Astron
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AmericanMother: Sarah Reeves
Sister: Nora Reeves
Astron is a prominent American superhero who made his first official appearance in 1988. Astron's heroic endeavors were initially based along the Atlantic Coast but have evolved dramatically over the course of his decades-long career. Progressing from a local hero to a cosmic guardian, Astron now spends most of his time off-world. Renowned for his formidable power, Astron ranks among the elite echelon of superhumans hailing from planet Earth. Despite his storied career as a superhero, Astron maintains a low profile to maintain his focus on what really matters and prevent his image from overshadowing the cause he fights for. Above all, Astron, like most other superheroes, strives to make the world a safer and more just place. In his civilian life, Astron assumes the identity of Nolan Reeves, an esteemed writer whose career stretches back to 1994. Astron's dual identity has been public knowledge since 1999. Nolan's literary output, including his most renowned novel, American Capes, has received widespread acclaim. His writing has been the subject of studies on superhuman literature and some of his books have been adapted to film.
Contents
Biography
Secret Origin: A Cosmic War
The following is classified information.
Dichotomous Genesis
Eons ago, the Kings of Edom emerged from the Qliphoth and invaded the Multiverse. The greatest of warriors, almighty gods and even entire dimensions were destroyed or consumed by these unfathomable abominations. It took an unprecedented alliance of cosmic forces to drive the Kings back to their accursed realm.
Among those who stood against the Qliphothic onslaught was a celestial, her name now lost to time but her legacy forever etched in the annals of cosmic history. During the fierce battle, she sustained a fatal wound, allowing the insidious corruption of the Kings to seep into her divine essence. Knowing that to succumb to their influence would mean eternal enslavement, she made the ultimate sacrifice. In a final act of defiance against the Kings of Edom, the celestial tore herself asunder and the two halves of her being diverged, shooting across the infinite expanse of the Multiverse.
These two halves were carried by the cosmic currents to their respective places in the Multiversal tapestry. Both fragments of the celestial coalesced into distinct worlds of their own. The pure divine essence of the celestial developed in the ethereal energies of the Astral Plane to become Atrum, a realm of order and justice. In stark contrast, the fragment tainted by Qliphothic corruption gorged on the lifeblood of reality and birthed Orith, a realm of chaos and despair.
Atrum vs Orith
In the realm of Atrum, a race of magnificent celestials emerged, standing as gods among gods. Virtuous and compassionate, they dedicated themselves to the righteous mission of protecting the Multiverse from the malevolent forces that threatened its very existence. Meanwhile, in the depths of the dark and foreboding realm of Orith, sinister creatures arose from its primordial chaos, striking terror even into the hearts of arch-demons. Despite the vast expanse separating them, each faction remained keenly aware of the other's existence from the inception of their lineages.
The Atrumites stood resolute against the enemies of the Multiverse, driven by a deep-seated conviction that it was their sacred duty to vanquish their vile counterparts, the Orithians. To the Atrumites, the Orithians symbolized not only the catalyst of their progenitor's demise but also the embodiment of the malevolent forces that threatened all of existence. In stark contrast, the Orithians reveled in their dark nature, driven by the urge to conquer, consume, and destroy the Multiverse, leaving nothing but death and desolation in their wake. With such opposing characteristics, the Atrumites and Orithians were destined to be locked in ceaseless conflict, inevitably marching toward a cataclysmic final confrontation.
Led by Promethiex and Viridia of the first generation, the Atrumites formed an interdimensional alliance against the Orithians and other malevolent forces threatening the harmony of the Multiverse. They stood as the first line of defense against the growing Orithian legion. The Orithian Empire, ruled by the tyrannical Oraxus, first of his kind, waged war across the Multiverse, relentlessly expanding their dark dominion and enslaving all who dared resist them. As both factions built up their armies and arsenals, skirmishes erupted and attrition took its toll. Ultimately, the war reached its climax when Oraxus used the Omega Sphere, a powerful object forged by the ritual sacrifice of an untold number of souls, to rip Atrum out of the Astral Plane and pull it down towards Orith. The two factions battled with the intention of finality, echoing the conflict between the Multiversal guardians and the Kings of Edom before them. The battle raged on as the very fabric of reality warped and fractured under the stress of their catastrophic clash. Ulkules, champion and commander of the Atrumite forces, drove his fiery golden spear through Naedrak, vampiric necromancer and commander of the Orithian legion, extinguishing the flame that fueled the undying horde. The Atrumites and their allies surged through the shadowy expanse of Orith, their resolve unyielding as they believed victory to be within their grasp. But Oraxus refused to accept defeat.
With a tremorous roar, Oraxus shattered the Omega Sphere in his fist, unraveling the surrounding dimensions and collapsing everything into himself, tearing open a rift in reality that pulled ally and foe alike into oblivion. Oraxus became the gaping maw of this void, consuming everything in his path. Amidst the ensuing chaos and carnage, only one Atrumite was left standing: Astron, his resolve unwavering as he faced the ultimate enemy. Armed with the Omnishield of Atrum, Astron charged forth like a blazing supernova into the end of all things. The fusion of cosmic energies erupting from the Omnishield burned away at Oraxus. As the Qliphothic maelstrom writhed and clawed at him, Astron pushed back against the devouring vortex with all his might until, at last, Oraxus was destroyed. As the rift sealed, Astron was launched away by Oraxus' explosive demise. Everything that had been pulled into the void converged into a singularity. Rather than oblivion, a new dimension was created where the Atrumites and Orithians disintegrated and became abstract entities of pure energy. This dimension was frozen in stasis, devoid of matter and time, a prison sealed off from reality. A vast silence fell over the now-empty expanse where the apocalyptic battle had taken place, as a faint star shot away towards a destination unknown.
Death & Rebirth
Astron hurtled through the cosmos, tumbling across dimensions, until the dying celestial warrior eventually found himself adrift in the orbit of a small blue planet. Gravity seized the grievously wounded warrior and he shot down through the stratosphere like a meteorite, landing in the ocean with a splash. The relentless force of the dark vortex had ravaged him and Astron knew he didn't have much time left. He felt the Qliphothic corruption slowly eating away at him, gnawing at his soul. Soon, the infection would take over completely and twist him into a vile monstrosity animated by the will of Oraxus. Like the Progenitor, Astron defied such a fate and tore his chest open. He extracted the luminous orb containing his soul and the light instantly vanished from his eyes. The sphere floated up to the surface, disappearing into the sky as it initiated the process of resurrection. The damaged soul sphere was pulled off its course by the electromagnetic pull of sentient emotions. A pair of humans stood on the shore, grieving the loss of something precious they yearned to reclaim. Their emotions resonated so strongly that the soul sphere took shape to fulfill their wish.
On that day, Steve and Sarah Reeves found a lone infant on the empty coast where they grieved. Seemingly unperturbed by the cold, stormy weather, the child rested on a perfectly flat rock and reached skyward. The woman took the child in her arms and felt the warmth emanating from him. Their eyes met and she knew this child was their own. They named him Nolan. Growing up, the boy was aware that he was different and that his parents were keeping some kind of secret from him. The truth would only be revealed when the time came for the power dormant within him to manifest.
Childhood and Coming of Age (1970 - 1988)
Awakening
Nolan grew up with enigmatic dreams. What they showed him were unlike anything in the waking world. Magnificent structures and strange alien landscapes. Stars lighting up and burning out like candles. Horrifying creatures peered into the depths of his soul and fantastic beings spoke to him in a language he felt he should understand but could not grasp. These dreams were so vivid that they almost felt like memories. He did not speak of them to anyone. His parents, always concerned about their precocious child, would have made him stop reading the comics that were likely triggering these dreams. But that was the last thing Nolan wanted. He was far too intrigued. It was as if these dreams hinted at something buried deep within his subconscious and each night Nolan experienced them brought him closer to discovering their elusive meaning.
One fateful day, during Nolan's early adolescence, he rode his bike to the beach, seeking solace in the quiet expanse of the coastline. He went for a long walk, taking him far from town. The dreams had recently taken a disturbing turn to war and death. Lost in contemplation, Nolan's reverie was abruptly shattered by a gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach, as if something dreadful was on the horizon. Turning his gaze towards the ocean, he observed dark shapes breaking the surface, initially mistaking them for dolphins or sharks. However, as a towering wave unfurled before him, the true form of the approaching entity was revealed. A monstrous aberration, resembling a shark but distorted by jagged teeth and numerous eyes scattered across its slimy form, loomed menacingly in the surf. Its grotesque visage, adorned with bony protrusions and limbs that were like fins twisted into human arms, stirred a primal fear within him. Nolan ran. The creature clawed its way onto the shore, howling as it gave chase, its many eyes fixed on the fleeing prey. Nolan would later find out that this abomination was the Qliphothic corruption scattered across the depths by the death of Astron's previous avatar. Having fed off marine life for over a decade, the creature grew into this monster and sensed the return of its original prey.
In his panicked state, Nolan's mind raced faster than his feet could carry him, the thought of mounting his bike for escape could not overcome his fear. With no superheroes in sight to swoop in and save the day, Nolan's hope dwindled. As the abomination closed in on him, Nolan's frantic sprint led him to the edge of a cliff, its sheer drop plunging into the churning sea below. With nowhere left to run, Nolan felt a surge of terror grip him as he came to a halt at the cliff's edge, his heart pounding with fear. The monstrous creature bore down upon him with terrifying speed. In a desperate bid to escape, Nolan's instincts took hold and he threw himself over the edge, hurtling into the violent waves below. As he plummeted through the air, a vision suddenly seized Nolan's consciousness. It was as if he had been carried off to one of his dreams, now rendered with startling clarity. Before him stood a towering armor-clad figure, radiating an aura of unyielding strength. Nolan recognized this imposing figure as a friend, a beacon of hope in this dire situation. With a voice that spoke with power and authority, the warrior called out Nolan's name, his true name, the utterance reverberating with a sense of cosmic purpose.
"Astron!"
Nolan repeated after him. It was both a revelation and a battle cry. It was the word he had been searching for his entire life, the missing piece of the puzzle. In that moment, power surged through him like a bolt of lightning. Nolan flew up into the sky, rising above the howling creature, and unleashed his might. The vile predator writhed in agony as it disintegrated within the explosive energy beam. Exhausted, Nolan fell from the air and landed hard on the ground. As he lay sprawled on the grass, his mind was flooded with blurry memories, too much to process all at once. These fragments of his past life were enough to grasp the truth: this life on Earth, the life of Nolan Reeves, was that of a transient vessel. He was an egg that would ultimately hatch one day. His life was merely the incubation period in the process of a celestial warrior's resurrection. Nolan did not know when this would happen but, regardless, he resolved to make the best use of his newfound powers by helping those in need.
Messiahs in Manhattan
"Attention, my fellow humans! Today is the advent of your savior, your one true Messiah! Hear me as I declare the commencement of our righteous crusade! Stand with me as warriors, prepared to vanquish our foes! And who are our foes, you ask? They are none other than those who claim to defend us! Yes, I speak of these so-called superhumans and their ilk, whom we must eradicate! For far too long, we have allowed these demons to dwell among us, deceived by their facade of fraternity and protection. While they coexist with us, they infect our genomes and look down upon us as if they were gods! But I proclaim that the moment is upon us to halt this incursion! As the rightful inheritors of Earth, we must safeguard it from those who aim to supplant us! Stand with me, Titus Tiberius Towers, as I purge our planet of this affliction and herald a new era for humanity!" - Messiah
After that pivotal day, Nolan's powers inexplicably vanished, leaving him questioning his sanity as memories blurred into what seemed like dreams. Over the following year, his abilities gradually resurfaced, allowing him time to adjust and understand their scope. Nolan discovered an unexpected facet of his powers – a form of force field that safeguarded objects he manipulated, preventing them from succumbing to their own weight or the friction of high-speed travel. "Force fields" was the best explanation he could give, drawing from his limited knowledge of super-powers gleaned from comic books. Inspired by these colorful magazines as well as the exploits of real-life superheroes like Vanguard and MeteorMan, Nolan began his own crime-fighting journey at the young age of fifteen.
