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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 7 | %% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1459705382098944400&page=1#3 |
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| 10 | ->''"Your mind is software. Program it. Your body is a shell. Change it. Death is a disease. Cure it. Extinction is approaching. Fight it."'' |
| 11 | -->-- ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Transhumans are people who have been artificially enhanced with mental and/or physical abilities beyond what is considered normal for the species from an evolutionary standpoint. Despite the name, species-wide artificial improvement is not actually limited to humans -- [[UpliftedAnimal other species or entities that are enhanced]] count as well. The means used for this augmentation can be anything from [[FunctionalMagic magic]] to [[AppliedPhlebotinum science]]. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Transhumanism as a movement and a philosophy implies that people can, and should, become transhuman ''en masse'' rather than be restricted to a select few who came across such abilities through extraordinary circumstances. By implying that scientific progress may grant superhuman powers to anyone with appropriate knowledge and resources, and without any regard for [[TheChosenOne predestination]], [[SuperpowerLottery luck]] or [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower hard work]], transhumanism is notoriously opposed to narrative exceptionalism. A positive portrayal of transhumanism generally places a work on the Enlightenment side of the RomanticismVersusEnlightenment spectrum, while a negative portrayal or [[NoTranshumanismAllowed conspicuous absence]] of it does the opposite. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Proponents argue that transhumanism is an essential part of our future lives, because... |
| 18 | |
| 19 | * Improving the nature of humankind is an inevitable extension of the scientific progress. Earth has already been altered greatly by civilization, and we're more likely to fail if we try to halt progress in its tracks rather than explore all of its possibilities. |
| 20 | * The physiology and mental capability of a human have not changed drastically in 100,000 years, while technology keeps advancing at an exponential pace. Improvements to the human condition are mandatory in order for humanity to avoid becoming the weakest link in the system it has created, otherwise it would be [[JobStealingRobot deemed irrelevant at best]] or simply [[TheSingularity unable to comprehend the state of the world around it]]. |
| 21 | * Humans are capable of surviving under extremely limited conditions on a fraction of the surface of one planet. Spreading the human civilization beyond the confines of Earth would likely require adapting the human organism to survive both prolonged space travel and hostile environments of other planets. The only alternative, {{Terraforming}}, is slow and requires tremendous effort and investment. |
| 22 | * Disease, old age, and accidents take a tremendous toll from both economical and ethical standpoint, which is why we ought to alleviate as much of this suffering as we can. |
| 23 | * Humans have been altering themselves with whatever technology provided since the earliest days of civilization. Tools, clothing, armor, and weapons are all ways that humankind has altered itself to be better suited to its environment. Just because our tools now allow us to modify the most fundamental part of our being permanently does not make these tools any less useful or any less ethical. |
| 24 | * Transhumanism can provide very useful tools for improving the human condition across the board, and it already has. Increasingly advanced prosthetics have provided enormous quality-of-life improvements to many people; technologies already exist that allow couples who either can't or would have an extremely hard time conceiving children to now have a much better chance. Organ transplants, pacemakers, birth control, all of these and more are tools/technologies that transcend what is naturally possible with humanity while saving and greatly improving lives. In essence, transhumanism is already here to stay, and has been for quite some time. We're just getting better at it and developing new ways to do it. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | The opponents also have many arguments to support their views. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | * Some claim that ethics and empathy are a [[MiseryBuildsCharacter direct consequence of individual weakness]], and thus improving humankind would mean that [[BewareTheSuperman an essential part of human nature will be lost in the process.]] |
| 29 | * Others worry about human alteration being a tool for the authoritarian regimes, similarly to [[TheSocialDarwinist Eugenics]], and thus that the destiny of humankind could potentially end up being directed by an EvilutionaryBiologist with [[AGodAmI a superiority complex]]. |
| 30 | * Others still are afraid of [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul potential radical alterations to human psychology courtesy of augmenting the brain]], especially if it means integrating it with ArtificialIntelligence. |
| 31 | * While natural evolution has its limits, it has "refined" its "designs" (given the nature of evolution, ascribing it "design" is something of a misnomer, but the practical point stands) over millions of years while artificial, human-induced evolution would occur much quicker. Any useful augmentations without apparent drawbacks would soon be extremely commonplace, potentially creating a disastrous outcome for the entire species if a critical flaw is suddenly discovered. |
| 32 | * If the current economical system persists into the future or is replaced with something worse, social and economic inequality will increase on a drastic scale. As only those with the [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney money]], [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem power]], or [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections connection]] will be granted access to the technology, as the haves and the have-nots potentially become physiologically distinct subspecies. Tremendous riots and even wars are likely to happen if death itself is no longer the great equalizer. |
| 33 | * LuddWasRight. The argument that transhumanism is merely the logical extension of technological progress does nothing to assuage those who believe that technological progress has ''already'' gone too far, and see an ideal society as [[NobleSavage one that existed at a more "primitive" level of development]]. For them, the argument is turned upside down: transhumanism is just the culmination of a long process of humanity turning its back on natural living. |
| 34 | * Alternatively and more mundanely, transhumanism may simply be poised to suffer the same fate as [[IWantMyJetPack the jetpack]]. Sure, you can engineer resistance to several diseases, slow down aging, and so on, but giving yourself superpowered cybernetic enhancements is impossible if there's no AppliedPhlebotinum to power them. Similarly, BrainUploading may be a redundant effort if -- thanks to Moore's Law's untimely death -- the only supercomputers powerful enough to host a human mind with any practicality turn out to be {{Wetware CPU}}s. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | Media has often not been kind to transhumanists. For a long time, desiring for human improvement has been the province of [[ANaziByAnyOtherName dictatorial dystopian societies]] or a MadScientist [[AGodAmI with a God complex]]. Anarcho-Cyber Punk writers focused on how cybernetic augmentation could be abused to the detriment of society, as well as how [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul it eats people's souls]]. Many religious folk object to the idea on the ground of tampering with God's creation (though, somewhat ironically, many religions center around [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascending to a higher plane of existence]], which could be easily interpreted as transhuman). And, particularly with the rise of far right and Neo-Nazi movements in recent years, there is the concern that transhumanism can serve as a [[WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide rebranding]] of the old Eugenics Movement designed to make it seem more palatable. In fiction, upgrading a human being through science was usually portrayed as a bad idea, if only due to the {{Squick}} factor, and even when it wasn't, it was either shown as a DeadlyUpgrade with significant disadvantages or a part of an UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans plan objectionable on moral grounds. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | While very few people today view the idea of upgrading a human being through science as inherently bad, there are many who are not completely on board with transhumanism; even if these criticisms are mainly aimed towards how and to what to degree the idea should be practiced, and the potential pitfalls and dangers it could lead too, than the idea itself. |
| 39 | |
| 40 | The word "transhuman" is now found in legitimate scientific and political debates. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | For some of the abilities a Transhuman might have, see the StockSuperpowersIndex; related to JustForFun/HowToGiveACharacterSuperpowers. See also NoTranshumanismAllowed. This may be used as an aspect of a {{Cyberpunk}} or PostCyberpunk setting. |
| 43 | |
| 44 | Compare the {{Ubermensch}},[[note]]meaning "over-man" or "superman" in German[[/note]] whose transcendency is [[BlueAndOrangeMorality psychological and moral]] in nature rather than physical. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | SubTrope of TransNature. {{Mutants}} and HumanSubspecies may or may not be a result of this, and they may be crippled instead of "enhanced". Contrast FormerlySapientSpecies. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} people, though medically transitioning is a mild form of real life transhumanist modification. |
| 47 | ---- |
| 48 | !!Related tropes: |
| 49 | [[index]] |
| 50 | * AnthropomorphicTransformation: When a regular animal is somehow evolved and turned into a creature with more humanlike traits; such as sapient intelligence, the ability to speak, and maybe even fully or semi-humanoid bodies. |
| 51 | * ArtificialAnimalPeople: [[BeastMan Humanoid]]/[[FunnyAnimal anthropomorphic animals]] created by magic or science, which may be outright [[HalfHumanHybrid human-animal]] [[ArtificialHybrid hybrids]] that were been born as regular humans (or animals) before they were mutated. |
| 52 | * ArtificialHuman: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A man-made biological/organic human]], often with [[DesignerBabies purposefully modified genes]]. |
| 53 | * ArtificialHybrid: A being which was born fully one species, but later in life somehow hybridized with another species. |
| 54 | * ArtificialLimbs: A limited form of enhancement that's specific to the limbs. [[ArtificialLimbsAreStronger Frequently makes one stronger]] than those without. |
| 55 | * AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: The mystical or religious variant where someone leaves the physical reality for another one. |
| 56 | * AssimilationPlot: Transforming an entire species into a HiveMind with an unified purpose. |
| 57 | * BadassTransplant: Transplanted stuff makes you more badass. |
| 58 | * BeingHumanSucks: A major motivation for this trope is removing the suck. |
| 59 | * BewareTheSuperman: Where transhumanism (and the idea of super-beings in general) has an overall negative net effect on the world. |
| 60 | * BioAugmentation: Biological enhancement, as compared to a {{Cyborg}}. |
| 61 | * BrainUploading: The physical limitations of a body are outright removed. |
| 62 | * CloneAngst: [[ClonesArePeopleToo Are Clones People]]? Or just [[ExpendableClone expendable]]? With LegoGenetics, they may end up [[OurClonesAreDifferent being more than we could ever imagine.]] |
| 63 | * CyberneticsEatYourSoul: [[/index]]Artificial limbs and organs make you less "human" in a way that has some sort of measurable or observable consequence. Used as a "balance" for being enhanced, usually seen in {{Cyberpunk}} [[RolePlayingGame RPGs]].[[index]] |
| 64 | * {{Cyberpunk}}: A science fiction sub-genre that helped spread the idea, though often in [[ScienceIsBad an unfavorable light]]. |
| 65 | * {{Cyborg}}: Cybernetic enhancement. This is what most people think of when they think of transhumans. |
| 66 | * DesignerBabies: Making a person better before they're even born. |
| 67 | * DisposableSuperheroMaker: Something that induces superhuman powers can only happen once, and never again, usually because the source of the superpowers is completely gone. |
| 68 | * ElectronicEyes: Enhancing one's vision with artificial eyes. |
| 69 | * ElectronicTelepathy: Thinking to communicate. |
| 70 | * EmergencyTransformation: If you become better than you were before. [[Music/DaftPunk Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.]] |
| 71 | * EveryoneIsASuper: Everyone has some sort of superhuman power. |
| 72 | * EvilutionaryBiologist: A biologist who uses transhumanism for evil purposes or through evil means, such as creating a MasterRace to rule or replace regular humanity. |
| 73 | * FreakLabAccident: An accident in a laboratory grants someone superhuman abilities. |
| 74 | * GeneticAdaptation: Adapting one's biology to suit a new environment. |
| 75 | * GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke: The "critical flaw" discussed above can be part of a story, and often a threat. Tweaking with genes can create a disaster on a different level than nuclear explosions. |
| 76 | * GeniusBreedingAct: Breeding smart people with each other to create smart babies. |
| 77 | * GoalOrientedEvolution: The (generally scientifically unsupported) idea that evolution has a "goal." Sometimes invoked as an argument for transhumanism. |
| 78 | * GoodProstheticEvilProsthetic: The design and placement of ArtificialLimbs reflects CharacterAlignment. |
| 79 | * HalfHumanHybrid: A being that is both genetically human and non-human. They are usually conceived from [[InterspeciesRomance humans mating with other species]]. |
| 80 | * HumansArePsychicInTheFuture: The concept is self-explanatory. The science... not so much. |
| 81 | * HumanSubspecies: Human variants resulting from evolution or science. |
| 82 | * IdealIllnessImmunity: It's not just that all diseases are easily cured -- you simply never get them in the first place. |
| 83 | * LegoGenetics: A.K.A. genetic engineering, the primary method of biological modification. |
| 84 | * LongevityTreatment: A medical treatment that enables someone to live beyond their natural life expectancy. |
| 85 | * MagicEnhancement: Magical transhumanism, when applied to people, at least. Note: may come unintentionally through {{Curse}} -- see CursedWithAwesome -- or even an accident. |
