Enhanced Individuals

Enhanced Individuals are classified as individuals who possess abilities greater than that of the average means of an individual to possess. This classification is applied to numerous individuals across the planet, from specialized paramilitary soldiers to iconic superheroes such as Fleet or Lantos.

## **Overview**

### **Classifying Origins**

The Origins of Enhanced Individuals are given simple classifications that represent where their abilities come from. These classifications are clerical, but provide insight to P.L.U.T.O. personnel who are tasked with dealing with them. Some Enhanced Individuals may have more than one classification apply to them. For example, the P.L.U.T.O. Agent codenamed "Wraith" possesses great martial skill in addition to his photoreflective suit, and would be classified as both a "Skill" and "Tech" Enhanced Individual.

#### **Bio**

The Bio Classification is used to describe those whose abilities are derived from a genetic mutation or alteration that occurs during an individual's lifetime. These classifications find varying causes about them, but are usually brought on by long exposure to Omega Radiation. This is a separate classification from Mutant as Bio Origin individuals at one point did not possess their abilities.

#### **Mutant**

The Mutant Classification is used to describe those whose abilities are derived from a genetic mutation that the individual is born with. The broad origin for this classification stems from a genetic mutation received while in the womb from latent Omega Radiation that began leaking into Earth's atmosphere sometime after the start of the Industrial Revolution and Climate Change. This classification saw a sharp increase beginning in the 1970's and continues to trend upwards.

#### **Mystic**

The Mystic Classification is used to describe those whose abilities originate from a supernatural source, beyond the confines of conventional Earth science. P.L.U.T.O. works tirelessly to learn of all the sources of the Mystic Origin, but are unable to categorize them all.

#### **Skill**

The Skill Classification is used to describe those whose abilities come from the individual's skill. Skill Origin individuals tend to receive advanced military or academic training, beyond that which is necessary to perform most roles in society. This is the most common classification that is combined with another classification.

#### **Tech**

The Tech Classification is used to describe those whose abilities originate from their technology. This is one of the most common form of classification and can take many forms.

### **The Meier Threat Assessment Scale**

The Meier Threat Assessment Scale is used to determine the response needed for an Enhanced Individual threat. It was developed in 1972 by Doctor Samuel Meier in an effort to expediate an appropriate response from P.L.U.T.O. The Meier Scale ranges from 1 to 10 with 1 being the least threatening and 10 being the most.

1. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 1 on the Meier Scale are just enough of a threat for P.L.U.T.O. response to be considered. Individuals who have received Class B Military Training, or the equivalent of, are immediately placed on the Scale.
2. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 2 on the Meier Scale are threatening to many non-P.L.U.T.O. response teams. These individuals tend to have either a mild ability or have received Class A Military Training. Protocol dictates that a P.L.U.T.O. Agent attend to a Level 2 threat.
3. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 3 on the Meier Scale tend to possess powers that prove detrimental to non-powered personnel. P.L.U.T.O. requires a response team of Agents or a qualified powered Agent to respond to Level 3 threats.
4. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 4 on the Meier Scale prove moderately improbable for non-powered personnel to apprehend. Response requires a team of Agents or a qualified powered Agent to respond to Level 4 threats.
5. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 5 on the Meier Scale prove extremely improbable for non-powered personnel to apprehend. Response requires a strike team and a team of Agents, or a qualified powered Agent to respond to Level 5 threats.
6. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 6 on the Meier Scale prove impossible for non-powered personnel to apprehend. Response requires a team of qualified powered Agents to respond to Level 6 threats.
7. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 7 on the Meier Scale possess abilities that have the capacity to inflict damage to numerous acres of city infrastructure with moderate effort. Response requires a team of qualified powered Agents to respond to Level 7 threats.
8. Enhanced Individuals who rate an 8 on the Meier Scale possess abilities that have the capacity to inflict damage to an entire city's infrastructure with moderate effort. Response requires a strike force, a team of agents, and a team of qualified powered Agents to respond to Level 8 threats.
9. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 9 on the Meier Scale possess abilities that have the capacity to cause catastrophic, widespread damage. Response requires a strike force, a team of agents, and a team of qualified powered Agents to respond to Level 9 threats.
10. Enhanced Individuals who rate a 10 on the Meier Scale pose an imminent threat to the Earth. Beings with this level of power require immediate attention from all personnel.

