Power

# Under construction

A power is defined as any primary, distinct, and well defined superhuman capability that baseline humans, Homo sapiens sapiens, are unable of without outside assistance. Those possessing “powers” are referred to collectively as Metahumans.

### Examples

* Superhuman Strength
* Pyrokinesis
* Cryokinesis
* Phasing
* Superhuman Regeneration
* Metal Mimicry
* Extrasensory Perception

### Subcategories

There are many subcategories of powers, as detailed below.

#### Mutations

[an explanation of how to get, how it works, limits, etc] The rarest and most powerful source of superhuman abilities, the mutant X-Gene. A specific cluster of genetic information on the 23rd chromosome that separates those who wield it as “Homo sapiens superior” instead of their genetic forefathers, Homo sapiens sapiens. The first mutant was supposedly born during the time of Christ, but these claims are debatable at best due to the nature of this information’s sources. Mutant abilities are the most varied source of superhuman capabilities and are difficult to pin down but some things are generally true amongst all members of the species.

There are three types of mutant abilities; physical (which enhances the body in some way), psychic (which gives some kind of remote manipulation ability), and fuel collection (which provides nourishment for the superhuman body and mind which normal food can’t supply). Mutants are capable of having up to seven of these abilities expressed phenotypically, any more and the cells of the body will start to kill themselves for unknown reasons, possibly some kind of safety mechanism, however they can have many more genotypically to pass to their offspring. Some “psychic” abilities are not truly psychic as they do not use the exotic electromagnetic radiation particle known as Kirbons (which are similar in nature of cosmic rays and photons) to function, but are so similar they are categorized alongside them. Mutant abilities very frequently have powerful synergy with each other, with some being considered a mutant’s primary ability with others being considered assistant abilities.

Mutants are notable for having unprecedented strength in genetic repair and correction mechanics. This make mutants difficult to clone and almost impossible to genetically modify once born, also having the added benefits of being immune to ionizing radiation and having significantly less negative side effects from aging with an increased lifespan (typically 1.5x longer than a human, although some powers like a healing factor or material mimicry can multiply that number further). Mutants are also generally much more physically capable than humans, even without the specific alleles for increased physical attributes, having increased strength, resilience, stamina, reflexes, a wider range of hearing, and more. Mutant pregnancies last longer than human pregnancies, but the babies are born more developed than human infants.

Roughly 1/3rd of mutants are visually indistinguishable from humans, and are generally considered more attractive than humans. 1/3rd of mutants resemble humans with minor cosmetic changes, likely related to their mutation, things like usual hair, skin, and eye colors, extra extremities, etc. The final 3rd of the population barely resembles humans at all, instead appearing as anthropomorphic animals or having a non-flesh material like metal or wood instead of normal flesh. Mutants can be born to any ethnic group in any country, but have a higher chance of being born to pairings where the two parents are from different countries, seemingly the genetic diversity is the contributing factor to the increase in mutant births.

Mutants in the current year are almost extinct, an unknown amount still exist as it is a very difficult task to try and find exact stats, with the current estimation placing the population at around 6 million. The only countries to do a census on the subject were the United States and Japan, the biggest mutant hot spots on the planet, finding approximately 300,000 mutants in the former and half as many in the latter, and a portion of which are part of some private or national military operation.

Seemingly the only way to have mutant abilities is to be born with them, but there is a drug known as Banshee, which is derived from the Mutant Growth Hormone (similar to the human growth hormone) that can temporarily give ordinary humans mutant abilities, and temporarily enhance the abilities of a mutant to an incredible degree. There are seldom examples of humans gaining abilities permanently from Mutant Growth Hormone, the most famous one being Steven Rogers gaining supernatural strength, endurance, agility, senses, regeneration, flight, optic plasma beams, a Cryokinetic oral beam, radiation draining, and others from a compound known as the Super Soldier Serum which contained Mutant Growth Hormone, this permanency was likely caused by the “vita-rays” he was bombarded with, but this technology is yet to be recreated even a century later.

