Overview
The story is set between the events of Stormwatch vol 2. #10 and #11, and between WildC.A.T.S vol. 1 and vol. 2, and depicts the events which led up to the disbanding of Stormwatch and the formation of The Authority.
When the idea for the crossover was explained to him Warren Ellis wasn't enthusiastic, he kept telling them he thought the idea was "Bloody stupid" but was won round when "he was told that he could kill any character he wanted". It was this free hand that allowed him to clear the decks and launch a new superhero team with his own characters (the exception being Swift), The Authority. Scott Dunbier, the editor in charge at the time, explained the thinking behind this: "One of my goals was that this should be a book with lasting effects, unlike the usual cross-company epics that come and go and mean nothing. Since Warren Ellis was wrapping up his run on Stormwatch, before diving into The Authority, I thought it would be an interesting idea to kill off a large portion of the remaining Stormwatch characters, the ones that wouldn’t be moving on to the new book."
Read more about this topic: Wild C.A.T.s/Aliens