He donned a simple homemade costume that was oddly effective at concealing his identity: a blue hoodie emblazoned on the arms with star symbols, a scarf, sunglasses, open-finger gloves, cargo pants, and some sneakers. He started out busting smalltime crooks, his nascent powers already rendering such tasks a trivial matter. Eventually, the locals took notice and dubbed Nolan the Bluehood, although he never quite warmed up to this alias. His area of patrol broadened in proportion to the growth of his powers, which seemed to increase with each passing day. It was only a matter of time until he would be facing off against full-fledged supervillains.
It was during his senior year of high school that Nolan had a fateful encounter with a man who called himself the Messiah. The incident occurred while Nolan and his classmates were on a trip to a museum in New York City, organized by his girlfriend, Elayna Bennett. As their school bus traversed Manhattan, a sudden containment field enveloped the area, capturing everyone's attention. Projected onto the field was the face of Titus Towers III, the former chairman of the Towers Corporation who had renounced his societal status to become the self-proclaimed Messiah.
In his impassioned speech, Towers declared his intention to lead humanity against superhumans, whom he perceived as threats to society. Viewing himself as a blend of Nietzsche's Übermensch and Christ the Savior, Towers vowed to "reclaim the world" for humanity, believing that superhumans fostered weakness and dependency in the human race. He saw it as his duty to prevent this outcome and asserted his sole right to save and rule the world.
Towers and his organization, the Crusaders for the Preservation of All Mankind, deployed a biochemical time bomb within the dome covering most of the Manhattan borough. Once activated, this device would indiscriminately eliminate all "genetic deviants" within the area. Every mutant and superhuman whose genomes were vulnerable to the device were placed in immediate peril. In the ensuing confrontation, Towers led the charge against the heroes trapped within the bubble, aided by his technologically-empowered henchmen and a small army consisting of robot minions and armed zealots who followed Towers with a cult-like devotion. It was during this first dramatic battle between the two that Messiah vowed to destroy the "meddlesome menace" that was "that fiend in the blue hood" he would later learn was Astron.
As the battle unfolded, it seemed that the Bluehood, reported by the news as an "amateur superhero from the New England area," was swiftly overpowered by Messiah and his advanced suit of power armor. The searing energy blasts unleashed by Messiah inflicted agonizing pain upon Nolan, the worst he had ever felt. His armored strikes were equally relentless, leaving Nolan reeling in anguish. Despite his best efforts, Nolan found himself unable to even make a dent in Towers' armor, its force field and extremely tough exterior proving impervious to his most forceful blows. Holding Nolan in his steadfast grip, Messiah tore off the hoodie disguise and revealed the Bluehood's identity. Realizing that it was an absolute nobody, like many of the other superhumans he had murdered, Messiah prepared to deliver the final blow. Amidst widespread panic among the trapped civilians and the valiant efforts of heroes to combat the CPAM forces, as well as the heroes outside the dome attempting to break in, Nolan's heroic career was about to be brought to an abrupt end. Messiah charged his blaster and pressed it up against Nolan's bruised and swollen face. Nolan's visage was so disfigured that no one who bothered to pay attention amidst the mayhem would be able to identify him afterwards. No one except for Elayna, who saw that Nolan was on the brink of demise. At that moment, something within her awakened.
As Elayna was bathed in a radiant golden light, she ascended gracefully into the air above the tumultuous area. A melodic voice filled the air as rays of golden light emanated from her form. As the rays washed over Messiah, his armor malfunctioned and fell apart, leaving him to fall. Nolan seized him from the air, safely depositing him on a bench before rendering him unconscious with a deservedly forceful blow. Elayna's radiant beams incapacitated the CPAM forces and began to heal the wounded, regardless of their allegiance. Her ethereal voice resonated throughout the containment field, restoring the damaged city structures to their former state. Within the sphere, the world seemed to bend to her will. Elayna saved the day. And then she fainted.
When Elayna came to, Nolan had whisked her away from the chaos of the city to a serene forest, where the sun painted the sky in vibrant hues. Elayna realized she was buck naked and wrapped up in a tattered sheet. Nolan explained her attire vanished amidst the radiant outburst of her powers. Nolan, his face obscured by a scarf, explained his hasty cover-up to shield her from the prying eyes of onlookers before they gathered around them. Beneath the scarf, Nolan bore the brutal marks of battle. Elayna's touch, aglow with healing energy, eased his pain, erasing his injuries. As they journeyed back to town, they discussed the ordeal they had experienced, and Nolan told of the emergence of his powers as well as his costumed after-school activities. The conversation culminated with an inspired Elayna resolving to embrace her newfound powers and join Nolan's alter ego in fighting evildoers as Zenith.
Major League Cape (1988 - 1999)
Astron: Year One
"Ow, that actually hurt!" - Astron, on many occasions
"I am a hunter of cowardly criminals and otherworldly evils. For the sins I have committed in the past, I live every day on the behalf of others and in servitude to the righteous Goddess of the Moon. On Her behalf I roam this world, utterly devoted to my mission. I will live and fight for Her until my last breath is drawn. This is my penance. This is my oath." - Nocturnus introduces himself
"I can totally tell that guy's into you. Are you sure nothing happened in there? You were trapped with him for a pretty long time." - Elayna teases Nolan
When Nolan moved to New York City for college, Astron begin actively patrolling the big city while also keeping up appearances in Connecticut. It was different in New York. There were more people and more heroes but also more villains. He would have frequent encounters with opponents ranging from average street thugs hopped up on superdrugs to dastardly masterminds like Messiah and Dr. Destroyer. Fortunately for him, other superheroes like those in the Justice Squadron were there to defend the city that never sleeps. He knew he could divide his time between Connecticut and New York knowing that one was more heavily guarded than the other. He just wished that Elayna had not gone all the way to England. Their schedules made it hard for them to meet. But protecting the people and fighting crime was what came first. He viewed it as his job. And, usually, it was an easy job because he had so many efficient co-workers. It was when Astron left his comfort zone that he faced more difficult challenges.
On one such occasion, Astron was chosen to be the mate of an alien princess when her body entered its stage of fertility. Her spaceship landed right in front of Astron as he was out on patrol. Princess Zantos emerged from its hatch in the traditional wedding dress of her people and commanded Nolan to marry and impregnate her. When he refused, she threatened to kill a human hostage. Nolan was coerced into going on a 'date' with this fierce alien girl. He got to know much about her, but Nolan did not feel much like holding up his end of the conversation. This did not go over well with Elayna. Despite her initial enthusiasm, Princess Zantos herself revealed that she did not wish to go through with the arrangement her father had planned. She did not want to be tied down to a husband and yearned to pursue her passion of exploration and partying. But she could not go against her father's wishes, for he was one of the most ill-tempered rulers in the galaxy cluster.
The empire had been at peace since the beginning of his reign, but he was always threatening to declare war if he did not get his way. Although they were not too keen on getting the Earth into a war with an interstellar empire, Nolan and Elayna encouraged Zantos to embark on the path she wanted to follow. She summoned the courage and strength to usurp the throne from her father, aided by political allies who advocated change, as well as her new Earthling friends. They expected the king, renowned for his great temper, to be filled with rage at the attempted dethroning. But Mauridion the Merciless listened to his beloved daughter and empire and made the decision to stand down. But Zantos did not want to be the monarch of an interstellar empire and left her now-changed father back in charge and chose to live out the rest of her life exploring the universe. Her father disapproved, but only wanted her to be happy. Zantos would start her journey on Earth. She now stays on the little planet as a guest, and hero, indefinitely. Despite this adventure not all of Astron's forays into places unknown were lighthearted.
Some time later he teamed-up with a mysterious vigilante calling himself Nocturnus. Astron spotted him battling an evil warlock named Sylvester Scorpio in the middle of downtown Hartford. The villain had summoned three massive, demonic scorpions to wreak havoc upon the city. When Astron entered the conflict, the monstrosities were quickly subdued and sent back to the Netherworld. Scorpio had nowhere to go. But he had one last trick up his sleeve. The artifact he had come to Hartford to steal in the first place was a plain-looking mirror. When he took it in both hands and raised it in front of himself, the two heroes looked into the mirror and it flashed a blinding light at them. They found themselves somewhere dark and thick with a fog that seemed to possess mystical properties, as they disabled Astron's super-senses.
The two were on a small island that was surrounded by a sea of dark water. When Astron flew up into the sky, he dove face-first into what appeared to be a massive body of water suspended above this strange area. He swam for about twenty miles (less than a second for him) until he emerged from the very same sea that surrounded their island. He checked to see if the horizontal area was the same. After a few seconds of flying, he found himself right back where he started, hovering above the island, as Nocturnus continued to contemplate the situation. He did not respond to Nolan's efforts at communication and began to meditate--or sleep. Nolan couldn't tell.
The longer he spent in this place, the more he felt like his body was having a negative reaction to it. He thought he could feel himself weakening with every breath of the fog he took in. After quite some time, a succession of loud splashes could be heard. Scorpio had sent more of his monstrous pets to finish them off. They were a mix of giant scorpions and sea serpents. Nolan was weakened by the mystic fog and struggled to fend off the monsters. Nocturnus drew his twin blades out of the darkness of his cape and made quick work of them. Nolan collapsed and lost consciousness. As his vision blurred into darkness, he thought he could see Nocturnus removing his mask and hood to take a bite out of one of the dead beasts.
He awoke to the sight of Zenith and her friend Dr. Twilight at his sides. Elayna had placed her hands on him and was essentially healing him. They explained that they had captured Sylvester Scorpio and freed the two of them from the pocket dimension in Dr. Twilight's stolen magic mirror. Nocturnus had left without saying a word, only giving Twilight a slight nod before vanishing into the night. Just six hours had passed in their world, which the doctor estimated to be the equivalent of three weeks in the mirror's world. Apparently the fog was composed of Qliphothic and other "dark" energies and acted like a poison mist to Astron. However, he could not explain how Nocturnus could survive such prolonged exposure. Nolan was just glad to be out of that place.
Despite the abundance of adventures he had, Elayna was even busier than Nolan. She was much more popular than her significant other and still managed to do more crime fighting than him. With all the charity work and visits to locations on and off-world, Zenith did not have much time for romance. With his powers not functioning correctly after his time in the mirror's dark world, Nolan was stuck with his feet firmly planted on the ground. Despite these unfortunate circumstances Nolan's first official year as Astron ended on a cheerful note. During a visit to Milford for new year's, the city unveiled a statue of their very own hometown superhero. It was inscribed with the words "In Honor of Milford's Own Bright Blue Wonder, Astron."
