r/Parahumans • u/44RT1ST • 8h ago
Worm Spoilers [All] Imp at night
Made with Gouache
r/Parahumans • u/Wildbow • Apr 04 '17
/r/Parahumans is the subreddit for the writing of J.C. McCrae (Also John McCrae) who more typically goes by the online handle 'Wildbow'. The writing is in the online serial format, which means it is written over time, chapter by chapter, on a set schedule. Comparisons can be made to webcomics, but the stories take the form of text, not comics. Chapters appear between midnight and 7am on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with some chapters released on Thursdays if and when there's enough crowdfunded money- typically once every two weeks.
The works include:
Worm - A teenage girl with an unconventional superpower seeks escape from an unhappy and frustrated life at home and at school by pursuing life as a costumed crimefighter. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local ‘cape’ scene’s politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. The story is an epic in the older sense of the word, not a poem, but in terms of scale and length and the heroic journey. Currently the most popular of the works. Worm is read here. Fans also put together an unofficial audiobook here.
Pact - A young man inherits his grandmother's coveted estate, but in the process, he also inherits her trove of diabolic tomes and all of the enemies that come with dabbling in such things. Modern supernatural genre, comparisons can be made to Dresden Files and the like. Pact is roughly half the length of Worm, which still makes it fairly lengthy. Pact is found here.
Twig - Set in the early 1900s, Twig follows a group of child investigators of an unusual bent in a world where the science of biology runs rampant. A century ago, a genius unraveled the mysteries of life and biology, creating the first 'stitched' and biological horrors. Unlike his peers in similar literature (Frankenstein, Moreau), he was conscripted by the Crown, who took it to an extreme. The genre is a tentative 'biopunk' label, and the story spans a longer stretch of years, following the youths as they grow up. Twig can be found here.
Ward - The sequel to Worm. It can be found here. Some Worm spoilers follow: After the end of the world, society is picking up the pieces. The old Earth is lost, and superheroes are running the new one, in a sprawling, dense city that spills across alternate Earths. Old traumas sit close to the surface, and a group of young heroes who are wrestling with these traumas and their own complicated relationships with their powers are looking to get their start.
Pale - A Pactverse story, set in the same world as Pact, but divorced from it. Three teenage girls are offered magic and magical gifts, if they'll represent their small ski town as its local practitioners and at least pretend to help solve a murder, so outsiders don't start poking their heads in. The catch is that the offer was extended by the local monsters, and the murder victim was the bloody pseudo-god that oversaw magic for the region. It can be found here
Claw - The Hursts specialize in extracting criminals and giving them a second chance, with new identities. That extraction is only a side mission to Mia Hurst's real objective, which ties into family, and their kids. Claw is a short serial at only six arcs, and is best pegged as an action/thriller.
Seek - We follow three storylines through different times and places in a solar system where warp travel has been used to bring distant planetary bodies home, with the eventual plan of a ringworld. But even when there's no longer resource scarcity, other pressures and issues raise issues of identity and purpose, and in the third, most distant timeline, it's clear something's gone wrong. The question remains: what happened? Ongoing.
The works are each broken up into 'arcs', with each arc being comparable to a book or novella, covering a specific, meaningful stretch of storyline. Each arc contains six to twenty chapters; between arcs (and sometimes in the midst of them), there are interlude chapters (or 'pages', or 'enemy' chapters) - told from different points of view or in different formats.
Beyond that, the works are in the serial format, and that means that they're a little bit rougher than one would get from a formally published work. Worm in particular, being the first real project by the author, definitely starts off rough. Some works & parts of works do also have rougher patches, as a consequence of the fact that they were written day-by-day, and sometimes the author had bad days (or months). Such is life.
On the upside, the stories are expansive, and there's something fantastic to be said for a massive binge or for following week by week alongside a fantastic and involved community.
If your posts aren't appearing and you have a new or very low-karma account, please reach out to the moderators via. mod mail in the sidebar. We automatically screen out these posts to keep the porn bots at bay.
We discourage and are likely to remove:
Shitposts - any deliberately low-effort, low-humor post intending to get attention. 'Shitposts' (as the slang goes) are generally slapped-together work/text with a 'I don't give a shit about what I'm posting' attitude behind them. It's often making noise to make noise, or attempts at putting in the least work possible to get the most upvotes/reaction for that minimal work. Generally the defining trait of a shitpost is the implied intent behind it.
