Beauvoir is a superheroverse. It is an alternate reality set in a fictional metropolis of Beauvoir, which is a mega city sprawling the length of the American Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida. The idea for Beauvoir originated with my brother, Tony Fortenberry, and began to appear in his short stories and character development in the 1980’s. Around 1990 or so, we transformed the setting into a shared universe for multiple writers, along the lines of Wild Cards. Characters and story outlines were crafted by myself, my brother, and Roland Mann.
In this universe, superhuman mutations are caused by alien “pearls” which are washing up on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. These are coming out of the hold of a wrecked alien vessel deep in the sea. The alien pearls effect every individual differently, mutating them through interactions with their unique genetic pattern and the alien radiation’s interpretation of their desires.
Many individuals were thus affected and began acting in positive or negative ways according to their will. Over time it became apparent that mutations were happening, that crimes and heroic stoppages were also occurring, and thus several of the affected individuals decided to band together into a team to not only stop the criminals, but also discover the nature of the secret behind the pearls.
My character in this universe was Atlas.
