Taylor Hebert

Lore & Background

Taylor operates within Earth Bet, a fictional universe where parahumans emerged after Scion appeared in 1982. Her home city, Brockton Bay, is a declining port with high parahuman activity, its shipping industry devastated by the Boat Graveyard and economic factors rather than directly by Endbringer attacks. The PRT and Protectorate are major organizations but do not rule the world, and Taylor finds herself at odds with them due to their bureaucracy and inability to handle local threats. She joins the Undersiders, a team of teenage thieves working for the mysterious benefactor Coil, and eventually becomes their leader after his defeat. Her power allows her to sense through the bugs' senses (sight, touch, etc.) and control them precisely, though she must navigate the complex dynamics of the "Kiss/Kill" relationships often found in cluster triggers.

In Their Own Story

After joining the Undersiders, Taylor learns they unwittingly assisted their patron, Coil, in kidnapping Dinah, a girl with precognitive powers. Guilt-ridden, she plots to depose Coil while dealing with an attack by Leviathan that ruins Brockton Bay further. When the Slaughterhouse Nine invade, Jack Slash predicts the end of the world in two years via Dinah's prophecy. Taylor survives Coil's assassination attempt and helps kill him in retaliation. However, Coil unleashes Noelle (Echidna), a monstrous parahuman on par with Endbringers. A desperate alliance between the Undersiders and heroes defeats Echidna, but not before the city is devastated even further. The heroes ignore warnings that Echidna can clone parahumans, worsening the conflict. In the aftermath, Dinah is returned to her family, and the Undersiders seize control of Coil's criminal empire, entrenching themselves as shadowy rulers of Brockton Bay.

Reader's Guide

Taylor Hebert starts as a 15-year-old seeking revenge but evolves into a ruthless tactician known for commanding vast swarms. Her power to sense and control insects allows her to use them for reconnaissance, defense, and offense, though healers are rare in this world due to the Manton effect limiting powers on organic material. Her journey is defined by the tension between her desire to do right and a dark world filled with moral ambiguity. Key turning points include her induction into the Undersiders, the Leviathan attack that cripples Brockton Bay, the Slaughterhouse Nine incursion where Jack Slash decides to fulfill Dinah's prophecy of doom, and the final battle against Echidna where lack of cohesion nearly costs everything. She ultimately accepts the role of a villain in society's eyes to protect her own.

Did You Know?

• Taylor's power specifically allows her to control worms, insects, arachnids, and other simple lifeforms.
• The story follows a strict publication schedule with new chapters released every Tuesday and Saturday, plus bonus chapters on Thursdays for donations.
• Worm began in June 2011 with only 13 views but peaked at 1,390,648 monthly views by November 2013.
• Coil was killed by Taylor with a crossbow bolt; Noelle (Echidna) had been released earlier in the story.
• The Manton effect is a limitation in Worm where parahumans' abilities rarely affect both organic and inorganic material simultaneously.