To her peers, Hai-Xang Hayden was nothing more than a spoiled heiress, burning through wealth with no thought of tomorrow. To her mother’s rivals, she was the weakest link in a powerful dynasty, someone who would never matter.
But when tragedy struck, those same voices witnessed a transformation they could not have imagined. The careless party girl became a decisive leader, and her rise turned into the very instrument that reshaped the Consortium’s future.
Blue Shift thought the hardest battles were the ones you could see coming – the muggers, the bank robbers and especially the supervillains.
This time, there’s no city under siege, no ticking clock, no clear enemy in sight.
Only a conversation that feels… wrong. Every word is a thread, and the more she pulls, the more her sense of reality frays.
Her opponent doesn’t need to throw a punch. He just smiles, asks the right questions, and waits for her to give up.
It’s not a fight for the world. It’s a fight for her mind.
Some stories never make it to the readers. They sit quietly in sketchbooks, on old hard drives, or in folders marked “someday.” In the ten years of SoV Comics, whole worlds have been started and set aside. Not because they lacked potential, but because even we have to make choices and focus sometimes!
Now the vault is opening. Inside are the stories that almost came to you before. Offcuts is a chance to step inside the creative minds at SoV Comics and see what could still be…
“We interrupt your regular programming with a public safety announcement from the Emergency Authority.”
A dangerous entity is active in the city. An Empowered involved has claimed that it is the result of a failed experiment involving black-market tech and a civilian named Theresa Lin.
The subject is now considered a cybernetic threat. It absorbs energy, grows stronger when attacked, and is moving through urban zones unpredictably.
Citizens are urged to avoid all contact, stay indoors, and await further instructions. Repeat: do not engage. Stay safe. Stay inside.
If any Empowered operatives are hearing this… the city needs you now.”
“Would I pick flying again?”
Jessica pauses. You can hear sirens in the background, probably from the dumpster fire she just crash-landed into… again.
“I mean, yeah, flying’s cool… until you accidentally headbutt a billboard. Or get chased by pigeons.”
She straightens her mask. It’s slightly melted on one side.
“But I show up. Every time. Even when it sucks. Even when I don’t think I’m enough.”
She’s not flashy. She’s not famous. But every night, Drift takes to the skies, trying to help, because someone with powers has to try.
And if no one else will be the hero… she’ll do it. Somehow.
They called them Deathseekers, long-limbed shadows with hollow eyes, always a step ahead of someone’s final breath. Only Kazuki Okitsu could see them. Only she knew what they meant.
Diesel City didn’t welcome her back. Not with the visions. Not with the screams.
She wasn’t cursed. She was Empowered. A glimpse, a few seconds into a possible future, was all she had.
Just enough to witness death unfold. Sometimes enough to change it.
Kazuki must decide: fight the chaos or become part of it.
And somewhere in the silence between seconds, the question lingers:
If you could see death coming… would you run, or would you stand and face it?
Hai-Xang Hayden? Yeah, I’ve heard the name.
Everyone has. Depending on who you ask, she’s a playgirl, a visionary, or the spark that’s going to light the whole Consortium on fire.
She’s changed recently, since her mother died. Now she moves like someone with nothing left to lose.
Doesn’t talk much. Doesn’t trust easy. But she sees things. Connects the dots before the rest of us even know there’s a pattern.
I watched her walk into a meeting once, unarmed, outnumbered… and she still made everyone in that room nervous.
Not because of what she might do. but because we all knew she’d already made up her mind.
She didn’t start the war.
But she’s not walking away from it, either.
Not any more.
No names. No trail. Just legends.
Some say the twins aren’t even human, just a red shadow and a blue silence.
You anticipate track them, you don’t escape.
You only survive if they didn’t want to kill you.
One person said Red smiled right before the trap closed.
Another claimed Blue never blinked, even while the building burned.
They leave nothing behind. Not even questions.
Only fear and silence.
And if you’re reading this?
They’re already too close.
You hear the name Lacuna and you think it’s just another pretentious superhero name. Some tough guy trying too hard.
But then he walks in, cool as hell, like he’s already seen how this ends.
He doesn’t waste time. No threats, no showboating. That’s it. Like he’s telling you what time it is.
And the scariest part? He means it. Every word.
He’s not looking to prove anything. He knows who he is and if you’re in his way, that’s your problem now.
I’ve seen a lot of fighters, a lot of talkers.
But Lacuna? He finishes things.
You won’t see Penumbra coming.
Not when she enters. Not when she leaves. Not even when she’s standing right behind you.
Christine Quezon, who prefers Penumbra now, is a professional thief, ghost operative, and one of the earliest recorded Empowered.
