IKAG World Setup

The beginning...

The American-Soviet space race inadvertently brings various alien elements from the atmosphere of outer space onto our planet. Beyond the research capabilities of the world's best scientists, these elements react and change with the planet's climate. They have no visible effect on the people they infect, but their children grow up with unexplainable abilities and mutations. These abilities are minor but enough to cause panic and excitement amongst the masses. "Superheroes" arise, some answer to the government of their country/state as glorified PR spokesmen, some are convinced to use their powers as endless sources of labour, other heroes attempt to enforce their own law instead, either through vigilante activity or seceding from their government. The 'disloyal' heroes are painted as villains through history revisionism.

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Robotics technology is prioritised by the governing parties as another form of cheap labour, more ethical than keeping certain superheroes working  overtime on glorified hamster wheels. Scientists attempt to convince officials of the boons of funding augmentation - keeping workers employed for good PR, cutting down projected unemployment rates, etc. These attempts fall on deaf ears until (a) the surgical costs for augment implentation are cut drastically enough to not affect the senators' annual profit and greatly compound the government debt, and (b) several conglomerates with money to burn (and the need to improve their public image) use this chance to push for the research funding themselves. Their goal is to promote augmentation as a countermeasure against 'rogue' superheroes and as a new fashion - superficially-stylish augments made from cheap parts to appeal to the aristocratic market, with bulky and functionally-sound augments for the military, the working class and the medical industry. The fashion plan falls through because of product failure, the projected costs required for functioning technology being several times larger than the final budget. More money is taken from other sectors and pumped into the military to cover the costs of replacing the failing augments of commanders, generals, and eventually even soldiers. However augments do gain some stronghold in the public eye as a resistance against the superhero, stirring further contempt between the working and upper classes.

The foreign bodies that gave rise to the mutated human populace and to the boon of robotic research, now have a third influence in the scientific field - infecting various animals through their systems, and infecting scientists the world over through their imagination. Several pioneers in the industry, most of whom are less-than-ethical, conduct experiments in cross-breeding mutated animals, attempting to recreate mutated animals, and attempting to create new sentient beings from wholecloth - be it through organic material, machinery, or some combination of the two.

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In the wild west of the early adoption of augmentation, another problem arises - lack of regulation. Black market augments. Lack of information on how long to use the augments, as some workers keep them 'on' for long hours and break their bodies beyond repair. A government watchdog is formed. New regulations on how often augments should be used, safety guides, instructional manuals to prevent overwork, knowing the signs of when to stop. As well, some workers are physically capable but simply have poor results with augmentation - lobbying for testing of labour/military/medical workers to ascertain their compatibility, lobbying for clarification of different types of augments. Eventually categorised into two groups, body-enhancing and medical. Medical soon split into sub groups, recovery and disability. A letter grade introduced for workers, going from A to F with X for untested - a C grade for the person who receives an average amount of output from the augment compared to the input (stamina or blood); a higher grade for a larger amount of output, requiring less input; a lower grade for a larger amount of input required, at some point making wearing the augment dangerous (the amount of effort the person needs to attain C-grade results alone results in enormous bodily damage, making the augment simply not worthwhile).

Augmentation becomes slightly more feasible - technology stronger, prices cheaper. More people can afford it, more people need information about safely using them, letter grading made mandatory for citizens. Adverts on TV encouraging people to get a compatibility test, take regular check-ups.

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The majority of 'superpowers' that form in the first couple generations are minor. Commerce adapts to the new trends - multi-fingered gloves, people selling different shoes for different builds of feet, bodysuits for people who can slightly shapeshift into water. Superpowers mostly useless for military purposes, though the anomalies (those with very strong/useful abilities) are sometimes sent on military tours as a promotional gig.