All Enhanced Individuals, whether allied or not, that are known to P.L.U.T.O. receive a Threat Assessment assignment. These assignments are fluid and subject to change with new data. While not always accurate, the Meier Scale has proved to be in invaluable tool.

### **The Atlas Strength Assessment Scale**

The Atlas Strength Assessment Scale has been developed by P.L.U.T.O. to benchmark the physical strength of those under their radar. While not nearly as important as the Meier Threat Assessment Scale, the Atlas Scale does have its uses in determining a P.L.U.T.O. response. Like the Meier Scale, the Atlas Scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

1. A 1 represents the ability to lift up to 100kg with moderate effort. This is considered average among Humans.
2. A 2 represents the ability to lift up to 400kg with moderate effort.
3. A 3 represents the ability to lift up to 1,600kg with moderate effort.
4. A 4 represents the ability to lift up to 6,400kg with moderate effort.
5. A 5 represents the ability to lift up to 25 tons with moderate effort.
6. A 6 represents the ability to lift up to 100 tons with moderate effort.
7. A 7 represents the ability to lift up to 400 tons with moderate effort.
8. An 8 represents the ability to lift up to 1.6 kilotons with moderate effort.
9. A 9 represents the ability to lift up to 6.4 kilotons with moderate effort.
10. A 10 represents the ability to lift up to 25 kilotons with moderate effort.

## **History of Enhanced Individuals**

### **Enhanced Individuals and the Ancient World**

#### Akkad

The Ancient Akkadians created an Empire that dominated the Ancient World. Their leader, Sargon, is believed to have been an Enhanced Individual. The source of Sargon's power is attributed to the presence of the Godstone, a meteorite that emits Omega radiation. The Godstone was buried with Sargon when he ultimately perished and was lost to time in the deserts of Iraq. It was eventually recovered in the excavation of Apox in 1940 by Nazi-funded archaeologists.

#### Egypt

Egypt is believed to have at one point possessed great technology. This technology was left behind within the Great Pyramids of Giza where the remnants of an Alien beacon can be found. Evidence points that the High Priests of the time were able to commune with the beacon telepathically. They gave the beacon the name "Amun-Ra", and it continues to interface with Earth technology from time to time.

#### Greece

P.L.U.T.O. sources conclude that there is truth in Ancient Greek myth. The Olympians were a race of highly advanced, shapeshifting Aliens that come from the world known as Olympus. When they journeyed to Earth, they aided its inhabitants in progressing their knowledge of technology and science. In return, the people of Earth began to worship the Olympians. Unfortunately for them, time moves faster on Earth than Olympus, and the Olympians knew their lives would eventually come to an end. In an effort to continue to aid and defend the Humans they had come to love as pets more or less, the Olympians infused their alien power within artifacts that were then given to the Humans upon their deaths. These artifacts would always provide great strength, speed, and endurance to those that wielded them, and brought about stories of great feats. Perseus and Hercules are both considered to have been actual historical figures who wielded these Olympian artifacts.

#### Scandinavia

Early Pagans held the belief that runes contained great power. Some Pagans were able to use runes to access powers from beyond the confines of Earth's powers. These Rune Mages began to engrave empowered runes on artifacts that gave them great powers, much like those left by the Olympians. These individuals were worshipped by early Norse cultures and were known by names like Thor, Odin, Loki, Freya, etc.

### **Enhanced Resurgence of World War II**

#### Letzter Atemzug

It's no secret that Nazi Germany sanctioned numerous unethical experiments that involved human test subjects. The mind behind many of these projects was Friedrich Grossman, an S.S. scientist operating out of the Letzter Atemzug camp, conducting experiments on allied soldiers during the second World War. Grossman earned his renown by being granted the honor of studying the Godstone. As he studied the Godstone, he began to note sharp increases in his mental acuity and cunning. He further detected the presence of Omega Radiation and its effects on the human body. Latent mutations began to crop up on his first test subjects, though many of them perished from overexposure to the Omega rays.