| 86 | * MassSuperEmpoweringEvent: Many people become transhuman due to a single event. |
| 87 | * {{Muggles}}: Normal human beings who are not post-/super-/trans-human in any way. |
| 88 | * MugglePower: When normal people develop an intense fear or hatred for transhuman people. |
| 89 | * {{Mutants}}: Genetically abnormal people, creatures, and other organisms. Can be a naturally random product of evolution, or more frequently caused by accidental or intentional alteration of the organism's genome. |
| 90 | * {{Nanomachines}}: One of the most common ways to become transhuman is through them. |
| 91 | * NoTranshumanismAllowed: Transhumanism is forbidden, impossible, or simply never discussed. |
| 92 | * PostCyberpunk: A counter-genre against {{Cyberpunk}} fixing the technological and ethical issues that Cyberpunk exposes without villifying technology as a whole, essentially portraying science in [[ScienceIsGood a neutral or positive light]]. |
| 93 | * PosthumanNudism: Beings who have elevated themselves in some way have no further need of clothing. |
| 94 | * PowerUpgradingDeformation: Your body gets deformed in some way, but in turn you get power. |
| 95 | * ProHumanTranshuman: Despite no longer being (fully) human, this character still identifies with humanity, or wishes to remain allied with and protective of normal people. |
| 96 | * TheSingularity: A hypothetical scenario where we become transhumans due to acceleration of progress. |
| 97 | * SufficientlyAdvancedAlien: Nearly always have advanced themselves to god-like power instead of starting out as such. |
| 98 | * SuperBreedingProgram: Using genetic trait inheritance to create better people. |
| 99 | * SuperSerum: One of the ways to become one, but be wary of its PsychoSerum cousin. |
| 100 | * SuperSoldier: This one usually relies on the physical aspect of transhumanism for warfare. |
| 101 | * SuperSupremacist: When a superpowered transhuman decides that being physically superior to normal people gives them the right to dominate and enslave them just for being weaker. |
| 102 | * SuperhumanTrafficking: Abuse of transhumans via kidnapping, slavery, organ harvesting, medical experimentation, and other means of exploiting their powers. |
| 103 | * ThereIsNoCure: A transformation, power or other affliction is confirmed to be irreversible/incurable/irremovable. |
| 104 | * TouchedByVorlons: Aliens or whatnot might be the cause. |
| 105 | * TranshumanAbomination: For when this results in someone [[EldritchTransformation turning into an]] EldritchAbomination. |
| 106 | * TranshumanAliens: Where what appears to be a species of aliens turns out to actually be transhumans. |
| 107 | * TranshumansInSpace: As humanity expands beyond Earth, modifying the body could prove useful for adapting to alien environments. |
| 108 | * TranshumanTreachery: For when losing one's humanity (both literal and figurative) makes them turn evil. |
| 109 | * UltimateLifeForm: The end-all and be-all of transhumanism (if they were purposely made). |
| 110 | * UpliftedAnimal: Non-sapient animals are artificially given advanced intelligence. |
| 111 | * WasOnceAMan: A formerly-human being who was somehow transformed into becoming non-human, willingly or otherwise. |
| 112 | * WeCanRebuildHim: Forced to be enhanced due to injury, instead of personally seeking it out. |
| 113 | * WetwareCPU: An organic brain with an artificial body. |
| 114 | * WorkingForABodyUpgrade: Enhanced because they earned it as a job perk. |
| 115 | [[/index]] |
| 116 | ---- |
| 117 | !!Examples: |
| 118 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 119 | |
| 120 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 121 | * ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' has [[spoiler: the Titan Shifters, humans who have gained [[LovecraftianSuperpower fleshy conservation-of-mass-violating abilities]] from contact with a mysterious 'co-ordinate.']] The how and why of their abilities drives the story, but the fact of their existence is enough to distort the world's military politics around themselves. |
| 122 | * ''Manga/{{Biomega}}'': The very first chapter features pretty much everybody who wasn't a robot, cyborg or mutant of some sort being wiped out by a full-blown ZombieApocalypse. |
| 123 | * In the entirety of ''Manga/{{Blame}}'', we do not see a single purely biological human. Everyone is heavily modified, be they cyborgs, human-descended androids, or gene-modded superhumans. The closest to "pure" human we get is Seu, and he's an eight-foot giant with enough enhancements to fight in hand-to-hand combat with advanced Silicon Life warriors, who has been reconstructed and had his personality restored from backup countless times. Most "normal" humans were exterminated by either the Silicon Creatures or the Safeguard, given the events of ''[=NOiSE=]'','' Blame!'s'' prequel. |
| 124 | * Similar to the below-mentioned ''Franchise/KamenRider'', ''Manga/{{Cyborg 009}}'' had nine people kidnapped and [[UnwillingRoboticisation forcibly turned into cyborgs]] by a sinister weapons-dealing organization called the Black Ghost. While the Black Ghost's intentions were evil (they wanted to make cyborgs to be used as living weapons, so war could be continued in space after the planet was destroyed), the cyborgs themselves [[PhlebotinumRebel kept their original personalities and were good people]]. The Black Ghost would go on to make more cyborgs, most of them to kill or recapture the first nine, who ranged from being sadistic killers to being good-hearted but forced to fight for various reasons. |
| 125 | * In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', humans have various degrees of self-enhancement. Some become walking armor, some get artificial limbs, and still others get transmuted into chimeras with new functional abilities. They have various degrees of acceptance of these transformations, as none of them was by choice. There are also the homunculi, who consider themselves an evolved form of humans. |
| 126 | * ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'': Cybernetics are extremely common, with nearly everyone possessing at least a [[BrainComputerInterface cyberbrain]] and some people going so far as to [[FullConversionCyborg replace everything but their brains]]. ArtificialIntelligence is highly advanced, but not quite human-level yet. And in [[Manga.GhostInTheShell the original manga]] and [[Anime/GhostInTheShell1995 the films]], [[spoiler:the Major fuses with an emergent intelligence]]. |
| 127 | * ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'': |
| 128 | ** Newtypes from the Universal Century timeline have superhuman spatial awareness and some empathic or predictive abilities. They are suspected/considered to be the next stage of humanity, a result of man's move into space. |
| 129 | ** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Gundam SEED]]'' additionally had Coordinators, transhumans of the BioAugmentation variety, [[spoiler: (a pair of) Ultimate Coordinators of the {{Designer Bab|ies}}y variety,]] and Extendeds of the [[SuperSerum Super]] PsychoSerum variety. |
| 130 | ** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'' decides to fully embrace the concept of transhumanism by the end of its second season, positing that humanity needs to change and evolve if it is to have a future. |
| 131 | --->'''Setsuna:''' That's right, in order to create the future we have to reform. '''''WE HAVE TO CHANGE!!''''' |
| 132 | ** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury The Witch from Mercury]]'' features Permet, a mineral that allows information to be shared between pieces, allowing for nearly-instant communication even across the Solar System. In particular, advancements have been made to use Permet for bio-augmentation and survival in space in the form of the GUND Format. Of course, it's also been co-opted for military use via the Gundams; that and a Gundam's tendency to kill its user has resulted in the GUND Format being made illegal. Part of the narrative involves Prospera Mercury's attempts to revitalize Gundam technology, with protagonists Suletta and Miorine starting a company to push Gundams for use in medicine. [[spoiler:Prospera's actual goal, however, is far more extreme, as she used the GUND Format to upload her daughter Ericht Samaya into the Gundam Aerial, and plans on raising Aerial's Permet Score to a level that would allow Eri to basically become a living, independent Gundam.]] |
| 133 | * ''Anime/ID0'' has the "Mind Trance System", which allows humans to control HumongousMecha called I-Machines by transferring their consciousness into the machine, allowing them to use the machines as naturally as they would their flesh-and-blood bodies. I-Machines are ideal for work in extreme conditions such as space, and even if the machine is destroyed while a person's consciousness is inside, death is a non-issue so long as the pilot backs up their consciousness data before activating the system: the only negative effect is the loss of one's memories during their time controlling the I-Machine. And then there are the "Evertrancers": people who, for whatever reason, transferred their consciousness into an I-Machine on a more permanent basis. Most of the protagonists, the members of the Excavate Company, are Evertrancers: Rick Ayers, for example, suffered a severe injury that left him paralyzed before becoming an Evertrancer. However, becoming an Evertrancer is considered [[NoTranshumanismAllowed a felony and gravely immoral besides]]. |
| 134 | * ''Manga/KnightsOfSidonia'', by Creator/TsutomuNihei, the creator of the above mentioned ''{{Manga/Blame}}'' and ''{{Manga/Biomega}}'', still has transhumanism running through it. ''None'' of the characters are a baseline human. All but one of the characters have been modified to get at least part of their energy from a form of photosynthesis, Tanikaze (the only non-photosynthesising character) has enhanced healing, the Honoka sisters are a batch of clones with SuperStrength, Lala is a human mind in a bear body with a cybernetic arm and Izana is an example of a "third" gender with both male and female characteristics that gradually shifts to either male of female after they develop an attraction to a person of the other gender. And that's just at the start. Things only ramp up from there in later chapters. |
| 135 | * The philosophy of SEELE in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' believes that all human individuals are inherently weak and fragile, which is why they want to alter humankind to a higher existence of life using the power of the [[EldritchAbomination Angels]]. |
| 136 | * In ''Manga/OnePiece'', there are the Vinsmoke Family princes (and princess) who are Modified Humans [[DesignerBabies artificially altered in-utero]] to surpass the limits of humanity through augmented superhuman physicals and corruption of their mental sense of empathy through DNA tampering. These royals were also given exoskeletons that require the likes of hammers and hydraulic presses to fix when damaged. Something similar also applies to the [[CloneArmy clone soldiers]] of Germa 66, who the Vinsmoke Family command. |
| 137 | * ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' presents this theme in a MagicalGirl setting, with a catch. To the beings behind the magical girls' transformation, bodies and souls are just more things to study [[spoiler: and souls can be preserved much more safely by removing them to a more durable container.]] The characters do not take it well. The series' finale presents a more positive take on the trope, however, as [[spoiler:[[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Madoka finally makes her wish.]]]] |
| 138 | * ''Manga/TokyoGhoul[=:Re=]'' presents us with two flavors of this, achieved through [[PlayingWithSyringes very questionable medical methods]]. |
| 139 | ** Dr. Kanou states that his experiments are intended to elevate humanity and save them... through forcefully turning humans into Half-Ghouls. His Kakuhou Implant Surgery might be ground-breaking, but the success rate is so insanely low that over a thousand people have died in his efforts to produce ''five'' surviving subjects. |
| 140 | ** The Quinx Project, an attempt to create superior Ghoul Investigators through implanting a modified ghoul organ into a human host. InsistentTerminology is used to separate the Quinx from normal [[HalfHumanHybrids Half-Ghouls]], though there is very little difference between them. |
| 141 | ** The mysterious TykeBomb project being run at the Sunlit Garden, which produces young Investigators of exceptional ability bordering on superhuman. [[spoiler: This is because they are all HalfHumanHybrids, bred with enhanced physical abilities but otherwise nearly identical to their human parents. They can consume human food, do not require human flesh to survive, and lack a kagune or kakugan. In exchange, however, they suffer from a significantly shortened lifespan and begin to break down internally by the time they reach their 30s]]. [[TheAce Arima]], [[PsychopathicManchild Hairu]], [[BastardBastard Furuta]], and Rize are all stated to have been bred by the Garden. |
| 142 | [[/folder]] |
| 143 | |
| 144 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 145 | * ComicBook/CaptainAmerica would have been the first of an army of {{Super Soldier}}s if the formula [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup hadn't been lost]] immediately afterward. It's worth noting that the existence of a few other, far less successful supersoldiers like [=USAgent=] stand as proof that it's not just Cap's ''powers'' that make him Captain America, it's his personality. However, Captain America is constantly described as [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower peak human]], regardless of some of his more exaggerated feats. |
| 146 | * It's notable that only a small percentage of superheroes gained their powers deliberately; usually it was a [[FreakLabAccident Freak Accident.]] This is arguably a necessary component of a superhero universe; if super-powers were easily reproducible, then the heroes themselves would stop being special. |
| 147 | -->'''[[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1 Syndrome]]:''' And when everyone's super, no one will be. |
| 148 | ** Marvel's ''ComicBook/EarthX'' series subverts this nicely. When [[EveryoneIsASuper everybody on Earth gains superpowers]], there are still heroes -- people who are heroes not because they're super but because they're heroic, just like in the real world. On the other hand, they're heroes in a [[BadFuture hideous worldwide dystopia]] that came about ''because'' of everyone in the world gaining powers. |
| 149 | ** The corollary is that every Superhero who [[SelfMadeSuperpowers gave themselves superhuman abilities]] through technology which could work on other human beings and yet chose to keep it all to themselves (even via a YouAreNotReady justification) is a massive JerkAss who could be helping humanity on a global scale but chooses not to. [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] springs to mind, but ReedRichardsIsUseless too. |