Battle of Detroit Tie-In: Gazing Into the Abyss
On July 23rd, 1992, the madman Albert Zerstoiten, also known as Dr. Destroyer, launched a massive attack on the United States of America. The crisis concluded with the near-total destruction of the city of Detroit and thousands of casualties. But even this calamity fell short of Destroyer's intended goal of obliterating the entire country. Among the fatalities were dozens of superheroes and, it was assumed, the Destroyer himself. If Astron had been there could he have stopped this tragedy from taking place? Would he have been able to save at least one life? Or would he have perished, like so many others? Perhaps he could have somehow prevented the chain of events that lead to an entire city being razed to the ground. But these are all "what if" questions that only lead to curious speculation. The fact of the matter is that Astron was facing a crisis of his own at the time. One that started not long before the Battle of Detroit took place.
After his first appearance over a year ago, Towers had turned to his corporate roots and implemented them into his villainy. That first all-out attack on Manhattan was the culmination of years of anger and hatred building up inside and finally being expressed in the form of an attempted extermination event and hate crime. But once he finally let the world know who Titus Towers was, the villain matured into the conniving mastermind that had built a business empire that reached all around the world. He became the type of villain whose every action hinted at something bigger; an overarching plan that was designed to slowly breakdown his enemy until the killing blow was dealt. Messiah placed his goal of exterminating the superscum on the backburner and focused his efforts on destroying Astron. All other plans would follow this goal’s fruition. Astron did not encounter him often, but when he did he was met with challenges greater than any other opponent offered him.
Just a few days before the Battle of Detroit took place, Astron once again faced off against Messiah. But this time he was different. Towers appeared before the hero in the middle of the day in downtown New Haven. Except he had somehow reversed the effects of aging and appeared to be in the prime of his life. Instead of his usual high-tech power armor, Messiah was fitted in white robes as if he were some sort of holy man. He greeted his archenemy and explained that he now had a dark ally aiding him form the shadows, bestowing upon him great power in return for his servitude. He was the herald of someone called Or-hak-zeus. The purported savior of humanity smirked with confidence as the buildings around them began to melt into puddles of concrete and metal and the sky above them quickly faded into pitch black darkness. Astron watched as his own hands melted away along with the architecture. An overwhelming sensation of heaviness was followed by lightheadedness. As Astron staggered toward his foe, Towers taunted the hero and found amusement in watching him struggle to get a hold of himself. He savored the moment of finally defeating Astron--and so easily too. Once he had gotten his fill, Towers prepared to finish Nolan off. His eyes lit up like little red stars, preparing to fire beams that would utterly annihilate his target.
Suddenly, Zenith's fist connected with Messiah's face and sent him shooting across the street. Astron fell to his knees, gasping for breath and looked to his hands to make sure they were solid. His surroundings returned to normal as well. Had it been an illusion? Up above, Zenith's super team, The New Altruists, confronted the empowered Messiah. He shrugged off the energy beams, explosions and magical assaults and laughed sinisterly as pitch black tentacles grew out from his back. They lashed out at his opponents and managed to coil around a few of them. Before they could crush her teammates, Zenith constructed her starsaber and slashed away at the tendrils. Once they were severed from the main body, the inhuman limbs disintegrated into dust. Zenith attacked Messiah himself and, to her surprise, easily cut through his left arm. It fell to the concrete, but the villain did not even seem to notice. A black circle formed beneath him and he sunk into its darkness, laughing maniacally until he disappeared completely. Astron, still struggling to get a grip on reality, was terrified.
He joined the Altruists at their headquarters in Chicago, where they attempted to locate Messiah. There were a total of seven members on the team. Dr. Twilight was an old master of the mystic arts, veteran superhero and expert on all things supernatural. Gamma Gorilla was an ape-turned-walking-WMD with an intellect to match the magnitude of his explosive powers. Metalix was a man who could morph into a form composed completely out of any one sort of metal . Black Zap was a mysterious but playful alien whose mischievous tendencies and electrokinetic powers caused more than a few blackouts in the Chicagoland area. Sister Psi possessed powerful telepathic powers and, on top of being a teammate, acted as the team's counselor. Minerva was the AI Gamma Gorilla had programmed to aid them in their efforts. Originally, she was a formless being that inhabited the New Altruists' computer system, acting as a data analyst, information center, strategic advisor, etc. But she eventually developed to the point where she was closer to a human being than most other artificial intelligences. Gamma Gorilla built her a robotic body when she was upgraded to an official field operative. Finally, there was Zenith herself, the team leader. Together, the New Altruists pooled their various resources and abilities together in their search for Messiah, who was now more dangerous than ever before.
But the search turned out to be a wasted effort. Titus Towers saved them the trouble of looking for him and came crashing through their doorstep. He took the opportunity to offer the other heroes a chance to leave peacefully, as his sole purpose here was to kill Astron. They refused and offered him one last chance to give up and turn himself in. At this proposition, he could only laugh. Messiah constructed a crimson force field around himself. It shielded him from the blasts of energy and other projectiles that were shot at him. He fired back with a barrage of energy beams and one managed to hit Gamma Gorilla through the chest.
As he stumbled backward, he was hit with more beams that pierced through him like bullets. His suit was damaged and radioactive energy leaked from the tears. Neon green blood trickled out of his wounds. In a frenzy, the dying gorilla staggered toward his enemy and shouted at his friends to shield themselves. Minerva started forward to stop him, but was restrained by Elementallo as Zenith created a force bubble around the group. Gamma leapt up and caught hold of Messiah's force field. He tore it open with his claws, using every last bit of strength he had left. He entered through the tear and grabbed hold of the villain as energy beams continued to pierce through him. Catching Messiah in a bear hug, Gamma Gorilla let out a roar and erupted into a brilliant green nuclear blast.
The hole in the sphere closed up, but the force of the explosion destroyed it completely. Messiah took the brunt of the blast and it seemed that that was enough to put a permanent stop to him. When the dust settled, however, he rose to his feet. No longer fully human, the injuries that Towers sustained revealed the black substance that was now a part of him. It healed him and closed up his wounds, even the giant gash in his chest. Where his heart should have been, there was a black mass that pumped the darkness throughout his body. Astron did not hesitate and immediately went on the offensive. Messiah met him in combat and demonstrated his superior physical strength. There was no doubt about who would emerge victorious if the combat continued. The other heroes engaged Messiah.
He stabbed through Metalix's chest with his bare hands and injected into him the darkness that coursed through his own veins. The substance rendered the hero unable to hold his form and he melted into a puddle of steel and darkness. Messiah invaded Black Zap’s mind and made him believe that he had lost his arms and legs. Believing himself to be limbless, the little hero could not outrun the beams of death that shot at him. Sister Psi attempted to psionically disable Messiah, but instead her own mind was invaded by the villain. She was rendered comatose, trapped in her own mind and terrorized by the nightmares that were planted there. Minerva found her systems infected with a virus that completely erased her from the Altruists’ machines, including the artificial body that Gamma had built for her. She was permanently deleted. Dr. Twilight was useless against Messiah. But he was able to create a mystical protection field around the headquarters in order to contain the battle and the destruction that it brought about.
Even with their combined might, Astron and Zenith were outmatched by Messiah. But somehow Nolan managed to land a critical blow, stunning his opponent. Elayna took advantage of the opening and thrust her starsaber through his chest. As he let out a pained howl, she drove another one through his forehead. Even this was not enough to kill the demon, as he was merely wounded. But the agony of the light piercing through him broke the mind link that he held with Sister Psi. She was freed from her nightmare and eager to get back at Towers. The psionic hero paralyzed the villain and established a mind link between him and the other two heroes. Ready or not, they plunged into the mind of Titus Towers. In the outside world, the exhausted Sister Psi concentrated her powers on sustaining the psionic connection. All she could do was hope that her friends could defeat the monster before she gave out.
On the first level of Towers’ psyche they found themselves in the middle of what Nolan recognized as the surface of the moon. This was confirmed when he looked up and saw the Earth. But it appeared that the planet and its satellite had gotten closer to one another. And the Earth itself seemed transparent, like a hologram. Titus Towers appeared before them but he did not seek conflict. Instead, he spoke to his adversaries and explained how he had gained such power and what he intended to do with it. A being from beyond space and time had made contact with Titus, probing his mind and conversing with him. Oraxus convinced him that the only way to save humanity was to destroy it, thus erasing the pain that came with their pointless existence. The Messiah gave in to nihilism and became the servant of Oraxus. In return he was given a fraction of Oraxus’ power. And with this power he would perform the Black Earth Ceremony, the ritual killing of the entire human race that would liberate Oraxus and his dark legion from their imprisonment. After the exposition, an exchange between the heroes and their adversary ensued. Of course, they would never come to an understanding. They would never be able to convince Titus of his wrongdoing. Towers allowed them further passage into his own psyche. He offered no resistance, as he was certain that what awaited the heroes further down his psychical structure would be more than they could handle.
They made their way down a case of stairs that appeared next to Titus. It took them down a spiraling path into the moon’s core, where they entered a dark area blanketed with a thick mist. Here they were powerless and had no choice but to move forward and hope they could make it through. They walked through the darkness, hand in hand, and their trial began. The imprints of sensory stimuli that rested within Towers’ memory flooded through them. The transference of information was no challenge, but the information itself was near overwhelming. There were very few moments of genuine happiness to give them relief in-between the barrages of memories filled with evil, hatred, sorrow and violence. They experienced all the evil acts that the madman could remember committing. The immense hatred and sorrow he held within himself might have broken a weaker man, but he channeled all that energy into his pursuit of eradicating his enemies and stationing himself atop a throne that presided over all humanity. And such strong psychical energies may have overcome and corrupted most others, but the two heroes guided one another through the darkness. They left the mist and found themselves standing on an edge. One more step forward and they would tumble into the seemingly bottomless pit that stretched on before them. And that’s what they did.
The fall was different from what they expected. They didn’t hear the wind whistling in their ears as they gained momentum or fearful anticipation of hitting the bottom. It was completely dark and they did not know if they neared the end or if there even was such a thing in this void. Perhaps they would fall forever. But their speculations were put to rest when they fell through water and began drowning. They forced themselves up to the surface and saw a light illuminating their path. At its end was a tall, narrow set of double doors. As they made their way towards it, they could feel their powers returning, welling up within them and intensifying. They sensed the powerful, dark presence that festered behind the doors. Once they had steeled themselves for the coming battle, the heroes pushed through and entered the chamber. They were met by a massive, shapeless creature that was like darkness given substance. It had many limbs that jutted out of its oil-spill-of-a-body and a single, massive eye that fixed its gaze upon them. It shined a brilliant red but there was something off about the black pupil. It appeared to be a sphere.
When its limbs snapped at them, Zenith immediately formed her starsaber and went to work on slicing them apart. Astron wrestled with the creature, thrashing it around the cave which it had carved into Messiah’s mind. It appeared that this fragment of Oraxus would be easily defeated by their combined powers. But that’s when it got mad. The entity began to expand, filling the cave up with itself until the doors were forced open and it spilled out. The whole psychical structure began to fill up with the creature, like a deluge of darkness. The creature’s rapid growth shook the entire psychical structure. Towers’ mind began to collapse into itself while Astron and Zenith drowned in the flood. It began to overflow and rise to the surface of the false moon, where Zenith managed to get to high ground before collapsing. She expelled the black liquid and trembled as she felt the poisonous substance eating away at her from the inside. The tide was rising, anymore and it would most likely transcend the psychical realm and enter reality. She looked around for Nolan but could not find him. He was still inside of the beast.
