Super-powered titan revealed as veteran Times and BCTV reporter Steve Coltrain

By B.C. Williams

BIG CITY - Captain Wonder, protector of Big City and one of the world's most powerful super heroes, was killed in a wild melee at Central Park during the city's annual winter celebration on Christmas Eve.

Twelve students from St. Andrew's Elementary School were also killed and hundreds more bystanders were injured during the incident, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m.

Wonder, who apparently lead a double-life as Big City Times reporter Steve Coltrain, was struck down by the potent energy beams of four super-powered vigilantes who were attacking the super-villain Prometheus.

Dozens of supers descended on Central Park following the appearance of Robyn & Her Merry Men, a band of rogue meta-humans known for committing crimes and then distributing the profits to needy parties.

"We never meant for anything like this to happen," said an obviously shaken Little John. "We just wanted to do something nice for the children. It's Christmas after all."

The presence of the Merry Men immediately drew several rogue super groups, including the Avengers, Black Fists, Furies and Reavers. Members of all five groups exchanged fire, most with no regard for the thousands of people in the park for the holiday gathering.

Coltrain, covering the event for BCTV, transformed on national television into Captain Wonder when a freight car filled with presents was lobbed into the panicked crowd.

Wonder contained much of the fighting, ricocheting between rogue supers like a speeding pinball, but was eventually caught in the wave of violence that also injured innocent bystanders throughout the park.

"The whole area changed from a quiet scene to a vicious battle in seconds," said Dan Smith, a Big City resident who brought his family to the Holiday in the Park event. "People were screaming, running every which way. If it hadn't been for Captain Wonder, I don't think anyone would've survived."

Police quickly mobilized, responding to hundreds of reports of looting and rioting throughout the city. A temporary state of emergency was declared for 48 hours after the incident.

Wonder's body was transported to STELLAR Labs early Saturday morning. A spokesman for the scientific facility decline to comment whether an autopsy will be performed.

Plans have been announced for Wonder to be buried next week in Arlington National Cemetery, in a plot adjacent to that of Paul "Sledgehammer" Hamner, the world's first super hero.

Wonder first entered public view 15 years ago, battling a legion of man-sized ants that invaded the United States from Mexico. He remained among the world's most popular figures, despite general souring of public opinion toward super-heroes during the past decade.

"The citizens of Big City have become accustomed to having beings with incredible powers and abilities in their midst, but there'll never be another Captain Wonder," said Big City Mayor Branford Barnes. "Our city is suddenly a much darker place."