A YJA Moment - Of Godwaves and Men...

As one of the emanations from the Source of Everything, the Godwave is a powerful force which continually ripples from one end of creation to the other and back.  Where it goes, powerful beings are created.  Some are mortals who are elevated to godhood, others are created whole-cloth from the wave, even born out of the existing beliefs of civilizations.

The godwave continually moves and as such many incarnations of deities have been created.  These generations of gods in the universe are marked by the term "Worlds", as each new incarnation of gods and goddesses tended to reshape the worlds they were in contact with.

The First World created the fewest but most powerful of the entities and they represent concepts as old as reality itself.  Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire, Delirium, and Dream form a group known simply as the Endless. 

The Second World deities were more numerous, with entities dealing with more physical concepts such as light, darkness, and physical matter.  These included the Primordial entities and the Titans of the Greeks.

The Third World was the most abundant, with Pantheons on numerous worlds.  On Earth, the Asgardians, the Kami, Olympians, Netjer,  and the Shen are only a few of the groups created in this Wave.

The Fourth World is the newest incarnation of the gods and the most mysterious.  To this date, only the New Gods of Apokalips have been discovered, though they are worshiped by no one other than the inhabitants of their realm.  Some legends speak of another group of New Gods from a place called New Genesis, but they were believed to have been destroyed by Darkseid years ago.

A YJA Moment - The Middle-East

The Middle-East is a cultural melting pot of ancient traditions and modern wonders.  There are currently three important nations to current events - Qurac, Bialya, and Khandaq. 

Originally Qurac and Bialya were two nations were united under the Biayan Empire, a monarchy which had existed since the late 15th Century.  In the early 20th century, most of the royal family died while on a vacation in Europe, killed in a bomb attack in the south of France.  While anarchists were officially blamed, most believed the murders to have been orchestrated by the leader of the Biaya military leader Abdullah Adnan.  The General took no time in seizing control of the government and installing himself as President of the nation.

This did not sit well with the remaining good percentage of the civilian population.  A civil war would soon erupt in the streets with forces loyal to Adnan battling paramilitary units against his military rule.  The rebels capitalized on the divided loyalties within the Biayan military and continued to defeat the forces loyal to the General.  Eventually, Adnan was forced to yield the western third of the Empire to his opposition.  This split the nation into two: Biaya in the East and Qurac in the West.

Biaya continued to be a constitutional monarchy, although in name only.  A minor member of the royal family was placed on the throne, while all decisions were made by the newly appointed president Adnan.  In stark contrast, Qurac transitioned into a fully representative democracy and became a cultural center in the region.

Tense, but relatively peaceful coexistence existed between the two nations until the arrival of the woman known as Queen Bee.  Possessing the ability to generate mind-altering pheromones, she quietly inserted herself the affairs of Bialya until she had both the President and the King under her thrall.  After marrying the monarch in a lavish ceremony, both her husband and the President were killed in a tragic car accident, leaving Queen Bee the undisputed leader of the nation.

The new Queen of Bialya has turned her attention to Qurac and works tirelessly to reunite the two nations into a more glorious Greater Bialya.

Near the Sinai Peninsula, lies Khandaq.  Thousands of years ago it was growing power in the region, rivaling their neighbors, the New Kingdom of Egypt.  It continued to prosper under its Pharoah, protected by its supernatural Champion Teth-Adam.  However, when the villain Akh-Ton attacked the national and murdered its citizens, Teth-Adam took revenge on the invader and then killed the Pharoah for his weakness.  "Black Adam" would have placed himself on the throne if not for the actions of the Wizard, who stripped him of his powers and sealed him up in a tomb.  Soon after Khandaq as absorbed in the New Kingdom as one of its provinces.

Since its glory days, the region has been conquered many times by many nations.  Its citizens suffered under cruel kings and dictators or languished in periods of lawless anarchy.  The region had never found any lasting amount of peace until the present day.

When Dr. Sivana found the ancient crypt of Teth-Adam in the ruins of the old capital Shiruta, he wished only to claim the powers of Shazam as his own.  Instead, he resurrected Black Adam, who found he could once again tap into the powers of the Rock of Eternity.

Black Adam traveled to see the changes that occurred since he last walked the Earth.   He encountered Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family, battling them on more than one occasion.  Eventually, he encountered The Light, who offered to help him a position of leadership and aid in rebuilding his homeland if he would join their Injustice League.  Defeated by the Justice League's covert Team, he expected to be rescued, but no help came.

