The Freedom Phalanx

The Freedom Phalanx is a signature hero group of City of Heroes, led by Statesman.

History

The Freedom Phalanx was founded on July 4, 1932. The founding members included (in order of their appearances in Paragon City) Statesman, the Dark Watcher, Elementar, the team known as Vambrace and Maiden Justice. The name was suggested by James St. John-Smythe (the tech and wheel-chair bound member of the two man team Vambrace) and was quickly ratified by the others.

The group faced it first official combat on the date of Monday, July 11, 1932. This date is otherwise known as "Brass Monday".

In the 1930s, the Statesman became one of the first established heroes in Paragon City. Inspired by his example, other heroes soon emerged as well, including the Dark Watcher, the Dream Doctor, and Maiden Justice. Although each individual hero made some headway against Paragon City's criminal element, they also faced increasingly more dangerous and organized villains. The Statesman soon recognized the need to rally the other heroes into a coordinated fighting force.

In the spring of 1931, the Statesman gathered Paragon City's other heroes in his downtown apartment. "There he issued his fellow heroes a challenge: to make a difference, not only on the streets and in the city, but also around the world. Thus was formed the first worldwide hero organization; dedicated to fighting evil, injustice and tyranny wherever they might hide.

The Statesman, inspired by the shoulder-to-shoulder discipline showed by ancient Greek soldiers in the face of Persian tyranny, called his new team of heroes the Freedom Phalanx. Throughout the 1930's the Phalanx fought the good fight and cleaned up Paragon City. The city council and mayoral elections of 1936 swept a platform of pro-hero candidates that resulted in the passage of the Citizen Crime Fighting Act of 1937. This law made it legal for vigilantes to bring criminals to justice as long as they followed the same restrictions police officers used. Thus in the space of just five years, the Freedom Phalanx went from an ad-hoc band of would-be heroes to a legally recognized, nationally praised crime fighting organization. Despite any public or political pressure, the Freedom Phalanx continues to battle any threat to humankind and remains "the world’s premiere independent hero organization. They still make it a firm policy to have no official ties to any government or law enforcement institution. They are one of the most open organizations in existence, allowing any would-be hero to volunteer for service with the esteemed group. Unlike other groups, the Freedom Phalanx is entirely open about everything, from its membership to its funding and current activities. This frankness carries through on down to the lowest levels, where even beginning heroes must reveal their true identities and pasts to the organization and the world. Statesman takes great pride in these 'sunshine' policies', saying they go a long way towards inspiring confidence in the Freedom Phalanx’s personnel and motives.

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The Surviving Eight

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