Superhuman
A superhuman is something exceeding normal human standards.
Superhuman can mean an "improved" human, for example, by genetic modification, or as what humans might evolve into, in the distant future. Occasionally, it could mean a "normal" human with unusual abilities, such as psychic abilities or exceptional proficiency at something.
Superhuman can also mean something that isn't human, but considered to be "superior" to humans in some ways. A robot that easily passed the Turing test, and could do some things humans can't, could be considered superhuman. A very intelligent or strong alien could be considered superhuman.
The concept of the superhuman is quite popular in science fiction, where superhumans are often mutants or genetically engineered.
The greatest publicity of the concept is, of course, comic book superheroes, especially Superman, though this is not as well-thought-out as is science fiction genre of superhumans.
The term is often used in discussions of comic book characters because the term Superman is trademarked.
Superhuman characters in various comics, role-playing games and other entertainment mediums have also been referred to as metahuman or posthuman.
In Marvel comics the term superhuman applies to an aptitude (usually physical) that is far beyond the range attainable by normal human beings. The term athlete refers to a character that is in extraordinary physical condition, such as a wieght lifter, boxer, or any other kind of professional athlete. The term peak human is applied to physical abilities that are nearly beyond the limits of humans. Next is the term enhanced human, and it refers to abilities beyond the limits of humans. It is sort of the term for light superhuman abilities. Such as a character who can lift a small car but not a tank. Then is the term superhuman. Characters with a superhuman attribute are far beyond normal human abilities. There is also a range beyond superhuman and this is metahuman. As the enhanced human level is really just a term for a low superhuman ability, metahuman is a term for a high superhuman ability.
Human extinction
One reason proposed for a possible human extinction is that humans will evolve into superhumans, leaving no trace of the original humans.
See also
Categories: Science fiction