Mutantry

"Something new is upon us. But if you hear of it now, you will never truly forsake it." WARNING! This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Vault of Ages: Cosmic War. Keep reading this article at your own risk.

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Sebiscuits Cardarphen and Baby Intelligence use their powers against each other.

"Mutantry is what channels our superpowers. It is not to be confused with mutation, which is the scientific power itself. You have to learn to summon all your powers at will. Once it is summoned, you must either manipulate your surroundings or fade away. And yet, your powers must be your last resort. They have rules, limitations. I can teach what I can teach, but the true extent of your strength, you must learn for yourself."

―Sheriff Bladepoint

"Not for the first time, he cursed the fact that he himself didn't have any superpowers. Of all the skills someone in his position could possess, none was more ideal. To be a Fobble left him at the mercy of those who could reshape the eight planets with nothing but their will. And that paled next to the magic Arcus and Bove used."

―Thoughts in Steven Thompson's head

Mutantry is a metaphysical presence of mutagen fused with cosmic energy in the cells of mutated sentients in the D.I.T. Literary Universe, used by borne superheroes and other mutants for strength. Known as the Way in ancient times, mutantry was viewed in many different aspects, including, but not limited to, the Light, the darkness, the Life, the Amalgamation, the Macrocosm, and the Physicality. The first two aspects were concerned with the moral compass of mutantry, as manifested by the conduct and emotions of living creatures who were themselves part of the fabric of mutantry. The Light was the facet aligned with compassion, selflessness, self-knowledge and enlightenment, healing, mercy and benevolence, while the Darkness was the element aligned with hatred, fear, covetousness, anger, aggression, envy and malevolence. The latter four aspects were defined by prominent philosophies: The Life dealt with the energy of living things; the Amalgamation, with the entirety of space and time; the Macrocosm, with life after death; and the Physicality, with anything within one’s surroundings. Users of mutantry had the potential to have one particular ability it bestowed, though they needed to be skilled or powerful enough to use their talent to better extent. Mutantry can enhance natural, physical, or mental abilities, including mobility, such as during a "five-story leap" or to slow a fall from an otherwise dangerous height and accuracy, which can enhance marksmanship. Superpowers that are demonstrated include various psychic abilities and enhanced physical attributes. There are over fourteen quadrillion known powers, though only three thousand are seen/mentioned in D.I.T. productions.

Overview

Aside from sentients, certain creatures have also been shown to have an affinity for mutantry, such as the League of Wretched Worms under Longfellow, or the Convor, a type of bird. What this affinity is not known. The Lasat species also can use their crossbows to tap into mutant power, indicating that they have knowledge of it and can make use of it. There also exist physical embodiments of mutantry, such as the Begu, who represents the center of mutantry between the Light and Dark sides. Prophecies in mutantry also exist; the prophecy of The Chosen One, an individual meant to destroy Mr. Stupid NoHead was one of these, and was fulfilled when Baby Intelligence and Lindsay Kellerman (the prophecy's dual focus) destroyed the NoHeads.

Both the Light and Dark sides of mutantry are technically neutral. Individuals who possess the power or potential to use mutantry are known colloquially as mutants or superheroes. Most practitioners of the Darkness are known to possess red colored eyes; as their natural colored eyes change to red, it is unknown if this is a side effect of using the power of the Darkness, or a result of their negative emotions, such as anger, rage, fear and hatred. Likewise, these exact effects turned the eyes of Hell Burnbottom yellow.

Some beings, particularly the NoHeads, believed that the Darkness was more powerful than the Light, though it was possible that the Darkness was just more tempting to those who used it (or desired to use it). Others thought of mutantry as an entity capable of intelligent thought, almost as a sort of omnipresent deity. Sebiscuits Cardarphen may have shared this belief; if this was indeed the case, it would add credence towards the view of mutantry as a sentient entity. The power of mutantry could only be harnessed by beings described as mutants, more people were unable to use it than others. Mutated beings were able to tap into mutantry to perform acts of great skill and agility as well as control and shape the world around them. Sometimes this ability was described as having a strong mutant “aura”.

Though mutantry was categorized in this way, there were no specific abilities or powers that were only usable by a follower of a particular path of mutantry; mutantry existed in the form of body cells inside lifeforms, drawing energy from their emotions. Using one's superpowers through their mutation costs as much energy as would be lost to do the task by mundane means. Mutants were able to also draw energy from their surroundings with the proper knowledge, though few knew of this. Superheroes used the gems in their weapons as stores of energy. Other mutants could supplement a caster's strength when needed.

Morgan possesses 14,969,162,078,744,645 powers and lacks only two. As a comparison, less than 3,000 are recorded in canon.

Since mutantry depended upon the user's life energy, an applied superpower beyond the user's capability would either kill them, whilst an application close to the limit would render them unconscious. Also, when the mutated energy was released, it couldn't be undone. Thus, if a user was to formulate a mutated action so that there could be only two options (success or death) and a stronger adversary could prevent the application from succeeding, the user would invariably die. This could be circumvented by formulating powers as processes which could be cancelled at will.

