Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

[SSgt Baloo]

Inspired by This Other Thread, I began thinking about how do people get superpowers in your worlds?

 

In my campaigns, I just assumed that being "super" was more than just genetics. A "super" of any sort would normally not become "super" until after some emotionally or physically traumatic event that, had they not quickly manifested their powers, would have resulted in permanent madness or death. Of course, if you subjected multiple persons to such an event you would most likely have accumulated any number of dead bodies and traumatized survivors before you ever saw "results" that produced a "real" super.

 

A small minority of the relatively undamaged survivors would just learn to deal with it and make as rational a decision as they could with regard to how to use their newly-discovered abilities. Most people who become super cope their new circumstances in one of two ways: Either they become drunk with power (often without regard to the actual amount of power they now possess) and decide to exploit their newfound advantages for personal gain or they decide to champion some cause or set of beliefs they believed in before (or came to believe shortly after) the event. Mind you, persons from either group may be percieved as heroes or villains, depending upon the means they use to pursue their various ends, whether their deeds and words uphold some social ideals or oppose others, etc. Among super-powered individuals, there is a very large subset to whom it seems a good idea to don a distinctive costume when pursuing their new avocation. Supers are usually much crazier than "normal" folks. The unwashed masses are generally so relieved Captain Paragon isn't bent on World Domination(TM) that they aren't overly worried about his choice of wardrobe, so long as it does not blatantly flaunt the mores of their culture.

 

That's pretty much it, without the nuts, bolts, bells and whistles. Anyone else care to describe how their world's supers got that way (without getting excessively technical)?

[Redmenace]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

I always thought that super powers had to have been designed by someone. Electric eels have specialized cells to generate electricity but supers rarely have anything like that. Fire, lightning or chunks of ice just appear, rocketing away from their fingertips.

 

 

So what I figured was that someone designed all these abilities for combat and espionage, that we are being developed as soldiers in their war or wars.

 

The general superhuman proclivity for preservation or destruction or dominance flowed out of that. The greatest of the supersoldiers were psychically programmed to defend a planet so they develop superman like altruism and a drive to keep the status quo. The offensive alternative is to destroy or capture a planetary target so they got the world conqueror set.

 

 

The costume part is also created by genetic suggestion but to a much, much lesser extent. Pyros usually wear reds, oranges. yellows and maybe black, cryos wear blues and whites. At some point in the future when super- humanitie's population is high enough they get drafted into the conflict and their costume colors become the insignia for either their ability specialization or, if they are super-superhumans, the color of their battalion under a Dr. Destroyer like commander.

[concord]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

The world of the Wardens Chronicles works a lot like you describe above...

 

Genetics is not the only thing that makes a paranormal a paranormal... everyone has the potential to be more...

 

The traumatic event is also just another element of change, the crucible, if you will...

 

 

The final element is desire, whether an openly expressed want or a suppressed subconscious need, desire plays a part in the creation of a paranormal...

 

It is what made a lab assistant, who fervently wished to prove that his mentor's theory of evolution was correct, able to survive exposure to intense amounts of cosmic radiation and become the super-evolved Prime...

 

It is what made a Norman knight, who more than anything wanted to prove himself worthy in his father's eyes, be selected by strangers for a great quest of honor in a far away land and time... the Knight of St. Michael...

 

It is what makes some 'super-soldier' experiments extremely successful... and others abysmal failures...

 

It is how an inventor comes up with the gadget that allows him to fly, yet no one else can figure out how it works...

 

It is how the lowly apprentice who diligently studies the esoteric tomes of his master learns how to manipulate the world around him... like magic...

 

It is also how those of dark desires gain the ability to threaten others, the world or the multiverse...

 

 

Potential, Crisis and Desire...

 

.

[Narratio]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

I've either followed the super soldier path or the mutant genetic route. The whole radiation accident has never much appealed to me.

 

Likewise costumes. Most of my characters never bother with the spandex (are you pitching or catching?) route. Just daily clothes unless battle armour is involved.

