The members of what would become UN PEACE were all delegates to the First International United Nations Superheroic Youth Day event. During the Secretary General's speech, rogue Middle Eastern supervillains led by "Doc Scud" staged an assassination attempt. Due to the quick thinking and able teamwork of Blindspot, Chimera, Navy, and Rime, the supervillains were turned back and Doc Scud was captured.
The team's first mission, in the fall of 1996, took them to Rwanda to investigate the refugee camp situation. On the way to the camps, they faced a group of Algerian terrorists at Orly Airport in Paris. Emoticon, the French projective empath, was on the scene but went down under terrorist fire before UN PEACE saved the day. When he recovered, he volunteered to join the team on their mission as they had joined him in defeating the terrorists, and the newly strengthened group went on to Rwanda.
In the camp, UN PEACE quickly made themselves useful in the medical effort, showing that superheroic powers can be used in healing as well as in battle. But they had not forgotten their mission, and soon uncovered the supervillain warlord of the gangs terrorizing the camp. With a sad farewell to the UN medical personnel on the scene, they escorted the key members of the gang to the Rwandan border, turning them over to justice.
Their triumphant return to New York was interrupted by yet another terrorist attack; this one came in flight, as a group of well-armed criminals attempted to take control of their plane. Once again, UN PEACE leapt into action. The criminals learned that UN PEACE is not a force to be trifled with -- and in a wholly unexpected development, a former member of Team One joined the team in defeating the hijackers.
Yes, the superhero turned supervillain Key was, by chance, a fellow passenger on the plane -- and perhaps due to the example set by UN PEACE, her final battle was fought on the side of the law. Regrettably, she died soon after the airplane landed, due to internal injuries. After her funeral, a shaken UN PEACE returned to New York at last, saddened but unbowed.
Their next mission took the team to Russia, weakened by the temporary loss of Navy, who was still recovering from injuries suffered in the hijacking attempt. A pair of Japanese supervillains, Tengu and Black August, had taken over the small island of Kunashiri in hopes of returning it to Japanese sovereignty. The Japanese government immediately requested the assistance of the United Nations in resolving this issue. The Security Council responded by sending the Canadian diplomat Natalie Fields, with UN PEACE as her escort.
They arrived to find that the Russian superteam known as the Democratic Patriot Force (formerly the October Patriot Force) had beaten them to the island, and was engaged in an all out battle with the Japanese pair. Outnumbered and underpowered, UN PEACE nonetheless bravely entered the fray, battling to keep both supervillains and superheros apart long enough to listen to reason. The outcome was in doubt until the famed Japanese team Moon Blossom Zeta Force arrived to aid their fellow teens; with the additional assistance, they were able to separate the battling superheros and supervillains long enough for a compromise to be reached.
Once again, the example of cooperation and rational negotiation set by UN PEACE had brought respite to a seemingly endless battle. Triumphant, they returned to their home ground in New York (not without a few backwards glances at the lovely members of Moon Blossom Unit Zeta) to prepare for a ceremony in America's White House: the President of the United States wanted to meet this exciting new team.
It was, perhaps, lucky for him that he did. During the ceremony on the White House lawn, a lone gunwoman made an assault on the President. UN PEACE moved into action, restraining the gunwoman long enough for the Secret Service to take her into custody. While one Secret Service agent was hurt by an errant blast of water during the fray, Secret Service spokesman Jay Hastings assured the world that the Secret Service was glad UN PEACE had been present; in return, Rime observed that she felt the team had learned a valuable lesson that day and that no member of the team had any doubt that the matter would have been resolved with no injury to the President even had UN PEACE not been at the scene.
The winter holidays now well upon them, UN PEACE found that criminals do not share their respect for the season. Their Christmas party (attended by the New York Rangers, who have become almost mentors to the young team; by Pax, whose rich experience is a beacon for UN PEACE; and by their friends and family) was disrupted by a mysterious visitor whose purposes are still under investigation.
Mere days later, the team found themselves on the spot on New Year's Eve, as catastrophe threatened New York's famous Snap Drop. Minutes before midnight, a blimp drifted out of control and towards the hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Times Square -- and as the team flew to save the day, a superheroic battle broke out. While details are still not available to the public, it appears that Doc Scud and his minions sought revenge on UN PEACE; they were, however, to have no luck that day.
With the aid of their newest member (now sadly retired), Ravenfire, the team brought the blimp under control, captured most of those responsible for the outrage, and in a thrilling display of coolness under fire, diverted a plummeting helicopter from disaster. While Navy and Rime guided the blimp out to sea, the remaining members of the team took a moment to enjoy the Snap Drop.
