History Literature / WearingTheCape

Its world is much like our own until sometime in the late 90's, when [[MassSuperEmpoweringEvent the Event]] created an {{alternate history}}. (The actual Divergence Point has to predate the Event; the Vice President on Event Day doesn't correspond to anyone who's actually held the office.) [[MassSuperEmpoweringEvent The Event]] was a worldwide sensory blackout that lasted 3.2 seconds; everyone experienced those brief seconds of sensory deprivation, and when the world came back they found that the Event had also triggered a temporary but worldwide loss of power (known as the Blackout). Most importantly, however, the Event changed The Rules.

* CoolGuns: Vulcan invents variable-projectile electromagnetic guns, basically mini railguns, for Jacky. He names them "Vulcans," which she finds silly.

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: The villain of the first book originally went back in time to SetRightWhatOnceWasWrong by killing one terrorist. When that didn't change history, he killed that man's lieutenants, and then government officials who didn't stop him, and then became frustrated and desperate enough to engage in terrorist bombings himself and kill thousands.

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: The villain of the first book originality went back in time to SetRightWhatOnceWasWrong by killing one terrorist. When that didn't change history, he killed that man's lieutenants, and then government officials who didn't stop him, and then became frustrated and desperate enough to engage in terrorist bombings himself and kill thousands.

* Book 4 ''Wearing the Cape: Small Town Heroes'', the the fourth in the Wearing the Cape series, features Hope and the Young Sentinels team as they work towards public acceptance.

* BittersweetEnding: Although the Sentinels beat the Big Bad, ''Wearing the Cape'' ends with a [[spoiler: state funeral for ''close to half the team'']]. The rest of the books tend to end on a more upbeat note, with the heroes usually saving the day and at least foiling the BigBad's plot.

* CombatPragmatist: Atlas tries to teach Astra this lesson on both a tactical and strategic level, telling her that you have to do whatever you can to go for the win. She's not sure she agrees with him at the time, but she racks up a shocking number of kills, including stabbing one of the most dangerous superhumans alive with his own sword. In her fight with Heavenly Dragon (an actual Chinese dragon) over a plane full of vaccines, she [[spoiler: ducked under his attack, grabbed hold, and carved her way through his belly to his spine]].

* DatingCatwoman: As of ''Ronin Games'', Hope's relationship with [[spoiler: Kitsune.]]

* DeusExMachina: Exploited in the Omega Night. [[spoiler: when Seven picks the one live nuclear warhead from 25 decoys, even though they are not aimed at him.]] Astra correctly guessed that his power would work because [[spoiler: he had a personal stake in choosing correctly]].

* EveryoneIsArmed: Chicago has become this in one of the universes Astra tumbles through during Team-Ups and Crossovers, with every civilian in sight carrying handguns. It turns out that [[spoiler: this is the aftermath of what would have happened if she hadn't stopped the missile in Omega Night.]]

* HeroWithBadPublicity: ''Villains Inc.'' finds Astra going through a bit of this. Sure she [[spoiler: helped save the President of the United States and took down a big bad super-terrorist]], but she's also accused in the sensational media of being underage and [[spoiler: having an affair with a much-older Atlas (her mentor and the setting's version of Superman)]]. Add to this that she publicly opposes superhuman registration--a popular cause after a supervillain-triggered earthquake leveled southern California--and she's not the media-darling that she was.

* LegionOfDoom: Supervillain teams are not uncommon, mostly of the street gang variety. [[TheMafia The Chicago Outfit]] maintains their own more traditional example, Villains, Inc., as a deterrent against both heroes and non-affiliated villains. The Sentinels shut down the original Villains, Inc. years ago, but in the book named for them, they come back - [[spoiler: and go rogue]].

** Though it later turns out that [[spoiler: that he can only tell if the speaker/writer/etc. ''believes'' it is a lie. While this was a weakness he was aware of, it allowed him to be co-opted by the Dark Anarchist, who believed that what he was doing was the only way to protect humanity.]]

* MeaningfulName: While superheroic codenames are usually deliberately meaningful, the Teatime Anarchist's name was chosen for him by the media and is accidentally meaningful. [[spoiler: They don't know he's a time traveler]].

