Chosen

The Chosen or parahumans are individual people who have gained super-human powers from a currently unknown source.

Origin
Main Page: The Awakening

Individuals who are identified as Chosen are all believed to of experienced an event called "awakening". This event usually occurs when a person experiences a life-threatening situation, although this is not always the case. This event has been witnessed hundreds of times over the course of a three month period starting on March 5th, 2016. The last public awakening occurred on June 2nd, 2016.

It is unknown how the Chosen gained their powers. There have been many theories however the most popular one is called the Hero Cult Theory. There are many other theories out there including:
 * Soldiers of Armageddon
 * Evolutionary Awakening Theory
 * Quantum Shift Theory
 * Patient Zero Theory

There are many other proposed theories that tend to lean on specific cultural, religious, or political biases.

Chosen characteristics
Chosen tend to have one or more parahuman abilities. These abilities range from relatively simple physical enhancements such as increased muscle mass, reduction in fatigue toxins, faster reaction times, etc., to seemingly impossible feats such as teleportation, energy creation, and telepathy. Almost all these abilities are beneficial to the individual, with a few exceptions.

Chosen also tend to have physical changes to their body as well. These can include skin pigment alterations, eye color changes, symbols forming on their body, and other effects. These changes tend to be purely cosmetic although some grant the Chosen additional benefits. Not all Chosen have marks.

Many governments have attempted to define a classification of Chosen based on the potential impact their abilities grant them, however, they are not all encompassing and tend to change rapidly.