| 150 | *** InUniverse, Tony has repeatedly tried to farm out parts of his armor tech to the government, and it invariably winds up getting used for evil and stupid purposes that make him regret the decision. As for Reed, he probably could find ways to empower someone if he wanted (and did during ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland'' as a sort of vaccination against the Spider-Virus. The power, however, was the ability to know which way is north and the uselessness of this is lampshaded, to which he responded that it was the easiest and quickest one to reproduce), but his own powers came from a standard-issue "freak accident." |
| 151 | ** Over at Marvel, Dr. Karl Malus is a MadScientist fascinated with super-powers, who will find ways to give someone powers for a fee. The powers he gives them generally wind up with horrible drawbacks or side-effects. |
| 152 | * [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] villain the Leader seems preoccupied with creating more Gamma-powered mutates like himself. |
| 153 | * ComicBook/TheInhumans, [[ComicBook/TheEternals Eternals, and Deviants]] (as well as the [[ComicBook/XMen mutants]], in a roundabout way) are humans [[TouchedByVorlons genetically modified by aliens]]. |
| 154 | * ComicBook/IronMan has been doing everything he can to transhumanize himself, ranging from cyborg parts to a SuperSerum. Of course, it's debatable how much of this is symbolic of the lack of humanity in his ''behavior'' during ''ComicBook/CivilWar2006'' and its aftermath. Many fans theorize that the Extremis Formula ''[[PsychoSerum caused]]'' a lot of his [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul erratic, high-handed behavior,]] either by directly affecting his mind or just giving him a superiority complex. |
| 155 | ** In Creator/OrsonScottCard's version of [[ComicBook/UltimateIronMan Ultimate Tony's]] origin, he was born with a HealingFactor because of experiments by his parents. This seems to be getting treated as CanonDiscontinuity, however. |
| 156 | * The short-lived Creator/DCComics series ''ComicBook/TheNewGuardians'' (unrelated to the later ''Comicbook/GreenLantern'' spinoff) involved a GambitRoulette by the [[Comicbook/GreenLantern Guardians of the Universe]] to turn humanity into a race of transhumans. Unfortunately, the series' execution was lacking, and it's been forgotten. The method for spreading super-genes through the population was to [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex have sex with as many people as possible]] by picking people up in singles bars ''specifically'' to get them pregnant -- despite one member of TheTeam being an apparently sterile cyborg and another being gay. |
| 157 | * [[MachineWorship The Dark Legion]] from the ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' are a group of echidnas who are so pro-technology that they willingly augment themselves with cybernetic implants. As time goes by they begin [[UnwillingRoboticisation forcibly augmenting other people against their will]]. |
| 158 | * Right from the beginning Comicbook/{{Superman}} is a demonstration of this trope juxtaposed into a contemporary setting by way of technically [[HumanAliens otherworldly origin]]. Yet most of his works ultimate end up presenting him not as an alien but as an exemplar of humanity and its ultimate potential. Even Krypton tends to get similar treatment as "Earth's future" if one digs into enough comics, particular older ones, and at least one work ([[spoiler:''ComicBook/SupermanRedSon'']]) made Kryton ''literally'' Earth's future and Superman a StableTimeLoop. And while he personally averts it is no coincidence BewareTheSuperman shares his name and several CaptainErsatz of him are used to play it out. It's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin really all right there in the name]]. |
| 159 | * ''ComicBook/TheSurrogates'': Everyone uses [[RemoteBody remote bodies]]. |
| 160 | * In the appropriately named ''Transhuman'' by Creator/JonathanHickman medical advances make it possible to give people super powers. However there is a one power limit so everybody opts for HealingFactor. |
| 161 | * ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'': People buy "traits" in bulk ranging from [[CureForCancer cancer cures]] to implanted cellphones to alien genes. A few people [[BrainUploading upload their brains]] into clouds of {{Nanomachines}} called foglets. |
| 162 | * Franchise/WonderWoman's Amazons [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 were originally]] human women who attained their supernatural feats through years of [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower meditation and martial arts training]], which they were able to achive by living on Paradise Island where they were immortal due to the ceremony through which they became Amazons. This is part of why flight was not one of her original abilities, but {{Jedi Mind Trick}}s were. [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Post-Crisis]] the Amazons were [[DoingInTheScientist reimagined]] as reincarnated abused women given new bodies made out of clay and tied much more closely with the Greek Pantheon. |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Fan Fiction]] |
| 166 | * ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has the Super Soldier serum that empowered Steve, and the attempts to replicate it [[spoiler: (on more than one occasion, from the genetic material of his descendants)]] as frequent sources of this, with results including the Infinity Formula as created by both the Red Room and SHIELD (though only in very limited quantities), and the Hulk formula. Additionally, later in the first book, HYDRA successfully create the comic-book version of Extremis, which allows one to reprogram the body with superpowers... but like [[Film/IronMan3 the film version]] (here, the basic version that HYDRA refined), it has a nasty habit of exploding if the process isn't judged carefully/is made too complicated. |
| 167 | ** In the second book, it is revealed that Grey Court (Dracula style) vampires were originally created as this -- or rather, as super soldiers -- by the Atlantean Empire during their war with the Deviants, when they got desperate. Since they turned to a TomeOfEldritchLore, the Darkhold, for the answers, it is not remotely surprising that it turned out badly. |
| 168 | ** The Eternals, Deviants, and to an extent, humans (or at least, their capacity for genetic mutation in the form of the 'm-gene' and 'x-gene') are a product of Celestial Experimentation, with varying results -- the Eternals are immortal psychic gods who breed about as fast as some species evolve, the Deviants are like mutants and apparently redefined both SuperDickery and FantasticRacism, and humans have the potential to produce all sorts of genetic surprises, either through direct evolution into mutants and witches and wizards, or outside influence (e.g. the Super Soldier Serum, the Hulk formula). |
| 169 | *** However, the human part might not be entirely due to Celestial intervention, with it being plainly stated that the inhabitants of every world that was incorporated into Yggdrasil were altered somehow: the Aesir and Vanir became gods with lifespans that averaged five thousand years, the Alfar and Svartalfar (elves) became immortal unless thye were killed and physically enhanced to a lesser degree, while the Frost Giants and Dwarves became elemental beings with similar lifespans to Asgardians. In humans, no one's entirely sure what it changed, but the going theory is that it enhanced their ability to incorporate outside DNA -- among other things, meaning that they can breed outside their species... which might relate to the X-Gene. |
| 170 | *** The Inhumans were the result of the Kree further meddling with humanity, though WordOfGod is that Inhumans are basically just mutants who require a specific chemical trigger. |
| 171 | * ''Fanfic/{{Contraptionology}}'': Twilight's grand MadScientist plan revolves around the conclusion that natural flesh is unacceptably weak and mortal, which she decides to resolve by creating an artificial body out of liquid metal into which she can then upload her mind so as to live forever as an immortal, shapeshifting transequine. |
| 172 | * ''Fanfic/TheConversionBureauTranshumanism'' is a RecursiveFanFiction of ''FanFic/TheConversionBureau'' where a new version of the conversion potion was made, called the ‘Transhuman Potion’ that allows humans to remain human while making immune to the magic emerging from the awakened leylines that were dormant underneath the surface of the Earth before Equestria was teleported onto the planet. |
| 173 | * ''Fanfic/FriendshipIsOptimal'' revolves around humans [[BrainUploading uploading]] to Equestria. While {{Immortality}} comes as a standard part of the package, an uploaded human can also have their mental abilities significantly increased if they desire. |
| 174 | * ''Fanfic/KnightOfTheRepublic'' has the Spracian Union, a race of seemingly normal humans that live in an arm of the Galaxy that is slowly separating into its own body. They're normal enough for [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy being what they are]], if [[TheHero Knight]] and [[DeadpanSnarker Bishop]] are any indication Spracians are generally taller, stockier, and have better than average reflexes compared to humans. Then we learn about their [[SuperSoldier Sentinel program]] the human government in their original galaxy that took their naturally occurring abilities and gave them superior stamina and strength, better low-light vision and an average IQ rating that's higher than some physicists. And don't even get started on their [[{{Determinator}} tenacity]]. This is further compounded during the Dantooine arc [[spoiler: when Bastila learns that Revan's strategy was almost entirely based on the [[DoorStopper thirty-chapters long]] dissertation Knight wrote to be promoted to Lieutenant Commander, detailing the exact military strategy and resources necessary for total war with the Republic should diplomacy with the greater Galaxy turn sour. If things went according to plan, [[CurbStompBattle the Spracians would win with less than 20% casualties across all fronts]].]] |
| 175 | * This comes up very frequently in ''Fanfic/TheMorrigan''. Technically, ''everyone'' in the setting is a transhuman, because the local AppliedPhlebotinum is so omnipresent that everyone spends their lives breathing in particles of it, and it occasionally interracts... interestingly with technology that also runs on the stuff. However, a few examples stand out; |
| 176 | ** Like in the original show, all the various Elan body doubles are Enhanced Humans, modified to be more resistant to the negative effects of piloting gundams (though not immune). While it was only implied in the show, Norea du Noc and Sophie Pulone are here also stated to be the same. It's never directly stated if Suletta Mercury is the same, though she is certainly not baseline human. |
| 177 | ** Ericht Samaya died young but her mind was preserved within the [[HumongousMecha Gundam Lfrith, now Gundam Aerial]], and her mother's Quiet Zero project is aimed at giving her the freedom to appear anywhere she wants within the solar system. [[spoiler:The same happened to Sophie Pulone, also known as Gundam Morrigan, and Elan #4, also known as Gundam Lugh, though they don't have the benefit of Quiet Zero and are thus bound to their gundam bodies]]. |
| 178 | ** The permet in Nika Nanaura-Fardin's body reacted in unusual ways during her escape from Asticassia with her wife and the Gundam Morrigan, and it has now grown to cover her entire left arm. While this appears at first sight to be a mere FictionalDisability, it's later revealed that [[spoiler:it allows her to see and move relatively freely within the otherworldly Datastorm, something normally only permet ghosts like Ericht or Sophie can do]]. |
| 179 | ** The Triune (Ireesha Plano, Henao Jazz, and Renee Costa) [[spoiler:have been implanted with the experimental Triune Associative Technology, aka Thou Art That, which allows them to act as a HiveMind]]. |
| 180 | * ''Fanfic/NobledarkImperium'': This is common to varying degrees -- life-extending treatments, for instance, are routine in the Imperium's upper classes -- but some examples deserve special mention: |
| 181 | ** The Adeptus Mechanicus, as in canon, make a religious doctrine out of steadily improving themselves through technological upgrades such as multifunction or additional limbs, ocular arrays capable of perceiving wider spectra and fields of vision than normal, memory and cognitive upgrades, and so on. The Adeptus Biologicus, an order formed from Old Earth's various genetic tinkerer societies and loosely folded into the [=AdMech=] proper, have a similar policy centered around biological upgrades. Belisarius Cawl is noted to still look remarkably human for an [=AdBio=] Magus of his age, and he has a visible mottling of photosynthetic patches on his skin, cephalopod-like eyes, and a variety of low-grade copies of Astartes organs worked into his body, including some straight upgrades to a lung and a kidney, a second heart, and blood modified to clot more readily when exposed to air. |
| 182 | ** The inhabitants of Fenris and the Fenrisian Colonies. One of the odder aspects of the Canis Helix (who make up the Space Wolves) in this canon is that, unlike the Adeptus Astartes, they aren't sterile and their traits can be (admittedly rarely) passed down to their children. This may not ''sound'' like a lot, but roughly ten millennia's worth of intermarriage between the Space Wolves and the peoples of Fenris and her colonies has resulted in them all being fairly resistant to the cold and HotBlooded. |
| 183 | ** In the later days of the Great and Bountiful Human Dominion, the line between humanity and machine became very blurred. Between purely organic humans and their various genetic offshoots and the Iron Men there were cyborgs of various degrees, positronic brains inhabiting vat-grown bodies, human minds uploaded into computers, and everything in between. Ruling over all this were the transsapient Iron Minds and the Men of Gold, artificial humans created with genetically-perfect tailored bodies interlaced with grown components of metal and plastic, undying and pysichically powerful. |
| 184 | * ''Fanfic/SignificantDigits'': The Tower was founded with the goal of overcoming death. One of their departments is the Advancement Agency, whose job it is to "improve ''homo sapiens''." |
| 185 | * ''Fanfic/TranscendentHumanity'': The human race has gone down this path in the absence of Element Zero. The average person can freely switch from body to body, and even minimally augmented humans possess vast physical capabilities. |
