ABC's of Crimsonstreak: Letter N

N is for New World Common Wealth.

Dissatisfied with the current state of the world, Colonel Chaos decided to remake it in his image. His solution: the New World Common Wealth, a one-world government run by Chaos and his seemingly endless supply of Enforcers. Declaring himself High Imperator, Chaos stripped away the individual identities of states and entire countries, dividing the world into NWCW Regions.

A totalitarian government, the NWCW demands complete obedience from its citizens. Chaos is obsessed with total control of every facet of life, from the internet and travel to commerce and the media. As his Enforcers fight off an underground resistance from the remaining superheroes, Chaos and his minions ramp up a propaganda campaign urging citizens to "report unregistered supers."

Perhaps more alarming is the NWCW's rallying cry: "Enemies of the Common Wealth must die!"

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ABC's of Crimsonstreak: Letter K

K is for the Kiltech Incursion.

As Colonel Chaos tried to strengthen his power base, an alien species called the Kiltechs revealed itself to Earth and its leaders. Hiding behind a banner of peace, the Kiltechs organized a world peace summit...and then proceeded to slaughter everyone at the conference. Colonel Chaos barely escaped with his life.

The Kiltechs quickly launched a full-scale invasion. Colonel Chaos rallied other heroes and members of the Heroic Legion for a counterstrike, a move that ultimately repelled the invasion. The cost was great: many heroes fell and most of California was destroyed before Chaos and his forces could launch their final offensive.

With the invaders finally defeated in an epic showdown, Chaos used the momentum from his victory during the Kiltech Incursion to establish a one-world government called the New World Common Wealth.

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ABC's of Crimsonstreak: Letter J

J is for Jaci Graves.

Jaci Graves is the chief of Enforcers in Chaopolis South and a former girlfriend of Crimsonstreak. Her parents were killed during efforts by Colonel Chaos and the Heroic Legion to repel an alien invasion called the Kiltech Incursion. Grief-stricken, she joined the New World Common Wealth's Enforcer Corps.

Soon after joining the NWCW cause, she realized the global danger Chaos and his lackeys posed to world peace. She began working with the remnants of the Heroic Legion to foment an uprising, funneling key intelligence to heroes bold enough to challenge Chaos directly.

Before joining the NWCW, Jaci was also known as Boost, a superhero who augmented her flying abilities with rocket boots that gave her extra speed and maneuverability. Like Crimsonstreak, she is also a graduate of Franklin College.

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I, Crimsonstreak: Setting the Table

Today, I'm writing about setting; how locations used in the book give readers clues about the world Crimsonstreak and his friends inhabit.

Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane: In the beginning, Crimsonstreak is stuck in the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane, a prison designed to hold people with superpowers. Sensory information for our hero is minimal here, with only the occasional glimpse of a single TV providing any insight into the outside world. Crimsonstreak remarks that his cell walls are padded (or were at one point). The entire setting is meant to evoke isolation and the sense that Crimsonstreak isn't in control.

New York/New Chaos City: Crimsonstreak has visited here before, and he recalls the streets bustling with people and hot dog vendors. When he arrives there after escaping, he comments on how pristine everything looks. Few people are walking around, and our hero gets an intangible sense of fear. The city is meant to project a sense of foreboding on Crimsonstreak.

Sanctum Cometus: Spacious and loaded with all kinds of tech gear and gadgets, the home of the Crusading Comet gives Crimsonstreak a breather. He's visited the Sanctum Cometus before, and recalls some of the layout. The labs, workout facility, and stored gadgets establish that the Crusading Comet is a professional hero who takes his job seriously.

Chaopolis South/Chaopolis: While New Chaos City is a place Crimsonstreak has visited before, it's not somewhere he knows intimately. His mind can play tricks on him there. Not so in Chaopolis/Chaopolis South (Indianapolis/Greenwood, Indiana), cities the hero knows very well. Both locations have a sense of both the familiar and the unfamiliar; when things are different here, Crimsonstreak finally realizes how much the world has changed.

NWCW Administrative Center/SpecPro: Both locations are completely unfamiliar to Crimsonstreak. They're full of strange technology, shiny architecture, and ancient Rome-inspired sculptures. He can't quite get a handle on it...and neither can readers. That's the point.

