In her customary New Years broadcast to all of Minerva, the Amazon is stricken by some kind of attack, and collapses, to the consternation of the world. After some confusion Carmen Velasquez, the superhuman Blackheart, agrees to take over the reigns of power until the Amazon recovers from the coma she has gone into. Several days later Blackheart announces investigations have shown that Degat (the Minervan Minister of Defence) and Moonshadow of the Defenders of Minerva were responsible for the Amazons coma, but that have also vanished. Blackheart vows that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
The European Space Agency sets up an 'orbital commercial park' on the asteroid moved into Earth orbit by the USSR in the late 1960's after negotiations with the Soviet government. Several companies begin operating facilities there.
After redoubling its efforts, over the course of the year PRIMUS does serious damage to the DEMON organisation.
The Forty Thieves are seen in several places around the USA, and also in the SAU once or twice, attacking what seem to be criminal targets.
The last of the oil fires in Kuwait are extinguished. However, many oil fields continue to burn deep underground, rendering them useless.
Dr Wraith and the Purifier of the Protectors resurface when they, along with five other superhumans (Mweru, Rainbows Archer, Rain Queen, Dunesmith and Bloodstrike) plus a large number of US Protectors Inc. agents take control of Somalia, declaring peace on the whole country. After they wipe out several groups who resist their take-over a sort of stunned calm settles over the country as the people start to accept that maybe the Protectors are actually there to help them. Shortly after their take-over the Protectors call in as many foreign Aid agencies as they can.
A consortium of Japanese companies set up settlements in several places within the Asteroid Belt. Although intended mainly as commercial mining operations the settlements are intended to expand into actual colonies as time goes by.
A group of mercenaries, led by a man calling himself Peacemaker, rescues six hostages from various parts of Beiruit in a series of tactically impressive operations. He is widely hailed as a hero by the world-wide media.
The human rights abuses of a number of dictatorial governments around the world are exposed by Amnesty International, who also have video recordings showing what is going on. Although denials are issued, in several cases the governments involved do actually take steps to clean up their acts, under the pressure of world opinion. In what are seen to be related incidents several political prisoners are broken out of jails in several countries. Amnesty International denies all knowledge of these events.
Several terrorist groups are found in Israel with ex-Iraqi nuclear weapons. In each case they are captured before they can use their weapons and leads to an immense security crackdown in the whole of Israel.
Two separate groups are intercepted trying to smuggle ex-Iraqi nuclear weapons into the USA.
The final report of a years-long study by psychologists in Canada, which also includes information provided by the superhuman Greymalkin, concludes that although dolphins and many other cetaceans have very complex mental processes, and are probably sentient, their intelligence is of such a different kind from that of mankind that it is unlikely that any complex communication can ever be achieved with them. This report leads to several UN resolutions reinforcing the already-existing banning of the hunting of most forms of cetaceans, but it expected that illegal hunting will continue as it did before.
Eurostar attack several major European financial centres, causing havoc on the stock exchanges, as well as making off with tens of millions of dollars worth of cash.
Terrorist attacks occur in several places across Minerva, targeting the essential systems in several arcologies and killing large numbers of people. Blackheart announces that these actions have been traced to Degat and Moonshadow, who are apparently attempting to destroy all of Minerva, apparently in concert with several terrorist groups. Minervan security forces begin to round up suspects from across Minerva as the attacks continue. As the number of imprisoned suspects begins to overload Minerva's limited prison system, and the suspects begin to include people who have spoken out against this level of policing large numbers of citizens begin to protest about what is going on.
A hideous monster appears, rampaging on the campus of the rebuilt Empire State University. The Knight of the Air flies in to combat it, and while he does manage to knock it out for long enough that PRIMUS can take it away, he sustains terrible injuries and dies. His sword vanishes from the body and cannot be found. The Knight of the Air is given a hero's burial in New York's St Patricks Cathedral.
Over the course of several months the protests spread across Minerva. In response Blackheart sends in security forces to break up the protests, but in many cases the Monitors refuse to do so and stay in their barracks. Monitors too begin to be arrested for their supposed involvement with the terrorists. An atmosphere of fear begins to build. Inevitably the first Monitor mutinies occur as they refuse to take orders from what has come to be seen as an unfit government, and calls go out for the removal of Blackheart and her replacement with someone more suitable. Blackheart announces the imposition of Martial Law and orders all Monitors out on the streets. This is the breaking point. The vast majority of Monitors rebel and ignore the call, with public support, but Gaea sides with Blackheart. The Defenders of Minerva seem to have vanished. The leader of Starholmes 1 and 2, Genevive Laricchia declares for the rebels, with majority support. As the only Minervan superhumans left Lady Blue, Saphir and Mercure all leave Starholmes 1 and 2 to aid in the conflict on the ground.