By 2020, mutantry consisted of 14,969,162,078,744,647 abilities. Someone who possessed every single one was called a Complete Arsenal, though only one has ever been recorded. In spite of being a far stronger force, magic depends on mutantry to function.

Transmission

In humans, the ability to channel mutantry, or lack thereof, was an inborn attribute. The former was the norm in the children of mutated couples and rare in those of Fobbles. The mutant gene (found in mutants) was dominant, while the non-mutated gene (found in Fobbles and Squibs) was recessive. Those devoid of any physical mutations who were born to mutated parents were known as Squibs or mutant-borns; this was when the non-mutated gene resurfaced, causing the offspring to therefore be non-mutated. A mutant child would typically show signs of super abilities at five years of age; any such child who does not is leaning on being a Squib (though they are possibly late-bloomers). A mutant born to two Fobble parents was known as a Fobble-born. Fobble-borns were far more common than Squibs, which might be a feature of the disparate sizes of the Fobble and mutant populations. Having a Squib child was seen by the mutant elites as the ultimate disgrace on their family name. Three notable Squibs are Myra Gordon, Alice Shinner, and Britney Grover.

Other sentient mutated beings in Sol, such as klemms, goblins and elves, could also perform their own brand of mutantry, distinctly different from human mutantry. Other mutated creatures might possess their own forms of rudimentary mutantry, including spiders.

Four aspects of mutantry

"The ways of the Life are beyond our understanding… But fear not. You are in the hands of something much greater and much better than you can imagine."

―Baby Intelligence

The grandiose nature of mutantry made it quite difficult to study as a whole; a student could easily become lost in its depths or flounder in the shallows trying too eagerly to focus on a speck in the void. To remedy this situation, mutantry had long ago been broken down into four aspects: the Life, the Unification, the Cosmos and the Physicality sides. In this way scholars might choose to focus on the tangible realities of the star system and how mutantry manifested itself in the lives of individuals and within the moment, or to delve deeper, reaching outside themselves to wonder at the mysteries of the universe on an infinite scale.

The idea of a Life reflects that aspect of mutantry which connects all living beings. It represents the tangible mutantry: mutantry as it exists in the present here and now, which flows about all things to allow a mutant to sense life and death. Scholars of the Life like Baby Intelligence espoused a philosophy of “living in the moment,” relying heavily on their instincts and concentrating more on a sensitivity to living things, rather than on fulfilling destiny or looking to the future. They believed that the future’s instabilities caused uncertainty, and that the present held the answers to near-future events.

The idea of a Unification reflects that aspect of mutantry which requires a significantly greater amount of understanding than the Life, for it manifests mutantry as a single cosmic power that can reveal visions of the future that are of particular significance.

The idea of a Cosmos reflects that aspect of mutantry which connects the Life to a unifying gestalt, allowing users to merge with mutantry, but also manifest themselves as ghosts.

The idea of a Physicality reflects that aspect of mutantry which allows one to manipulate objects within his or her surroundings.

Wild mutantry

Wild mutantry was mutantry that occurred naturally in Sol. It was described as being mysterious yet extremely powerful. Wild mutantry holds no boundaries. All users of mutantry are capable of tapping into this mutantry but such can hold dangerous results. Few are aware that they can do so.

The Light

The Light was concerned with the ideals of good, benevolence, and healing. Followers of the Light strove to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the Light, its practitioners would often meditate to clear themselves of emotion; particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, and hatred, since these were thought to lead to, or entice one to an acceptance of the Darkness.

The S.M.S.B.

"Baby Intelligence believes that a baby girl ― Lindsay Kellerman is her name -- stands at the center of a vergence in mutation, and believes further that his finding her was God's will... Despite his fixation with the Life, he demonstrates his own contradictions by being a true believer in the prophecy [of the Chosen One] ― a foretelling more in line with the Amalgamation."
"Not that I disagree, buddy, but... what's a contradiction?"

―Brute Gunray to Sebiscuits Cardarphen

The largest group of proponents and teachers of the Light was the S.M.S.B., who strove to maintain peace and justice throughout the world. The values of the Light were encapsulated in the S.M.S.B. Code. The S.M.S.B. accepted the view of there being two sides to mutantry: the Darkness and the Light. A follower of the Light tried to live selflessly, in harmony with those around him, and in harmony with "the will of the Gods". Mutual trust, respect, and the ability to form alliances gave the S.M.S.B. their distinct advantage over the NoHeads. In contrast, a follower of the Darkness typically used the Darkness out of selfish motive, for oneself. As such, use of the Darkness was forbidden within the S.M.S.B., and was strictly considered the domain of the NoHeads.

Traditional S.M.S.B. members were keen to keep mutantry “in balance.” They attempted to achieve this by destroying the NoHeads and denying the Darkness, essentially “keeping balance” by restoring mutantry to its natural state, as they viewed the Darkness as corrupt. This involved the purging of negative emotions such as aggression, anger, and hatred, since they could easily bring on acceptance of the Darkness. In contrast, positive emotions such as compassion and courage nurtured the Light. The S.M.S.B. Code compared such feelings and provided insight into the ethical use of mutantry.