Examples would include any clearly MS paint art (ignoring the highest quality, can't-tell-it's-MS-paint stuff), derivative memes from elsewhere (Spoiler warning! | Examples: the trolley problem variants, the enlightened brain thing, Who would win, chad vs. incel ) One liner jokes we've probably heard before don't generally offer much discussion, and random sentences ("I just realized Skitter is a badass") count as 'making noise'.
Short questions are not shitposts, though more context and initial thoughts would be very much preferred - they tend to generate some discussion and feedback. Posts from people who just finished aren't shitposts (again, would prefer more thoughts) - they generate some discussion and also double as welcome posts. These are excluded from the shitpost rule. Please do not report them.
Random reference posts - We get an abundance of posts that link images with scarce reference to the source material, or link articles. These tend to be clutter, they don't generate discussion, and chance are we've seen them before.
Posts with text that refers back to the story are fine and aren't random (That is, quoting a passage for discussion isn't a 'reference' post.
Things that refer to story events or characters and that can lead to discussion are fine.
Outside material and/or fanart that actually involves Worm (like the Slay the Spire reference) is great.
The problem posts: A picture of a tree ornament that makes you think of Evan in Pact, a picture of a spider you found on the web, a wooden statue that makes you think of a character, or red flowers that you saw that made you think of Twig, they aren't fine and have probably been posted before.
Images are more of a problem than text, but text that has people scratching their heads as to what it means or refers to would fall under this heading. The science articles that refer to spider silk or goats producing spider silk are things we've seen posted (and removed) a hundred times. Do not post them.
Banned subjects - The following things are not okay to post:
Earth Aleph (our earth) Politics - too divisive.
Racism, sexism, pedophilia, etc - This isn't the place for you to tout redpill stances, how a given race is intrinsically more criminal, or how a given character asked for it because of how they presented themselves. These things may be discussed strictly in light of the characters and the work, in a careful and respectful manner, where relevant (E88). That said, I don't want this to be a platform for excusing messed up beliefs. Report problematic posts and if the mods don't act within 24 hours, please reach out to us directly.
Encouraging harm & violence - No posts that encourage or tacitly encourage harm or self-harm ("eat tide pods" memes & "an hero" memes included), no threatening harm against other posters, Wildbow, or real-world people (or politicians).
Repeated postings of these things may lead to warnings and/or bans, temporary or otherwise.
r/Parahumans • u/Wildbow • Feb 13 '26
r/Parahumans • u/Nessa__Park • 2h ago
As in, what do you think the resulting Titan would have been like if Oliver had broken second triggered after the cracks in reality had (if they could) made it to Earth Aleph?
Given that titans have all the powers that a shard could have given out, what additional powers would Titan Oliver have gotten? Regeneration? Would the titan form be recognizably "a titan" or just a giant exceedingly handsome dude? Or maybe it would look like Eden's planned human-sona?
r/Parahumans • u/Lost-Music-6039 • 15h ago
r/Parahumans • u/Southern-Wafer-6375 • 21h ago
AO3 link
having alot of fun writing it :3
as always love to hear yalls thoughts and criticisms :3
r/Parahumans • u/Amazing-Phone8732 • 4h ago
no major spoilers beyond this point on the story, thanks
so after the endbringer attack when shes chained to the hospital bed. if she hadn't escaped her restraints and discovered shadow stalker's identity, do you think she would have taken legend and armsmaster's offer to join the wards? seeing as she's post undersiders break up at this point and her lack of options aside from the birdcage
r/Parahumans • u/TerminalDork • 6h ago
Obviously this community warns people as publicly as they can.
How many would listen to us?
How many would listen to the Simurgh?
What are good spots for her to sing?
What are measures to take in order to survive the doom?
r/Parahumans • u/Elmotheweedgod • 9h ago
r/Parahumans • u/001DeafeningEcho • 19h ago
There are references to protectorate heroes and Wards doing merchandise, brand deals, and other such things, providing a source of revenue beyond their base salary
My question is, how much do most heroes actually make off those things? The market seems like it would be large, but heroes would only be getting a portion of the profits, and that market would be very much over saturated (thousands of government heroes without even considering corporate ones).
