you hold on and let go

It's 2015, and in the three years since the Battle of Manhattan, the world has in some ways changed beyond recognition, and in others remained tragically the same. Two more incursions – one by Dark Elves and another by Frost Giants – have been narrowly beaten back, and people are on edge. What else is out there? When will the next invasion come? Can Earth survive?

Worse than the fear of attack from without, though, is the fear of the 'enemy' within. The existence of superhumans – once largely the province of late-night radio shows, secretive government agencies, and obscure internet message boards – has gone from under-the-radar to in-your-face. Attacks by mutant terrorists have increased sharply in both frequency and severity. Nation after nation worldwide has passed laws targeting metas, restricting their rights in the name of public safety.

For years the United States was the last major hold out against the tide, but the tragic deaths of almost two dozen school children at the hands of an explosive mutant sparked popular outrage that was fanned by the media into a political firestorm. The result was the recent passage of the Superhuman Registration Act. Now positions are hardening, partisans are growing ever more strident, violence is flaring and the country is spiraling slowly but inevitably toward a civil war.