Chaos' Lab: Like the Administrative Center and SpecPro, Chaos' Lab is supposed to be unfamiliar. Unlike the other locations, the lab is designed to be unsettling for Crimsonstreak. Cloning tanks, holding cells, bleak lighting...this is a place meant to give the character a bit of a freak out.

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I, Crimsonstreak: The Primer, Part II

I, Crimsonstreak: The Primer took a quick look at the main characters in the book (you can find it here).

Let's move on to The Primer: Part II, key places and concepts you'll find along the way.

Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane: Known as the "Clermont Rehabilitation Facility" to those in power, Clermont is a place reserved for the evilest of evildoers. Crimsonstreak ends up here after being framed by his father. At the beginning of the story, our hero has been imprisoned for approximately three years.

Enforcers: The sadistic prison guards and henchmen responsible for maintaining the peace (translation: beating the crap out of anyone who would dare defy Colonel Chaos). Enforcers wear bulky, matte-gray armor and carry a nasty weapon known as a particle buster.

New World Common Wealth: As countries fought over resources and ideologies, Colonel Chaos decided to step in and stop it. He quietly laid out a plan for a one-world government called the New World Common Wealth (NWCW) that would divide the world into regions, redraw borders, and strip countries of their individual identities. Many resisted Chaos' diplomatic overtures, but his persistence would eventually pay off. Several European powers still refuse to join.

Region Seven: When Chaos reorganized the United States, he placed the state of Indiana in Region Seven, an area that includes Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. Chaopolis (formerly Indianapolis) is the capital of Region Seven...and the center of government for the New World Common Wealth.

Meta-Route 65: Because he's a maniacal control freak who likes to waste time and money, Colonel Chaos ordered the reorganization of the U.S. interstate system. Meta-Route 65 is the stupid-sounding equivalent of Interstate 65, complete with pointless new signage.

High Imperator: A dictator needs a title, and Colonel Chaos drew inspiration from antiquity. Instead of declaring himself emperor, president, or tsar, Chaos took the title "High Imperator." He also likes being called the "Great One," although the latter is not his official title.

Special Projects: The research wing of Colonel Chaos' new world order, Special Projects (SpecPro) houses a variety of philanthropic endeavors including deadlier iterations of the particle buster, better Enforcer armor, and superhero depowering rays.

Kiltech Incursion: As Colonel Chaos struggled to gain global acceptance of the New World Common Wealth, aliens called the Kiltechs invaded Earth. They arrived under a banner of peace, but quickly destabilized the world after eliminating several leaders during a peace summit. Chaos rallied a large resistance against the invaders, eventually driving them away. Hailed as a hero, Chaos consolidated his power base, dissolved the provisional ruling council, and watched as other countries practically lined up to join his new world order.

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I, Crimsonstreak: The Primer

On May 15, Candlemark & Gleam unleashes my debut novel, I, Crimsonstreak, onto the world. The book is a labor of love; a tribute to bright, splashy comic book stories and superheroes, pop culture, and science fiction. It's a unique book in many regards, but the appendices in the back of the book make it stand out. Nearly 100 pages are devoted to newspaper articles, journal entries, magazine features, and character dossiers.

So let's get familiar with our main characters.

Chris Fairborne/Crimsonstreak: The son of prominent superheroes Colonel Chaos and Miss Lightspeed, Chris feels like a disappointment. His dad can fly. His mom can fly. He can't. He did, however, inherit his mother's super-speed, and is considered the world's preeminent super-speedster. The story is told through Chris' perspective; be warned that he's never met a pop culture reference he didn't like. Our adventure starts with Chris imprisoned inside the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane, where he's confined to a straitjacket after being convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Oh, by the way, his father's responsible for his imprisonment.

Colonel Chaos: Born William Avery Fairborne, Colonel Chaos is a reformed supervillain who perpetuated several different crimes against the world--things like antimatter rays and holding the world for ransom. He reformed and eventually became one of Earth's greatest defenders, marrying Miss Lightspeed and joining the Heroic Legion. After his wife's death, Chaos descended into madness and forged a one-world government called the New World Common Wealth. He also threw his son in prison, which kind of soured their father-son relationship. His powers include superstrength, flight, and genius-level intellect.

