The Apocalypse was a shadowy organization that formed in the final months of the Shadow Years. On on April 17, 2322, they announced their existence with the now famous Ultimatum:
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“Peoples of the world - you appear bent upon the destruction of a civilization that has taken centuries to build, and the extinction of life on earth.” “If that is your will ... so be it!” “We, the Apocalypse, demand an immediate cessation of this insane violence, or we will end it for you with a force you cannot conceive.” “We have the power!” “The choice is yours!” |
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The exact identities or locations of The Apocalypse were never known. Theories ranged form disillusioned scientists, to a special military group or government conspiracy. For the time being, most people thought it was a prank or a cry for peace. Despite that, the terrorism and bloody skirmishes that highlighted the Shadow Years continued without pause. Five days after their ultimatum, at exactly 1200 GMT the capital city of every nation in the world was turned into a crater of radioactive slag.
The Apocalypse spoke to the world one more time:
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“People of the world, you have been warned. We have the power! The choice is yours!” |
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It is believed that the attacks resulted in a truce between all surviving terrorist factions and vigilante groups to deal with the greater threat of The Apocalypse, were they managed to discover their hidden base, and preform a massive joint military operation to take them out. Whatever the outcome was, The Apocalypse retaliated with a fury never before witnessed on the face of the earth. Oceans boiled, continents buckled, the skies blazed with the light of unbelievable energies.
It was all over, and the world was trusted into the Black Years.