Abandoned and betrayed, Black Adam broke free from Belle Reve Prison and traveled to his homeland.  Slaughtering the warlords and gang leaders that ruled the region, he proclaimed the birth of a new Khandaq.  In the last year, he has rebuilt the capital Shiruta, and protected his borders from at least a half-dozen incursions by neighboring states.

He is joined in this endeavor by his wife Adrianna Tomaz who is able to tap into the Egyptian goddess in order to be an avatar of Aset.  Her younger brother Amon Tomaz has been given access to Black Adam's powers to become the hero Osiris.

A YJA Moment - The Thunderbolts

When the world's heroes fell in what was to be known as the Watchtower incident, the villains of the world took no time in taking advantage of their absence.  This was no less true for the forces of Weapons Plus, whose international allies had been the one to murder all those heroes.

Director Henry Gyrich convinced the United States government it was imperative that the nation not be seen as weak following the loss of the Avengers.  Even in death, Nick Fury was held in high regard within the halls of power and the decision was made to allow Maria Hill and her new Avengers team time to set up and defend the nation.

Gyrich was allowed to form his own secondary team and was allowed to seize the Hall of Justice from the now-deceased Justice League to form as its base.  Drawing from the hundreds of incarcerated super-villains within Task Force X's "Suicide Squad" program, the Director began creating new heroic identities for them to serve as the members of his new Thunderbolts team.

The core of the Team, Thunderbolts Prime, was designed to emulate the very heroes they replacing.  They were composed of the following individuals:

The newest Captain America was John Walker, war-hero and poster boy for everything that America stands for was perfect for this role.  Though some in the team chafe at his command style and apparent arrogance, his force of personality (and fists) keeps them in line.  He was given unspecified genetic enhancements in order to replicate Steve Roger's Super Solider abilities.

Eric O'Grady was a former employee of the Office of National Emergency.  A chemistry major in college, he was tasked with aiding Hank Pym in his experiments at the Triskelion. Fired for some unspecified indiscretions, he stole a prototype shrinking apparatus and defected to Checkmate.  He serves on the team as the new Ant-Man.

Ares is the literal greek god of war.  A constant foe of heroes such as Wonder Woman and Thor, Ares grew increasingly unsatisfied with the modern nights.  While the war was everywhere, the human's dependence on drones and other machines gave him little joy.  How Gyrich was able to entice him on the Thunderbolts is unknown but he is both a powerhouse and a source of tactical experience. 

Yelena Belova was a graduate of the Russian Red Room training center, which continued to operate despite the fall of the Soviet Union.  Inheriting the code-name of Black Window, Belova was infatuated with the previous Widow, Natasha Romanov, and attempted to assassinate her on several occasions.  Disavowed by her government and incarcerated, she was transferred over the Task Force X and onto the Thunderbolts.

No one on the team trusts the gaunt individual code-named Ghoul and for good reason.  William Hand has an obsession with death.  Known for desecrating the bodies he's murdered, he was judged by the Spectre who took his right hand and then killed him.  Making a deal with the Underworld, Hand was reanimated and had his hand replaced with one which could drain the life force from his victims.  He voluntarily has joined the Thunderbolts to seek out his benefactor's daughter,  Melinoe.

Few know that the Thunderbolt code-named Hawkeye is actually the notorious hitman known as Deadshot.  The assassin-for-hire has cut a swath of destruction through the American underworld until he was captured and turned over to Task Force X. A mainstay of the Suicide Squad, he is considered Gyrich's inside person on the team.

Very little is known by the hero known as Prime.  It is rumored that whatever caused Kevin Green to become the muscle-bound powerhouse was derived by the genetic material of Doomsday, the Hulk, and even heroes such as Superman.

Simon Williams was an actor and the son of an industrialist, who blamed Stark Industries for his father's company's woes.  After his father's untimely death, he was tricked by A.I.M. into undergoing enhancement experiments in order for revenge.  Defeated by Iron Man, he eventually reformed himself and joined The Sword.  He was believed killed in the final battle against Ultron, but his ionic form reconstituted itself with the help fo Weapons Plus.  Relying on their scientists in order to continue existing, he has joined the team under his old code-name Wonder Man.

The original purpose of the Iron Man suit was as a prototype for the U.S. military Variable Threat Response Battle Suit program.  Gyrich took various incarnations that program and combined them into a new War Machine armor, known simply as the Prototype.  Lacking Stark's advanced control interface meant that pilot Captain James Ruiz had to be cybernetically implanted with neural control points so he can operate the armor.

