Bill at 21:44, 10 May 2012

2012-05-10T21:44:42Z

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[[Category: Marvel Super Heroes]]
Picture, if you will, a world gone insane. A world where you cannot attend school, buy food or clothing, or even walk down the street without risking capture and imprisonment. Add to that picture, if you can, the specter of giant, killing robots programmed to hunt and destroy you and everyone like you.

This is the world waiting for you in Nightmares of Futures Past. Mutants have been declared outlaws and
enemies, stripped of their constitutional rights, and condemned to quick death in battle or slow death
in concentration camps. The heroes of our time are gone, either killed fighting oppression, stripped of their
powers and locked away, or hiding in shadows, chipping away at the walls of oppression and struggling to
survive as free men and women.

=The Mutant Affairs Control Act=
As it is with almost all super-powered characters, the general public was skeptical about the existence of mutants. While super-powered heroes and villains could be found almost anywhere in the world, and all across the United
States, they were highly visible only in New York City and, to a lesser extent, Los Angeles. A surprisingly
large portion of the population was unwilling to believe those outlandish tales about people who could fly,
crush trains with their hands, or shoot ray beams from their eyes. Headlines from the coasts concerning the Avengers, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and their costumed friends were dismissed as journalistic stunts
designed to increase sales. A few people were convinced by television documentaries and magazine articles but most dismissed the whole subject as a massive hoax.

The uproar preceding release of Alison Blaire's film demonstrated just how insecure everyone really was. When word got out that the film starred a mutant, public outcry bordered on hysteria. Posters were defaced, theaters promoting the film were boycotted or vandalized, and hundreds of newspaper, radio, and television editorials spoke out against the "clear and present danger" of mutant infiltration in mainstream human society. The film 's distributors were eventually forced to shelve the project and the film was never released.

The public has a short memory and the furor died down quickly when the film's demise was announced. A small but vocal minority, however, clung to the issue, agitating against mutants, putting up anti-mutant graffiti, and attacking suspected mutants in the streets or even in their homes. The situation gradually but inexorably grew worse.

==It Hits the Fan==
Gradually, that is, until the assassination of Senator (and presidential candidate) Robert Kelly by the Second Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Kelly had long been a spokesman for anti-mutant forces. The need to deal with the "mutant menace" was a cornerstone of his presidential campaign. He was murdered on Halloween, 1980, while moderating senate hearings on the mutant situation. Also killed were Charles Xavier and Moira MacTaggert, who were present to testify on behalf of mutants. The attack was filmed by several television news teams and subsequently seen by millions of viewers on news broadcasts. (The same footage appeared repeatedly in the following years in a multitude of anti-mutant documentaries and news specials.)

Instead of teaching humans to fear and respect the power of mutants, as the Brotherhood intended, the assassinations created a wave of hysterical paranoia and cemented a largely apathetic public into one solid
block opposing mutants' rights.

The massive outpouring of rage, hatred, and racism following Kelly's death gave the anti-mutant movement the legitimacy it had long craved. Suddenly, when mutant-haters spoke, everyone listened. The simple fact that
mutants existed and wielded unknown powers frightened the pants off the average citizen. The
public demanded action.
==Kelly's Legacy==
Carried on a rising tide of public
support, mutant control became an
issue in political contests at every
level, from city council to United
States Senate. In 1984 an
anti-mutant reactionary was elected
president. Within a year, the Mutant
Affairs Control Act was pushed
through the congressional
meatgrinder. Presidential support
was a key element in the passage of
the bill.

The passage of this bill marked a
low point in the constitutional evolution of the United States
rivaling the issuance of Executive
Order 9066 in January 1942, which
led directly to the dislocation and
internment of thousands of
Japanese-Americans living on the
Pacific coast.

The similarity between the two
documents was not lost on anyone.
The precedent of Executive Order
9066 was brought up immediately by
legal counselors on both sides of the
issue. Unlike Executive Order 9066,
the Mutant Affairs Control Act was
brought before the Supreme Court
almost immediately, where it was
struck down as a wholesale violation
of constitutionally-guaranteed rights.

