Setting: Reverse Concentration

[Certified]

Last night I was talking with a friend and thinking about the general number of super powered beings in most settings and where they are located. Generally speaking they seem concentrated in the US and Europe. What if the numbers were reversed. A setting where the majority of all super powered beings were in the Middle East, Africa and Asia?

 

When thinking about this idea I pictured an engineered plague being the source or super powers. Something that was fatal to some, and scary enough initially to slow aid into the region. I chose ground zero to be Jerusalem with no one claiming the attack. This was so that people from around the world would have some initial exposure. However, the outbreak as spreads the numbers would favor the Middle East for supers along with Northern Africa, the former Eastern Bloc and western parts of Asia. What I had problems imgining was what the world would look like.

 

So I bring the question to the boards. Feel free to expand on the idea seed above or provide your own. What I'm looking for is how this may shape the region and the world. Lets see what people come up with.

[csyphrett]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

I imagine a lot of open warfare in the middle east, a more western type hero set up in the Eastern Bloc with semi government control, and walords setting themselves up in Africa.

 

Of course this depends on the powers involved.

 

CES

[Alverant]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

Considering the history and religious significance of that part of the world, how many would consider it to be a divine act? Plus since that part of the world is mostly Muslim, the countries in the West would start developing anti-super technology. I would see a rise in technology (ie Iron Man) style heroes. Military personnel, especially snipers would be deployed to kill any supers explicitly working for unfriendly governments and terrorist organizations immediately before they can be used.

 

One big question would be if the plague reached India (it would have to cross 4 countries and an eighth of the world, but it's mostly dessert so it's still possible). Pakistan and India have been enemies for a long time and if one side gained supers and not the others, war would be a strong possibility. India has one of the largest populations in the world, most of which live in poverty. If the plague reached there, it would quickly spread giving the country the largest number of supers making Mumbai (Bombay) the equivalent of NYC.

[Canniballlama]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

That actually seems more in line with human migratory patterns.

 

The human population of Africa has the largest genetic diversity in the world. (I personally blame the Psilons).

 

But the middle east was a gateway from Africa into the rest of the world, then moving into Asia and Europe.

 

You should look up Human Migratory Patterns and genetic maps. I think wiki has some ok sources, but there is a ton of info out there.

 

To push toward the asian side of things, there is some interesting history regarding a Chinese fleet in the Song Dynasty, and trade routes set up by this fleet that reached to Eastern Africa. The potential of genetic crossing there would certainly justify Asia as well.

 

Now, as for Europe getting the short end of the stick, there's a good explanation for that as well. The Sahara Desert is really the big barrier into Europe, as opposed to the Mediterranean Sea. So migratory routes would still need to go through the middle east, and somewhere along the way the herd got thinned, and probably thinned some more following the various wars between Rome and N. Africa, Charlemagne in his reclaiming of Europe from the Saracens, or even the Inquisition and the purges of Europe.

 

Basically, GOOD IDEA! I like it!

[csyphrett]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

That actually seems more in line with human migratory patterns.

 

The human population of Africa has the largest genetic diversity in the world. (I personally blame the Psilons).

 

But the middle east was a gateway from Africa into the rest of the world, then moving into Asia and Europe.

 

You should look up Human Migratory Patterns and genetic maps. I think wiki has some ok sources, but there is a ton of info out there.

 

To push toward the asian side of things, there is some interesting history regarding a Chinese fleet in the Song Dynasty, and trade routes set up by this fleet that reached to Eastern Africa. The potential of genetic crossing there would certainly justify Asia as well.

 

Now, as for Europe getting the short end of the stick, there's a good explanation for that as well. The Sahara Desert is really the big barrier into Europe, as opposed to the Mediterranean Sea. So migratory routes would still need to go through the middle east, and somewhere along the way the herd got thinned, and probably thinned some more following the various wars between Rome and N. Africa, Charlemagne in his reclaiming of Europe from the Saracens, or even the Inquisition and the purges of Europe.

 

Basically, GOOD IDEA! I like it!

 

I dont think is something in the past. I think this is an attack in the present like in Wild Cards.

CES

[Certified]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

I dont think is something in the past. I think this is an attack in the present like in Wild Cards.

CES

 

The thread was not meant to be limited to just the one possible origin. That was just the one I came up with. This thread was more for brainstorming around the concpet of more super powered peoples in this part of the world than the rest, a reverse of how it's generally depicted.

[Badger]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

If the Israelis dont have a large concentration of the supers, a smoking crater formerly known as Israel.

[Badger]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

Anyhow, when I think of the basics I think in terms of relative to a % of the population. Which would ,mean half the supers would be in China/India and their bordering nations.

Many may be small time powers. I try to think of big timers being completely random.

 

Or another way to explain the US/Europe thing. Is developed nations have a greater opportunity for refined development of powers from better nutrition or what have you.

[csyphrett]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

The thread was not meant to be limited to just the one possible origin. That was just the one I came up with. This thread was more for brainstorming around the concpet of more super powered peoples in this part of the world than the rest' date=' a reverse of how it's generally depicted.[/quote']

I misunderstood. There have been attempts like the old Global Guardians to show heroes in other parts of the world by DC, but if I remember right when they replaced those heroes with others, the response was lukewarm.

 

Like most settings, when supers appears will affect what happens unless the story teller adheres to actual history to some extent. This is a notion expressed in Percy Jackson. The gods act through their children, and these children affect the world when they carry out thier quests and they are some of the famous people in history like Blackbeard.

CES

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

Or another way to explain the US/Europe thing. Is developed nations have a greater opportunity for refined development of powers from better nutrition or what have you.

 

Another possibility to consider - if all this began as a deadly plague, then the wealthier countries were in a better state to enforce quarantines and possibly even make headway towards a cure. The plague rolls on and naturally claims more victims in the more messed up parts of the world - THEN, all of a sudden, some of those who survived this plague (without high-tech medical aid, one might add) start exhibiting abilities never before seen.

[Certified]

Re: Setting: Reverse Concentration

 

Another possibility to consider - if all this began as a deadly plague' date=' then the wealthier countries were in a better state to enforce quarantines and possibly even make headway towards a cure. The plague rolls on and naturally claims more victims in the more messed up parts of the world - THEN, all of a sudden, some of those who survived this plague (without high-tech medical aid, one might add) start exhibiting abilities never before seen.[/quote']

 

Curse you CDC!