The following day, during the New Year's Day Parade, Doc Scud's remaining teammates struck again -- this time, turning one of the world's beloved icons into an instrument of destruction, as the giant Centurion balloon animated and attacked the UN PEACE float. Once again, the assault was turned away, and another Iranian supervillain -- the Republican Guard -- was taken into custody.
After a short rest, UN PEACE volunteered to accompany the captured Iranian to Fort Cheer Prison. During the trip, a group of supervillain mercenaries attempted to free the Republican Guard; UN PEACE drove them off, capturing the noted supervillain Photon in the process, and acting on information provided by Photon pursued the nearby Iraqi Attack Pack north. After an arduous battle, the Pack was taken into custody, and the danger they represent was removed from the world.
Their next duty was far more somber. Team One, accompanied by several of the New York Rangers, had gone to the Arctic to investigate rumors of trouble some time before the capture of the Attack Pack; by the time UN PEACE turned the Pack over to law enforcement officials, Team One had been missing for quite some time. UN PEACE, relatively underpowered next to the US national superhero team, nonetheless chose to go north to try and find out what was going on.
Meeting the Democratic Patriot Force, who had also come to investigate matters, the young superheros discovered the remains of a terrible battle. Only a gigantic crater was left to tell the story of what had happened; Centurion, Slipstream, and Doc Thunderbolt had perished while saving the world from an alien threat. There was also some evidence that Moon Blossom Zeta Force, the young Japanese superteam, had aided in the effort. Rockette was the sole survivor of the original expedition.
Much saddened, UN PEACE returned to New York for a period of rest and recuperation. Still in mourning, but recognizing that the needs of the world cannot be forever put aside, the youthful five flew to Cambodia on the request of the Cambodian government to capture Pol Pot and bring him before an international tribunal. The mission went smoothly, demonstrating the value of teamwork and the speed with which superheros from disparate cultures can learn to work together.
The remainder of the spring was spent in rest and public appearances; UN PEACE considers their duties as inspirations to the youth of the world as important as the more typical superheroic duties. As part of this effort, Vantage Comics was chosen as the official UN PEACE comics publisher. The team also made their sad farewells to Princess Mira, as she decided that her country needed her presence and left the team.
This relatively placid period in the lives of UN PEACE was interrupted by Wavemistress, underwater supervillainess supreme. The team took Memorial Day off to visit Navy's family in New Jersey. While out sailing, they were attacked by Wavemistress. Despite valiant efforts on the part of Rime and Navy, she was able to capture the team and hold them beneath the waves on the wreck of the Titanic.
Wavemistress' demand to marry Navy was rejected out of hand. Brute force was not an option, as it was only her will that held the sea out of the Titanic. Undismayed, Rime used her ice creation powers to float the ocean liner to the surface, both saving her teammates and bringing an important archeological site within the reach of historians.
The string of unprovoked supervillain attacks continued on July 4th. The President invited them to join him on his yacht to watch the Washington DC fireworks. During the festivities, a formerly unknown supervillain group attempted to assassinate the President. This marked the temporary reunion of Ravensfire with UN PEACE, as she, Navy, and Rime assisted the United States Secret Service and held off the supervillains long enough for the President to reach safety.
An unknown superhero named Blue Boy lent a hand, and there are rumors that Shimmer was also involved; and, of course, Emoticon and Blindspot provided support to their teammates. The motivations and origin of the supervillain team are unknown; while certain members of the team may have been involved with the Democratic Patriot Force at one time, the Russian government denied all connection and knowledge.
As the President prepared to make a public appearance on July 6th, unwilling to cower in fear, UN PEACE stepped forward as individuals to assist in defending this important world leader. Working closely with the United States Secret Service, they joined Hurricane, Pax, Action Girl, Rockette, Snap, and the new superhero Lightwave to stand against any threat.
They were joined just before the ceremony by Great Chicago Fire and Black Ice, who set aside their supervillainy to show that the actions of one small group of rogue superhumans do not represent the motives and beliefs of superhumans as a whole. The combined force served to deter any further actions by such rogues, and the day ended peacefully for all.
In a private ceremony after the memorial service, the members of UN PEACE were given the Congressional Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given by the United States to civilians.
Not a week thereafter, as UN PEACE prepared to fly to Geneva to spend some time at their European headquarters, the Security Council and the Secretary General were taken hostage in New York by a group of Cambodian terrorists. Pax, as noble as ever, managed to buy time for UN PEACE to arrive at the cost of great personal damage. Faced with perhaps the most difficult situation of their career, with lives at stake, UN PEACE did not hesitate to formulate a plan and move in.