All mutant abilities are controlled by a small sub-organ nuzzled in between the two lobes of the pituitary gland, and if said organ is destroyed or interfered with then the mutant will lose their abilities until it is healed. Certain electromagnetic frequency projectors, called D-Cells, are capable of partially or entirely inhibiting the function of this organ, but it requires 360 degree surrounding by said D-Cells, such as in a prisoner containment cell. Mutants face constant bigotry and many many systems are put into place for the monitoring of mutants in fear of their abilities being used for destructive means, many claiming that instead of the next stage in evolution of humans, are instead the children of demons.

#### Wakandan Heart Shaped Purple Herb

[an explanation of how to get, how it works, limits, etc] The Wakandan Heart Shaped Purple Herb is a special plant only grown in very specific regions of Central Africa, Northern South America, and the Pacific Southeast. A plant with great cultural significance to the country of Wakanda, it has very unique properties due to rapidly evolving in soil that is permeated with particles of Vibranium, a metal that came to Earth in a colossal meteorite. The purple herb was originally used in religious ceremonies by the Wakandan royal family, where it was stewed for months until it came as a deep indigo elixir, and subsequently drank, which offered massively increased supernatural strength, speed, intelligence, senses, reflexes, regeneration, resilience, lifespan, stamina, as well as a supposed ability to communicate with the deceased and the rare ability to be able to restart ones own heart shortly after death. The current holder of the title of Black Panther will inhale incense of the herb on the daily to keep their abilities at peak performance.

However, other civilizations who had access to the herb had discovered that, when refined, either by fermenting it or converting it into a free base form, had much more drastic effects on a person. In addition to the regular effects of the herb, the refined form of it allowed for greater more psychic abilities, to the point of being able to gain extra sensory perception, penetrative vision, the ability to glimpse into the future and into the past, and even in longtime regular users allowed them the ability of astral projection, with some users being strong enough to physically grasp or manipulate things with their astral projection, allowing them to effectively be in and operate in two places at once, their physical body and their invisible yet tangible spirit. Refined versions of the herb have been nicknamed The Spice. Spice can either come in a powder form that resembles and tastes of cinnamon dust, or can come in a crystalline form that is a glittering sky blue.

However, longtime exposure to the herb has some dangerous effects, including the eyes wholly turning a rich cobalt blue color (iris, sclera, pupils, etc), and deep purple veins forming across the body. Sudden and extreme overdoses of the refined forms can lead to death if the user is fortunate, but if they are unfortunate enough to survive the overdose they will gain a yellowing of the skin, a weakness of the limbs, and a loss of physical and mental coordination. The refined and unrefined forms of the herb is extremely addictive and has narcotic and hallucinogenic properties, however the refined version has much greater drawbacks. With usage, the individual will need more and more of the substance to regain a high and use their increase physical and psychic abilities. Refined versions of the herb will wear off faster and faster the more processed it is, while the unrefined form can stay in the body for years and give positive health benefits.

Extreme long-time users of the herb will find the active chemicals in it permeating and mutating the mitochondria in all cells in their body, including the gametes, which means the descendants of longtime users can possibly be better adapted or in tuned with the herb, and can withstand it better than their parents, gaining greater effects from less of it, not getting addicted to it, and eventually possessing the abilities given by the herb without the need of taking it because the mitochondria can produce the active chemicals by itself. The Wakandan royal family have been daily lifelong users of the herb going back countless thousands of years, which have made them so well in tuned with it that their superhuman abilities are incredibly powerful, and the vastly enhanced intelligence and psychic insight that had come with it is the very reason as to why Wakanda had achieved technology over a thousand years ago that still baffles 21st century scientists today.

#### Cybernetic Implants

[an explanation of how to get, how it works, limits, etc] The most common source of powers, cybernetics are limited only by one’s pocketbooks. Wether they come in the form of cybernetic implants, prosthetics, nanomachine infusions, bio-integrated power armor, mechanical skeletal replacement, or entire a synthetic chassis that replace almost everything except the head and spine, cybernetics are extremely vast and extremely powerful. Most cyborgs will feature an ARC reactor somewhere on their person to power their abilities, damage the reactor and the individual will lose their abilities and possibly even movement and sometimes their lives until the generator is restored. Cybernetic abilities are capable of most physical abilities and can simulate similar effects to a small range of psychic abilities but are severely limited in such department in comparison, but as said before the only thing holding one back in the field of cybernetics is the depths of their coffers. Notable for being one of the few other sources of powers that are compatible with the X-Gene, which many militaries, both national and private, have taken advantage of.

