Super-Powered Individuals and the Law
The appearance of super powers among the population spurred some hasty, knee jerk legislative efforts that enforced astonishingly severe penalties for citizens of most countries even showing that they had super powers. These were turned into mandatory life sentences if the powers were used to commit a crime or otherwise disturb the population. Then Doc showed up at Congress and a long drawn out discussion during a closed door session of Congress occurred and the law was rapidly changed to reflect a shared consensus.
The current laws are written to reflect the lack of control that most newly empowered people have. Using super powers in public (so long as they aren’t used in the commission of a crime/or to endanger the public) is not a crime, and so long as the super powered individual is under the age of 18, the UME will pay for any damages caused. In the event of injuries, the UME takes responsibility for medical bills and the individual is required to take mandatory classes on the use of powers and a variety of other classes as an alternative to juvenile detention. The UME offers certification for individuals wishing to use their powers in a variety of commercial and industrial applications and their Metahuman Affairs division is the public face of the super powered community.
Adults who use their powers in the commission of a crime are evaluated on a case by case basis and there are legal experts who are on hand to provide advice to the court who are also experts in super powers. Hardened criminals with super powers are often imprisoned in the Acheron Detention Facility for the duration of their sentences. The UN convened a special agency to handle the prosecution and apprehension of super powered criminals, in the US, it’s the Bureau of Metahumanity. Fully credentialed federal agents with super powers work hand in hand with their non-powered counterparts to help enforce the laws that are designed to keep everyone safe.
Every military on earth actively recruits super powered individuals to serve in combat zones, and depending on the powers of the person, they can write their own tickets to whatever MOS or career they want. The US government (through the Metahumans in Combat or Super Patriots Act) gives full authorization and use of super powers in the field and shields any individual with super powers from ever being prosecuted for things they do in the field. This came up during the court martial of Gauss in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
The UME corporation is the single largest employer of super powered individuals in the world. As part of the responsibility it took for the creation of super powered individuals in society. Doc offered employment and security for any metahuman who wanted to work for it. Metahuman Affairs offers a variety of career paths and training for individuals pursuing occupations in security, skilled trades, science, and medicine. They also offer extensive training for anyone wishing to pursue a career in either the military or the widely lauded field of Super Hero.
Super powers and the individuals with them are in many ways the new celebrity. There are communities that follow the supers in their cities,states, and countries. These range from supportive fan club to creepy stalker groups and fit in everywhere in between. Metahuman athletes have their own sports leagues and Olympics. Metahumans are often invited to local events and have more access to the rest of the world than people without superpowers.
Every military on earth actively recruits super powered individuals to serve in combat zones, and depending on the powers of the person, they can write their own tickets to whatever MOS or career they want. The US government (through the Metahumans in Combat or Super Patriots Act) gives full authorization and use of super powers in the field and shields any individual with super powers from ever being prosecuted for things they do in the field. This came up during the court martial of Gauss in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Super Powered Individuals and Society
The UME corporation is the single largest employer of super powered individuals in the world. As part of the responsibility it took for the creation of super powered individuals in society. Doc offered employment and security for any metahuman who wanted to work for it. Metahuman Affairs offers a variety of career paths and training for individuals pursuing occupations in security, skilled trades, science, and medicine. They also offer extensive training for anyone wishing to pursue a career in either the military or the widely lauded field of Super Hero.
Super powers and the individuals with them are in many ways the new celebrity. There are communities that follow the supers in their cities,states, and countries. These range from supportive fan club to creepy stalker groups and fit in everywhere in between. Metahuman athletes have their own sports leagues and Olympics. Metahumans are often invited to local events and have more access to the rest of the world than people without superpowers.
There is an undercurrent of resentment towards Metahumans in most societies around the world. There are dozens of factors that help shape this animosity and it varies by region. In the Americas, most of the resentment is towards the wealth rebalancing that Doc has created with an industrial revolution. For the first time in at least a generation, the middle class is rapidly expanding, and the lower classes are shrinking at improbable rates. Traditional oil and natural gas jobs have gone overseas with the improbably low costs of solar energy production, forcing the automobile industry to rush to catch up. This has destroyed several companies along the way, but have been a net gain in the job markets as new competitors step in.
The fact that the harbinger of this change is an alien with the ability to take over minds is a major factor in the hostility. Doc may be a smiling face, but there are people who don’t trust his motivations. Doc doesn’t speak on the topic, but it’s proponents point out that the existence of a resistance movement against the alien as proof that the alien is not actively controlling the population.
Some metahumans find local groups of super powered individuals to spend their free time. These social clubs are often the hardest places to find in a city and are often by invitation only. What they do behind those closed (and possibly sealed) doors is a mystery to anyone who isn’t a member, but the gossip ranges from a modern day bacchanalia to a group of madmen plotting the destruction of the world. There is currently a standing job offer (with a huge bonus) to any non powered journalist who can get into one of these social club meetings and report on what’s going on.
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