In so many ways it was a natural outgrowth of both societal need and the growing power of the political/industrial/military/entertainment complex. Super hero movies took over television and movie box offices completely by the third decade of the twenty first century. Before long the traditional heroes and villains had been played out, Jaded audiences wanted more than just special effects laden films and TV shows they wanted the REAL thing or as close to real as possible.
Dynamic Studios had the answer and media companies and local, state, and national governments were more than happy to acquiesce entirely. Dynamic pointed out that no one was actually USING most of Detroit. Why not refurbish 10 acres as the largest open are studio in history? The buildings could be refitted, at least most of them and five acres would go to Villains and five acres would go to Heroes. But here was the best part and the biggest selling point. Who got to be the heroes and who got to be the villains? John and Jane Q public! After a year long selection process a select number of average citizens would become super heroes!
Cameras would follow every step of the process covering everything from the reconstruction of the city to interviews with costume designers and personal trainers The advertising revenue and the money from downloads and access to the 24/7 website would bring in untold wealth. The audience would be the entire world so foreign nationals could enter the contest as well.
The City of Detroit and the state of Michigan were more than happy to accept Dynamic Studios money. Palms were greased in Washington and the ten acre parcel passed into Dynamic and its partners studios hands govern as they saw fit. The only proviso all three governments made was an agreement that after all the seasons of Heroes and Villains had run its course, Dynamic would return the restored real estate to the city of Detroit. All the politicians thought they had pulled a fast one. The largest urban renewal project in history and it didn't cost uncle Sam, the state, or the city a dime!
And it truly was a massive undertaking. All the streets were wired for cameras and sound. Old buildings received new facades as dozens of home repair shows filmed the results. Faster than moist thought possible, ten acres of decrepit streets and decaying infrastructure had been turned into a state of the art open air studio. Going beyond verisimilitude. The ten acre lot, temporary called Dynamo City became a functioning community with real dry cleaners and shoe stores and the like. Real restaurants to feed the film people and the common people who came to make new lives in the (mostly) shiny new city. They received salaries of course, most of it from outside contractors but the lure that perhaps Missile Man or Dynamic Girl or one of the other super heroes the studio writers were creating would enter your shop, making you too a celebrity, at least briefly. It was very enticing indeed.
More than a World's fair, more that EPCOT, Dynamo City WAS the future. Special effects geeks would make the Villains and Heroes as super as possible. There would be no camera tricks. If it violated the laws of physics it was not about to happen in Dynamo City. The writers working for the Villains and those writing for thee heroes were forbidden from communicating with each other to make things as interesting as possible As set up the Villains controlled five acres of the city and the Heroes the other five with a decrepit now man's land three blocks long in between as a buffer zone. The folks at home would watch as, if things went according to plan, the Heroes would retake the rest of the city from the Villains. Or, perhaps, the Villains would win. The Villains were just as determined to hold their own and if they could manage it take the city for evil. Dynamic Studios went to great lengths and testified before Congress that Heroes and Villains would not be just another "Survivor" or other "reality" program that was reality in name only. Those programs had burned themselves out earlier in the century and no one wanted a return to those days. To lure folks away from the game channels and the movie channels what happened in Dynamo City had to be as real as possible.
A chance at stardom and fame had lured Holly Yeastman from her home in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to hero try outs. The producers liked her immediately. Long brown hair and a perfect figure with piercing blue eyes and large breasts, she was skilled in judo and also knew how to strut on a catwalk. With three brothers, Holly had been a tomboy in her early years. She had not been intimidated in the least in lacing on her skates and playing hockey with her brothers. Her siblings soon learned that she could more than hold her own against them on the ice. In judo, the sport she decided to specialize in, she soon soared to an elite rank. No shrinking violet, she was taught by her parents that she was the equal of any man.
As she came to maturity, Holly grew to adore all the things about being a female. When she discovered sex, she saw men in an entirely new light. Muscles tended to attract her but a man had to have brains as well to hold her interest. When she was horny however, the fact that he was muscled alone would be enough for her to seduce him. With her fetching beauty, her friends said that Holly should be a model. The five foot seven 135 pound beauty wanted so much more. Heroes and Villains could launch her to a movie contract and or huge endorsement deals. The pay was not bad while you were trying out but if you made the final cut the money was sweet indeed.
Every step of Holly's journey would be filmed from interview to gymnastics lessons to rappelling and all of the many skills a super hero would need. Cameras followed the villains as well but in a move that amazed everyone the Villains wore masks at all parts of their training. Only three producers knew their names and identities and they were not about to talk. From the first day of training, ratings were phenomenal. The idea had caught everyone's imagination and everyone from Maine to Alaska and from virtually every point around the globe. It was better than any soap opera or sporting event. That was sweet news to Holly and the other contestants.
Over the next few months Holly Yeastman became Holly Hayes, television reporter by day, and Canadian hero, Yukon Jill ,when ever there was need of her services. At the only television station permitted to broadcast in Dynamo City, KBOOM, she filed stories and appeared on camera and sometimes read the news. Holly enjoyed the work and found that she had an aptitude for it. Her salary as a reporter, combined with what she was getting as a hero was sweet indeed.
While not working Holly enjoyed the many clubs and bars that had brought an exciting nightlife to the entertainment boom town. After a while Holly stopped noticing the cameras, even when they followed her when she strolled home with a new date. The cameras in her apartment were not supposed to on without Holly's consent, but Dynamic Studios often flouted that agreement.
Adding to the allure of the many clubs was the fact that you could be partying with another hero, a contestant, or a villain and never know it. It was positively spine tingling. To prevent things from becoming too realistic in the wrong way real fire arms were banned. In their stead were real looking replicas equipped with a laser. Each citizen, tourist, contestant or visitor to the gigantic set was fitted with a reactive button. It was worn either on the clothing or on the costume of a Hero or a Villain If struck with a laser the button would turn black, rendering the wearer "dead."
