Spain & Portugal

Unlike the brotherly relationship between Austria and Germany, Spain and Portugal are more akin to rival twin brothers. Both were global powers with overseas colonial empires from the time of the Renaissance until the 20th century. Both knew harsh dictatorships beginning in the 1930s (Franco and Salazar, respectively). Both remained neutral during the World War II (though Portugal leased its Azores bases to the Allies and was thereby instrumental in the success of the Battle of North Atlantic whilst Spain was sympathetic to the Axis powers), and both knew the taste of freedom in the mid-1970s (with the death of Franco and the Carnation Revolution, respectively). After 45 years of harsh dictatorial rule, revolution gave way to a surge of freedom. It led both countries to adopt very lax laws on activities that are penalized in other countries, including crime fighting and the maintenance of a secret identity.
Being a vigilante in the peninsula is quite easy, even for foreign heroes. Only local heroes with a record of property damage (or worse, civilian casualties) are likely to have problems with the local authorities. Foreign heroes, as long as they have a good reputation, will be provided some assistance. Those with a bad track record will be highly scrutinized, but will probably not be arrested on the spot as long as they do not do anything blatantly illegal in the country.

A LAND OF HEROES

Long ago, in the Atlantean era, the Vascones people, later called the Basques, emerged, speaking a language unlike any other in the region. Their origin remained a mystery for thousands of years. In the 12th century, Amadis of Gaula, a “Knight from the Stars,” fought for justice while armed with a green sword of light. In the 19th century, a Portuguese freedom fighter named Dama de Ouros (the Queen of Diamonds) helped the people of Lisbon fight the French during the Peninsula War.
While Spain and Portugal remained mostly neutral in World War II, each was in awe of the Axis and Allied superbeings. At least one faction within the Spanish government traded safe passage to Latin America for members of the Thule Society in exchange for occult secrets. In 1960, this mystical knowledge led to the rise of Manuel Salas de Cabrera, a faithful follower of Franco, as the host of a Dakini, an extraterrestrial energy life form he found in India. Salas de Cabrera became El Aguila de Fuego (the Fire Eagle), first superhero of the Peninsula and protector of Spain until his dismissal in 1975. In Portugal, the government started a secret program—O Quinto Império (the Fifth Empire)—to obtain or create super-soldiers, but the program was cancelled without success due to economic troubles. Rumors say the program remained active until the 2000s as an underground criminal cartel led by a mysterious mastermind called O Encoberto (the Hidden One), but there is nothing to put proof to these rumors.
During Franco’s and Salazar’s dictatorships, any superhuman activity not sponsored by the government was strictly prohibited. The coming of democracy, however, resulted in the rise of superhuman activity in the Peninsula. The swashbuckling crime fighter Rosa Mosqueta (Wild Rose) fought Tubarão Negro (Dark Shark) in Lisbon, and in Madrid the villains el Monóculo (the Monocle, who claimed to come from an alternate 19th century) and el Máscara de Plata (the Silver Mask, a killer cyborg armed with retractable claws) fought each other for control of the criminal underworld. The first Spanish super-team, los Invencibles, started in 1986, but the whole team was killed in Freedom City during the Terminus Invasion of 1993. The most serious threat Spain had ever known resurfaced in 1997, when the great dragon Sugaar appeared in Bilbao to reclaim his old Basque domain. The ancient wyrm was driven back into Faerie by Máximo (the future Ajax) and the otherworldly being called Sandalphon. Sugaar has returned several times to plague the Basque country, stopped by Los Nuevos Invencibles and by the Spanish/Portuguese duo known as Espada(Sword) and Escudo (Shield).

MADRID

Madrid is the capital, cultural heart, and economic center of Spain, as well as the major economic center of southern Europe, eclipsing even Rome. As such, it is also the major center of superhuman activity in the peninsula. Los Nuevos Invencibles are based here, as were their predecessors. The team occupies a building they own in the center of the city from which they operate across all of Spain. The solo hero el Matador has been offered membership several times but has repeatedly declined, choosing to plague the Madrid criminal world and The Labyrinth by himself.
The main supervillain in the area is (nowelderly) el Monóculo, who still controls a sizable part of the city’s underworld. In recent months, the city has faced a mob war between el Monóculo and a pair of supervillains: Estrella (Star, an energy controller) and el Enamorado (the Lover, a psychic). After a recent fight with los Nuevos Invencibles, the villains hinted that they belong to an organization called the Major Arcana whose members are all named after tarot cards.
So far there’s no proof the Major Arcana actually exist and it’s possible Estrella and en Enamorado made up the name to trick or impress the heroes. If true, it suggests a villain group of unprecedented size—22 members—with a wide range of powers!

LISBON

The Portuguese capital is divided between its old charming districts and its modern business centers. Lisbon is also the largest and closest port on the European side of the Atlantic, and its role as a center of trade also makes it attractive to smugglers.
The Lisbon underworld is ruled by an alliance of three crime lords known as los Tres Grandes, or the Big Three: Laurissilva, a woman able to psionically control plants; Raid, a wisecracking but deadly mercenary; and Rumor, a man able to turn himself and others invisible.
Those villains are harassed by Cachorro Maluco (Mad Dog), a staff-using adept of the jogo do pau martial art. Mad Dog received his magical fighting staff from a secretive mystic figure called Urganda a Desconhecida (Urgana, the Unkown). The story goes that Urganda is also the individual who gave El Matador his cloak, and that she may be related to Picatrix. Whatever the truth may be, the mystic is skilled at avoiding attention.

BARCELONA

Barcelona is 2,300 years old and yet one of the trendiest cities in Europe, often seen as a vacation city due to its beautiful beaches and thriving nightlife. It is also one of the richest trade capitals on the continent. As such, it has attracted many unwelcomed visitors. MENACE tried to ransom the city during the 1992 Olympics, but was thwarted by el Cartaginés, a new hero who claimed to receive his powers from the spirit of Hamilcar Barca, founder of the city.
Although the city has seen several super-battles over the years, the most famous metahuman in the area is neither hero nor villain. Alonso Risueño was blessed with the ability to use kinetic energy (more precisely sonic vibrations) to power psychic abilities like emotion control and mental attacks. First a popular party animal and then a talented DJ, Alonso realized he had powers when, on a job in Freedom City, he was hit by a sonic blast from the Maestro and instinctively retaliated with a psychic bolt. The Freedom League helped him develop his powers, after which he returned to Spain.
Today DJ SoundForce is one of the highest paid DJs in the world. His parties are consistently sold out at least six months in advance. People are aware that the emotions they feel are induced by his powers, but partygoers attend of their own free will. The authorities have noticed that recreational drug use is remarkably low at DJ SoundForce’s parties, so they tend to leave him alone.