Battle of Detroit

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The Battle of Detroit is a significant in-game crisis event in the world of Champions Online which establishes the history of Millennium City through the destruction of Detroit.

Doctor Destroyer carrying out the final phase of his plan.

Story History

The "Battle of Detroit" began on July 22nd, 1992, when students from the mystical Ravenswood Academy discovered the secret hideout of Doctor Destroyer. Realizing that it was only a matter of time before the heroes would be alerted and storm in, Destroyer initiated his "ultimate plan" of death and destruction for a world that has long scorned his genius.

He activated his Meteor Magnet, a device that would pull iron-laced meteors from the Asteroid Belt to the Earth. At the same time, he summoned all of his minions, from super-villains like Grond and Glacier, to mega-monsters like Mega-Terak, to his mass-produced Desteroid army. His forces would keep the heroes busy until the meteors arrived.

The Earth's heroes mobilized on a two-part assault. While space-capable heroes raced to stop the meteors, the rest of the heroes took on Destroyer's minions. The space team managed to successfully stop the meteors, though at a cost.

The ground forces had much better luck, especially when the remaining space-based heroes joined in. On the morning of July 23rd, they stormed Destroyer's stronghold. The battle lasted for much of an hour, with a staggering number of heroes being killed in the exchange.

Finally the heroes managed to pin down Destroyer. But rather than surrender, Destroyer unleashed the final phase of his plan.

"If Destroyer must fall, he will fall to his own hand, not to his enemies!" - final recorded words of Dr. Albert Zerostoiten, a.k.a. Doctor Destroyer

A previously unknown space-based laser cannon was activated and targeted Destroyer's lair. The blast destroyed the lair and much of the riverside section of Detroit. Destroyer, as well as all of the heroes and villains in the area, were believed to be vaporized.

The fireball reached out through much of Downtown and Renaissance Center, destroying everything in its path. Windows as far away as City Hall were shattered from the blast. Homes and businesses were destroyed from the shock-wave. The death-toll was measured in the thousands.

With almost all of the heroes killed in the blast, resources were stretched thin for rescue and containing the raging firestorm. Looting was rampant, causing ordinary citizens to take the law into their own hands to protect their own property.

Aftermath

The city was declared a disaster area on July 23rd. Surviving members of the Detroit City Council met in August and were informed that the city was too badly damaged for it to continue. City services were non-existent. Even with federal assistance, the city would not be able to survive.

After meeting with representatives from the United States government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and several major financial and business leaders, the decision was made to dissolve the City of Detroit, and to start fresh with Millennium City.

The ruins of Destroyer's facility was salvaged and turned into the Battle of Detroit Museum, located in the rebuilt Downtown area not far from the new U.N.T.I.L. Headquarters. The curator assures people that all of Doctor Destroyer's devices on display have been rendered inert.

Controversies

Although it was believed that Doctor Destroyer was killed in the final battle, he has since reappeared at various times in the years that followed. We have no idea if this really is Dr. Albert Zerostoiten or someone pretending to be him. He has been known to use decoys in the past and to employ many people to serve as his key lieutenant, Black Talon.

In addition, there are some that believe that Zerostoiten had no intention of killing himself or taking out Detroit in the final battle. According to one of the early followers who wore the Black Talon mech-suit, Zerostoiten had originally targeted Washington D.C., but that some other entity overrode his controls and targeted the laser at Detroit. Zerostoiten's statement, then, would be one of resignation, not of determination.

Related Information

(Please see "Destroyerology 101" in Champions Online Wiki for more information.)

The ghosts of the fallen heroes continue to haunt Millennium City every year during the Blood Moon Event.