Passion was considered dangerous, as it could lead to strong emotions that could unbalance the S.M.S.B. and lead them to the Darkness. Love, curiously enough, was regarded by both the S.M.S.B. and NoHead Orders as something to be avoided. While the S.M.S.B. espoused a broad, all-encompassing, self-sacrificing love for all beings, love for another being romance, a possessive love by nature was shunned in the ranks of the S.M.S.B. The S.M.S.B. viewed emotional attachment as a danger best left untouched. While the passion that came with attachment could lead to hatred and anger, as X1 demonstrated with his love for Calypso Pourkarim and Annabeth Black, love could lead to pity, mercy, self-sacrifice and compassion, emotions the NoHeads did not see as beneficial. As Sebiscuits Cardarphen said, S.M.S.B. members are encouraged to love.

With a few minor exceptions, the original S.M.S.B. lasted largely unchanged in structure and philosophy for twenty-five thousand years, despite many detrimental conflicts with various criminal Empires and an attempted purge by the Knights of Plague. However, by the 2170s, every S.M.S.B. member had either been slaughtered or had died of old age. When the Order was reconstructed by Matthew after the death of Sebiscuits Cardarphen, it underwent a substantial change in both philosophy and policies, as Matthew possessed little information regarding the structure of the S.M.S.B. and disagreed with some of its practices.

The darkness

"The strength of the darkness lies with the power of the individual. Mutantry comes from within. You must learn to draw on it yourself. I will not always be there to teach you."

―Baron Zarath to his apprentice

The Darkness was considered by the S.M.S.B. to be the element aligned with selfishness, fear, hatred, aggression, and malice toward all living things. Such emotions seemed to enhance the mutation and increase the strength and abilities of a user of the darkness, providing a path towards personal power and the destruction or control of all opposition. It was generally accepted that use of the Darkness was extremely addictive. Those who utilized Darkness were known as Dark mutants. But some Light-users, such as Matthew, Jaden Korn, and Abalan, could use Dark powers.

The NoHeads

"It has been stated repeatedly that any being who possesses a potent mutation can set her — or himself up as a godking in any country where only she or he knows of the existence of mutation. Any superhero could do this. But the superheroes, fools that they are, adhere to morals in which mutantry is used only in the service of others. How parochial they are. Is that not why the darkness triumphed against them to begin with?"

―Mr. Stupid NoHead, in The Weakness of Underlings

The earliest incarnations of the NoHeads were similar to Supers in structure. Many NoHeads of various ranks and abilities comprised the Order, which was often under the control of a single Grandmaster who wielded absolute authority. Over the decades, numerous NoHead cults utilizing this power structure rose to challenge the government for control over the star system. With the advent of the Dark Lord Mr. Stupid NoHead, the Order went on to achieve that the original cults of Dark mutants of old never could; the annihilation of the Police Grand Army and the defeat of the U.S. Government. However, the Order was destroyed when Force Baby blasted Annabeth Black in the back of her head with his gun.

Though Mr. Crooked NoHead’s tradition, would continue to influence the NoHeads for years to come, the Elite NoHeads were the final Lords of Crooked’s orthodox Order. While their final Grandmaster, Annabeth Black, still viewed the Light as inferior due to the history of superheroes being unable to affect change, she believed that a proper NoHead should rule selflessly, making decisions that would benefit the greatest number of people no matter how personally painful those decisions might be. In theory, negative emotions like hate would be crucial in maintaining the power of the Darkness within such a NoHead, but would not be allowed to influence their decisions. Such a NoHead would theoretically be able to ruthlessly maintain order, yet govern with compassion. However, her school of thought died with her. Following their union in 2030, the ghost of Mr. Stupid NoHead made a small but significant number of changes to Mr. Crooked NoHead’s philosophy.

The Order was later rejected entirely by the Devastator, who instituted the Homosiety, using “Homo” to refer to the NoHeads themselves, which encompassed many minions, acolytes/adepts and lords, and were led by only one Dark Lord. Ironically, the Dark Flame believed that his philosophy gave the NoHeads and their power a purpose, unlike Mr. Stupid NoHead, who believed that power was its own purpose. Unlike previous Orders, the Homosiety called for cooperation and even some level of loyalty between the NoHeads. Most importantly however, the Homosiety called for complete and utter loyalty to the Devastator. These two rules of Tigris' Order were designed to prevent the infighting of past Dark Orders while still retaining the ability to field large numbers of NoHeads.

However, the Homosiety did not represent the NoHeads as a whole, and the Devastator was even labeled a heretic by the souls of Mr. Devilish NoHead and Lord Yarem, both of whom believed that the Devastator’s Order would ultimately turn on itself as so many similarly structured Dark Orders had. In addition to the Devastator’s Homosiety, there was a previous like philosophy created by Mr. Stupid NoHead. In Tigris' case however, the “Homo” referred simply to himself, as he believed that, with him, the Dark mutants had reached their absolute peak in terms of power and ability. Hence, he intended to reign forever as the star system — and multiverse's — sole leader.

