Prologue
In 1989, during the waning years of the Cold War, three superheroes appeared that would forever change the history of America. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman all made their first appearance. Together, they made an unbeatable team, along with some of their contemporaries: Black Canary, Flash, Green Arrow, and more. They were seen as the protectors of America and as defenders of justice.
All predictions about their combined might could not have predicted the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990. All of a sudden, a vacuum existed where a superpower had once existed. The United States attempted to seize this opportunity to extend their power globally; however, the US was unprepared for the impact this action would have on the nation and on the world. Over the next decade, the United States became more an more involved with politics around the world, committing troops and aid with little heed for future consequences. Overextended around the globe, the United States suffered from a crippling blow when the super villain Chemo exploded in the city of Bluhaven, killing thousands and infecting millions.
This unfortunate event only worsened the desperate economic situation the country was experiencing. Millions were being laid off. Economists were gloomily predicting a second Great Depression that could have worse consequences than the first one. In the midst of this chaos, a presidential election was occurring. The two main candidates, George W. Bush, Jr. and Al Gore had no answer for this national crisis.
Out of this confusion arose a new candidate, a political unknown called Drew Drake. He called for a return to American power and laid out an ambitious plan to recover both from the terrorist attack and the economic crisis. Although a relative dark horse at first, he quickly became a favorite and handily beat both the Republican and Democratic candidates. What was even more astounding, his party gained an unheard of number of seats in both houses of Congress. His party, along with a number of neo-conservative Republicans created an unstoppable coalition. All of a sudden, President Drake seemed unbeatable.
One of the first steps to Drake's plan to regain American dominance was to use superheroes as a strike force around the world to subdue any country that appeared to be a threat to America. He approached all of the existing superheroes. All of them refused to be part of his team. Green Arrow went as far to call it, "a American version of superpowered storm troopers." His popularity in his base of Star City dropped instantly.
These refusals did not seem to faze Drake. He actually appeared to expect these responses and went to his backup plan with little comment. He began to recruit younger metahumans who had powers he deemed useful to the country and began to training them. Before the established superheroes realized what was happening, inexplicable accidents began to thin their numbers. One by one, superheroes were either killed in battle or simply disappeared. Within a year of Drake's inauguration, none of the older superheroes stood to oppose him.
Drake quickly swung into action, establishing his new American League of Superheroes as an executive office answerable only to him. His strict control of Congress allowed him to enact laws that increased his power while decreasing the other branches. Political dissidents started to disappear. Before anyone in America really could comprehend what was occurring, the country was under a virtual dictatorship ruled by Drake and his subordinates. The 2004 election passed with no one brave enough to oppose Drake. Three years later, his control was absolute. Or so it seemed…