** Blackstone was a retired US Marine when he had his breakthrough and became one of the founders of the Sentinels. Ten years later, as the [[spoiler: last surviving and active Sentinel of the original five]], he is both the spiritual mentor to the newer Sentinels and the team leader.

* NonIndicativeName: The Dark Anarchist doesn't use darkness as a motif and isn't an anarchist (he wants to create a totalitarian government). [[spoiler: Astra gave him the nickname to reflect his status as EvilTwin of the Teatime Anarchist]]. A general complains that now some of the most important, top-secret briefings in the world sound ''ridiculous'' because he has to talk about a "Dark Anarchist," and inevitably take a few moments to explain the origin of the name.

* ReligiousBruiser: Seif-al-Din believed his powers were given to him by Allah, and was strong enough to fight [[spoiler: and even kill]] Atlas.

* RubberMan: The Harlequin's body was permanently transformed to a rubber-like substance after an accident when she was an acrobat and aerialist in the Cirque du Soliel.
* SamaritanSyndrome:

** In ''Small Town Heroes'', Blackstone points out that [[LetsYouAndHimFight heroes fighting other heroes]] is extremely rare, no matter what you see in the movies. Two CAI teams going head to head at the start of that book is not only a full-on PR disaster that calls in a massive internal affairs investigation, but also [[spoiler: a deliberately engineered plot by one of the teams to get boosted ratings for their reality show]].

* ThouShaltNotKill: Hope's expectation is that superheroes follow the Golden Age superhero code, and this is strengthened by Ajax' statement that "heroes don't use guns." But in her first fight she discovers that Atlas is perfectly willing to [[spoiler: let the bad guys kill each other]], and in the surprise-attack on Whittier Base [[spoiler: half the team breaks out automatic pistols, the better to cap their attackers]]. In the same attack, Hope herself [[spoiler: kills an unspecified number of terrorists along with the Big Bad in the heat of combat, then kills two ''heroes'' in the Dark Anarchist's secret base]].

* VampireDetectiveSeries: While Artemis/Jacky seems to display all of the outward tropes of a vampire detective in the Big Easy, she 1.) Has no drama related to her sire ([[spoiler: she staked him, burned him to ash, and scattered him on Lake Michigan the first chance she got]]), 2) Has acquired no unrequited love interest ([[spoiler: unless you count the Master of Ceremonies, who may be pursuing ''her'']]), and 3.) Has only displayed one flashback so far--a post-rape trauma induced one, and she [[spoiler: later killed the man who induced it]]. Rather than becoming a PI as some sort of atonement, she seems to revel in the opportunity it provides to "stick it" to other vampires and supernaturals who step out of line.

* ClothingDamage: In ''Small Town Heroes'', a high-powered battle leaves Astra in her "indestructible unmentionables" ... super-tough underwear in her hero colors with her logo on the bra. Thankfully, she's in the Caribbean at the time and the undies look like a beach volleyball uniform, so it's not ''too'' embarrassing when she returns to base.

* ClarkKenting: In ''Small Town Heroes,'' Ozma gives Astra a pair of magic spectacles that literally make the wearer unrecognizable as themselves, with no other disguise needed. At one point, she loans the glasses to Artemis and they make her look like an ordinary young woman ... even though she's carrying her ''entire armory'' with her at the time.

* ClarkKenting: In ''Small Town Heroes,'' Ozma gives Astra a pair of magic spectacles that literally make the wearer unrecognizable as themselves.

* ClothingDamage: In ''Small-Town Heroes'', a high-powered battle leaves Astra in her "indestructible unmentionables" ... super-tough underwear in her hero colors with her logo on the bra. Thankfully, she's in the Caribbean and the undies look like a beach volleyball uniform, so it's not ''too'' embarrassing when she returns to base.

* BalkanizeMe: Happened to China as a result of a messy post-Event civil war, and several other nations suffered the same; Russia was split in half, with both sides insisting the other is just a rogue state. The future files make it clear that it's possible that this will happen to the United States... and some people in the government think this might be the best of a whole bunch of bad options.

