Post by Cristian Orozco on Nov 5, 2017 1:06:28 GMT
Avalon
Overview:
Avalon is, in short, the British version of the National Heroes' Association, although they would claim it's the other way around, as Avalon was founded a few years before the NHA. Their mission is to conduct further research on metatanium and meta-humans, and to defend the people of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations from superpowered threats foreign and domestic. It also serves a law enforcement purpose, and in this capacity they are tasked with handling detention for renegade meta-humans and monsters created by metatanium poisoning that are captured alive.
The British government founded Avalon not terribly long after the disastrous results of the first metatanium experiments, when superpowered individuals began to surface in the United Kingdom. Their initial task of investigating and studying metatanium, its effects, and developing countermeasures to the resulting mutations and abilities was eventually joined with a field division for training and deploying British superheroes and field agents, once it became apparent the meta-human population was large enough for this to be a viable endeavour. British meta-humans are not required by law to join Avalon, although the government tends to insist on it as a good idea, and in the modern day Avalon offers training courses for those who don't want to join up, but do want to learn to use their powers safely. It is, however, required to register with the government as a meta-human, and to make one's powers known; this is an unpopular law, and it isn't unheard of for meta-humans to simply hide their powers and refuse to register. As many do this as an act of protest as to do get away with committing crimes. There are some independent "superhero" groups in the UK as well; these groups tend to enjoy a tenuous alliance with Avalon, given that while their assistance is appreciated, their actions do count as vigilantism, and several of these heroes refuse to register.
Structure:
Like the NHA does in America, Avalon maintains branch offices in the various major cities of the United Kingdom, and its overall main headquarters is located in Cornwall. Recruits are drawn from (and branches are being set up in) all Commonwealth nations, and Avalon also accepts recruits from the Republic of Ireland and their own organisation, the Gardaí Spiorad.
Outside the Research and Development division and the meta-human recruits, other Avalon agents include the best and brightest from various military and intelligence groups in the Commonwealth, although primarily drawing from the British special forces. Such men and women serve as guards at Avalon bases, provide training and advice to new recruits and act as field agents themselves.
Avalon is technically part of the British military, and makes use of military and intelligence support on operations, but exists outside the usual command structure, reporting directly to the Queen. This is a matter of some controversy within the realm, and there is a persistent rumour that a faction exists within Avalon that seeks to restore the Crown to true executive power. Other concerns include the fact that Avalon being a part of the British government inherently creates certain conflicts of interest. Their emblem is Excalibur rising from the lake. The emblem, name and location are all deliberate, as Avalon’s founders drew from Arthurian myth in a symbolic gesture.