Meta-humans, shortened as metas, and often referred to as superhumans, are individuals who acquired powers and abilities unlike those of normal humans after experiencing mutation of their bodies (in comparison to , who learned how to harness primordial energies without being mutated themselves). Most obtained their powers after surviving an explosion caused by a malfunction of the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator on December 11, 2013. These people were exposed to the particles and dark matter that altered their genetic, chemical, or even atomic structure, giving them a variety of abilities. Their abilities seem to often relate to what energy or matter the future superhumans were directly in contact with at the time of exposure.