| 186 | * ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6263444/1/Transition Transition]]'': The Martian Manhunter more or less calls Jinx and Raven this after they are teleported into space and come back six months later as, essentially, CosmicEntities. |
| 187 | * ''Fanfic/{{Vigil}}'' uses transhumanism as a central theme, taking place in the ''Videogame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' future where Meld is used to transform humanity, using a lot of the technology from ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' such as BrainUploading, cortical stacks, augmented bodies, fully synthetic bodies, and uplifted animals. Its also notable for the aliens embracing the same technology, with the turians and salarians embracing [[Videogame/{{Destiny}} "Exo"]] bodies. |
| 188 | [[/folder]] |
| 189 | |
| 190 | [[folder:Film -- Animated]] |
| 191 | * The [[TranshumansInSpace future space scene]] of ''Animation/TheTragedyOfMan'', similar to the 1860s play it was based on, shows the disillusioned Adam trying to escape Mother Earth as Lucifer gradually dismembers Adam's spacebound body and turns him into a cold, metallic space vessel. Due to Earth's urging however, Adam realizes space only holds nothingness for him and finally opts to reject transhumanism. |
| 192 | [[/folder]] |
| 193 | |
| 194 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 195 | * ''Film/BladeRunner'': The eponymous character hunts down renegade {{Artificial Human}}s. |
| 196 | * ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'': Bonus points for explicitly portraying the morality and 'heart' of the Super Soldier as being just as important as physical (and possibly mental) improvements. There's no PsychoSerum either -- they both got the same SuperSerum, but Schmidt's corrupt mentality resulted in him being [[EvilMakesYouMonstrous transformed into a monster]] while Steve's goodness made him a true superhuman. |
| 197 | * ''Film/{{Gattaca}}'': Prenatal genetic testing is routine, non-DesignerBabies are [[FantasticRacism discriminated against]]. |
| 198 | * ''Film/JohnnyMnemonic'': The cyborg street preacher. Details about this are explored more in the film's Japanese release (the "director's cut"), which includes an additional scene where this character preaches about God's plan for people to reject their organic bodies and embrace bio-mechanics and cybernetics, especially to save oneself from the NAS plague. He refers to himself as a "post-human". In the American release, the most that's hinted about these views comes in a passing reference to the name of the church that the preacher is aligned with--The Church of the Retransfiguration. |
| 199 | * ''Film/{{Lucy}}:'' The protagonist is accidentally exposed to a SuperSerum (through being a drug mule), and finds her mental powers rapidly expanding. She quickly realizes that this will end badly for her, and shows herself to be a ProHumanTranshuman by searching for a way to preserve and transmit her new knowledge. |
| 200 | * ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' has nearly everyone using artificial organs produced by [=GeneCo=], and cosmetic surgery is even more common thanks to an addictive painkiller. |
| 201 | * ''Film/TheSingularityIsNear'' portrays a future where everyone will be able to have their normal human capabilities enhanced with technology. |
| 202 | * ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': Notable because of the franchise's [[TranshumanTreachery attitude towards]] [[NoTranshumanismAllowed this subject]] in the past that a heavily-augmented human (named Science Officer 0718) appears as a member of the ''Enterprise'' crew. [[spoiler:Possibly as a minor counterexample to Khan, since he doesn't have any major significance beyond calling out a couple of lines. Although in the comics he turns out to be an ArtificialHuman created by mistake. But still, he's allowed to join the crew rather than being seen as science gone mad]]. |
| 203 | * ''Film/TetsuoTheIronMan'': The protagonists. Sure, they become grotesque walking lumps of scrap metal, but as the films go on, they can sprout guns from their bodies, become [[TankGoodness giant tank things]] and crawl on walls. |
| 204 | [[/folder]] |
| 205 | |
| 206 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 207 | * The SpiritCultivationGenre is transhumanism by means of Taoist Alchemy. |
| 208 | * ''{{Literature/Aeon14}}'' includes mutants ('L2' humans), genetic engineering, cyborgization, implanted sentient A.I.s, nanotech, and transcendent ascended A.I.s, humans, and human/A.I. fusions. |
| 209 | * In ''Literature/AngelStation'', both protagonists are [[MultiArmedAndDangerous genetically]] [[{{Main/Technopath}} engineered]] for best performance in space. This seems to be rather normal in their culture. |
| 210 | * In ''{{Literature/Aristoi}}'', everyone has perfect health, BioAugmentation, and a BrainComputerInterface. And the Aristoi themselves are even ''better''. |
| 211 | * ''{{Literature/Alterien}}'' has this in the form of the Altered Homo sapiens aka the Alteriens. The Alteriens are the result of directed and advanced evolution that was the focus of an experiment. The result is a new human-like species with abilities far beyond ordinary humans and even well beyond enhanced humans. |
| 212 | * ''Literature/BeggarsInSpain'' is about the rise of a new breed of transhuman, the "Sleepless". |
| 213 | * Creator/TomKratman's novel ''Literature/{{Caliphate}}'' portrays an incipiently posthuman future in rather {{dystopia}}n terms, against the backdrop of an escalating "clash of civilizations" between reactionary and modernizing cultures. The titular Caliphate is completely opposed to transhumanism, and doesn't have the infrastructure to develop the science even if they wanted to (though they [[{{Hypocrite}} still import some technology]] for unofficial use). By contrast, the Celestial Kingdom of the Han (i.e., [[IstanbulNotConstantinople China]]) seems to be the most transhumanist power in the setting (though India is said to be not very far behind, and there are hints that Japan might also be in the race): they have a number of science fiction technologies in more or less wide use, including ElectronicTelepathy, NeuralImplanting, {{Body Backup Drive}}s and the ability to create tailor-made fully {{Artificial Human}}s for a given assignment. The [[OppressiveStatesOfAmerica Imperial States of America]] also has at least some of this technology, but theirs is seemingly less advanced, and their attitude toward it is also quite different: they regulate it tightly, use it [[GodzillaThreshold as a last resort]] when nothing else works and generally view it with [[EvenEvilHasStandards horror]], whereas the Chinese rather seem to [[FullyEmbracedFiend embrace]] it. |
| 214 | * ''Literature/ChildhoodsEnd'': Aliens guide humanity into ascending into a galactic superconsciousness. |
| 215 | * Oleg Makushkin's ''Crystal Lattice'' takes place several centuries from now, where the world is constantly torn by the conflict between the Cyberempire (also known as the [[MegaCity Cybercity]] and is implied to take up North America) and the Gaian Republic (dominates Eurasia). Both are totalitarian regimes supposedly focused on the betterment of humankind, except the former seeks to do it through cyborgization (all too frequently, [[UnwillingRoboticisation unwilling]]) and the latter through BioAugmentation. They have already fought three wars and are currently fighting a fourth. There are fewer and fewer neutral areas remaining in the world, one of which is the isle of Skjeld. Neither side is portrayed as sympathetic, perfectly willing to torture and kill innocents for their goals. The novel focuses on several [[DefectorFromDecadence defectors]], who seek to find a quiet place and wait out the war. The problem? He is a Cybernetic (although wishing to escape that life), and she is a Gaian (but far too idealistic for the grim realities of war), both having been taught to hate one another. As expected, they become StarCrossedLovers. |
| 216 | * Most citizens of Literature/TheCulture are semi-immortal posthumans who can change sex at will, have drug-producing glands in their brains, and can [[BodyBackupDrive download their backups into clones if killed]]. |
| 217 | * The ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'' series gets a few different variants of transhumanism, ranging from cybernetic implants to drugs to a madness-inducing alien maze which ''directly'' unlocks humanity's potential (if it doesn't kill you first). Most of these don't work out very well. |
| 218 | * ''Literature/{{Digitesque}}'': Before the Fall, humans modified themselves to have strange powers and abilities. A thousand years later, people are randomly born with "gifts" that they use to help their villages survive. [[spoiler:Ancient humans also created an artificial afterlife that all minds are uploaded to on death, even now. Most of the immediate problems in the series are caused by glitches that have arisen in the afterlife]]. |
| 219 | * In ''[[Literature/DivineBloodNovels Diving Blood]]'', the Demoness Lilitu mentions that former humans outnumber individuals that are [[BornOfHeavenAndHell half-God and half-Demon]]. |
| 220 | * ''Literature/{{Domina}}'': |
| 221 | ** Due to the use of the toy maker, an easy BioAugmentation device, the city slides closer and closer to this every day. Nearly every single person is enhanced, from physical strength and enhanced senses to disease resistance. Sickness is mostly eliminated, and easy replacement organs are perfected over the course of the story. Even starvation is mostly a thing of the past, as plants and food animals can be altered, combined with humans who need less food and can eat absolutely anything. The problem is that [[WretchedHive most of the people of the city use these incredible advancements to kill each other]]. |
| 222 | ** The fey are quite a bit farther up the scale than anyone else in the city. In addition to being responsible for most of the monstrous animals running around, they [[PeopleJars keep their bodies in tubes]] where they are constantly being fixed and healed by the toy maker, while they use [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent remote-control clone bodies called homunculi]] to interact with the world. |
| 223 | * Almost everyone in ''Literature/{{Duumvirate}}'' is either born transhuman, becomes transhuman, or desperately wants to be transhuman. When your regeneratively immortal friends can play BulletHell games at maximum difficulty without breaking a sweat, and [[DodgeTheBullet dodge actual bullets]] for that matter, you tend to get a deep appreciation for genetic superiority. |
| 224 | * Creator/GregEgan often uses this trope in his novels. |
| 225 | * ''Literature/EightWorlds'' is filled with transhumanism. Even though human genetic experimentation is technically illegal there's always surgery, symbionts, cybernetics and nanotechnology so it's not unusual for people to modify their bodies (sometimes radically) to suit a specific environment, fad, fetish, or job. While the people who go for the most radical physical modifications tend to be [[SpacePeople professional spacers]] (who tend to discard things like legs and feet that are not very useful in zero gravity), most people are so cyberized the lunar central computer admits to tapping the unused portions of their brains for additional processing power. |
| 226 | * ''Literature/TheElderEmpire'': The Imperial Guard are improved by the Alchemist's Guild, given [[OurMonstersAreDifferent kameira]] parts to enhance their capabilities. Meira is a far more extreme example; under the Emperor's orders, the guild used horrific and painful procedures to turn her into an amalgam of a dozen different kameira, making her strong enough to fight a [[OneManArmy Champion]]. |
| 227 | -->'''The Emperor:''' Since this body cannot do the job, we will have to build you a new one. |
| 228 | * Mentally challenged Charlie Gordon from ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon'' had his intelligence surgically enhanced to superhuman levels, but [[spoiler:[[FlowersForAlgernonSyndrome the change was only temporary]]. Worse, as most of the lab animals who received the operation eventually died, [[DoomedProtagonist Charlie probably doesn't have that long to live either.]]]] |
| 229 | * Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/FoundationSeries'': |
| 230 | ** Many characters develop PsychicPowers due to improving their innate abilities. These characters include the Second Foundation, Gaia, and [[spoiler:Daneel, who was modified to gain {{telepathy}} by Giskard]]. |
| 231 | ** ''Literature/FoundationAndEarth'': The Solarians have [[BioAugmentation engineered themselves]] into being "whole" humans, meaning they contain [[{{Hermaphrodite}} both male and female genitalia]], which they use [[TrulySingleParent to become pregnant with offspring]] and created "transducer lobes", which grant them the ability to [[MindOverMatter direct any ambient energy flow into doing work that they desire, without the need to touch the thing they want to move]]. |
| 232 | * ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': |
| 233 | ** The Mesan Alignment has been practicing the biological form of this in secret for quite some time and believe they should share it with the rest of the galaxy... by force. |
| 234 | ** There's also a brief mention in on of the early books that there are a handful of planets in the galaxy where cybernetic transhumanism is a common practice but they're fairly isolated incidents. |
| 235 | ** At the less radical end, Honor herself and a number of other characters are genetically engineered for living on high-gravity worlds. And the relatively recently-introduced prolong treatments have vastly expanded the life expectancy of anyone who can get them. It isn't actually known whether later-generation prolong recipients will ever experience old age. In wealthy star nations, the treatment is nearly universal. |
| 236 | *** More extreme human bioengineering is [[NoTranshumanismAllowed avoided as backlash]] to the [[SuperSoldier Super Soldiers]] used in the last war fought on Earth. Some of their descendants are still around. |
| 237 | * In ''Literature/HumanResources2018'' a deformed, paralyzed scientist uses his mastery of BioAugmentation to breed a race of transhumans that wind up wiping out the (original) human race. |
| 238 | * ''Literature/HyperionCantos'' by Dan Simmons has altered humans in the form of the Ousters. |
| 239 | * ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': [[spoiler: Zettai]] used to be perfectly human but the addition of Bladi blood to her system made her more than human. It gave her access to a rare branch of magic and the ability to survive her soul being removed from her body. |
| 240 | * ''Literature/LilithsBrood'': The alien Oankali [[OurHumansAreDifferent modify the human species]] to be LongLived and resistant to disease; a few, like Lilith, also get SuperStrength, a HealingFactor, and a limited ability to interface with Oankali OrganicTechnology. Terms and conditions apply. |
