The Ruins of Paragon

Many years ago, the world as we knew it collapsed during the Incandescence, a cataclysm brought about by an unlikely coalition: some of the most dangerous supervillains, allied with unstable mutants whose powers spiraled out of control. Their goal wasn't to annihilate humanity, but to reshape it—a goal they nearly achieved. The planet is now a fragmented wasteland of mega-ruins, zones irradiated by psionic energy, and self-sufficient fortress-cities. At the time of the Incandescence, superheroes were the first targets. The villains unleashed a metagene-inhibiting virus, destroying or neutralizing the powers of a large number of them. The remaining heroes are now scattered, each protecting an isolated region, hunted by residual mutants, or often weakened or altered by the energy fallout. It is estimated that less than 1% of the pre-apocalypse heroes remain.