The planet is populated solely by hyper-beings, as all normal humans were wiped out in the Hyper-Human War that took place some time before the War for Eternity officially began. By the time Infrared came into existence, the two sides had already been battling for a very long time, and there were signs that the War was soon coming to an end, which also meant Super Earth One would soon be coming to an end, as Captain Infinity had received a prophecy stating as much. The greatest sign pointing to the fulfillment of the prophecy was the sudden appearance of the Eternity Key – a powerful object that would be used to save all hyper-beings on Super Earth One who chose to dedicate their lives to following and defending The Light, and bring them into a new world.

On the contrary, all hyper-beings who either did not choose to follow The Light, or chose to live in the shadows, would be destroyed with Super Earth One. Madam Zero did not subscribe to the prophecy, and she believed that Super Earth One could be saved from demise. That is the message she continually shared with other hypers, and it was effective in winning many to the side of the shadows. Infrared, who was passionate about his home world, wanted to do everything in his power to help save it. So, when Madam Zero came calling, he was more than willing to answer that call with every ounce of his considerable and awesome power.

You see, at the age of 2, his powers had manifested in an explosive way… literally. He was in his mother’s arms, when he suddenly burst into a ball of flames, destroying his family’s home in an instant. Fortunately, his mother had indestructible skin and his father was able to produce force-fields, allowing them to withstand the blast, but it was clear that the boy’s powers were potent and very dangerous. He was given the name “Infrared”, and his birth name was taken and forgotten – as was the tradition on Super Earth One, once a child’s powers were revealed.

His parents were undecided about whether to follow the Light or the Shadows, but by the time Infrared was a teenager, he had made up his mind. He loyally served Madam Zero with fierceness, and soon became one of her most lethal minions. She sent him on numerous missions to attack and burn down Infinity Force outposts all over Super Earth One. He became a primary target of the anti-hero super group The Centurians, but even their incredibly aggressive tactics weren’t enough to snuff him out.

It was after Madam Zero stole the Eternity Key from an Infinity Fortress outpost, that Infrared would meet his greatest challenge. The supreme villainess had fled the compound with several heroes in pursuit, including Crosscheck, Radiance, and Captain Infinity himself. But just when they thought they had her cornered, Infrared appeared and attacked! Captain Infinity continued after Madam Zero as the red-hot hyper-being exchanged elemental blasts with the ice-wielding Crosscheck, before taking him down. Infrared then counteracted Radiance’s light-energy with a series of flame-bursts, taking her out of the fight as well. Finally, Kade the Keeper thundered onto the scene, and engaged the flame-thrower. The towering sentry’s extra-durable skin, along with his ability to absorb flame-blasts, made him an extremely difficult opponent. The two of them went back-and-forth for several minutes, with neither able to gain a decisive advantage.

As they battled, Captain infinity confronted Madam Zero. The Shadow Queen first attempted to reason with her heroic counterpart, suggesting that the Eternity Key could be used to stop the demise of Super Earth One. She tried to appeal to his love for his home world, and the hyper-beings who inhabited it. He said that he did love them, which is why he needed to use the Eternity Key to save those who followed The Light. He then reminded her that everyone has the opportunity to make the choice of following The Light, including her. Madam Zero became angry with the idea that Captain Infinity would simply let their home planet be destroyed. He responded that nothing could be done to stop destiny. And with that, each one brandished their weapons and attacked.

Meanwhile, Infrared was beginning to gain the upper hand against Kade. In fact, the Man on Fire nearly had the heroic titan at his mercy, but then Eclipse and Fracture of the Centurians arrived, and joined in the fight against the villain. He was soon overpowered and defeated. At the same time, Centuria jumped into the fray with Captain Infinity against Madam Zero, and after holding the mighty siblings off for quite some time, the leader of the Army of Shadows was defeated, and forced to surrender the Eternity Key.

Infrared collected himself and came to the side of Madam Zero, who now found herself surrounded by Captain Infinity, Kade The Keeper, and the Centurians. Infrared took a deep breath, and prepared to unleash a massive explosive charge, when suddenly Centuria, Eclipse and Fracture attacked Captain Infinity and Kade! Zero and Infrared watched with intrigue as The Centurians coordinated a flawless surprise assault, and relieved the Captain of the Eternity Key. Centuria then explained that she needed the Key to help restore the powers of her other Centurian teammate, Sapphire Shade, who had lost her ability to move at extreme speeds during a battle in which Madam Zero set off a darklight bomb. Using the key could potentially reverse the effect.

Captain Infinity reminded Centuria that using the Key before the designated time could open the doors to other dimensions, allowing unsavory entities to enter Super Earth One. Centuria did not care about those possibilities; she cared only about restoring Sapphire Shade’s powers. And with that, Centuria, Eclipse and Fracture fled. Madam Zero and Infrared exchanged looks, then fled as well, determined to come up with a new plan to get the Key.

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