Halcyon

"Every villain is the hero of their own story."

Originally announced under the name of 'Utopian', Halcyon is a new superhero comic published by Image, premiering in November of 2010.

The premise seems simple: what would superheroes do without crime? Super-team Halcyon is destined to find out - their world has mysteriously become 'nicer' exponentially over the last nine months. Crime is practically at an end. Armed conflict has diminished to the point on non-existence. The 'would be ruler of the world' and Halcyon's primary enemy just turned himself in on television. What happens to them now? Are they out of a job?

The series is co-written by Marc Guggenheim (Amazing Spider-Man) and Tara Butters (Reaper) with art by Ryan Bodenheim (Red Mass for Mars) and Alisa Tager (Serenity).

Halcyon provides examples of:

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• Chest Insignia: A notable lack of them.
• Cool Mask: Both versions of Oculus that have appeared are wearing featureless, head encompassing metal masks with eye holes.
• The Cowl: Sabre.
  • Deconstructed. Sabre is shown to be boderline psychopathic, which is why he's the one who has the hardest time adjusting to a perfect world.
• Heroic Build: Obviously for the gents - but on Triumph?
• Everything's Better with Monkeys: Enos is a 'cybernetically enhanced space chimp'.
• Flying Brick: Zenith, the World's Greatest Hero.
• Licked by the Dog: Sabre is described as a 'homicidal vigilante' (by one of his teammates no less!), but his dog likes him so he can't be all bad.
• Meaningful Name: Superhero naming convention aside, 'Halcyon' means 'peaceful' or 'calm'.
  • The original name of the comic was Utopian, which became the name of a city in the book.
• Mass Super-Empowering Event: Not one but two versions of Oculus describe attempting to use a 'metabomb' in their reality.

Oculus From Reality 2439-Gamma: [It] had the unfortunate and unforeseen effect of increasing the world's population of Super-Powereds by thirteen percent. Halcyon's membership is already up to six-eighty and counting.

• Most Common Superpower: Both of the ladies, natch.
• The Multiverse: All versions of Oculus appear to be able to move through this freely. They even have a safe haven in Reality 4587-Beta.
• Painting the Fourth Wall: Null 'speaks' through what appear to be black narration boxes.
• Playing with Fire: Agni, also a case of a Super God.
• Start of Darkness: The entire story was one for Sabre. It turns out that he's so hell-bent on having someone to fight, he'll even fight a perfect world. Oculus knew this, giving all his resources to Sabre, who has become the new Oculus at the end.
• Super Soldier: Jarhead.
• Super Speed: Transom.
• Sugar Bowl: The whole world seems to be becoming one!
• You Gotta Have Pink Hair: Triumph sports magenta hair down to her mid-back.