So, what would be the impact of...

[nexus]

Approx 2000 750+ point supers (with that most powerful pushing 1100 points) and about 10,000 200+ so metahumans appearing in the real world?

Not that I'm fishing for idea or anything. :D

[rbezold]

Go see X-MEN again. In the civilized(?) countries, the reaction would be exactly like that. In places like Uganda, which is currently undergoing (for real) a vampire scare, the reaction would be more like the Salem witch trials.

And if you get a chance, and can find it, read Normalman. It posited a world made up of supers (Levram). Governments, unable to keep state secrets due to the presence of invisible mind readers, virtually collapsed overnight.

[OddHat]

Most people would think it was a hoax until they saw it with their own eyes.

Some would still cry hoax even if Super Dude landed in fromt of them.

Mass hysteria and religious hysteria. Mobs. Panic. Dance parties.

Any of these 12,000 folks devout Muslims? Devout Catholics? Evangelicals? Patriots? The genuine loyalty your people have for you has sudenly become far more strategicaly important.

If any of the 2000 (and some of the 10000) have serious issues with a government, expect the loss of presidents, PMs, and dictators, as well as many supers killed.

China goes down for a while but may come back, dictatorships go into anarchy for a while, India goes down for a while but may get back up (or exchange Nukes with Pakistan), Western Democracies go a little dark for a while, and at least on 750 point Super turns into Godzilla and stomps Tokyo.

[Champsguy]

Well, a few things will factor in.

How do the first supers act? If the world's first encounter with a superhuman is Superman stopping 9/11, then people are going to be pretty receptive. Even when supervillains appear, as long as the heroes win, public opinion won't go too far negative. On the other hand, if a crazy person decides to go blow up the President, public reactions will be a little more hostile.

Basically, you've got the ability to make the effect whatever you want it to be, based on what type of game you'll be running. Are you looking for an Iron Age game? A Silver Age game? You could do either one. What type of powers are going to be available? If half the supers in this world are evil telepaths, then yes, its going to be a very dark game. On the other hand, if you've got a couple thousand Marvel mutants (90% of whom just have some kind of zap blast), then the world's reaction will be much closer to what it is in the comics.

It will all revolve around the big guns, though. If a handful of them decide to become the Justice League (stopping tidal waves and earthquakes), then public reaction will be good. If a handful of them decide to become the Avengers ("Hello, Mr President. We're here to serve America."), then the US reaction will be good, and the rest of the world will be a little uneasy. If they decide to become the Authority (Mr. Bush, we'll be taking this office, now. And your daughters, too.), then people will be much more likely to bring out the torches and pitchforks.

[megaplayboy]

hmmm...2000 cosmic-level supers? It's their world, we're just living in it.
After a few years of panic, most governments and societies would be forced to acclimate themselves to dealing with such beings, relying on some of them for metahuman defense, and allowing them to operate in society.
The metahumans might form societies or clubs to pursue common interests.

Hopefully more than half of them would be largely benevolent--if they appeared in the ratios they do in the CU, comics, or most campaigns(what, 3 to 10 villains per hero?), the world might be a big mess.

[sinanju]

I don't think the question is answerable as given. It depends on a) what powers these supers possess and b) what they do with them.

Unless their powers and defenses are limited by the GM, however, I suspect that they're mostly going to be able to do whatever the hell they want (barring interference by their peers), since most governments won't have the firepower to stop them. If you're 750 points worth of hard to hurt _and_ you have any kind of serious movement power, whatever you can't shrug off you can probably escape.

[Blue Jogger]

Well, governments would react, probably tighting down security even more. While this might not help the actual problem (Supermen and Mentalists doing whatever they want) it keeps everything else down to minor problem.

Miltaries would demand even more funding and develop more powerful weapons. Mini-nukes, as a weapon of last resort, make become the hallmark of keeping supers from going too far.

However, you will have the super that is the local hero. Trying to do what's right and all. And, maybe the public will understand. After all a hero who trying to help is probably better than one who says, "screw it" and starts doing whatever the hell they want.

It also depends on the powers. If you have 100 point, always on, optic blast. That's a whole different type of reaction than a 200 point Brick that can bounce bullets. You can always get a sniper to get rid of Cyclops (or knock him out for later), the Brick, however, requires several grenades or rocket launchers and even when you capture him, you need to put him in a steel reinforced cage or threaten his girlfriend or something.

Occasionally, I want to write up a 50 point mutant. He has some powers, he has some strange disads. He can't be normal, he can't be a true super. The X-men cartoon had a mutant who was power was that he was just different, he didn't have any superpowers. At least with 50+disads, you can probably defend against a gang of normals.

