History Roleplay / PowerAcademy

* CityOfAdventure: [=NPC=]s, [[ShopKeeper shops]] and sidequests aplenty.

* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Anywhere from 1 to 3 DependingOnTheWriter.

* AcademyOfAdventure

* BoardingSchool

* ExtranormalInstitute
* HeroesRUs

* SuperheroSchool

* OldDarkHouse: Again, the Normco mansion.

* GoodGuyBar: The Ghost Pirate and Rockstar Bar.

* HubCity: One of two.
* SceneryGorn: The decaying Old Paranorm.

* FanserviceWithASmile: The Den of Angels.

* HubCity: The other one.

* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Vilhelm's hideout.

* LovecraftCountry: Willowfield, Val and Isaac's hometown.

* WorldOfBadass

* CastOfSnowflakes

* CerebusRollercoaster

* DeconstructorFleet
** DeconReconSwitch
* FantasyKitchenSink

* UrbanFantasy

* CityOfWeirdos: Less so than Paranorm though.

* CityOfWeirdos: The town is awfully nonchalant about weird things happening, especially considering that it plays host to the Academy.

* BikiniBar / HostClub: The Den of Angels, a high-class [[InsistentTerminology exotic dance and host club]].

Started in August 2011, ''Power Academy'' is a Forumotion roleplay forum (soon to be turned into a graphic novel) centering around the eponymous boarding school for teens with superpowers. A freeform tale of action, adventure, romance, comedy, drama, and tropes. [[{{Troperiffic}} Lots and lots of tropes]]. There's a character page [[Characters/PowerAcademy here]].

[[foldercontrol]]

!!Provides examples of:

[[folder:Setting]]
!Power Academy
* AcademyOfAdventure
* AcademyOfEvil: Played with; the Academy trains both heroes and villains, but is considered neutral ground.
* BoardingSchool
* ElaborateUniversityHigh: The school is fairly impressive where size is concerned, with a large main building, several dorms, and a sizable sports field. The surrounding forest could also be considered part of Power Academy's territory.
* ExtranormalInstitute
* HeroesRUs
* MysteriousTeachersLounge: At the very least, it includes a fridge, soft couches and soothing music. A nice little space for the headmaster to share some private time with one of the nurses.
* NoOSHACompliance: The underground parts of the Academy.
* SceneryGorn: [[spoiler:First, the Academy is shown in a damaged state shortly after Vilhelm's attack. Later, during the endgame, Terminus launches a full-out assault on the Academy; though largely intact by the end, the place is utterly trashed when all is said and done.]]
* SuperheroSchool
* TruceZone: The academy as a whole, intended as neutral ground between heroes and villains. Not that it stops battles from breaking out on the school grounds.
* VirtualTrainingSimulation: The Self-Defense class.
** DeadlyTrainingArea: Alexei puts his best effort to avert this in his simulator grounds, ensuring that none of the students actually die in the middle of a scenario.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The Academy's location is never specified.

!The Forest
* CoolHouse: The long-abandoned Normco mansion, which boasts disused research labs and an ElaborateUndergroundBase.
* GreenHillZone: Especially since it's one of the earliest levels.
* OldDarkHouse: Again, the Normco mansion.

!Paranorm
* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: A couple of the sewer tunnels in Paranorm can be used for shortcuts.
* AfterTheEnd: The town essentially rebuilt itself from the ashes following a zombie outbreak 30 years prior.
* CityOfWeirdos: The town is awfully nonchalant about weird things happening, especially considering that it plays host to the Academy.
* DungeonTown: At one point during the Superhuman Civil War, the town comes under attack by raiders--and they just so happen to attack when the party temporarily visits the town.
* FanserviceWithASmile: The Ghost Pirate and Rockstar Bar, especially considering the students can take part-time jobs there. There is also the Maid Hall, where Dawn gets a job.
* FashionShopFashionShow: Happens when Sam is taken to Gothically Correct, a store that specializes in Gothic apparel.
* GreasySpoon: The aptly-named Fries With That Shake, a no-frills diner.
* GoodGuyBar: The Ghost Pirate and Rockstar Bar.
* HonestJohnsDealership: Flotsam and Jetsam, a small, rickety stand that sells random crafting items.
* HubCity: One of two.
* SceneryGorn: The decaying Old Paranorm.
* ZombieApocalypse: The town was ravaged in a small-scale outbreak 30 years prior, but was rebuilt in time.

