Some More Comic Book Style Worldbuilding

Preface: I recently posted about some random superhero setting world-building that I did, showing off a villain from the setting called Wildcard. As I have plenty of notes about this thanks to the way my brain refuses to let things lie sometimes, I'll post up a little more about this setting.

Today, it's about metahumanism, the meta-gene, origin events, and a few notables. Below the break, I'll expound on how it works in the setting of the Allied Heroes Commission, with the note that when I world-build, I will frequently describe things in a vague nature, to leave things open for development down the line, creating potential story hooks to explore later.

ON METAHUMANISM

All people in the world possess the "meta-gene." This gene is what allows the development of superpowers and other superhuman abilities. It remains unclear what "activates" the gene, as some people will begin manifesting powers or abilities without any overt cause. Others will experience some kind of event that activates it and triggers the power manifestation. The unpredictability of this process has led to some aspirant metas deliberately triggering a would-be origin event, and causing at the very least their own injury or death, if not doing the same to others.

Many people go their entire lives without manifesting any metahuman ability. Once the gene activates, the powers/abilities that come with it will pass on to future generations, though the specifics may vary.

In short, while everyone has the meta-gene, only about ten percent ever activate it, and of that percentage, even fewer will exhibit any ability that is considered powerful enough to be used in the hero community.

ABOUT METAHUMAN POWERS

When a person's meta-gene activates, the powers they develop can vary wildly, both in terms of how it manifests, and at what "power level" it manifests. Some metas might be marginally stronger or faster than a non-powered person, but not really to the point of being able to turn to hero work.

Sometimes a meta's powers will be part of a "set," and these can earn nicknames based on those powers. For example, an early Commission hero called Brick had a power set which gave him super-strength and moderate invulnerability, leading to other metas who develop degrees of those powers being called "Bricks." Not all power sets are nicknamed after named heroes; metas with super-speed, for instance, are typically just called "speedsters."

Sometimes a meta's ability simply enables them to tap into a power source of some kind. Most magic-wielding metas are like this. Commonly a magic meta requires an artifact of some kind to begin harnessing their magical ability, but over time they can become practiced enough to use their magic without it. At that point, the artifacts augment their power, rather than connect them to it. Archmages such as Dame Archer, Baron Nocturne, or Doctor Ethereal are powerful enough in their own right that they don't need their artifacts anymore.

ABOUT ORIGIN EVENTS

While the meta-gene has always been a part of mankind, and there have been people with active genes throughout history-- it's conventionally accepted that mythological heroes and legendary figures from folklore were all metas-- only in recent decades have there been more widespread activations. There have been several cases of what are called "Origin Events," wherein some mass-empowering or -activating event takes place to cause multiple metas to develop their powers. The fact that not all meta-genes will activate the same way, if at all, from a Origin Event is one reason that deliberately trying to trigger one is viewed with major hostility from every authority on the planet.

As with all strange and not-yet-understood aspects of the meta-gene, the powers that manifest out of Events often have no visible comparison to the Event in question. (e.g., a magic-derived Event will not necessarily create magic-related metas.)

There have been several Origin Events since the 1960s. The ones below are some of the more significant ones which affected metas in America.

Bright Spark Flash - Proud Valley, California - 1968

Proud Valley was a US Army research facility where various classified technologies and weapons were tested. One of the projects there was the still-classified "Project Bright Spark," now believed to be something to do with inducing a meta-gene's activation, possibly even triggering small-scale Origin Events, but something went wrong during one of their experiments, resulting in what would later be dubbed the Bright Spark Flash, an event which caused widespread devastation, leaving dozens dead and a couple dozen new active metas. Most of those metas would go on to become founding members of the Allied Heroes Commission, but the Bright Spark Flash is also known for activating the meta-gene of Gabriel Winters, who would become the meta terrorist Wildcard. 

Harrowing Night - Nessex, Massachusetts - 1981

Nessex is a small city in Western Massachusetts, now absorbed into the greater Boston metropolitan area, which had long been a haven for free-thinking religious folk. Even back into colonial times, it had harbored and protected "heretics" that fled the Puritan hardliners, and into the 20th century, was known for supporting any and all religious beliefs. In this respect, no one paid much attention when a cult-- the Church of the Deep Stars-- which worshiped the Sun Most Deep (another name for the eldritch abomination called the Hungering Maw) founded a temple in town. The Deep Star Church became infamous in 1981 when they enacted a ritual which unleashed "deep-spawn," childer of the Maw, upon Nessex. With the magic and dread powers being unleashed and tens of thousands of people in danger, many meta genes ended up activated and new heroes came to the rescue in those critical hours before Dame Archer and the Commission could muster a response. The terror-filled night would go down in infamy as the Harrowing Night.