Unfortunately, the White House,
while publicly discouraged, was not
deterred. (Years later, when the
actual chain of events became
known publicly, there was some
speculation that the Mutant Affairs
Control Act was never intended to be
anything but a smoke screen,
diverting public attention away from
the Sentinels program.) Within a
month of the bill's demise, the
president instructed the National
Security Council to establish
(illegally) a covert commission
geared specifically toward dealing
with the mutant situation. This ad
hoc group, dubbed Project
Wideawake, was headed by Judge
Petrie, the president's national
security advisor. It included Valerie
Cooper (special assistant to Petrie),
Frank Lowell (C.I.A.), Raven
Darkholme (defense department),
Henry Peter Gyrich (National
Security Council, head of
operations), and many other
influential members of the American
intelligence community.

The fact that Raven Darkholme
served as a member of the
commission deserves special
consideration. Unknown to any of
her colleagues, Darkholme was in
reality the mutant terrorist Mystique,
leader of the Second Brotherhood of
Evil Mutants. Her position on the
project could easily have
compromised any program. The nature of Mystique, however, was
such that she allowed the project to
carry out its anti-mutant mission with
minimal interference. She did not
use her unique position to warn other
mutants of their danger; she sought
only to safeguard herself and other
members of the Brotherhood.
==Mutant Control==
Project Wideawake wasted no time
before jumping into action against
mutants. The first issue that needed
to be dealt with was how mutants
should be handled. One group felt
that cooperative mutants and other
super beings should be enlisted to
round up the dangerous mutants.
Others felt that mutants should be
put to work, but only under close
guard in situations where their
powers are largely neutralized. A
third faction urged that all mutants
be destroyed on sight, with no
exceptions.

Eventually the second viewpoint,
championed by National Security
Council veteran Gyrich, won out.
Project objectives were formulated
along the following lines:

# The mutant "X-factor" is spreading at an alarming rate. Unless checked somehow, it will be present in a significant portion of the population (homo superior) within four to five generations. Measures must be taken to reduce the incidence of the X-factor by removing those carrying it from the gene pool or by restricting their freedom to produce offspring.
# Many mutants possess great physical and mental powers. Past experience demonstrates that they are very often willing to use these powers for advancement of their own goals without regard for the laws or ultimate good of human society (homo sapiens). There is no reason to believe that this will change.
# Normal means of confinement are adequate for the majority of mutants whose powers are minimal or benign. Normal means of confinement are useless, however, against the small number of very powerful, well-trained mutants. Extraordinary means involving advanced technological devices are the only alternative.
# Denied the option of confinement, the only alternative is permanent removal of the mutants' powers or extermination of the mutant population.

==Sentinels Reborn==
As Project Wideawake went about
its business, it became more and
more evident that conventional
means were wholly inadequate to
deal with mutants. Of all the
country's police forces, military
forces, and intelligence agencies,
only one-SHIELD-was equipped
to locate or arrest mutants. SHIELD,
still under the autonomous control of
Nick Fury, refused to deal with
Gyrich or with Project Wideawake.
(In the turmoil to come, SHIELD
would have more than one run-in
with Project Wideawake.)

After a fiery confrontation with
Fury over SHIELD's cooperation,
Petrie and Gyrich decided to avoid
enlisting any outside agencies to
their cause for any activity besides
information gathering; they realized
that bringing in other people risked
exposing the Project to public
scrutiny. Since the Project's whole
existence was illegal, any risk in this
area was too great.

Instead, Project directors decided
to create their own enforcement
division. With this in mind, they
secretly contacted Shaw Industries
and arranged to resurrect the
Sentinel program.
==The Beginning of the End==
Initially, Shaw Industries
manufactured three models of
sentinels for Project Wideawake:
Mark IV, Mark V, and Mark VI.

