The Meta Wars
The Meta Wars is a 2011 superhero novel by Joshua Bruckner. It deals with the Guardians of New York, a government-supported superhero law enforcement group, in an alternate Earth peopled with "Metahumans", men and women with superhuman powers. American Metahumans have been press-ganged into service to the government by the Metahuman Police Act of 1965, a controversial piece of legislation. When the story begins, tensions over Metahuman political issues are running high and the Police Act has been contested by ex-government hero Nucleon, a charismatic prison fugitive. Led by the telepath Evermind, the Guardians oppose Nucleon and his followers even as their own misgivings about the program grow.
Tropes used in The Meta Wars include:
- Captain Patriotic: Subverted with The Patriot, a twisted and cruel Captain America/Superman expy.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Evermind.
- Military Superhero
- Personality Powers
- Rogues Gallery: Explored and lampshaded.
- Single-Power Superheroes
- Slave to PR
- Stock Super Powers
- Superheroes Stay Single: Subverted with Brick's backstory.
- Super Registration Act
- Superhuman Transfusion
- World's Strongest Man