Concepts

Essence

Essence is an incredibly debated concept, despite the undeniable proof of its existence. Essence appears to be roughly equivalent to the soul or lifeforce of a human being, which is somehow a part of the body despite no discernible proof that it is there. However, it is generally assumed that, without Essence, humans—or all living creatures, as it is assumed that this is what gives life—would die.

Essence’s existence is proven by the fact that Quintessence Elementals can manipulate it for their powers, being made tangible until it is expended. Essence can be taken from an organism, with the result of the being in question being weakened until their Essence can regenerate—which it inevitably does. The only time Essence won’t regenerate is when it’s removed in fatal quantities: without a certain amount of Essence, organisms will die.

Not much else is known about Essence. While nobody can say for sure what Essence is exactly and where it rests in a body, the great majority of people believe that it exists.

Gangs

Gangs, in the universe of JP, refer not only to normal gangs, but also to specialized Superhuman gangs. The most famous of these is the Outcasts, which was founded in Port Jupiter and has since branched out to other US cities.

The Outcasts were started in 1957 by a Fighter named Louis Fletcher, who was responding to the unjust conditions to which Superhumans were subjected. The Superhuman population of Port Jupiter was crammed into the slums of Lowtown, an island segregated from the rest of the city. They shared the space with the poorest Human families, who did not take well to having to live in the same area as Superhumans. Fletcher created the Outcasts in order to create a Superhuman safety network in Lowtown, to protect their own from harm, though Fletcher’s secondary motivation was to use the gang to fight back against the Humans that had for so long oppressed them. Unsurprisingly, many Superhumans—not all, and those who had no choice but to let it happen—in Lowtown answered Fletcher’s call. After the Outcasts took over Lowtown, their focus shifted completely towards revenge against the Human society that scorned them, and they turned their attentions outward towards the rest of the city. Their attempts were limited by Port Jupiter’s superhero, The Atomic Man, as well as stirrup by other up-and-coming gangs in Lowtown, but after his disappearance the gang finally made their impact, attacking and killing many people in Cora Park on afternoon in December.

The Outcasts eventually spread their message to the rest of the country, most prominently in New York and San Diego, to the horror of US citizens. The San Diego Outcasts were founded and are still led by Damien Voss, though there was a period from 1977 to 1981 when the SDO was weakened thanks to the efforts of SDPD Detective Jonathan Fairfax and the superhero Ondine. The SDO made a comeback after Detective Fairfax’s murder in December of 1981, though have been somewhat weaker in the ensuing years due to an improved police response to gang threats. The New York Outcasts were led by Gary Mueller, who was arrested in 1983 by the superhero Mercury and sentenced to life in jail. Mueller remains in jail, where it is assumed that he continues to lead the NYO, though the gang’s official leader is currently Karina Little. There are also other large branches of the Outcasts in Chicago, Houston, St. Louis, and Boston, and smaller ones in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas.

The Outcasts gang is not the only operating gang in the United States, and they do clash with other gangs, be they Human-only gangs or mixed. But the Outcasts have the distinction of being the first major Superhuman organization, which created a reign of fear in the then-largely anti-Superhuman country. Though they did so in an unethical way, they set the stage for what would eventually be the abolishment of Superhuman discrimination laws in 1996.

Heroes and Villains

In the 1950s, when superhumans began using their powers for good or ill, the terms “superheroes” and “supervillains” were coined, which were both later shortened to “Heroes” and “Villains” in modern times. Both terms seem to be reserved for more established Heroes and Villains, and are viewed within the superhuman community as a sign of public recognition—after all, the average superhuman, no matter how kind, will never be referred to as a Hero, and superpowered gang members aren’t considered Villains.

The general public favors, for obvious reasons, those that are labeled “Heroes”—in fact, since the 1970s, there has been a fascination with superheroes to the point of some idol worship. Such Heroes tend to be viewed much more positively than the average superhuman, and certainly more than their adversaries, the Villains.

Humans

Human (with a capital H) describes any human being without powers or magical abilities, or non-Superhumans. Humans as a concept became distinct when Superhumans became more widely acknowledged and accepted in the 19th century.

Superhumans are differentiated from Humans due to the manifestation of special abilities—Humans have no unique abilities beyond those normally present in the average person. However, it is believed that Humans might still be able to carry some kind of superpowered predisposition, as some Superhuman children have been born to Human parents. How this works is still unknown, though some scientists are attempting to pinpoint what it is in the genetic material that differentiates both groups.

Historically, Humans have oppressed Superhumans, passing laws to prevent them from living as equal citizens. Over the years, as more Superhuman Rights groups sprang into action, complete intolerance started to fall out of fashion, with people committing acts of violence and more people expressing disgust at the conditions of Superhuman existence. The movement grew until the government finally repealed all anti-Superhuman laws in 1996, and since then, the dynamic between both groups has changed. Even before the repeal, many Humans maintained friendships and even romantic relationships with Superhumans, and this trend has only continued afterward. The disgust that most people felt towards the way Superhumans were being treated evolved to grudging tolerance, and eventually, in many cases, complete acceptance.

However, animosity between both groups persists. Some Humans, usually more radical though this is not always the case, continue to view Superhumans as lesser beings and are resentful of the 1996 repeal. There are also plenty of Superhumans, usually lower class and unable to hide their abilities, who detest Humans and try to avoid them as much as possible. There’s also a certain amount of intolerance that exists even amongst Humans who claim to be open-minded, who react negatively to finding out that a friend, neighbor, or even family member actually had Superhuman abilities. There have also been many unfortunate instances of Humans killing their newborns if they suspect that the child might be Superhuman.

Today, most US citizens are accepting of Superhumans—not always fully tolerant, but willing to keep their minds open. Though there are still naysayers with powerful voices, this trend of acceptance is expected to continue.

Superhumans

see Superhumans