LATE-21st CENTURY
Following the Great Disaster that occurred at some point prior to 2035, the Earth and humanity were left in shambles. Little is known about the circumstances leading up to, during, and soon after the event as seemingly time itself was damaged in the aftermath. It can be assumed, however, the last half of the 21st century was a period of rebuilding. This development seemingly happened at a break neck pace. At around 2050, the world teetered between what it was prior to the Great Disaster and a post-apocalyptic wasteland with individuals like the Leonard Cohen Batman of New York, Stiletta, and a time-displaced Jonah Hex as its handful of champions. However by 2053, humanity was again a space-faring people establishing colonies on its neighboring worlds to form the United Federation of Planets and interacting with alien life due to the development of the Bridwell Space Drive. It was around this time a young man named Starker lost his father to Space Pirates only to turn them in for a bounty. By 2070, Starker had become the predominant bounty hunter, or Manhunter, in the galaxy. Meanwhile, in New City on Earth by 2079, private investigator Star Hawkins and his robot assistant Ilda tackle everything from missing persons to alien invasions for the right price. Along the way, Hawkins acquired another robot ally in Automan before eventually marrying Stella Sterling and settling down in 2092 (as Ilda and Automan married and became trainers for robot detectives). At some point, Hawkins ended up being transported and stuck in the early half of the 21st century on a satellite installation called Hardcore Station where he aided Captain Comet. Rounding out the later 21st and early 22nd centuries is Chris KL-99. The son of a renowned space explorer and named after Christopher Columbus, Chris was the first human born in space in his era and whose parents went missing when he was nine years old. Raised by the social system of the United Worlds Federation, Chris excelled to the top of his class in the Space Academy with a 99% average score giving him the designation KL-99. Finding new territories for the UWF in his spaceship the Pioneer with his friends Halk and Jero, Chris later found his parents’ spaceship though they had passed away some time earlier.
25th CENTURY
If the 22nd century more-or-less became a duller time than the 21st century, the 25th century was downright paradise on Earth. Crime had all but disappeared as the Earth knew a peace it had never experienced since the dawn of mankind (with the exception of your occasional alien invasion). It was in this environment that the man known as Knodar emerged. Disgusted at the tranquil, sterile world he lived in, Knodar fancied himself Earth’s “last criminal” and tried to become a costumed supervillain but was quickly apprehended. Realizing he was no match for the Science Police, he decided to travel from his time of 2447 to 1947. However, he would not have much better luck when he was apprehended by Green Lantern Alan Scott. Unlike the 22nd century where time travel was fairly unregulated, the 25th century had a force specifically for time travel offenders and officer Dalmyr came to collect him. Knodar seemingly developed a fascination with the 20th century and made frequent trips back. In some manner, this draws parallels to Eobard Thawne. Unaware he’s a descendant of the Flash Barry Allen’s bloodline, Thawne chose to study the Speed Force at the Flash Museum where his colleagues would start to refer to him as Professor Zoom. Thawne had an admiration for the 20th century’s superheroes, none more so than the Barry Allen Flash which he almost worshiped as an idol. Developing a sick fascination with Allen, Thawne underwent surgery to look like his idol and replicated the circumstances that gave him his super-speed. Coming into possession of the cosmic treadmill that Allen used to travel time, Thawne went to the 20th century to meet Allen but the centuries old device took him to a time after his idol’s death. To his horror, Thawne learned in the Flash Museum he would become Allen’s greatest nemesis which broke his already fragile psyche. Believing himself to be Allen, Thawne seemed to be the somehow resurrected Barry Allen but as his mind crumbled, the Flash Wally West deduced who he really was and tricked him to go back to his own time. By 2463, Thawne had become a villain in his time and adopted the name Professor Zoom going back in history to fight the Flash Barry Allen becoming his nemesis. While the Flash Museum played a major role in Thawne’s life, another museum in the 25th century played a critical role in the life of a member of the Justice League.
In the city of Metropolis, General Howard Parker fought against an invasion by the Zuran race who had used technology stolen from a military warehouse of relics. With the aid of Admiral Ann Gordon and the starship Colossus, Parker delivered a devastating blow to the enemy that forced them into peace negotiations thanks in large part to his love of history. Seeing a need to remember Earth’s past, the military built the Space Museum on the site of the warehouse. Parker and Gordon both retired, wed, and had a son named Tommy where once a month, Howard would take his son to the museum and tell him a story about one of its artifacts. At one point, Tommy used his knowledge from the Museum to save the Earth from alien invaders. As an adult, Tommy continued his father’s tradition by bringing his own son Gardner. Interestingly enough, sometimes the Space Museum would hire adventurers from the 22nd century like Space Cabby, Space Ranger, and Ultra the Multi-Alien to travel back in time and acquire new relics for its exhibits. Of note, the Space Museum would play a significant role in the creation of the superhero Booster Gold.
