While governmental attempts to create metas goes back almost as far as supers themselves, few programs have the history that the Para Human Advanced Soldier Treatment Program serum has.

World War II

After witnessing the impact that metas were having on World War II, the Allied forces pooled some of their greatest scientific minds together to discover a way to create man-made super soldiers. What they were able to generate was a chemical compound that would bond with the subject, enhancing him to superhuman levels. The tests had very limited success, however, and when the war ended, the project was canceled and the scientists returned to their countries of origin.

	Known Recipients
	Thunder Wolf

Korean Conflict

The concept was revisited, however, with the onset of the Korean Conflict. With all of the original work believed to be destroyed, a new generation of scientists were tasked with recreating the formula and improving the success rate. The succeeded in the former, but were unable to overcome the hurtle of why the so-called Steelwolf Formula only worked on a fraction of the test subjects. Once again, when peace talks were achieved, the program was canceled.

	Known Recipients
	Super Patriot¹

The Steelwolf Project

When trouble started in Vietnam and US involvement was committed, the program was restarted, but after the first successful candidate was created, new orders were dispatched: the effects of the serum must be temporary. The new regime wanted a large-scale troop complement of PHASTs, but didn't want to deal with the after-effects of having so many metas running around afterward. While the limited longevity of the enhancements did seem to expand the parameters of who it would be effective on, new side effects surfaced quickly and was never used in the field.

	Known Recipients
	Vindicator¹

Cold War

What the scientists didn't realize was that there was a Soviet spy in their midst and, once the formula was complete, stole a sample of the serum and returned to mother Russia. There they discovered, like their American counterparts, that the serum had extremely addictive properties for those that were not genetically disposed to the serum. While the Americans once again scrapped the project, refusing to submit their soldiers to yet another addiction (but kept a supply on hand in case of emergencies), the Russians chose to use it sparingly for the next two decades in special cases.

	Nobophnk Serum Recipients
	Soviet Soldiers Warhead Waller Enforcers

Project: Moonshot

The PHAST program was once again pulled out of mothballs as part of Project: Moonshot. With the advances in science, they were able to predict with greater accuracy who's DNA would be compatible with the formula and radiation was used to further aide in the subject's survival. Able to do better screenings, the time-limited formula was abandoned for the permanent transformation. The official success stories were assigned to the government-sponsored super-team, Freedom Force, and often referred to the serum by a pet nickname, the Wonder Warrior drug. The program once again came under scrutiny with the rest of Project: Eclipse and was shut back down again.

	Wonder Warrior Serum Recipients
	Captain Carnage Corporal Punishment Sentinel Shieldbearer

Steelwolf Revisited

Concurrent with Project: Moonshot, attempts were made to test if the Korean War-era Steelwolf Formula could now be perfected. Sadly, it could not, and it only worked on one test subject.

	Recipients
	Super Patriot III

Wonder Warriors for Sale

The secrets of PHAST were proven valuable. Samples of PHAST made it to the black market. As such, individuals not associated with Project: Moonshot have shown up having received the treatment.

	Known Black Market Wonder Warrior Serum Recipients
	Azure Bruce "Brew" Tality Fae Tality Hackmaster Jćger Rulebreaker Vertebreaker The Walrus

Viper

Shortly afterward, a batch of PHAST was obtained by the villain group Viper in Houston. Kidnapping several people to experiment on, the group had many fatalities and few successes before getting caught.

	Known Recipients
	Jack "Blitzer" Billington Hell Rider Renegade Taipan Viper Soldiers

Dr. Sullivan

Working completely separate, a scientist named Theodore Sullivan created a similar formula a short time later. It too had the limited time factor, but a much higher success rate and an incredibly high fatality rate. This did not stop him from flooding it into the Denver streets as the drug known as The Juice in an attempt to eliminate street crime and drug usage throughout the city. Two super criminals received the drug and their extant parahuman abilities allowed them to survive and have become permenantly enhanced. Five others (that are known) were drugged with Juice and survived, though two of them did not retain the powers.

	Juice Recipients
	Dr. Theodore Sullivan Madman The Invincible The Hammer Fred "The Ape" Kelley Jack Roland Juice Users

Russian Mafiya

Just a few years ago, one of the Russian scientists who helped in the reproduction of the Soviet version passed his knowledge on to his chemist grandson, warning him of the addictive nature of the drug. The problem with relying on an old man's memory and a long-expired sample is that both are faulty, so when the grandson got to America and hooked up with the Russian Mafiya, the product he was able to produce was different. While it made the user tougher and stronger than expected, it also had a high mortality rate (probably due to some of the drugs used as replacements). Rather than using it on their own men, the Mafiya redistributed it to other gangs and street vendors, nicknamed "OJ" due to similarity to The Juice, to allow the competition to kill themselves off for momentary power.

	OJ Recipients
	OJ Users

RCS3FC

At some point, a Mexican drug cartel obtained samples of The Juice. They tried to force a brilliant biochemist, Desi Delezon, to try to re-engineer the drug to eliminate the harmful and lethal side effects. He was close to succeeding when he was rescued by a new Mexican parahuman called Capitán Neutron, and the notes for the RCS3FC drug were destroyed.

	Secret RCS3FC User
	Capitán Neutron

Ninevea Base

Some years back, the Houston-based team was framed for crimes against America, and while being hunted were offered refuge at Nineveh Base, the compound of Nimrod the Hunter in the wilds of Alaska. At some point, while at Ninevah, a blood sample was taken from Sentinel. Nimrod has had unparalleled success in reverse engineering the Wonder Warrior drug, this varient being called Ishtar. He has administered it to himself and some of his select operatives.

	Ishtar Recipients
	Nimrod the Hunter Asshur Marathon

Decendants

It has also been discovered that the Steelwolf serum can be passed on genetically, with progeny inheriting the abilities without receiving direct treatment.

	Known Children of Steelwolf Recipients
	Avenger

© Copyright 1988, 2024 - Kenneth G. Hallaron, James E. Caswell

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Last updated on 24 March 2024