| 241 | * ''Literature/{{MARZENA}}'' The title of the first book says it all. A Quantum PC in everybody's pocket and two Bremen Chips in everyone's head, all hail Homo Animus. [[BrainComputerInterface In the future everyone will merge minds with the machines]]. |
| 242 | * Creator/RichardKMorgan likes this trope. |
| 243 | ** In the ''Literature/TakeshiKovacs'' series, all humans have their identities backed up in "cortical stacks" that can be [[BodyBackupDrive transferred to any body (aka "sleeve") they wish]]. Many sleeves are artificially created to have a range of nonhuman enhancements. They can also upload themselves into non-organic robot bodies or simply into computer programs. |
| 244 | ** There are several [[HumanSubspecies experimental engineered human species]] in ''Literature/BlackMan''... the bonobos, designed to be sexy and submissive (and exclusively female), hibernoids who go from frenzied sleepness workaholism to extended hibernation sleep (useful on a slow-travelling spacecraft) and of course the 'Variant Thirteens', scary pre-civilisation throwbacks who are incredible badasses combined with a complete disregard for hierarchial authority structures and no need to feel a sense of belonging. |
| 245 | * ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}'': Cybernetics and bioengineered organs are used by a number of characters, and the protagonists' employer is an AI seeking to merge with another. |
| 246 | * ''Literature/TheNexusSeries'' outright references transhumanism and posthumanism by name from the first chapter. The main characters are living during the advent of BioAugmentation, BrainComputerInterface, BrainUploading, and other revolutionary technologies. The [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction Emerging Risks Directorate (ERD)]] was created in the United states specifically to [[NoTranshumanismAllowed stamp out such technology]]. |
| 247 | * ''Literature/OryxAndCrake'': Crake designs a new species of human who mature quickly, eat only plants, turn blue when they go into heat, can heal wounds by purring, and keel over at the age of thirty. It's made pretty clear that he was [[MadScientist insane]]. |
| 248 | * ''Literature/TheQuantumThief''. Notably the society of Oubliette on Mars is resistant to most transhuman technologies, being built on the ideals of privacy and individuality, yet from the reader's perspective it's still filled to the brim with transhuman technology designed to ensure this state of affairs. For starters the citizens all have a specialized privacy sensory organ called Gevulot through which the majority of their communication takes place. |
| 249 | * Many of Creator/RobertReed's novels and short stories deal with transhumanism and effective immortality. |
| 250 | ** ''Literature/SisterAlice'' follows the life of a young boy, part of a [[TheClan Great Family]] of transhumanist [[PhysicalGod gods]] created to rule over the immortal galaxy. |
| 251 | ** The ''Literature/GreatShip'' universe goes into a bit more depth. So long as the ceramic brain is intact, the individual can be revived. And in this case, "intact" is pretty broad. One man shoots himself in the head to stow away on a ship (life signs detectors can't find you if you're dead!), and the captain is so impressed that she makes him a lieutenant. Humanity has had some pretty significant biological changes, as well -- every human has artificial constructs in their bloodstream called "emergency genes" which make them absurdly durable, and will [[HealingFactor regenerate tissue and limbs if given enough mass]]. Human blood flows so thickly with engineered cells and {{Nanomachines}} that [[AlienBlood it has become almost black]]. The Captains of the [[PlanetSpaceship Great Ship]] have extensive augmentations, usually data stores that allow them to have almost perfect recall for their the [[TimeAbyss hundreds of thousands of years]] of duty to the Ship. |
| 252 | ** ''The Winemaster'' had a significant portion of the United States population [[BrainUploading download their brains]] into tiny, [[YearOutsideHourInside fantastically fast]] robotic bodies, who are isolated into enclaves which use magnetic fields to protect their fragile minds from heavy particles and radiation. By the time the story takes place, most of the posthumans were [[MechanicalLifeforms never even human to begin with]] -- instead being the artificially created "children" of the original posthumans. |
| 253 | * Creator/AlastairReynolds' work is full of this, especially the [[Literature/RevelationSpaceSeries Revelation Space]] universe. |
| 254 | * ''Literature/{{Schismatrix}}'' explores the concept in great depth. |
| 255 | * In ''Literature/StarTrekExMachina'', it's revealed that Will Decker was essentially a 23rd century transhumanist, with a personal spirituality deeply concerned with "unexplored potentials of the human mind". His particular dream was an AllYourPowersCombined scenario whereby different species could transcend their limits by uniting their psyches and spiritual essence. This, he hoped, would let them sense or reach new levels of existence. For this reason, he was strongly drawn to species with telepathic abilities. |
| 256 | * Creator/CharlesStross uses it quite a bit, particularly in ''{{Literature/Accelerando}}'', ''{{Literature/Glasshouse}}'', and Literature/TheEschatonSeries. |
| 257 | * In Nietzsche's ''Literature/ThusSpakeZarathustra'', Zarathustra preaches that humankind's future lies into the {{Ubermensch}}, a form of spiritual/mental transcendence into an existence that does not need God. |
| 258 | * Discussed towards the end of Creator/VernorVinge's novella "Literature/TrueNames", when Slip and Ery finally meet face-to-face. Not too surprising, since Vinge is generally credited with popularizing the idea of TheSingularity. |
| 259 | * ''Literature/TheTuringOption'' by Harry Harrison and Marvin Minsky. |
| 260 | * ''Literature/TheWaySeries'' by Greg Bear touches heavily on this. The multiverse-traveling inhabitants of The Way are [[spoiler:humans from another timeline]] who have completely transcended the limitations of the flesh. Their bodies are more or less artificial, usually designed personally by their inhabitants -- examples include floating crystal fish, spheres, and for the nostalgic, improved versions of the basic humanoid body. They've perfected mind-uploading, and while they are physically mortal, they are long-lived and each citizen is granted two extra bodies after their first one dies. When the third body dies, they still have mental immortality in cyberspace and, if they're useful, may be granted even more bodies by the government. In addition to all of this, they can send [[VirtualGhost partial copies of their personalities]] (which do not have full sentience or legal person-hood, apparently) to [[MundaneUtility attend meetings]] or carry out tasks they cannot fulfill in person. Enough of these copies and you can even [[spoiler:mostly reconstruct a person whose mind was deleted from the net.]] |
| 261 | [[/folder]] |
| 262 | |
| 263 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 264 | * ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': Calvin Zabo concocted a SuperSerum for himself after HYDRA mutilated his wife and separated him from his daughter. Holden Radcliffe is a transhumanist scientist who replaced his right eye with a synthetic prosthesis based on a bird's, granting him an enhanced vision |
| 265 | * ''Series/AlienWorlds2020'': The Terrans are transaliens, technically, but the themes are otherwise the same. They are an incredibly ancient, incredibly advanced civilization, and have developed to the point where each Terran is essentially a giant, diffuse brain in a life-support vat and connected to all other Terrans in a HiveMind. They do not age and do not die, and possess the technology necessary to create strong AI, terraform other worlds and move their entire civilization from one planet to the next. |
| 266 | * ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'': The crew includes three genetically enhanced humans, a cyborg, and an android who is a semi-autonomous [[SpaceshipGirl avatar]] of the [[SapientShip ship herself.]] |
| 267 | * ''Series/ChoujuuSentaiLiveman'' has some fun with this trope -- all the members of Volt manage to play out this trope in different ways, with the exception of Guardroid Gash. [[spoiler: And ''all'' of them die less than pleasantly for it, save one.]] |
| 268 | %%* ''Series/{{Fringe}}'': Several of them have popped up. |
| 269 | * ''Franchise/KamenRider'' features this as a theme often. Creator/ShotaroIshinomori had a thing for the trope, in the sense of how one can find or lose their humanity through it. |
| 270 | ** The first ''Series/KamenRider'' series had the terrorist organization Shocker, formed by a group of Nazis who decided to take their Party's beliefs a step further and convert themselves into a new MasterRace by PlayingWithSyringes. The main character, Takeshi Hongo, was kidnapped by them to be [[ReforgedIntoAMinion remodeled]], but escaped and decided to be {{pro human|Transhuman}} instead. |
| 271 | ** The Sengoku Driver in ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' was designed to enable this, as its creator was a MadScientist seeking to transcend humanity and become a god. After using his Driver for a prolonged period of time, [[TheHero Kouta]] stops eating and starts to lose grip on his humanity. Eventually, both he and [[TheRival Kaito]] achieve this through different means [[spoiler:Kaito eats the fruit of Helheim and internalizes it through sheer willpower to become an [[MonsterLord Overlord]], while Kouta defeats Kaito and claims the ForbiddenFruit to become the next "Man of the Beginning", effectively elevating him to PhysicalGod.]] |
| 272 | * ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': |
| 273 | ** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': |
| 274 | *** Gary Mitchell and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner from "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E3WhereNoManHasGoneBefore Where No Man Has Gone Before]]" both acquire psi-powers from the galactic energy barrier -- within a few hours, Mitchell can read the entire library of the ''Enterprise'', use telekinesis, create small objects, and project energy from his fingers, with Dr. Dehner just a short way behind him. It's impossible to be sure, but they might have hit Q power levels a few days later if they had lived. Unfortunately, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Gary becomes a psychopath]]. Spock believes TranshumanTreachery in such a situation to be inevitable, as the transformed would come to view mere humans as a petty annoyance. In one ''ST'' novel, it ''was'' Q, beaten in a fight by Trelane, reduced to mere essence, and tossed back in time a million or so years, who provided the power to Mitchell and Dehner. |
| 275 | *** Khan Noonien Singh and his followers from "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E22SpaceSeed Space Seed]]" have genius-level intelligence and five times the strength of a normal man. |
| 276 | *** The Organians from "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E26ErrandOfMercy Errand of Mercy]]" state that they were once as human as Kirk and his crew, but had evolved into creatures of pure thought and energy. This is at least implied to be the origin of most EnergyBeings in the ''Trek'' universe, like the Companion, Sargon, the Zetars, possibly the Bajoran Prophets in a TimeyWimeyBall manner, etc.; probably even the Q, since they seem to think humans are on the path to becoming like them. |
| 277 | ** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': |
| 278 | *** Julian Bashir is transhuman thanks to his genetic enhancement. He puts it to good use. Other genetically enhanced people, however, tend to end up having various drawbacks, including mental instability or [[AmbitionIsEvil evil-inducing levels of ambition]]. However, due to genetic modification of this type being illegal, it's carried out by doctors with restricted resources and no support, mainly on children who are already "damaged". The Star Trek universe is kept from full-scale transhumanism primarily by editorial dictates. |
| 279 | *** Also, the Vorta, who were [[UpliftedAnimal uplifted]] from ape-like beings into what they are now by the Changelings. The other main Dominion race, the Jem'Hadar, are also genetically tailored by the Changelings into loyal super-soldiers. |
| 280 | *** The Changelings themselves were once "solid" humanoids, and it's implied they reached their current form through some kind of technological means. |
| 281 | %%** The Traveler (and later Wesley Crusher). |
| 282 | %%** The [[{{Cyborg}} Borg]]. |
| 283 | %%** A more fantastic version could also be applied to [[RealityWarper Q]] and the rest of the [[EnergyBeings Continuum]]. |
| 284 | * ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': The Special Children are humans who were fed demon blood at 6 months of age, so that they would grow up to have psychic abilities. |
| 285 | [[/folder]] |
| 286 | |
| 287 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 288 | * The goal and ideal of the (admittedly loopy) narrator of Music/JonathanCoulton's "The Future Soon". |
| 289 | -->'''Cause it's gonna be the future soon, I won't always be this way/As the things that make me weak and strange get engineered away...'' |
| 290 | * Swedish trance/metal band Music/{{Amaranthe}} has a good few songs about transhumanism, most notably Invincible, Digital World, and, well, Transhuman. |
| 291 | * One of the themes of Music/AvengedSevenfold's album ''Music/TheStage'', particularly in the song "Paradigm", whose protagonist is saved from death and rendered immortal by technology, and wonders if he has lost his humanity. |
| 292 | [[/folder]] |
| 293 | |
| 294 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 295 | * A number of examples in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': |
| 296 | ** The 4th edition features Epic Destinies, a kind of high-level PrestigeClass designed to provide an endgame for your character. Most of these result in your character gaining powers beyond those of mere mortals before ultimately [[GodhoodSeeker becoming a god]] or [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence passing to another plane of existence]]. |
| 297 | ** Also, the Elan Race in 3.5e's ''[[PsychicPowers Expanded Psionics Handbook]]'' and the bloodline feat chain of the same name in 4e D&D's ''Psionic Power'' is essentially this: humans who underwent body modification to turn themselves into an immortal being powered by thought. |
| 298 | ** The Dragon Disciple PrestigeClass is a magic user who taps into the latent power of a Draconic ancestor to take a Dragon-like form. |
| 299 | ** In the ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' campaign settings, high-level mages and clerics can transform into dragons, elementals or avangions. |
