History Literature / Worm

* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld: The story appears to start out like this in the very beginning and then deconstructs it hard. Taylor starts out using the superhero life as an escape from her miserable high school experience, and later on stops going to school at all. Brian, the oldest of the team, already graduated and takes care of his younger sister, Lisa tested out early using her power to cheat on the GED test, and Alec and Rachel never went to school regularly due to their unstable, extremely dysfunctional home lives. Later on, [[spoiler: when their hometown is ravaged by monsters and supervillains, all the schools are pretty much shut down, and school doesn't really seem to matter anymore when everyone is just struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis.]]

** Armsmaster as well, underneath his [[GadgeteerGenius tinker]] talents.

* WhatMeasureIsaNonCute: Taylor has become so used to Bitches dogs that she forgets how scary they are to normal people.

* WretchedHive: After Leviathan, the city became this. Imagine New Orlens right after Katrina, but filled with super powered criminals and psychos who regularly steal supplies and worse. This is before the Slaughterhouse 9 comes to town. Things have gotten so bad; the government is considering condemning the whole area.

* FantasticRacism: Piggot. Her feelings towards capes [[spoiler: aren't entirely unjustified. A former member of a PRT tactical team, she was crippled and her entire squad killed during a mission into Nilbogs territory in wich supporting capes ran for their lives, leaving the normals to die.]]

* [[spoiler: DoomedHometown: Look under ItGotWorse]]

* ItGotWorse: Yup. Lets see:
** [[spoiler:First, the city-wide bombings by [[MadBomber Mad Bomber Bakuda]]]]
** [[spoiler:then, the Endbringer attack]]
** [[spoiler:most recently, the [[OmnicidalManiac Slaughterhouse Nine]], especially Shatterbird breaking every glass and silicon object in the city, and Bonesaws paranoia-inducing miasma]]
** [[spoiler:and finally, yet to come, the EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt]]

* MaleMeWannaShout: Triumph has this as one of his powers.

* TheBeastmaster: Taylor can exert complete mental control of any invertebrate(i.e. insects, arachnids, crustaceans) within range of her power. Bitch can't mentally control the dogs she transforms, so she trains them to respond to whistles and specific verbal commands.

* BenevolentBoss: Skitter is known for being kind and generous to her employees. She listens to their problems and cares about their well-being. As a result she currently has the biggest group of followers as of the latest chapter with almost 60 people working directly for her.

* CombatPragmatist: Due to fighting people who outclass her in strength and power, Taylor doesn’t pull any punches. Attacking people with capsaicin laced and poisonous insects when she needs to.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Sierra is told to pick having her hand or knee being shot by a former member of Lung’s gang. When Skitter rescues them, she asks her the same question but with a bug whose venom causes your skin to rot off.

* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Feeling guilty because her actions led to [[spoiler: Coil kidnapping a young girl to take advantage of her powers]]Taylor is preparing to take him on.

* HesJustHiding: Some fans reactions to the news of Battery’s death.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: Armsmaster resents Dauntless because of this. Dauntless is getting steadily stronger every day, due to how his power works, and is expected to become one of the top dogs at some point in the future. Meanwhile, Armsmaster is a GadgeteerGenius that has to stay up nights to update his gear and train, getting less results for more work.
* ParanoiaFuel: Bonesaw’s miasma makes it so you can’t tell who is an ally or who is a member of the 9.

* WhiteSheep: Kaiser’s son Theo. Who doesn’t agree with his father or adopted mother Purity’s views.
* WorldOfWoobie: Not really helped by the fact that unless a character's parents are parahumans, they require a very traumatic 'trigger event' to unlock their abilities. Helped even less by the setting being full of very powerful, very unpleasant entities.

* EnemyMine: The Undersiders team up with the other villains of the city to deal with the Empire88 whose reckless destruction was disrupting business and bringing down too much heat on the city.

* ExtraOreDinary: Kaiser, a white supremacist supervillian, can reshape, manipulate and enlarge metal at will. One of his subordinates, Hookwolf, is a shapeshifter whose body is more metal than flesh.

* PowerNullifier: Hatchetman, a former member of the 9 before Cherish took his place, had this power and used it to kill some of the most powerful of individuals.

* AlphaBitch: Emma. Tattletale/Lisa is explicitly beautiful and has [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] as a superpower. However despite her very bitchy tendencies towards the world at large she lacks any [[GirlPosse crowd]] to be in with and is a loyal friend to [[SociallyAwkwardHero Tay]][[TheFettered lor]] from their first meeting. [[spoiler:What little is known of her [[DarkAndTroubledPast backstory]] would suggest that she probably used to be either this played straight, or was just a plain AlphaBitch before something unpleasant triggered her superpower and drove her to flee her wealthy home.]]

