Earth Bet

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Lore & Background

The history of Earth Bet is defined by the arrival of Scion in 1982 and the subsequent emergence of parahumans. In 1988, the death of the hero Vikare during a riot—he was killed by a rioter with a lead pipe—marked a turning point, leading to the creation of the PRT and Protectorate in 1989 to manage criminals and foster hero cooperation. The world faces existential threats from three Endbringers, colossal monsters that have attacked cities globally, causing catastrophic geographic and economic loss. Notably, in 1992, an Endbringer launched a devastating attack on Marun Field, Iran. These attacks forced authorities to treat villains more leniently in exchange for assistance against the monsters. The setting is often mired in bureaucracy, with agencies struggling to cope with the growing frequency and brutality of parahuman crimes. The narrative focuses heavily on Brockton Bay, a once-wealthy port city whose shipping industry declined due to the global economic downturn and the rise of parahuman crime, leaving it impoverished and teeming with superhuman-led gangs.

In Their Own Story

The central narrative begins in the fictional city of Brockton Bay, a hotspot for parahuman activity due to its decline. Taylor Hebert, a bullied 15-year-old, triggers with the power to control insects after a traumatic event at the hands of bullies. Seeking to become a superhero, she defeats a gang leader on her first night but is mistaken for a villain by the Undersiders, a team of teenage thieves. She joins them, intending to learn their boss's identity before reporting them, but eventually grows close to the group and adopts the moniker 'Skitter.' The city faces instability as gangs fall, culminating in Leviathan's attack which devastates Brockton Bay. In the aftermath, the villain Coil directs the Undersiders and Travelers to seize territory. After surviving an assassination attempt by Coil, Taylor and the Undersiders kill him, but he unleashes his monstrous creation, Echidna. The resulting battle further ruins the city before the alliance defeats her, allowing the Undersiders to seize control of Coil's empire.

Reader's Guide

Earth Bet operates on specific rules regarding power acquisition and constraints. Parahumans gain abilities through 'trigger events,' moments of severe physical or psychological trauma where the nature of the threat influences the resulting power. Some individuals experience a 'second trigger' under extreme stress to refine their abilities, while 'cluster triggers' can grant linked powers to multiple people simultaneously. Powers acquired via Cauldron, a secret group inducing powers artificially, often result in grotesque mutations known as 'Case-53s.' The world enforces the 'Manton effect,' which generally prevents powers from affecting both organic and inorganic material at once and instinctively protects users from their own abilities. Additionally, nearly all powers can be used aggressively, making pure healers rare. Second-generation capes may trigger with similar powers to those around them over time, though these are not strictly heritable.

Did You Know?

• Worm began with only 13 views in June 2011, growing to over 1.3 million monthly views by its conclusion.
• The story features a strict publication schedule of new chapters on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with bonus Thursday chapters for donors.
• The Vikare incident in 1988, where a parahuman was killed by a rioter with a lead pipe during a riot, directly led to the formation of the PRT and Protectorate in 1989.
• Taylor Hebert's power allows her to control insects, arachnids, and other simple lifeforms following a traumatic trigger event.
• As of 2019, the author John C. McCrae was editing Worm for traditional publication in eBook and physical book formats.

Publication History

Worm was first published as an online serial by John C. McCrae, writing under the name Wildbow, beginning in June 2011 and concluding in November 2013. The story was released on a strict schedule of two to three chapters per week, with new installments appearing every Tuesday and Saturday, and bonus chapters released on Thursdays for donors. This format allowed the serial to reach approximately 1,682,400 words across 31 arcs, each concluding with an interlude from a side character's perspective. Even five years later, the series maintained a steady readership of 693,675 monthly views. As of 2019, McCrae was editing the text for potential eBook and physical book releases through traditional publishing.

The World of Earth Bet

Earth Bet diverged from our reality in 1982 with Scion's appearance, leading to a world where superpowered individuals are common. The setting is characterized by the tension between government agencies like the PRT and Protectorate against a rising tide of villainy. The presence of Endbringers has forced a pragmatic shift in law enforcement, treating villains leniently if they assist in defense. Brockton Bay serves as the primary focus, a city that suffered severe economic decline after Endbringer attacks destroyed its shipping industry. This poverty resulted in a higher per-capita density of parahumans than any other American city, leading to intense gang warfare for control over criminal enterprises. The city's skyline bears fresh scars from Leviathan's attack, and the water continues to rise in some districts, symbolizing the irreversible damage inflicted by these monsters.

Parahuman Mechanics

In Worm, individuals with powers are formally called 'parahumans' or informally 'capes,' often adopting alter egos and costumes. Powers originate from 'trigger events,' where severe trauma shapes the ability based on the individual's thought process and the nature of the threat. While most triggers occur naturally, Cauldron has discovered a method to artificially induce powers, though this carries high risks of deformation for 'Case-53s.' The mechanics include strict constraints like the Manton effect, which separates organic from inorganic influence and protects users from self-harm via their own powers. Healers are exceptionally rare because nearly all abilities can be weaponized. Complex dynamics arise from 'cluster triggers,' where multiple people trigger simultaneously creating a 'Kiss/Kill' relationship dynamic, or 'second generation capes' who develop similar powers after years of exposure to existing parahumans.

Narrative Themes and Protagonist

The story follows Taylor Hebert, a bullied teenager who controls insects and other simple lifeforms. Her journey subverts superhero tropes by blending ingenuity, idealism, and brutality in a dark world of moral ambiguity. Taylor initially seeks to be a hero but joins the Undersiders after being mistaken for a villain, eventually abandoning her dream of traditional heroism to become 'Skitter.' The narrative explores themes of trauma and consequence, structured through 31 arcs interspersed with interludes that provide side character perspectives. The plot weaves through gang warfare, political maneuvering within the PRT, and existential threats like the Slaughterhouse Nine. As the first installment of the Parahumans series, it was succeeded by Ward (published November 2017 to May 2020) and remains one of the most popular web serials with a readership in the hundreds of thousands.