The Jupiter Palladium

Disclaimer: The history of Port Jupiter is based on the real history of Jupiter, Florida, but with necessary alterations for our superhuman universe.

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The name “Port Jupiter” was inspired by the Jobe tribe, which until the early 1800’s managed to drive away any who attempted to settle on those lands. As the story goes, a British mapmaker during a period of British possession of that area of Florida saw the Spanish notation of the “Rio Jobe” and, assuming that it had been a mistake, changed it from Jobe to Jove, after the Roman god. Later mapmakers would anglicize it completely, thus resulting in the name “Jupiter.” Eventually, the area’s prevalence as an excellent harbor would grant it the full name: “Port Jupiter.”

Port Jupiter was quickly established as an excellent harbor and managed to capitalize on its usefulness as a shipping and transportation hub, though it struggled to compete with the larger, rivaling cities of Miami and West Palm Beach. However, Port Jupiter profited from a land boom after World War II, when many Americans decided to move down to South Florida. With an increased need for construction workers to help with housing developments and other new structures, there was a call for construction workers, which was answered by the less wealthy population of southern Florida, which contained an overwhelming number of Superhumans.

At this point in history, “outed” Superhumans were considered second-class citizens and Superhumans could be denied jobs and housing, money was difficult to come by. As a result, when Superhumans came to Port Jupiter asking for work and contractors agreed to hire them at diminished wages, an unsurprisingly large number of other Superhumans rushed to the city for the same opportunities. In the decade after the war, the Superhuman population of Port Jupiter reached astounding heights, all living in the neighborhood of Lowtown along with the rest of the city’s lower-class citizens. Historically the neighborhood had been populated by dockworkers that wanted to live close to the port and shipping district, but over time it simply became home to people who couldn’t afford housing in any other part of town, a built-out and overpopulated slum.

By the late 1950s, every inch of available land on the island that housed Lowtown was covered in buildings, all in varying states of disrepair due to poor materials and an inability to make repairs after hurricanes. The neighborhood was fraught with tension and discontent, particularly between the Humans and Superhumans, who each wanted nothing to do with the other. In response to the growing tension, a Fighter by the name of Louis Fletcher started a Superhuman gang called The Outcasts in order to serve as a support system for Superhumans, but also to fight back against Human oppression. Over the course of the next few years, the Outcasts tried to force the Human residents to either submit to their authority or leave. This lead to the creation of Human Gangs like the Jackdaws and Shadows, which took over isolated pockets of Lowtown and made them safe havens for Humans. Despite the continued presence of Humans on Selene Island, Lowtown would still forever be known first and foremost as a Superhuman slum, mainly because of its role as a hub of Superhuman crime.

The Outcasts then set their eyes on the rest of Port Jupiter, which was already aware that gang activity had risen in Lowtown but was unwilling to do anything about it. In 1960 the gang began their attack against the rest of Port Jupiter, with fairly small attacks against people and overtly anti-Superhuman businesses. What they didn’t expect was that Port Jupiter would gain a superhero, The Atomic Man, who would sympathize with the pro-Superhuman cause but, as the city’s superhero, would stop any violent attacks initiated by the Outcasts. The Atomic Man would defend Port Jupiter and make an excellent name for himself until he and his supervillain nemesis, Dr. Neptune, disappeared in 1968, opening up a world of opportunities for the Outcasts.

One afternoon in December of 1968, the Outcasts attacked Cora Park, killing three people and wounding fifteen others. The attack seemed to serve no purpose other than to show the city that they were a threat, and to that end they succeeded: the attack became widely publicized around the country, drawing attention not only to the gangs, but to the segregation of Superhumans in Lowtown. While the country’s stance on Superhumans hadn’t changed by this point, many still objected to the living conditions of Superhumans and condemned Port Jupiter for allowing the situation to escalate to this point. Others started to become afraid of the true potential of Superhumans, feeling as though the anti-Superhuman propaganda about violent, dangerous Superhumans held some truth. Port Jupiter remained in the limelight throughout the 1970s as the Outcasts continued their reign of terror. The police did the best they could to subdue the gang, but no Hero stepped up to stop the Port Jupiter Outcasts like the Atomic Man had. The police eventually managed to make more headway, but there have never been any true successes against the PJO.

Many residents of Port Jupiter began expressing concern at the increase in violence in the city, and people began to move elsewhere. In an attempt to prevent the population from leaving, the local government began capitalizing on their shipping industry to draw more commerce to the city. They also tried to attract more tourists by building up more beach resorts and hotels, and to keep the attention of the young population who enjoyed spending their spring break in South Florida, they established Port Jupiter University, with a strong biology and natural sciences department that was supported by the number of wildlife preserves that existed in and around the city. Despite the threat of gang violence, the city grew in population and prominence, so that even in the mid-to-late-80s when gang activity had reached its peak, people were still coming to Port Jupiter. By the late 90s, the Outcasts were still prominent but less operational due to the repeal of Superhuman discrimination laws. Also thanks to the repeal, Port Jupiter features one of the first Superhuman rights law firms, bolstering its status as a pro-Superhuman city despite its long and contradictory history. Though the Outcasts are still a threat, Port Jupiter is still considered beautiful and prosperous, a wonderful place to live in—or at least to visit.

The city of Port Jupiter is made up of three major areas, divided by Callisto Harbor and the Loxahatchee River. The main body of the city, to the West, contains many middle-class neighborhoods and Downtown Jupiter. The southern part of the city is home to many upper-class neighborhoods as well as the tourist and beach community. Finally, Selene Island to the north features not only the shipping industry, but also Lowtown. There are also several small islands in the rivers and Callisto Harbor. The city is also along the Intracoastal, this section comprised of Jupiter Sound in the north and the Naiad River in the south.

Port Jupiter is known for its wildlife conservation, as it is surrounded by two state parks (Jonathan Dickinson State Park and Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area), and home to nature preserves like the Loxahatchee River Aquatic Preserve to the north and the Swampland Preserve on Selene Island. It also has a rich history, and is the home of the historical Loxahatchee Battlefield, which can be visited in Meade Park to the west.

Port Jupiter is also the home of Port Jupiter University, a school established in 1976 that has accomplished a lot in its three decades of existence. It is very well known for its natural science programs, with many researchers who like to work in the nearby natural preserves. In 1992, the school built its Marine Lab at the Loxahatchee River Aquatic Reserve to further its marine studies, and the lab has flourished since. Perhaps most notably, the school was the home to one of the first supranthropology departments in the country, due to the major Superhuman presence in the city.

The current mayor of Port Jupiter is Mayor Robert Hernandez, a Democrat whose term started in January 2000.