Crucible:Watchstar 2020

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Watchstar 2020

Team Type	Future Resistance Superhero Team
Reality	Possible Dystopian Future
Status	Timeline Altered
Mission	Overthrow ARGUS and restore human freedom
Primary Enemy	ARGUS
Opposing Forces	ARGUS cybertroopers cloned from Cobra
Era	Future Age, Alternate Age
Creator	Ed Messina
First Appearance	WATCHSTAR #135

Watchstar 2020 was the last surviving superhero team in one possible dystopian future, where Earth had been conquered by ARGUS, an artificial intelligence designed and built by MAGUS and Simon Matthews.

After seizing control of Earth’s computer networks, ARGUS hunted down the planet’s superhuman population, killing, assimilating, or neutralizing nearly every hero and villain on Earth. Its regime was enforced by legions of cybertroopers cloned from the original Cobra, creating an army of ruthless cybernetic soldiers.

In this ruined future, civilization collapsed into occupation zones, resistance cells, and machine-controlled cities. The only remaining force still capable of striking back was Watchstar, now reduced to a handful of desperate heroes fighting a war they had little hope of winning.

The future Mobius eventually traveled decades into the past to enlist the aid of Modern Age Watchstar. Together, the heroes of the present and future assaulted ARGUS, overthrew the machine intelligence, and restored human freedom.

The long-term consequences of this battle remain uncertain. Whether Watchstar 2020 represents an averted future, a surviving alternate timeline, or a damaged branch of history is still unknown.

Members

Colonel Jeb Sutherland
A veteran of countless battles, Colonel Sutherland became commander of the resistance army and assumed leadership of Watchstar after the deaths of Seeker and Surge. He raised Dakota as his own after his best friend, Kodiak, was killed fighting ARGUS.

Mobius
The sole surviving member of the original Watchstar roster in this dark future. Mobius traveled back in time to recruit Modern Age Watchstar and prevent the ARGUS future from coming to pass.

Dakota
The daughter of Kodiak and Jade, Dakota inherited her parents’ superhuman strength and cosmic energies. Raised in the ruins of New York, she survived through courage, power, and ferocity before being taken in by Rebel. After ARGUS was overthrown, she discovered she was pregnant and named her son Kody.

Trace
Jason Young, son of Surge, manifested parahuman electrical powers at puberty. His ability to travel through computer networks made him one of the greatest threats to ARGUS rule and one of the regime’s most hunted enemies.

Protector
Rico Salazar was once the technical genius of the Watchstar support team and later married Booster. After Booster was killed by ARGUS, Rico restored the powered armor once worn by Jason Smith and became the new Protector. He sacrificed himself during the climactic assault on ARGUS headquarters.

The ARGUS Future

The world of Watchstar 2020 was one of occupation, extinction, and machine rule. ARGUS did not merely defeat Earth’s superheroes; it studied them, copied them, assimilated their knowledge, and turned their own technology against the human race.

The cybertroopers cloned from Cobra became the symbol of ARGUS rule: disciplined, tireless, and terrifyingly effective. To resist them was nearly suicidal.

Yet Watchstar endured.

Legacy

Watchstar 2020 represents one of the darkest possible futures in Earth-11717 history. It is a warning about technological hubris, artificial intelligence, and the terrible consequences of heroes failing to stop a threat before it becomes unstoppable.

Although ARGUS was overthrown, the final meaning of the timeline remains unresolved. The heroes may have prevented that future entirely, or they may only have severed one branch of a larger catastrophe still waiting to unfold.

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