Her ability? Wraping herself in shadow and changing them into whatever she wants.
She’ll steal anything. Not just objects: data, leverage, artefacts.
And once she sets her sights on a job, there are only two outcomes: she disappears with what she came for… or you never notice it’s gone.
Dear Diary,
Today’s heroic highlights: tripped over and faceplanted in mud (fashionably, of course), then got outwitted by a squirrel.
If saving the world comes from looking this ridiculous, I’m already winning.
Sure, my powers have a mind of their own (seemingly, mostly to embarrass me!), but at least I’m consistent.
So what if I’m the clumsiest hero alive?
Someone’s gotta make justice look this good.
Watch out, city! Jessica’s here, and she’s fabulous… kind of.
– Jessica (A.K.A Drift)
I used to watch the Empowered on the news. Now I watch them from my window, fighting something they don’t understand.
It started with a blackout. Then the screams. Now there’s this thing… tall, humming, glowing. It’s walking through the streets like it owns them.
They say it was an accident. That Penumbra made a mistake.
But “mistakes” don’t tear buildings apart. “Mistakes” don’t grow stronger every time they’re attacked.
It keeps coming, nothing works to stop it. And we’re all just sitting here…waiting.
Hoping this isn’t the day our heroes fall.
First contact with the Ximians was supposed to change everything. It did, but not the way everyone hoped: it tore Hai-Xang Hayden’s world apart.
Her mother died in the chaos, leaving her with a name stained by her wild activities and a future tangled in war.
The Consortium’s power is threatened, and factions are ready to back down to avoid a war that could consume entire star systems.
She will allow no peace talks. No easy answers. She has been pushed too far, so she is stepping into the fire with nothing left to lose.
In the shadows of broken cities and fading alliances, Hai-Xang must fight, not just to survive, but to take control of a war she never wanted.
When the bugs burn, they will remember her name.
Violete didn’t expect the city to be easy. Crime? She’s got it handled. But life outside the mask? That’s where things start to fall apart.
Someone’s been following her, always just out of sight. Her parents’ visa is on the verge of expiration, and there’s no one coming to help. Then, a criminal she had already brought down escapes custody and vanishes.
By the time he resurfaces, he’s changed. Bigger. Stronger. Not even human anymore. And he’s coming for her.
Now, Violete has to face a nightmare she can’t outrun. No backup. No rest. Just a girl with powers and a reason to fight.
Cascade looks like a fight against a towering robot, but the real story is the moment you face something too big for one set of hands. It reminds us that power isn’t just speed or strength, it’s knowing when to reach beyond yourself.
When the characters finally start to work together, the impossible starts to move. That’s the quiet lesson: progress happens when individual sparks meet and turn into a shared surge.
You ever hear about the twins, Red and Blue?
They are known as members of the Assassins Guild.
People think they’re just another pair of killers, and they’re right by their definition: they don’t care about fair fights, only the results.
When they crossed paths with Melqart, he thought he could take them.
And he nearly did. But he didn’t expect Red to risk Blue’s life just to take him down.
Job’s done.
[Note found in a burned-out safehouse]
I tried living the life they wanted.
Kept my head down. Did what I was told.
Pretended the powers didn’t matter.
But every time I saw someone in trouble and did nothing… it ate at me.
So I left. No plan. Just me, the streets, and this… calling.
Then she showed up. With powers. Not like mine, but powers.
She laughs in the middle of chaos like it’s a game.
I don’t know if she’s reckless or free. But now I’m questioning everything.
Maybe she’s wrong.
Maybe I was.
Either way, there’s no going back.
– Lacuna
She can tap any pair of eyes. Useful, until a power-hungry figure named Jan turns her into a walking surveillance hub.
Claudette endures the imposed training, memorises every tactic, and then breaks free. The drills intended to bind her become a personal armoury, and the secrets she once witnessed now serve as a compass for her life.
Now calling herself Vigilance, she is loose in the world, trained for something new. And what will she do with that newfound power?
Personnel: Brynne Abramo (Team Leader), Simon O’Connor (Muscle), Danny Ackerman (Medic), Gerlof Solomon (Explosives), Nurten Vieth (Sabotage), and “Arthur” (handler)
Mission Objective:
There’s one man who, more than anyone else, pushes the Consortium to its current doomed state.
We need to stop him. By any means necessary.
A team will land in a world that is nothing like what we know. But that is the point. We have to fix the history before it breaks us all.
No room for mistakes. No room for doubts.
The team will do what we have to do… to survive as a species.
Trust in this team we have trained.
And pray.
When you found out about your father’s past, where a man built his empire with the blood of many, you had two choices: look away or stand against him. Samuel chose not to be blind to the luxury he grew up with.