* RequiredSecondaryPowers: During the Endbringer arc, it was strongly implied that some parahumans ''don't'' have them. Taylor’s ability to control potentially billons of insects individually makes her the best multi-tasker on the planet. It is also speculated by fans that Taylor actually uses her bugs as additional processing power for her brain. In other words, she gets smarter the more bugs she controls.

* NotGoodWithPeople: Bitch]]'s [[spoiler: [[CanineCompanion pow]][[HulkingOut ers]] affect her mind so that she thinks and perceives social interactions]] like a dog. This also makes her [[spoiler:unable to grasp tone, expressions and several other key aspects of human interaction]]. As such while she turns out to be quite empathetic and kind, this is expressed almost exclusively towards dogs. Towards humans she is [[JerkAss less]] [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption than]] [[TechnicalPacifist friendly]]. Taylor might be the closest thing to a friend she has ever had.

* KilledOffForReal: Quite a few people have joined the fallen list on the cast page as the story goes on.

* NotGoodWithPeople: Rachel connects more with dogs than people. Taylor might be the closest thing to a friend she has ever had.

* ConflictingLoyalty: Taylor struggles to make a call between friendship and doing what's right.

* ExtraOreDinary: Kaiser manipulates and reshapes metal in vast quantities at will.

* GoodIsNotNice: Very few of the good guys showcased thus far have actually been genuinely good people.

* AlphaBitch: Emma.

* BankRobbery: Taylors’s first crime and superhero fight happens during one.

* AbusiveParents: Rachel’s mother abandoned her, Aisha/Brian’s mom is negligent and uncaring, Alex’s dad turned him into a sociopath, Panacea’s adopted parents never wanted her, and while we don’t know the circumstances, Lisa ran away from a rich background to live on the streets just to get away from her father. Tayler is the only Undersider who had caring parents, and it shows in how she acts.

* AntiHero: Tayler is a straight Type II. She started out as a hero until she was betrayed by Armsmaster. Even as a villain, she has an almost unbreakable moral code and tries to help everyone she can.

* FallenHero: Tayler has lost almost all faith with the government and the heroes to do anything. She is determined to help the city, even if she has to work with other villains to do it.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Tayler begins the story as a 15-year-old girl who is viciously bullied, and very insecure about herself. While she is still a good person at heart, she has become a legitimately scary villain with a reputation for destruction following in her wake.

* GroinAttack: [[spoiler:One of the areas Taylor attacks on Lung in their first fight....with various venomous and poisonous insects and arachnids.]]Tayler also deals with a speedster, who doesn’t wear a cup to make it easier to move, this way.

* IndyPloy: Tattletale has actually remarked that Tayler is amazing at improvising when the shit hits the fan.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Armsmaster only cares for his personal ambition and glory. He violates the truce during the Endbringer attack so he can be the hero, and outs Tayler to everyone when he is caught in the act.

* NervesOfSteel- When you list the actual situations she has been in, Taylor has amazing self-control. Not everybody would be nearly so calm about taking on the 9 or chasing a freaking Endbringer.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Eidolon’s power allows him to develop the perfect powers for a situation in minutes, but he can only use two powers at the same time.

* NotGoodWithPeople: Rachel connects more with dogs than people.Tayler might be the closest thing to a friend she has ever had.

* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Lisa/Tattletales minions are all experienced mercenaries.

* RequiredSecondaryPowers: During the Leviathan sequence of the Endbringer arc, it was strongly implied that some parahumans ''don't'' have them. Tayler’s ability to control potentially billons of insects individually makes her the best multi-tasker on the planet. It is also speculated by fans that Tayler actually uses her bugs as additional processing power for her brain. In other words, she gets smarter the more bugs she controls.

* TheTeamBenefactor —[[spoiler:Coil]]brought the Undersiders together and supplies them with resources to further his own agenda

* WhamEpisode: The Bonus interlude of Chapter 14.[[spoiler:The top heroes in the world may actually be villains controlled by Cauldron, the Endbringers are going to destroy the world in a few decades, and Brockton Bay might be turned into a No Man’s Land condemned by the government.]]

* AbusiveParents: Rachel’s mother abandoned her, Aisha/Brian’s mom is negligent and uncaring, Alex’s dad turned him into a sociopath, Panacea’s adopted parents never wanted her, and while we don’t know the circumstances, Lisa ran away from a rich background to live on the streets just to get away from her father. Tyler is the only Undersider who had caring parents, and it shows in how she acts.

* AntiHero: Tyler is a straight Type II. She started out as a hero until she was betrayed by Armsmaster. Even as a villain, she has an almost unbreakable moral code and tries to help everyone she can.
* AssholeVictim: The first victims in the city of the Slaughterhouse 9 are the Merchants. Your heart bleeds.