The first successful trial of exposing Omega Radiation on a human came when Grossman experimented on United States Army Sergeant James Howler. Howler's body showed impressive mutations as his strength and speed were amplified. After a few hours in a chamber with the Godstone, Howler developed the ability to control the air around him and shape the winds, allowing him to escape from his confinement and free his fellow POWs from Letzter Atmezug.

#### Research Site 12-A

The Third Reich shut down Letzter Atemzug after Howler's escape. Grossman, having escaped the chaos of the prison camp riot, was relocated to Research Site 12-A, a secretive laboratory established in the French Alps. Here, Grossman was charged to continue his work researching the Godstone. After delving into leftover samples from Howler's biological material, Grossman adjusted his experiments and conducted another test on a volunteer subject: Heinrich Mueller. Grossman's second trial was considered a success, however, he discovered that mutations caused by the Godstone had inconsistent effects: Mueller grew from 6 feet, 2 inches to 10 feet, 3 inches, his weight increased from 210 pounds to 1,281 pounds, and his muscle mass increased to beyond human levels. This rapid transformation caused grotesque physical scarring across Mueller's body. Regardless, Mueller became a force of nature against the allied soldiers, reportedly surviving artillery fire with little to no damage.

Grossman's success with Mueller caused him to gain great renown from the brass in Berlin. He was then charged with creating more super soldiers like Mueller, but Grossman's interest in the Godstone had changed. His two successful subjects had shown vastly different mutations that gave them each useful abilities. Grossman began to wonder if he could manipulate the radiation to produce desired results, and to see which set of circumstances and stimuli produced these mutations. His work on developing super soldiers completely halted as Grossman delved into using the Godstone for more, surprisingly, humanitarian applications. He was reportedly killed by S.S. Colonel Ludwig Shryke after Berlin grew tired of his lack of results, and the Godstone project fell under Shryke's supervision.

#### The Hurricane and the Blitz

Heinrich Mueller developed renown among the German ranks. He was said to be able to destroy a Sherman tank in a single punch and would let bombs drop directly on him only to watch the flames spread across his undamaged body. He became known to the German ranks as the "Blitz" as he would strike through allied forces with ease, unstoppable by any weapons available to their enemy.

Meanwhile, back in the States, Sergeant James Howler was debriefed by the U.S. government after the events at Letzter Atemzug. Howler demonstrated his abilities to a panel of senators and generals who all sought to utilize his abilities against the Germans. Given the callsign "Hurricane", Howler was re-deployed at Normandy with a singular mission from the government: locate Blitz and eliminate him.

Accounts differ as to what occurred during their battle. Blitz and Hurricane clashed outside the French village of Vabonne. Their battle left craters and torn out trees across a wide stretch of farmland. Accounts describe the battle as a horrible storm full of fire and terror. In the end, James Howler proved victorious, and the Blitz was reported as Killed in Action.

#### Destruction of Research Site 12-A and the Founding of P.L.U.T.O.

Howler's final mission given to him in the waning days of World War II sent him to locate the Godstone. He and a crack team of soldiers, spies, and strategists were able to track down Colonel Shryke at research Site 12-A. They stormed the facility and fought their way to the Godstone's chamber. Here, they discovered that Shryke had attempted to mutate himself only to discover that he was immune to the effects of Omega Radiation. Dissatisfied with these results, Shryke had enhanced himself with alien technology recovered from Egyptian dig sites. After an uphill battle, Howler and company emerged victorious and recovered the Godstone.

A few weeks later, the United Nations was founded. Allied Forces from the UN took the Godstone into their possession, and it was later transported to the United States to further be studied. This raised the ire of the Soviet Union, who after seeing the great power of the Atomic Bomb, decided that America should not possess a second powerful weapon with which to hold the world hostage. It was at this time that the UN formed beneath its jurisdiction the Planetary League for Unusual Threat Observation, a intergovernmental organization tasked with rooting out and eliminating threats that are beyond the normal means of defeating. P.L.U.T.O. was then given the Godstone to keep under their supervision and study. Additionally, James Howler was released from the United States Military to serve as P.L.U.T.O.'s first Field Agent.