|
This article contains webcomic spoilers! You have been WARNED, manga-only readers! |
Neo Heroes |
The Neo Heroes (ネオヒーローズ, Neohīrōzu) are a new body of heroes founded and headed by Fuzzy and aided by Blue to replace the floundering Hero Association. Blue created the Neo Heroes to show the world what true heroism is, as he deems the Hero Association to be corrupt and self-serving.[1] However, it turns out that the Neo Heroes are not as good as they appear to be on the surface due to shady activities and unethical recruitment practices, the latter of which being made extent in their especially heinous desire to turn unexpected and unwilling people into puppet cyborgs.[2][3]
Overview[]
Unlike the Hero Association, which selects heroes through a physical and written test, the Neo Heroes recruit members through a special headhunting system. There are more than 2000 candidates within the Neo Heroes ranks which far exceeds the 546 pro heroes of the Hero Association. Due to the counterproductive and anti-meritocratic nature of the ranking system at Hero Association, the Neo Heroes eschews such practices in favor of attempting to create a culture where strong and weak heroes can work together and support each other. Furthermore, the organization seems to know the shortcomings of the current Hero Association in terms of misconduct, unfair treatment of its superhumans and collateral damage often caused by their more powerful heroes, such as Tatsumaki. They keep this criticism in mind and attempt to minimize such shortcomings in their own organization, a willingness to change the way heroes operate is the main cause of Child Emperor's defection from the Hero Association and join this new hero organization.
The Neo Heroes have recruited a handful of S-Class heroes to join their organization, including Metal Bat, Child Emperor and Superalloy Darkshine; in a talent scouting bid to outpace their neighboring counterparts in the Hero Association. According to the Neo Heroes' recruiter, they promise to treat their heroes much fairer than the premiere hero agency. With the Neo Heroes offering multiple membership benefits that entice many up and comers or veteran do-gooders to join their organization. Enticements ranging from novelties such as clothing, increased income, room and board as well as familial benefits on top of an abundance in hero equipment even for new or lower-ranking supers. Their willingness to meet the needs of their operatives caused the former S-Class hero Metal Bat to join them. Unlike the Hero Association, the Neo Heroes are more focused on the safety of heroes working under them, forgoing the forced quotas to maintain their hero rank. They do, however, require that their heroes possess a "normative awareness," despite this the organization took no issue with Raiden attacking Superalloy Darkshine despite the latter's clear discomfort with engaging in combat. They also raised no qualms with two top-position candidates attacking other heroes to prove a point, showing that the bullying culture between strong and weak heroes still remains to an extent.
Their method of talent searching was once as biased as the conventional test in the Hero Association since they mostly focused on recruiting top tier heroes, indicating why they didn't try to recruit Saitama. However, this attitude has recently changed, as multiple lower-ranked heroes have been invited to join the association, such as the A-Class heroes Forte, Butterfly DX, and Chain'n'toad, as well as the group containing two C-Class heroes, Soda Pop Boys. This arrangement also has a dark side in which they recruit highly controversial members like serial killers, racketeers and cult leaders; such as the likes of A and Infelsinave based on the merit of combat prowess and for social following rather than any inherent desire for justice. This fact makes Speed-o'-Sound Sonic state that the Neo Heroes are even more "rotten" than the criminal underworld.
Recently, Child Emperor and Metal Bat had discovered the more sinister sides of the Neo Hero establishment. A dark underbelly that not even Blue is aware of, case in point being that the Neo Heroes possesses a cybernization program dubbed as a recovery and performance-enhancing operation for heavily injured Neo Heroes members to heal them and enhance their performance through cybernetic enhancements. The process of which is purposely invalidated as to keep employees within their service, as those whom're enhanced this way become dependent upon constant maintenance which only the organization can provide for their bionic augmentations. Darkshine too came under suspicion while training some new requites within their gymnasium as the operation feeds Neo Hero candidates a special energy drink that causes the taker to develop increased muscle mass and other physical dynamics at incredible rates; but at the cost of making them increasingly aggressive to the point of violent outburst and overconfidence. During the encounter between the hedonistic killer and Sonic, A reveals that the Neo Heroes are actively on the hunt for strong advocates in the cyborgification initiative. Seeking out powerful individuals regardless of moral alignment to turn them into cyborg puppets even outside organization purviews as A, among other Neo Leaders, is tasked with capturing Sonic with such intent. Child Emperor also suspects that a lot of monsters are actually controlled by the Neo Hero sect as he discovered microchips within the base of brains belonging to many dead Dragon-Level threats that they were tasked to dispatch recently.
Other issues with the new hero group being their rather belligerent interactions with their senior predecessors within the Hero Association. Mainly stemming from how the Neo Heroes went after some of the Hero Association's more prominent enforcers while blatantly disregarding any attempt by the latter to establish proper relations to join forces in the future. Something which is highlighted with Ryumon's merit stealing with Crescent Eyebroll against a monster threat too tough for him to handle alone. A trait which even Black Sperm found more detrimental than beneficial to both orders in the long run, for instead of working together they spend more time sniping at one another thus weakening the efficacy of both organizations and humanity as a whole. Citing it as a temporary fix to the problems in society while making the prim and proper Neo Heroes less capable of dealing with the more major assaults from monsters and calamities down the line.
During the meeting between Blue and Forte, Forte reveals that the Neo Heroes operation methods actually hamper the growth of individual heroes by making them depend too much on their battle suits.
Not to mention their extreme emphasis on efficiency, leaving little to no room for advancement in personal strength of the individual since singular heroes never have to put all on the line in life or death situations to radically improve themselves. Furthermore, because almost no Neo Hero members actually constantly put risking anything as much as heroes from the Hero Association, they often lack charisma as an individual since the public only refers to the organization as a whole and rarely remembers them by their name, even Neo Leaders.