Miss Lightspeed: Born Karen Jo Watson, Miss Lightspeed emerged as one of the world's leading heroes and is responsible for stopping Colonel Chaos' rampage of terror and destruction. In an unlikely twist, Lightspeed and Chaos fell in love and eventually got married. Their union produced a son, Chris, who took the superhero name Crimsonstreak. Lightspeed died over the skies of Iowa in April 2000 during a battle with the villainous Zeus Caesar, yet she's somehow mysteriously returned to life. Her powers include flight, superstrength, and super-speed.

Crusading Comet: Not every hero has superpowers. The Crusading Comet is one of the world's longest-serving guardians, but he's not immortal. He is, in fact, a collection of men named Warren Kensington. Warren Senior, Warren Junior, Warren III, and Warren IV have all taken up the mantle of the Comet. Warren Senior and Junior died in the line of duty; Warren III--the current Comet--fights a disorganized resistance against Chaos' New World Common Wealth, and Warren IV is anxiously (not eagerly) awaiting the day in which he'll don the cape & cowl. As the New World Common Wealth takes hold, Crimsonstreak has few allies...but he can count on the Crusading Comet's heroic legacy.

Mortimer P. Willoughby: Mortimer, sometimes called "Morty" (he HATES that!), is the manservant for the Kensington family, having served under each of the reigning Crusading Comets. He has been entrusted with the education and upbringing of Warren Junior, Warren III, and Warren IV. Morty has a certain skill for electronics and subterfuge, and often runs operations for the Crusading Comet's various missions. That's all, of course, in addition to his roles as tutor, mentor, chauffeur, cook, and feather-duster. For unexplained reasons, Morty has a certain distaste for Crimsonstreak.

Jaci Graves: Former college girlfriend of one Chris Fairborne, Jaci serves the New World Common Wealth as an Enforcer. She and Chris drifted apart soon after the death of Miss Lightspeed and eventually went their separate ways. After her parents died during a counter-offensive against alien invaders, Jaci joined the New World Common Wealth, although she quickly began to doubt Colonel Chaos' leadership. Her powers include flight, which she augments with rocket-powered boots. Before the New World Common Wealth, she served as the superhero Boost.

Zeus Caesar: A super-powered titan of a man, Zeus Caesar stands 6'7" and can bench press a Mack truck. Combine this with sheer lunacy and the ability to generate/manipulate lightning, and you've got the recipe for disaster. Caesar and his Legionnaires Army marched across the Midwest in April 2000 in an attempt to mold the U.S. into another Roman Empire. Their reign of terror continued until they ran into Miss Lightspeed, who fought Caesar to a standstill before the villain jolted her with electricity. Colonel Chaos arrived too late to save his wife. Broken, he captured Caesar and transported him to the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane, where the supervillain remains.

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I, Crimsonstreak Commentary: Appendix II

Appendix II

The New World Common Wealth Era

Author’s Notes

• We’ve gotten a decent sense of what led to the New World Common Wealth, but I thought it would add value to the book by expanding on it a little bit. We get to see the rise of the NWCW through some newspaper articles.

• Colonel Chaos 2 has trouble getting the New World Common Wealth off the ground. His first move is announcing the return of Miss Lightspeed, a popular hero whose death stunned the world. He explains that an advance in medical technology allowed her to be brought back.

• The Heroic Legion basically plays the role of Joseph Kennedy in the rise of Colonel Chaos to power. They appease Chaos by throwing their support behind him, giving him much more legitimacy than he deserves.

• Samson Knight, Great Alexander, and the Amazing Merrick all have larger parts in the proposed sequel to I, Crimsonstreak.

• I think I speak for everyone when I say Gabriel Sewell can go to hell. He’s the Scarlet DashBoy of politicians.

• A brief article mentions Chris Fairborne’s return to the world. Of course, this is a clone of our hero. It may not even be the Imperator Chris from the book. We know that Chaos had dozens of Chris Fairborne clones and lamented their “imperfections.” Note that Chris is the first to utter the famous phrase, “Enemies of the Common Wealth must die!”