[csyphrett]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Most of the games I have run, the players picked and I built something around them. Then came expansions on the background.

CES

[Clonus]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

I think I'll just discuss the issue of costumes. Why would someone with superpowers elect to wear a distinctive body-stocking made out of a stretchy fabric? It makes no sense right?

 

Unless of course they have any powers that change their shape or size, in which case a stretchy fabric will help them remain clothed at all. Or, they have powers that propel them at speeds in excess of 40 mph in which case they'll experience noticeable drag and wear and tear on the clothing unless it as streamlined as possible. Alternatively a leather or kevlar jumpsuit may still reduce drag while offering a bit more protection and being sturdy enough to take the friction.

 

Of course if the characters have abilities that require their bodies to bend or flex in exceptional ways, they'll want an outfit that is either stretchy or loose, like a leotard or a martial arts outfit.

 

That takes us to masks, helmets and the like. In the real world criminals, anti-terrorist special weapons forces, executioners, even judges have been known to wear masks to protect their identities from those who would object to what they do. A simple domino mask will not of course protect your identity from someone who knows you. But with strangers, make a spectacle of yourself in a skin-tight leotard and a domino mask, and a stranger witness will be utterly unable to describe you afterwards except maybe to critique your endowments. Heck you can walk into a room wearing a clown nose and all strangers will remember afterward is the nose. Full face masks are safer if you want to avoid the risk of being filmed recognizably. Facial recognition software is still not good enough to reliably reconstruct a recognisable face through a ski-mask or even Spider-Man's mask.

 

Of course by rights, your leotard or jumpsuit should be utilitarian, nondescript. Unless of course you are following a trend set by super-powered entertainers or are one yourself. Superman's costume is heavily inspired by circus strongmen of the day. Spider-Man's costume originated as a masked wrestler costume. Captain America had his outfit issued to him by the government so they could use him for propaganda. Batman is just bug**** insane.

[sinanju]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

I always thought that super powers had to have been designed by someone. Electric eels have specialized cells to generate electricity but supers rarely have anything like that. Fire, lightning or chunks of ice just appear, rocketing away from their fingertips.

 

That's one of the reasons why I liked the Wild Cards universe so much. The Wild Card virus WAS designed as a weapon. But even so, most people who acquire "powers" die horribly because their "powers" kill them when they manifest, or shortly thereafter. The vast majority of the survivors are twisted genetic freaks who are, at best, visibly changed and at worst suffer lifelong pain or disability (and prejudice). Only a tiny handful (1%, and really that's being very generous...) acquire useful powers.

 

And some of THEM don't look entirely human any longer. Some of them also have "powers" that are of little or no use.

[assault]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Inspired by This Other Thread' date=' I began thinking about how do people get superpowers in your worlds?[/quote']

 

Basically, everything except being a mutant.

 

Most common: aliens, Mad Scientists, really really ultra-trained people, people who steal stuff from Mad Scientists, people from Hidden Lands, mystics, people with mystical stuff. Also, descendents of some of the above categories.

[OddHat]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

At the surface level, my Supers origins vary widely, from Accidents to being born with Fortean Talents to Mad Science to pretty much anything else you'll find in a Superhero story.

 

Mad Science is at the root of almost all of them.

 

As to the costumes, hiding your identity behind some sort of costume in order to avoid legal entanglements was a tradition that grew popular among the American Masked Adventurers of the 1920s and 30s, with roots going back before that. In WWII the War Department needed a cover for American Mystery Men, and the military in general didn't trust the idea of recruiting freaks and monsters. The USO became a useful cover for American Mystery Men, and their costumes were designed to help promote them as fund raising tools and patriotic symbols.

 

After WWII, costumes had become part of the subculture. Adventurers and Criminals wore masks and gloves to hide their identities and protect themselves against retaliation. Supers who hoped for media careers (Adventurer and Criminal alike) tried to keep their costumes attractive and marketable. Government and Corporate employed Supers were assigned costumes that helped promote their employers, often sporting departmental or rank insignia and logos. Fashion conscious supers and wannabes competed to see just how far they could go.

