Talk: Metahuman

I think this definition is being used too broadly. I mean, Star Sapphire metahuman? She's as metahuman as John Stuart. I think being metahuman implies two things: belonging to the human race and having innate paranormal abilities, as opposed to those such as Booster Gold and Stargirl that get their powers from special weaponry. ― Thailog 18:31, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

I used it as a human imbued with powers through some mutation or other. So, when they woke up in the morning, they had superpowers, regardless of technology. The only opinion that really matters though is whatever was said onscreen (the term has been used, in SS: "Linked" likely among others).--Tim Thomason 23:48, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Huh? I'm sorry, but your answer is not very clear. Do the characters mentioned above qualify as metahumans or not? ― Thailog 00:05, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

In the Comics, they're Humans who have managed to get superpowers. Examples would be Flash, Poison Ivy, Metamorpho. On the other hand, Green Lantern, Star Sapphire, Booster Gold, S.T.R.I.P.E, etc., are not Metahumans because their superhuman abilities are based on some sort of equipment or weaponry. A naked metahuman still has their powers. I'll review SS: Linked to see exactly what is said concerning Metahumans. --BoneGnawer 00:35, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure where the term "Metahuman" was referenced (I was wrong about "Linked"). According to Wikipedia's Metahuman page, the term has been used as the equivalent of "Bang baby" in Static Shock.--Tim Thomason 00:38, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, and according to that, we have been listing characters incorrectly. Volcana and Ace would either be a humans or mutants. ― Thailog 00:45, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

While we may have been listing some characters as metahumans incorrectly, both of those examples would be metahumans. Their powers are based on their own bodies, not equipment, or being a member of an alien race or magic, etc. --BoneGnawer 01:16, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

No, they were born with paranormal abilities, which according to that definition does not qualify as metahuman, because they didn't acquire those abilities by an exterior force, like Metamorpho did. ― Thailog 01:25, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

That's metahuman too. A metahuman is a human with superpowers. It doesn't matter if they were born with them or acquired them later in life. --BoneGnawer 01:29, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Metahuman applies only to peoples mutated by an outside force.
Metahumans in this universe have no latent metagene, but rather a mutated genome due to a common chemical accident.
Metahumans can be cured by chemical antidote, a fact separating them from other Superbeings in the Animated DC Universe.
It is suggested that metahumans' powers are subject to change due to the unstable nature of their origin.

I'm not trying to be argumentative; just want this cleared out so that we can move on.― Thailog 01:40, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

The simplest explanation of "Metahuman" is a human (e.g., not Superman) who has superpowers. The other ones you mentioned are farther down on the page, and are not strictly what the "Dominators" referred to, if that counts. Anyway, I still like my explanation (which sides with Thailog's), although I would like confirmation on how the term was used in the DCAU (Static Shock is probably the best source, but I don't have the... sigh... 6-episode DVD out there). I forgot about Volcana being born a "mutant" (as Joker calls them), so I'd say use that as a classification for humans born with superpowers (it does sound a bit, Marvelish, though).--Tim Thomason 02:18, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

What are you quoting above, Thailog? In the Comics, the term Metahuman is used to describe any human with superpowers, regardless of how or when they obtained said powers. I do have the entire series of Static Shock on DVD, so I'll review the episodes over the next several weeks. We should also review the JLU Cadmus story arc, as the term may have been mentioned somewhere in there. --BoneGnawer 02:50, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I was quoting the Wikipedia definition of Metahuman in the DCAU. I just reviewed "Fearful Symmetry" and General Hardcastle refers to metahumans, mutants and aliens and different species. ― Thailog 11:42, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I Made some Changes like adding an Homomagi section. Thats from the Comics but it still aplies even though it was not mention. I think is more coherent to call Mutants instead of the current Natural Born. Although DC uses the term Metahuman to avoid the word Mutant and subsequent Conections with the X-men. Also merged the Enhaced and humans bealieved to be metahumans since they were practicaly the same thing. By the way Superman is by no means an metahuman, He is an alien. Also the term was first used in Static Shock I think that in the third episode. It was First used outside SS in Fearful symetry.Also Wonderwoman should be with the Humans Bealieved to be Metahumans, since her powers come from her costume not because she is an Amazons. Amazons are Human But incredibly trained. They are like the female version of the Spartans.

User :Nitewing 1, July 2007

Meta-human (lit., beyond human) seems like an inclusive term, not an exclusive one. So mutants with powers are still metahuman. Humans with innate magical abilities are metahuman. Clay staues transformed into human flesh and blood with godlike powers are metahuman. All of these are subsets of the umbrella term Metahuman.Noclevername 02:22, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

While that may be true in theory, it doesn't apply here. The term metahuman was never used to refer to humans with innate magical abilities. It was used while specifically referring to Bang Babies and some JL members. Assuming magic-wielders and mutants are metahumans is conjecture ― Thailog 22:55, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Rewrite

This page needs a rewrite. We need to reach a consensus on what the term refers to before we do flagging characters as being metahumans. I still think that Volcana, Ace, and Bombshell are not metahumans. Volcana and Bombshell existed prior to Static Shock, and in those episodes they made it very clear that their powers were paranormal, remember that Bombshell belonged to a group that recruited people who could tap into more than 10% of their brains. In Static Shock Bang Babies were regular humans who got their biological makeup changed by a metagene. I think Big Time from Batman Beyond and Eiling from Justice League Unlimited would also fall in this category, or maybe a mutant.

Apart from this, the article has mentions to people who are not even humans, such as Wonder Woman. She's an amazon, not a human. She was made out of clay. And the "Homomagi". That term is certainly non-canonical, and magic is different from metahuman powers.

Finally, the article needs to be written in in-universe perspective, free of typos. ― Thailog 10:38, 4 July 2007 (UTC)

Ah, my bad. I just added some sources. Any idea on the how in the "In-Universe" department? The history of Metahumans? Public support/outcry of metahumans? Origins?

BTW, re: Wonder Woman: similar for Aquaman, and let's not forget aliens either. -- Tupka217 08:37, 24 November 2008 (UTC)

Technically speaking

Metahuman is a portmanteau of Greek and Latin,strictly speaking it should be either transhuman or metanthropic.Sochwa 05:20, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

Rewritten version

I re-wrote the page a bit. How does this look?--Tim Thomason 18:50, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

Much better. ― Thailog 00:18, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

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Metahuman was a term used by Static to describe himself, when he felt that "mutant" or "bang baby" were too derogatory.

It would later be adapted by those in the government, such as General Hardcastle, to refer to all regular-born humans who had their genome mutated to give them extraordinary powers.

It was used by the general public to refer to all those who had superpowers.

See also

• List of metahumans, under Hardcastle's definition
  • List of bang babies

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