!Kragsmark
* BikiniBar / HostClub: The Den of Angels, a high-class [[InsistentTerminology exotic dance and host club]].
* CityOfAdventure: [=NPC=]s, [[ShopKeeper shops]] and sidequests aplenty.
* CityOnTheWater: Half of Kragsmark is situated on an artifical island in the middle of a vast lake, connected to the mainland half via bridges.
* CityOfWeirdos: Less so than Paranorm though.
* TheCityNarrows: The seedier parts of town, in both halves of the city.
* FanserviceWithASmile: The Den of Angels.
* [[FriendlyLocalChinatown Friendly Local Japantown]]: Sakura Gardens, a very Japan-influenced part of town.
* HubCity: The other one.
* WretchedHive: Whereas Paranorm simply has [[LovecraftCountry a lot of weird things happening]], Kragsmark is utterly crime-ridden.

!Elsewhere
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: The ''Indomitable'', Equinox's heavily-armed flying battleship. [[spoiler:Vilhelm's army hijacks it as a mobile base of operations, and he uses it to start bombarding a city as a show of force. Luckily, the heroes stop him in time.]]
* ApocalypseHow: Regional level implied. Alice and her family grew up in a hellish, irradiated wasteland left over from a nuclear war, and Garrett mentions that [[ZombieApocalypse a huge zombie epidemic]] broke out about 30 years prior.
* AliensInCardiff: The city of Hell, Michigan (which in this timeline, rather than a small town, is a long-abandoned city) has become a haven for malevolent demons. [[spoiler:Eris later takes over the city, turning it into...well, Hell on Earth.]]
* BigFancyHouse: Jonathan Knight's mansion, a large and comically opulent estate, serves as a late-game dungeon.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Vilhelm's hideout.
* EldritchLocation: [[spoiler:The Howling Abyss, Terminus' pocket dimension.]]
* EternalEngine: Vilhelm's hideout, a sprawling complex that serves as his main laboratory [[PlayingWithSyringes (or abattoir, depending on who one asks).]] The ''Indomitable'' also counts.
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: Knight Research Headquarters, a tall red-and-black skyscraper in the middle of Kragsmark's mainland.
* LovecraftCountry: Willowfield, Val and Isaac's hometown.
* MirrorWorld: [[spoiler:The Howling Abyss features several areas that mirror locations the party has been to before, only something is very...off about them.]]
* WorldOfBadass
* YearX: Played for laughs. As a RunningGag, the exact year the "present" takes place in is never specified or is obscured in the audience's view.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Characters]]
Tropes for specific characters can be found under the Characters tab.
* ActionGirl and DarkActionGirl: Generally, unless explicitly stated to be otherwise, female characters in this universe can really kick some ass.
* CastOfSnowflakes
* DysfunctionJunction: Nearly everyone has their own set of issues to deal with. However...
** ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted thanks to Magi, the school's psychiatrist.
* EnforcedColdWar: Between the heroic and villainous students, [[ZigZaggedTrope usually.]] A small amount of them [[GoKartingWithBowser intermingle]]; a few even [[DatingCatwoman fall in love.]]
* EveryoneIsBi: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]]. At the very least, there are very few characters who fall into either of the extremes on [[JustForFun/KinseyScaleOfTropes the Kinsey Scale]]. Aside from the multitude of bisexual characters (male and female alike) in the story, there are ones who mainly interact with the opposite sex [[IfItsYouItsOkay but are willing to make exceptions]], as well as sexually fluid characters.
* {{Fanservice}}: Plentiful, and equal-opportunity--the amount of [[MrFanservice male]] and [[MsFanservice female]] fanservice is treated equally. LGBT relationships are also visible in the story as well. However, there are no characters who serve solely as eye candy.
* MoralityKitchenSink: Heroes, anti-heroes, anti-villains, and villains abound.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Story and Themes]]
* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: [[spoiler:During the endgame, Terminus attacks the Academy in a last-ditch attempt to destroy the heroes.]]
* BeachEpisode: The students take a trip to the beach at one point for a day of relaxation (and also some {{Fanservice}})...
** BusmansHoliday: Only to find [[spoiler:some of Vilhelm's operatives salvaging weapons and tech from a jettisoned piece of the]] ''[[spoiler:Indomitable]]'', thus making it another mission.
* CerebusRollercoaster
* ADayInTheLimelight / LowerDeckEpisode: Can happen when rarely-seen or otherwise minor characters come into focus for a while.
* DeepImmersionGaming: Forms the basis for the training grounds and the holoroom.
* DeconstructorFleet
** DeconReconSwitch
* FantasyKitchenSink
* GenreBusting: As the description above would indicate. There are elements of adventure, comedy, romance, drama, contemporary fantasy, science fiction (particularly elements of SteamPunk and PostCyberPunk), and SliceOfLife throughout.
* HardLight: Used in Timmy's holoroom and Alexei's simulator grounds.
* LoveHurts: A running theme throughout the romance arcs is that despite the problems that come with a romantic relationship, [[EarnYourHappyEnding it's generally worth it for those who try to make it work.]]
* LovecraftLite: Considering that [[HumanoidAbomination Jonathan]] is [[spoiler:(along with Terminus)]] one of the main villains.
* NotWearingTights: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with.]] Although Power Academy is firmly established as a school for superheroes and supervillains alike, most (if not all) of its students and staff favor [[CivvieSpandex street clothes]] over costumes ([[PoweredArmor armor,]] [[SpyCatsuit specialized jumpsuits,]] et al aside). Heroes with trappings like costumes are not unheard of, though.
** NotUsingTheZWord: Codenames are mostly nonexistent (or at the very least scoffed at). Even the terms "superhero" and "supervillain" are rarely used, [[FantasticSlur and some even consider them derogatory.]]
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: At least two varieties: the [[HumanoidAbomination Creators]] (such as Jonathan and to a lesser extent Bethany), and the [[EldritchAbomination Great Old Ones]] (such as [[HeroKiller Terminus]]).
* UrbanFantasy
* ZombieApocalypse: One of the non-canon side stories. See also Paranorm under the Setting folder.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Meta]]
* {{Animesque}}: The characters have a very anime-influenced aesthetic.
* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Anywhere from 1 to 3 DependingOnTheWriter.
[[/folder]]