The vigilante Quarrel appears in several parts of the USA, killing criminals.
There is an attempted coup in the USSR as a group of hard-line communists attempt to preserve the old system. The superhuman Buran (who was a member of the Guardians for a time) aids in the suppressing of the coup, while another superhuman calling himself Red Heat attempts to aid the coup. Following the coup President Gorbachev leaves office and is replaced by Boris Yeltsin as the Soviet Union falls apart, its constituent republics becoming independent nations in a Confederation of Independent States. Buran becomes a hero of the new Russian Republic.
In the confusion of the break-up of the USSR, the New Protectors steal a huge prototype grav-thrust transport from an airbase near Kiev. Shortly afterwards the New Protectors use the aircraft to steal parts of the EEC 'food mountains' from various locations around Europe, which they then distribute to the needy in Somalia. As they consolidate their control of Somalia they also use the aircraft to steal things like construction equipment which they use in Somalia. World opinion is divided on their actions, but the public in general seem to approve of what they are doing, and it at least keeps them busy.
In Minerva Gaea begins to use its access to all parts of the Minervan communications net to attack the rebels, trying to force them into submission. Although this causes the rebels some trouble, they eventually manage to isolate Gaea's influence in the north of the country. The calls of Blackheart for the people to follow her become more and more desperate as time passes and are generally ignored. The rebels form a new democratic government based in Barcelona, under the leadership of Erling Varadan. This effectively splits the country in two. The Red Cross move their headquarters from Andorra to Barcelona as the climate there worsens. A trickle of citizens begin to move from the north into the rebel-controlled areas as Blackheart becomes more extreme in her control of the country. Many arcologies in government-controlled areas effectively become prison camps as their security systems are used to control the people inside. Blackheart announces that if the rebels will not acknowledge her leadership then they will be forced back into the fold. Her forces, Monitors backed up with apparently remote controlled armoured vehicles and robots, begin to advance. Initially they make quite large gains in territory before the rebels dig in and actually begin to give them a fight. Hundreds of thousands of citizens are forced from their homes and away from the battlefront by the fighting as numbers of arcologies are damaged or destroyed. Saboteurs also damage parts of Starholmes 1 and 2, but the Monitor forces there contain these attacks very quickly, and few more occur. The war in Minerva begins to be characterised by being almost civilised - both sides, especially the rebels, trying to avoid unnecessary casualties and damage.
The IRA come very close to wiping out the British government when they attack Downing Street with missiles during a cabinet meeting. This seems to mark the start of a new wave of terrorist activity of all kinds all across Europe. Investigation reveals that many groups of all political stripes seem to have had a large increase in available funds. This terrorism also spills over into other parts of the world, primarily the USA.
Eurostar attack several European stock exchanges again, causing severe market fluctuations.
The French and Spanish governments approach the factions in Minerva. They are bluntly rebuffed by both sides. The UN requests that observers be allowed into Minerva. The rebels agree to this, but Blackheart refuses to allow the UN into government-controlled areas.
A British multi-millionaire industrialist, Richard Grace, takes over the computers of a British anti-matter missile submarine using a back-door his own companies installed in the system. He threatens to destroy London unless control of the country is handed over to him. Zenith and Peter St John manage to locate his hide-out and stop his plan at the last moment. However, the full details of this incident are not released.
In the confusion of the fighting in Minerva, Eurostar are several times seen entering or leaving various parts of Minerva in a new aircraft, and with a new member, who apparently calls himself Sunbolt. However, precisely what they are doing is never discovered as they leave no witnesses.
Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupts, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.
The Washington Monument is somehow transformed into a huge baroque rocket ship with the words 'Mars or Bust' written along the sides. Investigators who go inside find that it seems fully operational and ready to fly. After several days it spontaneously turns back into the Monument. The technique used in this transformations, and the reason behind it, is never discovered.
Violence between several ethnic groups grows in Yugoslavia as the country splits into its various constituent republics. A superhuman calling himself The Whip appears, fighting for the Serbs, who are generally seen as aggressors in the fighting. As the situation gets worse UN forces go into the country, but only to safeguard the import of food and medical supplies. The superhuman Sabre works alongside the UN in this.
Berlin becomes the first city outside of Minerva to use grav-thrust emergency vehicles. Following this several other cities around the world begin to use similar grav-thrust vehicles.
The German Red Army Faction terrorist group destroys several airliners as they circle Berlin airport prior to landing, causing hundreds of deaths, both of people in the airliners and on the ground.