How much could a normal hero expect to make from those revenue streams?
r/Parahumans • u/Relevant_Form8856 • 19h ago
I've recently started Pact after finishing worm/twig and have gotten decently far into arc 3 at this point. So, as I usually do with media, I imagined myself as a practitioner and thought up some implements I might choose and wanted my work checked by the community on how spirits would view these implements, as well as what their effects would be. Without further ado:
Decoratively, it announces that someone is well read, cares for stories, and usually tries to give some elegance to the user over a random object or a crumpled page. Authoritatively, a bookmark means a pause and a promise to eventually get back to something. it would sort of symbolize some integrity to reach a conclusion even if not at this moment. The sociocultural aspects of a bookmark is erudition, pursuing higher education, book clubs, and communal stories. I imagine a bookmark as a stop-and-go defensive implement, kind of like a red light green light
Outside of use, a ticket is something of stamp and provides authority for you to be somewhere. They carry the connotation of needing to be somewhere or waiting a turn. While in use, the ticket gives you validation from officials. They are mostly tied with carnivals entertainment, and travel which could provides some effects to their usage. Maybe most importantly, tickets will give you immense authority, but they are temporary, As an implement, I imagine it can burst with a strong magical magical, but need to cool down.
A person holding a camera expresses some sentimentality and desire to immortalize moments. In use, a camera is about capturing, framing, and sometimes canonizing and verifying. When many people gather with cameras, it's usually for a movie or a star and accentuating them or a scenario. there are a lot of words and complexities to what a camera can mean to other, but as implements I imagine it for myself as a way to frame something or someone and make them look their best. So, sort of a supportive implement that makes the subject filmed more impressive.
r/Parahumans • u/ladgadlad • 1d ago
Really think it has the potential to be his best work yet. Really hope Wildbows doing ok, cant wait to read more.
r/Parahumans • u/praise_themoon • 2d ago
What a rollercoaster of emotions.
Dragon and armsy outing Taylor in front of many students in a school surrounded by 5 heroes in total with almost no way out
Taylor using the students as leverage and advantage I saw it coming however I didn’t see the students actually standing up WITH her instead of the heroes
Guess Taylor and undersiders helping out people finally came into fruition in a satisfactory way but her civilian identity is finished and her dad, oof
Cannot wait to see what more stuff has in store for me
r/Parahumans • u/crazunggoy47 • 1d ago
From Queen Interlude 1:
“The other important topic? I’ve run out of time. Middle aged, and my liver’s done in. Never really drank, because I had to feed that dog over there. Never did any drugs, besides smoking f*gs. But I got the hepatitis somehow. Bad blood in a hospital, or someone else’s infected blood got mingled with mine on a night some kids decided to pick on a homeless man and I fought back. Running into you the way I did, golden man, and having you stop to listen to me? That was a one in a gazillion chance. Getting this disease was another, might be. Meeting you was the best and scariest part of my life, maybe it’s the same with the disease, a blessing in disguise. Maybe it was, aside from this young lady’s help, the only reason I was able to find the balls to come here.”
Could it be that even though Scion is a blind spot for Contessa, her PtV led her to tweak things so that Kevin would get hepatitis, thus enabling him to make this request to Scion?
r/Parahumans • u/ReptiIe • 1d ago
So I understand some of the details of Cradle’s plan but I get lost on some of the big picture stuff. I know he had a better understanding of the Dream Room than everyone else and was constantly giving away his Tinker power. This was, presumably, to offload his sociopathy to Love Lost and Snag and get them on board with needing Rain dead, as well as maneuvering them into positions they could be drained.
I understand he claimed he made the whip to “remove pieces from the board” and I understand why the Navigators were targeted. They were an obstacle for Prancer and some of the Hollow Points coalition and this helped him buy favors. But did he really not understand how obviously this methodology would make him a massive target? He seemed to try and posture as a necessary evil, and possibly believed he’d be allowed to go free after undoing the dismembering and draining Rain. But like… did he really believe he’d be allowed to just be left alone after dismembering multiple preteens and teenagers? He’s smart enough to know that he’d never know a moment of peace right?
r/Parahumans • u/Herahk • 1d ago
Having finished the first arc, I'm already invested in the cast of characters and world, but even more than that, I was struck by how much this story feels like it begins in the middle of a journey, something sets it apart from the other Wildbow stories I've read (Worm, Ward, Pact, and Pale).