* BiggerOnTheInside: The Rec Hall. Any room can be generated instantly upon opening the door based on what the guest is imagining. Want an Olympic-sized swimming pool? Bam, you have one. In fact, this applies to the forum in general; over time, rooms and areas are added as needed.

* ElaborateUniversityHigh: The school is fairly impressive where size is concerned, with a large main building, several dorms, and [[BiggerOnTheInside a TARDIS-like Rec Hall]]. The surrounding forest could also be considered part of Power Academy's territory.

* SuperMultiPurposeRoom: The Rec Hall as a whole.

* VirtualTrainingSimulation

* AliensInCardiff: The city of Hell, Michigan (which in this timeline, rather than a small town, is a long-abandoned city) has become a haven for malevolent demons. [[spoiler:Helena later takes over the city, turning it into...well, Hell on Earth.]]

* YearX: The exact date for the Academyverse is not specified, though it is an alternate timeline and some time into the near future.

* {{Fanservice}}: Plentiful, and equal-opportunity--the amount of [[MrFanservice male]] and [[MsFanservice female]] fanservice is treated equally. LGBT relationships are also visible in the story as well.
** However, there are no characters who serve solely as eye candy. As one of the users succinctly put it, "If you created a character solely for the purpose of fanservice, that's one thing. But if you create an attractive character and [[RoundedCharacter give them depth,]] then that's like real life, where [[TruthInTelevision attractive people have thoughts and dreams beyond walking about in skimpy clothes and turning people on."]] The general rule would then be that characters, fanservicey or not, are just treated like people.

