Ever since Alex was abducted, he became obsessed with superpowers. Not only did he want to become a super-being, he wanted to become the strongest super-being.
In order to achieve that dream, Alex believed that he had to oppose the Superhero Association.
Prior to the formation of the Superhero Association, heroes would step on each other's toes as they competed to solve the same cases, and would only reluctantly team up with each other in an ad hoc manner. Resources were wasted and inefficiently allocated. There were quite a few incidents in which more powerful heroes were closing smuggling operations in the midst of an alien invasion.
The Superhero Association was formed to facilitate superhero cooperation and to efficiently allocate superhero resources. Just like one would not use a missile launcher on a fly, one would not dispatch a top rank hero to work on a kidnapping case. This ensures that the top ranked superheroes would be available to resolve more dire situations, such as natural disasters and alien invasions, while giving lower rank superheroes a chance to gain experience and popularity. Using 'big data,' the Superhero Association created a system that would maximize the chances of solving a case while minimizing the power level and rankings of the heroes assigned.
The Superhero Association creates schedules and patrol routes for their superheroes. That is to say, New Amsterdam City would still have protection even if its most powerful guardian decided to take a long vacation.
Over time, the Superhero Association has grown to become a powerful organization. Not only does the Superhero Association officially regulate, license, and sanction their superheroes, the Superhero Association also provides a base salary and pension to their members.
Retired superheroes in good standing with the Superhero Association can also take advantage of the PPP, the Powerless Protection Program. The PPP provides former superheroes with new identities, where they may live out the rest of their lives under protection.
Most importantly, the Superhero Association negotiates and vets corporate sponsorship for their superheroes, taking a mere 10% cut for their troubles.
The problem with the Superhero Association is that the more popular and well-connected heroes have a monopoly on the choicest cases. This has led to stratification of the top ranks. It is difficult for a lower rank hero to obtain cases that would increase his heroic popularity, and therefore powers, beyond a certain point.
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After the evening news segment aired, Alex sent out a tweet.
Alex's tweet criticized the failed rescue attempt: that the Superhero Association misjudged the threat level of the hijackers, and that the assigned superheroes possessed neither the intelligence nor ability to save the hostages.
Alex's tweet had numerous retweets. The public needed someone to blame for the tragedy and it wasn't enough to blame the superheroes who botched the rescue.
If Alex had made that tweet a few months ago, people would ignore him. But now, with the success and influence of The Successor, many people regard Alex as an industry insider who understands the ills of the superhero system. As such, the tweet made sense.
As a result, the angry public began to vent their anger on the Superhero Association and its superheroes.
The public cursed, "why didn't the Superhero Association send stronger superheroes to rescue the hostages" and "why didn't stronger superheroes take the initiative to rescue the hostages?"
Although everything was done in accordance with their normal rules and procedures, the Superhero Association had trouble saying so, because it would seem like they're making excuses for their incompetence.
Although the Superhero Association has repeatedly apologized for the tragedy, the public's anger refuses to abate.
It was then that Alien Axe, the heir to Psi-Axe's power and third highest ranked superhero, sent out a tweet.
"Stay in your lane," tweeted Alien Axe.
Alien Axe's tweet reminded people that while Alex might be able to accurately judge and analyze who is "superhero material," he is, at most, a judge on a superhero talent show and that:
1) Alex was never a hero.
2) Alex never resolved a criminal case.
3) Alex doesn't understand the situations that superheroes are placed in.
The most apt analogies making their rounds on the internet was "just because someone can recognize good music, doesn't mean that they know how to sing or play a musical instrument."
Alien Axe's one tweet derailed Alex's plans.
Alex had hoped that the blotched hostage incident would have allowed him to "righteously" comment more on superhero-related events in the future. If a case was resolved successfully, Alex's social media accounts would have reviewed the successful experience in detail and praised the superhero(es) who successfully resolved the case. If a case failed, Alex's social media accounts would have reviewed the failed experience in detail and made a violent attack on the superhero(es) who failed and/or the Superhero Association. Of course, these reviews would have all been created by Alex's team of experts. Alex's intention was to create detailed, professional, and down-to-earth reviews of superhero actions,and, by leveraging that, be able to deepen the faith his fans have for him and have a platform from which he can attack and criticize the Superhero Association.