Peacemaker and a group of mercenaries are involved in the destruction of a large factory complex in Azania. The Azanians claim that it was a baby-food processing factory, but orbital observations reveal, among other things, enough traces of hard radiation to show that the complex was, in fact, involved in the development of anti-matter weapons systems. Shortly afterwards several news agencies release reports claiming that the whole operation was initiated and backed by the CIA. These reports are denied by both Peacemaker and the CIA.
The fighting in Minerva reaches something of a stalemate. The rebels outnumber the government forces, but they are hampered by their attempts to limit damage and casualties. However, Blackhearts forces seem to be relying more and more on robots, built in well-guarded factories and whose numbers seem to be increasing with time, and have no qualms about causing damage and casualties.
Mrs Hillary Clinton runs for US president in one of the nastiest US presidential campaigns ever.
Two new superhumans calling themselves the Bastion of Bosnia and Patch appear, working for the new Bosnian government in Sarajevo. The Bastion of Bosnia, who can fly and seems to be able to generate several types of force field acts in a reconnaissance and fast strike role, and she also aids civilians in areas under attack, ferrying them to medical facilities. Patch seems to have some kind of matter manipulation abilities and he gives a great deal of help to the injured and homeless.
Reports of a demon terrorising parts of Indonesia began to filter out to the world.
Three new superhumans offer their service to the new CIS government. They call themselves St Peter's Star, Spotlight and Tag. St Peter's Star seems to be the mother of Spotlight and Tag. The group calls itself the New Guard.
After more than a decade of internal strife, the various factions in Cambodian agree to a permanent peace agreement, with democratic elections to be held later on.
The rebel forces in Minerva begin to decisively push back the government forces towards the capital, causing major destruction as they go despite their best efforts to limit damage. As the government situation deteriorates they begin disassembling arcologies to use their materials in the construction of war materials. Tens of thousands of people are rendered homeless by this move, but it strengthens the government forces enough that they force a stalemate.
New York finds that it has a real 'traffic jam' when the streets become covered with a sticky, sweet substance which sticks down road vehicles after a few minutes driving through it. After hours of traffic chaos it is discovered that water washes the 'jam' away and normality slowly resumes.
Minervan weapons and other equipment begin to appear in the hands of European terrorist groups. This becomes obvious when they are used in attacks by several terrorist groups in different parts of Europe. Some equipment is also found in the hands of a group of Basque separatist terrorists operating in Minerva, who seem to attack both sides in the civil war indiscriminately while calling for an independent Basque homeland.
Several European nations begin to use their militaries to supplement their Police forces in the face of the continuing wave of terrorism. The European Community puts out a call for superhumans to aid in the suppression of terrorism, but by late 1992 only the Italian superhuman Atalanta has come forward. In the USA PRIMUS sets up a roving task force consisting of several Silver Avengers and the superhuman Aqua. As time goes by they prove fairly effective at halting terrorism.
There is a final end to the fighting in Afghanistan when Mujahedin forces finally take control of the whole country.
Peacemaker appears once again when, along with eight mercenaries, he engages Eurostar when they attempt to destroy several banks in Zurich. Although they take casualties, with two of the mercenaries actually dying, they manage to hold Eurostar off for long enough that the Swiss military has time to arrive, forcing Eurostar to make a hasty exit.
Terror Inc. are seen in Minerva. They seem to have been hired by Blackheart to aid her forces against the Minervan rebels. This heralds the start of a new assault by government forces against the rebels. Terror Inc. and the remaining Defenders of Minerva - Lady Blue, Saphir and Mercure - meet and fight on several occasions to no really decisive result.
Violence erupts in several of the new republics of the CIS - Georgia, Nagorno-Karabach, Armenia and Azerbaijan, often along ethnic lines. Several new superhumans are seen to be involved with the fighting, some working with the established governments, some against them. Large numbers of casualties are inflicted in some areas.
The violence in Yugoslavia continues, and escalates with the Serbians fighting the Croats and Bosnians. The super-assassin Anguish is thought to be working for the Serbs as several killings of leading Bosnians and Croats closely follow her Modus Operandi. Reports of atrocities committed by all sides filter in. Amnesty International especially provides information on the human rights abuses being perpetrated there.
Riots flare in Los Angeles after several policemen are acquitted of beating up Rodney King, a black motorist. They cause damage to several areas of Los Angeles, including two of the suburban arcologies. The National Guard are called in to help quell the riots, and several Silver Avengers also become involved, as does the PRIMUS superhuman Aqua.
