From publisher blurb: Although no one holds an exact count, approximately 0.001% of the world’s population possesses some form of special power or ability. This places the number of super-powered beings (SPBs) at over 7,000 worldwide. These individuals range in power levels from minor to literally earth-shaking, with most people falling somewhere in the lower half of the scale. While some people acquired special powers through an accident of genetics, many more gained their abilities thanks to genetic manipulation—in some cases before they were even born or for reasons as yet unknown. While no method for creating super-powered individuals has proven foolproof or guaranteed, the science involved continues to advance at a startling pace. The first recorded instance of a human possessing superhuman powers occurred shortly after the Second Great War. Within a year, another thirteen such individuals came to light. Governments, militaries, and intelligence agencies around the world scrambled to find out everything they could about these people. Everyone sought answers to the same questions, most notably how did these individuals acquire their powers, and was the process reproducible?