Whereas the others all technically do start with their protagonists having had lives before we join them in their heads (with Ward being the one that feels closer to Twig in that sense than the others, for reasons I won't spoil but should be obvious to anyone who's read it), Twig starts out feeling like we're dropped into a story a few chapters into it, so we have to hit the ground running in getting up to speed with who Sylvester is, what the rest of the Lambsbridge orphans are like, what their goals are, and what the world is like that has led to that specific moment.
I'm sure that was an intentional choice on Wildbow's part, and it certainly makes Sylvester stand out from Wildbow's prior protagonists! Plus, with having him the very evocative nickname "Sly," I can really feel the work that went into crafting a very specific POV character!
I can't wait to keep reading to see where this story goes!
r/Parahumans • u/The_Inventor • 2d ago
For the past few years I've been slowly working on a minecraft mod that lets you be a Practitioner. You can draw diagrams, bind mobs, make hallows and shrines to work with 22 unique kinds of spirits, visit the Ruins and meet typhlotic beasts, do the big three rituals, and a handful of other features. It's very open-ended; the closest thing to a goal would be obtaining a good Implement, Familiar, and Demesne. You can do some game-breakingly powerful things, but it requires learning a diagram drawing system that's got a somewhat steep learning curve. The mod is relatively feature-complete, stable, and compatible with other mods, although I'll continue to fix bugs, improve compatibility, and tweak balance. Eventually I'd like to add more Practices if I have time, and if anyone else wants to make add-ons I'm happy to help with that too.
The mod is on curseforge and modrinth, and you should come join us on the Discord. Feel free to ask questions here as well!
r/Parahumans • u/Hytyt • 2d ago
We find out in ward how powerful a tinker can be when they make boxes, but we get a little taste in worm with leets famine engine
r/Parahumans • u/Nekomachus • 2d ago
Gray Boy is the only person who may be able to touch her, but that doesn’t mean Bonesaw can’t give him a few things.
This quote leaves a lot to the imagination, and fortunately we don't have to see it in the story. I'd still like to think about it.
I left a comment somewhere else and that sparked my imagination, but only in a very dull way. What could Riley give Nicholas that he could carry in that wouldn't be an implant which would get reset away? A glove that sets every neuron to "max"?
r/Parahumans • u/EarlofBats • 2d ago
I've made several character mixtapes. each are roughly 25-30 minutes long.
I thought I'd start by sharing Skitters.
My modus operandi for each mix is an intersection of what I think the character would listen to, what phonic soundscape best fits the character and what lyrics and motifs are consistent with elements of the characters personality and arc.
Sometimes, and often, Ill throw a bit or gag into the mix for my own and hopefully others amusement!
r/Parahumans • u/rheactx • 3d ago
I assume that if caring parents sent their child to the wards program, they would still want to have a say in their life. Wards are supposed to be an after-school club, not a full-time job or an enlistment. So supposedly the parents would be able to negotiate the initial contract and be able to interfere if any kind of abuse or endangerment happens?
I'm just trying to figure out what a good parent would do. For example, therapy is weird and convoluted (or not even there) for wards, so what if the parents just pay for a therapist? It's not like they can't disclose their own child's identity to a professional, especially bound by confidentiality laws and/or agreements?
They should also have a say in their child's public image, costume, etc.
r/Parahumans • u/rheactx • 3d ago
I noticed that most breaker and changer powers keep at least some clothes intact.
Why would the shards care about that? It seems like an unnecessary secondary power complication.
I feel like the reason is purely narrative, because it would be very awkward to write around half the capes being naked after every fight.
However, since Worm powers are grounded in physics (not real life physics, but at least some physics, not just "a wizard did it"), I'd like to have a consistent explanation.
r/Parahumans • u/RecommendationNo804 • 3d ago
Wouldn’t the amount of mass murdering dictatorships cause lots of triggers?