In the early days of Paragon City, the area known as Kings Row was a shiny, bustling place filled with hope and promise.
Factories manufacturing goods and generating power created a feeling of strong, blue-collar values. At that time, the area was called Kings Row because of one the most productive factories to set up shop there: King Garment Works.
Unfortunately, the prosperity didn’t last long. When the Depression hit Paragon City, no area was affected more.
Factories shut down, many workers were laid off, and a great deal of the crime sweeping through the city was centered in the row of closed-down factories. The crime bosses who set themselves up there took on the name of the zone.
They became known throughout the city as The Kings.
For a time, Kings Row became a place to avoid. It was dark, dirty, and struck fear into the hearts of upright Paragon citizens.
When Statesman began his “war on crime” and formed the Freedom Phalanx, he focused a great deal of his efforts on bringing down the Kings. Eventually, the Freedom Phalanx triumphed over the Kings, but the cost was high.
There was some damage to the physical area, but of greater effect was the long-term damage done to the reputation of Kings Row.
Even after the economy recovered, the stigma of Kings Row remained. The Kings are long gone but the name has remained and to this day, the area is regarded as a grimy place with a reputation for seediness.
Present day Kings Row connects North to Perez Park, East to Skyway City, and West to Independence Port. Paragon City's extensive sewers also sprawl beneath Kings Row.
Although the area is still generally run-down, it has seen much more activity lately -- and not all of it good. Part of that comes from the fact that the area has become a popular location for raves, drawing in more of Paragon City's white-collar crowd.
Yet the primary reason for the surge of activity in Kings Row is due to the arrival of a gang called the Skulls. The Skulls have been in Paragon City for some time, but they have only recently set up shop for good in the Row, going so far as to clean up the streets a bit by attacking Vahzilok Cadavers whenever they see them.
The Skulls first order of business seems to be waging a war on the Hellions, a gang from Atlas Park. Nearby Perez Park has become the battleground for this gang war where both sides seem to have backing from more powerful organizations.
By using it as a home base of sorts, the Skulls appear to be taking Kings Row back in time and threaten to turn it into crime central once again.
It has become a priority for the heroes of Paragon City to find out who is backing the Skulls and stop the war they are waging against the Hellions. It will take many dedicated crime fighters to make certain Kings Row is a City Zone that people can feel safe in.