"You're new here right? let me introduce you to the clics in the cafeteria. You have the pyro clic, the flight clic,and the group that can control the ground.
Superhero Politics
- Thread starter RobertScorpio
- Start date
"You're new here right? let me introduce you to the clics in the cafeteria. You have the pyro clic, the flight clic,and the group that can control the ground.
I bolded the part of your post wherein the superhumans could be portrayed as "the victims." If superpowered beings existed from the beginning of history, or if they became just known to society now and eventually 20-something years down the road, things could be so much different for the rest of humanity. Who's to say the supers would be the ones treated as slaves? For all we know, a new breed of Homo sapiens (or Homo superior, in Marvel terminology) would dominate the planet, outnumbering the ones without powers. Who'd be the real victims in that scenario? Generations of cross-breeding between regular humans and metahumans would result in a world full of powerful beings of varying power levels. Some could decimate an entire city; others would simply have the ability to change the color of their skin at will.
This is why I think it's impossible to fully integrate the world of superheroes and supervillains into our own "real world" without taking into account how their very existence would alter the timeline as well as our ways of life. We would probably possess technology that we don't have now, e.g., faster-than-light space travel, and have cures for AIDS and cancer, and perhaps a different united global socioeconomic system all because of the existence of supers.
EDIT: Then maybe NOT. The world could be thrown into chaos, and civilizations would fall under the control of superpowered tyrants.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Great discussion. Keep it going guys, I find it educational. I can see now why the various "franchises" address this issue...
Rob
Rob
zoom
"What was that?!"
"Oh, the speedster clique. You need to keep one hand on your food at all times."
"Who are those guys in the back?"
"Costumed Athletes....If they have time to prepare, watch out."
"Really?"
"Nah, we just like to humor them."
RobertScorpio
Pariah
"The stoner clic"
"the GAY clic"
"the anti-Gay clic (moral majority"
"the ones who are friends with all clics (ass kissers/future politicans)
Rob
Yeah, supply-and-demand doesn't seem to really apply to superheroics.. "I want twenty million dollars a year." "You want twenty million dollars a year to save the world you live on?" "Well, if you can find someone else who has heat vision and freeze-breath and is willing to be punched in the Goddamn face every month, I would be willing to negotiate for less."
Checkmate
Commodore
You assume "superheroes" would actually be "superheroes" in the real world. In all likelihood they'd be used more in the private sector, the military, and maybe one or two in law enforcement in particularly larger cities. The government and military would be responsible for keeping "villains" in check, not rogue vigilantes out to make an extra buck or two on the side by being a blackmailing villain themselves.
Tons of new laws would come about. Telepathic mind reads wouldn't be admissible in court (a violation of your right to not incriminate yourself). Anyone with a healing ability would still need to go through medical school and obtain a license. etc.
Tons of new laws would come about. Telepathic mind reads wouldn't be admissible in court (a violation of your right to not incriminate yourself). Anyone with a healing ability would still need to go through medical school and obtain a license. etc.
Or else they'd repeal or reword that part of the Constitution in order to take advantage of the telepaths. In the name of greater homeland security, of course.
In that regard, "superbeings," "superhumans," "metahumans," or "specials" would be a more apt term, since having super abilities does not necessarily make one a superhero. Those who wanted to serve the government/military or serve as law-enforcement officers would be regarded as "heroes" in the sense that we respect members of the armed forces and men and women in uniform. Those who'd prefer to work in Hollywood as action stars or in the realm of sports (not sure how that would be fair to normal humans) would be treated as celebrities. Those who would use their superpowers in nefarious ways (the likes of Magneto, Dr. Doom, even Sylar) would be viewed as a threat, which incidentally would necessitate the government to create some task force or organization of superhumans to counter such threats.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
If the SUPERHEROS did a good job, and kept the villains corralled, and helped with matters like terrorism and starving people, do you think the masses would want them to overtly run the world? Would governments like the USA let them without a fight?
Rob
Rob
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Why leave government affairs to the superheroes just because they have superpowers? If fighting crime and villainy is what superbeings do best, then as I mentioned, it would be in the government's best interest to recruit them as part of the military or peacekeeping task force. In any democracy, no one is above the law, and superheroes wouldn't be an exception.
Not always. That's really starting to become a maxim for those NOT in power to take a swipe at any leaders they don't like for whatever petty reason.
And hell, the Incredibles scenario didn't cover one thing: When the heroes were all forced into retirement, why didn't all the supervillains of the world take advantage? I'm pretty sure that after a while of the villains rampaging all over the place the governments would be willing to negotiate a more equal bargain with the heroes that allowed them near-autonomy do they don't become slaves.
Checkmate
Commodore
Absolutely wrong.
If anything, they would recruit them into the military, law enforcement, or more than likely, a government agency dedicated to dealing with those things (and superpowers in general). Sort of like the FBI or CIA.
The one thing they would never have is autonomy or "near-autonomy." Going around destroying cities to "save" them from supervillians is absolutely stupid and the biggest problem with the beilievability of comic book heroes, period.