A disquieting trend begins to show itself as the years pass - children being stronger than their parents; children receiving fusions of their parents' powers. Some abilities that weren't present prior begin to show, such as mind-control. Some abilities begin evolving counter-measures (babies born with super-speed and thicker skin, outer layer of the eye; babies born with super strength and muscle density/friction-resistance, etc). Powers formed during the pregnancy process result in babies wrestling with multiple limbs, low-level pyrokinesis, super-strength, etc. More measures taken to ensure the safety of pregnant women. Some babies go through a process where they are 'frozen' if discovered to be developing powers, removed from the mother and raised in an artificial womb. Even then children aren't safe from accidents. One child is discovered to have the power of the mythical 'golden touch' (or at least, his skin has a trace element that forcibly converts other chemicals into zinc), but this only comes about after neighbours and the police discover what's left of his house and parents. To put it simply, we start to see superheroes coming closer to the caliber of the Superman.

Superheroes suffering from mental illness or dementia become a problem, one that the governments give lipservice to but still pay more mind to the health of human senators and politicians. Hero unions are formed to demand and fund better childcare and end-of-life treatment. However the situation doesn't drastically change until an outspoken anti-super senator is discovered to be attending meetings with capes. Following further investigations into closeted politicians, the government throws them under the bus and announces greater measures taken to ensure the health of their public servants is in good hands. Superheroes are alternately respected, feared and pitied. Attempts to regulate them are argued for and against, lobbied into inaction.

Several new creatures are made public to the world - including mucusoidal specimens, mostly harmless slime creatures - through their escape and re-capture. The most interesting (and least volatile) ones capture the hearts of children everywhere, but it is the aforementioned 'mostly harmless' species that are considered for zoological containment and legal display first.

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Generations of people growing up using augments or having super-abilities, results in babies born with an outstanding compatibility rate. The letter grade is amended to start with S and continue from A down to F, with U for untested. A rare number of children are born with next-to-zero compatibility; this phenomenon is not officially recognised with a new grade but some workplaces use the letter F- or G.
A female owner of a small fashion business finds her fortunes change when her employees begin to make several ground-breaking discoveries in augmentation-fitted clothing, allowing for a grander variety of stylish and helpful fashionwear. These discoveries culminate in the first "invasion-free augment" that doesn't require parts to be fitted inside the wearer whatsoever; instead the clothing can influence the body's muscles, brain waves and adrenaline levels. The businesswoman climbs the social ladder, seducing and networking with the heads of various corporations in order to pioneer new technology and avoid losing control of her business. After several years the newly nicknamed "Queen Mother" is the head of a titanic conglomerate.

Plumbing, construction, office jobs etc that are augmented are now commonplace.

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The US is engaged in several small-scale wars overseas. The government's public image isn't strong enough to withstand a super-child conscription program, but they decide it needs more loyal lapdogs. Pressure is put on schools to expand the curriculum covering the hero 'industry' to bring in more impressionable and talented youth - students are encouraged to become stronger and more proficient in major sports and activities beneficial to, or inducive to combat; recreational activities lose more financial footing as a result. Superpowered citizens are encouraged to raise families to produce stronger children for their country. (Segregation encouraged and marketed to families and bachelors, viciously fought back against.) Regular citizens with strong compatibility are encouraged to become stronger and smarter to earn the 'privilege' of wearing augments. The power-gap between normal and non-normal citizens grows, but the gap between capes and augs isn't closing any faster.

Queen Mother uses several smaller businesses to buy and demolish schools in Placeopolis City, ranging from elementary to high school. The quality staff and resources from the demolished high schools are assimilated into the one left standing, Placeopolis High School - one of the leading institutes in the country for churning out quality undergraduates. The city's single university, Placeopolis College, is also brought under Queen Mother's control. These institutes soon find their priorities changing from 'basic education and superhero training' to 'glorified augmentation workshops'. Thousands of citizens protest and Queen Mother quickly relents, more for the PR than for ethical reasons. The government's capacity to force Queen Mother to step down is diminished due to having their hands full; the government's desire for Placeopolis High to produce greater numbers of capes, or pseudo-capes, is undermined by Queen Mother's desire to use the students as glorified interns who grow up to work for businesses she has a stake in. The free land is used to construct new buildings for businesses and the city slowly expands, bringing in more people than before.

Queen Mother's adopted child, Princess Daughter, soon begins attending Placeopolis High; the media quickly nicknames it the Princess Daughter Academy.

>The story should have a predominantly comedic/slice-of-life theme undermined by the black comedy in the background.