Bigotry

Mutants: Yeah, yeah, the fact that people don't react to the
radiation accident/experiments the same way in the Marvel Universe is
a problem there, particularly since the radiation accidents all parent

superpowered children when they breed. But you can solve that just
not including that kind of inconsistency in your world or even the
distinction between mutant and accident. They're all mutants.
That means your universally respected JLA/Avengers analogue
will mostly have aliens and tech/training based characters, probably
with one token mutant. For example the original lineup of the Cartoon
JLA had the Flash. Everyone else was an alien, or had gadgets,
although Wonder Woman is a bit of hazy case.
In a world where the mutants were regarded with suspicion, Wally would
find himself getting heat from both ends with mutant activists and
sympathisers regarding him as an Uncle Tom-like collaborator. Of
course you'll see mutants "passing" for normal by hiding their powers,
or even disguising them as the product of gadgets.

Machines: While any artificial intelligence in a largely 20th century
setting will have to deal with the problem of getting its personhood
recognised or be regarded as property, you can't really have
significant bigotry without a substantial minority to interact with.
That means that if you want a team of Japanese style mecha-heros in a
world hostile to them, that means you have to set up a futuristic
environment where robots are fairly ubiquitous labourers, domestic
servants and sexual toys.

Psis: A more specific bigotry could be restricted to people with
psi-powers for fear of telepathy digging out their secrets and mind
control undermining their free will, while people able to bench press
tanks merely inspire oohs and aahs.

Magic: Learning that sloppy use of magic had caused a plague of
demons or something, could lead to modern day witchhunts, both of
people with real magic abilities and wanna-bes.

Aliens: A few alien invasion plotlines could easily leave widespread
paranoia about extraterrestrials being possibly spies even if they
aren't from the species who invaded.

On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 01:57:28 GMT, rgorman.DeleteThis@block.net (David Johnston)
wrote:

>Machines: While any artificial intelligence in a largely 20th century
>setting will have to deal with the problem of getting its personhood
>recognised or be regarded as property, you can't really have
>significant bigotry without a substantial minority to interact with.
>That means that if you want a team of Japanese style mecha-heros in a
>world hostile to them, that means you have to set up a futuristic
>environment where robots are fairly ubiquitous labourers, domestic
>servants and sexual toys.

See Alan Moore's Top Ten for an excellent representation of bigotry
towards robots - or "clickers" as they're referred to.

>Aliens: A few alien invasion plotlines could easily leave widespread
>paranoia about extraterrestrials being possibly spies even if they
>aren't from the species who invaded.

Xenophobes are always fun. Read about the denizens of the planet
Krikkit in one of Douglas Adams "Hitchhiker's Guide" books. I believe
it was Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but might have been Life
The Universe and Everything.