A quarterback for Gotham University, Michael Jon Carter was a rising star until it was discovered he occasionally threw games so his absentee father Jonar could make money gambling. His career ruined, Michael could only find work as a night watchman at the Space Museum. Learning about history and specifically the worship of heroes in the 20th century, Michael stole items from the Museum including a Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring and Brainiac 5’s force field belt from the 30th century and used Rip Hunter’s Time Sphere to travel back in history. Taking the name Booster Gold, Michael tried to be a corporate-sponsored superhero but along the way, he learned how to become a true hero thanks in large part to his best friend Blue Beetle Ted Kord. Broderick, an agent from the future, repeatedly came back in time to capture Michael to the point of obsession. Over the years, Michael’s sister Michelle would follow him and become his partner Goldstar while the siblings’ father Jonar under the influence of Mr. Mind became an antagonist. It would also come to light Michael was Time Master Rip Hunter’s father as well as his teacher later in life. Michael’s ancestor Daniel Carter who bears remarkable similarities to his descendant would become the superhero Supernova due to Booster Gold and Rip Hunter coming into his life. While a Justice League existed in the 25th century with a Superman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter, it seems another entity handled many of the galaxy’s threats. Based on the space station Gala, the Knights of the Galaxy are an elite space faring police force who act as the first and last line of defense for the galaxy. Led by Commander Artho, the most decorated member of the organization is Lyle although with a good deal of aid from his lover and the Knights’ chief scientist Ora (who is also Artho’s daughter).
61st CENTURY
By the 61st century, styles had changed throwing back to more romantic periods in Earth’s history forming an amalgamation of ancient cultures. Traditional space-faring vessels gave way to ships more in line with wooden boats of old thanks to the discovery of a unique tree on the planet Illium with anti-gravitational properties (essentially, a renewable resource almost custom built for passing gravity fields, be it from worlds or black holes). The world of Illium, and its trees, were the sole property of the Ironwolf family making them the most powerful entity of the Empire Galaktika (ruling body of the Earth and other worlds) save the ruling class itself. This relationship formed the basis of a central conflict of the period when Galaktika Empress Erika Klein-Hernandez ordered Lord Ironwolf to turn over his trees to an unnamed alien race. Claiming these mysterious aliens were allies for a coming war, Ironwolf refused in that with his trees, the Empire would be helpless against these new forces. The situation labeled Ironwolf an outlaw which he lived up to by using his personal ship the Limerick Rake and its crew to ransack Empire vessels. In response, the Empress unleashed her elite Blood Legion led by Lord Omikel on Ironwolf. Composed of vampires, the threat of the Blood Legion (and the betrayal of Lord Ironwolf’s brother Tyrone) forced the outlaw to burn down his forest and align with a resistance movement to Galaktika. Initially, this meant forming a bond with femme fatale Shebaba O’Neal but when Ironwolf met with resistance leader Janus Vanmeer, he learned the organization was built on the trafficking of the drug mikah. Disgusted, Ironwolf set out on his own path fighting both the Empire and its resistance.
64th CENTURY
With every century, science marches on to new feats. By the 64th century, science had advanced so much that it might as well be called magic. At least, that was something the supervillain known as Abra Kadabra had in mind. A stage magician in his time period, Kadabra simply couldn’t impress an audience with his tricks because there no longer existed a sense of wonder. Inspired by this, he decided to venture to the 20th century but found he still had trouble attracting an audience. Emerging in Central City, he read in the news that people were generally concerned about the affairs involving the Flash and his gallery of rogues. Becoming a thief to bring interest to himself, he would eventually be brought to justice by the Flash which proved so humiliating for Kadabra, he developed an obsession with defeating his foe. The 64th century would also be home to the thirteenth version of Brainiac which remained unable to acquire all known data in its time period. Believing by transferring itself to an earlier era it could reach its goal, Brainiac 13 waited until such time its earlier self (Brainiac 2.5) acquired enough memory and sent itself to the past to overwrite its data. However, this effort failed when Superman sent Brainiac 13 back in time to the Big Bang where it was destroyed. Subsequently, Superman did battle with Brainiac 12 such that it did not upgrade at the point it was meant to become its thirteenth version which removed its lingering influence in Superman’s present. However, it should be noted, by the 853rd century, Brainiac was on its 417th version.
Honorable mentions: Arabian Nights (Alsind, Hassan), Salem Witch Trials (Thomas Standish, Helena Crayle, Phineas Lowell), 23rd Century (Ultra-Man, Sela Allen), and 46th Century (Unknown Superman, Batsman).
