I was the first superhero.

The saucers had been attacking the Earth for well over a year by then, and it seemed like there was nothing we could do to stop them ripping the world apart.

People started making desperate decisions. The captain of a US destroyer caught in the path of a small saucer emptied his arsenal of missiles and brought it down. We don’t know why he succeeded where so many others had failed, but that was the beginning. The technology found in the downed saucer was used to build two very different experimental weapons.

The first was a suit built of stolen technology and a mishmash of fighter jet equipment. The U.N. could only find eight people who had the ability to interface with the saucer’s technology. The suit gave each of us incredible and unique powers, so we called it the superhero suit and hoped it would keep us alive.

The second weapon was a bomb. We weren’t even sure that it could pierce the saucer’s shields.

One temperamental suit, and one bomb that might not work. They were crude and ungainly things to carry the Earth’s future, but they were all we had.

We only had a week to practice in the suit. There were two of us who were best. I was one, and the other was an older Japanese man, a good friend and a fine leader. He was better than me, in my estimation, but I was younger and I think my superiors valued that. I was also alone in the world, having lost my parents and siblings two years before. That probably played a part, too. They knew I wanted to kill saucers.

Whatever the reasons, I was chosen to carry the bomb.

The most powerful people in the world gathered to see me off. It was strange to see such unity; I could still remember the wars and arguments that had dominated the world before the saucers had arrived.

I was introduced to a lot of people, a sea of faces awash with hope and fear. The only one I remember was Marshal Smith’s young son. I had heard that the boy had taken a lot of interest in the superhero suits, but so had everyone. I remember him because he was the only calm face I met, and he had intense eyes that seemed to pierce right into my soul.

He was shorter than I expected; a lot of people were dismissive of him because of his stature, but I thought he had more fire in his heart than most.

I didn’t want to let him down.

They filmed me in my suit. It was a live transmission to all parts of the world still capable of receiving it. Think about that: the whole world, every person, was depending on me. I could only think of my dead family, and how surprised they would have been to see their rebellious daughter saluted by the president. I was given flowers and medals and then I was loaded into a modified stealth bomber.

It was a relief to be away, really.

I was in the bomber for an hour. I sat in silence with the bomb across my knees and the whole world resting on my shoulders. I was set.

It wasn’t a graceful exit; the bomber was hit hard before it reached the saucer. The pilots only managed to keep it together long enough for me to escape before they spiraled out of control. The crew died, but their courage meant I survived. I dropped through the clouds and right onto the biggest saucer I have ever seen.

It was big, too big for the bomb.

I could see helicopters in the distance. They would be watching me, radioing my progress to the world. We knew that many of the helicopters would be destroyed, but their loss was considered acceptable. The world was burning, and the U.N. was of the opinion that my success would give people the hope they so badly needed.

And if I failed? If I failed, the world was lost. It no longer mattered if people knew that.

That’s how desperate we had become.

I don’t know how I made it through the saucer’s defenses. I shouldn’t have, but perhaps Earth was overdue some luck. I was in a bad way when I landed, but I could still move. I crawled along the saucer’s hull, a trail of blood marking my path, until I found what I could only pray was a weak spot. The saucer’s creatures found me there, so I planted the bomb and then used the last of my strength to draw them away.

My vision was blurry by then, but I saw the saucer explode into plumes of glorious flame behind me. I whooped with pleasure, and the whole world celebrated with me. My victory was the world’s victory.

But my luck ran out as a piece of the exploding saucer caught me in the chest and threw me through the air. It didn’t matter; I had seen the job through.

Now I’m falling through the sky towards the ocean below, and there is no one to save me.

I hope those who follow me work in teams. I hope they have better shields, better weapons, better training. I hope that some of them survive their first mission.

I know they will.

I was The First superhero, but I won’t be the last.