#### Extremic

[an explanation of how to get, how it works, limits, etc] The Extremis virus is the result of Dr. Robert Bruce Banner participating in a nuclear weapons test in the Manhattan Project. On that day Dr. Banner had the influenza virus within his system and was not properly shielded from the ionizing radiation of the nuclear test, causing the flu virus within him to rapidly mutate. The virus’ natural ability to inject its RNA into host cells to reproduce was unintentionally altered by the radiation, creating an artificial spliceosome gene complex-like system by working with the genetic information repair systems within Dr. Banner’s body, unintentionally causing a reaction very very similar to CRISPR (aka Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) almost 50 years before the technology was invented.

The new virus, now dubbed the Extremis Virus, had given arise to what is now referred to as Gamma Mutates. The virus is contagious through bodily fluid transfer, similar to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and delivers similar effects to any animal infected with it. Greatly increased height, weight, and muscle mass, a much thicker, bulkier skeleton , a typically hairless body, green photosynthetic skin, the ability to breathe underwater, incredible regenerative ability similar to that of an axolotl or octopus, non-Newtonian cytoplasm which hardens upon physical stress which greatly increases their durability. They also boast heavily increased adrenaline and testosterone production, an extremely powerful metabolism which lets them eat anything, including inorganic materials and use it for biomass and biochemical energy, extremely acidic saliva and stomach acid which can burn through steel in a matter of moments, and the increased metabolism also lends itself to an incredibly powerful immune system and a very high body temperature, making them extremely resistant to disease, toxins, and aging. Most interestingly of all of their abilities, the power to manipulate radiation. Individuals can reactively absorb any form of electromagnetic radiation which is exerted onto their bodies, and they can either metabolize it to increase their strength and regeneration, or they can store it in chemical bonds and rerelease it later on. This can be used by Gamma Mutates to help other infected survive when resources are scarce.

Victims of the virus are often prone to “roid rage” and are rather irritable, forgoing the human desire for a social setting and preferring to live in total isolation. Many Gamma Mutates suffer from schizophrenia, and are greatly stressed by cacophonic sounds and being stared at, however this usually does not reduce their intelligence or ability to learn.

The Extremis Virus has a very unique ability to fuse together creatures, genetically, as when the process of altering the victim’s genome occurs, if the virus gets a hold of the genetic information of any other animals at the time of conversion it will incorporate said DNA into the primary host’s genome, but also cellularly. Similar to how the male anglerfish is absorbed and incorporated by the female during mating, perfectly fusing to each other via nervous system, blood vessels, muscles, etc, the virus is capable of combining multiple hosts on a cellular level, whether by hosts being grafted together by their regenerative abilities or during the conversion process, quickly melding the two hosts together and forming a chimera-like creature using their DNA and biomasses. Because of this chimeric property of the virus, it is a rule that subjects of experimentation involving the virus must refrain from eating any sort of meat or animal byproduct at least 24 hours before being injected with the virus, lest the host be forever doomed to a fate of being an even more grotesque monstrosity than other subjects of the virus.

Gamma Mutates have the ability to grow larger and stronger with age, and increased adrenaline and exposure to radiation can drastically exacerbate this process. Truly they can grow without limit as long as the have the calories available, until the point that the square-cube law takes over and they become too heavy to move under their own power, and ergo starve to death lest they are assisted by others feeding them with materials and radiation.

#### Vampiric

[an explanation of how to get, how it works, limits, etc] Of all the sources of abilities, vampirism has the highest risk-reward factor. After being injected with vampiric essence by another vampire, any life form becomes genetically modified into a vampiric version of their species. Mostly humans become vampires but there have been vampiric horses, cows, dogs, rats, bats, and other animals throughout history. Vampires are dependent on blood consumption for their abilities. By sucking blood from their hollow canine teeth or fingernails, vampires gain superhuman strength, speed, durability, senses, regeneration, agility, agelessness, and their signature ability in an incredibly high degree of control over their body which lets them weaponize and modify their biological functions and structures for a number of purposes, such as forcing hyper pressurized slicing streams of super heated blood from their eyes like a thorny devil lizard, turning their bones into swords and armor, injecting their nerves into a victim for tactical telepathy, or control their body hair to form toxic urticating spikes to slash and poison opponents.

There has been no upper cap for strength recorded from vampires, it seems that as long as they have the blood available they can grow in strength seemingly unlimited. Some blood, specifically from species with a high body fat percentage, are much more nutrient than other forms of blood and are worth several times more “lean” blood is worth, and mutant blood is an extreme booster in power.

All vampires are capable of generating and manipulating silicon structures in their body at will, allowing them to do things like turn into stone which is vital for their survival methods. The protein that vampires general by metabolizing blood is highly photosensitive and breaks down in ultraviolet light, and causes vampires to lose much of their built up strength extremely quickly, and if too much of that strength is lost too quickly then silicon structures will form around and inside the vampire’s cells as a defense mechanism automatically, effectively turning them into a stone statue until they can get access to blood once more.

It should be noted that if a vampire overindulges on the blood of a particular person or a different species regularly over an extended period of time, they will begin to develop a similar appearance to said species or individual, causing many vampires who refuse human blood to appear as anthropomorphic animals.

#### Symbotic

[an explanation of how to get, how it works, limits, etc] Symbiotes are defined as “Viscous, Endosymbiotic, Neuroactive, Obligate, Mutualists”. Symbiotes were originally created from HeLa cells in an attempt to try and cure the various cancers of the human body, but the modified HeLa cells had caught the attention of the US and Canadian governments after they showed a unique adaptive ability stepping from the spiceosome gene complex which they developed.

The symbiotes can enter into blood stream of annimals and act as a suit of power armor, they escape from the body through the pores of the skin to form a reactive armor around their host. The symbiote can replicate the abilities to a degree of their host organism to act as an assistant. Symbiotes are capable of healing their host from physical damage and afflictions, but the healing process is often imperfect and cannot regenerate lost organs or limbs, but can return function to paraplegic or atrophied body parts. Symbiotes are capable of manipulating and possessing electrical systems, which includes both electronic computers as well as organic nervous systems. Symbiotes are capable of impressive camouflage and impersonation abilities by nature. They have a habit of reproducing asexually after accumulating enough calories and will do so at any opportunity, often costing them a large percentage of their biomass in the process as it happens through splitting. A host cannot possess more than one symbiote at a time as they will fight to the death of each other and the host if such occurs.

Symbiotes tend to prefer baseline humans and human cyborgs as hosts due to unknown factors, but there have been multiple recorded instances of symbiotes willingly inhabiting both mutants and vampires. Symbiotes require great caloric intake to function properly, and have very unusual cravings and addictions, much to the chagrin of the host. Symbiotes require certain psychoactive amphetamines and other neuroactive stimulants to stay alive, those being found in varying levels in foods like coffee beans, chocolate, recreational narcotic drugs, and human grey matter. These stimulant chemicals will directly influence a symbiote’s growth factor, as they will continue to grow in strength and replication ability if the necessary fuel is present, acting as a growth hormone for them. If a symbiote spends too much time with one host then the two will become bonded and will become inseparable unless through death of both parties involved. Symbiotes will have psychological affects on the host, typically accentuating a certain trait of the host, more often than not aggression and confidence, which is often unwanted and can start trauma inducing mental wars for control in an individuals psyche, but these can often be avoided if the individual is already excelling in the trait that is being boosted which can lead to a much stronger bond and a much more powerful suit of armor compared to those who fight the infection. Symbiotes have a natural aversion of bright lights, high pitched and loud sounds, ionizing radiation, and high temperatures and will experience great pain and cellular damage if exposed to such conditions, leaving them to be best as nighttime operatives.

Symbiotes are extremely dangerous for the environmental damage they can cause. One notable incident was when a symbiote escaped from a lab in the American Pacific Northwest, which proceeded to possess a giant pacific octopus, which caused both parties to rapidly mutate and amalgamate with the genetics and biomass of a great white shark, a walrus, a bowhead whale, and a akta mackerel, which resulted in a kaiju chimera that caused widespread destruction to both the local ecosystem and human populations before it could be put down. Extreme safety protocalls must be in place to prevent more chimeras from being created. A similar incident occurred with a symbiote latching onto a tarantula hawk wasp, which then fused itself with a Jackson’s chameleon, then a diamondback rattlesnake, then a coyote, then finally a grizzly bear, this individual is still unaccounted for but has last been seen in Zion national park.

#### Pym Particle Attunement

[an explanation of how to get, how it works, limits, etc] Pym Particles, also known as Cross Particles, are unique subatomic particles which are seen by some as the equivalent of gravitons or monopoles for weak force. They are capable of increasing or decreasing the percentage of empty space inside of atoms as well as influencing the amounts of gravitons produced, allowing anything that are exposed to Pym Particles upon their activation to simulate rapid growth or shrinkage while simultaneously counteracting the square cube law in specific applications. Pym Particles and the modifications that they induce into physical matter exist in a X-Y-Z grid that influences the strength/durability, the weight, and the size respectively. This X-Y-Z grid lets the user increase their strength and durability beyond what would be equal to the size of the subject, allowing for the disregard of the square-cubed law and even greater strength regardless of size.

Going extremely high on the X axis of strength will of course increase the user’s strength to a superhuman degree, but going extremely low on the X axis will make the user intangible and invisible. Going extremely high on the Y axis of weight will make the user extremely heavy and virtually indestructible, and going very very low on the Y axis will make the user almost weightless and capable of high speed flight. Of course going high on the Z axis will make the user gigantic and low will make the user tiny.

The degree of growth or shrinkage can be influenced by electrons vibrating at specific frequencies. Pym Particles are capable of somehow reproducing themselves as they are destroyed into smaller particles after influencing an atom’s electron shell’s diameter. After enough exposure to Pym Particles over multiple years of life, a living thing with a nervous system will actually begin to act as a beehive for Pym Particles to reproduce themselves and act symbiotically with the host. Most of the time, Pym Particles are used in machinery that can be equipped by soldiers, but through repeated frequent exposure to these devices an individual has the possibility to attune to the particles by having their neural electrical impulse patterns by hijacked by reproducing particles.

Attuning with the particles allows an individual the ability to grow or shrink at will (assuming the user is an average sized human male, 168 cm, then they can go from 0.5 cm to 21 m, slightly different sizes can result from differing user heights) as well as a permanent increase to tissue density, durability, greatly increased muscle exertion, a high pain tolerance, a significant decrease in required intake of food, water, and air, as well as a drastically increased lifespan, with some users being almost 110 years old and still having the physiology of a human in their late forties to mid fifties. With specific applications of the Y axis of weight to extreme values the user can temporarily become intangible, allowing them to pass through other physical structures, however this is very hard to consistently achieve without mechanisms designed for the specific purpose.

However, Pym Particle exposure can result in terrible psychological affects, most often bipolar depression, borderline personality disorder, and frequent hallucinations have all been found within hosts of a high concentration of Pym Particles. The particles also can have an addictive effect on users, causing them to be very irritable if they don’t use them frequently, whether by use of their own body or a machine. Some mutants are capable of producing their own Pym Particles depending on a specific X-Gene and have a degree of control over them more precise than any machine or artificial user could ever have, but conversely it is very rare for mutants to become Pym Particle hosts because of their altered brain chemistry. It should be noted that when a Pym Particle user grows in size, they will not burst through any containers they may be in, resulting in the user either being spontaneously crushed or be stopped before growing too large, under no circumstances should a user attempt to enter the body of any living thing or complex machinery in concern of being instantly destroyed.