Changes in a world with superpowers

[dsatow]

I was thinking on my commute this morning, that beyond a enhanced police force, what else would change in a world of comic book supers?  Media would change with shows and magazines on supers.  And with media popularity, fan clubs and #1 fans.  These have all been shown in comic books.  But what else?

 

This first thing that came to mind was increased environmental/work safety laws.  After all, if you can easily get a super from radioactive goo or exposure to some weird element at work, there would probably be very strong protection laws in place to prevent that, wouldn't you think?  I'd also hazard to guess, very well funded hazardous waste clean up crews.   Companies would constantly complain and try to skirt these expensive laws and the EPA probably has a lot of clout.

 

 

[massey]

28 minutes ago, dsatow said:

 

This first thing that came to mind was increased environmental/work safety laws.  After all, if you can easily get a super from radioactive goo or exposure to some weird element at work, there would probably be very strong protection laws in place to prevent that, wouldn't you think?  I'd also hazard to guess, very well funded hazardous waste clean up crews.   Companies would constantly complain and try to skirt these expensive laws and the EPA probably has a lot of clout.

 

I'd say the opposite.  While you might think they'd have strict workplace safety regulations, the fact that people seem to keep getting powers from exposure to this stuff shows that the rules aren't working.

[dsatow]

26 minutes ago, massey said:

 

I'd say the opposite.  While you might think they'd have strict workplace safety regulations, the fact that people seem to keep getting powers from exposure to this stuff shows that the rules aren't working.

 

Yeah, but how many rampaging Hulks do you think need to appear before they increase funding to repair that chain link fence at the nuclear test site.

[csyphrett]

We helped Doctor agenda with something like this for his campaign. I think it became something like a federation type campaign with supers jumpstarting the space program in the twentieth century. I don't remember the name of the thread, or know if it's even searchable after all this time, but I do remember that we talked about super smart guys like Reed Richards working with people like Firestorm and magneto to create this space exploration program

CES 

[death tribble]

It would also depend on where and when superpowers became prevalent.

The Wild Cards books deals with this and accompanying changes. A virus causes people to die, develop middling disfiguring powers or in one per cent of cases it gives useful powers like telekinesis. The main outbreak took place in 1945 and so has a knock on effect. Examples include Castro becoming a major baseball figure so Cuba is not communist.

The Gestalt book also deals with how people come to get powers so that is also worth a look.

Once you decide the start point for how and where people get powers then you can look at what will be affected.

 

I would say that Sport would be affected in that people with enhanced abilities would be banned from playing. There may be bans on allowing people with powers to serve in the military or to serve in war zones. There may be WMDs which are people not bombs or germs 

[Pizza Man]

There would be a Hero insurance for the collateral damage from super fights. Not every lightning bolt will hit its target.

Further there would be a rapid response clean up team for al the rubble left behind, and a specialized construction company for all the super fight damage.

 

At least in big cities a few more jobs would be created.

 

Of course hero hate groups would also arise. Supers make some people feel inferior. Secret IDs would make it difficult to sue a super, so these groups would likely turn lethal, adopting terrorist tactics.

 

The balance would be the fan groups and media. Everyone wants to fly.

 

The biggest change would be the govt. It would start with tech research for super prisons. This kind of research could only be funded by govt...and they would not stop with criminals, they would have containment cells for heroes as well.  All supers would be treated as potential risks by the govt. 

[Cassandra]

The changes would depend on how long superheroes have existed and the rules of engagement they have operated under.  If they showed up in 1938, fought gangsters and Axis spies, and brought most of them back alive then society would adjust to them and would probably go through Golden/Silver/Bronze ages for the various generations of crime fighters.  Otherwise it's X-Men time.

[Pizza Man]

I imagine a group of fan boys out to photograph heroes acting like spies to get close, and possibly endangering secret IDs.  They would post everything on Reddit, and pat each other on the back.

[dsatow]

I figure current sports wouldn't allow supers, but would other sports allow it?

 

• Would you have a WWF style show, professional boxing style show, or an NFL show?
• Would you watch such shows? 
• How about a reality show like Cops?

[dsatow]

Some other items:

• Do you think there would be supers doing tweets on their crimes?
• Would gun laws change because the Lead Master uses an antimaterial level pistol or Combat Drone uses a plasma rifle?  Would more people be armed?
• Would supers be banned from public office or would just some?  A mentalist might not be welcome in Congress.

[Cassandra]

Back in the 1930s Gangsters were celebrities.  A generation before that it was inventors who got the public's attention. 

 

Imagine a TV show called "Super" which covered the Cape and Mask crowd.

[Watchman Mk. IV]

53 minutes ago, dsatow said:

• Would you have a WWF style show, professional boxing style show, or an NFL show?

 

It'd give Hell in a Cell all new meaning.

[Cassandra]

4 minutes ago, Watchman Mk. IV said:

 

It'd give Hell in a Cell all new meaning.

 

They did something like that in Justice League Unlimited "Grudge Match".  Black Canary, Hawkgirl, and Vixen are forced to fight Wonder Woman because Sonik used their own ear radios as mind control devices.   When Black Canary is taken over too Huntress follows her to Solitaire's club, and they end up stopping the right.