Structure[]
In order to combat monsters more effectively with fewer risks, as well as promote a culture of fairness between heroes, most Neo Heroes work together in teams, unlike the Hero Association's focus on individual samaritan work and lack of unity. Each team has a designated Neo Leader who helps their teammates grow in strength together and get the job done. For this reason, some Neo Leaders were tactically recruited for their social charm as opposed to their battle prowess, as seen with Infelsinave, who founded the 900,000-member Church of Otherworldly Reincarnation; Ryumon, who leads the 400-gangster Ryumon Gang; and Accel, who heads the 47-man Neo Hunters.
The Neo Heroes have developed advanced Artificial Intelligence that analyzes the situation and picks the most suitable talent in their roster to deal with the threat. This normally consists of teams of three or more. Furthermore, they also have several armored transport vehicles and light aircraft available at each city to transport the heroes, or if need be they can deploy their small security detail, consisting of Elimin and Destro.
To prevent collateral damage caused by powerful individuals such as Tatsumaki, as well as avoiding public negligence problems that are abundant within the Hero Association, the Neo Heroes have established several powerful security operatives to keep certain heroes from crossing the line.
Each member of the Neo Heroes has a specialized battle suit, which allows even the weakest members to fight effectively against monsters of disaster level Tiger, as seen when the Triple Tongues were defeated and their attacks were unable to hurt the Neo Heroes. However, even these armors do not help weaker members against higher-level threats, since Infelsinave was defeated and gravely injured by a disaster of level Demon.
Plot[]
Neo Heroes Saga[]
Psychic Sisters Arc[]
A talent scout from the Hero Association seeks out the pedestrian hero Accel with the intent of bringing him and his 50-man order of citizen fighters into the fold for the sake of emboldening the organizations ranks. But the hometown vigilante adamantly refuses the offer, as he had done several times before, due to not liking how the hero sect operates. Citing how despite all their resources and the financial backing from multiple highly influential entrepreneurs behind them, the association has yet to accomplish anything major.
That, on top of how they treat many of the super powered beings in their various units like a commodity instead of as people working diligently under them offends him somewhat. Meanwhile another freelance do-gooder by the name of Raiden is similarly approached by an HA advocate but declines due to having arrangements with a new hero organization.
Jumping between the two, these new up & comers voice their similar dissatisfactions with the way the hero business is run to the deal makers. Accel stating that having to work under the Hero Association's working structure is no different than withering away in the service of what has in recent times shown to be a corrupt and incompetent protection racket that caters more to the rich elite than the people as a whole. Both individuals voicing plans of joining the Neo Heroes over being subordinate to the untrustworthy Hero Association.
Neo Heroes Introduction Arc[]
Genos details to Saitama the existence of the Neo Heroes, appearing to show interest in seeing if he can grow stronger from joining their ranks and even having received an invitation already. However, when Saitama shows a lack of interest, Genos decides not to join them either.
Superalloy Darkshine, Child Emperor, and Metal Bat all quit the Hero Association and join the Neo Heroes. Darkshine joins not as a Hero, but as a trainer and sparring partner instead. McCoy is also revealed to have joined the Neo Heroes as the human resources manager. Two new characters, Accel and Raiden, are introduced as well.
Neo Heroes Uprising Arc[]
The day after Sweet Mask reveals his monster form to the world, McCoy holds a meeting between the Neo Leaders and Neo Heroes staff. It is revealed that Child Emperor, Metal Bat, Accel, and Raiden have all been given leadership positions. Suiryu is also revealed to have joined the Neo Heroes as a leader, along with Ryumon, Zaedats, Wavygyaza, Infelsinave, and 'A'. McCoy then introduces Blue, the founder and top hero of the Neo Heroes. Zaedats reveals that Blue is Blast's son.
After a sudden surge in monster activity, the Neo Hero teams are deployed. They make quick work of the many monsters with their advanced battlesuits and teamwork, completely showing up the Hero Association's heroes. The world is impressed by the Neo Heroes' work and their popularity skyrockets.
During a battle, Child Emperor recently discovers that some powerful Dragon-level monsters have microchips in their brains, which he suspects that the monster rampages are somewhat being manipulated. Furthermore, Wavygyaza need of constant maintenance from the Neo Heroes starts to make him suspect something sinister about the new heroes. After Infelsinave and Zaedats are mysteriously revitalized, Metal Bat inquires Destro and Elimin about the medical programs used to mend them as he suspects foul play from the Neo Heroes. His suspicion is proven true when Destro and Elimin nonchalantly introduce him to the cybernetics division of their home base only to try and forcefully turn him into a soulless cyborg, calling in the cyborgified Mars Leo and Kokou to kill Metal Bat.
As Wavygyaza gets a call from Neo Heroes tracking team about a current pursue on a monsterized Sweet Mask's whereabout, then departs for her scheduled commercial, Child Emperor is finally alone to figure out about the microchip he got without the Neo Heroes' knowing. 'A' attempts to ambush and kidnap Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, but fails, causing 'A' to retreat and leave his own men behind. Raiden attempts to take Puri-Puri Prisoner's rehabilitating inmate group, including a reformed Hammerhead away from him, in order to turn them into puppet cyborgs as well, but Puri-Puri Prisoner refuses and challenges Raiden in a sumo fight. Suiryu's team has targeted a part time delivery man who suspects to be Garou, once the civilians have been evacuated without being noticed by a Hero Hunter suspected part-timer.
Members[]
Trivia[]
- The Neo Heroes agenda of trying to turn powerful individuals into cyborgs is similar to the character Sektor from the Mortal Kombat series, who initiates the Cyber Lin Kuei initiative in which he attempts to turn the clan into enslaved cyborgs.