I've never actually read Worm, but I've read enough fanfic AUs/crossovers to get a lot of the basic canon (and a lot of fanon, some of which I actually know is fanon)
The 'major powers' in the city are:
- The Parahuman Response Teams (PRT) and Protectorate (PRT is the non-powered law enforcement agency, theoretically working in support/cooperation with the Protectrate, which are the regional branch of Government Cape organization). Oh, and The Wards (local chapter), which are the junior/'under-18' Protectorate heroes.
- New Wave (independant Hero team, an extended family group who went public with their identities a decade or so ago with mixed results)
-The Empire 88 (E88) the biggest of the parahuman gangs, Neo-nazis and if I recall correctly, outnumber the Protectorate team on their own) this leads to large numbers of skinheads in town
- The Asian Bad Boys (typically just called the ABB) A pan-asian gang, only 3 capes but the leader, Lung (as in the japanese dragon, because that what he turns into) gets more powerful the longer he fights, and the other 2 include a teleporter who likes leaving live grenades behind as he pops out, and a Tinker (mad-scientist type) with a specialty in explosives.
- The Merchants, smallest of the main gangs, they are mainly drug dealers (and many of them including the Capes leading the gang, are users as well)
Lesser factions include:
- The Undersiders, a newish team of young Villains, that seem mostly to be doing it for the thrill/money. They hit banks, but also steal from the other gangs.
- Coil, the mastermind using misdirection and well equipped mercenary troops to his goals, suspected of being a cape but unconfirmed
- Uber and Leet, a pair of minor villains, who perform Videogame themed crimes and occasionally hire out as mercs for other criminals.
- Faultline's team. Faultline and her team are superpowered mercenaries, based in (but usually not operating in) Brockton Bay
- the Local Police ('standard' organizational rivalry with the PRT)
**
As I've heard it said elsewhere, Worm can be summed up as 'And then it got worse.' Wildbow seems to follow the statement: "The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of the oncoming train." It's likely why there is so many Worm fics, a prospective author can't help but make things better, because it's grimdark almost to the point of grimderp (maybe past that point, as I've said, I haven't actually read it)
The 'major powers' in the city are:
- The Parahuman Response Teams (PRT) and Protectorate (PRT is the non-powered law enforcement agency, theoretically working in support/cooperation with the Protectrate, which are the regional branch of Government Cape organization). Oh, and The Wards (local chapter), which are the junior/'under-18' Protectorate heroes.
- New Wave (independant Hero team, an extended family group who went public with their identities a decade or so ago with mixed results)
-The Empire 88 (E88) the biggest of the parahuman gangs, Neo-nazis and if I recall correctly, outnumber the Protectorate team on their own) this leads to large numbers of skinheads in town
- The Asian Bad Boys (typically just called the ABB) A pan-asian gang, only 3 capes but the leader, Lung (as in the japanese dragon, because that what he turns into) gets more powerful the longer he fights, and the other 2 include a teleporter who likes leaving live grenades behind as he pops out, and a Tinker (mad-scientist type) with a specialty in explosives.
- The Merchants, smallest of the main gangs, they are mainly drug dealers (and many of them including the Capes leading the gang, are users as well)
Lesser factions include:
- The Undersiders, a newish team of young Villains, that seem mostly to be doing it for the thrill/money. They hit banks, but also steal from the other gangs.
- Coil, the mastermind using misdirection and well equipped mercenary troops to his goals, suspected of being a cape but unconfirmed
- Uber and Leet, a pair of minor villains, who perform Videogame themed crimes and occasionally hire out as mercs for other criminals.
- Faultline's team. Faultline and her team are superpowered mercenaries, based in (but usually not operating in) Brockton Bay
- the Local Police ('standard' organizational rivalry with the PRT)
**
As I've heard it said elsewhere, Worm can be summed up as 'And then it got worse.' Wildbow seems to follow the statement: "The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of the oncoming train." It's likely why there is so many Worm fics, a prospective author can't help but make things better, because it's grimdark almost to the point of grimderp (maybe past that point, as I've said, I haven't actually read it)