Superhero Registration
I stood up straight and marched proudly to confront what I will always view as my single greatest nemesis (sorry, Frosty Joe, we've had good battles, but you can't hold a candle to this one): superhero registration.A required step for any superhero wishing to operate lawfully within Faraday City, Superhero Registration is (at least in theory) a relatively quick and painless process. (Many have noted that they actually take far longer in the CosFab facility designing their costume.)
To encourage heroes to register, the process takes a "carrot and stick" approach, offering both incentives and disincentives. The most obvious being that a registered superhero in good standing has an official standing and can act in a limited law enforcement capacity to intervene in metahuman crises, apprehend metahuman criminals, and the like. Absent that, an unregistered hero is the same as any ordinary citizen under the law. They might affect a citizen's arrest, but for the most part, most activities would be considered vigilantism, thus putting them on the wrong side of the law.
Other benefits of registering include access to some specialized equipment, as noted below.
Prerequisites
The only prerequisite is than an individual who wishes to register be Metagene Positive, even if they have not yet ascended to develop metahuman powers. Unascended metas may register a hero name with the Hero Registration system, although they are not eligible for additional perks such as the IntelliComm ("iComm") device, as they are not considered deputized law enforcement.Registration Process
The registration process involves the usual bureaucratic paperwork and assessments, but the primary steps include:Step 1: Power Inventory
The first step for the registrant is to provide a complete inventory of their metahuman powers. Powers and power levels are determined on a "class" system (e.g. Class 1 Super Strength, Class 3 Flight). If not known, this can be assessed at a Faraday Labs testing center free of charge.Note that with the existence of "Triflings" (ascended metas with de minimis power levels), it is possible to be rated a "Class Zero" power level, which indicates the existence of a power, but at a dramatically reduced level. Which is not to say such powers are useless, just operating at a significantly lower level than most ascended metas.
Step 2: Hero or Sidekick?
Underage metahumans are allowed to register, but must register as Sidekicks to ensure that they have proper oversight from an adult Hero. Ideally, a Sidekick would have their mentor's prior approval. However, Sidekicks are given a 90-day grace period to identify a Hero to be their mentor, or risk becoming an unsanctioned vigilante.During this grace period, Sidekicks are prohibited from directly engaging with any metahuman threats above a Class 2 level. As a rule of thumb, this permits Sidekicks to engage with Faraday City's various metahuman street gangs, but not from most named supervillains.
For more information about Sidekicks, refer to the pamphlet at Hero Registration, "So You've Decided to be a Sidekick!"
Exceptions to the Age Rule
Regarding the above, "minor" heroes are generally considered to be equivalent to humans from this dimension's Earth of under 18 years of age. Some limited exceptions can be made to allow for Hero status even if the registrant is technically younger than 18. Such exceptions include aliens, robots or artificial entities, or people hailing from other dimensions or worlds with a wider planetary orbit than Earth standard.Step 3: Hero Name Registration
The most fun part for many young heroes is often choosing their hero name! To avoid confusion, hero names must be unique. There are also a few other stipulations, such as that the name cannot be offensive, and is limited to English letters, numbers, and a select handful of symbols, such as the hyphen. Note also that a registrant must register a written name, even if they only communicate telepathically or by pheromones, for instance.Apart from that, a registrant can choose a name that suits them! But they shouldn't get frustrated if their first choice is unavailable. Sometimes it can take a registrant two or sometimes even three tries to get a name they like.
Name Pre-Registration and Name Transfers
Any individual who is metagene-positive can register a single hero name, even if they have not yet ascended or choose to register as a hero. Many people choose to do this as a placeholder of sorts for when they feel ready to fully register later.A hero name, once reserved, is transferrable to another individual. Individuals are reminded that it is frowned upon to exchange money for a registered hero name, although at this time there are no strict policies regarding that.
Equipment
Another significant benefit to superhero registration is that registrants are provided with extremely useful technology, including:- IntelliComm ("iComm")
- CosFit
- Nanomesh Fabric
- Warp Space Storage