Xenari Skyfire - Northern Hemisphere - 2015

During the Xenari Invasion led by Gaej-Mo-Nai in 2015, the alien invaders had a backup plan in case overwhelming military force did not succeed in their conquest. The failsafe in case of a strong resistance was to unleash their "Skyfire" weapon, which released an unusual energy field through the atmosphere. The Skyfire caused all manner of issues, between electromagnetic interference that played havoc with communications and most electronics, intense ultraviolet or infrared radiation, and all manner of other issues. The Xenari intent was to crank up the Skyfire field to maximum, which would also have effectively deactivated the Earth's electromagnetic field, allowing the Xenari to let the planet get cooked by radiation from space. Fortunately, the Skyfire generator was taken out by Pinnacle before it could affect more than the northern hemisphere of the planet. An unforeseen side effect of the Skyfire field was the further activation of meta-genes throughout the northern hemisphere, as the excess energies trapped in the atmosphere triggered the activation, causing a new host of metahumans to emerge with a broad spectrum of powers and abilities.

SOME NAMED METAS

Pinnacle - (Helen Beckinridge) - One of the most powerful members of the Allied Hero Commission, a hero with a varied power set, including the 'Brick' power set, flight, and a broad spectrum of energy manipulation. Empowered after exposure to cosmic radiation during a high-altitude test flight. Pinnacle is based in Port Calbot, but her work for the Commission takes her all over the country. She earned her respect during the Xenari Invasion in 2015, destroying the Skyfire generator and driving Gaej-Mo-Nai's forces out of the inner solar system.

Sergeant Stone - (Charles Martel) - Formerly a US Army sergeant, his meta-gene activated during Wildcard's first rampage, granting him a potent 'Brick' power set and a stony appearance. After joining the Commission, Stone helped create its training regimens and protocols, to help rookie heroes learn how to harness and find (and surpass) their limits. He doesn't do much active hero work anymore, but he is still a respected Commission member. While older, his powers have slowed his aging process, though his stony appearance has gotten more pronounced as the years have wound on.

Hot Streak - (Gloria Standish) - One of the Commission's most prominent speedsters, she had been a rising track and field star until her meta-gene activated, which barred her from professional athletics. Streak's speedster powers are also driven by a pyrokinetic power set, causing her to leave flaming trails as she hits super speeds, and allowing her to fling fireballs. She generally tops out below supersonic speeds, but can push herself further. The problem with doing so is that it puts her health at risk and endangers her surroundings, as the faster she goes, the hotter her flames get. Although a popular hero, she is not full time, and in her 'down time' from hero work, she pursues extreme sports and works as a motorcycle driver for the delivery app DLVR.

Baron Nocturne - (Klaus Eisencross) - One of the older living Archmages on the planet, Nocturne does not have the best reputation. He affects a darker atmosphere about himself, in part to keep lesser mages from bothering him, and in part due to personal taste. He is manipulative and prone to making plans within plans, some of which cast him in a bad light, but those who know him are aware that he always has the safety of the world in mind with his schemes. Like many Archmages, Nocturne is long-lived, having been active for at least half a millennium, and now primarily keeps to Eastern Europe. He initially drew his power from an artifact called the Black Emerald, and has various other artifacts at his disposal as well. He maintains his Place of Power in Archangel, Russia.

Lady Noire - (Danielle Cooper-Ellison) - A non-powered hero, Noire is not a meta, though is highly trained in multiple forms of martial arts. Utilizing some gadgetry and tools in her work, Noire has some connections to the Commission, but at arm's length, believing that she functions better without a formal membership in the organization. That said, both sides are aware of the advantages of the other; she gets access to the Commission's tech and connections, they can call on her for her investigative prowess. A vigilante based in Port Calbot, Noire is primarily focused on fighting street- and city-level crime, in clearing up corruption within civic powers. Noire, in her civilian life, also devotes part of her legitimate wealth into local humanitarian charities.

Voltaic - (Jon Langer) - One of the younger heroes whose meta-gene activated due to the Xenari Skyfire, Voltaic's powers revolve around electromagnetism, though especially with electricity/lightning. As he is still young, it is believed his control over the EM spectrum will get stronger with time and training. Presently, he can throw lightning around and travel quickly in short bursts, and cause electronics to short-circuit. He is not yet a full-fledged Commission hero, splitting his time with college/university, and hopes to turn his skills and studies to helping further develop the Commission's technological base.

