World Information

The Ascendants universe is in many ways similar to our own, with a history that was completely identical up to the late 19th century, and slowly began to alter through the early 20th, before changing drastically in the 1930s and beyond. Historical events were altered. Certain figures committed different acts or were never born. All in all, the presence of metahumanity has changed normal history and society in many ways. This page is meant to serve as a guide, describing several of the facets of this world that are common knowledge to those who inhabit it.

## Historical Events

See Also: Timeline of Events

* World War 2: The Second World War was the first major conflict which employed metahumans in large scale combat. Nazi scientists, unbeknownst to the public, acquired large amounts of ichor and used it to mass produced so called "Übermensch" which they used to wreak far more havoc on Europe than they did in real life. At the time, the Americans, who had produced the world's first superheroes, were the only ones who could stand against them. Germany also shared ichor with its allies, Japan and Italy, forcing the US to do the same, with the English, the French, and reluctantly, the Russians, though the Americans and Nazis retained the lion's share of metahuman soldiers. All in all, World War 2 changed the global arms race, and showed humanity how powerful metahumans could be.
* Cold War: Following the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Soviets managed to acquire many of the Nazi ichor production facilities in Eastern Europe. With Germany's ichor supply at hand, the USSR was able to cement itself as one of the two metahuman superpowers, alongside the United States. The Cold War broke out, but the conflict between capitalism and communism was supplemented by the deployment of superheroes and supplying of ichor to foreign powers.
* Vietnam War: The Vietnam War saw one of the first major divides between superheroes and the US government, as Supreme, the foremost American superhero, lead his fellow heroes in boycotting the war. To combat this, Uncle Sam produced a battalion of metahuman soldiers with identical powersets, nicknamed the Thunderguard, which utterly crushed Vietnamese resistance before going rogue, and attempting to form their own state, refusing to be ordered around by mere humans. The war crimes perpetuated by the Thunderguard and other American metas in Vietnam were met with international and domestic outcry, and marked a major turning point from the post WW2 glamour superheroes were shrouded in towards cynicism and doubt.
* The Troubles: In the Ascendants universe, the terrorist group known as the Irish Republican Army secretly received ichor shipments from the US government, driving up global demand for ichor by creating superpowered domestic threats in one of the world's foremost nations. The IRA, led by the charismatic metahuman known as Lugh, managed to assassinate several important figures, including Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana.
* The War on Drugs: Richard Nixon's War on Drugs was primarily directed at combating the ichor that had flooded the streets of US cities, and the superpowered criminals that came with it.

## Notable Figures

### Politicians

Joseph Krell, President of the United States of America: The Republican Governor of Texas ran for president in 2028, running on a platform that promised restrictions on metahuman power usage, heavy crackdowns on ichor, and greater freedom for law enforcement. With the fear gripping the world following the Hellrise Event, which included the wholesale destruction of El Paso, Krell won a landside victory. The fiery conservative enjoys strong support from the terrified populace, and has been able to pass several bills which have set back societal progress by several years in return for offering greater national security.

## Popular Culture

* Metahuman Combat League (MCL): In the mid 1970s, there was a steady rise in metahuman combat sports, which rapidly supplanted mundane counterparts such as boxing in the public eye, and prevented organizations such as the UFC from ever forming in the Ascendants universe. Instead, the Metahuman Combat League is the world's premier source for commercialized battles between metahumans, and is one of the only places outside the American Superhero Association where metas may make full use of their offensive powers.

## Laws

### US Law

* Roche V Lebraun (1974): Roche V Lebraun is an American legal case, whose ruling made it illegal for metahumans possessed of healing powers to use their abilities to heal people without possessing a medical degree.
* Metahuman Registration Act (2001): The Metahuman Registration Act (MRA) was passed following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which had metahuman involvement. This law required that all metahuman citizens of the United States have their identities, powers, and criminal convictions placed upon a database visible to law enforcement, prospective employers, and the general public, in a manner akin to the sex offender registry. The MRA is one of the chief sources of tension between the common and metahuman populace in the present day, with many metas resenting being treated like freaks and criminals, being targeted for harassment, and facing discriminatory hiring practices.

## Technology

### Artificial Intelligence

AI advancements within the Ascendants universe vastly outstrip those in our own, with functional robotic intelligence having been developed as early as the late 1990s. In 2029, independently operating security drones, hovering with rotors or stomping around on humanoid feet are employed as private security by large corporations and as law enforcement by the government.

### Cybernetics

As of 2029, the Ascendants universe has seen considerable developments in prosthetic limbs and organs, coming in the form of cybernetics. It is possible to get a functional limb, eye, or even heart, synced properly with one's nervous system, though costs remain prohibitively expensive, with even cheap arm replacements costing well into the six figure range. As such, cybernetics are typically only available to the extremely wealthy.