Differently-Powered Individual: Difference between revisions
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* The [[Marvel Universe]] takes care to distinguish between "[[Mutants]]" (people who develop superpowers through an inherited trait) and "superhumans" (people who gain powers due to exposure of foreign elements), mainly because of the [[Fantastic Racism]] against the former (the pejorative term "[[Fantastic Slur|mutie]]" is quite popular among anti-mutant bigots). "Mutates" can be mistaken for either group (and many supplemental sources outside of the actual comics [[Did Not Do the Research|think superhumans are called mutates]]) but they're former humans [[Lego Genetics|genetically enhanced]] with superpowers by a villain with [[Mad Scientist]] credentials, such as the [http://marvel.wikia.com/Savage_Land_Mutates_%28Earth-616%29 Savage Land Mutates].
** Ironically, many superhumans are still mistaken for mutants, with [[Spider-Man (Comic Book)|Spider-Man]] at the top of the list.
** Mutants can further be broken down into Alpha, Beta and Omega, in reference to how well they can control their power: Alphas are able to turn theirs on or off at will, like Jubilee, Shadowcat or Colossus; while Betas' powers are always active, like Wolverine, Cyclops, or Rogue. Omegas are rare (by which we mean 90% of the main cast are listed as such at one point or another) and are basically some of the most powerful beings in the
** [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in [[Peter David]]'s ''[[X-Factor]]'' run. Strong Guy gets angry at the media's use of "mutant" as a pejorative buzzword, and says they prefer being called "Genetically Challenged, or GeeCees for short." He later tells Havok he did it to divert the reporters' attention, but much to Havok's dismay, the term stuck (at least, during David's run on the book.)
** "Costume" is sometimes used as a noun to refer to people who dress up in spandex and fight or cause crime, regardless of whether they have powers or not.
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* In ''[[Watchmen]]'', they are referred to as "costume heroes", "masked avengers" or "masks", which is appropriate, as most [[Badass Normal|don't have superpowers]].
* In ''[[The New Universe]]'', "paranormals" is the common term.
* [[Warren Ellis]] is fond of the term "underwear perverts". This extends to all [[
* In [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]], before the word "superhero" even existed, costumed adventurers both powered and [[Badass Normal]] were sometimes, on the rare occasions they were called any collective term, referred to as "mystery men". This is a common term in Golden Age throwback series, and the source of the title of ''[[Mystery Men]]''. It's far more common now in [[Retcon]] references to that time than it ever was in the actual Golden Age comics, due to the modern prevalence of the [[The Verse|shared universe]] concept, as opposed to the mostly isolated solo adventures common to the period.
* ''[[The End League]]'' calls people with powers "magnificents".
* The ''Next Men'' were called, well, Next Men. Those "triggered" into mutation — by [[Deus Sex Machina|having sex with Next Men]], or [[Superpowerful Genetics|being descended from those who did]] — were called Halflings in the future prequel/sequel ''2112''.
* In the universe of Paul Dini's ''Madame Mirage'', all enhanced humans, [[Mad Scientist
* [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[Miracleman]]'' used "Parahuman".
* [[Valiant Comics]]' blanket term was "Harbingers", a term coined by [[Villain with Good Publicity]] [[Knight Templar|Toyo Harada]] as part of his [[Evolutionary Levels|new humanity]] philosophy.
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* The use of the name ''Homo Superior'' goes back at least to the 1930 story "Odd John" by Olaf Stapledon. It's been used everywhere from pulp sci-fi to [[Marvel Comics]] to [[The Tomorrow People]] to refer to superhumans as the "[[Evolutionary Levels|next stage of evolution]]".
* The term Esper (from ESP User) was once used fairly frequently in science fiction to denote someone with [[Psychic Powers]]. Such authors as Alfred Bester, [[Isaac Asimov]], [[Robert A. Heinlein]] and Christopher Stasheff have used it in this context. Not to mention those cheerful children in ''[[Akira]]''.
** In ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'', however, due to [[Lost in Translation|loose translation]] in the English-language version of the game, "Esper" refers to the [[Functional Magic|magic]]-wielding [[
* The ''Temps'' shared world of tongue-in-cheek British superheroics used "paranorm". As well as the accepted and standard term, however, it was ''also'' a slur used by [[All of the Other Reindeer]]. The powered individuals themselves preferred "Talented".
* The [[Anne McCaffrey]] ''Rowan'' novel series, and its prequels, the ''Pegasus'' trilogy, used "Talents" for all those born with [[Psychic Powers]], the first story in that Verse having been written in 1959.
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* On ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', all supernatural beings are collectively referred to as [[Our Demons Are Different|demons]] regardless of their moral stance. The [[Government Conspiracy|Initiative]] coins the term "hostile sub-t" (for sub-terrestrial), probably because it would not go over well having to tell the Congressional budgetary comittee that they need money to fight "demons"...
** Season 4 also made it clear that the Initiative did not believe in magic or the supernatural, and thus [[Not Using the Z Word|the term "demon" was disregarded for something more scientific]].
* The Showa [[Kamen Rider
* In ''[[Firefly]]'', psychics are informally referred to as "readers." While the term is only used once in the series itself, its apparently common enough that when Mal says he thinks River is a reader, Zoe immediately responds with "Psychic?"
* ''[[Mutant X]]'' uses the slightly strange term "New Mutants". No mention is ever made of "Old Mutants". Maybe it's to distinguish their differences from ''[[Mutants|actual mutations]]''.
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== Tabletop Games ==
* The [[Tabletop RPG]] ''Aberrant'' uses "novas" (a general pop culture term for superhumans) and "aberrants" [[Fantastic Racism|(the superhuman equivalent of the N word)]].
** The powered beings of the ''Adventure!'' game (set decades earlier, when a lesser version of the ''Aberrant'' [[Meta Origin]] kick-starts a [[Golden Age]]) are "stalwarts" or "daredevils". (Daredevils are either [[Badass Normal
** Non-Aberrant [[Psychic Powers|Psychics]] have a separate terminology: they're called "mesmerists" in ''Adventure!'', "psychs" in ''Aberrant'' and "psions" in the future setting of ''Trinity''.
* The superhero RPG ''Brave New World'' uses the term "deltas" to refer to heroes, as delta represents the process of change in scientific formulae. Particularly powerful "[[Evolutionary Levels|evolved]]" delta heroes are called "alphas".
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* [http://artificecomics.com/ Artifice Comics] uses "Post Moderns".
* ''[[Troper Works/Bloody Urban|Bloody Urban]]'' uses "Paranormals" as a broad term which includes all manner of supernatural characters, and "Indigos" as a term for humans born with [[Psychic Powers]]. (These people have indigo auras, hence the name.)
* In [[Super Stories]], the narrator Veldron refers to such people as superhumans, but this may not be
* Ps238 features metahumans.
* In the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'', the official, scientific term for superhumans is "meta-powered humans". But outside of the scientific journals, you'll generally never encounter the term. Most people just call them "supers".
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