About
Welcome To The Underground
Cyrus the ladybug is a trusted diplomat and ambassador. That was until the day his home was decimated and he began a hero’s journey that rivals the greatest tales of “ant”-iquity. Along the way our heroes will become ensnared in the “spiderweb” of intrigue surrounding Queen Azulon, Great Mother of the ant colony, Coryn, and the evil machinations of the wasp/bee union known as The Hive Embassy; both of which will impact all of the insects of The Underground.
Guided by Gretta the mystical silk moth, haunted by spirits of those who have fallen, and protected by the Zealots, Cyrus struggles with injuries to both psyche and physique while exploring places deep, and dark.
Below the surface of the Underground are the ants who carve tunnels and build impressive trading centers like the “ant”-ernal city of Coryn. High above are the flying insects like the bees and wasps who prefer to build external structures so impenetrable and remote so as to take advantage of the ability to fly. In the spaces in between the termites build towers so impressive and long lasting that they outlive all the engineers responsible for generations.
Amidst all the chaos, and struggles is an unlikely hero. An unwilling saviour, on a quest of redemption. No insect, no building, nor an act of nature can stop Cyrus from fulfilling his destiny and preventing catastrophe in “ The Underground”, a monumental tale of microscopic proportions.
The Underground: Initial Submission (TU:IS)
In the summer of 1998, Paul Reaume prepared a four-page comic book submission with his eyes set on Marvel Comics. His submission did not feature big name super heroes or heroines though. This would be Paul’s first venture into creating The Underground. It was the first glimpse of his insect heroes, namely the Zealots Elite. Ultimately, the submission was rejected by the comic publishing giant. It did however start a creative wheel deep inside Paul’s psyche, one that has yet to stop spinning.
Some of the characters have survived years of re-imagining, while others fell by the wayside. Despite how drastically different the current series may be from this original inception, Paul considers it to be the birth of The Underground.