Supervillain idea: Al Qaeda == SPECTR/Viper/Cobra/etc.?
The title says it all, really.
It seems to me that one way of approaching the "Globally terrorizing Master Criminal" who has an army of fanatic henchment would be to model it, at least roughly, after the Al Qaeda structure -- that is, bases in oppressive countries, or where the rule of law is perhaps not as strong as it might be.
You could then approach a campaign where the PCs were working with the UN or Interpol or something to track down these bases and prevent terrorist attacks.
A sort of related idea would be that, in some sense, supervillains with superpowers would be sort of like suicide bombers, in that they can do horrible damage in places without needing to carry a weapon in (and, unlike suicide bombers, might not die in the attempt...)
Anyway, random thoughts.
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Al Qaeda's representation in US press briefings are fairly impluasible, though probably good for a cinematic game.
You'd probably be more interested in using materials about it that existed prior to 2001. PBS keeps a good page about this sort of thing, where it describes Al Qeada as really more of a networking tool for autonomous groups. That's why you hear more about folks "linked to Al Qaeda."
Anyway, a Google search for "Asymmetric Threats" should help immensely.
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@@----->->The most feared attack of the giant robot.
The first few issues of Stormwatch: Team Achilles run with this premise.
I distinctly remember seeing all the accusations of plots and schemes and thinking "well, now I know what would happen if a supervillain actually attacked New York... Latveria would be bombed flat..."
Originally posted by Craig Oxbrow The first few issues of Stormwatch: Team Achilles run with this premise.
I distinctly remember seeing all the accusations of plots and schemes and thinking "well, now I know what would happen if a supervillain actually attacked New York... Latveria would be bombed flat..."
Actually, going by recent examples, Latveria would ally with the US against Wakanda. Sure, Wakanda's not responsible, but after a few months, the majority of the US population falsely believes that Wakandans were involved, despite the constant failure to prove any connection between Wakanda and the Doom organization. Despite the fact that the latverian government is directly complicit in the murder of US citizens, the American embassy stays open. After all, Latveria possesses nuclear, biological, chemical and perhaps sorcerous weapons and can easily annihilate European allies if it feels threatened.
The President points out that Wakanda is ruled by a masked dictator who's acquired technology that could be used to fuel supervillain schemes -- but refuses to discuss the fact that if Wakanda got any of that stuff, it was courtesy of US-based arms multinational Stark Enterprises.
International critics acidly point out that this is a rather transparent ploy for trillions in unexploited Vibranium, an essential element used in the manufacture of powercells for battlesuits used by the US and SHIELD -- and conveniently enough, a technology pioneered by Stark Enterprises, who start lobbying for postwar reconstruction/exploitation contracts before the hazily justified conflict even begins.
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@@----->->The most feared attack of the giant robot.
After the end of hostilities, the President would stage a photo-op with Captain America to help insure his reelection, using the pretext that he's announcing the end of major fighting in Wakanda.
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Originally posted by eyebeams
Actually, going by recent examples, Latveria would ally with the US against Wakanda. Sure, Wakanda's not responsible, but after a few months, the majority of the US population falsely believes that Wakandans were involved, despite the constant failure to prove any connection between Wakanda and the Doom organization. Despite the fact that the latverian government is directly complicit in the murder of US citizens, the American embassy stays open. After all, Latveria possesses nuclear, biological, chemical and perhaps sorcerous weapons and can easily annihilate European allies if it feels threatened.
The President points out that Wakanda is ruled by a masked dictator who's acquired technology that could be used to fuel supervillain schemes -- but refuses to discuss the fact that if Wakanda got any of that stuff, it was courtesy of US-based arms multinational Stark Enterprises.
International critics acidly point out that this is a rather transparent ploy for trillions in unexploited Vibranium, an essential element used in the manufacture of powercells for battlesuits used by the US and SHIELD -- and conveniently enough, a technology pioneered by Stark Enterprises, who start lobbying for postwar reconstruction/exploitation contracts before the hazily justified conflict even begins.
Does anyone think that fool Richards would just happen to be in Wakanda at the time of the initial airstrike? That would be awfully convenient.
It would seem logical to set up a covert criminal network along a cell-based architecture; unfortunately, most villains tend to enjoy gathering their minions together in a dark hall and gloat about how they're going to bring the Free World to its knees. Either you've got a smart boss at the head of your organisation, or things go the way of the comics. Different styles, I guess.
Where Doom has the advantage, of course, is that he has Doombots. If that fool Richards is led to Wakanda by one of these contraptions, he himself would be the trigger for the war. "Fury, Doom's in Wakanda!" "GetOutNowFireTheMissilesSorryDidWeGetYou?" Which is, of course, all very much a machiavellian scheme in the style of Victor.
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The problem with fictional organisations like Cobra is that they take the same organisational approach as say, the PIRA (the Provisional council of the Irish Republican Army), i.e, the cell approach.
Each cell has several members in one locale and a cell leader. Only the cell leader knows who the co-ordinator is that the cell answers to. The Cell Co-Ordinator oversees several cells, and is him or her self overseen by a more senior member of the terrorist organisation, going on upwards to the Storemaster General (as PIRA calls the head of [para]military operations).
AL Quaeda doesn't work on the cell based system, even if some of the Fundementalist Islamic Terrorist Organisations that have loose affiliations to it do. Think of Al Quaeda as being like a lawn. The blades of grass are the individual cells or organisations that have agents and operations worldwide, but underneath the soil is a root system that supports every last blade of grass in the lawn. Al Quaeda is that root system, or to put it another way, Al Quaeda is an umbrella orginisation that supports regeims and terrorist cells that share the same aims.
Therefore, to put it in GI Joe terms, Cobra is like Al Quaeda and Zartan and the Drednoks are like Hammas - not a part of Cobra per sae, but is actively supported by Cobra and often work under Cobra's banner.
To bring Al Quaeda's organisational model into the realm of supervillains means that you will have to fundementally rethink how organisations like Cobra would now function, and drop the 1980's cell model from the archetecture of your new terrorist / supervillain organisations.
Jeebus. Using <B>G. I. Joe</B> to explain real life politics. I wonder if Bush Jnr. gets his briefings in this form (complete with action figures to illustrate the important parts)? It would explain a lot about current U.S. foreign policy if he does.
What can we explain next? The <B>Holocaust</B> using <B>The X-Men</B> as the conceptual framework?
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