* NotWearingTights: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with.]] Although Power Academy is firmly established as a school for superheroes and supervillains alike, most (if not all) of its students and staff favor [[CivvieSpandex street clothes]] over costumes ([[PoweredArmor armor,]] [[SpyCatsuit specialized jumpsuits,]] et al aside). Heroes with trappings like costumes and codenames are not unheard of, though.
** NotUsingTheZWord: Even the terms "superhero" and "supervillain" are rarely used, [[FantasticSlur and some even consider them derogatory.]]

Started in August 2011, ''Power Academy'' is a Forumotion roleplay forum centering around the eponymous boarding school for teens with superpowers. A freeform tale of action, adventure, romance, comedy, drama, and tropes. [[{{Troperiffic}} Lots and lots of tropes]]. There's a character page [[Characters/PowerAcademy here]].

As of the summer of 2013, the users are in the early planning stages of a Power Academy RPG--in the vein of Franchise/MassEffect [[XMeetsY meets]] VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown.

Found [[http://poweracademy.forumotion.com/ here]].

* FanserviceWithASmile: The Ghost Pirate and Rockstar Bar, especially considering the students can take part-time jobs there. There is also a maid cafe in town where Dawn works.

* SceneryGorn: In flashbacks to [[ZombieApocalypse 30 years prior]].

* BikiniBar / HostClub: The Den of Angels, a high-class exotic dance/host club [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin staffed entirely by angels]], is a fusion of these two tropes. While the establishment offers great drinks and [[FanserviceWithASmile attractive employees]] (male and female alike), it's actually a front for the local angel headquarters (and an easy way for them to make money at the same time).

* DungeonTown: [[spoiler:Hell, Michigan.]]

* TheMultiverse
* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: A three-parter. [[spoiler:First Knight Research Headquarters, then the besieged Power Academy, and finally Terminus' pocket dimension.]]
* AWorldHalfFull

** [[{{In-universe}} With some characters in-story,]] it also seems to be deconstructed; Tala, Wendy, and Bethany are all quite fanservicey, but were artificially created in-universe to look the way they do (by male creators, no less)--a fact that haunts them to no end; breaking free of the roles set for them is a significant part of their character development.

* RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: Frequently zig-zagged, depending on the character.
* ZettaiRyouiki: The [[MiniDressOfPower miniskirt]] variation is part of the female uniform. In designing their [[NonuniformUniform team outfits]], Valerie also incorporates this for a few of [[AmazonBrigade the ANGELs.]]

* SharedUniverse: Hints of this.
* StormingTheCastle: Multiple times during the main story. Most prominently with the Indomitable (hijacked by [[spoiler:Vilhelm]]), the Battle for Hell (which has been turned into a war-torn fortress by demon!Helena), and [[spoiler:the first part of the final mission, where the party infiltrates a Knight Research HQ under Terminus' control.]]

[[folder:Gameplay]]
* OutOfGenreExperience: During a few story missions, the gameplay briefly dips into TowerDefense territory (see below).
* PuzzleBoss: Just about all of the bosses, in some way or another. They all have certain weaknesses, whether in terms of physical weakness (fire being effective against ice, for instance) or relationships to certain party members (e.g. they may be hesitant to attack at first if a certain party member is present); environmental elements can also be exploited, such as a tech-based boss being reliant on nearby equipment that can be destroyed. Overall, boss fights here require the player to think about the characters and their abilities in terms of both gameplay and narrative.
** LogicalWeakness
* TowerDefense: During several occasions in the story, the party has to lead a defense or ambush against enemy forces from a high vantage point (e.g. fighting off a massive horde of minions from a rooftop above).
* TurnBasedStrategy
[[/folder]]

* NotWearingTights: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with.]] Although Power Academy is firmly established as a school for superheroes and supervillains alike, most (if not all) of its students and staff favor [[CivvieSpandex street clothes]] over costumes ([[PoweredArmor armor,]] [[SpyCatsuit specialized jumpsuits,]] et al aside), avoid using codenames (except in some cases, [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname like Lightning and her "sisters"]]), and generally eschew or subvert typical superhero cliches.
** NotUsingTheZWord: Even the terms "superhero" and "supervillain" are rarely used, [[FantasticSlur and some even consider them derogatory.]]

