Mutant Underground

BACKGROUND: THE MUTANT UNDERGROUND IN THE UNITED STATES

anonymous white paper, temporarily found on ftp://hotline.com:2345 as "mutsclub.txt"

For many mutants, the secret clubs that cater to them are the only places they can express who they are and relate with others. This is especially true for those mutants with few or no socially redeeming (or worse yet concealable) attributes.

These clubs exist in a dense fog of secrecy. In fact, many claim that the initial inspiration of "Fight Club" was this mutant secret society, where the first and second rules are indeed those of Fight Club. Virtually no humans have entered this world; only two exposes have been written. The first was quickly followed by the disappearance of the human who wrote it. The second was exposed and eventually disavowed as a fraud.

The "deepest" level of these clubs, sometimes known as "The Point of No Return", seem to be one of two extremes. Some are bleak, seemingly wordless places. Others are loud and crass. In both cases, they house those mutants whose emotional connection to the human world has withered to nothing but they are unable or unwilling to publicly "out" themselves as such. Rather than live in mutant communes or take up occupations that would put them into the so-called mainstream mutant world, they live on the fringe, fearful of discovery but excited by opportunity. These clubs witness the most lawless and extreme of activities. Rumors abound of a sect that operates almost exclusively within these clubs that celebrates unusual forms of murder-suicides which they believe release a sort of "mutant pollen" into the air that both intoxicates and causes more mutations. A couple of these "mutant snuff films" have surfaced, whether connected to the so-called Free Spirit Passion Cult or more mundane and earthy unhealthy fetishes.

Typically, though, the mutant secret society functions in a more respectable but "don't ask, don't tell" environment. Individual secrets are respected. Unless an identity is overtly revealed and that of a heinous criminal (such as a murderer), no one, including those heroic mutants, gets into confrontations or unduly researches anyone. Mutants do seek out each other for labor, benign to nefarious. For some, this is the only place they can find decent paying work. It's unusual to see well-known heroes or villains in these clubs, although it's not so unusual for them to be there, secreting their identity a bit casually (after all, no one's going to pry) and enjoying some non-ideological camaraderie. Often the most famous ones do get spotted or found out, but it's considered quite a faux pas to let on that one knows.

These clubs range from rickety makeshift affairs selling strange potions ("Ambrosia" is a particularly well-known substitute for liquor that causes intense alcoholic effects in short order and duration in even the heartiest self-curing mutants; it can easily kill a person of regular physique) as well as regular liquor to posh speakeasies selling only the best in legal fair. The latter tend to disguise themselves as ridiculously reclusive gentlemen's clubs or extremist oddball political lodges with only elite membership; in these cases, the membership is usually the best-known mutants. Even in these cases, the clubs are still highly secretive. On the high end, these are so rare they're considered by most mutants to be a myth. But a few, such as intrepid investigator Jonas Hell, swear they exist.

In any case, discovery of a club or even the perceived possible discovery keeps these clubs highly mobile. All are capable of shutting down and starting up elsewhere in a matter of hours. In fact the hallmark of a successful "mutie meister", the strange name given to the barkeep/proprietors of these establishments (usually only one person runs and operates such places, with no or freely given assistance), is their ability to move their operations rapidly.

Most mutants in these clubs demonstrate their mutation in some way. Telekinetics will walk in with purses or other gear suspended just next to but not on their arms. The super-strong, if they aren't obviously that way, will often "accidentally" flip one of the usually incredibly heavy tables over (sometimes they're made of concrete); a bit of embarrassment may occur but the calling card is clear. All this helps to reinforce that everyone is who they should be. On rare occassion, powerful mutants may bring in human spouses, but otherwise humans are not welcome in any circumstance. When a human is discovered in a club, they are beaten, sometimes to within an inch of their life, terrorized, and, if their identity is not known immediately, investigated for follow-up threats. The threat alone, along with the secrecy, keeps all but the craftiest and craziest humans way. It's rumored that once in a great while these humans become test subjects and are made into mutants; this rumor has fueled a few obsessed but smart "fans" to make their way into these clubs. It has undoubtedly caused a few of their deaths. A few rare humans who are so powerful yet so alienated from humanity might also visit these clubs, but they're mostly on the level of the Punisher (a known frequenter of Atlanta's mutant underbelly) - too tough to mess with.

Detroit, long known as the "San Francisco of mutants", is no exception with its secret society, but predictably it's not quite so secret and a bit more open among the mutant/vaguely super-human community. Human vigilante Wilting Rose is commonly known to frequent these clubs, not disguising herself at all. Most mutants tend to let their identity to be known easily, if they're locals. It's virtually a known fact that Mayor Berry has contacts within the clubs and the ability to mobilize when absolutely necessary for the good of the community. Some believe this accounts for the rapid deployment of metahumans in fighting the "Great Lakes Godzilla" attack of 1993.

It is believed that in the wake of the success of the Justice Squad in fighting Kingpin in New York City that lame duck Mayor Giuliani is attempting to foster the same relationship in his city's mutant underground. However, the "famous" supers are believed to be in a club of their own, hosted by Dr. Time of the Outsiders, and the lesser known, generally non-vigilante mutants prize their secrecy and strongly distrust the mayor, particularly given his Puritanical bent on New York nightlife.