| 300 | ** The late 3.5 base class Dragonfire Adept centred around the power of dragons. While some of this came out in the form of a kind of spellcasting, they also got the ability to breathe fire (and potentially several other things) and grew scales (and got a free bonus feat that allowed access to otherwise sorcerer-specific dragon-themed transhuman feats). |
| 301 | * ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'', due to ubiquitous BrainUploading technology most people jump from one genetically enhanced or synthetic "morph" to another [[BodySurf fairly regularly]]. ''Eclipse Phase'' underlying theme is specifically transhumanism and exploring both the technological and psychological aspects of it. All the rule books use ''transhumanity'' instead of "humanity" (except where bio-conservatives are concerned), and wants you ''thinking'' about it. |
| 302 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': The Exalted are PunyEarthlings who [[TitleDrop Exalted]], thus becoming enhanced to the point of surpassing the [[PhysicalGod gods]] in ability. However, going too far into transhuman paradigms generally leads to TheDarkSide in some form or another. |
| 303 | ** Several Exalted types are quite literally transhuman. The Alchemicals start as cyborgs with human souls, and eventually turn into giant robots and even living cities as their permanent Essence rating increases. The Infernals have the ability to become like their [[OurTitansAreDifferent Yozi]] patrons, the many-souled, world-like beings that first made the world. You've even got cases among the other Exalted, like the First Age Solar Queen Ktula, who experimented with her body so much that a bunch of her Charms shut down because her Exaltation no longer recognized her as human. |
| 304 | ** Abyssals too. Except that rather than become something more than human, they become something less -- something hollow and malignant, a walking conduit to Oblivion. The ultimate destiny of the Abyssals could be Deathlords Mark Two -- or something greater and more terrible than even the Deathlords can imagine. Or, y'know, they could kick the Void in the face and powerload hope and light into their Shards until they can achieve redemption and become Solars. One of the nice things about ''Exalted'' is that there's always a choice. |
| 305 | ** Absolutely all Alchemicals are transhumans of the cyborg variety, and over their lifetimes extensively upgrade themselves with mechanical implants, armored skin replacements, prosthetic or entirely additional limbs bristling with tools and weapons, complex arrays of sensory scanners and filters, and the like. Elder Alchemicals rarely look more than roughly humanoid anymore. They even have special meter that indicates how far removed they are from the thought processes of normal humans, called Clarity. They have charms with cyberpunk names such as Man-Machine Interface and God-Machine Interface, which achieves what sorcery does by hacking reality itself. Their personal growth ultimately culminates in them transforming into immense, living cities. And then there is Voidtech, which is a path of [[BodyHorror organic transhumanism]]... |
| 306 | * ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}: TabletopGame/TranshumanSpace'' has multiple levels of human genetic modification, artificial humans, artificial intelligence, nanosymbionts, brain uploading (albeit one-way) and uplifted animals. Very few cybernetics though, they're considered outdated. |
| 307 | * ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has New Phyrexia, where normal organisms get transformed into more dangerous Phyrexian ones by the oil and Phyrexian bioengineering, while native Phyrexians are born as naked "newts" that can be perfected into a number of general templates based on role through surgery. |
| 308 | ** It also applies to old Phyrexia; the process of Phyresis in The Thran is very akin to transhumanism, since Yawgmoth not only cures the afflicted of their phthisis, but also transforms them into war machines and then explains that they are the future heroes of the Thran (heh). |
| 309 | ** Urza also dabbled in transhumanism with his genetic experimentation and the creation of the [[SuperSoldier Metathran]]. |
| 310 | * ''Nova Praxis'' has Synthesis and Apotheosis. Synthesis is a bodily upgrade that merges you with nanotechnology to make people stronger, faster and tougher, while Apotheosis involves having your brain turned into nanotech and your mind into a program running on that nanotech, so smoothly that there's no obvious changes to that actual mind. People who've undergone Apotheosis can upload themselves to computers or install themselves into new bodies, and some can figure out how to "hack" their own code, becoming [[{{Technopath}} Savants]]. |
| 311 | * In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', this is a theme of Sorcerers. As they advance in power, the supernatural bloodlines that give them their natural magic also begin transforming their bodies in subtle, then overt ways. |
| 312 | * In ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'', many people have some degree of mechanical alteration -- cybereyes are the most common bit of cyberware in the world. Mages on the other hand can't use them with out messing up their Essence/magic. Also, the metahuman races are humans who have been altered by the return of magic. |
| 313 | * In ''TabletopGame/StrikeLegion'', transhumanism is ubiquitous. The average human in either the Imperium or the Star Republic is already genetically enhanced to the point that they make modern humanity look like degenerate apes. This is before factoring in extensive bio-augmentation, cybernetic implants, and nanotech enhancements which are commercially available to civilians and military. And ''that'' is before one gets into the Imperium's countless supersoldier programs (cybernetic modification, genetic modification, [[DemonicPossession extradimensional modification]], genetically-enhanced RealityWarper powers....) and the Republic's [[OneManArmy Legion]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction Process]]. |
| 314 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has mechanicum {{Cyborg}}s, [[BioAugmentation augmented]] SuperSoldier SpaceMarines, as well as their [[PsychicPowers psychic]], [[TheCorruption Chaotically]] powered, and {{Cyborg}} versions, [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetically engineered]] SuperSoldier [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orks]] who also come with crude cyborknetic and psychic versions, and [[TheUndead undead]] full-body {{Cyborg}} conversions that come in [[SpaceElves Eldar]] and Franchise/{{Terminator}} rip-off versions. There are undoubtedly countless more examples, [[EverythingTryingToKillYou all of them trying to kill you]]. |
| 315 | * ''Zero'' from Archangel Entertainment is a late '90s game that's set thousands of years after a cyberpunk dystopia. What's believed to be left of "humanity" are the 500,000 "biomechs" of the HiveMind belonging to [[MonsterLord Queen Zero]]. What a biomech is a vat-grown human with psionic power and is surgically reconstructed with caste dependent bionics over the course of its infancy until its emergence from its birthing chamber. |
| 316 | [[/folder]] |
| 317 | |
| 318 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 319 | * The inhabitants on planet Bara Magna of ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', are born organic but augment themselves with mechanical implants over their several hundred thousand year-long lives. Their general buildup is 85% organic and 15% robotic, as opposed to the beings of the Matoran Universe for whom the percentages are reversed. The Great Beings also liked to experiment with grafting weapons to animals, like the [[{{Kaiju}} giant monster]] Skopio. This is of course not apparent on the toys which look fully robotic because they're made of Toys/{{Lego}} pieces. |
| 320 | [[/folder]] |
| 321 | |
| 322 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 323 | %% Needs Context * The [=BIOS=] faction from ''VideoGame/{{Allegiance}}''. |
| 324 | * ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': Cults around the [[UnwillingRoboticization Mechanika Virus]] sprung up before the vaccines were developed, and even up til now there are some individuals who praise the virus and bemoan the proliferation of the virus as preventing humanity from "ascending" to a higher form of existence. A poster at Freeway 42 lambasts this, with a picture of a horrific victim of the virus and the caption asking if it was worth losing his sanity. |
| 325 | * "Human Plus" cybernetic enhancements have been part of the ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'' series since the beginning. Usually aimed at making better mech pilots. |
| 326 | ** In the first game the player character only gets access to Human Plus parts after failing multiple missions. |
| 327 | ** In ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreVIFiresOfRubicon'' the player character is an augmented human from the beginning, but barely able to move outside of their mech and looking like a potato wrapped in saran-wrap in the story trailer. [[spoiler:In the GoldenEnding they attempt to start a Singularity event by merging humanity with the [[StarfishAliens Coral]].]] |
| 328 | * All of the demigods in ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' are transhuman, as well as descended from transhuman beings. |
| 329 | * ''VideoGame/BioShock'': The city of Rapture developed "plasmids" that give people superpowers. And hideously deform them and drive them insane. |
| 330 | * In ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'', each of the three Affinities represents a different level of Transhumanism. [[GoodIsOldFashioned Purity]] factions stay recognizably human, but seek to eliminate disease and weakness through genetic manipulation, [[GreenAesop Harmony]] factions also stay recognizably human, but they splice themselves with alien lifeforms to allow them to breath the planet's air and integrate with its ecosystem, and [[ScienceHero Supremacy]] factions go all the way, replacing their bodies with machinery and [[BrainUploading becoming sentient computers]]. |
| 331 | ** The expansion pack ''Rising Tide'' adds some additional takes on it with their "Hybrid Affinities". Purity-Harmony are the most explicitly transhumanist, using genetic engineering and lessons learned from the new planets biology to create better (at least in their minds) humans. Meanwhile Supremacy-Harmony results in rather disturbing mixes of cybernetics and bio-technology, though their driving philosophy is more "power at any cost". Purity-Supremacy eschews the transhumanism for baseline humans backed up advanced robotic drone technology but keeping the two parts distinct. |
| 332 | * ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'': Transhumanism forms one of the core tenets of the Brotherhood of Nod's religion. They seek to use the power of Tiberium and technologies derived from it to alter humanity as preparation for Ascension. Nod also place massive investments in cybernetics research and combining the machine with biology and Tiberium (regenerating cyborgs as shock troops, the Mark of Kane, and the CABAL and LEGION AIs). |
| 333 | * ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}}'': |
| 334 | ** This is the ultimate goal of Jacob Hargreave. He has been working for [[spoiler:[[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld more than a century]]]] to prepare humankind for war with the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Ceph]], using [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum their own stolen technology]] to enhance human technology, and it culminates in the Nanosuits, which are hyper-advanced PoweredArmor designed to turn their wearers into "post-human warriors". They go so far as to [[spoiler:literally replace entire organs, co-opt brain functions, and generally turn their wearers into full-on nanotech cyborg supersoldiers]], and are capable of [[spoiler: sustaining a person even after death]], and on top of that, they contain internal machinery and advanced computers that can sample, analyze, and adapt to Ceph environmental weapons. |
| 335 | ** In ''VideoGame/Crysis3'', you go even further: [[spoiler:"Prophet" is no longer human at all, but a walking mass of nanosuit muscle with the memory fragments of Laurence Barnes and Alcatraz knocking around in his/its databanks. He/it even gains the ability to morph into human appearances at the very end]]. |
| 336 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'', Golden Age humanity was this thanks to the Traveler's technology, with enhanced bodies that did not suffer from disease and possessing triple the normal human lifespan. They even developed sentient humanlike machines called Exos, which are theorized by the current human society to have been an effort at true immortality via BrainUploading. The latter being confirmed in one of the sequel's later seasons, specifically with the intent of the Exos being soldiers for the war with the Darkness. |
| 337 | * The driving background element for the entire ''Franchise/DeusExUniverse'': |
| 338 | ** In ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' itself, heavily augmented humans are commonplace. The primary motivation of the villains seems to be to [[spoiler:establish themselves as posthuman overlords, ascending to godhood while ruling over a population of unaugmented minions]]. |
| 339 | ** ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'' has several factions, some who are against transhumanism, like the Purists, and others who are all for it, like the Omar, who radically alter themselves to the point that they no longer look human and are in the early stages of a being a HiveMind. There are several possible endings, portraying [[spoiler:either a pseudo-religious backlash against all transhuman technology, the peaceful integration of trans- and normal humans, or the complete (but involuntary) ascension of the species to a new plane, depending on player choices]]. |
| 340 | ** Transhumanism is a major theme in ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution''. There are people in support of it, people against it, lots of reasons for both pitted against each other in several debate scenes, and Adam Jensen himself has lots of cybernetic upgrades, also called augmentations. |
| 341 | * In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', this is one of the theories about what the [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwemer]] were trying to do when they [[RiddleForTheAges mysteriously disappeared]]. They were a [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien highly technologically advanced]] race whose creations are still unmatched by any other race even in the thousands of years since their disappearance. [[BlueAndOrangeMorality A major part of their outlook]] was the idea of refuting ''everything'' as real, including themselves. When they discovered the [[CosmicKeystone heart of a dead god]], they attempted to tap into its power, likely hoping to [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence reforge themselves as ascended god-like beings]]. Whatever happened, it caused every member of their race to blink out of all known planes of existence in an instant. |
