The Tyranny of Heroes — Terry England

When the 54 superheroes landed on Earth, they became the champions of the oppressed, the downtrodden, the forgotten masses. Powerful, smart and fearless, the Supers quickly made their mark upon the world. No less a person than Franklin Delano Roosevelt urged the people to embrace the new heroes, to accept them as saviors of humanity. The people responded, taking them into their hearts as the brightly costumed heroes worked to improve everyone's lives. After forcing an end to World War II, the Supers expanded their influence worldwide by removing dictators from power (by force if necessary), ending colonialism (to the distress of the United Kingdom) and enforced civil rights laws in every country (to the distress of tyrants everywhere). They mitigated the destructive power of hurricanes, volcanoes and earthquakes. Crime of all kinds fell almost to zero. They made life on Earth almost an Eden ...No, it's not, claim contemporary dissidents. The Supers have usurped power until they are dictators themselves who suppress any opposition to their rule. One of these dissidents, Mark Manfred, used to rail against the loss of national sovereignty, personal freedom and the rule of law in his underground journal, Outcast. His father had started it; but his father is dead, perhaps because of his anti-Supers activities. Mark stopped publishing the newsletter when his children were born, but new incidents make him think he's being targeted by the Supers again. He revives Outcast, but quickly is exposed and loses his job. The Supers take him to their mid-ocean headquarters for adjustment, but something makes them pause, something related to their origins, which they have kept secret. This makes Mark even more suspicious and he vows to find out if the Supers had anything to do with the death of his father. His research takes him to Nepal and eventually to Russia and France, but he also discovers his grandfather was involved, too. Indeed, Granddad's own secret could change not only the Manfred family, but the entire world.That is, if the world survives a threat to the Supers that has been building for decades, a threat like they've never faced before in their entire existence.