Additionally, Alex would have coyly refused to debut as a superhero until after a "personal tragedy," such as the death of one of his former apprentices. That way, Alex can appear to be noble and inspired, especially compared to people who became superheroes for fame and fortune.
But now, in order to get the right to criticize other superheroes and the Superhero Association, Alex has to accelerate his plans to debut as an unlicensed superhero. As the name implies, an unlicensed superhero is not a member of the Superhero Association. For the average superhero, joining the Superhero Association is the only choice, because not joining means that there is no money, no mission, and no protection.
However, Alex's father, and by extension, Alex, is rich.
With his vast wealth and political acumen, Ryan is shielded from normal criminals and most "supervillains."
Furthermore, Alex can easily hire criminals through intermediaries, and by knowing their actions in advance, perfectly stop their crimes.
As an unlicensed vigilante, the Superhero Association would be unable to "forcefully assign" missions to Alex. Even if the Superhero Association "delegates" a mission to Alex, Alex can always claim to be unaware of the mission- or that he found out about it too late. By picking and choosing the missions he participates in, and by having his intermediaries buy-off criminals, Alex is certain that he can obtain close to a 100% success rate on his missions. This will give him the ability to evaluate and criticize missions that he did not participate in.
Although there are some problems with being an unlicensed vigilante, most notably cooperation with law enforcement, lawsuits from injured parties, and property damage caused by superheroics; Alex is confident that he can navigate those issues.
Thus, Alex took steps to implement his modified plan.
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A week later. New Amsterdam City.
Wearing a short-sleeve black polo shirt, scarf, and khakis, Alex walks down the streets of SoHo ("South of Houston" Street). A mix of high-end designer stores and mid to low-end shops dot the neighborhood.
Alex is listening to an in-ear headphone in his left ear.
" Bzzt . Target is running up Lafayette. Over."
The "target" is Trall, an eight foot tall muscular supervillian with purple skin, green costume, and the powers of super strength and enhanced durability. Wanted for murder, rape, and cannibalism, Trall miraculously escaped the secure van transporting him to the Psi-Solar correctional facility and has been laying low in Little Italy, that is, until two heavily tattooed Asian men showed up and wounded him.
Now Trall is running for his life, unaware that he is being herded toward Alex.
As for the heroes who would be normally patrolling the area, they are currently distracted by a brazen heist seven blocks away.
As Alex makes his way to intercept Trall, he suddenly hears a Stop thief! behind him.
Spinning around, Alex sees a man, holding a purse, running away from an angry old lady and two police officers.
I don't have time for this , thinks Alex as he clenches his fist.
The purse-snatcher's shoelace suddenly unties itself and encircles his leg, causing him to stumble, trip, and fall.
Alex puts his feet on the snatcher's head and retrieves the purse.
"Thank you, young man," says the old lady as Alex hands her the purse. "You look familiar... oh! I've seen your show, you're that judge... mentor."
Alex's in-ear headphone goes off, " bzzt . Target is running on Spring toward Greene. Over."
Alex curtly says to the old lady, "sorry. I have to go," as he runs off.
A few minutes later.
Alex is on Spring Street watching Trall lumber toward him. Trall constantly looks behind himself as he runs.
Alex throws his scarf in the air and rushes toward Trall.
The scarf wraps around Trall's face, obscuring his vision.
Angrily, Trall yanks the scarf off, only to feel a mighty blow land on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
"Oof," says Trall as he takes a step back.
Streams of crackling electricity and sparks of energy encircle Alex's fist as he rains blow upon blow upon Trall.
"Who the fuck are you," rages Trall. "Get out of my way!!"
Swinging wildly, Trall loses his balance as he overextends.
"Wha.." as Trall is planted face first into the ground, then smashed into a building…
Seeing red, Trall charges Alex, only to be redirected into a parked car... and kicked into another building.