 

Supers that don't care to become Adventurers, Criminals, Media, Government or Corporate Supers don't usually bother with any sort of special costume. Neither do most modern military or law enforcement Supers, though they will wear uniforms and may temporarily be assigned costumes for PR purposes.

 

Aliens on Earth (very rare but not unknown) sometimes appear to be wearing costumes. These are usually power armor or formal uniforms from their home worlds.

[DusterBoy]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

The world of the Wardens Chronicles works a lot like you describe above...

 

Genetics is not the only thing that makes a paranormal a paranormal... everyone has the potential to be more...

 

The traumatic event is also just another element of change, the crucible, if you will...

 

 

The final element is desire, whether an openly expressed want or a suppressed subconscious need, desire plays a part in the creation of a paranormal...

 

It is what made a lab assistant, who fervently wished to prove that his mentor's theory of evolution was correct, able to survive exposure to intense amounts of cosmic radiation and become the super-evolved Prime...

 

It is what made a Norman knight, who more than anything wanted to prove himself worthy in his father's eyes, be selected by strangers for a great quest of honor in a far away land and time... the Knight of St. Michael...

 

It is what makes some 'super-soldier' experiments extremely successful... and others abysmal failures...

 

It is how an inventor comes up with the gadget that allows him to fly, yet no one else can figure out how it works...

 

It is how the lowly apprentice who diligently studies the esoteric tomes of his master learns how to manipulate the world around him... like magic...

 

It is also how those of dark desires gain the ability to threaten others, the world or the multiverse...

 

 

Potential, Crisis and Desire...

 

 

That's a good concept you've got there, Concord and it would especially explain why super-gadgets work for the inventor, but can't be mass-produced, and why certain people get powers and others don't, even though they're both exposed to exactly the same traumatic circumstances.

[Arkham]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Any number of methods, from hard work, careful study, prototype equipment, non-human heritage, chemical, radioactive, magical or genetic alteration, or those alterations in previous generations that have been passed down and are now part of the genetic code.

 

And they wear costumes for the same reason bicyclists wear garish costumes and gymnasts wear skin-tight flexible garments... Mobility, style, sometimes a lack of choice. When you can't sew a stitch, you'll take whatever ballistic nanoweave is available in your size, even if it is bright yellow with blue stripes.

 

And stylish it is... At least for now. Polyester leisure suits used to be the height of fashion after all. And then there were leg warmers, and then oversize dirty flannels, and then...

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

The world of the Wardens Chronicles works a lot like you describe above...

 

...The final element is desire, whether an openly expressed want or a suppressed subconscious need, desire plays a part in the creation of a paranormal...

 

You've pretty much expressed what I was getting at, but in more detail and with more examples. Any points of friction I have are probably just semantics and not particularly relevant. Good job!

 

As to the costumes, hiding your identity behind some sort of costume in order to avoid legal entanglements was a tradition that grew popular among the American Masked Adventurers of the 1920s and 30s, with roots going back before that. In WWII the War Department needed a cover for American Mystery Men, and the military in general didn't trust the idea of recruiting freaks and monsters. The USO became a useful cover for American Mystery Men, and their costumes were designed to help promote them as fund raising tools and patriotic symbols.

 

After WWII, costumes had become part of the subculture. Adventurers and Criminals wore masks and gloves to hide their identities and protect themselves against retaliation. Supers who hoped for media careers (Adventurer and Criminal alike) tried to keep their costumes attractive and marketable. Government and Corporate employed Supers were assigned costumes that helped promote their employers, often sporting departmental or rank insignia and logos. Fashion conscious supers and wannabes competed to see just how far they could go.

 

Supers that don't care to become Adventurers, Criminals, Media, Government or Corporate Supers don't usually bother with any sort of special costume. Neither do most modern military or law enforcement Supers, though they will wear uniforms and may temporarily be assigned costumes for PR purposes.

