1938

The first costumed superhero makes himself known.

1951

As America and the world enter the post World War II era, all of the costumed heroes who had been active over the past 13 years retire, or simply vanish.

1959

First human space launch. Also that same year, after nearly a decade with no active costumed heroes, the first of a new generation of superheroes starts his career.

1969

First human walks on Earth's moon.

2043

World War III. A short, but remarkably brutal war that sees virtually the entire "super" population killed. In the aftermath of WWIII, A period of peace begins with six world powers controlling the Earth: the American States, the European Commonwealth, the Asiatic Hegemony, the Pacific Bloc, and the African League.

2047

First permanent lunar colony established by the Asiatic Hegemony.

2061

Launch of first human spaceship (The Uplift) to Earth-system's nearest star (Alpha Centauri). Voyage is expected to take 25 years, crew hibernates in cryogenic tanks.

2064

America establishes the first permanent mannedcolony on Mars.

2100

2112

NLS Mass Driver technology invented by European Commonwealth scentists. While not a "faster than light" propulsion system, it does allow for travel at "near light speed", making inner-system travel fast enough to be practical on a large scale.

2117

The American States and the European Commonwealth, by stadardizing on the same currancy, take their first step towards merging into a single unit.

2126

The American States and the European Commonwealth sign Ameri/Euro Unification Pact, which calls for a complete merger of governments by 2131.

2127

Minor civil unrest occurs in part of both Nations, but unification plans continue with the formation of Ameri/Euro Legislative Oversight Committee, tasked with reviewing existing American and European legislation and developing a single unifed constitution.

2128

Mostly driven by fear of the new Ameri/Euro super power, the Asiatic Hegemony and the African League form a military alliance.

2129

First draft of Ameri/Euro constitution submitted to American Congress and European Parliament. In that same year, the Asiatic/Pacific alliance, after failing to convince the Pacific Bloc to join, begins trying to pressure individual Pacific Bloc member states into breaking ties with the Bloc and allying with them.

2131

Ameri/Euro Constitution ratified by all members, forming the largest nation in Earth's history: The Western Federation. Large scale civil unrest in a small number of regions of the new nation. Miltary used to control violence.

On the evening following the ratification, the Asiatic/African Alliance declares war on the remaining member nations of the Pacific Bloc. The Western Federation, still dealing with its own internal problame, takes a stance of uninvolvement. The war is brief and bloody, with some of the smaller island nations being completely destroyed. The Asiatic/African Alliance lays claim to the Pacific Bloc.

2132

The beginnings of a new Cold War era. Minor military skirmishes between the Western Federation and the Asiatic/African Alliance for the next several years.

2206

The Asiatic/African Alliance sufers its final economic collapse. The unsuing chaos prompts multiple civil wars, balkanizing the aliance into 22 independent nations (most ofwho don't like each other).

2212

Thanks to recent advances in extreme temperature management, Mercury and Pluto both get permanent colonies established on them, thereby colonizing every planet in Earth's solar system (although some, like the Jovian colonies, are actually on moons of the planet instead of the planet itsefl)

2343

Earth invent their first "faster than light" drive system.

2347

Earth launches first "faster than light" ship (The Endeavor) to Alpha Centauri.

2351

The Endeavor reaches Alpha Centauri system, finds no sign of The Uplift. Continued exploration reveals one planet (Proxima 2) that will support human life. No higher order (animal) life found on it.

2357

EndeavorII, a colonization ship, is launched towards Proxmia 2.

2361

EndeavorII reaches Proxima 1, thus creating the first human colony in another star system.

2362

From this point on, over the next 20 years, many more colony ships are launched from Earth, with each successive ship the drive technology is improved slightly, making each new ship slihtly faster than the previous one. With the economic and industrial strrength of the Western Federation driving it, the starship construction the industry as a whole hits a peak in 2381 with 13 ships completed and lauched that year.

2374

The exploration ship Calypso is launch

2379

The exploration ship Calypso finds first positve sign that intellgent alien life does exists when it discovers a planet with obvious signs of having once supported cities.

