[JCN] Hero Level Defintion

[zakueins]

After First Advent, the New York Institute on Metahuman Phenomina (IMP) has made a long, categorical list of the nature and level of heroes that have come into existance. What complicates this is that several nations (China, Iraq before Gulf War II, Iran) keep how many and how powerful the numbers of metahumans that exist secret, while some (parts of Africa, Asia, South America) honestly don't have accurate mechanisms to report metahuman apperance.

 

With these caviats:

IMP categorizes metahumans by two categories-full-fledged metas and "one hit wonders" or single-power metas(whom have one power or a group of very tightly bound powers). Some of IMP's critics argue that their categorization ignores "augmented normals" like the Bombadeer Beetle in New York or similar metas, but the numbers are fairly clear.

 

So far, the ratio of single-power metas and full metas is ~4:1 to 5:1, depending upon cateorization.

 

New meta apperance is on an approximite 6 month basis, with some appering between a month before and a month after that six months, but mostly appearing within that time frame. Meta apperance seems to "cluster" as well-they either appear in large cities, or in areas in close proximity to large cities, or they move for one reason or another to large cities.

 

The First Advent on 9/12/01 revealed 50 full fledged metahumans, in five cities-New York, Tokyo, London, Beijing, and a vague point between Tel Aviv and Jeruselum in Israel. First estimates were of 40 metahumans, as China clamped a massive news blackout on metahumans within their territory-with the exception of Jackie Chan (whom accidentaly revealed some speedster and damage resistance powers), China maintained denial of metahuman activites within it's territory.

 

Second Advent, 3/9/02, showed another 100 metahumans at full power and added five more "apperance" cities-San Francisco, Kyoto, Paris, Shanghai, and Johannasberg. The first confirmed apperance of "one hit wonders" also started to appear, and five metahumans from First Advent were confirmed KIA, raising the total number of full-powered metahumans on earth to 145.

 

Third Advent, 9/11/02, had 120 metahumans appear, and three more "apperance" cities-Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Moscow. With the death of the Furies in Northern Oregon and several other incidents, metahuman totals were at about 220. The first organized "superteams" started to appear at this time-the United States Section One, England's Home Guard, and (estimated) China's superteam under the control of the Ministry of Internal Security.

 

Fourth Advent, 3/10/03, had another 180 metahumans appear, and only two more "apperance" cities-Atlanta and Baghdad. With the largest uprising in the Gaza Strip, and American military activity in Afganistan, metahuman totals reached 370 known (an estimated 10 metahumans disappeared or otherwise vanished).

 

Fifth Advent, 9/11/03, was a massive surge-270 metahumans, three new appearance cities (Berlin, Osaka, Seattle) and massive amounts of metahuman casulties, including some of the most powerful First Advent metas (The Covanant was "presumed lost" after an explosion by the Human Bomb in Gaza, several American metas fell in combat operations in Afganistan, and the Hand of Set made it's first-and bloody-apperance). Metahuman popualtion on Earth has reached ~600, with the uncertanty being over the number of metahumans in China and Iraq.

 

The last Advent, Sixth Advent on 3/12/04, showed 400 new metahumans and two new apperance cities-Sydney and Rio De Janero. The number of metahumans in Iraq was confirmed as well-nine. Three of them died in Gulf War II, facing off against American metas, three defected (one to Syria, two to Iran) and the remaining three either offered their services to the Iraqi Provkisional Authority or to various miltia groups in Iraq. Total metahuman population has reached ~970, with the largest concentrations being in the United States, Japan, and England. China, still, remains a mystery-most estimates place metahuman population in China at ~70, with a small number of anti-Communist metas operating in Hong Kong. China's official policy line is that metahumans are a "capitalistic plot to derail the Revolution" and "public" metahumans cannot get visas to enter Chinese territory. However, it is an open secret that the Chinese government has metas-mostly serving in the Ministry of Internal Security, with a small number in the People's Republic of China Army.