The London Phantom: A Superhero Webnovel

London is an old city.

It has survived floods, fires, plagues and the man-made smog of industry. It has stood firm against the armies of Vikings, Saxons, Normans and the aerial might of the Luftwaffe. It has borne witness to dynsatic feuds, civil wars, military occupation and the sin of regicide. Through all these disasters the city has survived not through force of arms, though its walls were once the envy of the world, but through adapting to the times. Enemies become dependant on the city, and the wealth of the world that flows through it, and so become new allies. If the rulers change, then the city welcomes them with open arms, and open lines of credit. In this way the city seeks to preserve its ancient rights and position of power.

Superheroes are a new phenomenon.

The first superpowered man walked out of the Nevada desert in 1950, and the world was forever changed. Across the planet, men and women with exceptional abilities made themselves known. At first, they were little more than another source of fear in the era of Mutually Assured Destruction, but over time attitudes changed and the concept of the Superhero was created in the city of Los Angeles. From there the phenomenon spread across the globe; superheroes went from being feared arms of the state to a symbol of hope in these maddening times.

Times have changed.

Sixty years from the emergence of the first superhero, the City of London stands on a precipice. Two years have passed since the madman Fawkes nearly brought down the United Kingdom and the remnants of the Bow Street Runners, London's premier superhero team, are struggling to keep order in a city that seems on the brink of collapse. London stands on a knife's edge, with criminal organisations that once stuck to the shadows becoming more bold, and ancient powers from myth and legend making themselves known.

Alexander Laszewski has recently 'awakened' and has become entirely unremakable, effectively making himself invisible to the world. He must use his newfound power to navigate a city on the edge of collapse. If only he could figure out how to turn it off.