| 342 | * ''VideoGame/EveOnline'': |
| 343 | ** All the capsuleers are transhuman. Just watch the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfFKSIqkvM intro movie]]. |
| 344 | ** The Jove used to be human, but have biologically modified their bodies to such an extent that they can't really be considered human anymore. |
| 345 | * Fawkes in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' refers to his fellow [[ViralTransformation supermutants]] as "meta-human" but even he admits most of them are [[HulkSpeak mentally inferior]] to unaugmented humans. A small minority however are mentally equal ''and'' physically superior (not counting their sterility, of course), exactly how the Master intended them to be. TheVirus causing all this was ''intended'' to create superior human beings but [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt their research was interrupted by a nuclear war]]. |
| 346 | ** It also seems to be what version of the virus, Fawkes and the DC mutants were made with an early version. The Master's army was the "newest" resulting is most being at least human level mentally. The Enclave's mutants updated the Master's but due to their racist views they designed it to make them dumb. |
| 347 | * In the ''VideoGame/{{FEAR}}'' games, creating transhumans was part of [[MegaCorp Armacham's]] goal in initiating Projects Origin, Harbinger, and Perseus. [[GoneHorriblyRight They succeeded.]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction Hoo boy]], [[PsychoPrototype did]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds they]] [[RealityWarper succeed]] [[AxeCrazy at that.]] |
| 348 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': |
| 349 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' and its Compilation works have numerous [[BioAugmentation biologically enhanced]] {{Super Soldier}}s, as well as several people with cybernetic components. |
| 350 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' and its trilogy have humans that are transformed into L'Cie, making them stronger and giving them the ability to use Magic. After the end of ''XIII'', some people begin to learn to use Magic normally without becoming a L'Cie, and by the time [[spoiler:Noel Kreiss is born 700 years in the future]], this is the norm for everyone. |
| 351 | *** Taken even further with the main protagonist, Lightning. In ''XIII'', she goes from a human to a L'Cie. After ''XIII'', she goes from a L'Cie to a human possessing the magic of a L'Cie (according to "The Fragments After"). Just before the events of ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2 XIII-2]]'', she goes from a human possessing the magic of a L'Cie to being given immense power by the Goddess Etro and being called a "Warrior Goddess" at one point, the manual stating she's "something more than human... almost a Goddess herself." During ''[[VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII Lightning Returns]]'', she will now serve as "The Soul Liberator" and has been said to be even more powerful than before. Now, she even begins to question whether or not she's even human anymore at this point. |
| 352 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'': On top of normal people knowing magic like in XIII-2, it also features L'Cie being essentially Gods. [[ProhumanTranshuman and most of the named ones are willing to help the humans]]. [[spoiler: Two of whom even empower Class Zero to take on the Final boss, albeit at a personal cost]]. |
| 353 | * ''Franchise/FireEmblem:'' |
| 354 | ** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'', and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776,'' in the ancient past of the continent of Jugdral, [[PrecursorHeroes a group of 12 heroes]] who became known as the 12 Crusaders made magical pacts with immensely powerful, godlike dragons, getting blessed with physical or magical abilities beyond those of normal humans as well as a powerful magic weapon. They passed on the power to their descendants in the form of Holy Blood. Holy Blood exists in a major and minor variant; both give a unit stat boosts that give them an edge in combat over those without it, but the major variant gains more significant stat boosts and grants the unique ability for a carrier to wield their lineage’s immensely powerful AncestralWeapon. |
| 355 | ** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses,'' special powers called Crests exist on the continent of Fódlan. They are the result of the human heroes of the distant past, the 10 Elites and Four Saints, being magically infused with the blood of Sothis, the goddess of the Church of Seiros, though [[spoiler:the Four Saints are non-human [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Children of the Goddess]], dragons who were [[TheMaker created by the goddess]] and received her blood voluntarily, while the human 10 Elites [[HistoricalHeroUpgrade took it forcibly]] after their leader Nemesis killed her.]] The original bearers of these Crests passed down their Crests to their descendants. Humans who inherit Crests [[spoiler:or have Crests forcibly implanted into them]] gain special abilities those without don’t have that have a chance of activating in combat, from life draining enemies, to dealing extra damage with attacks, to increasing healing done with healing spells, to negating an enemy’s counterattack. Like the Holy Blood of Jugdral, Crests come in both major and minor variants; major Crests activate more often than minor. |
| 356 | * This ideology, brought to reality by means of {{magic|Enhancement}} [[BioAugmentation and]] {{genetic engineering|IsTheNewNuke}}, is the reason the world of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' eventually goes ''completely to shit''. [[spoiler:The Gears [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters that ended up ravaging the world]] were intended to be the next step in human evolution, which is why the first game was subtitled "''The Missing Link''." While Gears can be created from a variety of living organisms by simply [[MixAndMatchCritters introducing a patchwork of animal genes to the subject]], three of the playable Gears (Sol, Justice, and Testament) [[WasOnceAMan were originally human]]. In fact, Sol, [[TheAtoner the series' namesake]], spearheaded the Gear Project alongside his lover and fellow scientist Aria, [[OpenSecret who is all but outright stated]] to be the woman who was converted into Commander Gear Justice.]] |
| 357 | * "Transhuman" is a [[TranshumanTreachery politically loaded]] word in the ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' [[VichyEarth universe]]. Any human who volunteers to join the Overwatch is brainwashed, gutted, dismembered, and rebuilt as a cyborg. [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul The augmentations make them entirely dependent on the Combine.]] |
| 358 | * The Spartans in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', although in the games they're portrayed more as soldiers wearing PoweredArmor. The EU goes a great deal further into explaining that they biologically and cybernetically enhanced the bejeezus out of them before putting them into their really fancy armored suits. As such, the in-game physical strength and stamina of the Spartans comes from a combination of their biological enhancements and their powersuits. The biological enhancements are also portrayed as ''necessary'' to wear the suits; one of the novels has a regular human in the armor shattering his bones just by trying to move normally. |
| 359 | * The NESTS Cartel in ''Videogame/TheKingOfFighters'' is big on body enhancements, whether genetic tampering (K', Kula, Nameless etc) or cybernetic modifications (Maxima). The son of its leader, Igniz, particularly claims himself [[AGodAmI as a god]] for being highly enhanced. |
| 360 | * ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has humans that are enhanced both through gene therapy and cybernetic enhancements. Furthermore, in utero exposure to the substance "Element Zero", the AppliedPhlebotinum responsible for the titular [[MinovskyPhysics Mass Effect]], has caused a small percentage of the population, known as biotics, to gain powerful [[MindOverMatter telekinetic abilities]] by projecting mass effect fields from their bodies. To make practical use of their abilities, biotics require a piece of wetware to regulate their nervous system called a "biotic amplifier". The amps themselves are modular, the sockets implanted in the biotic's head are not so much. |
| 361 | ** In the sequel, Shepard's resurrection necessitated "Bio-synthetic fusion" where Shepard was given extensive cybernetic implants wired throughout their body that serves to reinforce their skeletal structure, enhance strength, improve organ function and supplement their central nervous system. The ''Project Overlord DLC'' reveals that Shepard is just about machine enough to briefly be taken over by the Overlord "Virus", while the ''Citadel DLC'' from the third game has EDI comment that Shepard is roughly 30% synthetic. |
| 362 | ** [[spoiler:All organic beings become transhuman in the "Synthetic" ending]] of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''. |
| 363 | *** It also applies to the [[HiveMind Geth]] in the same game, if [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard]] so chooses, as [[spoiler:each Geth program becomes a sentient entity in and of itself]]. |
| 364 | ** Out of concerns that species might lose their biological uniqueness, genetic enhancements are regulated by interstellar accords. The general rule of thumb about this is that enhancing existing traits through genetic modification is okay but adding new traits that the original would never naturally possess is forbidden. So for example, a human could be made smarter, stronger, and quicker, but could not be given a tail or the ability to digest cellulose. This seems to only apply to genetics though (as those are passed down to children.) Cybernetics (which are not) seem to be acceptable. |
| 365 | ** ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' revisits this with the human Pathfinder, Alec Ryder (and later, [[PlayerCharacter one of his children]]): he conceived the Simulated Adaptive Matrix, SAM, as a new type of artificial intelligence that could co-exist with a human host. Everything Ryder experiences, SAM also experiences, their relationship one of symbiosis that expands on the potential of both human and AI. This is because the implants that connect Ryder and SAM go further than those for just biotics, connecting to not only the host's nervous system, but their circulation, endocrine functions, and all five of their senses. |
| 366 | * In the [[SequelSeries series that follow on]] from ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', this becomes the [[TakeAThirdOption third option]] solution to the RobotWar that has plagued human -- and Reploidkind for hundreds of years. By the beginning of ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', humans and Reploids have become so alike that it's become difficult to distinguish between the two. In fact, ''ZX's'' BigBad intends to [[spoiler:evolve "beyond the mere fusion of man and machine" as the [[UltimateLifeForm ultimate Mega Man]] via the ArtifactOfDoom.]] |
| 367 | * Hub Hikari, aka [=MegaMan.EXE=] in ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' and ([[WildMassGuessing possibly]]) Dr. [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Light]] in ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' are this via BrainUploading. |
| 368 | * ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', primarily through {{Nanomachines}}.[[note]][[ParrotExposition Nanomachines]]?![[/note]] |
| 369 | ** The series also has {{cyborg}} (ninjas) and [[PsychicPowers psychic soldiers]] running around. Cyborgs in particular play a big part in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', where the post-''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' world sees them becoming so common that entire armies of cyborg [[PrivateMilitaryContractor PMC's]] are present and most combat veterans have some degree of cybernetic upgrade. |
| 370 | * In ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'', protagonist Samus Aran has had durability, agility, strength, poison resistance, and parasite resistance enhanced via addition of alien DNA, and has been shown to have her PoweredArmor literally attached to her nervous system, to the point where she can make it suddenly appear by concentrating (although taking it off again is a bit more complicated, as the doctors found out in ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion''). It's entirely possible she's also got a menagerie of superpowers in her DNA from ''Fusion'', but it's never made quite clear if those powers are DNA-based or not (and the issue is debated heatedly). |
| 371 | * Creator/{{Namco}}'s ''Numan Athletics'' and its sequel ''Mach Breakers'' plays this for fun. In the future, yeah {{Kaiju}} are commonplace, but increasingly so are a new breed of superhumans - to the point that both are incorporated in a bombastic annual athetics competition. The Numans have high levels of superhuman strength, speed and endurance. Additionally, they have a HandBlast that will OneHitKill a Kaiju and are NighInvulnerable (in a skeet shoot equivalent, a Numan failing to shoot down a battleship cannon shell will just have their clothes blown off in a direct hit). |
| 372 | * ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' takes place in a future where cybernetics have become increasingly commonplace, with many characters such as [=McCree=] and Torbjörn having some of their body parts replaced with prosthetics. And then there's Genji, who was on the brink of death after a duel with his brother Hanzo until Overwatch rescued him and replaced most of his body with cybernetics. After the fall of Overwatch, Genji suffered an identity crisis over whether he was still human or more machine than man, until he met Zenyatta, who taught him that he is both machine and man, and that there is virtue in such an existence. Genji eventually came to terms with his existence, believing that while his body may be machine, his soul is still human. |
| 373 | * Albert Wesker in the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' aims for enhancing his body with biological weapon projects, as well as experimenting them on various people to try to improve them as well (usually with disastrous results). |
