"In the sixties, a fireball struck Pederson, Illinois, granting all the children who were in utero at the time fantastic powers--113 in all. Dubbed 'Specials,' these children grew into adulthood cloistered together, forming rivalries, friendships, and enmities. Some became heroes, some criminals, and others simply lived out an ordinary existence. After years of petty fights, squabbles and grabs for power, a new unifying mission became clear, a purpose to their existence that they had all been unable to see before: to change the world."--Back cover.