The Wildstorm Universe is a fictional shared universe where the comic books published by Wildstorm take place. It represents an alternate history of the real world where ideas such as interstellar travel and superhuman abilities are commonplace. It is also the name of one of three brands launched by Wildstorm to help differentiate their titles set in the same universe from other, separate titles. Originally launched as part of the Image Universe, it broke off as its own separate universe during the Shattered Image event.
The Wildstorm Universe began as part of the Image Comics Universe. During Shattered Image, Wildstorm broke off from Image and constituted a separate universe. The Wildstorm's universe represents an alternate history of the real world, with further similarities to other comic book universes (especially the DC Universe). Interstellar travel and alien races, including the Kherubim and Drahn, are taken for granted, and centuries or more of alien contact gave rise to a distinctive mythology in Wildstorm worlds. Fictional technologies, or technologies only theoretically possible in the real world, are present in the Wildstorm Universe. Superhuman agents are commonplace and involved in world politics: Stormwatch dealt extensively with the United Nations, and The Authority took over governance of the United States.
The D'rahn are an alien race. They are humanoid in appearance, but are generally larger than humans with grey skin and red eyes without visible iris or pupil. Three bony ridges are on the top of their head. Their ears are rudimentary, little more than large openings in the sides of their heads. There are similar openings in their cheeks, but the purpose of these openings is unclear. Their hands have large claws and a female D'rahn also showed extendable bone claws. While there are recursive traits among members of the D'rahn such as superior Strength, Speed, Flight, Invulnerability, Etc. some possess traits unique to their social standing or generally from individual to individual for starters; Alphas of the hive like breed withhold greater power levels than that of even Kherubim Lords. Other have energy generative and manipulation capability one of the extraterrestrial's most distinguishing feature; prominent only within the female of the species, being the ability of accelerated genetic progression in the form of controlled evolution dubbed 'The Enlightenment'. A process where a fecund entity of their tribe can rework another sentient's very DNA to enhance and progress their developmental evolution by injecting them with her stinger vastly augmenting preexisting attributes and bestowing newer, greater power unto the host involved or irrepressibly destabilize it causing catastrophic biological atrophy and inevitable destruction by effectively rending their very matriculation asunder.