| 374 | * In ''Videogame/{{Rimworld}}'', by the late game many of your colonists can become this, replacing many of their body parts with cybernetics, including [[DeusEstMachina archeotech-engineered]] components. As of the ''Royalty'' update they can go even further, installing everything from [[BladeBelowTheShoulder elbow blades]], [[MadeOfIron skin armor glands]], [[InstantExpert learning processors]], and even [[PsychicPowers psionic implants.]] There's even a colonist trait, Transhumanist, which gives them a mood boost for every cybernetic component they have installed. |
| 375 | * Racter from ''Videogame/ShadowrunReturns: Hong Kong'' is a transhumanist and you can spend a lot of discussions with him discussing its implications in a universe where [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul Cybernetics Eat Your Humanity]] is written into its foundations due to people's personal mana fields being disrupted by replacements. Racter himself believes that the essence limit is just due to In{{sufficiently Analyzed Magic}} and that it will be overcome [[spoiler:by sociopaths such as himself, who are immune to the mental effects of cyberization.]] |
| 376 | * The Advent from ''VideoGame/SinsOfASolarEmpire'', in contrast to the NoTranshumanismAllowed Traders. Part of the reason why the Traders exiled them in the first place. The alien race present in the game, the Vasari, are as of their in-game state, also technologically improved to varying degrees from their biological baseline. |
| 377 | * ''Franchise/StarCraft'': |
| 378 | ** Terran Ghosts, both thanks to their inherent psychic abilities and the technology and training that helps them harness it (and keep it under control). |
| 379 | ** Protoss Dragoons, Immortals and Stalkers are mildly Trans-Protoss by virtue of their mechanical bodies. |
| 380 | ** The goal of the Zerg Overmind was to assimilate new races, becoming more Trans-Zerg each time. The Overmind's finest creation was Kerrigan, the first Zerg to wield psionic powers. |
| 381 | * ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' refers to that concept as Ascension, and comes in four flavour: [[PsychicPowers Transcendent Ascension]], [[BioAugmentation Biological Ascension]], [[BrainUploading Synthetic Ascension]] and [[{{Cyborg}} Cybernetic Ascension]] |
| 382 | * ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'': |
| 383 | ** Alice Margatroid used to be human, but transformed into a magician {{youkai}}. This seems to be the ultimate fate of magic-users -- lapping so far around they become supernatural creatures with some human traits rather than humans with some supernatural traits. |
| 384 | ** Byakuren Hijiri is very big in surpassing human limitation, and [[NoTranshumanismAllowed got banished to the aforementioned Pandemonium]] by humans who weren't pleased with her becoming a youkai. She has an arsenal of body-enhancing spells, for beauty and for combat. One of her spellcard is titled ''Superhuman Byakuren Hijiri''. |
| 385 | ** Ironically, Byakuren's major ideological rival Toyosatomimi no Miko is ''also'' a big proponent of transhumanism, claiming that her own transformation into a [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers hermit]] was "overcoming her humanity". The main difference between them is whether they would consider being a youkai acceptable. |
| 386 | * ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': Absolutely everyone. The Grineer are [[CloneArmy expendable clones]] who make up for their [[CloneDegeneration failing genetics]] with [[{{Cyborg}} extensive cybernetics]], the Corpus have enough genetic engineering that [[LongLived a hundred years is considered barely a teenager]] and also use plenty of cybernetics, and even the primitive human tribes scattered around the Origin System have inherited enough enhanced genetics that they are far superior to modern humanity. The Tenno, the {{Player Character}}s, are the biggest transhumans of them all, but also the most horrible: [[spoiler:The warframes were originally humans mutated by the Technocyte Plague, but the process drove them insane with rage and pain. The Operators were normal children (though they had all the genetic and cybernetic enhancements typical of their time) who suffered a Void-jump accident and gained strange Void powers that made them something more than human. The children were able to tame the warframes by showing them [[YouAreNotAlone basic empathy and compassion]], and together they became the Tenno]]. |
| 387 | * The ethical ramifications of transhuman engineering are touched upon in ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' once you come across the cybernetically-altered aliens, particularly the Floaters, who are essentially Mutons whose lower bodies have been hacked off and have had jet engines integrated into their backs. Dr. Shen, in particular, is horrified by the idea, and even moreso that that humanity might end up following the aliens' path. He also expresses both apprehension and awe when XCOM figures out how to develop PsychicPowers. Goes even further with the ''Enemy Within'' expansion, where the player is able to apply the aliens' own "Meld" technology with their soldiers, enabling them to create genetically-boosted and/or cybernetically-enhanced supersoldiers piloting MiniMecha. |
| 388 | * This is a major plot point in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'': [[spoiler:it is revealed that every human you've met, including ''yourself'', is actually a "mimeosome", an android controlled by the consciousness of humanity trapped in the core of the White Whale's Lifehold. BLADE's mission is to find the Lifehold so they can revive the humans inside before it runs out of power and they all die. By the end of the game, the Lifehold's computer has been destroyed; as a result, humanity as we know it is extinct, and the only remnants of it now are the mimeosomes on Mira.]] |
| 389 | [[/folder]] |
| 390 | |
| 391 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 392 | * ''Webcomic/AmongTheChosen'' most of the cast fits into one type or another, though there are a few unmodified humans. |
| 393 | * The Valkyries of ''Webcomic/CwynhildsLoom'' are cyborg {{Super Soldier}}s. |
| 394 | * Kimiko of ''Webcomic/DresdenCodak'' is all for transhumanism. In the ''Hob'' storyline, an alternate universe version of her didn't do a terribly good job of carrying humanity through its Singularity and apparently came to a sticky end. The human remnant of that reality did make the step into trans-humanity in the end though. |
| 395 | * ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience'': The colonists on Mars have become a super-advanced HiveMind. |
| 396 | * ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' is loaded with the stuff. Cyborgs, {{nanomachine}}-based boosts, genetically engineered sophonts (including {{uplifted animal}}s), and that's just for humans. Interestingly ''Schlock Mercenary'' approaches the the concept from the other side as well. Haban II and The Fleetmind/Petey started out as pure AIs residing in computer systems but both have since have partially migrated into organic vessels. Haban started as the AI half of the human/AI team of [=DoytHaban=] but after his gate clone suffered a severe head injury, functionally killing Doyt, leaving one version with Haban as the sole intelligence. Petey on the other hand created multiple 'blank' clones and use hypernode communicators to wire them into the Fleetmind Gestalt to act as physical representatives. Note that Petey did this ''specifically'' to loophole his creators' version of the [[SecondLawMyAss Second Law of Robotics]], by giving himself orders from an Ob'enn body. |
| 397 | * A major underlying theme of ''Webcomic/{{Serix}}''. By the time the series starts, humanity has already embraced genetic augmentation and cybernetic enhancements for so long and to such an extent that vanilla Homo Sapiens are technically considered an extinct species. Even somebody as normal-looking as [[TheHero Rees]] can actually be a disembodied consciousness projected into an enhanced artificial clone body, and that's ''before'' you get into the weird stuff. |
| 398 | * Yuri of ''Webcomic/{{Spacetrawler}}''. When she lost her limbs, she obtained robotic replacements. And she went the extra step of {{BioAugment|ation}}ing herself with part of an [[{{Technopath}} Eeb brain]]... and [[CatGirl cat ears]]. |
| 399 | * A few of the characters in ''Webcomic/WeAreTheWyrecats'' would fit the description, ranging from minor upgrades to outright BrainUploading. It's a shared theme from the comic's predecessor, Webcomic/RubyNation. |
| 400 | [[/folder]] |
| 401 | |
| 402 | [[folder:Web Originals]] |
| 403 | * [[http://www.futuretimeline.net/ FutureTimeline.net]] explores this trope in some detail ([[http://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/2045.htm#man-machine 2045]], [[http://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/2080-2089.htm#transhuman 2080]], [[http://www.futuretimeline.net/22ndcentury/2100-2149.htm#AI 2100]], [[http://www.futuretimeline.net/23rdcentury/2200-2249.htm#world-in-2200 2200]], [[http://www.futuretimeline.net/the-far-future.htm#superhuman 2300]]). |
| 404 | * The ''WebVideo/HPlus'' digital series on Website/YouTube shows what happens in a world when transhumanism in the form of a microscopic computer implanted into a person's brain goes wrong. |
| 405 | * ''Very'' deeply explored in ''Website/OrionsArm'', to the point that baselines (regular non-modified humans) are something of an endangered species by 10600 AT. It's also not limited to humans; several xenosophont species have also embraced self-enhancement, and animals both terragen and alien have been [[UpliftedAnimal provolved to sophonce]]. |
| 406 | * Discussed in Blog/ReadySetThink , arguing that not only is it a perfectly valid way of surviving as individuals and as a species, but also sometimes described as our only real chance to survive the rise of Artificial Intelligence.[[/folder]] |
| 407 | |
| 408 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 409 | * ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': In the episode "Preboot", Finn, Jake, and Susan meet a human scientist named Dr. Gross who has augmented her whole body with all manner of cybernetic enhancements. However, she believes ''all'' humans should become "human-plus" like her, [[UnwillingRoboticisation whether they want to or not]]. The same episode reveals that [[spoiler:Susan]] is also an augmented human, although not quite to the same extent. |
| 410 | -->'''Dr. Gross:''' Humans have relied on mods for thousands of years. Glasses to let us see better, artificial hearts to replace bum tickers, and the next logical step ‐‐ scissor hands and telescopic spider-legs! |
| 411 | * Certain humans in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'', after Equestrian magic has been introduced to the human world by Sunset Shimmer in the first movie. The human equivalent to the Mane Six "pony up", that is gain magic abilities equatable to their pony counterparts, while nearly all the antagonists are humans (or in a couple of cases, plants) who have managed to become (at worst) {{Humanoid Abomination}}s. No really, Sunset, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero thanks for that]]. Spike's human world counterpart, who's a regular dog, also eventually becomes much smarter and even begins talking. |
| 412 | * ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'': Robotnik and Bunnie are both cyborgs by partial roboticization. Bunnie gained SuperStrength, while Robotnik gained hidden weapons and robotic eyes. |
| 413 | [[/folder]] |
| 414 | |
| 415 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 416 | * The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism Transhumanist movement]] would like to promote research into science and technology that would make it possible. The Grinder subculture of Biohackers, as an example, could be said to have "exceeded the normal mental and physical abilities" by adding a new sense. By implanting rare-earth magnets into finger tips they can sense electromagnetic fields. This lets users sense things like the electrical wiring in walls, or the 60hz hum of a microwave. Basic yes, but still transhuman. |
| 417 | * People who have undergone gene therapy or use electronic prostheses, cochlear implants, and the like are the start of what the Transhumanist movement hopes to accomplish. These bits of tech are examples of human enhancement technology that is traditionally used for people with disabilities to bring them to roughly the same as a perfectly healthy human, and the same technologies could conceivably be used to elevate anybody to have greater-than-human attributes. |
| 418 | * The US military is developing an eye implant code-named "[[Franchise/StarWars Luke's Binoculars]]", which is designed to augment a person's own ability to distinguish FriendOrFoe by amplifying certain brain signals they should be paying more attention to. |
| 419 | * Nootropics are basically brain boosting pills. The good ones don't necessarily push you into superhuman territory so much as they allow you to function closer to your optimal level with greater consistency and, in some cases, in spite of age. Some prescription medications act as nootropics, ''especially'' when they're taken by someone who doesn't need them. [[FridgeBrilliance Why do you think many colleges have a thriving black market for stimulant-based ADHD medication?]][[note]]Central nervous system stimulants quite literally overclock your thinking, therefore boosting your ability to absorb and process information.[[/note]] |
| 420 | * Smartphones are small computers that are capable of doing anything their desktop counterparts can do, with their owner at all times (or at least as long as their owner chooses). The only difference between the characters in ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' and a person with a smart phone is that the former has a more seamless interface than the latter. It may be only a matter of time before they become a luxury implant, and then, much like cellphones, cease to be luxury in very short order. |
| 421 | * Man-machine interfaces exist to let users tap into computing power without becoming cyborgs themselves. However every BrainComputerInterface currently used, invasive or not, is too difficult to use for anyone who can manipulate a mouse and keyboard to bother with. Invasive interfaces have better resolution but are prone to infections. Occasionally, the connection degrades, although there are means to stabilize it. Considering the field is new, there is no telling how nerve-connected prosthetics will perform over the course of many years. However, they are wonderful if the person is paralyzed, letting them operate a computer, their wheelchair, and open or close doors remotely. Naturally, some have proposed networking neural implants, perhaps rising to a level of artificial telepathy. |
| 422 | ** Advances in wireless technology show promise in addressing the essential problem inherent in plugs and sockets: any mechanical connection that penetrates the skin is essentially a permanent wound. |
| 423 | [[/folder]] |
| 424 | |
| 425 | ---- |
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