The air is thick with ozone as Alex continues to rain blow upon blow upon Trall..
After a few minutes of this one sided beating, Trall collapses on his knees, completely subdued.
And it was all caught on camera.
-----
The next morning.
On the TV show, The Many. One of the many entertainment-masquerading-as-news shows on MinxNews.
The Many is composed of four middle aged white men (John Brownsmith, Greg Dumas, Erick Moensen, and William Tuphor), one token white woman in her early 30s (Debbie Brookes), and one token minority of Hispanic and African descent in his 60s (Romeo Jimenez).
The white folks have just finished shouting down Romeo for saying "cancel culture is just boycotting, and people have been doing that for hundreds of years."
"Lots of crime here in the Big Orange yesterday," says Debbie. "But it looks like New Amsterdam City has a new defender. Let's take a look."
The Many shows footage of Alex catching the purse-snatcher, and footage of Alex subduing Trall.
"Judgementor?!? Judgementor?!? My five year old can come up with a better name than that," exclaims Greg.
"I do not believe it is Alexander's hero name", William says softly, "it is merely a misunderstanding".
"Ah agree with Greg," John admits. "It's uh stupid name."
"So like, what are his powers, man?" Asks Erick.
"Well… obviously lighting, and superstrength…" responds Debbie. "Didn't you see this?"
The Many replays the footage of Alex kicking Trall into a building.
"I don't know, it looks like some sort of power fist, or kick, to me," theorizes Romeo.
"Ah say combat mastery," interjects John. "Makes sense as he's wunna thuh judges".
"I can't believe it's been half a year since The Successor first aired," reminisces Romeo. "Where does the time go?"
"That was a great show," gushes Debbie.
"The Rejects are doing well," remarks Romeo.
"Not Berig, hay changed managers again," replies John.
"Old news," corrects Erick. "He fired his last manager and went back to East Thervingia."
"Fired?!? Fired?!? What's he going to do without a manager?" Greg screeches annoyingly.
"I do not care to guess," replies William.
"Hey... Anyone remember Alex's abduction video?" Asks Debbie. "What ever happened to it?"
"Probly scrubbed frum thuh internet," answers John. "Yawl know how rich folk are."
"Shame about Sonic Boom,". says Romeo. "He was a good hero."
"You know what he is?" Greg asks as he makes an L with his fingers and puts it over his forehead. "A big loser".
***
With a loud smash , an unopened can of beer shatters the TV.
Sonic Boom angrily sweeps his TV dinner off the TV tray before laying back down on the sofa of his crappy apartment.
Sonic Boom's apartment isn't crappy because of the amenities, it's crappy because of the neighbors.
The now powerless Sonic Boom has taken advantage of the PPP and assumed a new identity in a new location; he is now Robert Beniamino living in Kansas City, Missouri. And Robert Beniamino hates his new neighbors. Whether it's the junior enlisted who plays loud music late until the crack of dawn, or the junior enlisted who is constantly arguing with his wife. The junior enlisted are allegedly there to work in the Army Recruiting Battalion in Kansas City, but they've been told that they're really there to "secretly" protect the neighborhood; they just don't know why.
"I'm an E3, I can't afford day-care," Robert utters to himself as he imitates the junior enlisted. "I make less than 25k a year. Day care is $600 a month."
"Well, I don't want to be a stay-at-home mom," replies Robert as he imitates the nagging of the soldier's wife.
"Nag nag nag.... nag nag nag... damn Superhero Association," Robert curses. "what's taking them so long to get my money?"
Sonic Boom had acquired millions in assets during his superhero career. Unfortunately Robert is unable to access any of it. The Superhero Association has to take extra steps to ensure the assets won't be traced- powerless former superheroes are prime targets for the criminal underworld.
"God damn it!!" hollars Sonic Boom.
"Thriced Damn Followers of the Rot," mutters the former hero.
"... D-d-amned hostages..." whimpers Robert.
Robert puts his hands to his face, and weeps.