When David was a child, a red star appeared in the sky. Its sudden appearance resulted in all kinds of people gaining superpowers in an event that, along with the star, became known as Calamity. The United States government gave up on trying to control these powerful beings, dubbed “Epics,” and the country quickly descended into gang warfare. The most powerful Epics took control of large swathes of land and subjugated lesser Epics to help them maintain their power, usually by either acting as enforcers or by offering some useful service, such as generating electrical power or creating the perfect weather for crops. Though initially, many people were convinced that heroes would emerge from among the Epics, this belief grew less and less popular as more and more Epics exhibited a complete disregard for human life, killing with no repercussions from the ruling Epics who believed themselves above ordinary humans.