Current Status
While Sentinels provide the main threat these days, the Mutant Registration Act is still alive and well. The MRA was first introduced as a voluntary measure in 2006. By 2008, it was mandatory, and in the time since then, it has only continued to grow more restrictive.
Details of the MRA
The actual Mutant Registration Act goes on for pages defining what constitutes a mutant, what constitutes powers, etc. etc. For the purpose of this game, here are the basic facts that every mutant would need to know:
- All mutants must, by law, register themselves with the government. This includes a detailed breakdown of their powers, personal details, addresses (present and past), family members, associates, etc.
- This means the simple act of being an unregistered mutant is illegal. Individuals must register themselves within 60 days of first manifestation or face the risk of fines, jail time, and/or being forcibly registered.
- Registered mutants are required to keep the government apprised of any changes to this information, especially changes to their powers or address.
- Registered mutants are legally obligated to identify themselves as mutants when applying for a job, a place to live, schooling, a bank account, a drivers license, medical care, insurance, or any other instance where a third party requests said information (i.e. if someone asks, you must tell them the truth).
- Registered mutants must obtain government leave in order to travel or move to another state. To be found outside the designated state without government dispensation may lead to fines or jail time.
- The MRA database is not publicly available. However, it is available to police, doctors and hospital staff, every government department, public and private schools at all levels, and to the employer of any job where the employee will be working primarily with children. It is also possible for anyone to petition the government for confirmation whether a specific individual is on the list.
- The US government also has arrangements with many developed countries to exchange registration databases. These will be decided on a case-by-case basis, so please submit a +request if you would like to know about a particular one.
Registering
We leave it up to the players whether they wish their characters to be registered or not. However, ICA=ICC - if characters are caught and detained by police or Sentinels and identified as unregistered mutants, they will be registered, and your character may face fines or jail time, depending on the level of trouble they have caused.
Also, please remember that once registered, there is no easy way to become unregistered again. We certainly invite players to make things difficult for their characters, but recommend you give this careful consideration before proceeding.
Hypothetically, government Sentinels should leave registered mutants alone. However, they tend to have a rather totalitarian view as to what constitutes breaking the law, and they are authorized to detain registered mutants for any infraction: Have a foot off the curb? Jaywalking. Standing still on the sidewalk? Loitering. Screaming in fear of the giant robots? Disturbing the peace.
To mark your character as registered, please change their Registered field in their +finger and add 'MRA' to the tags on their wiki page.
The MRA and Teams
Also worth noting is that the Brotherhood would absolutely not allow its members to voluntarily register. For residents of Rykers, it is not outright restricted, but something of an unwritten law. It would at the very least be a point of derision for someone to volunteer to be the government pawn. Forcible registration is more forgivable, though there may be the stigma of not being 'good' enough to avoid being caught.
While Xavier takes a gentler approach, he must insist, for the sake of secrecy and the safety of the mansion residents, that his students and faculty not register. Those who have already registered prior to coming to the mansion, who absolutely insist upon registering, or who are forced into registration when caught, are still welcomed, of course.
Morlocks take no particular view of things either way, leaving those for people up top to worry about.
Registered Mutants
The following characters are registered:
