Timeline

The following is a rough draft of the timeline of the campaign world to date. Many of the entries are culled from the personal histories of the characters courtesy of Bec and Christian. The early tech-style entries are from Brian via articles written by Kenneth Hite of Pyramid fame.

1831:

Faraday's work hints at the existence of the Unified Field Theory, but the man is unable to complete this work, in the same way that he just misses inventing Alternating Current (this latter is true).

1895:

Tesla begins work very similar to faradays' and with better results - he would dabble with this off and on for many years, before getting actual results in the 1930's.

1920:

Mason Roth's (aka Gaslight) paternal grandparents, Hanse and Uta von Roethe, flee post-war poverty in Germany, and eventually settle in Chicago.

1922:

Alexander Roth (The Black Fog) is born.

1931:

US navy assembles Project Rainbow at the University of Chicago, a top group of physicists to look into Tesla's work in hopes of duplicating his invisibility effect. Tesla is involved, but not what one would call helpful, eccentric that he is.

1933:

Project Rainbow moves to Princeton, and, adding Einstein, Townsend Brown (of Biefeld-Brown Effect fame) and John von Neumann (father of the computer, among other things) to its staff.

1940:

Father joins police force at 18.

1941:

Father joins Army. Trained as an infantryman and sent to Pacific theater.

1942:

The first tests go ahead in the lab, but fail. They are promising enough to move forward on, especially with the war department pushing the Rainbow Scientists to produce something to help the allies. Tesla dies 10 months after this initial attempt (this is his actual death date, I believe- at least, I trust Mr. Hite to not make something like that up).

1943:

PE a qualified success -- the UFT is proven, or at least gins a lot of momentum and new room to work, and the ship does indeed turn invisible/teleport/what have you. However, the costs are astronomical, the effect ill controlled and the staff on the ship suffer at best psychosis and at worst uncontrolled meta-human power emergence (ending up frozen in time, teleported into bulkheads, burning uncontrollable for 3 days, trapped in parallel dimensions etc.)

The outright military applications of the project are slow to develop (especially when compared to the Manhattan Project) so Project Rainbow affects WWII only tangentially. What does come of all this however is tremendous technological marvels like (the comparatively more) affordable anti-grav, cheap and powerful energy supplies, etcŠall in the hands of American Physicists. The space race will soon become the active arena for Cold War one-ups-manship as opposed to the Arms Race (which still exists)

1945:

WWII ends.

Alexander Roth returns to Chicago, and resumes police career.

Anne-Marie Konstantin born

1947:

Using UFT technologies, The Soviet Union launches Sputnik (ten years ahead of time)

America responds in kind, sending four astronauts (Jack Shuster, Joe Kirby, Stan Siegel, and Jerry Lee) to Mars.

Due to exposures to IF energies via UFT tech used in the mission, the four astronauts gain meta-human abilities and soon band together as "First Flight."

1948:

Ronan Norris born

1950:

Audrey Norris born.

Pavel Konstantin born

1952:

Mars opened to general public for colonization.

Mason Roth's maternal grandparents, Mason Cross and Hiroku Tsurabi-Cross, come to Mars. They land lucrative Deuterium contract, strike it rich.

Leanna Cross born.

Alexander Roth makes first application for transfer to Martian colonies. Skills not considered essential, application is denied.

1954:

Alexander Roth achieves the rank of Detective Lieutenant at the age of 32.

1955:

Increase in colonial population has led to an increase in crime, and call goes out for experienced law enforcement officer. Alexander Roth comes to New Philly.

1958:

Alexander Roth achieves rank of Captain.

1963:

Alexander Roth becomes the Black Fog (not sure how yet). Experiment physically revitalizes him - though a man of 41, he has the vitality of a 20 year old.

1964:

Leanna Cross receives powers at age of 13. Becomes Spectra-Girl.

Oscar Zevon and Anne-Marie marry

1965:

Pavel arrives on Mars

1966:

At the behest of The Black Fog, a number of independent heroes band together to assist in the defection of Cottonfist, a member of The Collective, China's government sponsored super-team. The heroes remain together as The Challengers Of The Red Sands. Initial membership includes: Black Fog, Spectra-Girl, Cottonfist, White Daliah 1, The Red Rocket, Glass Orchid, U.S. Flagg, and Clockwork.

Zachary Zevon born

1969:

Black Fog marries Leanna Cross (now Spectra-Woman) on her 18th birthday. There is much scandal within team. Thanks to his wife's money, BF is freed up to pursue crime-fighting full time and begins personal development program (spending training slots to acquire new skills). Spectra-Woman never bothered concealing her identity from other members of The Challengers Of The Red Sands, so, by extension, they learn of Black Fog's identity at this time.

1971:

Mason born. Begins training as a hero practically from the time he walks.

1972:

Zevon family arrives on Mars.

Eleanor White born.

1976:

Martian Mancer crosses paths with The Challengers for first time. Mason finds him amusing.

1978:

Jack Dunn born

1980:

Dee Norris born

1983:

Mason joins father in the field for the first time, as Night Boy.

1985:

At his father's direction, Mason joins other teenage heroes as the TEENAgents. Brief romance with Fantasti-Girl, daughter of one of the First Flight. Team never amounts to much although Anthem, U.S. Flagg's side-kick, who was also a member goes on to later join The Challengers as The Banner.

1987:

Black Fog disappears. Noir delivers his journals and case notes. Mason buckles down, dropping dilettante attitude and pursuing detective skills in earnest. Intends to locate missing father, whom he believes was investigating mysterious entity known as Crimson Spider ("His web of crime extends beyond New Philadelphia, across the face of Mars itself!")

1988:

Mason enrolls at Martian university, pursuing a double degree in Criminal Justice and Chemistry. Meets Zevon, who is earning his second or third degree. Recognizes a potential superhero in the making. His own secret past is revealed to Zach when Pavel makes a chance visit and, recognizing Mason from his previous association with The Challengers, spills the beans. There are no secrets between Mason and Zach from then on.

1989:

The Challengers, unable to find their missing teammate (and beginning to accept the notion that he is in fact dead), suffer another blow as two more of their number (Red Rocket and The Falconess) die in battle with rogue operatives of The Collective who had taken fourteen citizens of New Philadelphia hostage within the Valles Marineris.

1991:

Dunn family relocates to Mars

The remaining Challengers (Cottonfist, Spectra-Woman (both already in semi-retirement by now), Stunt-Man, The Banner, and White Daliah 2) formally disband after 35 years of protecting and serving the Martian populace.

1992:

Mason graduates with honors. He leaves for Earth, to attend a top notch Forensics school (unavailable on Mars) and, through his mother's family's influence, "interns" at the FBI's BSU.

Audrey and Zach become friends

1996:

Mason returns. He confides his intention to pick up his father's trail and role to Zevon. Knowing he can't talk Mason out of it, Z manufactures some weapons for him. He assumes identity as Gaslight.

Oscar Zevon's death

1997:

Dee acquires Rajni.

Terraform gains sentience

Accident at Zachary's lab that grants Zach, Dee, and Jack their powers.

Liberty League formed.

2001:

Noir leaves clue pointing to a front for the Crimson Spider. He crosses paths with Eleanor while following it up, resulting in her becoming empowered. He arranges for her to join Liberty League.

2002:

Now. 

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