 

Aliens on Earth (very rare but not unknown) sometimes appear to be wearing costumes. These are usually power armor or formal uniforms from their home worlds.

 

And there you have it. In my example in the OP, I wasn't justifying costume-wearing superheroes and supervillains, but just trying to create a plausible explanation for why they do wear costumes. If there are no costumes, it's not about Superheroes, but People with Powers.

 

I also noted that there were others who dealt with their new "super-ness" more rationally than the majority. That way you can occasionally have the automobile mechanic who KNOWS what's wrong with your car before you can tell him, or the wall-street tycoon who seems to know exactly when and what to buy or sell.

 

ETA: Somebody rep these guys for me, huh? I'm still out from yesterday.

[hfergus]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Depends.

 

What? You want more?

Ok, It does depend. You name an origin, I've used it. Or seen it. Some characters, mine and others.

Volt - radiation accident. Actually he accidently drank a nasty chemical then got hit by a lightning bolt. (Hellooo, Flash. Not quite, but close.)

 

Olorin- Training and experience. Non aging and reduced sleep only by magical accident.

 

Black Tiger - Training, gene therapy and a good gene start.

 

Leadman - magical amulet

 

Futurian - Hellooooo! He's from the future. High tech.

 

Others - mutations, alien battle suit, gene alteration, real radiation accidents, just about anything. Mutation is only if I can can up with nothing else unless that is the point.

 

Costumes? Tradition, comfort, utility, whatever. Olorin dresses like a stereotypical medeival mage. Maybe because he is one.

[McCoy]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

In my world there are thousands of people with paranormal abilities. Most of them have 25 AP or less. One NPC in my campagine is a slender but athletic redhead who looks to be in his late 20's. He'll tell anyone who ask that he was born in 1868. He drinks, heavily, "Whiskey, neat, Scotch if you've got it, thank you!" but never gets drunk. That's the extent of his super powers, immortality and immunity to alcohol. Telepathy or some enhanced sense seem to be the most common, but for some reason the number of immortals exploded in the 20th century.

[Utech]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Why the costumes -- especially the masks? You might be interested in this TED talk.

[bubba smith]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Any number of methods, from hard work, careful study, prototype equipment, non-human heritage, chemical, radioactive, magical or genetic alteration, or those alterations in previous generations that have been passed down and are now part of the genetic code.

 

And they wear costumes for the same reason bicyclists wear garish costumes and gymnasts wear skin-tight flexible garments... Mobility, style, sometimes a lack of choice. When you can't sew a stitch, you'll take whatever ballistic nanoweave is available in your size, even if it is bright yellow with blue stripes.

 

And stylish it is... At least for now. Polyester leisure suits used to be the height of fashion after all. And then there were leg warmers, and then oversize dirty flannels, and then...

and foe bicyclists the suits are worn to stand out in traffic so there will be fewer car-bike accidents

[Arkham]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

and foe bicyclists the suits are worn to stand out in traffic so there will be fewer car-bike accidents

 

Right. So there will be fewer flying superhero-airplane accidents.

Or perhaps in a super world, they are made by the same companies. $3,000 for 6 DEF worth of armored lycra shorts would get plenty of business from professional bicyclists as well as superheroes.

[Dronf]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

2001, February, 13, 16:45 UTC. Most of the people on Earth simultaneously have a vision; those younger then 9-11 y.o., some of the most insane, and some in very very very bad health are the exceptions. OTOH, the asleep wake up.

 

The vision is of a person(?) who hits the complete bottom of the Uncanny Valley, in clown clothes, rattling something in his/its hand. The things are tossed on a table; 6 d10's of different colors. The person(?) reads off the numbers in the native language of whoever's having the vision. Followed by "Sorry, not you"...

...

...

...except for those who got all zeros. They are the ones; the superpowered few---if you can call 5,367 few. They had a longer vision, where the person(?) rattled lots more dice, randomly picking the powers thru an unknown method.