* BigCreepyCrawlies: A giant, flying, beetle with huge claws made by Panacea to help Taylor fight the 9 that she rides into battle with. Taylor named him Atlas.

* FallenHero: Tyler has lost almost all faith with the government and the heroes to do anything. She is determined to help the city, even if she has to work with other villains to do it.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Tyler begins the story as a 15-year-old girl who is viciously bullied, and very insecure about herself. While she is still a good person at heart, she has become a legitimately scary villain with a reputation for destruction following in her wake.

* GroinAttack: [[spoiler:One of the areas Taylor attacks on Lung in their first fight....with various venomous and poisonous insects and arachnids.]]Tyler also deals with a speedster, who doesn’t wear a cup to make it easier to move, this way.

* IndyPloy: Tattletale has actually remarked that Tyler is amazing at improvising when the shit hits the fan.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Armsmaster only cares for his personal ambition and glory. He violates the truce during the Endbringer attack so he can be the hero, and outs Tyler to everyone when he is caught in the act.

* NotGoodWithPeople: Rachel connects more with dogs than people.Tyler might be the closest thing to a friend she has ever had.

* RequiredSecondaryPowers: During the Leviathan sequence of the Endbringer arc, it was strongly implied that some parahumans ''don't'' have them. Tyler’s ability to control potentially billons of insects individually makes her the best multi-tasker on the planet. It is also speculated by fans that Tyler actually uses her bugs as additional processing power for her brain. In other words, she gets smarter the more bugs she controls.

* KilledOffforReal: Quite a few people have joined the fallen list on the cast page as the story goes on.

* MookHorrorShow: When Taylor completely annihilates the 28 merchants who attack her territory. She puts her bugs into human shapes and scares the crap out of them as they are brutally mauled. She could have beaten them in an instant, but takes her time to freak them out so that they’ll spread the word about what happens to anyone stupid enough to attack her territory.

* Mutants: The Case 53’s. People used as test subjects for Cauldron who have large physical changes to go along with their powers.

* TheTeamBenefactor —[[Coil]]brought the Undersiders together and supplies them with resources to further his own agenda

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Many heroes, especially Shadow Stalker who is a straight up sociopath who is implied to have killed people before, and BIG SPOILER [[the Triumverate, who are actually working with Cauldron]]

* Wham Episode: The Bonus interlude of Chapter 14.[[The top heroes in the world may actually be villains controlled by Cauldron, the Endbringers are going to destroy the world in a few decades, and Brockton Bay might be turned into a No Man’s Land condemned by the government.]]

* Curb-StompBattle: The Undersiders completely dominated the second fight they had with the Chosen, and they didn’t even have all of their members at the time. The Chosen are actually embarrassed at how easily they were beaten.

* Fallen Hero: Tyler has lost almost all faith with the government and the heroes to do anything. She is determined to help the city, even if she has to work with other villains to do it.

** TheSmartGuy: Tattletale/Skitter

** SixthRanger — Aisha

* Frickin'LaserBeams: Legend is an unequaled user of them. Among other things, his lasers can turn corners, fork into multiple lasers, pass through walls and freeze or ignite his targets.
* FromNobodytoNightmare: Tyler begins the story as a 15-year-old girl who is viciously bullied, and very insecure about herself. While she is still a good person at heart, she has become a legitimately scary villain with a reputation for destruction following in her wake.

* Hair-TriggerTemper: It takes very little to piss Bitch off, so her team and her new minions are always walking on eggshells in her presence.

* InstantAwesome,JustAddMecha: Dragon’s battle suits.

* It'sAllAboutMe: Armsmaster only cares for his personal ambition and glory. He violates the truce during the Endbringer attack so he can be the hero, and outs Tyler to everyone when he is caught in the act.

* Laser-GuidedKarma: Sierra is told to pick having her hand or knee being shot by a former member of Lung’s gang. When Skitter rescues them, she asks her the same question but with a bug whose venom causes your skin to rot off.

* Mutants: The Case 53’s. People used as test subjects for Cauldron who have large physical changes to go along with their powers.

* NervesofSteel- When you list the actual situations she has been in, Taylor has amazing self-control. Not everybody would be nearly so calm about taking on the 9 or chasing a freaking Endbringer.
* NewPowersasthePlotDemands: Eidolon’s power allows him to develop the perfect powers for a situation in minutes, but he can only use two powers at the same time.
* NotEvil,JustMisunderstood: Taylor. She has one of the strongest moral codes in the entire story, and just wants to help people.

* RequiredSecondaryPowers: During the Leviathan sequence of the Endbringer arc, it was strongly implied that some parahumans ''don't'' have them.