"I won't spoil the conclusion if you're eager to see this through." This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS relating to some of the most pivotal parts of Worm. Although all articles contain spoilers, this article will reveal major plot twists and should almost certainly be avoided unless you have finished the story.

…Man, oh man, did you ever fuck the dog, here." This article is in need of a clean-up. You can help out Worm Wiki by correcting falsehoods, checking grammar and spelling, adding citations etc.

Cauldron Information Leader(s) Doctor Mother



Contessa Allies List those who aren't First Appearance

Cauldron is a secret immanent to the Parahumans setting.

Contents show]

Modus operandi Edit

The ultimate goal of the organization was to kill Scion - the path to completing that goal involved building an army of parahumans able to combat him. In order to do this, long-term stability needed to be maintained, which meant shutting down certain threats before they became a problem[1][2] and ensuring that Earth Bet was welcoming to all parahumans and superhero culture.[3]

Cauldron was a capable organization due to the manufacture and development of the vials. This made numerous superpowers available to its members of "staff", but the unpredictable process and side effects also made them highly morally questionable. These powers included interdimensional transport and memory erasure.[4] It used this to keep its operations hidden.

Sales Edit

Cauldron is constantly on the lookout for new customers, having landing/mock-up sites for those looking for power related technologies or services.[5] They favor motivated and skilled people. Strong social connections or a background in law enforcement are a plus.[6]

When selling powers to people they go out of their way to up the price of the vial, partially to weed out those who do not have sufficient commitment to a parahuman lifestyle and partially to get people into Cauldron's debt by agreeing to favors in exchange for a more powerful vial.[7]

Social engineering Edit

They went out of their way to set up several powerful parahuman groups around the world,[8] to keep make sure there were united fronts.

Nemesis Program Edit

A Case 53 with a trigger phrase (or something similar) that makes sure that they lose, they also released nemeses that were perfectly normal.[9]

Terminus Program Edit

Based on projections everyone will eventually end up with powers.[citation needed] To preempt this cauldron tried to set up precedents of good parahuman leadership to serve as an example for others.

They were ready to brainwash capes to do this.[10]

This was a high priority project[11] that outweighed many other concerns.[12]

Structure Edit

Doctor Mother largely made decisions for the group, with advice from Contessa and others.[13] She acted as the spokesperson when talking with leaders of various groups.

Cauldron has many human and parahuman personnel in its internal staff, including parahumans that are effectively acting as tools, carrying out roles and functions like pieces of a greater machine.[14] This approach also applied when operating outside, when needed they would tap a decentralized network of agents to handle operations.[15]

PRT Response Edit

Cauldron was largely ignored under Chief Director Costa-Brown's tenure. After she was replaced, given the circumstances of her stepping down, the policy changed. Cauldron capes in positions of leadership were removed and any heroes found to be doing business with Cauldron were effectively frozen from advancing in The Protectorate.[16]

Following revelations during S-Class threat action, the PRT took a more direct stand against Cauldron influence. Cauldron capes were removed from leadership positions.[17]

With the death of Alexandria the PRT started removing Cauldron connected capes more fastidiously.[16] What Case 53s that remained were not screened.[18]

History Edit

Background Edit

Doctor Mother and Contessa formed Cauldron after Eden crash-landed near Contessa's home and was killed by Doctor Mother. They learned that the Entities' cycle would lead to the end of the human race and began formulating plans to defend humanity, including reducing conflict and maximizing the number of parahumans present for the final confrontation.[19]

By extracting and refining parts of Eden's corpse, Doctor Mother and Contessa were able to produce vials that granted powers. After Scion appeared on Earth Bet in 1982, they began to more widely test those vials on terminally ill patients. Hero and Doormaker both triggered in the founders' first batch of ten vials.[19] This process could also cure subjects of their illnesses, and Cauldron subsequently provided vials to Alexandria, Eidolon, and Legend.[20]

Cauldron expanded its operations throughout the 1980s and established a headquarters that spanned several dimensions. During the mid-1980s, it recruited the Number Man and William Manton as full-time staff. Alexandria stayed with them for two years after she gained powers and helped to implement Cauldron's plan for integrating parahumans into society by forming the Protectorate alongside Hero, Legend, and Eidolon.

William and Balminder's separate betrayals changed their operating protocol.[15]

Cauldron also created Gray Boy, and it allowed him to exist as he was the most viability as an anti-scion contingency after Eidolon. When the Slaughterhouse Nine began killing more parahumans than Gray Boy was theoretically worth, they manipulated Glaistig Uaine into killing him and taking his power so it could be used later if needed.[21]

Cauldron was targeted by The Simurgh during her attack on Madison, Wisconsin in 2009. The Simurgh used Professor Haywire's technology to break into one of the dimensions Cauldron was located in, costing Cauldron a stock of formulas and releasing several Case 53s. The Travelers triggered using the lost formulas, and Noelle Meinhardt's rampage in Brockton Bay led to Cauldron being publicly outed and the creation of the Irregulars.[22]

Story Start Edit

Was backing Coil and his work.

Called in a favor with Battery to save the Siberian and Shatterbird.[23]

Their position was exposed and Contessa was tasked with suppressing the information. Contessa was later retasked to the security of the Cauldron Compound after several prison breaks.

Helped the formation of The Slaughterhouse Nine-Thousand.[24]

Supported efforts against the same group.

Many plans fell through.

Cauldron's headquarters were badly damaged in 2013 by Scion.

Cauldron is splintered into two notable rival factions – the one led by Teacher has occupied and fully staffed Cauldron's old facilities[25], while Number Man and Citrine maintain their own operations more focused on The City.

Members Edit

Trivia Edit

In a note of ever present irony, Cauldron took Eden's position in the grand scheme of things,[19] however they intended to help humanity, whatever the final result, compared to the intentional destructive testing.[34]

References Edit