It felt like death. Everything that surrounded Astron was dark and silent and he could feel the sheer pressure of the creature crushing him. He felt the corruption taking a hold of him from within, eating away at his mental barriers and draining his energy away. But he willed himself to continue downward into the abyss. He knew what he had to do. The pupil of the creature’s eye was also its heart. The core that was the life source of all Atrumites and Orithians. When he got deep enough, Astron saw the eye. As he continued his descent, he stared into it. And it stared back. It was fighting him, trying to force him back. He could feel the pressures rise as he got closer to his target. And he heard a voice speak to him. A loud, commanding voice that ordered him to halt and give up. The voice rang through his head like it was his own. It was almost too much. But Nolan remembered his mission and all the people who he was fighting for. He forced the voice out of his head and with one last burst of strength, Astron took hold of the sphere and ripped it out of the entity’s eye. It let out a deafening, inhuman scream as the hero crushed the core between his hands. The darkness was slain by a burst of light that erupted from the shattered sphere. And then silence.
Nolan found himself among the ruins of the Altruist headquarters. Sister Psi, blood trailing down both nostrils, had collapsed once Astron and Zenith’s minds returned to their respective bodies. Elayna looked at Nolan with teary eyes before rushing into him for an embrace. He remembered now. Her friends were dead. And they had just experienced for themselves the atrocities that Titus Towers had committed throughout his life. Redemption was not something within his reach. And neither of them had ever faced something like the creature that had been implanted within Towers’ mind. It was all too much to take in, especially for one night. As tears flowed, Dr. Messiah landed next to Sister Psi, checked her vital signs and attempted to resuscitate her. Nearby, Titus Towers lay on the floor, gazing up at the night sky through the broken roof. His eyes were empty, reflecting the hollowness of his soul. He might as well have been dead.
From the outside it would appear as though a bomb had gone off in the building, its radius precisely covering a perfect circle. The destruction did not reach even an inch further. The city of Chicago had been spared the devastation that Messiah brought about, thanks to Dr. Messiah. However, a few hundred miles away, the ruins of the city of Detroit continued to burn. On that day, two villains were halted from completing their ultimate goals. But each had managed to leave traumatic wounds behind. Wounds that would never fully heal, but, over time, they would soften and fade into scars. Never forgotten. And never forgiven.
Starfall Rising
After the showdown with Messiah, what was left of the New Altruists disbanded. The surviving members went their separate ways. Elayna became distant. She spent less and less time with Nolan. Part of him understood, but the other part was frustrated. Her teammates--and friends--were gone, but he wasn't. He thought she would want to be closer to him, so that he could comfort her. Instead she just wanted to be alone. But he understood that the tragedy had taken a heavier toll on her, so Nolan had to be there for her and bear through this period of mourning. He hoped this would not negatively impact her performance on the field. But, as it turned out, she was as efficient as ever. Perhaps even more so. Nolan guessed that she needed to focus on a particular task to keep from thinking about what had happened. It would serve as a distraction.
Messiah was held in Stronghold, although there was no need for such high security. The powers Oraxus had temporarily gifted him with were now gone. Harbingering the apocalypse was definitely not a job suited to someone whose mind had essentially been shattered to pieces. The telepaths and mystics all gave different answers as to what had happened and what could be done about it. But it seemed that there really was no way of fixing him. When Astron came to visit the once-genocidal-maniac, he rarely heard him utter a word. He always seemed to be a thousand miles away, lost in thought. Or nothing, if he had lost the ability to think properly. Nolan observed the man who had tormented him for the last three years. He was looking for something. A sign, an irregularity, a part of his body that was different from a normal man's. He scanned his entire being and saw him at every wavelength he could, searching for traces of Orith. He wanted to find the root of his corruption. Perhaps the influence had taken effect even before Titus Towers had started to call himself Messiah. Was he just an innately evil person, or was it something beyond anyone's control that made him this way? Nolan couldn't find the answer. But he believed that something must have made him this way. If not the Orithians, then something else. He just knew there was good in him. And he knew that even Titus Towers had the potential for change. He just didn't know how to make the man realize this for himself.
Outside of trying to help Elayna through her grief and visiting the would-be Messiah in prison, Nolan also regularly butted heads with a group of supervillains that held grudges against him. They were a ragtag team of miscreants that all held a deep hatred for Astron. Each of them had been foiled by the hero on numerous occasions over the past two years. Some were members of the now-defunct CPAM and wanted revenge. Others were simply supervillains who felt that Astron had interfered with their plans, and beat them up, one too many times. They had gathered from across the United States in order to attain their common goal of getting rid of the pesky hero. Lead by the villainess Meteora, the Starfall Syndicate was formed. And they would stop at nothing to take down Astron.
Over the span of a month, Nolan was confronted by each of the Syndicate's most powerful members on separate occasions. The fire-breathing powerhouse Hell-Dragon rivaled Astron's strength, but he lacked the speed to keep up with the hero and was easily defeated. X-Static, an electrokinetic who could move as fast as lightning, was easily knocked out by Astron when the chance to strike came. The telekinetic Kontact could create force fields to keep her safe from Astron as she manipulated their surroundings to attack him. But she could never dish out enough damage in the time it took for him to break through her defenses. Meteora came closest to defeating the hero. She had an unbreakable body, super strength and speed that surpassed Astron's. She used this to her advantage, going with a strategy where she would move at high speeds and repeatedly collide with her opponent. Her fists hit him hard and she was too fast to dodge. But Astron had a trick up his sleeve, as always. He was one step ahead of her during each of their confrontations. This frustrated Meteora, but also made her even more determined to defeat him. And this time he wouldn't be ready for the small army of supervillains and thugs that were out to get him.
Nolan responded to a distress signal that was being transmitted directly to the receiver in his apartment. It was the voice of Elayna weakly asking for help, as if she was seriously injured. He rushed over to the location the signal came from. When he arrived at an inexplicable warehouse in the middle of the Nevada desert, Astron approached the area where he heard the pleas for help, without even thinking to use his supervision to check for any traps. Nolan was met by a man who stepped out of the shadows. He grinned sinisterly and spoke to him in Elayna's voice. "Gotcha." Immediately the villains that had masked their presence with stealth technology sprung forth in attack. A dozen or so enemies, lead by Hell-Dragon, charged at him, taking Astron by surprise. They forced him to the floor and hit him with a blurry of attacks, but he blew them away with a burst of strength. Enemies with projectile attacks and ranged weaponry blasted at him from the platforms above. He dodged as many as he could, but was hit several times. X-Static's bolts of electricity had a particularly nasty sting to them. His costume already in shambles, Astron fled the building by breaking through one of the walls. He attempted to gain some distance from the building to fully survey his situation before taking any further action. But he was struck by numerous boulders that flew straight at him with great speed. Kontact's barrage knocked him down to the cold desert sand.
Disoriented and in pain, Astron got back up on his feet. He found himself surrounded by over twenty villains eager to go at him. Without hesitation, he went on the offensive. He was able to knock several of his opponents out of action before a round of projectiles managed to momentarily stun him. When those who preferred to fight in close quarters charged at him, he countered their strikes and sent them flying with his fists. Clapping his hands together as hard as he could knocked many of them away, and even incapacitated some. The only ones left standing were Hell-Dragon, Kontact and X-Static. Greatly weakened from the fight, Astron was brought to his knees by X-Static's seemingly endless arc of electricity. As the villains taunted him, Astron felt the pain fueling his anger. In a burst of power, Astron rose to his knees and fixed his eyes upon the electrokinetic. Beams of powerful concussive force blasted from his eyes and bombard into X-Static, taking him out of the fight. Astron turned to Kontact and let the beams loose upon her. The force field held for just a few seconds before being shattered by the onslaught that shot out of Astron's eyes. Hell-Dragon took him into a crushing bear hug, but this only allowed for Astron to blast him away from point blank range. As the last of his opponents fell, Nolan dropped to his hands and knees, breathing heavily with his costume torn up and his body covered all over in injuries. But the battle was not over.
Meteora walked over to Astron and smirked at the sight of her nemesis in shambles. The hero that had gotten the best of her so many times was now right in front of her, probably as close to death as he'd ever been. She delighted at the thought of finally emerging victorious over Astron... But, somehow, this did not feel right. This was not her victory. She hadn't even laid a finger on him. It was the outcome of a group of pissed-off supers and thugs ganging up on one hero. It hadn't been a fair fight from the beginning, yet Astron still managed to singlehandedly take them all down. It was quite an impressive feat. Meteora realized she wanted to beat Astron with her own two hands. That was the only way she could achieve a meaningful victory. Otherwise it would leave her feeling hollow. She would give him a fair fight, when he was ready. In admiration of his determination and strength of will, Meteora now saw Astron as one of the few opponents who earned this from her. He wasn't just a sneaky fighter after all.
Meteora walked over to Astron and smirked at the sight of her nemesis in shambles. The hero that had gotten the best of her so many times was now right in front of her, probably as close to death as he'd ever been. She delighted at the thought of finally emerging victorious over Astron. It seemed that she was ready to deliver the killing blow. She was the hunter finishing off the wild thing her dogs had bitten into submission. And yet... this didn't feel right. Meteora was unsure of whether or not this was truly the way she wanted things to end. This was not her victory. She hadn't even laid a finger on him. It was the outcome of a group of pissed-off supers and thugs ganging up on one hero. It hadn't even been a fair fight, yet Astron still managed to singlehandedly take them all down. And here she was, untouched yet ready and eager to claim herself triumphant. This would be a hollow victory. Meteora made up her mind once Astron looked at her with battle-weary eyes. He was practically knocking on Heaven's door, yet determined to fight on. He said something stupid and sincere to her like "This isn't you" and "I know you're better than this." Fortunately for Nolan, she also knew this to be true. Not that she needed him to remind her.
As Astron struggled to get up and stand against who he was beginning to think would be his last enemy, Meteora stepped forward. She took his head in her hands and, without a moment's hesitation, kissed him. Utterly baffled by what was happening, Nolan broke away from her and stumbled backward, falling back down to the cold desert ground. He looked up to Meteora and saw that she was smirking. She said something about him being "alright," and "giving him a fair fight next time," or something like that. Nolan wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying and could only look on with a stupefied expression stuck on his face. She flew off into the dawn and Astron could only wonder what the hell had just happened to him. How could a night that started with him getting ambushed and nearly killed end like that? He placed his hands on his head before shaking it and willing himself back on his feet. With a slight limp, he walked forward before gently lifting off the ground. He could hear emergency sirens nearing. He would come back and give the authorities the full story after he got some rest. Gripping his seemingly broken arm, Astron slowly and dazedly made the flight back to his home across the country. His wounds had already started to heal, but the pain and confusion lingered. Nolan was just happy to have gotten out of there alive. And he had quite the story to tell Elayna, even if she might not like the ending.
Deceptor Strikes
Nolan's family had always been supportive of his activity as a superhero. They claim to have figured it out the moment they saw him on TV in New York. His family were not worried about their own safety and were proud of their superhero son. There was the constant threat of a villain discovering Astron's secret identity and using that information to identify and harm his loved ones, but his parents and sister insisted that he continue to use his powers for the greater good, even if they may be put at risk. To ensure that his identity was kept a well-guarded secret, Nolan only ever revealed his identity to the people closest to him. His costume was designed to negate x-rays and his mask received greater fortification than the rest of his costume. He even went as far as modifying his posture, facial expressions, general mannerisms and voice when in-costume. Nolan was confident in his ability to keep it a secret. But, even with all these precautionary measures, it was only a matter of time until someone discovered his identity without him wanting them to.
((More to be added.))
Resurrection of the Reanimator
"To live is to die! To die is to serve Naedrak, master of death and nightmare to all that is living! May Naedrak's plagues fall over all lands! May death cleanse the universe of the cancer that is life! Rise, my minions, rise from your graves and bring about holocaust in my name!" - Naedrak the Undying
"At this very moment, rage fuels every atom of my being! What I do now is not for Atrum or the humans or any greater good! No, not even for my own sake. This is to quench the fathomless thirst for blood, death and destruction that burns at my very core! I can feel it, burning--exploding--within! Like hot storms, like supernova! Come, Evex, my heart's purest desire is to battle you until there is nothing left of either of us!" - Ulkules the Unstoppable
After graduating from college, Nolan revealed his identity to the public. He had been thinking about doing this since the Battle of Detroit. But at this point, it was a matter of whether he came forward himself or his identity was revealed by Deceptor. They assumed that he planned on sharing the information at some point, either to the public or just other villains that would benefit from knowing Astron's identity. He worried for his family, but they assured him that they supported him, in spite of the danger they were in. It was arranged for them to be taken into a protection program. His family would be well taken care of. In the wake of this public revelation, it was easy to find a publisher for his debut novel Sons of Atlas. Since then, he has continued to author many works and has become a bestselling, critically acclaimed writer. Elayna had chosen to pursue a graduate education at the University of Chicago. But distance was never a problem for them. At least not after they both got so fast that they could make the trip across the pond in a matter of minutes. What forced them to spend less time together was their commitment to fulfilling their respective goals as members of society and as heroes who put their mission ahead of their personal and professional lives. It was at this time that Ulkules of the Atrumites came to the Earth once again. He brought news of the looming threat of Oraxus, whose connection to the physical realm had strengthened. With the weakening of their planar prison, a few Atrumites and Orithians were able to break free and materialize themselves. Ulkules was accompanied by three others of his kind and they were alerted to the presence of several Orithians. Most of them were lesser minions, but their chief was Evex the Endless, right-hand man, and son, of the dark despot himself. Even worse was the revelation that Naedrak, vampire-god and the other son of Oraxus, had not been imprisoned with his brethren. His soul was trapped within his corpse, which was rendered inert by Ulkules's spear being impaled through his heart. As long as the spear remained impaled through his body, Naerak would be unable to resurrect himself. He waited for his sinister comrades to come and free him of this prison between life and death. The Atrumites requested that Astron join them, for the coming battle would be hard fought and the outcome was unpredictable.
On the broken world of Ethodonia, Astron and his allies found no trace of life. When Ulkules's spear ran through his heart, Naedrak had desperately gripped the weapon in a futile attempt to draw it out. The fallen Orithian was frozen in this position, like the stone sculpture of a slain vampire. His form was gangly and corpse-like, long bones clearly visible under a repugnantly thin, rotting hide. His eyes were hollowed out, only dark, empty holes in their stead. During the Atrumites' preparations for a ritual to forcefully extract Naedrak's soul, the Orithians descended upon them. Evex, whom they called the Endless, could have been mistaken for an Atrumite. He was majestic in form, vibrantly colored and symmetrically figured, and the bright aura about him inspired an inviting, almost comforting sensation. The lower Orithians engaged the Atrumites as Astron and Ulkules faced their commander.
Ulkules himself was more akin to one of Orith. His appearance was one that exhibited strength and ferocity, with thick limbs, a broad frame and a face that only expressed fury. Mammoth fists crashing down on his opponent, Ulkules came at Evex with the intent to kill. Nothing but the death of his enemy mattered to him anymore. In his berserker state, Ulkules withdrew his golden spear from the carcass of Naedrak. As the two equally matched fighters continued their battle, Naedrak's anatomy restructured and the fiend was reanimated. The Undying One returned to terrorize the living.
As he witnessed the two titans clash, Astron knew he would only be a minor inconvenience by trying to join in. When he flew back to aid the others, Astron was greeted by a wasteland. Any plants that had been growing in the area were now withered away. An eerie silence and stillness fell over the land. Out of the ground hands suddenly emerged and reached out to claw at Astron's legs. When they took hold of him, he flew straight up, only to be knocked down by Naedrak. In addition to the dead terrestrials that were lain to rest underneath the Ethodonian surface, Naedrak had enslaved both the Atrumites and Orithians, infecting them with his essence and hijacking their minds. Unable to will themselves to regain control over their bodies, the horde of vampiric thralls and undead Ethodonians attacked their lone opponent.
Meanwhile, Evex and Ulkules's battle came to an end. In his enraged state, Ulkules's outer facade was shed, revealing his true appearance. Evex was shocked by the sight. It was the image of an angry war god, flesh like stone, the cracks from which molten matter poured out like blood. What shocked Evex the most was Ulkules's face. It was the face of one who was born on Orith. It was with this revelation, that Ulkules the Atrumite was truly an Orithian, that Evex realized the truth. It was so obvious. Evex himself was the true Prince of Atrum. Ulkules took his opponent's moment of surprise as an opportunity to strike, running his golden spear through Evex's abdomen. Coming to his senses, Evex stunned Ulkules with a flash of extremely intense light. When the beast, now calmed back into his false form, regained his equilibrium, the enemy had vanished. But he too knew the truth. He was a one of Orith, even worse a son of Oraxus, fooled into believing he was an Atrumite.
Ulkules returned to find Astron struggling with Naedrak and his minions. The weary, detached warrior ignited the undead into flames. The uncontrollable rage and feral ferocity that were so familiar an image of Ulkules in battle was not seen. He was a focused warrior, who had come upon a frightful revelation. He subdued his mentally manipulated comrades with precise non-lethal strikes and destroyed the lesser Orithians with ease. Naedrak, purported master of life and death, attacked and dug his long, sharp fingers into Ulkules. He attempted to drain the life out of him, but the silent juggernaut grabbed hold of his arms and pulled with great strength. His arms were torn away and the green flames within him burned out from the wounds. Ulkules then took Naedrak by the neck. The cosmic leech cowered at the might of the beast before him, looking into his intense, fiery eyes, he saw the image of his own Father, Oraxus. It was then that Naedrak the Undying also learned the truth of Ulkules and, by extension, Evex. Terrified, Naedrak grasped at the face of his brother, feeling something he had never known the touch of. The face of his--of their--Father.
Throwing aside his spear, Ulkules drove his free hand into Naedrak's chest. He clutched the orb within and forced it out. The frail-looking body of Naedrak went limp as beams of green light blasted out his eyes and his body let out the last death rattles of a sinful creature. The victorious one crushed the fiend's soul in his hand, watching the dark red orb shatter and immediately erupt into blood, spilling down from his palm to the cold ground below. The Atrumites regained possession of their bodies. They too learned the truth of Ulkules' origins. And yet they still called him friend, ally and Champion of Atrum.
Dance with the Demoness
After Naedrak was vanquished, Ulkules and the other Atrumites took to the stars in search of their fallen empire's allies. They were also on the hunt for Evex. Ulkules vowed to not let his vile origins hinder or define him, though it was clear that the warrior's pride and psyche had suffered greatly from the revelation. Nolan wished them well and returned to Earth. In his absence, Elayna had mysteriously disappeared. No one knew why or where to. After practically scanning the entire planet for her, Nolan had no choice but to wait and hope for something to happen and if nothing happened, he would search the entire universe. When he returned to his apartment in Manhattan, Nolan was surprised to discover Elayna right there taking a shower. Relieved and glad to see his partner again, Nolan moved forward to embrace Elayna. But she was somehow different from before. Standing nude and wet in front of him, she did not attempt to cover herself and was bold in her suggestive posture. Nolan would have taken it as an invitation, had it not been for her eyes. Uncharacteristically intense and sinister, the golden eyes Nolan had been lost in so many times before were now a stark white. Entranced by the eyes of this stranger, Nolan stood frozen in place.
The thing that was not Elayna lurched closer and leaned in close to sniff him. Excited by what she smelled, the thing held Nolan's mouth open while she covered it with her own. He felt strength fading and energy vanishing slowly from within him. As he fell limp to the floor, Nolan could only fix his eyes to those of the impostor about to kill him. It seemed his energy had transferred to it. The attacker grew black wings like those of a bat. A substance like petroleum formed around her body, partially covering her while leaving enough to the imagination. Her fingernails grew long and sharp, as did her teeth. The eyes grew pitch black save for the bright white pupils. Someone dared to create this twisted perversion of the woman he loved, but Nolan could not do anything. As it prepared to deliver the killing blow, their eyes locked onto each other. When their eyes met, an expression of surprise grew on her face, as if she had just realized who she was looking at. When she spoke the confused voice of Elayna uttered his name and her eyes returned to the warm gold they were meant to be. It was really her. Something was trying to hijack her body. She staggered back, crying in pain as she vied for control over herself. Nolan managed to crawl towards her, grasping her hand briefly before she let out a demonic screech and fiercely spread her wings, smashing through the wall to escape into the night. Nolan lost consciousness as the sirens of approaching emergency vehicles grew louder.
After examinations by Dr. Twilight and UNTIL, it was concluded that the only possible method of recovery was to allow Astron's body to naturally replenish itself. Dr. Twilight was able to help in speeding up the process, but ultimately it was up to Nolan's strength of will and endurance. He woke up three weeks after the incident. Once he was ready, Nolan immediately set after Elayna. No one had seen her since she fled that night, but there were rumors that spoke of a howling she-beast terrorizing the Canadian wilderness. The vague descriptions seemed to match what Nolan had seen. It seemed that the creature extracted the life force of living things, focusing on small animals but sometimes targeting bears, moose and other large beasts. Humans only lived to speak of what they saw because she seemed to consciously avoid them, however reluctantly. As he neared the area of most frequent sightings, Astron could clearly hear her whimpers with his enhanced hearing. Elayna was struggling to suppress the evil that was taking control over her. She had no choice but to drain the animals of life in order to quench the monster's hunger. Inside the cave, there were rotting animals carcasses and scratch marks along the walls. At the end of the cave was Elayna, now even further along with the forceful transformation from woman to demoness.
At the sight of Astron, she eagerly smelled the air and was overcome with hunger. It raced forward in attack, violently clawing and biting at her prey. As the struggle continued out into the night's blizzard, Nolan urged Elayna to resist and reject the entity possessing her. She writhed in pain on the cold snow, struggling to push back the malevolent entity within her. Nolan hesitated, seeing Elayna in pain. In that moment, the creature's black arm extended forth and drove through his chest. Fallen to the ground with deep puncture wounds, instead of blood the pure, luminescent energy within Astron could be seen seeping out. The air must have been pungent with the scent, as the beast grew excited and even more feral, jumping onto Nolan and digging her fingernails deep into his chest. She tore the hero open, revealing the intense, blinding light within him and the spherical core, the heart, of all Atrumites and Orithians that contained their souls. With both hands gripping his heart, Elayna prepared to tear out and devour it to complete the process of her transformation. Barely alive and about to die at his loved one's hands, Nolan could only muster the strength to raise his hand in gentle caress of her face. His palm rested on her cheek for a moment, as everything became still and silent. Snowflakes gently fell to his face. Nolan thought he caught a glimpse of her as she was meant to be, causing him to smile weakly until he could no longer keep his eyes open.
It took another three weeks for him to wake up. A lone aboriginal Canadian shaman, Weeping Wolf, had taken Nolan into his care. Nolan's heart was in tact, so the shaman was able to speed up the mending of his body. He informed Nolan that a woman, bearing black wings but draped in a dress made of golden stars with eyes to match, had brought him there. She had spoken of sensing the coming of the one who could end her misery. A terrible feeling overcame Nolan when he too realized the approaching presence of Ulkules. He had had his suspicions, but this confirmed it. The entity possessing Elayna was an Orithian.
Flying to Earth from a far off galaxy where the other Atrumites remained, Ulkules had chosen to confront the threat alone. He found his target waiting for him on the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Initially she seemed to offer no resistance, remaining calm and silent with a somber face as Ulkules approached, spear at the ready, with killing intent. He took it as willful submission to her own execution. As he gained closer, however, the woman could no longer contain herself. As the distance closed between them she was overwhelmed with hunger, revealing the fiend hidden beneath her skin and pouncing like a starved predator. Ulkules knew Qrotha, spawn of Oraxus and his own "sister", would be a challenge to defeat even in her incomplete state. The human woman's will power was the only thing keeping her from unleashing herself upon reality.
Astron arrived at the scene to find the battle raging on. Qrotha hesitated when she sensed the presence of more feed, allowing Ulkules an opportunity to land a finishing strike. Astron dashed at him and tackled Ulkules the Unstoppable with all his might. They crashed into an asteroid, which caused debris to drift off in all directions. The two established a telepathic link and they communicated while hidden from Qrotha and the situation was understood by both. The princess of Orith, Qrotha, was seeping out from her extra-dimensional prison and into their reality using Elayna as a conduit. Absorbing the life of living things gave her the power to manifest more of herself into this dimension. Only through Elayna's resistance was most of the abomination being locked out. But Ulkules would not take the risk of letting Qrotha live, even if it meant killing his friend's loved one. Astron could not convince the obstinate warrior prince. Qrotha appeared before them, extending her utter dark limbs to great proportions and firing black energy beams from her eyes. She hissed at them words of encouragement to kill her or feed her their souls. Ulkules entered his berserker state and attacked with all his wrath. When Astron got in the way, Ulkules attacked him as well.
Astron was no match for the might of Ulkules. His true form, the Orithian beneath the guise of an Atrumite, revealed itself and did not hold back against his opponents. Astron's incessant attempts at holding him back angered the warrior into striking with full force. When Qrotha--Elayna--witnessed Nolan beaten to the brink of death, something within her erupted forth. It was another spirit within her, the source of her powers that had awakened all those years ago during their first confrontation with Messiah. So powerful was the presence that it restrained Qrotha and illuminated Elayna into a being of blinding light. Ulkules stopped in his tracks, gazing into the familiar light, which he had not felt for many years. He recognized the light emanating from Elayna as those of his sister, Sydozora, princess of Atrum. Years ago she had used Elayna as a conduit, though chose not to manifest completely. Doing so would override the mind of her host, practically erasing Elayna from existence. Even with this amazing display of power, she was still not yet fully formed but spoke through Elayna to her brother. Though they were of different lineages, they would remain siblings and fight for the sake of Atrum. Sydozora would continue to suppress Qrotha, allowing Elayna to use both of their powers at will. As the goddess withdrew her presence, Elayna was returned to the way she was meant to be and floated down to Nolan. The two embraced, finally reunited.
Altruists Re-assembled: A Last Crusade
Zenith returned to fighting crime on Earth in what the public called a "reboot," as some superheroes (in the realm of fiction and reality) were known to do. As a side-effect of the dichotomous extra-dimensional beings Sydozora and Qrotha channeling their energies through her, Elayna's hair and eye colors changed to pure white. It was as though the sun had set only to be replaced by the moon and distant stars. And just like the night, she became quiet and mysterious. Her ability to lead, however, was never in question. Aside from the obvious power boost, she was more focused and efficient in her performance as a team leader, rescue coordinator and combatant. She once again brought together a team, this time opting for just "The Altruists" without the redundant "New".
Dr. Twilight was the first to join. He was reunited with his former leader and teammate. A friend of his, a veteran superhero who went by the name of Neptune, followed the heroic sorcerer after long shying away from team-ups. Zantos, the former princess of an alien empire whom Nolan and Elayna had met a few years earlier, was recruited for her powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Metasonic, Zenith's self-proclaimed biggest fan, was persisted on joining the team. She was dismissed as a novice with no real experience on the field, but Metasonic proved otherwise when she demonstrated her super speed and efficiency by rescuing three dozen civilians in a matter of seconds. The last to join was Nocturnus. He was reluctant, but eventually joined when Astron promised it would not come with any distractions he did not want. Nocturnus would only come to meetings if he had nothing better to do and only participated in missions where he thought his particular skill set was required. And so, with Astron and Zenith, the Altrusits came to a total of seven.
Their first challenge as a team came in the form of CPAM (Crusaders for the Preservation of All Mankind) attempting a prison break. When Messiah was captured and imprisoned, his right-hand man, Sanctus, took his place and carried on their mission to "save humanity" by exterminating all superhumans on Earth. Sanctus wasn't half the leader that Messiah was. He was disorganized and lacked the gravitas and charisma of his predecessor. Many of their ranks abandoned the organization. Only the "hardcore believers" remained. Unable to handle the pressure, Sanctus began to recruit superhuman mercenaries, something that goes against all that CPAM stands for. He disguised them in special suits of armor and equipment that made it seem as though their powers were made capable through technology, rather than inhuman abilities. The inner circle of leaders within the organization was then composed of Sanctus, Optimuman, Genocide Girl and the newly appointed second-in-command, Ironheart.
Optimuman was an ordinary human that had attained peak human physical condition and masterful combat abilities through years of medical treatments and grueling training. When he was a child, his parents were murdered in front of him by someone who could move things without touching them. Titus Towers found the traumatized boy and promised to give him vengeance, if he was willing to dedicate his life to Messiah and his cause. After witnessing the cold-blooded, brutal murder of his parents at the hands of a superhuman, vengeance was the only thing on the boy's mind. Genocide Girl was a mute, psychopathic killing machine. Messiah had found her during one of his trips to East Asia, where she showed tremendous talent and skill in martial arts at the remote mountain temple she resided. One day, she was sent out on errands. When she returned, the temple was in ruins, with the monks all slaughtered and flames spreading across the area. In the midst of the area were the group of fire-manipulators who had committed the atrocities. The young girl attacked in a rage, but was cornered. Towers burst in with his troops and gunned down the evil superhumans. He took her away from the destruction and slaughter, to raise the young girl as another one of his child soldiers. He found that the young ones were more impressionable. Of course, both the murder of Optimuman's parents and the annihilation of Genocide Girl's temple home were orchestrated by Towers himself. Sanctus was an old friend of Messiah, whom he simply called Titus, that joined the cause for unknown reasons. He invited the obscure arms inventor and dealer, Ironheart, to join CPAM in order to gain the necessary firepower to bust his savior out of Stronghold.
The entirety of the CPAM organization readied for the breakout operation as their flying citadel approached Stronghold. When the devices that concealed the CPAM Citadel were deactivated, the extremists rained down onto the prison for a full-frontal assault. Ironheart had equipped their flying headquarters with missile launchers and various other weapons that would serve to takedown any superhero threats and penetrate the prison's exterior defenses. But the Altruists had somehow caught wind of the plan and immediately launched a counter-offensive. Dr. Twilight erected a magic barrier around Stronghold to prevent any of the enemies from moving in and to hold off the explosive blasts fired from the CPAM Citadel. On the battlefield, the CPAM adherents and mercenaries followed Genocide Girl as she dropped down in a mecha designed by Ironheart. They fought against Neptune, Metasonic and Zantos. Astron was pre-occupied with Ironheart himself, whose advanced suit of power armor proved to be more of a challenge than expected. Nocturnus infiltrated the Citadel in order to bring it down from the inside. He was confronted by Optimuman, who gave Nocturnus a good fight despite not being a superhuman. Meanwhile, Zenith floated above the tiny war below, gazing into the distance as if there were something a million miles away that caught her attention. There was something whispering to her at the back of her head. When she shut her eyes, she saw someone staring back.
As if she suddenly realized a startling truth, Zenith jumped into the fray and formed her starsaber. Zooming towards Ironheart, she impaled the villain from behind. Nolan was stunned, until he realized that the heart that popped out of his chest was mechanical. Elayna severed the head from the body, deactivating the robot's functions and rendering it useless. The important part was in her hands. Behind the metal mask of Ironheart was a tiny humanoid creature. An alien. She left the little culprit in Stronghold as she and Astron advanced toward the Citadel above. Inside the flying headquarters of CPAM, Nocturnus overpowered Optimuman, knocking him out cold. Sanctus was confronted in the command room by Nocturnus, Astron and Zenith. Applauding their handiwork and efficiency, Sanctus removed his own face, allowing the tiny little creature within to speak with his adversaries face-to-face. He explained that he was in truth an agent of the Orithians, commanded by the voice of Oraxus that boomed in his head. This little alien's planet had been under the control of the Orithians for hundreds of years. He and his partner, the "pilot" of Ironheart, were the last living members of their race. They had been chosen by Oraxus to be the two that would board the small spaceship that escaped their doomed planet. They came to Earth and disguised themselves as humans. Their servitude to Oraxus lead them to Titus Towers III. They worked alongside him for years, to the point where one of them became his second-in-command. Now they were attempting to free Messiah so that he could proceed on his mission to bring about the apocalypse, to murder the Earth in order to release the Orithians. But they had failed. And so they could no longer hear the voice of the cosmic tyrant in their minds. He no longer had any use for them.
The Altruists' unwilling enemy, the diminutive Lelac, commended their efforts and informed them of their impending demise. Expressing regret at all the atrocities he had committed while under the control of Oraxus, Lelac chose to destroy the Citadel. He activated the self-destruct sequence. Astron took him in his hand and tried to convince him to redeem himself by doing good with his life. But it was too late and the guilt was too much, too heavy. Lelac apologized again, whispered a farewell to his partner, Zorayah, and bit the poison capsule implanted in his tooth. He keeled over and the life disappeared from him, the body already growing cold and dry in Nolan's hand, a look of peace washed away the wrinkles and contours of sadness and guilt from his face. As Nocturnus and Zenith took the people remaining in the Citadel and returned to the ground below, Astron raced the flying fortress to a safe distance outside the planet's atmosphere. He kept Lelac safe from the explosion and took the poor creature to the only one who had suffered with him. Zorayah took the deceased Lelac in her arms and wept, but would take a different path and continue to live. Even if she could never redeem herself or Lelac, maybe she could find happiness in her newfound freedom, and live enough for the both of them, doing whatever good she could with what time she had left.
Astron wondered what kind of people Optimuman and Genocide Girl would have turned out to be if Messiah had not forced them into the lives of his choosing. Astron would visit his old nemesis from time to time. He was now a broken old man, only sometimes acknowledging Astron's presence and even more rarely talking to him. On one such occasion, he revealed what he did to the two when they were children. What would happen, Astron thought, if they found out the truth? He could only hope that their reactions would be more like Zorayah's, rather than Lelac's. The Crusaders for the Preservation of All Mankind were gone, with many of its members being imprisoned or institutionalized. Optimuman, later identified as Tobias Brewer, and Genocide Girl, never unidentified, would surely be sentenced to several lifetimes of imprisonment. Before being carried off, they shared a kiss. Perhaps, one day, they would meet again. And if they learned the truth, Astron thought that maybe they would be able to accept all that happened and put the past behind them. He could only hope that they would be able learn the error of their ways and move forward, together.