2384

Almost as if controlled by a single mind (and there is some wonder as to whether or not it might have been) religious extremist groups around the world begin orchestrating terroist attacks on government and space research installations. As the inceidents being to escellate, several of the smaller independent (former Asiatic/African Alliance) nations declare sympathy to various religious extremist factions. By the end of the year, a dozen different countries have religious extremists ruling them.

2385

Siberia, one of the nation that came into being after the balkanization of the Asiatic/African Alliance; now ruled by one of the most insane of the eligious extremists to take power during the past year; lauches it's entire (albeit small) nuclear arsenal. Most of the smaller nations retaliate, and some use it as an excuse to target the Western Federation. The Western Federation by means of limited, but tactically efficient small strikes, quickly brings the situation under control - but not before several countries are completed wided off the map and taking massive amounts of damage itself. This "war", which lasted less than a week, has had a higher death toll than al other wars in Earth's history combined.

No country emerged unscathed. The planetary communications and travel infrastructure are virtually destroyed, as is the industrial base necessary to quickly rebuild them. Large sections of the land are poised with radiation, and the atmosphere now blocks a significantly larger amount of the light and heat of the sun, causing a shift in planetary climate. Much is the planet is thrown into a pre-industrial state.

2386

Historians note this as the first year of Earth's new Dark Age. Most of the next two centuries are lost to historians as Earth experiences a cultural and technological backslide.

The colonies on other planets in the system, having no starship construction facilities of their own and very few having any starships, are now cut off from Earth, and must survive on their own. Some thrive in their newfound freedom; others, not quite independant yet, do not.

2661

With a partial restoration of formal education systems comes an organized recording of hostorical data.

2608

By this time, a significant portion of Earth's educational and industrial infrastructure have been rebuilt; and with the restoration a global communications, a loosely unified world political process has started to be formed.

2602

Earth's space program rebuild is officialy begun with the formation of the Terran Space Agency. Their first mission is to re-establish communication with any in-system still in existance.

2635

Perhaps Earth's finest hour. Less than 250 years since looking at the brink of extinction, Earth lauches the first of it's new starships, the T. S. V. Triumph. It's mission, to seek out Earth colonies. (As a historical note, the Triumph actually found very few Earth colonies. The records that survive indicaton that between 2362 and 2382 92 colony ships were launched, but the records are sketchy on where they were launched to and there are no records at all on whether or not the ship arrived at their destination and were able to start up a viable colony.)

2784

First encounter with the U'Nae, the first living alien race humans have met.

2800

2931

The Hive is first encountered.

2966

0

Treaties signed by Earth, a small number of independent former colony worlds, and the U'Naens. Formation of "The Commonwealth".

2968

2

The Protectorate Corps, under the direct control of the Commwealth council, is formed by amalgamating the formerly individual military forces of the member worlds in a single "peace keeping force".

2969

3

Pim because the first "new" world to join the Commonwealth. Later that same year Zus joins as well.

2969

3

War with the Hive.

2975

9

2980

14

2984

18

2988

22

An experimental "time viewer" prompts Earth's historians to begin piecing back together some of the history of the last three thousand years. One of the most popular hisorical concepts discovered is the "costumed super-hero".

2991

25

Inspired by the exploits of 20^th century super powered beings, the Galactic Champions is formed by a group of neo-superheroes under a Commonwealth charter. Operating as a loosely affiliated branch of the Protectorate Corps, the team is charged with defending the Commonwealth and it's citizenry from "those things which are beyond the capabilities of traditional peacekeeper forces".

2995

29

Cauley Breehn named "Assistant Minister of the Interior for Peacekeeper Force Matters". First offical task is to commission the construction of Planet Stronghold, an off-planet prision and rehabilitation facility under the control of the Protectorate Corps..

2999

33

Completion of Planet Stronghold, the most sophisticated criminal incarceration and rehabilitation facility ever conveived.

3000

34

"Present day".