Even since the emergence of superpowers on a widespread level, the villains have rarely come out on top. Whether it's their naturally competitive instincts or simply a universal law which says that for every villain there must be a hero to challenge them is unclear, but it is a fact.
Sable City is one of the few exceptions. Once a shining metropolis the city was claimed in a single day by a hitherto unknown villain named Sable. This powerful figure cloaked the city in a seemingly perpetual night and then proceeded to defeat not one, but fourteen heroes who sought to challenge them in quick succession. Within two days the city authorities capitulated to Sable and declared that the city would hereafter be an independent entity, ruled solely by Sable. The villain immediately declared an amnesty on all crimes committed within the rest of the world and instantaneously turned Sable City into a centre of villainy for the entire world.
Even Alpha and The All-American Hero, the two most powerful heroes on the continent couldn't unseat Sable, because if there is one thing that will make villains put aside their differences it is an existential threat. Every villain in Sable City, numbering hundreds by that point, joined together to turn back the forces of Good and when Sable engaged The All-American Hero above the city and sent him plummeting to earth Alpha called a retreat.
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Two factors have made Sable's reign acceptable to the world at large. The first is that the villain seemingly has no grander ambitions. The perpetual night which surrounds the city and its environs has never expanded or contracted since the day Sable arrived and serves as the unofficial boundaries of the villains territory.
The second is that Sable is a surprisingly good ruler. City utilities are maintained in excellent condition, a publicly elected board of officials handles the day to day city governance and crime is astonishingly low despite a population of villains larger than anywhere in the US, if not the world.
Sable has an explicit and brutal code of conduct which governs the city. Villains are allowed, and even encouraged to practise their villainous ways, as long as they pay hefty taxes to Sable for the privilege. Those who pay are free to do as they please, until they run into someone more powerful than themselves or the Night Police, the cities enforcement arm. Many minor villains sign up directly to the Night Police or serve Sable in other ways, while those more independent ones are left alone, so long as they pay their taxes. A number of high profile villains, such as the recently incarcerated Omega, were known to keep apartments, laboratories and other property within Sable City as a secure retreat and Sable encourages such activity, for a suitable fee.
This villainous economy has made Sable City an... interesting place to live for normal people. Crime is low, unless you directly confront a superpowered villain, the schools are good and the cities baseball team recently made the MLB playoffs. Since Sable somehow provides the city with a seemingly limitless supply of electricity which offsets the perennial night many ordinary citizens of Sable City say its not a bad place to live. "Certainly no worse than California/Florida/New York!"
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However the forces of Good have not completely abandoned Sable City. The Night Police are not omnipresent and some villains will seek to skirt, or outright flaunt Sable's rules, whether through hubris or greed. Some people in the cities underground speak in hushed whispers of Nightlight, a powerful hero who appears to help the threatened and vulnerable in their times of need. He is a symbol of hope for those who have yet to resign themselves to villainous rule and who pray for the return of the sun.
You are not Nightlight, but you know him or at least know of him. Whether you were rescued by the hero, trained with him at his securely hidden refuge or have simply heard stories and seek to emulate your hero, you have taken up Mask and Cape, ready to use your powers for the benefit of others rather than yourselves. You may not make a huge difference, you may not save Sable City, but you will make a difference for the better and afterall isn't the path of a hero always one against insurmountable odds?
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A citizen of Sable City has either been born there or, as an adult, has sworn an oath of loyalty to the city and to Sable as its ruler. Citizens are registered and have an ID card which acts as their official documentation. Citizenship is not required, but does come with significant legal protections and rights in Sable City. It can however be revoked if a citizen commits a serious crime, or at Sable's personal command, although no-one is aware of any cases where the Supervillain has done so.
1. Powered Citizens: top of the heirarchy in Sable City are those powered individuals who have sworn loyalty to Sable. Many serve Sable directly, in the Night Guard or in other positions of responsibility among the city areas that Sable personally oversees, such as power.
2. Citizens: citizens without powers of their own have reasonably significant political and legal protections within Sable City, such as the right to vote in municipal elections. They also have the right to the protection and help of the Night Guard and the majority of the police force's time is spent dealing with crimes against citizens.
3. Powered non-citizens: Anyone with powers is permitted to reside within Sable City as long as they pay the appropriate taxes. They are however provided with no special legal protections or status, which means any crimes inflicted on them are rarely dealt with by the authorities.
4. Non-citizens: for non-citizens who lack powers life can be hard. They lack the ability to avenge their own injuries and have theoretical, but no practical, recourse to correct injustices. Some non-citizens are so because they have refused to swear the loyalty oaths to Sable and others prefer to avoid any appearance in the cities bureaucracy, for whatever reason.