Individually, these sentinels were not
as powerful as earlier generations
had been. Experience is a great
teacher, however, and the tactics
employed by the sentinels were
improved significantly. Although they
were capable of independent
operation, the sentinels (at first,
anyway) were always accompanied
by human controllers whenever they
were sent on potentially hazardous
missions or into situations that could
escalate into open combat.

Sentinels, however, have always
been unpredictable, and those built
by Shaw Industries were no
exception. They were programmed
with a broad-based directive to
"protect humans against the menace
of mutant domination of society."
Despite their reduced intelligence
and increased reliance on human
direction, the sentinels as a group
arrived at the conclusion that the
best way to carry out their program
was to assume control of Project
Wideawake, thereby eliminating the
moderating influence of the humans.

Within a few years of ousting
humans from Project Wideawake,
sentinels controlled all of North
America. The eastern seaboard was
largely in ruins, along with most of
California. The U.S. army was
reduced to a traction of its former
size-a precaution enforced by the
sentinels to ensure their dominance.
SHIELD was the last of the
intelligence agencies to be
challenged, and it put up a heroic
fight. In the end, less than 15 percent
of SHIELD's personnel and
equipment escaped to the wilds of
Canada to form the backbone of the
Canadian Resistance Army.

The program adopted by the
sentinels was simple and merciless.
All mutants, whether dangerous or
harmless, were to be arrested and
interned in prison camps away from
population centers. Anyone who
interfered with the sentinels' mission
or protected mutants was also
subject to arrest and internment.
Anyone who resisted was killed.
=The X-Factor=
X-factor is the term that describes
mutant genes in general. The
X-factor is the mysterious genetic
something that gives mutants their
power, sets them apart, and puts
them at odds with society.

This chapter describes the
demographics of the X-factor, public
sentiment toward mutants, and the
general condition of North America
under sentinel control.
==Who's Got It?==
A mutant is any plant or animal
whose genetic or cellular structure is
different from its parents' and has
been since birth. The Marvel
universe is fi lled with characters
whose genetic structure has been
altered-Spider-Man, Daredevil, the
Hulk-but they are not true mutants
because they were normal humans
at birth. Likewise, if the child of
Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) and
the Vision displays the power to alter
probability fields, he is not a mutant
because this power was passed to
him by his mother. Franklin
Richards, on the other hand, is a
mutant, because his powers are
entirely different from those
possessed by his parents.

The actual percentage of the
population that is mutant is difficult
to estimate. Spokesmen for the
anti-mutant movement have quoted
figures as high as 8 percent, but this
is generally considered to be way out
of line. The sentinels, who probably
have access to the most accurate
information, estimate that the true
mutant population of North America
prior to the sentinel takeover was just
under 1 percent.

Even this figure seems
outrageously high until you consider
that very few of these mutants had
"super powers." Most had very
minor abilities, or no special abilities
at all, because of their mutations.
Unfortunately, all of these
distinctions were insignificant to the
sentinels; to them, a mutant was a
mutant, regardless of how its
mutation manifested itself.
A much larger proportion of people
could be classified as " anomalous"
humans; they are not mutants
themselves, but possess a high
probability of having mutant
offspring. This class of people
comprises roughly 18 percent of the
population.
==The Caste System==
The stratification of society began
with registration. Within one month
of inauguration, the 1984
administration ordered that everyone
must report to the local civil
authorities to register for an
identification card. At the time of
application an organic scan was
performed along with a blood test to
determine the applicant's class. If
the applicant was human, an
identification card was issued and he
was free to go. If the applicant was
found to be anomalous or a mutant
he was issued a special identification
card. Mutants were also given
generic inhibitor collars which
prevented the use of most mutant
powers. They were required to wear
these collars at all times. The three
classes of society- humans,
anomalous humans, and
mutants-were sharply defined and
mutually exclusive.

Beyond these restrictions, life went
on pretty much as before.
==No Mutants Allowed==
Shortly after registration was
completed, the government and local
authorities began issuing directives.
They were harmless at first, intended
mainly to harass, but quickly
escalated to place severe restrictions
on mutants and anomalous humans.