Large numbers of pro-democracy demonstrators are killed by government forces in Thailand, to the outrage of the world. The pressure of the killings causes the resignation of the Thai president and the installation of a less extreme regime.
Dark Seraph appears in Prague when he attempts to desecrate St Vitus' Cathedral and steal a two-ton silver tomb there. However, he is stopped by a Roman Catholic nun who is with a party of children being shown around the cathedral. She exhibits some kind of light emission powers which stop Dark Seraph in his tracks. He and the nun are taken into custody. After questioning the nun is released and goes off with Church representatives who fly in specially from Rome. After consultation with the European Community Dark Seraph is confined in the European Stronghold.
An experimental AIDS vaccine is developed in Holland. After tests it begins trials on terminally ill AIDS patients.
Reports from what was Yugoslavia tell of the Serbians setting up concentration camps for members of ethnic minorities within the areas under their control. This is part of the Serbian policy of 'ethnic cleansing', which also includes driving minority populations out of Serbian-held areas.
Two separate hurricanes devastate parts of the USA. One, Hurricane Andrew, devastates parts of Florida and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The other devastates parts of the Hawaiian Islands.
Autumn brings the start of a new offensive by Minervan government forces. Spearheaded by Terror Inc. Blackheart's forces, consisting mainly of robots by now, attack rebel positions along a wide front. The government forces make large gains, in the process causing large amounts of death and destruction, but within several weeks they are forced to call a halt to consolidate their gains due to uprisings by the citizens of the areas they have captured. Reports of brutality and oppression begin to filter out of the newly-captured areas.
Tensions occur within the European Community due to the continuing terrorist attacks and the deepening recession, which is not helped by the continuing civil war in Minerva. These tensions are especially obvious between Britain and Germany, which the British government attempts to blame for its problems.
Peacemaker makes the news again when he apprehends a minor supervillain, the Mutilator, who was raiding a string of banks across the USA. The Mutilator is captured with injury to no-one and taken away to Stronghold.
Reports from Yugoslavia describe Serbian 'sex camps' where non-Serb women are held and after rape by Serbian troops forced to bear half-Serbian children.
An Israeli cargo aircraft crashes in an Amsterdam suburb causing over two hundred deaths. Evidence points to terrorist activity.
Peacemaker and what seems to be an oriental dragon are seen working together in Pittsburgh when they fight and defeat a supervillain calling himself Inferno. Inferno is incarcerated in Stronghold pending trial.
In the middle of September it is noticed that the Guardians seem to moving a little more than before within their bubble of slowed time. As time passes it seems this process is accelerating, and several people guess that maybe the bubble will 'open' on Hallowe'en. As midnight approaches on Hallowe'en thousands of people gather in New York's Central Park, and, at midnight, the predictions are proved right as the Guardians come out of slow-time, to be enthusiastically greeted by the assembled crowds. Solar Angel leaves. Harlequin is immediately taken away by PRIMUS to answer charges of murder; Aura (ex Beltane) is also taken away for questioning. The superhuman the Bloodletter appears and attempts to kill the Fool, but fails and escapes. The Duke and Masquerade reveal their identities to the public when they reunite with their families, who are in the crowd.
Solar Angel appears in the Gulf, where she repairs the damage done by the nuking of Kuwaits oil fields and the anti-matter bombing of Baghdad.
Peacemaker and the Dragon join the Guardians. The Guardians infiltrate the Former Yugoslavia in an unsuccessful attempt to bring the Serbian government to justice. In the process a rogue computer-controlled grav tank kills 3500 people and nearly sparks a major incident between Serbia and Bosnia. Peacemaker, the man responsible for this, is tried at the European Court, but after a stirring oration is allowed to go free. He is immediately recruited by the Bosnian government, and immediately begins to lead them to victory.
Peacemaker disappears from Bosnia, and resurfaces in Minerva, working for the government. The Rebel forces are soon falling back on every front. Secretly, Peacemaker also infiltrates military computer systems around the world as a prelude to taking the world over. When he is ready he launches every nuclear missile he can, everything except submarine-launched systems, in what becomes called the Spasm, to make his own future position more secure. He detonates all missiles before impact, but several self-destructs fail and their targets are destroyed. These include Semipalatinsk (in the former USSR) and the Lima-Callao conurbation in the Chilean Empire. The total death toll is over six million people. He also causes both the American and European Strongholds to self-destruct, to eliminate the danger posed by the villains incarcerated in them.