Quartenium belief

The Quartenium view of mutantry, not to be confused with the Unifying side, was strictly disapproved by the S.M.S.B. While similar to the Amalgamation, which suggested that there was only one power that did not take sides, the Quartenium view stated that mutantry and the star system in general were inherently good. According to this belief, the so-called darkness was not made up of specific “parts” or “abilities” of mutantry: as espoused by the Light, it existed inside the life form which used it, made from their emotions. By that standard, and unlike the Light, all Quartenium followers could perform any action and use mutantry in any way they saw fit, as long as the intention behind it was good. In contrast, the S.M.S.B. acknowledged the existence of Quartenium, but made it clear that it was subverting of the S.M.S.B. teaching and a way to misguide people to the Darkness, or a means to serve it. The living planet Seke Conorma supported the Quartenium theory of mutantry as well.

Other views on mutantry

"Maybe no single religion contains all we should know in itself. Or maybe Summer's right and there is no God. He remembered what she'd told him about worshiping mutantry and magic as one. But how can I know for sure?"

―Thoughts in Steven Thompson's head

Some people, including witch Summer Petersen, believe that mutantry is what created the universe and held it together, assisted by magic, making existence possible, and ambiguously worships both metaphysical forces in their own idiosyncratic way.

Black Force

"I have been trying to create. To build, when I should have destroyed. I abandoned Black Force, and the Black abandoned me."

―Frona

The Black Force, or simply the Black, was a view of mutantry taken up by Frona and those that taught him. It was effectively the polar opposite of the Quartenium, but taken a step further. This Black Force belief did not just deny the existence of the Light; it stated that mutantry itself was simply a small extension of the Black. This system stated that destruction was the universal constant that all things worked towards, going so far as to call it the “will of the universe”. An initiate was taught that if one made destruction his primary goal, with whatever scheme he was taking part in being a secondary objective, then the Black would effectively reward the initiate for the devastation caused by pushing the secondary objective to success.

Parasitical mutantry

Krenea the Kinetic, a female mutant living during the Middle Ages, believed mutantry to be akin to some sort of deceptively sinister, indifferent god. She pointed to the numerous wars fought by countless mutants, as proof that mutantry cared nothing for the lives it consumed, so long as balance was achieved. This philosophy emphasized the belief that neither the Light nor the Darkness was truly superior to the other, and that if people were to be truly free, mutantry had to be eliminated from the universe. This was generally a very unpopular theory with both the NoHeads and the superheroes, and this practice disappeared with Krenea’s death. However, after the defeat of the Dark entity Vamelon midway through the Asian Revolution, S.M.S.B. Grandmaster Master Intelligence came to a similar conclusion regarding the nature of mutantry. While he ascribed no intentions or emotions to mutantry, he believed that mutation being out of balance was the cause of the horrific amount of death and chaos that had occurred in the time since the coming of the NoHeads. Instead of believing that mutation should be destroyed however, Master Intelligence instead took the approach that, to keep the star system at peace, mutants themselves had to actively maintain the balance of mutation.

Sorcerers of Rull

The Sorcerers of Rull shared most of the Mettan beliefs, which was not surprising, given the fact that their order was founded by Mettan mages. However, they viewed mutantry as a magical power and manipulated it mostly by arcane symbols and spells. The police viewed the sorcerers as merely another mutant sect, but would often try to “convert” the Sorcerers, attempting to convince them to use their mutations without any of their trappings of magic and mysticism. However, they were unsuccessful, and eventually the police contented themselves with making sure the Sorcerers did not descend into the darkness.

Knights of Flakla

The Knights of Flakla didn’t believe in light and dark, seeing mutantry as their reward for serving an ideal, swearing their allegiance to their Emperor. The more they honored his commandments, the more their power increased.

The Paradox

Following the Timeless Domain’s conquest of Sol, Courtney Lana and the ghost of Grindead gained a new understanding of mutantry, describing it as a paradox, possessing contradicting traits, such as that it had a will, but needed someone to command it.

Superpowers

Manifestations of mutantry, which were mentally-based abilities and tapped through the practitioner’s willpower, could take all forms, and included telepathy, psychokinesis, and enhanced physical and metaphysical perception. It can allow people to affect and some control over momentum and fundamental forces such as kinetic energy, friction, pressure and even gravity, allowing them to be able to slightly defy both of these and enhance force and momentum they create, with a variety of different effects and range. Such things allowed users of mutantry to be almost undamaged by high impact and only be stunned by the impact, with examples of falling from great heights or being struck with great force or at high speed. It should be noted that anticipating the impact lessened its effects, allowing some users of mutantry to not be stunned or even land on their feet with ease. This effectively enhanced the physical durability and recovery capability of a mutant. Power over physical forces and momentum also allowed mutants to partially defy gravity and other weight, allowing them to move and jump at unnatural speed and distance in seconds, though the speed only worked for limited times and was not constant while jumping could be done repeatedly to those who have mastered this ability. This effectively enhanced the agility of those who used it, giving the user acrobatic capabilities at unnatural levels. These two powers have been classified as agility and Super speed, though apparently mutants determine these terms as naive. Mutantry could be used to bend the will of weak-minded beings and guide an adept’s body. Users who were very good at utilizing mutantry could cease merely reacting to their surroundings and actually predict events in the very near future, such as the next blow in a duel. Guidance like this enabled Saul Cameron to launch missiles into an extremely difficult target in Centerpoint Headquarters during a battle there. Mutantry could also be used to sedate. Baby Intelligence used this power on Lisa when traveling past Rocket soldiers. Baby Intelligence placed a hand on Lisa’s shoulder and asked her to relax causing the Tsurb to almost lose consciousness. Lindsay, observing the extreme change in Lisa’s behavior, told Baby Intelligence, her master, “You overdid it.”