Except I mean "autonomy" in that they are allowed to exist without being at the Government's beck and call 24/7, or locked up in a lab for the sheer fact that they exist even if they've never harmed anyone or done anything.
As for destroying cities, perhaps the heroes should just sit back and allow the villains to do all that and see if the regular people still hate them unconditionally. You'd think they'd get over minor property damage after the first few times a superhero kept the entire planet from being destroyed. Ungrateful bastards.
As for destroying cities, perhaps the heroes should just sit back and allow the villains to do all that and see if the regular people still hate them unconditionally. You'd think they'd get over minor property damage after the first few times a superhero kept the entire planet from being destroyed. Ungrateful bastards.
This is the Civil War argument all over again. I find it extremely disturbing that anyone thinks private citizens should be "regulated" because of some particular characteristic they possess.
This should be a no-brainer. Instead, so many people today, especially young people, are eager to surrender autonomy and freedom to big brother. I never thought I'd miss the rebelliousness of my generation, but it beats the hell out of this surrender-to-the-state mentality that's taken its place.
This should be a no-brainer. Instead, so many people today, especially young people, are eager to surrender autonomy and freedom to big brother. I never thought I'd miss the rebelliousness of my generation, but it beats the hell out of this surrender-to-the-state mentality that's taken its place.
Checkmate
Commodore
Go build a nuclear bomb and carry it around with you 24/7. See how long you get away doing that.
Same damn difference.
The problem is that law enforcement equates capability with intent. If you have the capability to blow up a city, people must assume you have the intent.
This is an understandable mindset because normal people do not bother to create the capability to do something unless they are seriously considering doing it. Unfortunately for metahumans the capability comes as part of the package whether they intend to use it or not and normal security and law enforcement personnel are trained to assume capability equals intent.
If people with abilities became common in the world then that mindset would have to adjust. People being people, that would take some time. Especially after the first time that someone used their capability with bad intent.
The A bomb analogy is flawed because that is something you choose to do, not something that just is. But it is also valid because people would think that way even though it isn't the same thing.
Overall there is no simple solution to the dilemma. People with powers would use and abuse them just as any other ability humans have ever developed. It would just be harder to monitor and track. That difficulty in identifying metahumans could lead to backlash because there is no way to know if someone could eradicate the block with a thought. Alternatively it could be treated much like a ranked martial artist or boxer. As long the ability is not misused people would not think of it. But if someone used their powers on someone without legal authority they could up for criminal charges.
This is an understandable mindset because normal people do not bother to create the capability to do something unless they are seriously considering doing it. Unfortunately for metahumans the capability comes as part of the package whether they intend to use it or not and normal security and law enforcement personnel are trained to assume capability equals intent.
If people with abilities became common in the world then that mindset would have to adjust. People being people, that would take some time. Especially after the first time that someone used their capability with bad intent.
The A bomb analogy is flawed because that is something you choose to do, not something that just is. But it is also valid because people would think that way even though it isn't the same thing.
Overall there is no simple solution to the dilemma. People with powers would use and abuse them just as any other ability humans have ever developed. It would just be harder to monitor and track. That difficulty in identifying metahumans could lead to backlash because there is no way to know if someone could eradicate the block with a thought. Alternatively it could be treated much like a ranked martial artist or boxer. As long the ability is not misused people would not think of it. But if someone used their powers on someone without legal authority they could up for criminal charges.
Withers
Captain
Through the Cadmus Arc of Justice League I found myself siding with Amanda Waller more and more. There's a scene where Batman actually breaks into her house and demands to know what she and her team are up to at which point she details in no uncertain terms how dangerous the Justice League could potentially be to humanity were they every to go rouge (which, in the DCU, wasn't even kind of unheard of especially after Superman's romp through the world under the control of Dark Seid.)
Green Arrow also makes a point of saying that the Government is supposed to do for people what people can't do for themselves (going so far as to call himself 'an old lefty' which I thought was particularly poignant).
While I can appreciate the idea that no one should be "regulated" or "monitored" based on something that makes them different from the mass majority, when it comes to super powers, there's a major difference between racial profiling and the greater good.
If people with super powers suddenly showed up I'd want some sort of check- I'd want to know that there were a way the general population was being kept safe in the event they turned out not to be angels. Wonder Woman says at the end of the series "Trust but verify" when referring to teaming up with the villains to take on Dark Seid's armies. That's how I'd view a super powered population.
My bigger fear, however, would be if the super powered didn't announce themselves.
-Withers-
Green Arrow also makes a point of saying that the Government is supposed to do for people what people can't do for themselves (going so far as to call himself 'an old lefty' which I thought was particularly poignant).
While I can appreciate the idea that no one should be "regulated" or "monitored" based on something that makes them different from the mass majority, when it comes to super powers, there's a major difference between racial profiling and the greater good.
If people with super powers suddenly showed up I'd want some sort of check- I'd want to know that there were a way the general population was being kept safe in the event they turned out not to be angels. Wonder Woman says at the end of the series "Trust but verify" when referring to teaming up with the villains to take on Dark Seid's armies. That's how I'd view a super powered population.
My bigger fear, however, would be if the super powered didn't announce themselves.
-Withers-
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