Although, OddHat has a point about dance parties. Some people might take Supers showing up as a sign that the world will become a better place with supers in it, or that the endtimes are near, either way, PARTY!

"I don't know if you're really up there... but save me, Superman!" - Homer Simpson

[Magmarock]

It would bring a whole new meaning to "Reality TV". :nonp:


Mags

[Bucky]

Something that intrigues me, is the idea that any such Supers might *want* to rule the world or even a large, or powerful country. The whole world domination thingie never seemed like a good idea anyway, imagine the paperwork.

Do the Supes want to be recognized as supers? Once they are, they get trapped into a very weird life, filled with lawyers, groupies, and various hanger ons and other insulations from reality. Any displays of powers is going to garner fear, envy, and hatred, even if it is for a good cause. Governments are gonna want to chat.

[Katherine]

Cults, lots of cults. People will follow anyone on the premise they have some kind of mystical enlightement or power. Imagine if someone could prove they did.

Religious backlash. Extremists on all sides would be bannanas. Even more educated thoughtful theologians would be shocked and perhaps have their faith shaken.

The 750 point types would be able to do almost as they wished unless a major military effort was formed or another of their level stopped them. Hopefully no real psychos got powers of that level.

Personal Agendas. Everyone with powers and an ax to grind would strike out. Expect allot of assasinations and political terrorism.

Many, if not most, people would use their new powers for personal gain. Not nessicarily criminal gain, but money, fame and comfort. There would be criminals, particularly among the lazy, dim or naturally violent or mentally disturbed.

[Reneshat]

It's the end of the world as we know it,
It's the end of the world as we know it,
It's the end of the world as we know it,
And I feel fine (as long as I get to be one of the 750+ supers)

[ArgentLupe]

I think the situation would be identical to what we have now, just on a larger scale. Instead of terrorists (or governments, or companies, or whatever) need time to prepare and plan, their actions could be accomplished immediately. Retaliation would be quick and everyone would want to show off their new "toy".

If I were a cynic I'd say we'd return to the stone age in less than a week.

-ArgentLupe

[Agent X]

The CU states, I believe, a ratio of 40 good guys to 60 bad guys or somesuch.

How will the world respond? Champsguy is dead on. It will depend largely on how the supers behave.

2,000 cosmic level supers? What are their goals?
10,000 more supers? What are their goals?

I think it would mostly depend on the cosmic supers.

How many cosmic supers are bent on taking over the world on their own? with a group of lesser supers? with a group of cosmic peers? with an army of normals?

How many cosmic supers want to start a belief system, political movement, or the like? What is it? Is it super-racism? Might makes Right? Might For Right/Great Power = Great Responsibility?

How many cosmic supers want to support the status quo in their area? the good old US of A? Mother England? the Fatherland? Mother Russia? China? Democracy? Communism? Fascism?

2,000 Cosmic Supers would probably have incredibly divergent goals. I would assume some would-be world conquerors would be successful in establishing a territorial claim in a given part of the world. Some would be little more than roving marauders. Some would form super societies to prevent other supers from conquering their homeland or the world. Some gadgeteer supers would likely help First World governments to cope somewhat with supers by giving them access to some super-technology.

Things could be much like the real world with a few super dictatorships in Third World countries and with agencies like S.H.I.E.L.D.

Things could devolve. Good cosmics may be unable to prevent bad cosmics from wreaking the kind of destruction that would destabilize governments. Cosmics could end up divying up much of the world into pseudo-fiefdoms sort of like what happened in the Squadron Supreme. Bad Cosmic could control the Southwest. Good Cosmic could protect the Pacific Northwest. It all depends on what characters you design.

[TaxiMan]

The world is a big place. Those in power would want to stay in power, and in USA the populace would demand action. Thousands of supers couldn't easily knock out gov't - they could take out the obvious symbols, but that would only devolve power to the next step in command. And that step would be cautious and pissed off.

The supers will consist of normal people's motivations - altruism, greed, love and hate. A lot will do whatever they want, causing massive bad publicity & negative public reaction. Others might try to be good but still piss off someone & get the same bad press. Only the saints would escape the negative coverage. The press loves the negative.

Governments would see this as an emergency. If supers can be controlled, governments will do it. Offer them money, girls, excitement, protection from the population ("SuperDuper Dude is a Good American Citizen!").

Many people will panic, see this as a sign of the end times. Stocks will collapse as people try to understand the new order.

Supers that can't be controlled will be killed. Tens of thousands to millions of people will actively be searching for weaknesses to protect themselves. Military weaponry will kill supers if they allow themselves to be targeted. Lots of supers will die. Those that remain will be fearful, not knowing if the gov't has figured out a weakness (and what new super knows all his powers and weaknesses anyway?).

