In a sign that life in Paragon City is starting to return to normal after the Rikti invasion, the world famous science organisation and local employer Portal Corporation are re-opening their doors. Although responsible for bringing the Rikti to Earth, Portal Corporation has also been involved in stunning technological advances that have improved the quality of life for Paragon citizens and heroes alike. Along with the opening of Portal Corp. comes the resumption of public transport services to Peregrine Island.

However, along with this re-opening comes disturbing news of new villain groups coming to the City, some directly attracted by Portal Corp.'s re-opening.

The Malta Group and their massive Titan battlesuits have apparently been spotted enroute to Paragon City. Also, a crashed Rikti battleship has recently become a base for the invaders' operations in Paragon City.

Reports have also started to surface of villain groups being able to tap into the Hospital Teleportation System that recalls injured heroes to zone hospitals. Unconscious heroes have found themselves not awakening in hospital rooms, but instead finding themselves in the jail cells of villains. It is unknown which villain groups currently have this ability, nor how often they are able to use it.

Disturbing reports of dimensional fluctuations in the City have led to heroes being able to enter alternate versions of the Birthplace of Tomorrow to fight crime there. Early reports that well-known versions of Prestige Heroes have gone evil may be linked to these phenomena, but at this moment evil clones, mind control or shapeshifters can not be ruled out.

In more pleasant news, the circus is coming to town! The Carnival of Shadows, which has already attracted the attention of Paragon City's high society, is expected to unfurl its big top soon and start entertaining citizens and heroes with street performances.

Some complaints have been raised that only heroes with high-security levels will get to peer into the content of Portal Corp's looking glass, but promises have been made regarding events for lower-level heroes in the future.

Many heroes know Tristan Caine. He's one of the first faces crime-fighters grow to remember in PC when they begin their careers. A dedicated environmentalist, Caine seems to have met an ironic fate in the past week.

Last Sunday, Caine had organized a rally on the beaches of Power Island, protesting the flagrant violation of environmental protection laws that the Hazard Zone Terra Volta commits every day it operates. Caine had also mentioned to supporters and fellow protesters that the evnt would be an occasion to speak out for the newest endangered species, only found in Paragon City: Devouring Earth. When Caine arrived outside TV Sunday morning, he found himself alone.

Despite this discouraging development, Caine proceeded with his now One Man March. Minutes later, a swarm of the Hive stung Tristan Caine into a coma, and a Bladegrass ate him moments later.

Although funeral services were being planned, Caine apparently survived this ordeal and was back at his usual haunt the following day. Asked what had happened to him, Caine merely replied, "I don't have anything for you now, why don't you check with your other contacts?" Tristan Caine's miraculous adventure has inspired numerous Caine worshippers to adopt his manner of dress and hairstyle. These "Cainites" can be seen throughout Paragon City.

What is the latest grumble resounding from the streets of Paragon City? Is it a justified uprising? Well, the proof is in the pudding. If by proof you mean villains, and by pudding you mean walls, that is.

Much to the dismay of the members of Paragon's elite, the villains corrupting our fair city are not only getting stronger by the day, but smarter and more creative as well. This first came to my attention during a concerned, but somewhat confusing, phone call from a hero we'll call Captain "W", who is the current president of the Captain "W" fan club and brave denizen of several villain hang-outs. Upon meeting face-to-face with the Captain, I finally realized the scope of the issue.

Captain "W" escorted me to a remote section of Kings Row, into a long-deserted warehouse where we located a small cell of the frightful cult, Circle of Thorns. To his credit, Captain "W" held his own against these magic-wielders, but as we were leaving the building he sighed and pointed out the source of his aggravation. There in an interior wall was the telltale vapor of one of the Circle's Spectral Knights. Try as he could by yelling, screaming, kicking and pleading, the Captain could not force the Knight to dislodge itself from the safety of its insulation and plywood hideout.

"Being the wonderful hero that I am, I constantly put my life on the line for the wellbeing of my adoring fans, the people of Paragon City." Captain "W" hesitated before continuing with a large smile. "All I ask in return is to get the credit I have due. As it stands, I can't even be rewarded for a job well done, because I am forced to leave behind these hidden villains. Now I can understand those nasty buildings in Boomtown being dilapidated, but even in Atlas Park the structures are so poorly made that these scoundrels just squeeze themselves inside the ceilings or walls, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Surprisingly, striking up conversations with anonymous heroes in the Tram Station yielded similar viewpoints. Heroes are simply tired of being labeled as failures because they couldn't get to a cowardly villain hiding in a wall. One giant mechanized hero was particularly disgruntled after failing to complete a time-sensitive mission with three of his teammates for that very reason.

"It's taken time to get Paragon City back to some semblance of normalcy since the Rikti invasion", says one hero, who did not wish to be named, "I just think it would help us fight crime if these walls were fixed up so villains couldn't hide in them. Extra insulation, another sheet of drywall here and there... heck, any fix would do."

Like the heroes I interviewed, countless others wonder when the government of this city will see fit to send crews out to patch up this problem, and all agree that a solution is long overdue.

On Saturday June 5th numerous gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender superheroes gathered in Atlas Park for Paragon City's first annual Pride Day. To signify support for the event, heroes took off their normal costumes and dressed in red.

Co-ordinator Crimson Pride said of the day that “many times when we are out fighting crime it can seem like there are no other GLBT superheroes. This event was designed to remind us that there are others like us out there. We also wanted to provide on opportunity for the GLBT heroes of Paragon City to celebrate their pride.”

Of particular interest was the appearance of Ace and Gary - better known as the Ambiguously Gay Duo. While people took that as a sure sign of them being gay, others doubted the fact. One spectator argued, “They are at the event and even getting their picture taken - they are gay.” Another argued, “They are there just to show support, they aren’t in red like the rest - they aren't gay!" When asked about their attendance, the duo said, “All super heroes should be here, it’s a party!”

Not everyone was happy with the idea of a Pride Event. Several heroes were against the idea totally. One hero who wishes to remain anonymous had the following to say, “I don’t understand why they need to have a Pride Event. What they do on their own time is their business, but I should have to be made aware about it.”

At the end of the event, Crimson Pride said that they day "had mostly a positive effect on Paragon City and its heroes. The GLBT superhero community became a little closer and many superheroes met new heroes they would be able to call upon for help."

There have been no set plans for a Pride Day 2, although one has not been categorically ruled out.