Inferno
For quite some time the Atrumites, lead by Ulkules, had been wandering the cosmos in search of the civilizations that had once stood alongside them against the Orithian empire. Some destroyed each other with war, others were wiped out by natural disasters or succumbed to some other possible sources of extinction. Many were completely empty of life and a few of those bore relics that would indicate a prior occupant until they were corroded by the passage of time. On a few worlds life had already begun to blossom once more. There were planets inhabited by unicellular organisms, brimming with potential. Others were home to primitive sentient creatures. And when the Atrumites came to visit these worlds they were worshipped as gods. Occasionally the gods would bestow upon them gifts such as Knowledge and Fire. The rare few that had survived the eons had advanced greatly and did not want to involve themselves with gods, for they were weary of such beings. However, they would stand with them if the Orithians ever did return. Until then, they did not welcome their divine intervention. On one planet, Qrall Jedaria, the highest order of intelligent lifeforms had fused all of their consciousnesses into one, creating a planet that carried the collective will of all its inhabitants as a singular entity. Its selected purpose was to wander the cosmos in search of more knowledge. While they discovered the fates of their former allies, the Atrumites also searched for Evex. The Atrumite Meliosha possessed the power to visualize the location of anything she wished to find, but her attempts at pinpointing Evex were fruitless. It was as though he had disappeared from this plane of existence altogether.
Back on Earth, the Altruists grew in number to nine. The reality-hopping super scientist Dimensionaut joined the squad. He had arrived in our universe just in time to help the Altruists against the mad scientist Monstermaker and his legion of gigantic crimes against nature. Dimensionaut made a fine addition to the team, adding some much needed technological savvy. His space/time traveling vessel, the Continuum Flux, would especially come in handy. It could transport the team to any point in space or time, given sufficient energy input. Previously, Dimensionaut relied on his pet mutant thunder-cat Everett to charge up enough power to activate the warp function. This usually took quite some time, but with powerhouses like Astron and Zenith on the team, the waiting period decreased significantly.
When he wasn't out fighting the good fight, Nolan was busy trying to come up with another story to follow up his first few mild successes. Despite being able to type many times faster than any normal human being, Nolan was not immune to writer's block. The career-threatening condition dealt a debilitating blow to his creativity. He could churn out a novel in no time but he would not be satisfied with the outcome. When Nolan, as a writer, knows he can do better, it's best for his conscience to scrap what he has and start all over again. It would be quite some time until he was hit with the necessary inspiration to fuel him to write something he was happy with. That particular novel would come later, but at present he was needed at the Altruist HQ.
Meliosha came to Earth in distress, severely injured and seeking out help from Astron and Zenith. She informed them of Ulkules' sudden betrayal. He had gone mad and murdered his fellow Atrumites, ripping them apart and devouring their soul orbs. The fiery, noble warrior they knew had turned into a mad, wrathful god hellbent on destruction. Using her powers, Meliosha located Ulkules on the planet of Qrall Jedaria--the same planet that was infused with the gestalt consciousness of the very beings that had bloomed from her. He had scorched the face of Qrall Jedaria into a burning wasteland. Clad in gold armor refashioned from his Atrumite battle wear, Ulkules had taken control of the world and propelled it with his own cosmic might towards his next target. The Altruists available to confront Ulkules boarded the Continuum Flux. Astron, Zenith, Zantos, Neptune, Metasonic and Dimensionaut prepared for a tough fight.
The Altruists' vessel instantly appeared on the scorched planet of Qrall Jedaria. What they saw was not the vibrant and harmonious beauty the planet-being had held in its former state. It was now a fiery wasteland with no signs of life. Only lava and ashes. Qrall Jedaria's world-mind was hijacked by the mad god who sought to burn the universe. The telepathic Zantos heard the planet screaming in agony. Ulkules had built his throne atop a volcano. He was clad in armor that seemed to indicate royalty, unfitting of the warrior Astron knew. His spear was stuck into the ground near him, emitting rays of light. He channeled his will through his weapon and into the world. Astron flew up to him first, hoping that he could make sense of this betrayal and put an end to the madness without having to resort to violence. Ulkules boisterously laughed at the little fly and swatted him away. He rose from his throne and approached the Altruists. His footsteps seemed to shake the planet beneath him. His presence was overwhelming, as if he was a force of nature manifest.
Neptune was already weakened from the intense heat and lack of water. Even his specialized survival suit was of no use in such inhospitable conditions. The temperature seemed to increase with each step Ulkules took. When their giant adversary let out a deafening roar, Neptune's skin boiled and he collapsed into the hot dirt. The sonic wave that Ulkules' roar created knocked Metasonic off her feet and sent her flying. She crashed into the side of a cliff and her survival suit was severely damaged. She took a deep breath to take in the suit's last gasp of oxygen and ran. Taking the unconscious Neptune into her arms, she fled back to the Continuum Flux and fell to her knees. She was terrified. Dimensionaut's force field protected him from the attack. But he was effectively useless in the face of this enemy. His advanced weapons were like pebbles being thrown at a mountain. Zantos' attempts at telepathically linking with Ulkules were futile and caused her great pain. They had no choice but to return to the Continuum Flux while Astron and Zenith fought the seemingly unstoppable beast.
Absorbing the souls of his comrades had greatly empowered Ulkules. He had also used the soul of one Atrumite to enlarge his spear to accommodate his new form. He was much bigger than before. Big enough to take Zenith and crush her in his fist. An energy blast from Astron's eyes knocked him down and Zenith escaped. She materialized her starsabers and dug them deep into his chest, removed them and went for his eyes. Astron's continuous beam of energy held him down, but the two were blown away when Ulkules roared once more. He got on his feet and spewed lava on them. Astron fell to the ground and Ulkules brought his fist down. He took Zenith in his hand once more and exclaimed about how much joy it brought him to think of devouring his own sister (Qrotha), the princess of the Atrumites (Sydozora) and Zenith at the same time. Miles away, Dimensionaut prepared to activate the Null Cannon. It was the ultimate weapon of the Continuum Flux. Its target would be utterly destroyed, scattering its atoms throughout the universe. He was hesitant, for it would mean taking the lives of his teammates. And if the weapon, which he had never used before, malfunctioned, it would mean the erasure of the planet and everyone on it. But it would be worth preventing Ulkules from continuing on his path of conquest and destruction. He took aim and closed in on his target as Metasonic provided the energy input. But before the cannon could finish charging the battle came to an abrupt end.
A long red spear raced down from the heavens and pierced Ulkules through the back of his neck. His rocky, molten form crumbled into a pile and his spirit core arose from it. The object floated up into the hand of the one who had launched the spear. Evex the Endless appeared before the two heroes. He no longer sported his majestic armor and instead wore humble clothing suited to a monk. He landed before his spear and withdrew it from the rock it was lodged in. He spoke to the two exhausted heroes of his meditations in a pocket dimension. In his icy domain, closed off from outside influence, he reflected on his life and came to the conclusion that he had never given thought to why he did what he did. He was a fool, blindly following Oraxus and disregarding all else. But he realized that deep down he wanted to be free of his servitude to Orith and join the Atrumites on their mission. But the influence and power of Oraxus were great. It was as though he was constantly whispering into his mind. But now he resolved to follow his own path and do what he believed was right. The guilt of his past actions weighed down on him and he decided that there was only one possible route that would redeem him. But first he took Ulkules' orb and reached into it. Evex withdrew a grotesque insect-like creature from within. He explained that this was an Orithian that had slipped his way out of the cosmic prison and injected itself into Ulkules' heart undetected. Sinosyte was a parasitic fiend that slowly took control of its host by feeding off of their pain and twisting them into mindless monsters for it to control. As it squirmed and squealed in his hand, Evex crushed the evil bug in his grip and watched as it turned to dust. Astron was relieved to know his friend had not been responsible for his actions, but was saddened over his death.
Evex gave the orb to Astron and reassured him that he would meet his friend again one day. With that, he took his spear into both hands and drove it through his own chest, avoiding the spirit sphere located in his throat. Even in his dying moments he was as calm and collected as ever. He got on one knee, looked up to the sky and whispered something Astron could not hear. He had no guess as to what words Evex would speak at the moment of his death. But as the majestic being's form faded away, becoming mere dust on the wind, Astron knew that they too would meet again. Nolan extracted Ulkules' spear from Qrall Jedaria and the planet regained control of itself. It immediately began to restore its former beauty. Flowers grew from the spot where the two gods had just passed. It would take a long time to heal, but Qrall Jedaria would eventually be restored. Spears and orbs in hand, the two heroes walked back to the vessel where their friends waited. When Nolan was born he had granted his parents' wish of having a child. Perhaps these two could do the same for him and Elayna. They would have to discuss their future once they returned home.
Inescapable
A New Millennium (2000 - 2009)
31st Century Man
As Above, So Below
The Meaning of the Earth
Symphony of the Stars
Neverending (2010 - present)
Attributes
Cosmic Vessel
Among cosmic beings, the Atrumites and Orithians exhibit a unique physiological function. Each individual's true essence resides within a soul sphere (also called heart, core, quintessence, source, etc.) contained within their manifest vessels. These metaphysical organs contain a vast amount of energy and information yet maintain an often unassuming, though mutable, size in the material plane. However, without a vessel, soul spheres lack autonomous communication or action capabilities. Upon the destruction of the physical vessel, known as an avatar, of an Atrumite or Orithian, the preserved soul sphere seeks out suitable matter with which to form a new avatar. In this untethered state, the soul sphere carries the entity's identity as pure information, housing their lifeforce and mind, including all their accumulated memories and knowledge, within a formless expanse of raw data. A suitable analogy likens the soul sphere to software, with the avatars serving as hardware to provide form and functionality. Untouched by external influences, the untethered soul sphere autonomously seeks out suitable matter to accumulate and restore its avatar. If this resurrective process comes to fruition, the original avatar is restored in its entirety.
In the case of Astron's resurrection, his core was damaged during the battle with Oraxus, rendering it vulnerable to external influence during the initialization of the resurrective process. Sentient electromagnetic waves influenced the "programming" of the soul sphere, resulting in the formation of an artificial human. With Astron's resurrection incomplete, the flawed avatar developed an identity of its own. When he unlocked the power that was dormant within him, the process was seemingly unstuck after more than a decade and Nolan gained access to a fraction of Astron's power. Since then, Nolan's powers have developed further, simultaneously advancing the resurrection's progress. The more power Nolan harnesses, the closer he gets to losing his humanity. The exact workings of this altered process of resurrection remain unclear, but it seems to proceed through a combination of gradual incremental progress and significant jumps caused by external factors.
Powers and Abilities
Unique Physiology: Examinations have revealed that Nolan's physical form closely resembles typical human anatomy in structure yet diverges on a fundamental level in composition and function. While his cells bear a striking resemblance to organic human tissue, they operate in a profoundly distinct manner. Each cell within his body, though outwardly similar to human cells, serves as a conduit for the cosmic energy emanating from his soul sphere. Astron's soul sphere occupies the space where a human heart would typically reside, acting as the epicenter from which cosmic energy radiates, permeating every aspect of Nolan's being. His material form, while appearing human, functions primarily as the conduit for the soul sphere's transmission of energy and information. The baseline quantity of cosmic energy flowing through Nolan's anatomy has increased greatly over the years, leading to the proportional growth of the magnitude and scope of his powers.
Superhuman Physical Prowess: Astron's physical attributes far surpass normal human limitations, allowing him to lift immense weights, deliver devastating outputs of force and move at incredible speeds with remarkable agility. Nolan controls the amount of force he exerts from each part of his body with finesse, allowing him, for example, to type on a keyboard without obliterating it.