Taking the brunt of the terrorist fire upon themselves in order to spare the hostages, UN PEACE fought both the terrorists and the supervillain aid they'd brought along. And although several members of the team were sorely wounded, in the end no lives were lost -- and who has not seen the dramatic news picture of Rime's ice powers saving the delegate from France?
After the New York incident, it was well past time for some rest and recuperation for the young heros. But for one of them, it was time for more than that. It was time for Aleks to marry his lovely bride Svetlana. The entire team attended the wedding in Bulgaria, along with several superheros and other dignitaries. Following the lovely ceremony, Aleks and Svetla departed on their honeymoon while the other team members relaxed in Europe.
It was during this time that Navy reached the difficult decision to leave the team. He had recently been notified that the United States Naval Academy had a place for him in their next class, and realizing that one must pursue their dreams, he elected to accept that place. In a dramatic and touching ceremony, he stepped down from UN PEACE.
Unexpectedly, the next member of UN PEACE turned out to also be at the ceremony. Now code-named Harmony, the Brazilian pop star Maria gained powers as the supervillain Vox attacked Pax. Her assistance in defeating the menace demonstrated her suitability for the team, and she was instantly welcomed aboard.
The ceremony served as a call for new recruits, as well, and UN PEACE's next mission involved seeking out potential candidates. This met with some success in the Congo, where they found a young superhero named Eclipse. She became the first member of the educational team -- the team for those young superheros who seek training and education, both in the use of their powers and in other fields.
Regrettably, the recruiting trip was cut short by an emergency in the South Asian Sea. Pirates aided by supervillains had been attacking shipping with regularity, and the governments of Singapore and Malaysia both requested UN PEACE aid. During October of 1997, UN PEACE both fought off an attack on a cargo ship and brought the fight home to the pirates; in a stunningly successful mission, they uncovered the location of the pirate base and put it out of business for good.
Next month brought them to San Francisco, where they provided impromptu aid to the noted hero team Goldenwatch during a supervillain attack in the city. This was only a brief setback to their vacation, however. More disturbing was their capture on their flight back to Geneva. With Rime, Blindspot, and Emoticon in unknown hands, Harmony stepped up as ad hoc team leader and forged an effective team out of Eclipse; the two new members of the educational team, Sparrow and Ricochet, who had joined that very day; and the two new full members, Tsunami and Doc Stingray.
These six youths, undaunted by the task before them, investigated the kidnapping and tracked the supervillain responsible to his lair in the Canary Islands. Met with superhuman resistance, they nonetheless triumphed and freed the rest of their team with no loss of life. The team's sterling reputation was intact; the new members showed that they, too, were an important part of the UN PEACE.
After this exciting adventure, both teams took some time to relax; the educational team was hard at work studying in Geneva, while the field team made appearances in diverse venues (including the opening of the popular film Titanic). In the closing days of 1997, the field team aided the French government in bringing a Nazi war criminal to justice -- light duty for these superheros, but deeply satisfying.
1998 opened with a bang, as UN PEACE came to France's aid once again. This time, the foe was somewhat larger: the Eiffel Tower itself had come to life and was rampaging through downtown Paris! UN PEACE revealed their knowledge of mythology and their ability to handle even occult villains as they drew on Native American rites to defeat the evil spirit which had inhabited the landmark -- but at some cost, as several members of the team required hospitalization.
During their hospitalization, Blindspot called on several members of the education team to aid him in his search for the European villain team base. They found it in the south of France, and while they were unable to capture any of the supervillains, they were able to deny them further use of their base.
Following this, UN PEACE flew to Japan as honored guests at the Olympics. It was a good thing they were there, too, as the dreaded Seven Booted League held the ice hockey finals hostage! UN PEACE discovered the hidden supervillain plan, escaped the arena, and flew north to stop the Democratic Patriot Force from entering Japan. While the Russians are to be commended for their desire to rescue the Russian hockey team, unauthorized entry into Japan would have caused a touchy diplomatic incident -- which was the Seven Booted League's goal.
But while UN PEACE succeeded in stopping the Patriot Force, it was at great cost. Young Blindspot gave his own life to protect his teammates. The world still mourns his death.
Shaken by the loss of Blindspot, the young team nonetheless went on to stop a terrorist attack on Paris and save an international scientific team in Antarctica. At present, they are once again taking the chance to rest -- this time with a more somber air, as they consider their future and their own mortality.
What will this young group of heroes do next? Only time can tell; but be assured: where there is international trouble to be stopped, you will always find UN PEACE.
