History YMMV / Aberrant

* OnceOriginalNowCommon: Aberrant wasn't the first {{superhero}} GenreDeconstruction (and it came out during UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks), but it was uniquely thorough in its integration of superpowered individuals into the world and its exploration of the consequences. Nowadays, however, various degrees of {{Deconstruction}} and {{Reconstruction}} are [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks the rule in superhero media rather than the exception]], and it looks increasingly dated to newcomers with its [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece extremely Nineties sensibilities]]. 2e takes this into account, cutting out most of the unnecessarily dark bits and aiming to create a world where superpowers have a marked impact, but whether for good or ill is still being decided.

* OnceOriginalNowCommon: Aberrant wasn't the first {{superhero}} GenreDeconstruction (and it came out during UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks), but it was uniquely thorough in its integration of superpowered individuals into the world and its exploration of the consequences. Nowadays, however, various degrees of {{Deconstruction}} and {{Reconstruction}} are [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks the rule in superhero media rather than the exception]], and it looks increasingly dated to newcomers with its [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece extremely Nineties sensibilities]].

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Aberrant wasn't the first {{superhero}} GenreDeconstruction (and it came out during UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks), but it was uniquely thorough in its integration of superpowered individuals into the world and its exploration of the consequences. Nowadays, however, various degrees of {{Deconstruction}} and {{Reconstruction}} are [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks the rule in superhero media rather than the exception]], and it looks increasingly dated to newcomers with its [[TheNineties extremely Nineties sensibilities]].

* CreatorsPet: Divis Mal, so much. He's like Magneto, but he's canonically ''right'', he's on an entire different power tier compared to most of the setting, he has the ability to depower or empower other supers at will, and basically the entire plot is caused by and guided by him, with the players having no capability to effectively disrupt his goals, let alone attack him effectively. At one point, supposedly, one of the developers said that the ''title of the game'', Aberrant, referred to Divis Mal specifically.
* {{Narm}}: The comic in the first edition core where Slider tells Corbin of Utopia's dirty dealings. It's hard to take it seriously as a horrific revelation of a hidden conspiracy when one of the pivotal parts is her asking him, in the dire tone of someone uttering a WhamLine, "what's your sperm count?"

** LighterAndSofter: The second edition of Aberrant is a noticeably more optimistic setting, being more of a {{Reconstruction}} than its predecessor. Both versions of the setting still canonically exist, however, since the game is explicitly set in a {{Multiverse}}.

* AuthorTract: The lead developer for most of the line's run was a gay man with issues, most of which showed up very heavy-handedly in the background materials. Expect any gay character to be in some way uber-powerful and/or infallible. Conversely, any conservative/hetero-normative types will inevitably be some breed of foolish bigot who will eventually get shown up... hard.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Aberrant wasn't the first {{superhero}} GenreDeconstruction (and it came out during UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks), but it was uniquely thorough in its integration of superpowered individuals into the world and its exploration of the consequences. Nowadays, however, various degrees of {{Deconstruction}} and {{Reconstruction}} are [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks the rule in superhero media rather than the exception]], and it looks increasingly dated to newcomers with its [[TheNineties extremely Nineties sensibilities]].

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Aberrant wasn't the first {{superhero}} GenreDeconstruction (and it came out during TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks), but it was uniquely thorough in its integration of superpowered individuals into the world and its exploration of the consequences. Nowadays, however, various degrees of {{Deconstruction}} and {{Reconstruction}} are [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks the rule in superhero media rather than the exception]], and it looks increasingly dated to newcomers with its [[TheNineties extremely Nineties sensibilities]].

* CreatorsPet: Divis Mal, so much. He's like Magneto, but he's canonically ''right'', he's on an entire different power tier compared to most of the setting, he has the ability to depower or empower other supers at will, and basically the entire plot is caused by and guided by him, with the players having no capability to effectively disrupt his goals, let alone attack him effectively. At one point, supposedly, one of the developers said that the ''title of the game'', Aberrant, referred to Divis Mal specifically.

* CanonSue / VillainSue: Divis Mal, so much. He's like Magneto, but he's canonically ''right'', he's on an entire different power tier compared to most of the setting, he has the ability to depower or empower other supers at will, and basically the entire plot is caused by and guided by him, with the players having no capability to effectively disrupt his goals, let alone attack him effectively. At one point, supposedly, one of the developers said that the ''title of the game'', Aberrant, referred to Divis Mal specifically.
** Pretty much any gay male character is destined to be a Sue of some sort and any other type of LGBT character comes close behind.

