"There are two types of people in the world. There are superheroes, and people who haven't chosen to become superheroes yet."
The Red LightningVerse is a comprehensive wiki-based anthology series created by Hector Railway.
The 'Verse is based around an alternate history of earth written in a miss-mash of superhero, film noir, gangland and Fantasy Kitchen Sink, blended around The Golden Age of Comic Books. The focus of the story shifts depending on the arc, but mostly centring around the various teams of Superheroes.
Tropes Featured in the Red LightningVerse
- Agony Beam: Common. Lord Game's Cyber Shock functions as this, many villains employ a gadget like this, and this is Torture Man's power in a nut-shell.
- Ambiguously Human: The Priesthood of the Winds of Zathrod. They look human, but everyone who meets them instantly detects that there's something OFF about them. And then they are killed.
- Maniac also qualifies. He never speaks, and has blank, bloodshot eyes. It hard to tell if he's just a really powerful human or he Was Once a Man and is now...something else.
- America Saves the Day: AVERTED! America has a pretty low superhuman population, beating only Sealand and The Moon, and was completely decimated during 'Invasion' and the resulting Bug War.
- Jamaica seems to save the day a lot.
- Artificial Human: Several pop up from time to time in various ways, shapes, or forms. Black Milo is a clone, CN-3R is a robot designed to BE a person, and Axel Reid is a homunculus of sorts.
- Anti Anti Christ: Devil Woman was an extremely powerful The Mona who was primed by her people to snuff out all life in the universe. She had other plans to say the least.
- Applied Phlebotinum: A whole lot of super humans weren't born with any abilities, but gained them from expose to outside stimulus.
- Body Horror: Nikki, White Wrapper, Heart Attack, Jaybird, Soda-Man, Strong.
- Bug War: The zenith of 'Invasion' was this, Humans and Superhumans Vs. Cybernites.
- Can't Have Sex, Ever: Nikki, for most part, because her mutation took away her genetalia, along with her legs.
- Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: Subverted. Anyone who goes public with their powers immediately takes a codename for themselves, to the point that it's expected of them, and Jack Flynn, the one guy who tried to use his real name, was laughed at and not taken seriously.
- It also brings various elements of The Golden Age of Comic Books back, as many code-names end in the suffix "Man" or "Girl".
- Cute Monster Girl: Various examples pop up here and there. Mostly Nikki, if you get past the Body Horror.
- Deflector Shields
- Death World: EARTH is considered this by a few species. Sure it has nice forests, scenic mountain ranges, and a beautiful ocean, but it's main inhabitants are either a Murderous Homid with a Large Gun or a Very Murderous Homid with Super Powers.
- Do-Anything Robot: CN-3R is one.
- Every Car Is a Pinto
- Fantasy Kitchen Sink: We have superheroes, aliens, robots, monsters, magicians, gangsters, demons and gods, and so much more.
- Friendly Enemy: A fair few villains actually fall into Punch-Clock Villain territory, and are on first name terms with the heroes in their neighbourhoods. Block Party is on first name terms with Hypno Man of all people, and invited him to his Poker Night.
- Gender Rarity Value: On Paradile Isle, a large island in the middle of the north sea, female superhumans are incredibly rare, and as such are "kept safe" by the male populace.
- Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Subverted. Ranged, artillery abilities are actually more common in boys. Girls are much more likely to get physical abilities.
- Hard Light: Not only is this common technology, the entire Cybernite race is MADE of the stuff.
- Humans Are Superior: Unlike most examples, humans are this because they are generally the best species. They are among the smartest, strongest and longest lived in the galaxy. The largest reason that humanity wasn't visited by aliens before it developed FTL Technology was because humanity was THE FIRST to develop it.
- Humans Are Smelly: It is a common misconception amongst aliens that humans carry a lot of deadly diseases. This is generally untrue, but humans do have a distinct odour when they are being tracked that is considered foul to races that can actually sniff them out.
- Hulking Out: A few superhumans here and there are able to do this.
- Kid Hero: Most people who are born with powers have them at birth, or develop them in toddlerhood, meaning their powers are usually fully developed when they're about seven or eight.
- Kids Are Cruel: Unfortunately, more than a few villains have ended up evil because they had too much power at such a vulnerable age, and used their abilities to throw temper tantrums.