In addition to enhancing their own skill, mutants were capable of channeling the energy of mutantry directly into the world around them. The NoHeads were infamous for making heavy use of this ability to conjure lightning, or telekinetically choke enemies by constricting their windpipes. The S.M.S.B. preferred to use their abilities to heal and protect; closing wounds and shielding others with barriers of energy. Redeemed Dark mutant Xamera discovered that mutants could achieve near-immortality through mutantry by existing as a ghost after death, leaving it unclear if Fobbles can do the same.

Some mutants even learned how to transfer their spirit into another body. Mr. Stupid NoHead attempted to use this technique in order to prolong his life, and evidence suggests the legendary Dark mutant Giselle Cin transferred herself to the body of a dying friend so that she could stay alive. Unlike Mr. Stupid NoHead, Cin lost her ability to touch her powers in the process of transference.

Mr. Stupid NoHead mentioned that mutantry could help one cheat death, or create life, a secret mastered only by Hell Burnbottom. Another NoHead, Officer Thorno, used a more indirect method to cheat death. As he could call upon his pain to strengthen his will and allow him to rise up again as strong as he was beforehand, he was arguably immortal.

Mutantry played a part in the game of Crodela as well as the mutant use of a sword, in that their heightened awareness kept them from accidentally injuring themselves while using skaters or utilizing the bladed weapon in combat.

Manipulating mutantry entailed significant risks, however. When a person used mutantry beyond their body’s ability to sustain it, the individual could suffer physical damage, accelerated aging, or in an extreme case, certain death by burning their own body cells from the inside out. Mr. Stupid NoHead, and Moopska 14 are prime examples of excessive mutantry usage and the consequences. When he was calm or under control, Hardy had no connection to mutantry at all. These occurrences naturally happened to those who relied on the Darkness for their power.

Mutated relations

Emotions

A mutant's emotional state could affect their inherent abilities. On the flip side, however, it was possible for a mutant to be sapped of their mutated power altogether if undergoing profound levels of despair. Several powers involved the use of emotion when using them. Force of will under extenuating circumstances also helped in using powers, and affected the force with which they were wielded.

Arguably the most powerful branch of mutantry was also the most mysterious and elusive: love. Mr. Stupid NoHead, having never experienced love himself, underestimated its influence to his detriment. It is implied that the inability to love was what caused his unprecedented malevolence. It is hinted that anybody with the ability to love couldn't go as far down the path of evil as the Dark Lord had done, and it was his complete lack of compassion that made him capable of what he did.

Death

The phenomenon of death was studied in detail by many. There were a few mutated techniques that had been used to extend life. Being mutated could contribute to one's longevity, as there were several people who were quite long-lived, such as Bartemius Willie or even Master Intelligence himself. This could mainly be attributed to the speed and effectiveness of mutated healing, such as serums that cured many sicknesses and ailments, the capacity for instantaneous, scarless healing, and transportation to hospitals being a matter of a few seconds and a side-along teleporter.

It was revealed by Rotta Hecks in 2029 that everyone had the choice of becoming ghosts when they passed away. The alternative was "proceeding forward". Hecks said that she became a ghost because she was foolish, fearful of death. Sheriff Bladepoint said that there was no power that could truly bring the dead back to life; however, several cases of dead people becoming half-alive were known. While people could linger as ghosts or animate dead bodies as the Arboc, no mutantry was capable of bringing a dead person back to full and true life. The closest possibility was via the Casket of Reincarnation.

Limitations

Mutantry often drains a person's stamina or attunement. Naturally, stronger mutantry puts a much greater strain. Society with knowledge about mutantry is likely to have rules and laws about its use, and areas of mutantry that are forbidden. In some societies, mutantry may be limited to a specific class or status. The use of mutantry may also be further limited to a certain species, as only some species possess the required physiology or organs to facilitate mutation use. Furthermore, mutants may have unstable DNA. Gene therapy could have negative results or erase powers. Also, mutants whose appearances have been heavily altered may be unable to revert to their original form.

While it was possible to generate things out of nothing and duplicate items, it was far more tricky to create something that fit an exact specification rather than a general one. Moreover, a mutatedly imitated object would never be as "real" as the genuine one, with duplicated food being less fulfilling than the real thing, and generated creatures only demonstrating surface-level behavior. Furthermore, imitated objects tended not to be as resistant to deterioration as the natural ones, being prone to breaking, cracking, melting, rusting, and other forms of breakdown.

It was almost impossible to make oneself truly immortal, only to extend one's lifespan using powerful mutated means. Creating at least one ingisia key was said to grant the person immortality, as a part of their soul was temporally bound. However, it was considered the vilest of acts. Becoming a ghost was another option for mutants; but it was said that this was a pale imitation of life. Whether or not they were truly sentient beings of independent existence is unclear; as Annabeth Black stated that a ghost was merely "the imprint of a departed soul left upon the earth".