** Although, in game canon, the [[MugglePower "paranoid" anti-Nova types]] are right about the threat the [[BewareTheSuperman Novas]] pose, and they just happen to overlap with political conservatives.
*** Of course, when the potential threat turned into the actual threat ''because of'' the actions taken by the anti-Nova types as precautions against the potential threat, things become somewhat less cut-and-dried. Just the nova sterilization conspiracy alone... that one makes no logical sense as a means of preventing the Aberrant War, because it ''is'' a blatantly warlike act in and of itself. (Specifically, biological warfare. That's exactly what it is. In all truth, the Aberrant War technically begins in 1998 the instant Aeon starts working on mass nova sterilization; it just didn't reach an ''open'' war stage until 2049.) It does, however, make perfect sense as an attempt to ''win'' the Aberrant War, via pre-emptive sneak attack. So, yes, Proteus was created to try and avert Mercer's future glimpse of the Aberrant War... but Proteus was the SelfFulfillingProphecy that led to that war instead.

*** Of course, when the potential threat turned into the actual threat ''because of'' the actions taken by the anti-Nova types as precautions against the potential threat, things become somewhat less cut-and-dried. Just the nova sterilization conspiracy alone... that one makes no logical sense as a means of preventing the Aberrant War, because it ''is'' a blatantly warlike act in and of itself. (Specifically, biological warfare. That's exactly what it is. In all truth, the Aberrant War technically begins in 1998 the instant Proteus starts working on mass nova sterilization; it just didn't reach an ''open'' war stage until 2049.) It does, however, make perfect sense as an attempt to ''win'' the Aberrant War, via pre-emptive sneak attack. So, yes, Proteus was created to try and avert Mercer's future glimpse of the Aberrant War... but Proteus was the SelfFulfillingProphecy that led to that war instead.

*** Of course, when the potential threat turned into the actual threat ''because of'' the actions taken by the anti-Nova types as precautions against the potential threat, things become somewhat less cut-and-dried. Just the nova sterilization conspiracy alone... that one makes no logical sense as a means of preventing the Aberrant War, because it ''is'' a blatantly warlike act in and of itself. It does, however, make perfect sense as an attempt to ''win'' the Aberrant War, via pre-emptive sneak attack. So, yes, Proteus was created to try and avert Mercer's future glimpse of the Aberrant War... but Proteus was the SelfFulfillingProphecy that led to that war instead.

*** Of course, when the potential threat turned into the actual threat ''because of'' the actions taken by the anti-Nova types as precautions against the potential threat, things become somewhat less cut-and-dried. Just the nova sterilization conspiracy alone... that one makes no logical sense as a means of preventing the Aberrant War, because it ''is'' a blatantly warlike act. It does, however, make perfect sense as an attempt to ''win'' the Aberrant War before it even starts. So, yes, Proteus was created to try and avert Mercer's future glimpse of the Aberrant War... but Proteus was the SelfFulfillingProphecy that led to that war instead.

* AuthorTract: The lead developer for most of the line's run was a gay man with issues, most of which showed up very heavy-handedly in the background materials. Expect any gay character to be in some way uber-powerful and/or infallible. Conversely, any conservative/hetero-normative types will inevitably be some breed of foolish bigot who will eventually get shown up... hard.

* CanonSue / VillainSue: Divis Mal, so much. He's like Magneto, but he's canonically ''right'', he's on an entire different power tier compared to most of the setting, he has the ability to depower or empower other supers at will, and basically the entire plot is caused by and guided by him, with the players having no capability to effectively disrupt his goals, let alone attack him effectively. At one point, supposedly, one of the developers said that the ''title of the game'', Aberrant, referred to Divis Mal specifically.

CanonSue / VillainSue: Divis Mal, so much. He's like Magneto, but he's canonically ''right'', he's on an entire different power tier compared to most of the setting, he has the ability to depower or empower other supers at will, and basically the entire plot is caused by and guided by him, with the players having no capability to effectively disrupt his goals, let alone attack him effectively. At one point, supposedly, one of the developers said that the ''title of the game'', Aberrant, referred to Divis Mal specifically.

CanonSue / VillainSue: Divis Mal, so much. He's like Magneto, but he's canonically ''right'', he's on an entire different power tier compared to most of the setting, he has the ability to depower or empower other supers at will, and basically the entire plot is caused by and guided by him, with the players having no capability to effectively disrupt his goals, let alone attack him effectively.

CanonSue / Villain Sue: Divis Mal, so much. He's like Magneto, but he's canonically ''right'', he's on an entire different power tier compared to most of the setting, he has the ability to depower or empower other supers at will, and basically the entire plot is caused by and guided by him, with the players having no capability to effectively disrupt his goals, let alone attack him effectively.