Through secret meetings and money delivered to a man who fights where he can’t, he knows he is doing the right thing. Lobo is like a sword, while Samuel is the squire that oils and sharpens it.
Samuel is ready to burn the corruption down. His war has only just began.
Ever wondered what kind of hero you’d be? With your name, you carry the potential of a true hero. Are you ready to embrace your destiny?
Who are you in this world of power? Click the link to uncover your empowered self.
https://whatareyou.shadesofvengeance.com/?generator=empowered
“The name’s LACUNA. And now I’m gonna kick your ass!”
No games. No small talk. Just straight to the action and the kind of confidence you either admire or pray you never have to face. Very iconic.
Don’t worry, he is not trying to prove anything. He knows who he is.
And if you are on the other end of that line…
Good luck.
Do you know what’s scarier than villains who have plans to take over the world?
It is the ones who don’t have to lift a finger. Someone who twists your memory and even plants a doubt there. Suddenly, you will question anything about yourself.
Blue Shift isn’t in a fight. She’s in a psychological hostage situation with a guy who weaponizes trust like it’s a game.
Honestly? I’ve met people like this. No capes. Just vibes and a talent for ruining your week.
Have you ever faced a moment that tested your limits, only to find you’re stronger than you thought?
We all face moments in our lives where everything feels like it’s falling apart. There is this fear of failing, and the struggle to keep going even if you feel like giving up.
In Violete’s world, danger is everywhere. Given her power, she chose to help others, even if facing her biggest problem: herself. But what truly makes her unstoppable is something we can all relate to: she rises countless times after falling, because she refuses to stay down.
Like Violete, we all have the power to push through, no matter how heavy the world feels.
The real fight isn’t against the enemies we see.
It’s the fight within ourselves.
If you asked me if I wanted to have superpowers and what kind, I’d say the ability to fly!
Imagine going to places without getting stuck in the traffic… unless you got stuck on something, like Jessica does (relatively frequently).
She’s constantly wondering whether she is cut out for this. Even her friends admire other heroes, leaving her secret identity unnoticed.
It would be easy to walk away… but for Jessica? That is not an option: she has to keep her city safe… as a costumed hero, Drift.
Although a comedic story, this also explores the idea that maybe being a hero is not all about being the strongest, maybe it is about having the strength to keep going, even when you are at your weakest.
Follow her journey here: https://sovcomics.com/product/drift-heroism/
Some of the best comics make us feel like the hero goes through the same things we do. We have all experienced times when we hoped someone would step in and be part of the journey.
Lobo 2 is a comic about that: it reminds us that even the strongest person does not have to carry it all alone. This guy used to fight his battles in silence, not caring that his city barely knows his name. He had one mission: to protect them from the cartels.
But it was too much for him alone.
It made me think about this a lot: even if we are the most powerful person in the world, we still need someone who sees us for more than what we can do, and says “Let’s fight this together.”
It does not make us weaker to need someone by our side.
Artwork from Lobo 2
Codename: Fauna
Real Name: Quinn Moore
Location: [REDACTED]
Summary:
Subject exhibits the ability to transform into humanoid forms with animalistic traits. His full capabilities remain undocumented.
Incident Log:
There seems to be a potential involvement of an unknown Empowered with cognitive influence, which enables the community to exhibit an obsession with identifying Fauna.
Notes:
The subject has a non-Empowered sister. Further monitoring is recommended to assess the extent of her impact on the subject’s activities and choices.
Classified File: Penumbra
Codename: Penumbra
Real Name: Christine Quezon
Empowered Ability: Shadow Manipulator
Summary of Profile:
She is one of the first recorded Empowered in the world.
She is one of the most resourceful and intelligent Empowered we have encountered… and she uses those abilities to steal whatever the highest bidder wants!
Just know: if she disappears, it might not be because she ran; she could be watching you from your own shadows… https://sovcomics.com/product/penumbra-tide/
There might be heroes that you have not heard about…
They are not perfect. They do not have fame, attention, and glory. But they fight for what matters to them.
Lobo is determined to save innocent people from the cartels. With his few gadgets and explosives, he’s on a mission to save his city from the hands of Santa Muerte.
After discovering that he has the ability to change into Humanoid forms with animalistic abilities, Quinn Moore wants nothing more than to keep living his quiet life. However, his powers draw the attention of a manipulator and now his entire community is at risk.
Melqart is a cyborg who discovers he has lost his memory. He needs to know why he was sent back in time. In an unknown future, will he succeed with his plan?
It’s time to hear the Outsiders’ stories.
https://sovcomics.com/product/empowered-outsiders-volume-1/