The Guardians infiltrate the Minervan government centre in Andorra la Vella, and fight their way to Peacemaker, taking him prisoner. In the process they are mind-controlled by the man who caused the Minervan civil war, and who is mind controlling Peacemaker - a psionic French super-mercenary named Vladimir Zakminsky who accidentally 'possessed' Gaea while trying to hack into it. Upon returning to Barcelona, the Guardians kill the rebel government before they break Zakminsky's control, and flee the city, heading for his stronghold, a Minervan laboratory in the mountains. En route Chilean forces try to take Peacemaker from the Guardians, but Solar Angel takes him away instead. The Guardians eventually apprehend Zakminsky, who dies in the process, and free the Amazon and many of the Defenders of Minerva. When the news of the Amazon's revival is released, the Minervan civil war stops almost immediately, and an exhausted calm settles over the country.
The first of a number of vagrants who have been turned into heavily armed cyborgs by some unknown agency appear in Moscow. They are taken in custody by the government 'for observation'.
Ba'athist Guerillas raid Kuwait and steal quite a large amount of military equipment. This they later use against Iraqi government forces and facilities.
The Ninja assassinates all of the Serbian government and High command; Serbian resistance to the advancing Bosnians crumbles. The super-assassin Anguish, who was working for the Serbian government, appears to have been brought off, as she soon appears fighting for the Bosnians.
A commemorative statue of the Dragon, who gave her life saving Minerva and the world, is unveiled in New Yorks Central Park. The statue was sculpted by Aeon, one of her comrades in the group of superhumans responsible.
Hillary Clinton is inaugurated as US President.
Serbia surrenders unconditionally to Bosnia.
The European anti-terrorist force fight the IRA in London.
Ten mutilated corpses found in deep sewer chamber under New York. They are later identified as prisoners previously kidnapped from the Kingston High Security Prison by DEMON.
The Ninja and Anguish assassinate all of the Croatian government and High command; Croatian resistance to the advancing Bosnians crumbles.
The Guardians disappear after being seen in Zaire, searching for DEMON bases. They are never seen again.
The super-criminal Imp, for reasons of her own, offers her services to the European anti-terror task force in return for a pardon.
The French governments investigation into the hiring of the psionic known as Vladimir Zakminsky concludes that it was the work of an isolated anti-Minervan clique. Two ministers are sacked. The Amazon expresses her dissatisfaction with this outcome.
Following the results of the French investigation the UN demands that Minerva pay reparations for the damage caused in the Spasm.
After consideration the Amazon rejects the UN claim, stating that France should pay as the Spasm was caused by an agent in the pay of the French government. Stalemate ensues for a while.
A number of leaked reports from various governments whose missiles were launched during the Spasm reveal that, embarrassingly, a minimum of 20% of the missiles suffered malfunctions and were unable to perform their task.
Imp is accepted into the anti-terror task force, on strict probation.
Croatia surrenders unconditionally to Bosnia.
Terrorists blow up a liquid hydrogen facility in Warrington UK
A bomb in an underground car park of the World Trade Centre, New York, opens a maglev tunnel to air. In the ensuing major train crash fifteen people die and more than one thousand are injured. Investigation reveals that the bomb was in a van and had been planted by Muslim fundamentalists.
Federal agents try to arrest David Khoresh, the leader of the heavily armed Branch Dravidian Christian fundamentalist group in Waco, Texas. They fail and in the following gun battle six people die, four of them federal agents. A siege ensues, with families who are members of the sect inside the cults compound which is ringed by Federal agents.
David Khoresh fails to let sect families leave the groups compound after the broadcast of a video of himself, despite his saying that he would if this was done.
The UN votes on sanctions against Minerva to force them to pay reparations for the Spasm. The vote is passed, but Minerva refuses to comply with the reparation order.
DEMON raid the maternity ward of a New York hospital, kidnapping an expectant mother before PRIMUS forces arrive and capture most of the DEMON force, who then self-destruct. The leader of the DEMON force, described by the other women in the maternity ward as a short hooded female figure who did something to all the expectant mothers that felt like "filthy fingers running through my mind", somehow escapes with the prisoner. Medical examination of the other expectant mothers reveals no lasting effects other than shock. The remains of the expectant mother kidnapped by DEMON are later found on Ellis Island after reports of disturbances there.
Thirteen bombs, planted by Sikh militants, explode in Delhi.
Minerva is voted off the UN Security Council.
Bosnia incorporates Serbia and Croatia into itself as the new Republic of Greater Bosnia. Alan Trahurn (Peacemaker) is lauded by the Bosnians as the father of the new nation. To the surprise of much of the rest of the world the new Bosnian government appears to be uninterested in revenge and from the start makes no divisions along ethnic lines and seems to be attempting to build a non-ethnically-divided society.
Tensions arise between the UK and China as the UK tries to fully democratise Hong Kong prior to its return to China in 1997.
