After many months of planning, brainstorming, revisions, and figuring out exactly what direction we wanted to take this character, we are finally approaching the release of the Dark Strike series.
This project has gone through several different creative phases behind the scenes. Early in development, the character that would eventually become Myra Jones was originally intended to serve a completely different purpose within the Strike 7 Network universe. Longtime readers of our Bayou Blood series may find this interesting, but Myra was initially connected to concepts surrounding the Death Claw character before we ultimately decided to move in another direction. As development continued, we realized the identity of Myra Jones deserved its own lane entirely. Instead of forcing the character into an already established mythology, we reserved the name. We rebuilt the concept from the ground up into something far more grounded, darker, and uniquely positioned within the Strike 7 Network lineup.
That evolution eventually became Dark Strike.
Unlike Bayou Blood, which leans heavily into supernatural horror and monstrous transformations, Dark Strike operates within a grounded urban thriller environment built around investigations, conspiracies, corruption, and the dangerous intersection between corporate power and experimental science. The series is set inside the fictional city of Ashbourne, Georgia, a growing southeastern industrial metropolis where freight routes, research facilities, and hidden operations quietly shape the city beneath the public eye.
At the center of the story is Myra Jones, a private investigator who becomes involved in what initially appears to be a routine missing persons case. The investigation eventually pulls her into a larger conspiracy tied to a powerful defense contractor known as Ashbourne Research and Defense, also referred to as ARD. What begins as a search for answers gradually escalates into something far more dangerous involving illegal biological research, secret transportation operations, surveillance, corporate coverups, and a classified mutagen project known as Project Phoenix.
And then everything changes.
One of the things we wanted to accomplish with Dark Strike was creating a character that felt different from traditional superheroes while still embracing the larger-than-life presence that comic-inspired vigilantes are known for. Myra is not a billionaire. She is not a celebrity. She is not a government agent. She is an investigator first and foremost. Her greatest strengths before the transformation are her instincts, persistence, intelligence, and refusal to walk away from the truth once she realizes innocent people are being harmed.
As the story unfolds, readers will see Ashbourne slowly transform around her. The city itself plays a major role in the series. Ashbourne is designed to feel alive. It is a city driven by cargo movement, industrial expansion, corporate contracts, nightlife, and hidden violence beneath the surface. The atmosphere surrounding the series takes heavy inspiration from urban noir storytelling, conspiracy thrillers, and grounded vigilante fiction while still introducing larger mutagen-driven concepts that will continue expanding as the universe grows.
Visually, Dark Strike introduces one of the most distinct designs we have worked on so far for Strike 7 Network. The black bio-armor suit, the flowing cape, the white Split Lightning Strike emblem, and the overall darker urban aesthetic all play an important role in establishing the tone of the series. The goal was to create a character that feels intimidating, mysterious, and cinematic while remaining grounded enough to fit naturally into the world around her.
Another important aspect of the project is the pacing and structure. Similar to our other web serials, Dark Strike is designed to unfold gradually over time rather than rushing through major developments. Investigations matter. Conversations matter. The city matters. The people involved matter. This is not a story built entirely around nonstop action scenes. The tension comes from uncovering secrets, following leads, navigating dangerous situations, and watching Myra slowly realize just how deep the corruption inside Ashbourne truly goes.
Of course, there will still be plenty of action.
As many of you already know, Strike 7 Network has been steadily expanding its library of original web fiction projects over the last several months. Bayou Blood helped establish the darker supernatural side of the universe. The Black Ghost introduced a more grounded tactical vigilante approach. Dark Strike now enters the lineup as something that sits directly between those two tones. It contains investigative realism while slowly introducing mutagen-based transformations, enhanced abilities, and larger conspiracy-driven threats.
We also wanted to make sure the series had long-term storytelling potential from the very beginning. The release of Dark Strike: Shadow of Ashbourne is only the starting point for a much larger narrative involving ARD, Project Phoenix, Ashbourne’s criminal underworld, corporate interests, experimental research, and the growing consequences of the Route 9 incident.
For readers wondering how the release structure will work, Dark Strike will follow the same approach as our other web serial projects. New chapters will first be released through the Strike 7 Network Patreon page for early bird subscribers. Patreon supporters will receive the earliest access to new chapters and story developments as the series unfolds. Much later down the line, the story will eventually make its way onto web fiction platforms such as Royal Road and Scribble Hub for broader public release.
That process, however, is still a ways off.
Right now, the focus is on properly launching the series, building the world of Ashbourne, and continuing to expand the Dark Strike universe the right way.
We are excited to finally bring this project to life.
The shadows of Ashbourne are waiting.
