The Forgotten Age
A generation before the dawn of the Modern Age of Heroes there was a brief resurgence of costumed heroes of villains. Inspired by tales of past heroes, this Forgotten Age saw a handful of masked vigilantes and costumed heroes emerge, mainly in the United States. The Age would end in tragedy, and historians would dismiss it as a passing fad, a reaction to nostalgia for the Golden Age, forgotten by all.
Fun and Games
It was a period of nostalgia for the heroes of the past, or at least for the idealized version based on the stories handed down over the decades. For most of the heroes, and the villains, the whole thing was seen as almost a game, a strange hobby. In many major cities, primarily on the American east coast, men and women would dress up as costumed "heroes" and "villains" and engage in public battles with one another. The villains would commit crimes, and the heroes would try and stop them. One team of heroes was the Justice Experience, operating out of Gotham City and other east coast cities (one member of the team, the Bronze Wraith, was in reality the shape changing Martian J'onn J'onzz). The west coast was not bereft of new heroes either, in Vanity City there was the duo Mr. America and Liberty Lass, a married couple who famously did not know each others' true identities.
It was not all an act, however. There were many instances of legitimate heroes, individuals and teams who would take their role and responsibility seriously. There were still the sorts of threats that superheroes were well-equipped to deal with, and groups like the Freedom Brigade were up to the task.
Truth and Consequences
This brief new age of heroes came to an end in blood and fire. During one of the battles between the Justice Experience and their "archenemies" the House of Pain an innocent bystander was killed. The death was ruled an accident, but the woman's husband blamed heroes and villains alike. A brilliant engineer, the man turned his skill to gaining revenge. He began to stalk costumed heroes and villains, learning their patterns, and even their true identities and where they lived and he hunted his targets one by one, murdering them. Each time the authorities thought they were close to catching him they would find his lairs rigged with deadly booby traps, leading the media to dub him Dr. Trap. His killing spree continued unabated until finally several members of the Justice Society once more came out of retirement and were able to capture him. The damage was done, however, and this Forgotten Age of Heroes came to an abrupt end.
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