Paramount City: The Metropolitan Defenders
(click here for part 1)
"Truth, peace, and prosperity."
Summary: The big superhero team missing their Superman.
It's no exaggeration to say that when Paragon appeared, the world changed. She was a beacon of hope for a city suffering under crime, corruption, and the aftermath of the first Rift War. People called her the first superhero, and though scholars think supers had existed for a long time, they were never so public. So inspiring. Shortly after, many others followed her example, but Paragon stood alone.
However, the second Rift War saw the rise of supervillains. People of evil intent, who used their powers not for the greater good, but to prey on the weak and enslave people to their will. Paragon realized she could not fight them alone, and for the first time, teamed up with other like-minded individuals to fight the rising tide of darkness.
Thus, the Metropolitan Defenders were born.
The original and most storied team, to this day they remain the example for others to follow. The Defenders are what you think of when someone says "hero." Yet they've suffered many losses over the years. All the original founders have either passed or retired, honored with great golden statues in the Hall of Heroes.
Most recent and most devastating was the loss of Paragon herself. During the Phyrexian Invasion, she used the last of her strength to wrest control of the Rift from Lord Riven and cleanse the world of Elesh Norn's corruption at the cost of her own life. Now, for the first time since their founding, the Defenders are under new leadership. While an impressively heroic figure in his own right, Paragon II struggles to live up to his namesake's legacy.
The Metropolitan Defenders are centered on White as their ideals are focused on peace and justice. However, Blue mana pulls in the direction of institutional justice, while Green pulls towards social justice. In the civic unrest following the Phyrexian Invasion and Paragon I's death, these divides are deeper than ever.
The Peacekeepers are centered in Blue. They believe that law and order are paramount. A society need stable and trustworthy institutions, not just feel-good platitudes about community and togetherness. While they intervene in riots (often by subduing both sides), they also work to get better laws passed and restore infrastructure lost in the war.
The Gardeners are centered in Green. They believe that protecting people is more important than protecting institutions. While they're troubled by all the riots and protests, they believe the solution is found at the community level. People who are fed, housed, and secure don't commit crimes, they say, though the existence of Lord Riven and his ilk seems like a contradiction.
Most Defenders don't fall neatly into one of these camps, either trying to balance these opposing philosophies or ignoring them altogether in favor of their own moral compass.
Notable characters:
Queen Kevnor (WU, merfolk) hails from the undersea kingdom of Cantergellod. She is able to walk on land and breathe air unaided, a rare mutation that would have had her ostracized if the throne had had another heir. A thought leader among the Peacekeepers, she is sometimes criticized as a foreign interventionist, but she was actually born in Paramount City and sometimes feels more at home there than with her own kind.
Cyronia (WG) is heir to a long tradition of druids and healers, passed mother to daughter since ancient times, though she was cast out of the circle for "illegitimately" inheriting her power. She grew up on the streets, using her powers of healing and growth to build a following among the poor and destitute. As leader of the Gardeners, she helps establish clinics, community gardens, shelters, and other resources for people left behind by the rest of the city.
Intellectus (UG, Vedalken) is a strange visitor from another world who appeared in Paramount City just in time to warn of the impending Phyrexian invasion. Initially held in Omega custody, he was rescued by the Defenders and decided to lend his psychic powers to their cause. When moving about in public, he projects the illusion of private investigator Ken Badel to hide his alien features.
Paragon II (GWU), previously known as Gatewatch, is the Defenders' new leader. Tall and muscular, with a chiseled jaw and long, flowing hair, he certainly cuts the profile of a hero. However, he only appeared a few years ago, with no memory of who he was or how he got to Paramount City. Although he projects confidence, he's plagued by self-doubt, and regrets that he can't even remember. Yet Paragon appointed him as her successor, so he will do his best to fill a role that seems oddly familiar.