Likewise, it was impossible to resurrect the dead. While corpses could be transformed into obedient Arboc on a living man's command, they were little more than zombies with no soul or will of their own. The Casket of Reincarnation allowed one to talk to the dead, but those brought back by the Casket were not corporeal, nor did they wish to be disturbed from their peaceful rest. The result of such a summoning was usually detrimental to the summoner.

While not immune to external powers, Shielders, human individuals who were trained in Mind resistance, were highly resistant, having an innate defense against mutantry-based mind manipulation. Garoleffs could also ‘hide’ themselves from mutantry, though they could also make themselves detectable in mutantry at will if they chose to. Brotherhood magic was sometimes considered outside of mutantry by some of its practitioners, though how much of that is true is unconfirmed.

Laws and scientific principles

"Wielder of the most unspeakable reapings of violations of the Fundamental Laws of Mutantry, go to hell where you belong!"

―Sheriff Bladepoint threatening the ghost of Mr. Stupid NoHead

"As our investigations currently stand, the longest period that may be relived without the possibility of serious harm to the traveler or to time itself is around two days."

―Sydney Wilson

Laws of mutantry are natural laws which govern the use of mutantry. The Fundamental Laws of Mutantry are, presumably, a number of statements about the general nature of mutantry and science in general. Sheriff Bladepoint scornfully mentions that the ghost of Mr. Stupid NoHead was violating the laws and wielding the rewards he reaped, heavily implying that the way Mr. Stupid NoHead returned as a crude imprint of his soul. A similar situation occurred when Bladepoint battled the ghost of Verpus the Foul at Thunder Quarters alongside the members of the Council of Outcasts, indicating he was committing an extremely similar offense.

Alves' Third Law is a law for the consistency of mutantry, which says that all human mutants possess their powers at the same cost. It states that excessive use of mutantry will drain the mutant of all of their energy and kill them as a result, whereas insufficient consistency will either render the user insane or cause physical damage to the user's body.

A Taboo is an extremely complex and multifaceted piece of mutantry that designates a series of words as being unspeakable by those unbound by the Taboo. A fairly advanced application, Taboos are not used very often, though they are certainly the most effective means to enforce a secret. Few people know how to cast them. If one utters the words under the Taboo to someone who is not under it as they are, they die. The mutant designated to hide a secret by means of a Taboo is called a Secret Keeper; the secret is embedded in their very soul. Once a Secret Keeper is selected, the person who told them the secret will find themselves unable to pass the information on again, as the Secret Keeper is the only one capable of revealing the secret, whether orally or written. The Secret Keeper can tell as many people as they like, but they must do so voluntarily and the secret cannot be blackmailed, hoodwinked or tortured out of them.

Being a Secret Keeper is a very dangerous position to be in; although it is impossible to hoodwink or torture the information out of the Secret Keeper, many have in the past been subjected to mind control and electrocution in attempts to find the secret. It is such a serious and binding connection that few would undertake it lightly. If a Secret Keeper dies, all the people already aware of the secret information become Secret Keepers. This would unfortunately dilute the effect greatly; should all the people who knew of the secret die, then the secret would die with them. A Taboo can also refer to a ward of mutantry placed upon a location such as the Kellerman House or the Court of Domination.

The Taboo was invented by Lord Jarama of the Legions of Metta, currently under Lord Yarem's leadership during the sixteenth century. Known Secret Keepers include Dexter and Amarone Chalsey: Originally meant to be the Secret Keeper for Zach and Bridgett Kellerman, but Dexter thought Mr. Stupid NoHead was on to him, therefore passing on the Secret Keeper to Amarone Chalsey. Baby Intelligence originally offered to be the Kellermans' Secret Keeper, but the couple refused on trust of their friends. Chalsey was then the new Secret Keeper for Zach and Bridgett Kellerman after they went into hiding during the Second NoHead War with their infant daughter Lindsay, keeping their whereabouts in the Kellerman house a secret. However, Chalsey was secretly a traitor to the police. She informed Mr. Stupid NoHead of the Kellermans' location, resulting in the murders of Zach and Bridgett and the awakening of Lindsay's powers. During the height of the NoHead Empire, the Police Grand Army used many safe houses, including the Dukas' house, which was under a Taboo and maintained by various Secret Keepers. Bash became part of an already existent Taboo regarding the existence of the Great Ruby of Red Feathers. Unfortunately, he told Baby Intelligence about the gem, and died as a result.

Doctor Wilson's law stated that two days was the longest someone could travel back in time without the possibility of serious harm to the traveler or time itself. This law was named for Sydney Wilson, who studied time science with some of the most revered scientists of his day.

Study of mutantry

It should be noted that, whilst the ability to perform mutantry usually revealed itself by age five, there were exceptions when individuals remained mundane until quite late in life when — in extremely desperate circumstances — they suddenly revealed their mutated capacity. However, such "late-bloomers" were rare, possibly more so than Squibs. For a person's ability to perform mutantry to be useful, a good deal of training was required to acquire the correct discipline. When "wild", typically with young and untrained children, mutantry would manifest itself subconsciously in moments of strong apprehension, fear or anger. A powerful or intelligent mutant could direct this force in less random ways, like Lindsay Kellerman or Jamboga Pine.

