In The Beginning… an Idea for a New Super-hero Universe

Hero Parts (Photo credit: floodllama)

The idea of super soldiers isn’t particularly original, but it can be twisted enough to make the story blossom into something a lot more interesting. For instance: I wanted to create my own super hero universe, but instead of mutants, vampires, and aliens I wanted the super heroes to be genetically designed. But with any future there must also be a past, a foundation for the current state of affairs. In my opinion that in and of itself makes the ‘present’ stories far more rich and interesting. Therefore, I submit to you a brief history and ‘present day dystopia’ of planet Earth and new super-hero universe.

The company: “GUAARD”

Acronym, GUAARD: Genetic Utopias & Ability Advancement Research Department

Description/history of the company:

As a strictly classified research facility, “GUAARD” was established in 1917 by a group of rogue British and American military-weapons manufacturers during World War I. They built a main portion of their company’s infrastructure inside the Ural mountains in Siberia and acted as a weapons supplier-outpost. By using other rogue scientists and agents from Russia, Germany, Japan, and France they were able to efficiently manufacture, sell, buy and re-sell weapons for the highest bidders. Originally named “Chrysopoeia” (the ability to change materials, such as metal, into solid gold) due to their lucrative endeavor.

In 1933 they turned their attention to kidnapping, human trafficking, and human experimentation. On both accounts they were successful in circumventing the Trading with the Enemy Act. In 1967 they changed their name to “GUAARD” thanks to advancements in genetic research.

In their current incarnation “GUAARD” is a global network, having agencies in key cities all over the world, they continue to deal in weapons and use their “team” of enhanced “super soldiers” to perform brutal acts of political and ritualistic murder, torture, assassination and coup de’tat for governments, individual political leaders and corporate entities. They use their generations of financial clout, military training, and science to fuel their experiments while continuing to develop their war machine.

Generational Science:

Seemingly immune to the rule of law GUAARD has been able to slip behind the shadows to not only influence world governments and multinational corporations but participate in world affairs through punitive contracts with world governments, individual politicians, independent contractors, multi-billionaires, and corporate entities due to their line of advanced weapons and, more interestingly, their line of enhanced “human” subjects or super “soldiers” (a.k.a. “hive children” {a.k.a. “Guaardians”}).

In 1933 GUAARD (or “Chrysopoeia”) turned its attention to kidnapping, human trafficking, and human experimentation. Expanding its role and facilities, currently GUAARD deals specifically in (child) prostitution, sweatshop labor, stem-cell research, orphanages, military training, martial arts training, drugs and weapons manufacturing, and genetic and cybernetic engineering.

                                                                                                                           
Engineering the perfect human. Generation One:

In the early years of building the perfect human, experiments consisted of selective breeding while mild steroid doses and radiation were given to the test subjects. Many adult test subjects died as a result, and many more children born usually died in their infant years. Rarely a child test subject would age past their teenage years due to childhood cancers, deformities, and euthanization. Surviving adult test subjects suffered intense migraines, rage and depression. Those adult test subjects were later “removed” (killed). During this time period, after millions of dollars spent and lives wasted, experiments failed to produce their ideal “soldier”.

Engineering the perfect human. Generation Two:

The mid-Sixties ushered in a new era in science when doctors began to study chromosomes thus, genetic testing began and “GUAARD” was all too eager to sink its teeth into this research. By eliminating radiation and replacing it with heavy doses of amphetamines, steroids, and proteins – results varied: Many test subjects experienced uncontrollable rage and extreme paranoia while others demonstrated astounding physical feats of strength, intellect, and sexual appetites. Other test subjects committed violent suicides while others simply died from strokes and heart attacks. By isolating the particular genetics that responded positively to the research GUAARD scientists developed and engineered a drug called “Chryso-E”, a mixture of Nitric Oxides, Acids, steroid enhanced calcium and protein in order to “evolve” these subject’s muscles, bones and bone marrow in order to adapt to intense physical abuse and harsher experimentation. The results exceeded expectations as all test subjects demonstrated above average reflexes, stamina, intellect and physical strength. In 1967 “GUAARD” was the offical name of the company and began selective breeding their new, advanced test subjects.

Engineering the perfect human. Generation Three:

Two “units” (couples) from Generation Two were available for selective breeding while the remaining test subjects were “removed” (killed). During this time, while a female test subject was pregnant, GUAARD scientists would give her one daily dose of “Chryso-E” and study the fetus, searching for physical and cognitive advancements in utero. If the fetus showed no evolutionary or genetic superiority beyond the parent’s capabilities the pregnancy was terminated and they would start over again. In 1972 the first genetically enhanced child was born: female test subject “Chrystal”. This subject was superior to its parents and to all modern human beings: beyond “above average” reflexes, stamina, intellect and physical strength; she was also immune to radiation and most diseases, capable of taking a 32 caliber pistol round from fifty feet away without receiving any damage, and capable of a longer lifespan. Further proof of her superiority was her intelligence, observational skills, hyper-sensory perceptions, and brain activity. Chemical balances and brain functions were all in line and would be further studied as she aged. This child was the achievement GUAARD had been looking for since they began their experiments over thirty-five years ago.

Throughout the early-Seventies eighteen superior children would be born. This group of children would be developed into GUAARD’s “super soldiers”, although scientists to this day call them “third generation subjects”, for others, however, they are simply called “Guaardians”.