''TabletopGame/WearingTheCapeTheRoleplayingGame'' using the TabletopGame/{{Fate}} system (used on games such as ''TabletopGame/TheDresdenFiles'') and written by Harmon, [[http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_info.php?products_id=210012&affiliate_id=35526&src=rpgnetND has been released]].

** And then there's Ozma, supposedly the Empress of Oz whom the books were written about. She is unfailingly polite at all times and prefers to solve problems by serving tea. She is also an accomplished SorcerousOverlord who ruled the Land of Oz (which is apparently far darker than the books portrayed) for over a hundred years. Her go-to method of eliminating threats is to [[BalefulPolymorph turn them into a hat]] (the most disturbing part is that her victims ''enjoy'' [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody being a hat]] while transformed, less so when they're turned back), but she's not shy about resorting to more lethal methods. She also animated a doll for the sole purpose of acting as her spy and assassin, and secured Grendel's services by promising vengeance against the person who killed Grendel's family, and then once she found that person she immediately provided Grendel every tool she could to kill him.

* Book 8.5''Wearing the Cape: A Christmas Carol'' is a novella set after Repercussions in which a visitor from a parallel reality joins the Corrigan family for the holidays.

* Book 3 ''Wearing the Cape: Young Sentinels'' is the next novel, set after "Omega Night", continues Astra's progress, and introduces several new heroes in the junior version of the WtC universe JLA or Avengers.

* PieInTheFace: The modus operandi of Pieman. An incredibly powerful teleporter who uses sends his targets pies as a warning and then appears a few day later in the most public place possible to hit them in the face with a second pie. His ability to ignore or bypass any and all measures deployed to stop him are a legitimate concern but as he's never escalated beyond thrown baked goods he's treated as a public nuisance rather than a serious threat.

* BrainUploading: The Teatime Anarchist copied Shelly's mind onto a quantum supercomputer from the twenty-second century, turning her into a quantum AI with unrivalred hacking and computational abilities. It's emphasized several times that she's a copy, not the original Shelly, but the distinction is difficult to identify.

* BaldOfAwesome: In ''Ronin Games'', Hope meets three Heroes Without Borders workers who are all bald.

* Book 1''Wearing The Cape: A Superhero Story'' features the origin story of Hope, aka "Astra," after her breakthrough leaves her one of the most powerful individuals on the planet, an A Class Atlas-Type.
* Book 2''Wearing the Cape: Villains Inc.'' The first sequel, continues Hope's journey in the fallout of ''Wearing the Cape''.
* Book 3''Wearing the Cape: Young Sentinels'' is the next novel, set after "Omega Night", continues Astra's progress, and introduces several new heroes in the junior version of the WtC universe JLA or Avengers.
* Book 4''Wearing the Cape: Small Town Heroes'', the the fourth in the Wearing the Cape series, features Hope and the Young Sentinels team as they work towards public acceptance.
* Book 5''Wearing the Cape: Ronin Games'', the fifth book, takes Hope, Jackie, Shell, and Ozma to Japan to investigate Hope's increasingly complicated dreams stemming from her encounters in ''Villains Inc.''
* Book 6''Wearing the Cape: Team-Ups and Crossovers'', is the sixth book and has Hope transported across multiple alternate realities while her friends try to rescue her. Includes collaborations with authors of other superhero fiction.

* Book 8''Wearing the Cape: Repercussions'' is the 8th book, and Hope is now seeing what the future is shaping up to as the Big Book of Contingent Prophecies is passing into obsolescence.
* Book 9''Joyeuse Guard'' is the 9th book in the series. Hope and her new team (made mostly of her old team) deal with their new lives and the Oz war continues.

* Book 2.5 "Omega Night" is a short story set after ''Villains Inc.''

