For a long time, I’ve been reading about superheroes. Then, around 20 years ago, they went mainstream, and the world saw itself as it might exist with superheroes in it. They have come to us in a myriad of forms and types over the years and I’ve seen countless artists and authors and creators of all stripes take a swing at what happens when people break their limits and are given, or take, powers that approach the realms of gods and monsters.

There is plenty of discussion around the individual super person. The ethical nature of billionaires playing at hero while systemically the problems of crime are not addressed. The allegory of the alien and the responsibility that comes with power are well trod ground in the discussions surrounding superheroes. I’m far more interested in the world that these archetypes build. Is the Justice League a servant of the world or it’s master? What happens when the Avengers expand to avenge the world and then beyond?

But I think to really figure that out we need to look at the kind of evolution of these worlds as they have been presented in the myths and legends of the last century of superheroism. So, as we go, let’s define them as we might our own civilization. I’ve thought a lot about the Kardashev Scale, and I think I’ll use it as a guide.

For those of you that are unfamiliar, the Kardashev Scale classifies the advancement of a civilization in the terms of the amount of energy it can control. A Type 1 has mastered the energy output of the planet they live on. A Type 2 has control over their local star. A type 3 has complete control over their galaxy. A type 4 controls their entire universe. A type V creates new universes.

Energy output is an interesting measure for the sphere of influence for an entire civilization but a little to broad for the purposes of the growth of a superhero. Indeed, there are plenty of individuals, like Superman, Thanos, or Goku, who control enough energy that they might qualify as Type 2 or 3 all on their own.

But let’s make use of the “Type” terminology for the purposes of these essays. In the next part let’s figure out what makes a Type 0 Superhuman Society. AKA The Golden Age.