An economic blockade of Minerva begins. The Amazon points out that this will have little effect except on the rest of the worlds economy as most of Minerva's economy is self-contained, but is ignored.
The Waco siege ends when Federal agents using Iron Guard and a few suits of Tanaka Defensive Systems Samurai armour (for field-testing) storm the compound. Thirty percent of the people inside die when the building is accidentally set alight; one of them is David Khoresh.
Impressed by the suits performance, and concerned about possible Chilean aggression now that most of their nuclear deterrent has been removed, the government of the SAU signs a deal with Tanaka Defensive Systems for several thousand suits of its Samurai combat armour. Work starts on converting several facilities in the SAU to construction of the suits.
An IRA bomb in Warrington, UK, kills a toddler and maims various other young people.
The Japanese government signs a deal with Tanaka Defensive Systems for an unspecified number of suits of Samurai combat armour.
Members of the Ulster Freedom Fighters terrorist group kill a number of Catholics in Northern Ireland.
The first ever Minervan election is held. Despite suspicions about the elections veracity from various minority groups within and without Minerva, independent foreign observers confirm that the election was fair. The Amazon is returned to power with an overwhelming majority.
A number of businesses and buildings suspected of being owned by the Mafia are attacked by unknown assailants. On the seventh the group of super-criminals known as Spearhead are present when the assailants attack. The attackers turn out to DEMONwarriors, who are apparently intent on capturing Gambit of Spearhead. Unfortunately Spearhead manage to fight the DEMON forces off and escape before PRIMUS arrive and neutralise the DEMON force.
Following years of observations a number of collaborating astronomical observatories, including the joint Minervan/SAU L-4 telescope, confirm the presence of planets around Barnards Star and Tau Ceti. The observations also indicate a lack of planets around Sirius and Alpha/Beta Centauri.
Civil unrest continues in Kurdistan. This consists of ethnic troubles (not actually much violence) between Kurds and non-Kurds, plus problems with an influx of refugee Kurds from across the countries borders with Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. These problems are especially bad in the large refugee camps around the capital, Mosul, and the cities of Kirkuk, Arbil and Sulaymaniyah.
Israeli troops shell a protest march by the Palestinians deportees who have been stuck in no-mans land since January. Three die.
Construction of the new Euro-Stronghold, near the crater of the old one in the Massif Centrale region of France, grinds to a near-halt as Minerva withdraws its assistance in the project.
The IRA seal off a village in Northern Ireland and set up road-blocks.
Reports of unrest in the army over Avatars continuing rule and the lack of ElÊLibertador in charge trickle out of the Chilean Empire.
The President of Sri Lanka is assassinated by a suicide bomber in the capital Colombo
There are violent anti-Yeltsin demonstrations in Moscow sparked by hard-line communists.
The Chileans continually attack an apparently empty area around the south magnetic pole for reasons which remain unclear.
A class of toddlers and their teacher are taken hostage at a Paris nursery school by a gunman wired with explosives. Atalanta and the Duke end the siege, freeing the children and taking the gunman prisoner.
Four large bombs explode in Northern Ireland.
Five Turkish women are killed in an arson attack on their hostel in Germany is carried out by neo-Nazis. The Duke speaks out against this kind of racial violence.
A potential massacre in a Liberian refugee camp is stopped by the superhuman known as the OldÊMan.
Reports of a massacre at an Ethiopian refugee camp near the Sudanese border come in. DEMON involvement is immediately suspected due to the circumstances of the massacre - thousands of refugees had been arranged into a huge heptagram whose centre was filled with a huge pile of the starving, over which was built a large scaffolding framework. The pile of people had somehow been ignited and kept burning while, apparently, something was done on the framework.
Unrest between Zulus and other tribes in Azania leads to violence and casualties.
On the 111th anniversary of the creation of the Chilean Empire El Libertador reappears in Guaqui to huge adulation from the populace, although not from anyone else. At the same time he announces that the Chilean Empire will immediately adopt a new calendar, with 1881 as Year Zero. Years since then will be known as Anno Libertador (A.L.).
PRIMUS foil a DEMON ceremony at a nunnery which DEMON take control of in up-state New York. The leader of the ceremony, described as a short hooded female figure, somehow escapes.
Lady Blue, Saphir and Mercure and re-incarnated into new clone bodies after their deaths during the last hours of the Minervan Civil War.
Eight white people are arrested while trying to spark a race war in LA.
After months of negotiation Slovenia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Vojvodina become "Associate States" of the Republic of Greater Bosnia. The former province of Macedonia remains independent.
Israel bombards the Lebanon after some Israeli soldiers are killed.