A YJA Moment - The Magic of Shazam

Magic. As one of the emanations of the Source, it is one of the most feared if not misunderstood forces in the universe. For with it, even mortal men and women can slay the gods and become gods themselves. In almost every age across the entire universe, individuals have sought to master the forces of the occult, creating objects that they hoped would grant them endless power. The Books of Magic. The Darkhold, The Starheart. The Necronomicon.

However, none of them is as powerful or integral as the Rock of Eternity. Its creators are a mystery but few would doubt the utility of the Rock. It maintains the even flow of magic, purifying it of impurities and absorbing the spikes caused by careless rituals. It also serves as a magical prison, holding all those entities that should not and cannot be allowed to wander reality.

Maintaining the Rock is an individual known as the Guardian of Magic, or simply "The Wizard". Since its creation the Guardian has overseen the Rock and protected it from attempts to destroy or usurp is power over magic. It's easy to confuse the role of Guardian of Magic and its Champion with the Sorcerer Supreme. The Sorcerer Supreme defends Earth from magical threats, while the Guardian protects all of the magic across the universe. Both are independent of each other but both are intertwined by their roles

The title of Guardian of Magic was first assumed by the great will-worker Agamotto, creator of many mystical artifacts and one of the founders of the modern mystic arts. At the height of his power, he discovered the Rock of Eternity and seeing the need to protect it from those who would abuse such power, took up its defense and maintenance.

The second guardian was known as The Champion. Instead of casting spells, the Champion had gained his power by traveling the ancient world and interacting with the gods. By overcoming their trials, he gained some of their power such as great, strength, speed, and wisdom. When Agamotto grew weary of his tenure as Guardian, he gave it to the Champion who took on the name of Shazam.

The Wizard Shazam did not have magical powers like Agamotto and thus was limited in the scope of his travels, lest someone take advantage of his absence from the Rock. So he sought to find a new Champion that he could bestow some of his power into and become his agent in the material realms.

His first choice Teth-Adam abused his power, seeking to become a ruler of Khandaq. The Wizard imprisoned "Black Adam" in a tomb for his hubris and was so disgusted by his mistake that he did not choose another Champion until the modern-day.

It took the kindness of young Billy Batson and Mary Bromfield in order for the Wizard to once again bestow the powers of the Champion to mortals. They would help the material world as Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel respectively.

Recently the Wizard Shazam has given up his role as Guardian, passing it on to the young Batson. The new Wizard Marvel has his sister Mary as the new Captain Marvel, the champion of magic. In turn, Mary has granted the power of Shazam to a new generation, the young metahuman Kamala Khan, allowing her to become Ms. Marvel.

A YJA Moment - The Life and Times of Loki

Loki Laufeyson. The frost giant child rescued by Odin many centuries ago. He who would attempt to overthrow Asgard, plunge the Nine Realms into war and lead an alien invasion of Midgard. In recent years, defeated and bored of his existence, Loki wandered the single goal - Discover the truths that Odin the Allfather gained when he sacrificed his eye to Mimir's Well.

It's unclear how Loki found the knowledge. Some say that he followed in Odin's footsteps and that he sports an artificial eye. Others say he made bargains most foul with the most shadowy of entities. Regardless, the god of mischief found the greatest secret that Odin ever learned. He learned of the true depths of Fate.

Humanity and the gods were linked. The gods needed the worship of the masses for their power but were bound to mortal beliefs. It was a subtle bind, encouraging the gods to fulfill the roles that humanity had spun from them. If the god had been caught telling a lie, then it was likely that they would always be considered the god of lies, mischief or deception. They would be rewarded when they acted in an appropriate manner and would even gain supernatural powers.

It was this binding that forced Odin to adopt the identity of Allfather Christmas, whom the world knows as Santa Claus. It was also this phenomenon that set Loki and Thor on a seemingly eternal rivalry, the gods of mischief and thunder.

Then Thor died and the bounds of fate had no god of thunder, so chaos reigned. It rained every day for weeks, the sky echoing with thunder. Armed with his knowledge of fate and his desire to break the mold created for him, Loki took the unheard-of step and picked up Thor's hammer. Becoming both the god of lies and thunder (or as Mel calls it "The god of meteorology") has changed Loki. Still the charming agent of chaos, the Laufeyson has become more heroic, helping the new Avengers and unaware that instead of breaking his bonds, he has instead been ensnarled even more.

With the return of Thor and the rest of the heroes from the dimensional fragment, the Odinson seems uninterested in reclaiming his position as god of thunder. It remains to be seen if Loki continues to wield Mjolnir or will attempt to cast it off in order to regain some freedom from the shackles of fate in which he finds himself tightly bound.