They were supposed to be dead. Heavy gunfire, scathing explosions and screams everywhere. It was 1975 and America had become entrenched in the Vietnam War. Four servicemen, Edison, Haberley, Cohen and Caldecott were among a small platoon decimated along a jungle pass, but instead of being killed, they found themselves lifted into the air by beautiful warrior maidens astride winged horses. It was like something out of a movie, or a fantastic acid trip.

The Valkyrior, or Valkyries, had been ordered to take the four men to Valhalla. Someone had made a mistake. The Asgardians thought that the four men were somehow descendants of Balder the Brave. Loki was implicated in the deception, but whatever the cause, Edison and his men realised they were in danger when they awoke in another world and heard the stories that they were legendary warriors.

Edison knew that when the truth came out they would be killed or sent back to the death which awaited them in the Vietnam jungles. He assessed the situation, judged that their hosts saw they as worthy and honourable, and completely harmless. He used that assumption and ordered his men to steal weapons and mounts and to escape while they were still able. The four military men succeeded in taking possession of mystical weapons left unguarded by their hosts. And they forcibly took winged steeds from the maidens.

Somehow they made it back to Vietnam, where they quickly realised they possessed power undreamt of. Cohen discovered the devastating power of his hammer, laying waste to the jungle and the hidden soldiers. They had become gods amongst men. The military didn't like the fact that Cohen and his men refused to follow orders, and for the next few months the four men lived by their own rules. They had become the Riders of the Storm: Victory, Stormbringer, Epos and Battleaxe.

By the end of 1975 they had realised that their destinies lay beyond what the United States Government wanted. They saw that the young men kept dying and the government kept sending more to replace them. They saw that the soldiers who did return were spurned by the public. It was not honourable.

And so the Riders returned to the United States and began to try and change the world.

They targeted government installations, destroying military production. They targeted the government and its politicians. They became the biggest threat to the United States, a threat which led to the establishment of Sanction.

Over the decades, the Riders have continued being free spirits and have fought for and against the laws of the land. They continue to possess immense power, but their wills are weakening. They are getting old.

And the Asgardians continue to watch and wait.

Retribution will come.

Warner Cohen has embraced the role of War God since his return from Asgard. He is wild and loves nothing better than to immerse himself in combat. His body has weakened over the years but his spirit is still fuelled by blood, sweat and tears. He has taken to exploring the world on his own, favouring the cold climates where he practices his skills against the wilderness. He enjoys the company of his team mates but is much more relaxed and 'himself' when alone.

"Twenty years have taught me a few things about uber rats like you. You all fall down eventually. Me, I never fall down."

Each of the Riders stole a mystical weapon of immense power. The wielder of the weapon is endowed with godlike strength and durability, but as a result of a Valkyrie curse the protection does not work against magic. The curse has also extended to making the four warriors especially vulnerable to all effects of magic, something which the men are well aware of from close encounters overt the years. If an opponent presents himself as being linked to magic, the Riders will relentlessly attack and destroy that individual. Cohen took possession of a hammer which also enables him to cast off lightning bolts.

Stormbringer has been changed the most after coming in contact with the mystical weapons. He radiates a godlike aura which intimidates people around him. He wears thick, hardy clothing including a leather strapping around his torso, a heavy leather coat and torn military pants. He is prepared for most eventualities and wears anti-flare goggles and leather straps over his mouth. He is rarely out of his costume but when he does it is usually in tired, faded clothing. Cohen looks like an aging hippy with wild grey hair to his shoulders and a glint in his eye.