* SuperRegistrationAct: One is being considered by the government in-story; the debate is heated but civil. However, after a town is [[spoiler:apparently]] destroyed by a lone superhero, the debate ends up sparking a civil war when the Act is hurriedly passed. [[spoiler:It's the result of the villains manipulating events to escalate the conflict in an attempt to tear the heroes apart.]]

* TimeTravelEpisode: ''Visitors From the Future,'' an alternate universe thread.

* UriahGambit: [[spoiler:The Superhuman Civil War. Jonathan backs the Pro-Reg side, and Lilith (using Vilhelm and Slade as [[MouthOfSauron figureheads]]) backs the Anti-Reg side. They treat it less like a war and more like a friendly competition to see who can make the heroes wipe each other out first.]]

* NoOSHACompliance: Selene's Villainy 101 classroom.
* SceneryGorn: [[spoiler:First, the Academy is shown in a state of decay during the Civil War, when it's temporarily converted into a neutral zone/refugee camp. Later, during the endgame, Terminus launches a full-out assault on the Academy; though largely intact by the end, the place is utterly trashed when all is said and done.]]

* WildWilderness

* FanserviceWithASmile: The Ghost Pirate and Rockstar Bar, especially considering the students can take part-time jobs there.

* HonestJohnsDealership: Flotsam and Jetsam, a small, rickety stand that sells random crafting items.

* [[FriendlyLocalChinatown Friendly Local Japantown]]

* IslandCity

* BizarreSeasons / EmpathicEnvironment: Over the course of the first three days in the forum, Power Academy has experienced a warm, sunny day, a snowy morning quickly turning into an overcast day where the snow melted, and a rainy day. Consecutively. Although the later retcon about [[WebcomicTime time's passage]], with each "day" being a sort of montage of the events of a week, causes the weather to make a little more sense.
* CoolShip: The ''Indomitable'', the Dark Star's heavily-armed flying battleship.

* EvilTowerOfOminousness: Knight Research Headquarters, a tall red-and-black skyscraper.

* AerithAndBob: There are characters with names like James, Christine, Gill, Valerie, Grace and Alice, as well as characters with names like Swilium, Talan, Quasar, Lightning and Atiago.

* EnforcedColdWar: Between the heroes and villains, [[ZigZaggedTrope usually.]] A small amount of heroes and villains [[GoKartingWithBowser intermingle]]; a few even [[DatingCatwoman fall in love.]]
* EverybodyHasLotsOfSex: On the second week in-universe on the forum, but eventually dialed back when things became a little too predictable. Can be justified, considering the student population consists primarily of teenagers, whether they're finding true love or blowing off steam.
** The users' [[BatDeduction humorous]] [[InsaneTrollLogic rationale]] was as follows: "SnowMeansLove, the snow started melting from the sun, heat and the sun equal sexuality, therefore melting snow equals libido."

* FoeRomanceSubtext: A triple example: Swilium originally created Wendy as his new girlfriend; she eventually turned against him. Later, she reveals to Isaac that she was modeled after Tala (who also turned against Swilium), herself an OppositeSexClone of [[HomoeroticSubtext his rival Talan]].
** This is pretty rampant throughout the story, with other examples including Helena/Talan and Warpen/Valerie.
* MoralityKitchenSink
* NerdsAreSexy
* PopCulturedBadass: EVERYONE.

* ZettaiRyouiki: The [[MiniDressOfPower miniskirt]] variation was part of the female uniform. In designing their [[NonuniformUniform team outfits]], Valerie also incorporates this for a few of [[AmazonBrigade the ANGELs.]]

