A YJA Moment - The Sword Treaty

 In the wake of the Treaty of Novigrad and the cementing of centralized control over Earth, the members of the former Mythic Avengers took stock of their situation.  The New Earth Government and S.H.I.E.L.D. had dismantled the old order, raising up new legal and policing institutions.  Included in this was former-American Senator Joseph Keene's systematic closing of the legal loopholes which had allowed superheroes to operate as law enforcement individuals adjacent to conventional police.

And though liaison Monica Rambeau swore that Earth had no intention of extending its dominion to Outland, Kentauride was not convinced.

After rescuing former S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury from protective custody, Kentauride began a political movement in order to counter the N.E.G.  Gathering together Atlantis, Khandaq, Krakoa, and Thermyscira, they held a hastily-arranged conference in  Outland, they hashed out an agreement in which Outland lent its extra-dimensional authority (and legality) to their nations, officially making them not a part of the Earth government.

The Sword Treaty was largely a mutual defense pact and did not impose any limitations on the political systems in place in the nations.  The Mythic Avengers had no aspirations of creating an Empire, only keeping their friends safe.  King Orin, Black Adam, Queen Diana, the Quiet Council, and Regent Kentauride would continue to control their nations without interference.

As a provision of the Treaty was the symbolic creation of the shared-security organization to counteract the influence of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Dubbed the Sentient Worlds Observation and Response Division (or S.W.O.R.D.), this group would provide intelligence and if necessary, military assistance to whatever treaty nation required it. 

A YJA Moment - Changing of the Guard

In the wake of the passing of a dozen U.N. Resolutions, the fractured nations of Earth took a giant, if unsteady step into a single world government.  Labeled the United Earth agenda by some of the press, the chief representatives of Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Russia, and the United States gathered together to debate the implementation of this new world order.

Though much of the ability to govern Earth had been eradicated during the Apokolips Invasion, politics was a beast that was much harder to kill.  Despite the need for a strong central government in order to take care of the multitude of crises, nationalism remained strong throughout the planet.  China and the U.S.A., in particular, balked at the idea that a citizen from another country would have jurisdiction over their people. 

This extended to S.H.I.E.L.D.  The agency had enjoyed a broad range of emergency powers during the first weeks after the Invasion,  there was much division within the U.N. Security Council, regarding its continued operations. Although Nick Fury was widely regarded for his impartiality, each power block wanted someone more closely aligned to their interests in control of the agency.

In the end, compromises were made.  The United Nations Security Council would be reformed as the Global Security Council, with each seat on the body having administrative control of a particular region of Earth.  That region would choose its representative based on whatever model the populace wanted.  An interim councilor would be chosen until such times as a representative was chosen.

In terms of S.H.I.E.L.D, most of the senior staff, including Director Nick Fury and Deputy Director Maria Hill were asked to submit their resignations in order to clear the way for a brand new set of appointees.  In the top spot of Director, retired United States Army General Thaddeus Ross was chosen; Fang Zhifu, decorated P.L.A. soldier and former member of the Great Ten as the August General in Iron became Deputy Director.

Ross and Zhifu immediately took command of all teams currently operating under The Avengers banner, including those that were not directly controlled by the agency.  Using the broad language used in the U.N. Resolutions they were able to convince, intimidate and outright threaten those heroes to either join the new Avengers Initiative or retire from active duty.  Though S.H.I.E.L.D. has not immediately banned what it called "vigilante heroism", all collaborations with non-Initiative heroes were immediately terminated.

On September 1st, 2021 the remaining nations of the Earth signed the Treaty of Novigrad, formally enacting the resolutions into a formal binding agreement.  Though it would be many years before the United Nations would become completely unified, this New Earth Government was the end of the old guard and the beginning of something new.

There was no going back.

A YJA Moment - The Spy Within

During a scouting mission on earth led by elite Rhomann Dey of the Nova Corps, high-school student Richard Ryder accidentally discovered their spaceship and found himself a stowaway as it left the planet to Xandar.  After being discovered, he was forced to stay in the Nova Empire as law enforcement prevented him from further contaminating Earth with knowledge of interstellar space. This despite many Terrans having direct knowledge or contact with alien species.

Ryder grew up on Xandar, finishing his required basic education regime albeit with much difficulty.  He was recruited into the Nova Corps, where he served with distinction for many years.  In order to better understand the events going on Earth, he was assigned to the planet masquerading as a hero.  He for a time he was part of the short-lived New Warriors along with Firestar, Marvel Boy, Namorita, Speedball, and team leader Night Thrasher.  

Eventually, he was recalled back home where he was assigned to the Xandar Intelligence Apparatus.  He had shown an aptitude for espionage work during his induction into the Corps but never had shown no interest in spy work.  However, his particular biometric parameters were perfect for him to impersonate an infamous bounty hunter in order to infiltrate both the Mandalorians and the greater Bounty Hunters Guild.

Dal Norren was a well-known bounty hunter that was instantly recognizable for his jet-black armor.  He had been killed in a shoot-out with the Nova Corps, but the Apparatus had kept his death secret from the general populace, allowing the Ryder to use his identity in this operation.  Posing as Norren, Ryder then infiltrated the Mandalorian Clans which had joined Thanos, though too late to relay useful information before the alliance was fractured by the Mythic Avengers.

The Apparatus left Ryder embedded within the Mandalorians in order to provide them with more intelligence on the clan's aims and capabilities.  It turned out to be much more beneficial than they could have realized.  News started to drift within the clans that their former "allies", the Sith Order, were allying with a very old ally which they had long ago pledged their service.  Though the Mandalorians had served with the Sith with Thanos, they never forgot the betrayal of the Galactic Empire and the purging of their homeworld.

Ryder found himself with a cadre of elite Mandalorians who infiltrated the ancient Sith citadel on Khar Delba.  Utilizing a combination of stealing technology and enchantments bartered from the alien sorcerer Urthona, they were initially able to penetrate the citadel, only to be caught within the structure. Though the rest of his team were killed in the resulting attacks, Richard himself was able to escape with vital intelligence regarding the Sith.

In particular, Ryder discovered that the Sith had joined Thanos only because of the Mad Titan's association with someone from which they had pledged their service.  This was symbolized by an ancient talisman that he recovered from the vaults of the citadel.  The talisman was made of something which resembled obsidian but seemed nearly indestructible.  Etched on its surface were two symbols - the original sigil of the Sith'ari rebels of the Jedi Order, and another symbol that appears to look very similar to the omega symbol.  The symbol of Darkseid.