File:SuperheroSchoolcrest.png

Superhero School crest and motto

As mutantry was what governed the former mutant realm and much of the modern world, there were many people who made it their business to study the mutated arts, as well as mutantry being taught to young mutants. Main fields of mutated study taught at the mutated school of Superhero School were: Powers, Defensive Arts, Foresight, Herbalism, Serums, and Transmutation.

Types of mutants with special mutated abilities included a shapeshifter, a telepath, a Shielder (one who could protect their mind from external penetration), a zoolingual, and a Seer. Mutantry came in all shapes and sizes, from the profane to the ethereal, from the mundane to the cosmic, from the sources of silliness to devastation.

Arithmetic

"Hah, if he thinks we'll be put off by this... really, really long book of boring financial figures... I know, I'm dozing off just thinking about it! Better pass this on to an expert. Ryan studied Arithmetic, right? He'll love this!"

―Roan

"I know we're not taking advanced arithmetic courses like you did, Bethany, but we know how to count to eight."

―L'smae to Bethany Donner

Arithmetic, frequently referred to as mathematics and simply math, is a branch of mutantry associated with the potency of numerical values. An Arithmancer is a mutant who specializes in the field of Arithmancy, a similar branch of mutantry. Arithmetic is a core class and subject taught at Superhero School in which students learn all kinds of math skills. The MBH also teaches advanced arithmetic courses. Arithmetic is used in many, many contexts in the real world, such as by breakers because some banking and transaction come with the job. Transfinite interdimensional mathematics is a field of Arithmetic, which also has direct ties to the Saturnian culture due to their advanced mathematics background. The notorious Saturnian pirate, Almarag, is an expert in this field.

Numerology is any belief in the divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value of the letters in words, names, and ideas. It is often associated with the paranormal, alongside astrology and similar divinatory arts, and can be used by Martians to predict the future, and by Elves to teleport between space.

Despite the long history of numerological ideas, the word "numerology" was not yet recorded in English as of the 1840s. When L'smae and Bethany Donner were looking for ingredients on how many samples of a plant they have collected and how many they have left, L'smae sarcastically reminded her she knew how to count.

Darkness

The Darkness differs from other forms of mutantry in the intent of the mutant using it. Despite having an established binary of good and evil, most powers can be channeled for either purpose. Some mutantry, however, is evil in its intention through and through. Dark powers are ones that are often intended to cause harm to another person. This intention to do harm places that superpower into the realm of the Darkness. Although offensive and potentially dangerous Dark powers exist in number, five are considered usable only for great evil, which earned them the special classification of "illegal powers". Ultimately, the deep, true intention of the user is what makes the difference.

Foresight

Foresight is mutantry which attempts to foresee future events or gather insights into the past and present, through various rituals and tools. Many consider this branch of mutantry to be imprecise at best. Described as an inexact science, it requires certain mind and concentration techniques to improve one's sensibility and logical thinking, and to gain insight into various events, appearances, details, emotions and thoughts. Therefore, Foresight might be related to telepathy and possibly some aspects of weapons lore. Though dismissed by modern science as superstition, many cultures worldwide have practiced or do practice some form of divining, as it has been practiced since ancient times. As mutantry consists of supernatural forces, true Foresight actually can be learned and achieved like the other arts. As an elective course taught at Superhero School, Foresight teaches methods of divining the future, or gathering insights into future events, through various rituals and tools.

Herbalism

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Herbalism is the study of plants and fungi, making it the mutant equivalent to botany. Herbalism is a core class and subject taught at Superhero School and Niagerou School of Mutantry in which students learn to care for and utilize plants, learn about their mutated properties if present, and what they are used for. Many plants provide ingredients for medicine, while others have scientific effects of their own right. At Superhero School, all students were required to attempt a C.A.T. in Herbalism, so all first through eighth year students took the class, which was taught by Mrs. Danielle Park.

History

Many mutants and metahumans studied the history of mutantry throughout time; they were known as mutated historians, and History was also a class taught at Superhero School, being one of the subjects where the use of mutantry practically isn't necessary, taught from the fourth year to the ninth, with the option of M.E.M.E. courses in tenth and eleventh year.

When Mr. Stupid NoHead conquered the U.S. Government, Binne feared being forced to teach of false doctrine and thus went on the run, and so it was Erodu was appointed the new teacher of History. Instead of teaching students accurate facts about the international timeline and encouraging understanding and tolerance, Erodu taught that Fobbles were "like animals, stupid and dirty" and that they had once driven mutants into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how World War II was living proof of the ongoing restoration of the natural order. This was an attempt to brainwash mutant children into hating their non-mutated brethren, and into joining the NoHeads. Roan Kendels would defy such teachings. After Mr. Stupid NoHead's first defeat and the deescalation of the War on Terror, Erodu was imprisoned for his crimes, and History was restored to its factual roots. With the regime at an end, Binne returned to the post.

Linguistics

"Academics are things people learn to be effective in school and then in life. Like English, which effectively has its own class, Math, the mastery of numbers and how they relate to mutantry."