- LEGO Genetics
- Living Battery: Anyone with electrical powers. Some moreso than others.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: A few people, most of them bad guys, such as Lord Game. However, Vicken Holloway was a good guy with this power.
- Mummy: One appears regularly, and subverts almost every trope about mummies, being the physically strongest monster in the world, being very agile, stretchy and well versed in Black Magic.
- Not Wearing Tights: Keeping with the golden age theme, this is subverted. Wearing street clothes is very impractical, as they're expensive and prone to damage, as well as certain types restrict movement. Also, black is not considered a good colour to use, as at least two known super humans have the ability to control or blast black-coloured objects.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. There are a few Bens, Matts, Tonys, Ellas and Rosies. Justified in that they are all pretty common names.
- Our Demons Are Different: They are extra-dimensional beings called The Mona, with Elemental Powers, and wish to exterminate all life in our dimension.
- Our Gargoyles Rock: They are an ancient warrior race that turn to stone at will.
- Our Werewolves Are Different: They have Super-Speed, have Super-Breath ala The Big Bad Wolf, and all know our to play the electric guitar. Their aesthetics is constant, all looking like the furry variant of werewolf.
- Our Vampires Are Different: They are slower than most humans, are insanely beautiful, have telekinesis, shapeshifting, flight and the ability to cling to walls.
- Our Wights Are Different
- Punch-Clock Villain: A lot of Superheroes and Supervillains consider their costumed adventuring their day jobs, and are perfectly personable, social people when "off duty".
- Scary Dogmatic Aliens: Ooh Boy
- Cybernites are SPACE-TECHNOPHILES, being unable to survive outside an area with wifi, and a lot of their names and culture being digital puns. Justified, in that they ARE digital beings.
- Grotians are SPACE-YOUTHS, constantly on the revolt against their own government, stealing and vandalising anything they can get their hands on, and considering themselves an independent race while in fact they are actually a Slave Race.
- MeatHeads are SPACE-DRUG ADDICTS, they dependant on pollutants in the air to maintain their strength and sense of sight, and will do anything to get their next hit.
- Xylps are SPACE-WASPS, an extremely cold and arrogant race that consider themselves and Humanity to be the only species worth anything.
- The Pooms are SPACE-SHOPPERS, their entire culture revolves around eating and they general come across as a very consumer-like culture.
- Seinfeldian Conversation: The author LOVES this trope. The V-Team in particular insist on having these discussion, regardless of the gravity of the situation around them.
- "So, they're ethnic elves?
- "You can't have bondage on a christmas card!"
- "Who would win in a fight between Dynamo and Jesus?"
- Something Person: Most Superhero names actually end up like this, as they are often come up with on the fly. Subverted with Villain names, where this particularly pattern is harder to come by.
- Spell My Name with a "The": The Mona. In singular they're called The The Mona.
- Teleporters and Transporters: Teleportation is technically the most common power in the world. Of all the superhuman populace in the known world, The Pizza Boy power is the most common, allowing one to teleport to any given address and create a pizza to any level of customisation.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Averted for most part. Heroes will kill a villain on sight if they feel he or she is too much of a threat to be left at large.
- We Come in Peace — Shoot to Kill: This was actually Humanity's motto. Lord Game also said this word for word during the 'Invasion' arc, but it doesn't count as he immediately let it be known he was hostile.
- What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Soda-Man, Heart Attack, The Colour Black, Hot Stuff, Girly Boy…
- Heart Is an Awesome Power: Are all completely deranged psychopaths with an incredibly high body count.
- Except Girly Boy
- Who Watches the Watchmen?: The H.E.R.O-The HUMAN.EMERGENCY.RESPONSE.OPPS, which is in charge of corralling ANY superhuman that breaks their rules. Usually they are content to let normal Superheroes deal with Supervillains, but they WILL step in either a Supervillain isn't under the jurisdiction of a hero, or a hero crosses the line.
- World of Badass: The author seems to believe in No Kill like Overkill, as every superpowered and notable non-superpowered character is at least capable of wiping out a couple of city blocks. Feats like moving the sun, running faster than time itself and THROWING THE AFRICAN CONTINENT at spaceships is treated as normal.