An uberpowerful super that decides to take preemptive action could destroy the world. That might be the only way such a person figures they can be safe - destroy all the labs, all the militaries, all the knots of people that are out to get them. Carnage will be great, depends on how fast other supers respond.

Supers that trust their invulnerability and ARE invulnerable or somehow convince the powerful not to test them - will do whatever they want. They likely won't need more than a million people to take care of whatever that is. Most likely they will scavenge off the top of civilization ("I'm taking this aircraft carrier and blowing it up because I can!"). Still, that might be manageable like some sort of natural disaster and handled similarly.

Due to people's fear and there being so many supers appearing at once, I forsee disaster for all concerned.

[Champsguy]

I've had a little more time to think about this now. Here's some of the things I see happening, assuming a fairly standard disbursement of powers and evil/good ratio (i.e. 90% of supers are not perverted mentalists).

Some people will try to take over the world. Some people will try to get on MTV Cribs. "My superhero name is... Playa McNasty!"

Certain smaller, poorer countries (I'm thinking Cuba specifically, or any Eastern European country, especially if the Soviet Union was still around) will open their doors to supers. You want to live the high life? Live in Cuba. They'll give you a beach house, a penthouse suite in a hotel whenever you want it, cars, and women. You want cocaine? You got cocaine. All you have to do is live there. They don't want to study you. They don't want you to sign up for the military. They just want you to be tan and get a blowjob from 2 hot women at once. That's because you're a deterrent. The US isn't going to invade Cuba when it's got a dozen cosmic supers living the good life there, because you'd make them mad. "If Cuba falls, who'll bring me my booze???"

The US and Russia (and, to a lesser extent, NATO countries) will pour resources into other military projects. Just as an update, NASA recently successfully tested a scramjet. We can get them to work now. One of DARPA's projects that's been sitting around for a while is to produce a scramjet bomber. Another is to produce scramjet cruise missiles. These things are kind of back-burner right now. I get the feeling that they didn't expect a successful scramjet test so soon. In this super world, these things become first-priority. It gives you superhuman assassination capability. Things like ICBM defense suddenly get big funding cuts. The priority of military spending items gets shifted dramatically. My understanding is that both the US and Russia had working nuclear bazookas back in the 60s. They're apparently still in storage somewhere. There were even designs for nuclear hand grenades, though I don't think any were ever made. Expect these things to be dug out of mothballs, just in case.

A lot of religious people will worry a bit, until you get news footage of Captain Universe going to church on Sunday morning, and thanking God for the opportunity to help so many people. Biblical literalists already believe in people with superhuman powers (Sampson had super-strength, and he didn't have to behave to keep it). Some people may ask how a loving God could allow villains with superpowers, but those people ask that question no matter what happens in the world. "How could a loving God exist, when I can't find a parking space?"

I think most people would try to do the right thing. The problem arises when our definition of "the right thing" happens to be different from that of other people. You'd get a lot of slumlords and accused rapists who get thrown out of windows, or optic-blasted into pieces.

[Dr. MID-Nite]

There's going to be a fair amount of attrition among the new superbeings. They'll fall to the governments or other superbeings. The 200 pointers may not even have any damage resistance....in which case they can be killed just as easily as anyone elses. A lot assumes the nature of the powers and the person who posesses them. A powerful, but thoughtful clairvoyant may exceed 700 points without ever being massively powerful. And one thing to mention is despite the power level....these are all NEW superbeings...unlikely to all realize the scope of what they can do. The ones that survive the early stages.....will be the real threats. What is certain is that they'll all become instant celebrities...regardless of motivation.

Rob

[megaplayboy]

My assumption, since the premise was put in game terms, that many if not most of these superhumans would be constructed similarly to Champions characters, with some degree of balance. Most likely many of the low level superhumans will be at least bullet-resistant, and almost all of them will be quicker and tougher than the average human. The 750 pointers will likely be nigh-invulnerable to small-arms fire when prepared for it, and highly resistant to heavy military ordnance. If there's 2000 of them, and their power distribution resembles the CU or comic books, then figure there's about 100 cosmic-level mentalists running around. Can't imagine it'd take more than a dozen to covertly rule the world. Probably at least 50 to 100 supers with vastly superior intelligence, ditto for "super-charisma". Probably 3-500 of those cosmic types possess leadership potential, and some of them will put it to good use. As I said before, 2-3 dozen cosmic-level supers would defeat the entire conventional military forces of the world in a day. It'd be like B-52s vs. Zulus. Nolo contendere.
So, the future of humanity is dependent on the active good will of at least a significant plurality of superhumans.