―Baby Intelligence

English is a core class and subject taught at Superhero School in which students learn all kinds of skills in reading and writing.

Serums

Serums are mutated liquids created by mixing various ingredients according to very specific rules. These mixtures must usually be drunk or delivered via injection to give their mutated effect. The ingredients in serums range from the mundane to the bizarre and fantastic, and the procedures for creating some serums can be complicated and time-consuming.

Transmutation

Transmutation is mutantry which changes one object into another. It is possible to change inanimate objects into animate ones and vice versa. Some Transmutation powers alter a part of something. It is a sub-power of molecukinesis, nucleokinesis, and structokinesis. It is regarded as "more scientific" than any other form of mutantry. As Master Intelligence discovered, anyone with telekinetic powers could perform Transmutation, as it would be done by decomposing something and then rearranging them into the desired chemical reagents. Precision would be essential.

The mutant realm

"We have told you nothing but the truth about Mutantry, and yet we may not have disclosed all of it." This article needs to be expanded in order to have more sufficient length or some important details. See the request on the listing. Once finished, this notice and the page's listing may be removed.

The mutant society once existed as a shadow society to the Fobble world and had worked as hard as it could to keep its existence a secret, save for all but a few Fobbles, those of whom included those who were related to mutants, or important Fobbles such as the U.S. President.

Other mutant traditions

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"Mutantry is a river from which many can drink, and the training of the S.M.S.B. is not the only cup which can catch it."

―Lindsay Kellerman

The S.M.S.B. and NoHead Orders taught mutantry as described above, but there were other traditions which instructed different philosophies and uses of mutantry.

• Dark mutants
• Everlasting Ark

• Knights of Plague
• Legions of Metta
• Madakoran Knights
• New Reborn
• Quartenium Heretics
• New Order
• Unifiers
• Zeison Sha

Behind the Scenes

"Mutantry has always been a huge part of pop culture. [...] In my works, it evolved out of various developments of character and plot. I desired a concept of religion based on the premise that there is good and evil in the world and there is a God. I began to distill the essence of all cultures oriented around superheroes and wizards, into what I thought was a basic idea common to all religions and common to primitive thinking. I wanted to develop something that was nondenominational but still had a kind of reality. Something that intertwined with the culture that has engulfed fiction for the twentieth century."

―D. Isaac Thomas reflects on mutantry in October 2016

• The principles of mutantry resonate not only with what pop culture has depicted it as, but with those of some real-world religions, including the Shinto religion of Japan, Buddhism, Taoism, and certain Celtic druidic concepts. Mutantry also bears a close similarity to the Chinese notion of qigong, or “chi,” and the splitting of mutantry into light and darkness echoes the concept of yin and yang in Eastern philosophy (though this is not a perfect translation, as the darkness is considered a force of evil by the S.M.S.B., and this moral duality is not the same as the Eastern concept). Along with the concepts of yin and yang, the concept of a ubiquitous mutation parallels the real-world concept of a “Tao” or “way,” which is said to flow everywhere in the universe. The concept of mutantry also borrows heavily from Hindu theology, which also expresses a belief in a unifying Brahman energy that composes and is a composite of the Universe (and by extension, God), and can be used for either good or bad. In fact, this is particularly similar to the concept of the Quartenium and Unification in that while the power can be perverted for evil, it ultimately leads only to a conclusion that is good.
• In truth, while mutantry has always been a vital part of pop culture, D. Isaac Thomas attempts to explain its nature, “revealing” it as an amalgamation of many religions and philosophies, and is intended as a metaphor for spirituality itself. Thomas distilled the essence of many cultures and religions around wizards and superheroes, into what he found a basic combination. As in real-world spirituality, there is the potential for a “light” and a “dark” side in each person as well as the universe at large. Thomas intended to develop something that was nondenominational but still bore a feeling of reality, that “intertwined with the culture that has engulfed fiction for the twentieth century”.
• Despite great controversy regarding the truth of mutantry in-universe, the matter was clearly settled in an interview, which established that the S.M.S.B. has the best understanding of mutantry among all other mutant traditions, and the S.M.S.B. way of classifying and viewing mutantry is the correct one, as D. Isaac Thomas intended.
• The Fundamental Laws of Mutantry are only mentioned in The Super Babies: An Ended Generation, so not much is known about it.
• When asked by a wiki user why Zira Miranda Grover never got the receiving end of Alves' Third Law, D. Isaac Thomas explained that because her powers were mental, and she used them all the time and yet not so often that her own cells destroyed her, she had nothing to worry about.

Author's comments

“Mutantry has always been a huge part of pop culture. Professor X uses the Light, usually. Or does he? In my works, it evolved out of various developments of character and plot. I desired a concept of religion based on the premise that there is good and evil in the world and there is a God. I began to distill the essence of all cultures oriented around superheroes and wizards, into what I thought was a basic idea common to all religions and common to primitive thinking. I wanted to develop something that was nondenominational but still had a kind of reality. Something that intertwined with the culture that has engulfed fiction for the twentieth century.”

See also

• Darkness
• Four aspects of mutantry
• Light