Exo-Gal - (Sarah Wallings) - Piloting her personal set of powered armor, Exo-Gal is a meta, but her meta-gene activated in a less flashy way, in that it enhances her intelligence. She can partition her brainpower, allowing her to parallel process (for example, working out a programming issue in her head while actively assembling a mechanical component at the same time) and temporarily boost her intellect. There was no inciting incident to trigger her meta-gene, but it happened early, and she was credited as a young tech prodigy. She worked freelance for years, getting a lot of work from the Commission, but some of her inventions and innovations that were made for shady organizations like the Greenbriar-Norman Group found their way into weapons that were used by villains. To that end, the tech genius developed the "exo-frame" which is the basis for her hero work for the Commission. The exo-frame by itself augments her strength and speed, but she has built various modules and components that attach to the frame, allowing her to equip herself for whatever she needs to do on a mission.

SOME NOTABLE THREATS

Xenari Dominion - An alien empire originating from the planet Xenar, they have conquered countless worlds, but Earth has managed to rebuff various efforts to invade it. The Xenari have tasked a powerful warrior and general, Gaej-Mo-Nai, with bringing the Earth to heel. The Xenari have access to highly-developed technology and are not shy from using any resource available to achieve their ends. The Xenari's first invasion was defeated in large part to the efforts of Pinnacle, though not before they attempted to scorch the planet with the Skyfire. However, they remain a threat, making occasional invasions, so the entire Commission has battled them repeatedly over the years. Gaej-Mo-Nai survives, as well, variously either imprisoned on Earth, or released under the terms of a treatise, and lurking in the outreaches of the Sol System as plans are developed.

The Hungering Maw - There are things that exist outside of reality, be they in the chaotic other-realms, or in the spaces between them. One of these is the horror dubbed the Hungering Maw. Various called by many names over the ages (the Devourer, the Eater of Worlds, the Crawling Horror, the Sun Most Deep), the Maw eternally seeks out worlds to infiltrate and corrupt, converting the planes to suit its purposes, before eventually consuming or absorbing it into itself. It is not merely a mindless beast, as there is an intellect to it, but it operates on a different wavelength to conventional modes of thinking. The Maw's last major attempt at invading was thwarted due to the efforts of the Archmage, Dame Archer, who sacrificed her own life to help her protégé Doctor Ethereal seal it out of our world. Despite this, the Maw still seeks ways into our world, and the seal only prevents the Maw itself from coming through, but it doesn't stop it spawning monsters (dubbed "childer") that can come through and cause problems.

Greenbriar-Norman Group - There's no shortage of shady business dealings in the world. But one of the most successful companies that nevertheless has a less-than-sterling reputation is the conglomerate Greenbriar-Norman Group. A union of the defense contractor Greenbriar Industries, the telecom giant Norman Communications, and a few other smaller companies in other fields, the G-N Group has its fingers in numerous pies and has been involved in a variety of scandals related to corrupt business dealings, illegal experimentation, prohibited development, and other things. The G-N Group is the proverbial "too big to fail" corporation, however, and the compartmentalized nature of the company's various branches and projects insulates the company as a whole from the excesses or sins of the others. It is generally accepted that the G-N Group is still shady as hell, but given that the crimes it commits rarely affects the average citizen, most people just ignore it.

The Umbra - There are gangs and mobs. And then there's the Umbra. This nebulous organization controls or at least has its hands in nearly any vice you care to mention. Drugs, sex, contraband-- you name it, they either have it, or they can get it for you. Even the lesser gangs and mafia outfits know to stay out of the Umbra's way, and to let anyone bearing the organization's sign-- a closed eye over a black disc-- pass without comment. And anyone caught showing the Umbral Sign without their permission disappears, before being returned, almost never all in one piece. The Umbral Sign is sometimes borne as a tattoo or a brand, and sometimes just on a business card or badge on clothing. Few people know what goes on within the Umbra's inner circle or who calls the shots. There's talk that there's an Umbral Council, possibly with a Don or Oyabun at the top, but it's all just rumor. The Umbra does not discriminate when it comes to recruitment, and they have plenty of metas in their ranks. 

Nefari - An arcane threat, Nefari are creatures from the astral plane (or something like it), which are notorious for preying upon the minds of psionics and others who have the ability to tap the astral plane, though powerful enough Nefari can transition and manifest in the mortal plane. No two Nefari are alike, be it in appearance, or preferred prey, or methods of hunting. It remains unclear how Nefari come to be. Because of how often Nefari will prey upon sleeping victims via their dreams, a common term for them are "dream-demons." What they 'feed' off of varies from demon to demon, as well. Some will merely feed off of emotions, but others will consume memories or knowledge. Other Nefari will actually feed off of abstracts-- eating concepts and similar from their victims. Some Nefari can come across almost benevolent, using their reality-bending power to fulfill requests or wishes from supplicants, but the cost in doing so comes from whatever their "food" of choice might be.