[Armory]

2 hours ago, dsatow said:

How about a reality show like Cops?

 

I've had a camera crew following my hero team around for over a year now for a FOX reality show.  Not only is it fun to have a camera man and a boom mic operator to endanger in every single session (when the team can't manage to slip away from them, which isn't often), it's been fun roleplaying.  They've had to adjust their tactics (and language) somewhat, now that they know the entire world will see a detailed breakdown of each battle eventually.  Next I'll have them go on a press junket around the country to promote it.  Lots of new villains!

[miker598]

I imagine a lot of non-costumed powered secret agents running missions for the CIA or other fictional organizations. 

[st barbara]

7 hours ago, dsatow said:

I figure current sports wouldn't allow supers, but would other sports allow it?

 

• Would you have a WWF style show, professional boxing style show, or an NFL show?
• Would you watch such shows? 
• How about a reality show like Cops?

If I remember correctly Marvel had something like an "Ultimate Wrestling League: for supers only in some of their comics.

[assault]

6 hours ago, Armory said:

 

I've had a camera crew following my hero team around for over a year now for a FOX reality show.  Not only is it fun to have a camera man and a boom mic operator to endanger in every single session (when the team can't manage to slip away from them, which isn't often),

 

Your team are too slow. Few camera teams can casually move as fast as a superhero team.

[Ninja-Bear]

4 hours ago, assault said:

 

Your team are too slow. Few camera teams can casually move as fast as a superhero team.

Not unless they are a super reporter and camera man?

[Armory]

One (Normal) camera man, three cameras mounted in high-tech drones.

[winterhawk]

Off the top of my head...

 

I think that the impact supers would have on pop culture would warrant their own television channel.  The CU has SNN, and its sister station Sidekick.  To continue with the wrestling analogy, WWE and may other promotions have their own online network.  I think someone would do something akin to that realizing the $$ potential.

 

I think highly secure places would have to deal with supers.  The White House, Capital Hill and other key government locations would have Stronghold level power dampeners.  The Secret Service would either be supers or be trained and equipped enough to qualify as supers.  I ran a campaign set in Las Vegas and the casinos were equipped with power dampeners to prevent supers from cheating.

 

 

[st barbara]

How would things be altered by someone with minor super powers ? Someone with eidetic memory and super speed reading could be VERY useful to the intelligence service for example, and most of the world would never know he existed.

[st barbara]

On 4/14/2018 at 9:18 AM, Cassandra said:

Back in the 1930s Gangsters were celebrities.  A generation before that it was inventors who got the public's attention. 

 

Imagine a TV show called "Super" which covered the Cape and Mask crowd.

Magazines too ! And existing news outlets  such as :The National Enquirer: could have a field day with gossip about supers.

[Lucius]

9 minutes ago, st barbara said:

How would things be altered by someone with minor super powers ? Someone with eidetic memory and super speed reading could be VERY useful to the intelligence service for example, and most of the world would never know he existed.

 

What makes you think they don't?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Not that the palindromedary and I know anything about it....

[Clonus]

On 4/5/2018 at 12:44 PM, dsatow said:

I was thinking on my commute this morning, that beyond a enhanced police force, what else would change in a world of comic book supers?  Media would change with shows and magazines on supers.  And with media popularity, fan clubs and #1 fans.  These have all been shown in comic books.  But what else?

 

This first thing that came to mind was increased environmental/work safety laws.  After all, if you can easily get a super from radioactive goo or exposure to some weird element at work, there would probably be very strong protection laws in place to prevent that, wouldn't you think?  I'd also hazard to guess, very well funded hazardous waste clean up crews.   Companies would constantly complain and try to skirt these expensive laws and the EPA probably has a lot of clout.

 

 

 

The design of safety deposit boxes and bank vaults.  They'd have both electronic and mechanical locks to reduce the number of villains who would be able to finesse the locks.  Safety deposit boxes would have recessed doors to make it harder for the superstrong robbers to get  a grip and tear them out or punch in.  Vaults would have rods that extend outward when the door is closed to leave no space in the vault which is large enough to accomodate a human body.       Clowns would be out of luck as children's entertainers because the clown themed supervillains would make them figures that only inspire dread, or at least nervousness.  (Remember one of my superhero universe aphorisms is Never Trust A Clown).  The rise of mask clubs, places where people can go to dress up like superheroes and supervillains to socialize drink and dance, always knowing that some of their fellow patrons may be the real thing.   Improved treatment of brain trauma and broken limbs due to certain super-geniuses with a vested interest in researching how patch up their injured team-mates.  

[massey]

11 hours ago, Clonus said:

 

The design of safety deposit boxes and bank vaults.  They'd have both electronic and mechanical locks to reduce the number of villains who would be able to finesse the locks.  Safety deposit boxes would have recessed doors to make it harder for the superstrong robbers to get  a grip and tear them out or punch in.  Vaults would have rods that extend outward when the door is closed to leave no space in the vault which is large enough to accomodate a human body.  

 

I disagree on this.  Banks are insured.  Supervillains who rob bank vaults would be rare enough that it isn't worth the cost to prepare against them.  How many teleporters are really jumping inside bank vaults?