- Doomsday - Volume One: Gods and Monsters

Chapter 9: The Aftermath of the 'Omnic Crisis' and the 'Golden Age' of Overwatch

— Excerpt from a biographical novel talking about the early years of Overwatch and how the organisation developed after the end of the 'Omnic Crisis' as it moved into a post-war world, From Mercenary Group to Peace-keepers, The Advancement of Overwatch in an ever-changing world (Harriet Grayson, 2069)

"When I am writing this novel, it has currently been twenty-six years since the end of the 'Omnic Crisis'. One of the darkest chapters in Humanity's history, however, with the assistance of the six-man international team, the Overwatch Strike Team, humanity was able to hang on for a little longer, against the ever worsening odds."

"There was great change across the globe between the pre, and post-war world, a topic that many contemporaries have discussed at great lengths. However, a topic that has been long neglected was the transitional period seen in the Overwatch organisation after the end of the great struggle. Overwatch was initially set up to help the world against the Omnic threat, but how would they survive in a post-'Omnic Crisis' world? Well, it would seem that in the long run, not so well, as we all know. And yet, initially, it could be argued that Overwatch was off to a good start."

"After the 'Omnic Crisis', Overwatch rose to international prominence and popularity, with this period being described as a 'Golden Age'. With the rise in notoriety, Overwatch was given more funding and resources, which allowed the organisation to increase their influence on a great scale. Furthermore, Overwatch became more than just a mercenary group, as they gained skilled scientists, engineers, doctors, as well as fighters, soldiers and warriors, from across the world, to bolster their position as an international peace-keeping force."

"Some of the most popular and prominent Overwatch operatives joined during this period, with a massive rise in membership. Dr. Angela Ziegler, a renowned medic from Switzerland who was believed to be a leading professional in her field was one of these people. Finding a sense of purpose when she was initially introduced to Overwatch, she believed that in this position she could help many more people, especially young people, and prevent the breakup of families, similar to what she had suffered in her youth. Dr. Ziegler, otherwise known as 'Mercy', is currently one of the most popular Overwatch members, having much of her image generally clean regardless of the messy breakup of the organisation."

"Another significant member of the 'Golden Age' of Overwatch would be Winston, a genetically engineered Ape who had previously escaped from the Lunar Space Colony. Previously, there had been attempts to make colonies on the moon. The furthest we ever got were research bases. The most prominent being the Lunar Space Colony, of which genetic experiments were pushed to the limits. Unfortunately, in an uprising caused by the intelligent apes, most of the scientists were jettisoned out of the space station via a trap set by the monkeys and they secured control over the research institute. However, Winston had escaped and rather than abusing his powers given to him, like his brethren, he decided to help humanity instead, joining Overwatch. He has been the centre of many great scientific discoveries over the last few decades and is believed to be one of the greatest minds of our generation."

"It should also be argued however that this was the start of the breakup of the Overwatch team. While not as evident at the time, the clues were evident. After the 'Omnic Crisis', Gabriel Reyes was removed as leader of the main Overwatch Strike Team in favour of his friend and partner Jack Morrison, with Ana Amari being put as his second-in-command. While it may have seemed like a clean and mutual handover, we can imagine that Reyes could not have been happy about this. However, who was the better leader? Well, it is true that both men had strong morals and were both great soldiers, however Reyes has been described by some contemporaries as a 'wartime' leader while Morrison was a more effective leader during the peace-keeping era of Overwatch. Furthermore, it has been argued that Morrison brought more out of his team in contrast to Reyes, who could at times be more individually minded."