* HotSpringsEpisode
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight
* JigsawPuzzlePlot

* ShowerOfLove

* WeirdScience

* NotWearingTights: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with.]] Although Power Academy is firmly established as a school for superheroes and supervillains alike, most (if not all) of its students and staff favor [[CivvieSpandex street clothes]] over costumes ([[PoweredArmor armor,]] [[SpyCatsuit specialized jumpsuits,]] et al aside), avoid using codenames (except in some cases, [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname like Lightning and her "sisters"]]), and generally eschew or subvert typical superhero cliches. Even the terms "superhero" and "supervillain" are rarely used, aside from joking about them.
** NotUsingTheZWord: Also played with.
* ShoutOut: Tons.

* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Vladimir's hideout.

* UriahGambit: [[spoiler:The Superhuman Civil War. Jonathan backs the Pro-Reg side, and Lilith (using Vladimir and Slade as [[MouthOfSauron figureheads]]) backs the Anti-Reg side. They treat it less like a war and more like a friendly competition to see who can make the heroes wipe each other out first.]]

* [[spoiler:SceneryGorn: First, the Academy is shown in a state of decay during the Civil War, when it's temporarily converted into a neutral zone/refugee camp. Later, during the endgame, Terminus launches a full-out assault on the Academy.]]

* BikiniBar / HostClub: The Den of Angels, a high-class exotic dance/host club [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin staffed entirely by angels]], is a fusion of these two tropes. While the establishment offers great drinks and [[FanserviceWithASmile attractive employees]] (male and female alike), it's actually a front for the local angel headquarters (and an easy way for them to make money at the same time).
* CityOfAdventure: [=NPC=]s, [[ShopKeeper shops]] and sidequests aplenty.

* FanserviceWithASmile: Both the Den of Angels and, considering the students can take part-time jobs there, the Ghost Pirate and Rockstar Bar.

* HubCity

* ApocalypseHow: Alice and her family grew up in a hellish, irradiated wasteland left over from a nuclear war, and Garrett mentions that [[ZombieApocalypse a huge zombie epidemic]] broke out about 30 years prior--about a Class 1.

* [[spoiler:EldritchLocation: The Howling Abyss, Terminus' pocket dimension.]]
* EternalEngine: Vladimir's hideout, a sprawling complex that serves as his main laboratory [[PlayingWithSyringes (or abattoir, depending on who one asks).]] The ''Indomitable'' also counts.

* MirrorUniverse: One is explored in ''Visitors From the Future'', wherein everyone's morality is inverted (James is now an evil cultist in addition to being head of the Academy, for instance).
* [[spoiler:MirrorWorld: The Howling Abyss features several areas that mirror locations the party has been to before, only something is very...off about them.]]

** [[{{In-universe}} With some characters in-story,]] it also seems to be deconstructed; Tala, Wendy, and Bethany are all quite fanservicey, but were artificially created to look the way they do (by male creators, no less)--a fact that haunts them to no end; breaking free of the roles set for them is a big part of their character development. See also the AlternateCharacterInterpretation for Lightning.

* [[spoiler:AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: During the endgame, Terminus attacks the Academy in a last-ditch attempt to destroy the heroes.]]
* AlternateRealityEpisode: Alzeri's enchanted books can literally suck people in, forcing them to act out the story before they can leave.
** StorybookEpisode

** BusmansHoliday: Only to find [[spoiler:some of Vladimir's operatives salvaging weapons and tech from a jettisoned piece of the]] ''[[spoiler:Indomitable]]'', thus making it another mission.

* ChekhovsGun, ChekhovsGunman: Many plot elements are foreshadowed beforehand; long before the school uniforms were made, Valerie was seen sketching designs for them, for instance.
** AbortedArc: ...or some arcs are just dropped entirely.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Isaac comments on the fact that it's snowing on the second day: "Right now, it's at the end of summer, supposedly. Then again, for some strange reason, it does feel like we've already been here for months..."
* LightningGun: Part of Talan's laser collection.
* TriangRelations: Initially Type 5 between Aqua (a), Swilium (b) and Christine (c). Type 8 between Wendy, Tala and Isaac.
* TwoPersonPoolParty: Sometimes subverted in that sex does not occur.

* RuleSixtyThree: An entire Alternate Universe thread devoted to it...though it later fizzled out after the Mad Science class introduced a new project for the students: building a gender-flip ray, rendering the thread somewhat redundant.
* SexyDiscretionShot / {{Lime}}: Enforced whenever the characters decide to have sex, per the forum's rule against writing lemons. This only applies to explicit sex, though.

* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: At least two varieties: the [[HumanoidAbomination Creators]] (such as Jonathan and Bethany), and the [[EldritchAbomination Great Old Ones]] (such as [[HeroKiller Terminus]]).

* TheUriahGambit: [[spoiler:The Superhuman Civil War. Jonathan backs the Pro-Reg side, and Lilith (using Vladimir and Slade as [[MouthOfSauron figureheads]]) backs the Anti-Reg side. They treat it less like a war and more like a friendly competition to see who can make the heroes wipe each other out first.]]

* BroadStrokes: Some details are changed over time as characters and stories are rewritten and refined.
** CharacterizationMarchesOn
** EarlyInstallmentWeirdness
* FiveManBand: Dr. Archer gives a lecture on the trope in Team Relations 101.
* MayTheFarceBeWithYou: One of the Alternate Universe threads is ''NeverTellMeTheOdds,'' a satirical, postmodern retelling of the StarWars films [[http://static.nomachetejuggling.com/machete_order.html in Machete Order]], with the Power Academy cast. It oscillates between [[DeconReconSwitch parodying the series' narrative failings and reconstructing them.]]

* ShoutOut: Tons. For instance...
** In the simulator, Tala morphs her arms into [[VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}} Fat Boy nuke launchers]].
*** Bottlecap mines and bottlecap knuckles are among Gill's inventions.
*** In addition to Willow's jumpsuit being blue and yellow, the serial number on the back reads v101-3.
** Talan's combat armor is based heavily off of [[Franchise/MassEffect N7 armor]].
** Trim's spell incantations are taken from ZatchBell
** Lightning is shown to be the resident [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Pegasister]], wearing a Pinkie Pie-themed t-shirt at one point. And in the ''Visitors From the Future'' thread, Isaac verifies his future self's identity by asking who their favorite of the Mane Six is (answering with Fluttershy).
*** She is also shown wearing a [[{{Pokemon}} Poke]][[{{Tumblr}} bra]] to seduce Talan.
** Adrian's repertoire of poisons includes [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps Nova-6]], and he later works on a potion that replicates [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum Titan]].
** Lily is near-constantly compared to [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Poison Ivy]], [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore much to her chagrin]].
** The entire ''Global Civil War'' thread is a shout-out to, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]], Comicbook/CivilWar.
** ''The Glass Eye'' shows the heroes traveling to an alternate universe to fight a great evil...and said universe turns out to be [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion the Shivering Isles]].
** When contacting one of his subordinates, Alexei gives the countersign, [[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 "There is no knowledge that is not power."]]
** The ANGELs can be summarized as crimefighting cheerleaders. [[WesternAnimation/KimPossible Sound familiar?]]
** And the inevitable ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' quote. On the morning of Day 3 in the lunch room, after Tripp [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial denies there is such a thing as time travel]] and quickly departs, Isaac responds with a deadpan "What an eccentric performance."
** Some students, such as [[{{Series/Warehouse13}} Alice Darmor]], are references in and of themselves.
** evil!Timmy's base of operations is a replica of [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 the Space Colony ARK]] (which also shows up in ''Global Civil War''), while evil!Simon's fortress is essentially a mashup of [[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Shao Kahn's fortress]] and [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Minas Morgul]].
** A few of the characters compare [[MsFanservice Beth]] to a younger [[Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit Jessica Rabbit]] in terms of appearance. Layla gets a bit of this when she [[SheCleansUpNicely takes the time to pretty herself up]] as well, mainly from [[AccidentalPervert Drake]].
* UniversalAdaptorCast: Both in Alzeri's stories and in "cast-takeover" stories, such as ''[[MayTheFarceBeWithYou Never Tell Me The Odds]].''
* WebcomicTime: Due to the play-by-post nature of the roleplay, time works very strangely in-universe on the forum.
** The way time passes was later retconned from Day 3 onward. Each "day" is basically a montage of the events of an entire week.