Backstory: Okay. So here's a REALLY SHORT summary of the backstory you need to know. And there are pictures at the end if you care at all what these people look like. If not just ignore them.

Once upon a time there was a secret government project called Manticore which genetically engineered a whole pile of kids for the purpose of raising and training them to be very loyal, very powerful soldiers. They were modified to include feline DNA, whcih gave them excellent eyesight, the ability to jump high, run fast, and be strong. They also enhanced them in other ways, such as giving them higher IQs and the ability to hold their breaths for several minutes.

There were lots of these kids, but in 2009 twelve of them escaped. Their names were Ben, Brin, Jondy, Krit, Max, Syl, Tinga, Zack, Zane, and three others who were never named on the television show.

One very important character is Zack. He was the one who got the twelve kids out of there (he was eleven at the time, one of the oldest). He was the CO (commanding officer; remember Manticore was a military "school") back there, and since the escape he continued that role. He's also their "big brother" as they call him (THOUGH IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT NONE OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY RELATED). Zack can be both a jerk and a very sweet guy when it comes to the safety of his siblings. Consequently, he has a love/hate relationship with all of them.

Jondy, Krit, Syl, Tinga, Brin, and Zane did not have too much development on the show. Tinga and Brin had more than the others, but all you really need to know is Tinga got married and had a kid, and then later was recaptured and killed by Manticore. Brin got progeria (rapid aging) as a side-effect of her engineering and was also recaptured by Manticore, but reindoctrinated to be an uber-serious soldier. It's theorized she was killed but not known either way.

Okay, so there are three other names you may come across: Eva, Jack, and Ben. All you really need to know about the first two is that Eva died protecting all the others during the escape and Jack died before the escape because he had seizures and the Manticore guards murdered him for being "defective." These seizures were a side-effect of the genetic engineering, and all the others also have them. As for Ben, in the show he was a little... ahem... screwed up. The only thing you really need to know about him is that back at Manticore he used to tell the other kids stories all the time about heaven ("The Good Place") and hell ("The Bad Place"), using a picture of the Virgin Mary someone gave them as their God figure (they called her "The Blue Lady"). Oh, and you may see mention of "nomlies," which were sort of their Satan back there... that's all you really need to know about Ben.

A Short List of Facts: