Mutations

From the very beginning, metahumans have defied classification. However, several partially successful attempts at accessing and cataloguing the vast array of metahuman powers have been made. The two prevailing systems for grading and classifying metahumans are the Hiedelburg-Mann Sets, which classify metahumans into categories, and the Akizuki scale, which grades the relative power of mutations.

The Akizuki Scale

Shinichiro Akizuki was the director of Saint Francis Hospital in Nagasaki, Japan, and was one of the first doctors ever to deal with radiation related injuries and sickness in the field. Shinichiro, a major voice for peace and against nuclear proliferation, became a supporter of metahuman rights when he spoke in support of the metahuman group Trinity's attempts to stop the Cold War. He later became involved in medical research of the metahuman phenomenon, and was the first scientist to present evidence against the myth that exposure to radioactive particles was the key factor in mutations.

During his early metahuman studies, Akizuki developed the Akizuki Scale, commonly called A-Rating. The Akizuki scale is a broad scale of the range and power of an individual metahuman. While not terribly accurate, A-ratings are commonly used to quickly describe the power level of any one metahuman's gifts.

A1 - Minimal. The least potent of all mutants, and some of the most common, are A1s. A1s have very minor abilities, have little or no advantage over humans, and their biology only varies slightly from normal humans if at all.

Emilia Vance, an A1 metahuman, is an ad director in New York City who has no visible features of being a metahuman. However, she can produce a minor static charge at will on her skin.

A2 - Limited. A2s are metahumans with useful abilities or aberrant physiologies, but do not have the scope, extent and power of many other metahumans. They are often hampered by limitations, have their abilities stunted compared to others of their type.

Jonathan Hayden is a 15-year-old A2 metahuman attending high school in Ontario, Canada. He has the ability to transmit messages back and forth telepathically, but only if he is in physical contact with his target. He has shown no signs of manifesting further psychic ability.

A3 - Potent. A3s have abilities that are certainly supernatural, potent and useful. An A3 has respectable force behind his mutation, but nothing earth-shattering. A3s usually have the ability to affect anything they can see with their powers, or surmount obstacles nigh impossible for any normal human. A3s often have areas of weakness however - a ice-controlling mutation might be useless in unusually dry or extremely hot environment.

Fernando Ruiz has the ability to produce coherent blasts of energy from his hands. With his powers, he can reduce a brick wall to rubble in less than a minute. However, he cannot effect crystalline substances such as glass and certain types of metals.

A4 - Impressive. A4s have abilities that other mutants find impressive and imposing. While an A3 pyrokinetic might be able to set on room on fire, an A4 might be able to set an entire house alight - or an entire skyscraper. Telepaths and psychics whose abilities cover entire cities; telekinetics who can lift more than a ton; and energy casters who abilities rival high grade military weaponry find themselves in the ranks of the A4s.

Wanted Ex Humanitas operative code named Firestorm is an A4 fire elemental. In 2002, his actions resulted in the deaths of over 80 people, including 24 police officers, when he caused a ten story skyscraper to violently explode around him rather than be captured. Firestorm (real name unknown) is still at large.

A5 - Extraordinary. A5s are the most powerful mutations on record. There have been extremely few ever recorded. Most have been in the realm of mental and perceptual powers, able to peer across decades of time and hundreds of miles of space, or read minds from a continent away. No energy-based mutations have been recorded at A5 level, but such a metahuman would be level city block at a time with his powers.

Trinity member Natasha Stanislov was one of the most potent telepaths recorded, and was one of the first metahumans labeled A5 posthumously. She was able to touch the minds of anyone she had ever met, even across the world, and communicate freely with them. This mixed gift gave her immense psychological strain. As a consequence of depression brought on by the Special Hearings On Metahuman Deviance, she committed suicide in 1958.

The Theoretical A6 - The existence of a further classification beyond A5 was first proposed in metagenetics journals in the 1970s. To date, no subject worthy of the rating A6 has ever presented itself, and thus the A6 rating is not on the official scale used by the National Board of Metagenetic Studies. A6 would cover truly cosmic abilities, something the metahuman phenomenon has not shown itself capable of. An A6 telepath would be able to contact every mind in the world at once, while an A6 fire elemental could bathe entire cities in ice or flame.

The Hiedelburg-Mann Sets

The Hiedelburg-Mann sets were the first codification of the metahuman abilities in the world. When the metahuman phenomenon first appeared, no central theme seemed to exist that encompassed all powers and abilities.

The World Health Organization launched the first official medical study of metahumans in 1953. Geneticist Josef Hiedelburg and Biologist Robert Mann were assigned to head the project. The study was far from conclusive and created more questions than it ever solved, but the HM Designations below are still the standard for labeling metahumans.

Remember, the HM sets are not inclusive or exclusive of one another. Many mutants are mixtures of the various categories, and often which designation a mutant fits into has more to do with the opinion of the designator than any hard standards.

Anthromorphs appear to be products of 'alternative evolution'. Some display the traits, appearance or anatomy of other species. They can exhibit cosmetic features (fur, scales, pointed ears, forked tongues); functional organs (poisonous fangs, wings, retractable claws); or be as extreme to be little more than a bipedal intelligent version of another animal.

Anthromorphs often exhibit innate characteristics related to the animal they are akin to. Feline anthromorphs might have excellent balance and dexterity, while snake anthromorphs might have extremely quick reflexes but also be cold blooded. Anthromorphs of multiple species at once or extinct species are extremely rare, but not unheard of.

Biotic metahumans are those who have extraordinary abilities over their own health or bodies, or over the bodies of others. Many are healers of one sorts or another. Some exhibit an extraordinary healing rate, while others can heal others of injury or disease. Others show immunity to biological or chemical attacks, and a rare few can pass that immunity on to others. Those who can alter the bodies of others are also considered biotics, as well as those who can communicate with and manipulate the growth, activity and form of plants and animals.

Not all Biotic mutations are positive, however. Vampiric metahumans who feed on life energy, as well as disease inflicting powers, are also considered Biotic in nature.

Dynamic metahumans (Dynamos) have the ability to affect, manipulate, destroy or create a basic kind of force in the universe, such as magnetism, heat, radiation, light or gravity. Some dynamos are limited to simply affecting their force of choice, such as redirecting or shielding from radiation or heat, or focusing ambient light into a powerful beam. Others have the ability to spontaneous create or cancel out the force - superheating a rock to its melting point, bending metal by creating strong magnetic fields, or reversing one's personal gravity in order to fly.

The level of control varies greatly from dynamo to dynamo, and the extent of their ability to manipulate these fundamental forces varies as well. Some light-focused dynamic metahumans are able to create elaborate illusions out of light, but little else, while others have nowhere near that detailed control but can produce blinding bursts of burning sunlight.

Elementals are metahumans that control a particular type of substance, chemical reaction or class of energy. While Dynamic mutations are focused on the basic forces of the universe, Elementals have unprecedented control over the effects of those forces. While a dynamo might control heat, an elemental metahuman would control fire or ice.

Elementals also can create, control or disintegrate certain types of substances. An stone-focused elemental form stone as she saw fit, cause pillars or fists of rock to attack from the ground, or disintegrate stone walls with a touch. Meanwhile, a water-focused elemental could walk on water, summon waves or send powerful jets of water through the air.

Herculean metahumans do not have exotic physics-breaking powers, but have their inherent abilities enhanced to such great heights they can no longer be considered normal. Named after the greatest of heroes, Herculean mutations include megastrength, ultraspeed, hyperintelligence and other abilities that humans possess but are magnified to heroic or impossible proportions.

There are two exceptions to the classification of Herculean - while ultrahearing or ultrasight might be considered simple enhancements of existing abilities, these are considered Perceptual mutations, as are magnifications of the other senses. And unusual abilities regarding singular skills are the domain of the elusive Prodigies.

Kinetic metahumans are a broad class of mutant that can manipulate a pure energy that refuses to be classified by science. Many mutations call upon a pure sourceless physical force or powerful energy. Metahumans who can summon force fields, blasts of energy or explosive powers that have no clear source in the realm of physics are labeled Kinetics.

Kinetics have the advantage of not having any restraints of their gifts, like Dynamos have, but they also tend to be very limited in nature. Blasters, as the many metahumans who can spontaneously create bursts of destructive energy are called, can be quite impressive, but their attacks are the limits of the ability, while a decent heat-focused dynamo can find many other uses for his unique powers.

Metamorphs can change the fundamental structure of their own bodies in some way. Many think of metamorphs as being limited to the myriad of shapeshifting mutations, but also includes powers that change the fundamental chemical or physical make-up of one's own body.

Metamorphs include versatile doppelgangers who can mimic anyone, to shapeshifter with only a few alternative forms. Some metamorphs only have the ability to change their bodies but not their appearance, such as turning their skin into living and nigh-indestructible stone or metal. A few rare metamorphs can change their body into pure energy states, such as becoming pure electricity and being able to transport almost instantly through conductive surfaces.

Narcissists are metahumans whose powers affect the powers of other metahumans. Narcissist abilities are varied, and focus around manipulating or eliminating the unique energies surrounding metahuman powers. Some can sense metahumans or their abilities, while others can steal, enhance or cripple metahuman powers.

Of all mutations, Narcissist ones are the least understood, mainly because they dwell on the source of the metahuman phenomenon, which is hardly understood in the first place. There have been rumors of Narcissists who can cripple or remove metahuman abilities permanently but these are chalked up to fearful rumors.

Perceptual metahumans have senses that defy the normal limits of human perception. Whether they ignore the limitations of distance, space or time, their senses go far beyond what any normal mortals.

Perceptual mutations cover such diverse ground as ultrasensitive senses, such as eagle-like sight or discriminatory smell, but also covers the far more esoteric powers of clairvoyance, presentience and other oracular abilities. Perceptual metahumans are the only mutations that are able to pierce the barrier of time. However, the visions and imprints sensed by Perceptuals are often confusing and imprecise, limiting their usefulness. And a clear view of the future through the fog of probability remains impossible.

Prodigies are metahumans who have inherent knacks or skills that are far beyond anything a normal human would have. They excel in all vestiges of any field, and have talents so deep and wide-ranging they are mutations in their own right.

Of all the mutations, Prodigies are the most stealthy and the hardest to sniff out. Whether someone is simply talented, or their talents stem from a mutation is hard to determine without a full genetic workup to identify any wild card genes in effect.

Psionic metahumans (Psychics) possess all the traditional powers of the mind over other minds. Ranging from basic empathy to the ability to possess and utterly warp the minds of others, the psionic metahumans find it easy to hide in plain sight, and are the most feared of all sets of metahumans.

Psionic mutations govern solely over manipulating, controlling or affecting the minds of other people or things. Some psychics can only affect the minds of animals or certain creatures, while most can manipulate the thoughts in any mind. Some powers traditionally labeled as psionics - pyrokinesis, telekinesis - are covered under the HM Sets of Elementals and Kinetics rather than here.

Shifters exist to give physicists headaches. Shifters possess the ability to "shift" space, to teleport matter from one place to another without going through the intermediate points. Shifters are subject to a wide variety of limitations. Some are only able to teleport themselves, others can only use their powers on inanimate objects or can only go to places they have 'tuned' themselves to.

Research in the Shifter mutation invariably leads to disturbing forays into highly theoretical multidimensional physics. Too much interest is rumored just to invite insanity, since Shifters not only rip the existing laws of about conservation of matter, energy and force to shreds, but use leftovers for kindling. Rumors about temporal shifters, mutations capable of transporting through time as well as space, have never been substantiated.