 

And that's where powers came from---in one game I played in. Kinda fun, playing someone who got powers by random chance.

 

Why the long johns? Excessively influenced by comic books.

[Guest steamteck]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

In my campaign , the first Super in modern times developed a special uniform that could survive the abuse he could take. It became more distinctive over time and others followed "suit" until they evolved into supersuits. being almost immortal, He's still around and looks positively retro. ( he's my avatar)

 

Origin's include mystic empowerment or training, ancient alien DNA, mad science and CHI powers as well as a very few real aliens.

[BNakagawa]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Assuming you want to be able to keep your 'civvie' ID a secret and you have any tattoos, then bulletproof longjohns are a good idea.

 

That said, I've never played a character that wore such a costume.

[shadowmage87]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

As far as origins go, our current campaign is a little interesting. Supers just appeared suddenly, without warning. One day at about 3:17 in the afternoon people around the world just started manifesting powers. Completely random. Lots of people accidentally killed themselves, and others. Lots of others got powers that were in no way combat effective. Not only powers, but major technological breakthroughs. The key to powering mechanized armor; all of it in the one moment. It's the major mystery of the campaign.

 

I'm big on powered armor heroes. My costume is my power. The other PCs are opting for the Rorschach, trenchcoat and hat look. I personally can't justify anything like flashy spandex, save maybe a Hancock-style PR move. Honestly, costuming is, in my opinion, the hardest part of making a hero.

[Dronf]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

Another game I was in superpowers happened because a Hawking black hole went through the Earth. Going about .06c. Hit in the middle of Sumatra, exited through east edge of Glacier National Park, zipped around the moon, hit again in west edge Glacier Nation Park, existed through Aldabra Is. (Seychelles). Everyone close to the entrance/exit points got powers, the closer the stronger.

 

All the PCs had been hiking in Glacier Nat. Park, but none knew each other. Kind of interesting set-up.

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

The real-world explanation for the costumes is, of course, artists who could basically draw nude outlines and impose a distinctive costume on them, influenced also by the tights and costumes of circus performers of the day. Gaudy skin-tight costumes have some practical uses though: they can make you instantly recognizable from a distance (don't shoot men, it's Captain Hammer!), they're easy to conceal under regular clothing (making quick changes easier), they allow a lot of freedom of movement, they distract from your face (making your civilian ID harder to recognize), they can be like the colors of a monarch butterfly or coral snake (warning people that you're dangerous) or the colors of a gang (identifying you as a member of the hero/villain community), and, not least, they show off your heroic physique (if you have one). Spandex-ish costumes have their drawbacks of course, but it isn't that unreasonable that a super who fights or commits crime might a (possibly trade-marked) costume to be worth the embarassment.

 

--Parentheses Man

[Guest steamteck]

Re: Supers: How'd they get that way (and why do so many of them wear long johns?)

 

You could always view costumes like knights with coats of arms on their surcoats. I always figure they're bullet resistant or in the case of bricks designed to have a chance to survive the abuse the brick takes. a costume maker character ala "The Incredibles" is a major character in my supers universe. You can all sorts of special features and materials with your uniform.

[Houston GM]

Supers, why do so many of them wear long johns?

 

Among super-powered individuals' date=' there is a very large subset to whom it seems a good idea to don a distinctive costume when pursuing their new avocation.[/quote']

In my current campaign, the best-known supers are members of national super-teams. Their "costume" is actually a uniform (typically armored) which is based of the national colors.

Canada = red/white

China = red/yellow

USA = red/white/blue

 

As mentioned in one episode of Burn Notice: "Armies wear uniforms in part to suggest power, organization and numbers, which can provoke fear." Super-teams receive the same benefits, plus a degree of anonimity.

 

Solitary national heroes (from smaller countries) often wear a similar uniform based on the flag to show their affiliation.

 

Independent heroes and villains sometimes wear costumes similar to the national teams (or comic books) in order to be like the big kids.