In Somalia ex-General (actually warlord) Aideed leads a coup attempt against the New Protectors. However Aideed cannot counter the New Protectors superhuman abilities indefinitely and once his initial thrust peters out his forces are pushed back and captured or killed. General Aideed is captured near the town of Beledweyne while trying to flee across the Somali border into Ethiopia. He is summarily executed by the Purifier.
After receiving prolonged psychiatric treatment for the after-effects of her being mind controlled over a long period in the Minervan Civil War, Blackheart rejoins the Defenders of Minerva.
Reports of a strange and unpleasant ceremony taking place at an ancient temple in Ghana filter in. DEMON involvement is suspected.
Strikes by what are later determined to be French-built anti-matter stealth cruise missile weapons obliterate Milan in Italy and the Dortmund-Essen-Duisburg conurbation in northern Germany. The combined death toll exceeds one million in Milan and another million in the Dortmund-Essen-Duisburg conurbation, with at least as many again injured. All the worlds militaries go on alert as panic spreads. The missiles are eventually traced to separate launch points in the Atlantic ocean.
After giving the world a day to stew, the perpetrators of the attacks of the previous day are revealed when Eurostar send videotapes to all of Europe's government and media. They claim that they have dozens more missiles like those, and will willingly use them on one city, chosen at random, a week, until all of Europe capitulates and submits to their rule. It is known that Eurostar stole an anti-matter armed submarine during the Spasm and so could have the missiles to back up their claim. Eurostar give the governments of Europe (including the states of the former USSR) one week to consider things. Solar Angel is seen in Earth orbit, apparently observing, and also in the remains of Milan and the Dortmund-Essen-Duisburg conurbation where she decontaminates the craters and somehow removes all fallout. Various people speculate on her inaction and the reasons behind it.
It is found that the Dortmund-Essen-Duisburg bomb has created two superhumans (one male, one female), and the Milan blast has created one (female). Unfortunately they are all in deep shock and unconscious.
Time passes. There is chaos across Europe as people try to leave all the cities which could be considered a target for Eurostar. Most governments call out the armed forces to control evacuation. As all European governments, including Russia and Minerva contribute, all attempts to locate Eurostars submarine fail. The only way anyone can think the submarine could be found is by psionics. Unfortunately the apparently resurrected psionic Greymalkin cannot be found. The superhuman Sigil, an associate of Greymalkin with psionic powers is consulted but can provide no help. Attempts are made to locate the psionic Moonshadow, who apparently vanished at the start of the Minervan Civil War, with no success. After four days have passed, the Defenders of Minerva HQ and the HQ of the European anti-terrorist task force (led by the Duke) start to get phone calls (in amongst the inevitable crank calls), always from random public phone booths, telling them where Eurostars submarine is, along with other information which could only have been found out by psionic means. Despite calls for them to come forward, this person does not do so, but the calls continue.
As the week draws to a close, desperation starts to set in and it is decided to send a team to the location the anonymous caller has been giving, in a tongue of deep sea just off the coast of Portugal near the town of Batalha. This team consists of the European anti terror task force (the Duke, Atalanta and Imp) and most of the Defenders of Minerva (Blackheart, Minerva, Strobe, Breaker, Chameleon, Lady Blue, Mercure and Saphir), who volunteer to assist the rest of Europe. The Bosnian government is approached in attempt to gain the assistance of the Bosnian superhumans, but refuses to help as a return for all the help the UN and the EEC gave Bosnia during the civil war (i.e. none at all).
The team travels to the given location in an experimental French stealth grav aircraft/submarine. The New Guard and several British superhumans, among them Sigil, are not able to be there due to civil troubles in their home countries. Sneaking up, they find that the missing French submarine is indeed where the caller said. Lady Blue remains on the stealth submarine to attempt to stop any missiles which are launched, while the rest manage to get on board and try to disarm the missile firing systems. Unfortunately, they are discovered, and violence ensues. Eventually all of Eurostar were downed, but it is discovered they have rigged a sophisticated form of dead-man switch which monitored their states of consciousness. When they are all defeated the submarines computer self-destructs the ship. A vast anti-matter blast ensues. The nearby coast of Portugal is hit by large tsunami.
All of Eurostar (as far as can be ascertained) die. The Duke, Imp, Blackheart, Strobe, Chameleon, Mercure and Saphir also die. Minerva just survives the initial blast but is horribly injured, radiation poisoned and drowning. Breaker is killed but her personality is recorded by her cyberware. Lady Blue was shielded by the submarine she was in, but even so was badly injured and fatally radiation poisoned. However, she managed to get herself and Minerva to help in time for their personalities to be recorded before their bodies die of radiation overdose. Later investigation finds Breakers mangled corpse (along with some of those of the others there) and her personality recording is also recovered. Atalanta has somehow been changed by the blast into a strange energy being, presently in shock. Europe has been saved, but the cost has been high...
