UNIVERSE!
a bit of history..
Roughly 5,300 years ago, as a last ditch effort to end the thousand-year Gem War, the Diamonds unleashed their final attack— obliterating all Gems on Earth with a blast that stretched the entire galaxy.
Or, so they thought.Instead, because the attack was incomplete, every Gem on the planet's surface became corrupted by this light. Only a few Gems came out unaffected, having been protected by the rebellion leader, Rose Quartz (later revealed to be Pink Diamond). Word of her actions got out to colonies on other planets, and it was not the last time the Diamonds had to resort to this corrupting light as a means to stop rebellious Gems. Unfortunately, they did not have the same protection, and were doomed to corruption for thousands of years.
present day
Despite his hardships, and against impossible odds, Steven Universe, son of Pink Diamond, had grown into a compassionate young adult, having freed Gemkind of its Diamond dictators and cured those of their corruption. Though Earth has not seen Corrupted Gems in years, Steven's work was hardly finished. He left home, searching for his place in the grand multiverse. Inspired by his time with #TITANS, he took upon himself the monumental task of going from planet to planet, and seeking every last Corrupted Gem— so that they could have the same chance at rehabilitation, and a new life.
what else can he do?
Born Half-Diamond, Steven inherits an already vast arsenal of powers at the young age of 16, on top of being trained in basic combat by one of his three guardians, Pearl. But unlike Gems, his powers continue to grow with age, having discovered new abilities during his journey across the cosmos, at his current age of 23.
gem storage
Self-explanatory. Steven can store small items (like a cellphone) in his gem. (There is a max capacity, but Steven never stores enough to ever meet it).
pink fire/electricity
Like other Gems in Pink Diamond's court, Steven can generate small bursts of pink flames and electricity from his hands, feet, or even his mouth.
temporal clones
When moving at top speeds, the afterimages that fail to keep up with Steven can solidify into light constructs that act briefly should Steven have to make split-second decisions (kind of like Holo-Pearls, but less robotic).
phytoanimation+
Once able to simply animate plant life and grant them sentience, Steven can further control them as an extension of himself with total disregard to their autonomy.
barriers+
Steven's default form of combat (besides hand-to-hand). Barriers have proven time and time again just how proficient they can be in both shielding Steven or inflicting blunt damage, but Steven sought another means for them. He learned to thin them out into barely-visible strokes, and now shoots them like projectiles that can cleave through just about anything. Their size and strength vary for every individual cast. These advanced barriers still retain the same properties as their shield variants (reflective, and highly durable).
monster form
Steven's ultimate trump card, a transformation he's realized upon searching deep within. He can enter it fully or partially at his own leisure, multiplying all his powers a hundred times over. However, as a drawback, Steven can only maintain this form for a limited time (from a few minutes to several hours depending on usage). Overexertion of this form will strain Steven both physically and mentally, forcing him to either reverse the transformation, or succumb to it and become a mindless rampaging monster (this can be measured by how dark his sclerae get). While in this form, Steven gains a few more powers, and an immunity to effects like mind control, transmutation, deadly poisons, and the vacuum of space.
energy discharge
In Monster Form, Steven may combine his pink fire and electricity into a singular, concentrated blast from his maws. With prolonged charge, it can pack enough punch to level mountains. Similarly, Steven can utilize this same concept in place of his advanced barriers— creating energy slashes that shred through whatever in its path.
portal creation
Similar to Lion, Steven gains access to razor-sharp claws that can cut through space, and open gateways to wherever he wishes. Note that Steven does not need to undergo the full monster transformation to perform this, as changing a single index finger can get the job done all the same.