Crucible:MTAS
Metahuman Threat Assessment System
| Type | Threat Classification System |
|---|---|
| Administered By | PHASE II |
| Scope | International |
| Purpose | Metahuman Threat Assessment and Emergency Response Coordination |
| Current Revision | Revision 6.3 |
| Status | Active |
“Preparedness saves lives.”
— PHASE II Emergency Advisory Bureau
Since the emergence of public superhuman activity during the Golden Age, governments, emergency responders, and metahuman organizations have faced a difficult problem:
How does one rapidly assess threats beyond conventional human experience?
The answer is the Metahuman Threat Assessment System, commonly known as MTAS.
Originally developed jointly by PHASE II analysts, military planners, emergency management agencies, and metahuman specialists, the MTAS system provides a standardized method of classifying enhanced individuals, anomalous phenomena, alien incursions, technological hazards, and other extraordinary threats.
The MTAS system is now recognized internationally and is used by:
- PHASE II
- Military organizations
- Emergency services
- International governments
- Metahuman response agencies
- Authorized superhero teams
MTAS classifications are intended to assist in:
- Emergency response coordination
- Civilian evacuation planning
- Tactical deployment
- Interagency communication
- Infrastructure protection
- Continuity-of-government protocols
MTAS ratings are not criminal convictions, nor do they imply moral judgment.
Heroic individuals, government operatives, extraterrestrials, vigilantes, and civilians may all receive MTAS classifications if their abilities or activities meet operational thresholds.
Threat Levels
MTAS-0
Baseline Human Activity
Incidents manageable by conventional authorities.
Examples Include:
- Organized crime
- Terrorism
- Espionage
- Conventional military threats
Typical Responders:
- Law enforcement
- Intelligence agencies
- Emergency services
Metahuman deployment is not normally authorized.
MTAS-1
Localized Enhanced Threat
The first recognized superhuman classification.
Threats at this level are dangerous to:
- Individual structures
- City blocks
- Localized populations
Examples Include:
- Enhanced criminals
- Minor vigilantes
- Low-level metahumans
- Expert assassins
- Unstable experimental subjects
Typical Responders:
- Municipal metahuman units
- Local heroes
- PHASE II liaison officers
MTAS-2
Urban Metahuman Threat
Threats capable of causing widespread urban disruption or catastrophic loss of life within a metropolitan area.
Examples Include:
- Giant robotic entities
- Destructive metahuman combat
- Dangerous psychic events
- Advanced armored criminals
- Significant biological outbreaks
Typical Responders:
- Regional metahuman teams
- PHASE II tactical command
- Enhanced containment assets
National metahuman organizations may be consulted depending on escalation risk and operational availability.
MTAS-3
National Metahuman Emergency
Incidents capable of destabilizing major national infrastructure or causing mass casualties across multiple regions.
Examples Include:
- Alien strike forces
- Kaiju attacks
- Large-scale weather manipulation
- Major dimensional breaches
- Top-tier metahuman warfare
Typical Responders:
- Multinational metahuman deployment
- Strategic military integration
- National emergency coordination
MTAS-3 incidents generally receive worldwide media coverage within minutes.
MTAS-4
Transnational Catastrophic Threat
Threats capable of destabilizing multiple nations or large sections of planetary civilization.
Examples Include:
- Planetary invasion beachheads
- Rogue artificial superintelligences
- Mass psychic contamination events
- Major spacetime destabilization
- Continental infrastructure collapse
Typical Responders:
- Multinational metahuman coalitions
- Orbital surveillance assets
- Continuity-of-government systems
- PHASE III strategic support
MTAS-5
Continental/Hemispheric Threat
Incidents capable of destroying or permanently destabilizing continental-scale populations or ecosystems.
Examples Include:
- Continent-scale biosphere corruption
- Hyperstorm events
- Advanced cosmic incursions
- Cascading dimensional collapse
- Mass extinction phenomena
At MTAS-5, governments may begin implementing civilization continuity protocols.
MTAS-6
Global Extinction Threat
Threats capable of causing planetary extinction or irreversible collapse of Earth civilization.
Examples Include:
- Moonfall scenarios
- Global dimensional destabilization
- Total planetary invasion
- Full-scale cosmic annihilation events
Typical Response Posture:
- Total emergency mobilization
- Offworld coordination
- Activation of last-resort contingency systems
Very few MTAS-6 incidents have been recorded in modern history.
MTAS-7
Existential/Reality-Level Threat
Classification Restricted.
MTAS-7 incidents involve:
- Ontological collapse
- Universal contamination
- Multiversal destabilization
- Reality failure events
Only a handful of MTAS-7 events are known to have occurred.
The most infamous remains the arrival of The Terror.
Threat Tags
In addition to numerical classification, incidents may receive operational tags describing the nature of the threat.
Core Tags
| Tag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| TECH | Advanced technological threat |
| PSI | Psionic or mental phenomena |
| ARCANE | Magical or extradimensional activity |
| BIO | Biological or mutagenic hazard |
| COSMIC | Extraterrestrial or cosmic-scale threat |
| TRANSDIM | Dimensional instability |
| MEMETIC | Informational or psychological contamination |
| SWARM | Replication or mass-minion capability |
| TEMPORAL | Time-related anomalies |
| ENERGY | High-output destructive energy |
| MUTAGEN | Infectious transformation risk |
Operational Tags
| Tag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| MOBILE | Extreme mobility |
| TELEPORT | Instant relocation capability |
| COVERT | Infiltration or stealth capability |
| REGEN | Significant regenerative ability |
| IMMORTAL | Permanent neutralization unlikely |
| AURA | Passive environmental danger |
| HIVE | Distributed consciousness |
| DUPLICATE | Replication/cloning capability |
| UNSTABLE | Escalation risk unpredictable |
Public Access and Advisories
Civilian MTAS alerts are distributed through the PHASE II Emergency Advisory Network, commonly called The Advisory.
The Advisory provides:
- Evacuation notices
- Shelter instructions
- Metahuman incident warnings
- Infrastructure closures
- Emergency preparedness guidance
Public MTAS data is intentionally limited. Certain operational details remain classified for security reasons.
Example Classifications
MTAS-3 [TECH][ARCANE]
MTAS-4 [TECH][MEMETIC][COVERT]
MTAS-6 [COSMIC][TRANSDIM][AURA]
MTAS-7 [COSMIC][TRANSDIM][MEMETIC]
“When an MTAS alert is issued, remember: preparedness saves lives. Stay informed. Stay calm. Follow authorized emergency instructions.”
— PHASE II Emergency Advisory Bureau