Projects 23 & 24

During the Second World War the United States attempted to counter Hitler’s ever-grown collection of Supers through the mass-manufacture of Super-soldiers. Project 23 was initially deemed the most successful, and quickly followed by Project 24. Project 23 successfully blended Owl DNA into Human subjects. The Owl DNA had undergone a RPT (Rapid Evolution Treatment). After a few days of tests, Project 23 had taken a handful of volunteer soldiers and turned them into a unit of winged commandos. There was one side effect, due to the RPT regular treatments were required to stop the transformation at the optimum time. With the 1st Winged Company (the Owlmen) in the air, the United States government enacted Project 24. Using the same data as 23, 24 was designed to eliminate the need for regular anti-RPT treatments. It was hoped that the use of caterpillars would achieve this. Project 23 did produce the 2nd Winged Company (the Mothmen), it did not eliminate the need for treatments. After the end of World War II, the Mothmen and Owlmen returned to society only to find themselves growing increasingly immune to the treatments. The result was monstrous predators which stalked the mid-western United States for decades to come.

Owlman

Project 23 was a long time ago. But the Supervillian, Chimera, managed to dig up its research. Super-science had come a long way since World War II, and so Chimera assumed he could iron out a lot of the kinks and problems in the Owlman process. All he needed was a test subject. Robert Blake was a gambler deep in dept to the Mikos family. Going with Chimera turned his luck around. Becoming Owlman gave him a job as a Supervillian for the family. Now doing special jobs for the Mikos family, chiefly handling the Supers when they come calling, Owlman is a real life urban legend. Owlman is good friends with the other Mikos super-thug, Mothman.

Mothman

When Chimera perfected Project 23, the Mikos family were happy wit the result of Owlman. One in particular was Steel Armstrong. Born at the end of the war, Steel’s parents had been active participants in Power Culture. Believing themselves to have Superpowers, they renamed their family name Armstrong and dubbed their newborn son Steel.

All his life, people assumed Steel had Superpowers. Everyday his parents bugged him about when his Powers would manifest. They’d argued over what origin he’d have, and made him wear ridiculous costume after costume. For that reason, Steel made sure he fell in with the Mikos family. Hating Superheroes and volunteering for every opportunity to take down a cape, Steel saw the potential Chimera offered the family. He didn’t even care what this ‘Project 24’ business would do to him, only that it’d bring more capes. Since becoming Mothman, Steel’s hatred of Supers has lessened somewhat- as if filling the psychological gap in his soul by becoming one -and Steel has even become fast-friends with Owlman.