--I had to put-down my beloved cat of 17 years today, and I'm slightly deranged as a result.
1). AFTERMATH (FGU)
:: While an organisational nightmare far too common in that period of gaming, and the system is equally opaque (possibly due to the distribution of core concepts and 'setting-mechanics') upon first and second glance, the data contained within this game was for me extremely though-provoking and in fact, caused me to seek out Real-World knowledge on the various subjects. This is also true of The Morrow Project. Twilight 2000 came late in my interest in Post-Apocalyptic gaming.
:: I realised just a few moments ago upon glancing at the upright-standing box of AFTERMATH I purchased (my replacement copy) in Jacksonville, FL. around 1997, the strange world depicted in the books has had a noticeable impact in the psychic construction of Urutsk, given that my setting began in much the same condition as that of those illustrations.
--Strange, slightly futuristic armours, relatively plausible energy weapons, skinny/gaunt figures in streets reclaimed by nature but otherwise untouched by 'hot' weapons, and less of a fantasy-P-A, nor the military/martial P-A of T2k and TMP.
2 & 3). Stir-in Jonathan Raven from War of the Worlds/Killraven, and McGregor's later work, Sabre, and a very different sort of P-A setting has been half-formed in this weird chick's brain.
4). But, since Urutsk started as a Supers game set very near the end of global civilisation's final grasp on normal existence (normal, of course relative to Urutsk), there has to be Powered individuals. Cue Marvel Superheroes, Heroes Unlimited, Mayfair DCH, GURPS Supers, and in our case, Villains & Vigilantes in that order. But, before any of those (for me), there was the obscure comic book by TSR and OS great, Bill Willingham: The Elementals (and the semi-related non-Willingham, Justice Machine).
--While the apparently anti-Judeo-Christian themes in The Elementals are no longer ones I embrace, the rest:
-played a very large role in Urutsk's conception, and these influences, I feel, are ones not only under-represented in gaming ([including the idea of retro-clones/simulacra of the FGU game , TMP, or T2k]), but under-exposed cultural gems of a bygone era --post-Reagan administration, Ministry's new-found voice of distrust/hatred of government, and Camper Van Beethoven's Key Lime Pie.Death
The Elementals, and indeed most of the superhumans in the comic, are dead. In the comic, the main ways to gain superhuman powers are through dying, often in a manner that attracts the roaming energy of Shadowspear. While the Elementals, and other superhumans, lived on after death they were changed, generally being physically tougher than ordinary humans but also more emotionally distant, and often able to only relate fully to other superhumans.
Supernature
Unlike most other superhero comics, Elementals did not sharply distinguish between superhuman powers and magic. Indeed, all of the superhuman powers in the comic come, in one way or another, from supernatural sources.
Fame
After the Elementals dealt with Saker and his minions, they were the only super-beings walking free on the planet. The four quickly became the world's most famous celebrities; according to Tommy, this wasn't due to their abilities, but the fact they were dead. The Elementals were, at least until other paranormals began to appear, the ultimate pop icons.
Government
The Elementals had a love-hate relationship with the Federal government of the United States, which sought to control them. At first, a single agent, Porter Scott, was assigned to tag along with them. Later, an entire government agency, F.I.S.H. (Federal Intelligence Security Headquarters) was created to monitor paranormal activity. Later still, the Elementals began to wonder if they and their fellow super-beings should not simply govern themselves.
Violence
The series had a gruesome flair, as Willingham exposed all consequences of fights. As Morningstar said, "This is a war, and in war people die." The protagonists' ability to heal wounds enabled them to survive brutal amounts of damage; Vortex, in particular, managed to get badly mauled with alarming regularity.
Sexuality
Peekaboo nudity was a staple of Elementals, as the author tried to push the limits of (then) acceptability in American comics world. Also controversial was the issue in which Morningstar discovered that her fiancé, Eric Chessman, was actually the sadistic villainess Shapeshifter, toying with her emotions."