Europe eliminates most of the sanctions against Minerva for the actions and sacrifice of the Defenders of Minerva in the fight against Eurostar. America and Japan continue their sanctions.
With the ending of sanctions, Minerva makes a large (actual amount unspecified) zero-percent interest loan to the Kurdistan government.
Construction restarts on the new European Stronghold.
Violent verbal clashes occur between Boris Yeltsin and the Russian parliament. Russian parliament dissolved. Alexander Rutskoy proclaims himself president following this. Parliament supporters gather around "White House" in Moscow. Yeltsin announces democratic elections for December.
The superhuman Breaker re-appears in Minerva, having apparently been cloned in record time.
Abkhasi rebels in Georgia capture town of Sukhumi from Georgian government. Edvard Shevednaze forced to flee. There are desperate scenes as civilians try to escape by any means available.
A medium-sized earthquake in India kills more than one thousand people when a number of villages and small towns are damaged. The Indian Army helps survivors clear up, as do Shakti, English Rose, Megalith and Vestige. Scientists speculate that if the fault hadn't been somewhat defused by the testing of the Protectors earthquake-triggering device in 1990 the effects could have been much worse.
There are five explosions in North London. The IRA claim responsibility but didn't give any warnings.
The new American Stronghold is opened, near to the site of the old one. Immediately several supercriminals, members of DEMON etc. who have been held in less-secure PRIMUS facilities elsewhere are imprisoned there.
Rioting anti-Yeltsin parliament supporters attack the Moscow police; shots are fired and the anti-Yeltsin supporters try to take main broadcasting station in Moscow; they fail; Glasnost and the New Guard separate the two sides; nonetheless but 3 die in the fighting. Parliament barricades itself into the "White House". Troops from brigades loyal to Yeltsin which have been moved close to Moscow move in to re-take the "White House", assisted by the New Guard and Glasnost's planning. Two others are also there : an experimental warbot from the Mechanised Aware Computerised Combat System programme, and a suit of experimental combat/construction armour which becomes known as Tyazhelay Dolg (Heavy Duty) built by a researcher at the Technical University of Moscow. The "White House" is re-taken one floor at a time. In the fighting the building starts to burn, but the fire is very quickly put out. During the fighting the warbot somehow becomes sentient and pacifistic, naming itself Maznav'ss (from the initials of the Mechanised Aware Computerised Combat System programme). It is allowed to join the New Guard on a provisional basis.
Muscovites stand and watch the fighting from a safe distance or ignore it and carry on with their lives.
In the morning Rutskoy calls for negotiations with Yeltsin via members of the Russian Orthodox Church. Later the anti-Yeltsin leaders surrender after a total of ten hours of attack. They and their disarmed forces leave the "White House".
Morning. The last fighting in Moscow is suppressed by the army and the New Guard. Hundreds of people are wounded, but only about fifteen people are dead, in part due to the actions of New Guard. Many lives are also saved by a new automatic medical kit issued to some of the troops on the scene.
A Europe-wide Memorial Service is held for the Defenders of Minerva, the Duke, members of anti-terrorist task force and the millions who died in Milan and the Dortmund-Essen-Duisburg conurbation.
The German and Italian governments both propose referenda to decide what will be done with the sites of the cities : will they be rebuilt, or will they be turned into large memorial parks, or something else?
Thousands of Azeri's are forced out of Armenia by the Armenian government and go to squalid refugee camps in northern Iran.
Ten people are killed and 34 injured when lone gunman opens up inside a Long Island commuter train.
Native Americans in southern Mexico rise up and take control of five cities, demanding full civil rights and representation in government. Mexican government forces move in and try to retake the area. 60 plus people die before the revolt is suppressed.
More than 100 people die in vicious inter-gang fighting during a riot at Sabanata Prison in Venezuela, SAU.
A number of ex-Warsaw Pact nations approach NATO, wanting to join, at a meeting in Brussels. NATO extends links, but declines their actually joining for now.
Two Jews massacre more than thirty Muslims at the Tomb of the Patriarchs (the Haram al-Ibrahimi Mosque) in Hebron, Israel. A Palestinian superhuman manifests under the stress and kills them both. He is later killed by Israeli troops in Star of David combat armour.
For a possible future of this world, go to the Overman 2335 top page, or the start of the Overman 2335 Timeline.