• I play some fake political games here. The “coalition of the wise” is a play on the “coalition of the willing” from the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Chaos’ ascension to power mirrors that of Hitler.

• By the time the West Coast is destroyed, Chaos has managed to get more countries to buy into his idea for the NWCW. There are still some holdouts, however, and not even all of the U.S. is on board.

• If you read between the lines, Colonel Chaos 2 allowed the Kiltechs to destroy the West Coast (and Jaci confirms this in the book). The sacrifice of a few to save many (and consolidate his power) is worth it to Chaos. Not everyone along the West Coast died, of course, but much of the land remained uninhabitable.

• The tone of the newspaper articles is also starting to shift. Whereas they started out as fairly neutral, you get the sense that the media is starting to rally behind Colonel Chaos. We’re not to Fox Chaopolis News levels yet, but we’re getting closer.

• By September 19, 2008, the American Times is replaced by Fox Chaopolis News. Chaos outlines his plans for “regions” and the Enforcers who will guard them. No one can stop him now.

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I, Crimsonstreak: New World Common Wealth Timeline

April 16, 2000 – Miss Lightspeed dies following an encounter with the supervillain Zeus Caesar.

2001-2005 – Chris Fairborne and Colonel Chaos become increasingly estranged as Chaos experiments with different ways to bring Miss Lightspeed back. Their father-son relationship is permanently damaged when Chaos employs a woman named Mimicry to portray his dead wife. Chaos also makes several attempts to clone Miss Lightspeed. During this time, Chaos sketches out plans for a one-world government called the New World Common Wealth.

April/May 2006 – Unable to cope with the pressure of assuming Miss Lightspeed’s form all the time, Mimicry commits suicide. Colonel Chaos experiments with an interdimensional transporter.

January 2007 – After several failures, Chaos successfully tests the interdimensional device and pulls an alternative Miss Lightspeed (Lightspeed 2) into his dimension. He hides the discovery from the rest of the world and establishes a secret base of operations in the Caribbean.

May 2007 – Alternate-reality Colonel Chaos (Colonel Chaos 2) makes his first attempt to transport himself to a new dimension to save his missing wife. The experiment results in an explosion that destroys the Fairborne family’s hometown. Chris Fairborne arrives to investigate, and Chaos 1 believes his son’s super-speed has grown unstable. To protect the world from his son’s powers, he pins the explosion on Chris and sends him to the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane. The estrangement of father and son is complete.

Mid-June 2007 – Colonel Chaos 2 successfully transports himself to the new reality. Chaos 2 and Lightspeed 2 team up on Chaos 1 and subdue him after a protracted fight. Before his defeat and capture, Chaos 1 erases his son’s existence from his computer database. Chris Fairborne’s whereabouts are lost to the world.

Late June 2007 – With Chaos 1 in stasis, Chaos 2 uncovers plans for a one-world government called the New World Common Wealth. He begins consolidating U.S. resources for a full-scale global takeover, but several nations resist.

August 2007 – First contact made with extraterrestrial beings known as the Kiltechs. Alien invaders appear peaceful at first, but eventually reveal their true intentions by slaughtering a group of world leaders during a peace conference. Chaos 2 assembles a provisional council to oversee a united resistance called the New World Common Wealth. Miss Lightspeed returns to public service. The circumstances surrounding her resurrection are murky.

August 2007-September 2008 – Chaos 2 and his forces fight against the Kiltech invaders. The Kiltechs blockade the earth, and overestimate the effectiveness of their occupying force. The miscalculation allows Chaos 2 to rally more countries and superheroes to his cause, but the alliance is shaky.

January 2008 - President Conrad assassinated.

March 2008 - Colonel Chaos welcomes his son Christopher Fairborne back, telling the world his son has been rehabilitated and is ready to serve.

September 2008 – The Kiltechs destroy the West Coast, galvanizing the resistance movement. Chaos 2 calls for a final offensive against the alien invaders. A coalition of superheroes destroys the Kiltech’s main ship, and the remaining alien force retreats. Chaos 2 dissolves the provisional council and the Heroic Legion. With his popularity at an all-time high, he redraws state and international borders as his New World Common Wealth gains power.

2010 – Chris Fairborne escapes from the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane.

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