One of the first directives required
that all mutants and anomalous
humans wear an identifying letter: a
large M or A stencilled on the back
and front of all clothing. Other
restrictions, such as those listed
below, followed shortly.

Mutants and anomalous humans
are forbidden to bear children.

Mutants are forbidden to live in
apartment buildings or multi-family
dwellings which also house
genetically pure humans. All mutants
currently living in such dwellings
must move.

Identification cards must be
presented when purchasing the
following goods: food, liquor,
gasoline, books, cigarettes,
electronic equipment, tools, radios,
weapons, clothing, shoes,
airline/train/bus tickets.

Mutants are forbidden to work or
eat in public restaurants not set
aside for use specifically by mutants.

Mutants are forbidden in public
parks and museums. Mutant children
must be withdrawn from public
schools.

Mutants are forbidden to ride
public transportation.

Mutants are forbidden to be
treated in hospitals or clinics which
are not set aside for the sole
treatment of mutants.

All mutant organizations, societies,
newsletters, and professional unions
are illegal.

The key to all of these restrictions
was registration. Without the
voluntary cooperation of the people
who registered, events could have
gone quite differently.
==The Decline of Western Civilization==
In short order, anomalous humans
became outcasts. Most of their
businesses were bankrupted by the
loss of all human customers.
Anomalous humans were forbidden
to have children, so their
neighborhoods gradually grow older
and older, with no new faces, until
eventually they die out completely.

But even their fate seems enviable
compared to that of mutants.
Housing restrictions forced mutants
and anomalous humans to move on
short notice, almost invariably into
slums and ghettoes where they were
miserable apartments. Denied
education, medicine, and legal
advice, they banded together to form
their own schools and clinics. Then
these, too, were outlawed as
"mutant organizations." With most
of their markets and food co-ops
eliminated, they were forced to buy
from licensed racketeers or rely on
government rations to survive.
==The Roundup==
About this time, Project
Wideawake received shipment of its
first sentinels. Ostensibly the
sentinels were to hunt down those
mutants who had refused to register
and were operating illegal
underground newspapers, trying to
smuggle mutants out of the country,
or carrying out other subversive or
illegal acts.

Before long, the sentinels shifted
their emphasis away from searching
out unregistered mutants to rounding
up all mutants, registered and
unregistered, for confinement in
"Mutant Internment Centers." No
one outside of Project Wideawake
knows for sure whether this change
was ordered by the government or
was undertaken independently by
the sentinels, but the sentinels had
the full cooperation of all government
departments.

At that point, the United States
disintegrated. The anti-mutant
program relied on the quiet
cooperation of the majority of
humans. anomalous humans, and
mutants. People had cooperated, for
various reasons: humans because
they feared mutants; mutants and
anomalous humans because they
were outnumbered and because
cooperation allowed them to
maintain a semblance of their
normal, family life. When the
sentinels began arresting mutants,
family ties were ignored. Children
were taken from their families,
parents were taken from their
children, husbands and wives were
taken from each other. Threatened
with losing their loved ones, mutants
and their families fought back. Those
mutants with super powers attacked
sentinels and demolished their
bases. People of all sorts ambushed
police patrols. A tidal wave of
assassinations rolled across the
country, leaving hundreds of mayors,
police chiefs, and mutant control
council administrators dead.

The sentinels struck back
ferociously. Benign mutants (those
without extraordinary powers) were
locked into concentration camps.
Virulent mutants (those with
extraordinary powers) and resisters
were executed immediately.

The country turned into a war
zone. Cities burned or were
demolished by the sentinels.
Telephone and radio communication
was almost entirely cut off. Unable to
control the sentinels and powerless
to stop them, the federal government
was useless.

As more and more of the country
fell under the sentinels' control, the
violence quieted down. There were
simply not enough mutants left to
fight. Many were dead, and those
who survived were behind barbed
wire. The few mutants still at large
were scattered and isolated.

This is the situation when the
adventure begins.

Nightmares of Futures Past - Revision history

Bill at 21:44, 10 May 2012