Role of heroes in the world today

History:

Superhumans are a relatively new incursion on the human race. Also termed as Superbeings, or Supers (or Supes) as slang, they did not become prominent until WW2. Some incarnations of low powered superhumans did appear in the early 1900’s. Sadly many were bent on crime, but a few were heroes and quickly became figures of pulp action radio programs and novels. It was not until WW2 did true superbeings come about.

The Nazi party was determined to provide Hitler with true Ubermensch for the Reich. Two facets of Project Ubermenschen were undertaken. One was a relatively unsuccessful (known to the public) attempt at using the occult. The other was through extreme human experimentation and science to create Nazi superbeings. The latter was a more successful and in the early part of WW2 advanced Germany’s blitzkrieg to nearly ending the war in victory within the second year. Things turned around however when the Allies were able to field their own superhumans to counter the Nazi threat. These efforts were accelerated with technology developed by the allies (and some through effective espionage and defecting scientists) during this time to finally win the war in Europe, and 6 months later in Japan, ending the war in 1945.

The result of World War II weighed heavily for the world public after the reality of the horrible atrocities that came about from Germany and Japan on civilians, and with the loss of civilians from both Allied and Axis nations by the hands of military superhumans. The result was the Non-Aggression Superhuman Pact (NASP). Drawn up by the United Nations in 1949, NASP was created shortly after WW2 in the advent of the nuclear age and the beginnings of the cold war.

After the Holocaust and Nazi war crime trials, the Allied nations recognized that superbeings could easily become agents for governments acting seemingly in a patriot fashion, but in reality committing horrible crimes against humanity. Additionally, further tensions with Russia and the United States and their blossoming nuclear arsenal also placed urgency in deciding the role, if any, superhumans would have in future conflict. Threatened with the combined force of several superbeings, the probability of a nuclear response was becoming less remote. NASP was quickly drawn up as an agreement on the following points:

  • No nation's military could enlist superhumans.
  • No superhumans could engage in an act of war unless the sovereignty of their nation was directly threatened.
  • No superhumans could be employed by a nation's government to be an agent for espionage, terrorism, or serve as a tool for military aggression.

Over the years strict adherence to this pact has been hardly implemented by many nations and continual research in superbeings is commonplace for almost every country. Still the idea of overtly using a superbeing as an enlisted member of a standing army has been avoided throughout many conflicts in the past century. Quietly however, several nations have utilized many superhumans for espionage and covert military operations. Although such operations are publicly denied, there have been some reports of such activity, especially during the Cold War. Currently several nations quietly provide government ‘grants’ to support several superhumans and in some cases even supergroups.

There have been some nations that have pushed for forming a group of superbeings to work as agents of the United Nations. This idea in particular has gained support with many smaller developing countries, where conflicts are no longer ones of a traditional sense with uniformed armies, but rather, conflicts with guerrilla forces and armed militias. The use of superbeings to supplement UN actions in these theaters has slowly been gaining more worldwide support. Due to this change in public opinion on government-based superhumans, in 1997 the formation of UN Shield was announced.

Currently in the world, superhumans are becoming more commonly seen. Their effectiveness of their powers are wildly varied but most are of relatively low grade, and few are true beings of super-abilities. Sadly, many turn to a life of crime and this activity is bolstered by several large criminal organizations that employ superhumans in their ranks. But fortunately many also heed the call in using their powers for good and helping their fellow man. Publicly known superbeings are classified using a uniform basis of measuring super-abilities. A broad classification system is determined by the Mansfield Power Archetype Classification System, and individual powers are detailed by Strauss-Heinz Power Classification System.

Roles of Heroes in the World Today:

Because of NASP most heroes involved with government work are considered state secrets and not publicly known. Heroes that work outside the role of the government are viewed by nation’s leaders with great suspicion (even if they publicly support such heroes). Unfortunately, the resources of any nation to counter superhumans and, more commonly, supervillain organizations are limited. Nearly every nation has a branch of enhanced-powered soldiers and equipment to fend off such threats, but the costs for maintaining such a large force is prohibitive. Additionally, there are more threats to the public than what law enforcement and the national government are able to handle. Because of this, superheroes are seen as a useful means to counter criminal actions taken by superbeings.

This point is important in how law enforcement views heroes. While they typically are appreciative of a hero’s efforts, they also feel that they're vigilantes. Some law enforcement agencies will have outright hostility to heroes using their abilities to fight normal criminals. They feel that heroes should be tackling villains and groups that law enforcement are not able to handle easily. It is not uncommon for peace officers to grudgingly thank heroes for stopping a bank robbery, but at the same time scold the same heroes for not letting trained law enforcement personnel handle the matter. After all, those heroes should be stopping falling bridges and fighting off some monster from the ocean depths, rather than rustling up some hoods the cops could handle themselves.

As superhumans are more common, and the abilities of such superbeings vary, they are viewed by the public with some adoration. However, only a few groups really get all the good press and real fame. Many are seen as having ‘lackluster’ powers compared to incredibly powerful heroes. Also, some heroes are secretly supported by the federal government, and enjoy a tremendous boost to their PR. Some have endorsements from private companies and are subjects of ad campaigns (which is typically a front for government funding). Most heroes however might get, at best, the key to the city and a handshake from the mayor.

There have been more recent efforts from nations to find out the true incidence, and identities, of superbeings among the world's population. Just about all human enterprises and endeavors have adopted restrictions on the participation of superbeings with normal humans. You won’t find superhumans in the NBA. And some heroes with certain Strauss-Heinz Power classifications are discouraged from particular types of employment (it is highly unethical for a known telepath to be active in the stock market or running a financial lending company). While on one hand people are genuinely appreciative of the risks heroes take and help they provide, many also worry about unfair advantages superhumans have against humans, and are wary of what roles they might play in society beyond the capacity of simply being a hero.