Superhuman Constitution: His cosmic power-imbued physiology endows Nolan with tremendous physical fortitude, accelerated regenerative properties, the capacity for self-sustenance, immunity to all common diseases (though not to supernatural infections), survivability in extremely hazardous environments and biological immortality (immune to senescence). Nolan can also maintain strenuous activity for extended periods until his material form is overwhelmed by excessive output after expending energy at a rate faster than the soul sphere can replenish it, at which point he would burn out like a fuse and lose consciousness.
Enhanced Cognition: While Nolan's intelligence originally fell within the range of ordinary humans, his gradual transformation into Astron did not affect his cognitive functions in a profound way until recent years. His brain, which now exhibits an altered architecture, processes information at an accelerated rate, enabling rapid analysis and comprehension that matches his high-speed movement capabilities. This enhancement was present shortly after his awakening and appears to be linked to increases in his movement capabilities. Nolan more recently developed the ability to engage in numerous thought processes simultaneously with as much focus as required for each. These enhancements have been complemented by, and likely contributed to, an elevation of his innate intelligence to the level of genius. This heightened mental acuity allows him to thoroughly comprehend complex concepts that were previously only vaguely understood. The transformation's impact on his mind has been slower and less pronounced compared to other aspects of his being, with major changes only manifesting in the past few years. This delay is likely due to the intrinsic distinction between his mind/identity and that of Astron.
Enhanced Perception: In addition to, and complementing, his enhanced cognitive faculties, Astron's sensory systems are augmented to superhuman levels, allowing him to perceive reality in far greater detail than the average human. In addition to heightened conventional senses, Astron is capable of perceiving certain metaphysical facets of reality, such as planar anomalies.
Energy Manipulation: Astron can harness the cosmic energy powering his cells for a multitude of purposes, including projectile emission, defensive barrier creation and unassisted flight. By concentrating energy from his innate energy pool, Nolan can enhance his innate powers beyond their base levels. He can also absorb compatible energies below an uncertain threshold of intensity, assimilating the foreign energy into his own energy pool to bolster his power, or expelling it with altered properties and a redirected trajectory.
Flight: By consciously directing the cosmic energy permeating his being, Astron achieves self-propelled motion through atmospheres and vacuums.
Amplified Bio-Electric Field: Astron's bio-electric field is more potent than that of ordinary humans, radiating from his cells to envelop his form with an imperceptible exodermal sheath of energy akin to armor, augmenting his already formidable innate prowess. He can modulate this bio-electric aura at will, expanding it for enhanced protection or dissipating it entirely. Beyond mere protection, Astron's bio-electric aura serves multifaceted purposes, such as stabilizing colossal objects to prevent them from collapsing under their own weight when he lifts them. When the power of this field is intensified, it becomes visible to the human eye as an luminescent aura.
Psychic Defenses: Astron's mind is fortified against telepathic intrusion. The combination of his formidable willpower, subconscious mental barriers and the complex nature of his consciousness has proven to be an insurmountable obstacle for telepaths lacking the power and skill required to gain access. Those who do enter Nolan's mind, with or without his permission, would immediately become aware of a greater underlying presence suffusing Nolan's mindscape. This ominous presence remains inert, displaying no reaction to either visitors or intruders.
Cosmic Power Surge: By tapping into the soul sphere's practically limitless reservoir of cosmic energy, Astron can temporarily induce a dramatic increase in the magnitude of his inherent powers and even gain access to new ones. On the rare occasions when this happens, Astron's cosmic power is capable of a wide range of potent applications, such as matter manipulation and expanding his awareness to encompass a greater field. Immediately after this temporary empowerment, Nolan will collapse from complete exhaustion, remaining unconscious until his energy reserves are at least partially replenished. This overcharge runs the risk of advancing Astron's resurrection by a significant margin, so Nolan only turns to it as a last resort.
Skills and Talents
Living Database: Astron's heightened cognition enables him to retain highly detailed memories of nearly all the information he has processed, which, combined with his enhanced intellect, allows him to amass an extensive mental database. In addition to a broad spectrum of general knowledge, this comprehensive mental repository encompasses a wide array of skills with varying degrees of aptitude (investigation, cooking, juggling, etc.).
Field Expertise: As a veteran with decades of experience, Astron is highly efficient in his activities as a superhero.
Combat Proficiency: Years worth of fighting experience, as well as some training, have molded Nolan into a formidable hand-to-hand combatant.
Wordsmith: Nolan has refined his writing skills over the course of his decades-long career as an author (he's certainly a better writer than the author of this page).
Equipment
Astrosuits: Astron's first real costume was designed for the simple practical purpose of not perishing during super-battles (it did, on a few occasions, with varying degrees of destruction). His second costume was more advanced and, at his request, came with a cape. This is his most iconic outfit and Nolan's personal favorite, although he did grow a bit bored of it after 15 years. The third costume, which he's worn since 2010, is the most sophisticated suit he's worn regularly and sports a more modern design (and does not feature a cape). Nolan also keeps less-sophisticated backup suits at his apartment in Millennium City, the Sanctuary on Altruist's Rock and a few other locations.
Anti-Q Armor: The shiniest get-up in Astron's wardrobe is a suit of armor designed to shield him from the effects of Qliphothic energy. By harnessing Astron's cosmic energy, in addition to its own special properties, the armor enables Nolan to navigate through the Qliphoth for a limited duration without affliction.
Astrobands and Astrobelt: Astron formerly wore a high-tech pair of bands and a belt that worked in tandem to allow effective control of his energy manipulation powers. The bands also serve as communications devices and the belt has some special features of its own, such as generating an anti-gravity field (for emergencies) and pocket compartments. These devices were worn with his second costume and rendered obsolete by the following item.
Astrogauntlets: Originally introduced as an upgrade to Astron's previous energy-harnessing devices, the gauntlets accompanying the third Astrosuit underwent a redesign in 2014. By this time, Nolan had developed sufficient control over his energy manipulation abilities to no longer require such devices. The second model of the Astrogauntlets were outfitted with a reduced set of features (and fashioned to match the color scheme of the rest of Astrosuit III). While these gauntlets are technically a downgrade, they maintain their utility as focal points for energy channeling, doubling as mobile communications and internet-browsing devices. Additionally, they serve as emergency transport mechanisms, propelled by a reserve of Astron's energy to ferry passengers to safety when needed. Nolan interfaces with the Astrogauntlets seamlessly, almost as if they were an extension of himself, utilizing his innate energy field to manipulate the inputs with mere thoughts.
Disadvantages
Soul Sphere:
Shards of the Progenitrix:
Enemies
Threat Level Metric:
LEVEL 1: Minor
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LEVEL 2: Low
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LEVEL 3: Moderate
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LEVEL 4: High
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LEVEL 5: Critical
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LEVEL 6: Extreme
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LEVEL 7: Catastrophic
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LEVEL 8: Cataclysmic
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LEVEL 9: Existential
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Messiah
Real Name: Titus Tiberius Towers
Status: Presumed Deceased
Affiliations:
Powers/Abilities: Super-Genius Intelligence, Polymath, Highly Advanced Technology
Threat Level:
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Born into an affluent and influential aristocratic family in 1946, Titus Tiberius Towers III was instilled with the belief of his inherent superiority from a young age. Gifted with prodigious intelligence and reared by a rigorous program overseen by various tutors, he excelled in every pursuit he undertook, demonstrating an unparalleled capacity for success. His self-absorbed and morally bankrupt parents viewed him as no more than an extension of their own egos, molding him to become a tool to grow their family's wealth and power, which had declined in the post-war era. Their interactions with Titus were characterized by abuse and neglect, leaving Titus to navigate a harsh and solitary existence, bereft of genuine affection. This stark reality fueled Titus's ambition to ascend to unprecedented heights of power and influence. Disdaining the superficiality of high society, Titus found the trappings of wealth and privilege hollow and unfulfilling. He sought to build an empire and transcend the restrictive laws of lesser men. Firm in his conviction that his rightful place in the world was as its undisputed ruler, Titus ruthlessly pursued his goal of global dominance. Nothing less would suffice.
By the late 1960s, the Towers Corporation had emerged as a titan in the world of international business. In addition to the great wealth he accumulated, Titus established influence in networks across the world, from governments to criminal organizations. Revered as a corporate visionary, he erected monumental structures, known as the Ivory Towers, across the globe as symbols of his dominance and success. He believed himself well on his way to becoming the most powerful man in the world. Eventually, Titus believed, he would accumulate enough power and resources to stage coups in powerful nations. Titus's ascent, however, was impeded by scandal in 1981 when he fell under the scrutiny of the Lawkeepers, a team of American superheroes.
Their investigations uncovered a web of illicit activities within his organization, resulting in severe legal repercussions. Titus managed to deflect culpability by masterfully shifting blame onto his board members for the criminal conduct. Nevertheless, the stain on his reputation proved indelible, and his ambitions suffered a devastating blow. The majority of his controlled firms faced termination, and scores of supposed allies deserted him in the aftermath. Forced to adopt the facade of a naive figurehead to the public, Titus endured the ignominy of being perceived as a pampered, entitled figurehead who ascended through his parents' wealth and influence. Rather than resigning himself to defeat, however, Titus resolved to reclaim his stature and exact retribution upon his adversaries.
((WIP))
Dr. Deception
Real Name: Sebastian Callager
Status: Incarcerated
Affiliations: Currently None
Powers/Abilities: High-level psionics
Threat Level:
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Meteora
Real Name: Rhea Havelock
Status:
Affiliations: The Starfall Syndicate
Powers/Abilities: Empyrean Physiology
Threat Level:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Rex Nihilo
Real Name: Nemo "Omen" Jones
Status: Incarcerated
Affiliations: None
Powers/Abilities:
Threat Level:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Anti-Sol
Real Name:
Status: Active
Affiliations:
Powers/Abilities: Solar-powered physiology
Threat Level:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Proud Patriot
Real Name: David Ironside
Status: Active
Affiliations:
Powers/Abilities: Serum-augmented physiology
Threat Level:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Madame Midnight
Real Name:
Status: Incarcerated
Affiliations: None
Powers/Abilities: High-level psionics
Threat Level:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Bibliography
The following is a list of Nolan's most notable books, in order of publication date:
- A Haven for Heroes (novel, 1994)
- The Aeons Saga (novel series, 2000-2019):
- Across the Cosmos (2000)
- Planes Beyond (2008)
- Infinite Horizons (2019)
- American Capes (novel, 2004)
- Towers, Above All (non-fiction, 2009)
- Modern Mythologies vol. 4 #27-49 (comic book serialization, 2010-2012)
- Worlds Within Words (short story collection, 2014)
- Neutronium Rose (novel, 2017)
- Heroes & Villains (novel, 2022)
Trivia
- Astron, the superhero, is not to be confused with Astron, the Living Asteroid Belt (see Champions Beyond (Hero Games, 2011) pages 246-247 for more information on this unrelated entity).
- The character and story of Astron are primarily inspired by Superman and Jack Kirby's Fourth World/New Gods from DC Comics, with trace amounts of influence from other comic book mythos and popular media.
Comments and Opinions
A space for your characters' comments and opinions on Astron.
"Great fighter, better friend. I feel privileged to know him and honored to have worked with him. It's great to have a real heavyweight like him in your corner." - Thundrax
Gallery
Costumes
The "Bluehood" disguise, worn from 1985 to 1988
Astrosuit I, worn from 1988 to 1995
Astrosuit II, worn from 1995 to 2010
Astrosuit III, worn from 2010 to the present
Anti-Q Armor, acquired in 2016
The backup suit Astron keeps in his apartment
A training outfit worn for friendly sparring
Miscellaneous
The Blood Moon
Breaking free of a magnetic hold