Engineering the perfect “human”. Generation Four:

As genetic science advanced so did GUAARD’s understanding of the nature of “third generation” subjects, which would increase the amount of “third generation” subjects being born and, by simply repeating steps from Generations’ two and three, GUAARD scientists were able to create sixty-seven “third generation” children by the mid-Seventies. By 1976 the sixty-seventh superior child was born and GUAARD decided to halt all breeding to ensure that their “child subjects” would be sterile. And “parent subjects” (or “breeding units”) had been officially “removed” (killed {terminated}). GUAARD and GUAARD scientists spent the rest of their time studying, brainwashing, and training these “child subjects” as they aged.

Early on top GUAARD brass and GUAARD scientists noticed a cohesiveness amongst the superior children, more specifically they noticed these superior children worked together as a family and displayed affections towards their “brothers” and “sisters” they did not share with their creators, GUAARD. Not particularly surprised GUAARD scientists introduced intense brainwashing procedures and would isolate the children at an early age; having them pledge their allegiance to the company, to their training, and to their missions rather than towards their group. Later on GUAARD would discover their brainwashing procedures failed, entirely but, for the time being, the superior subjects followed GUAARD’s orders to the letter. By 1991 these superior subjects were “super soldiers” (or “Guaardians”): Early in the super soldiers’ “career” GUAARD would take contracts from the CIA, FBI, NSA and the Pentagon and would do reconnaissance and spying for them, while other super soldiers were enlisted into the United States armed forces. This would give the United States an edge over their opponents while giving GUAARD a broader spectrum; GUAARD would be able to receive information on the inside they had not had before and garner more control over world interests. Other missions were not limited to but included: coup de’tat, germ warfare, weapons trade, kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and sabotage but; they were mainly noted for their assassinations (often brutal {only if required by the contractee}).

“Third Gen.” super soldiers have sworn their allegiance to GUAARD, while GUAARD would take contracts and give orders to their “Guaardians” – once a contract was up GUAARD swore no allegiance towards the individuals who had once hired them, which made anyone fair game. This, along with the “Guaardians”, made GUAARD the most feared and coveted business on earth. And with GUAARD’s Guaardians now manipulating the globe GUAARD had become an empire. However, in the late-Eighties GUAARD realized they would be giving their creations (their Guaardians) too much autonomy over their interests, therefore they urged their scientists to develope a soldier who wasn’t a part of the Guaardians’ bloodline: enter the fourth generation.

During the early-Ninties scientific studies in genetic engineering, artificial selection, and in vitro fertilization allowed GUAARD’s scientists to be even more manipulative in the ability to structure and commodify the “perfect” human being, or in GUAARD’s case, soldier. By taking steps from generations’ two and three, they removed the breeding process and used in vitro. During in vitro scientists would manipulate the genes, removing inferior genes and replacing them with the most superior then, they would use complex compounds of chemicals such as melanin, anabolic steroids, and amphetamines accompanied with larger doses of their own “Chryso-E” then, place it into a female subject’s uterus. As expected their were many failures, miscarriages and disfigurements during the fetal stages, but this time they allowed the births to proceed and took the dead fetuses and disfigured infants and ran extensive tests until they perfected their craft. Once a disfigured infant and dead fetus was of no use to the research they would send the dead fetuses and disfigured infants to their stem-cell research labs. In 1992 their “fourth generation” subject was born: male test subject “Chryst”. Through cloning and in vitro twenty “fourth generation” children were born. Although GUAARD scientists halted births in order to control, train, sterilize, and brainwash these children throughout the early-Nineties they inevitably went back to “building” “fourth generation”  subjects while also advancing their science and techniques, which had given GUAARD a little over one hundred “fourth generation” children who are still being cultivated to this day.

“Fourth generation” children were only minorly superior to “third generation” children due to GUAARD’s interest in standardized cloning in order to give the “fourth generation” a “hive mind” understanding of who they are and what their purpose is in life; you work for GUAARD, you live for GUAARD, you are GUAARD; and therefore GUAARD’s interests were their interests. To further solidify and commodify these children, at the age of two “fourth generation” children would be delivered to GUAARD’s cybernetics department where cyber engineers would perform surgeries on the children: typical surgeries consisted of (but were not limited to) removing one eye from the child and replacing it with a bionic eye giving them enhanced capabilities such as infrared and accuracy but, more importantly to GUAARD, giving the children a subconscious reminder of who they are and who they work for – they are not human beings; they are not soldiers; they are not individuals; they are not a team – they are GUAARD. The children were taught early on that if they displayed any impulses outside of GUAARD’s interests or showed any sign of equivocation towards GUAARD they would be ostracized and then terminated. GUAARD now had their “hive children” or “fourth generation”. During this time the “third generation” was unaware of who or what “fourth generation” subjects were and continued to believe they were and would continue to be GUAARD’s only superior subjects.

Past, present, future:

With the United States, China, Russia, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, South Korea, and Brazil occupying contracts and utilizing GUAARD’s “hive children” as unrelenting war machines to secure their powers, GUAARD had also been using them to secure their own empire: Feeling virtually invincible, GUAARD’s “third generation” would now be considered their most myopic and disastrous failure in the history of the company, so GUAARD came up with “Operation Fittest”. “Operation Fittest” was GUAARD’s code name for terminating a “third” and “fourth generation” subject once they reached the age of forty-two. The program was the brainchild of top GUAARD military brass when “third generation” subjects had become obstinate, refusing orders, showing signs of conscience concern for their victims, “disappearing” from their posts and checkpoints, and not disclosing their whereabouts. In late 2010 GUAARD and GUAARD military finally decided to apply “Operation Fittest” to “third generation” subjects (even though they were not of technical age) when “third generation” subjects began to threaten GUAARD’s contractees with violence. This particular operation would require “fourth generation” subjects to locate and “remove” “third generation” subjects.