#Book 2''Wearing the Cape: Villains Inc.'' The first sequel, continues Hope's journey in the fallout of ''Wearing the Cape''.
#Book 2.5 "Omega Night" is a short story set after ''Villains Inc.''
#Book 3''Wearing the Cape: Young Sentinels'' is the next novel, set after "Omega Night", continues Astra's progress, and introduces several new heroes in the junior version of the WtC universe JLA or Avengers.
#Book 4''Wearing the Cape: Small Town Heroes'', the the fourth in the Wearing the Cape series, features Hope and the Young Sentinels team as they work towards public acceptance.
#Book 5''Wearing the Cape: Ronin Games'', the sixth book, takes Hope, Jackie, Shell, and Ozma to Japan to investigate Hope's increasingly complicated dreams stemming from her encounters in ''Villains Inc.''
#Book 6''Wearing the Cape: Team-Ups and Crossovers'', is the sixth book and has Hope transported across multiple alternate realities while her friends try to rescue her. Includes collaborations with authors of other superhero fiction.
#Book 7 ''Wearing the Cape: Recursion'' is the seventh book and has Hope seemingly travel back in time three years to the aftermath of ''Wearing the Cape.''
#Book 8''Wearing the Cape: Repercussions'' is the 8th book, and Hope is now seeing what the future is shaping up to as the Big Book of Contingent Prophecies is passing into obsolescence.
#Book 8.5''Wearing the Cape: A Christmas Carol'' is a novella set after Repercussions in which a visitor from a parallel reality joins the Corrigan family for the holidays.
#Book 9''Joyeuse Guard'' is the 9th book in the series. Hope and her new team (made mostly of her old team) deal with their new lives and the Oz war continues.

#''Bite Me: Big Easy Nights,'' Starring Hope's best (vampire) friend Jacky, aka "Artemis," in her own one shot spin-off novel, set between the first two novels, dealing with a vampire mafia in New Orleans, while reconnecting with her grandmother, her only living relative and a voodo queen. If counted within the main series, it would be Book 1.5.

''Wearing the Cape'' is the first of a series of {{superhero}} novels by Marion G. Harmon.

There are currently 10 novels and 2 short stories.

#''Wearing The Cape'' features the origin story of Hope, aka "Astra," after her breakthrough leaves her one of the most powerful individuals on the planet.
#''Villains Inc.'' The first sequel, continues Hope's journey in the fallout of ''Wearing the Cape''.
#''Bite Me: Big Easy Nights,'' Starring Hope's best (vampire) friend Jacky, aka "Artemis," functions as something of an interquel or parallel novel, set between the first two novels.
#"Omega Night" is a short story set after ''Villains Inc.''
#''Young Sentinels'' is the next novel, set after "Omega Night", continues Astra's progress, and introduces several new heroes in the junior version of the WtC universe JLA or Avengers.
#''Small Town Heroes'', the fifth book and the fourth in the Wearing the Cape series, features Hope and the Young Sentinels team as they work towards public acceptance.
#''Ronin Games'', the sixth book, takes Hope, Jackie, Shell, and Ozma to Japan to investigate Hope's increasingly complicated dreams stemming from her encounters in ''Villains Inc.''
#''Team-Ups and Crossovers'', is the seventh book and has Hope transported across multiple alternate realities while her friends try to rescue her. Includes collaborations with authors of other superhero fiction.
#''Recursion'' is the eighth book and has Hope seemingly travel back in time three years to the aftermath of ''Wearing the Cape.''
#''Repercussions'' is the 9th book (8th in the Astra centered series) and Hope is now seeing what the future is shaping up to as the Big Book of Contingent Prophecies is passing into obsolescence.
#''A Christmas Carol'' is a novella set after Repercussions in which a visitor from a parallel reality joins the Corrigan family for the holidays.
#''Joyeuse Guard'' is the 10th book. Hope and her new team (made mostly of her old team) deal with their new lives and the Oz war continues.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: Played with. Early in ''Villains Inc.'', Astra is presented with a superhuman murder where the victim was [[spoiler: reduced to soup-in-a-box]]. Then she learns that [[spoiler: Blackstone, one of her teammates and mentors, was killed in the same fashion in a potential future]]. The threat is very motivating.

#''Joyeuse Guard'' is the 10th book. Hope [[spoiler:and her new team (made mostly of her old team) deal with life as legal mercenaries and the Oz war continues]].

''TabletopGame/WearingTheCapeTheRoleplayingGame'' using the TabletopGame/{{FATE}} system (used on games such as ''TabletopGame/TheDresdenFiles'') and written by Harmon, [[http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_info.php?products_id=210012&affiliate_id=35526&src=rpgnetND has been released]].