I need a catch-all term to refer to people who have superheroes in my story. Kind of like how in The Incredibles they're Supers, or in Reckoners they're Epics. Right now the best idea I have is "Awakened", as in they've awakened to their powers, but I don't really like that. I could also use Altered, Tainted (for a more negative vibe), Affected, Ascended. Maybe something more mysterious, like Remade, or Reformed. What do you guys think?
Mutant? Gifted - if the ability is a positive Cursed - if the ability is a negative Alpha? Zero? Re-born - like pre-powers and then post-powers Lowers - no abilities Higher - abilities *I think George RR Martin's wild card series had people with + traits called "Aces" and the - traits were "Jokers." Double check though .I could be wrong. Etc, etc. How many people get powers? Like does everyone eventually get a gift? Or is it just people who have specific DNA?
They aren't sure themselves. About a decade ago a giant space monster appeared in the sky and tried to destroy the world, but the world managed to cooperate long enough to launch enough nukes at once to kill it. Now its corpse is just floating out there in our atmosphere, and people are randomly finding out they have superpowers. They know it has something to do with the monster, but they have no idea what.
Gifted is what they're called in the Marvel Netflix world, or sometimes people will say (usually in a mix of fear and disgust) "You're one of Them, aren't you?" Or maybe something to do with all the nuclear fallout? Or a combination of both?
Maybe it doesn't have to be an existing "real" word? Perhaps you could create one just for this purpose...
You could suffix or prefix and change human with something e.g. Quasi-Human - Quasi', Quasims, - like but not like humans Ultima and primate - Ultimates - Highest form of sentience Exohuman - or "Exos" meaning outside of humanity Potenhuman - "Potons" meaning powerful humans.
Cool about the Marvel Netflix world. Haven't seen a lot - one show of "The Punisher" and maybe 6 of "Iron Fist" before I dropped Netflix - no time. I did find a box set of "Jessica Jones" on DVD but I don't remember seeing "gifted" in the shows. Did Marvel Comics copyright "gifted" in this context in which case the original poster can't use it - unless they want to pay Marvel - or is it still public domain and anyone can use it?
Please, please, PLEASE call them the Touched. The jokes alone about them all being touched in the head, or them being sexually promiscuous would be worth it alone Although I'm not knocking Nao's creativity. My mind leaped to the idea of playing on the word humans. They're higher beings, "So add High to human," I thought. I said Hymen out loud and realized I was back to square one.
That actually would fit right in with the Marvel Netflix shows in a way, because if you pay attention, all the Gifted got their powers as a result of childhood abuse. Not sexual though—physical or emotional abuse, such as experimentation in shady institutes, or sometimes bad parenting. They all deal with various types/levels of PTSD and its symptoms such as Jessica Jones' alcoholism and hard-ass attitude to keep everybody at arm's length. I 'Marvel' at how psychologically rich those shows are (some more than others)—in psychological development they outshine the bigger and showier movies. If you look up cinema-nalysis @ Blogspot I did a little write-up about these themes in Jessica Jones.
Lol, and if you have an organization in charge of policing them, you can call them : Human Irregularity Registration Ordinance Enforcer or HIROE, so it would be a world where even HIROE's need to make frequent stops.......
Ok, I tracked down "The Gifted" and I've seen the entire 1st season. The female actress that plays Lauren von Strucker, her power/gift is to create a shield of solid air....I think.... What I noticed the most is that even though Lauren is supposed to be on the run and a fugitive from the law, she always has time to do her hair, nails and make-up. Not too realistic unless her power/gift is to look like a supermodel. There's also "homo sapiens" for regular people and "homo superior" for people with powers. Now.....write the story and publish it so I can buy it and read it. I am soooo curious now...
I've decided to go with "Shadowcursed." Long story short, people with powers are marked by having a second shadow that points towards an alien moon that entered earth's atmosphere.
