law enforcement clearances provided to some meta’s, and international clearance is available through the United Nations. Utopian, for example, has international clearance. It is also of note that Johnny Saturn, once himself a member of the law enforcement community, is an unlicensed and non-bonded vigilante.

Part II

There are many different types of heroes and villains operating in Spire City. As a group, we call them meta-humans, but this isn’t all inclusive.

• Android: A robot that appears sufficiently human to easily pass for a human. Tara 5.0 is a prime example of an android.
• Cyborg: A human surgically augmented with scientific implants. Many of Dr. Wissenschaft’s mercenary soldiers are cyborgs.
• Gadgeteer: A human who invents or adopts gadgets of some sort to work as a vigilante. Tilt counts as a gadgeteer, as does Staff of Life, Captain Barometer, and Hyperspace.
• Mad Scientist: While technically norms, superhuman brilliance is arguably the most potent meta power. Combine this with mental illness (Dr. Synn) or amorality (Dr. Wissenschaft), and you have a foe not to be taken lightly.
• Mecha: A robot with an onboard human driver or pilot. The difference between a mechanaut and a mecha is often one of size; if the driver can wear it, he’s a mechanaut; if the device is large enough to be a vehicle, it is a mecha.
• Exonaut: These are normal humans who wear powered exoskeletons, wearable robots, or other similar costumes that scientifically augment their wearer. Examples would be Tactical and Deco. Mechanauts are sometimes also called human tanks and power armors. Non-powered armor, such as a bullet-proof vest, does not make someone a exonaut.
• Meta-human: Any person who is “more than human,” whatever the source of that power. Most of the superheroes and super villains in Spire City fall into this category. There are subgroups of meta-humans, such as Speedsters (Hotfoot, Celerity), Brutes (Alaric, Skorn), and Winged Wonders (Peregrine, Free Ranger).
• Mystery Man: Non-powered, themed vigilantes more common in the 1930’s through the 1950’s. Johnny Saturn I would be a good example of a classic mystery man.
• Norms: Within the meta community, standard humans are usually called Norms. Martial artists are still usually norms; if they adopt a theme and become vigilantes, they graduate to mystery men.
• Paranormal: This covers all humans (and other creatures/entities) that are magically based. A standard human adept in magic would be a paranormal, as would angels and demons and elementals. Examples include Persephone Synn Underhall, Norgiel the demon, and Turiel the angel. Many characters who are living avatars/embodiments of certain principles belong to this group, as do mythological humans (such as the late Musclebound, son of Hercules).
• Robot: Artificial scientific constructs. These often have humanoid shape, but they cannot pass for humans as can androids. A robot with a human pilot is a mecha. A good example of a robot would be the self-aware Oppression Wave.
• Zomborg: A clinically dead human that is surgically augmented and turned into a mindless cyborg. Dr. Wissenschaft regularly recycles his slain mercenaries and cyborgs into zomborgs.

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