Sep — Roleplayer Guild

This one might be a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. First, a little mood music.....

CHARACTER CONCEPTLEGION OF DOOM

Political Radical Sect / Terrorist Organization  ♦  People's Democratic Republic of Latveria
C H A R A C T E R   C O N C E P T:

"Doom does not beg! Doom denies death! Doom is supreme!"

In the wake of the Second World War and the end of the first wave of costumed super-humans, most were all too willing to turn a blind eye to the far corners of the world for the sake of returning to some semblance of normalcy. While organizations like the Strategic Science Reserve led investigations into the JSA, behind the Iron Curtain a new power was rising.

Viktor van Domashev, a high-ranking member of Stalin's inner circle from the Soviet satellite state of Latveria, executed a stunning coup in the wake of the dictator's death. Espousing a radical totalitarian philosophy referred to simply as "the Way of Doom," van Domashev effectively split the Soviet Union in two, converting millions to his radical ways and defending his new empire against the forces of the USSR and NATO alike with a menagerie of technological horrors. By 1960, Nikita Kruschev and Soviet ICBMs seemed like a quaint annoyance compared to the threat posed by the man the American press had named "Doctor Doom."

While many feared that an invasion from Doomstadt was imminent, even a mind as formidable as Doctor Doom was not without equal. The brilliant Reed Richards quickly rose to prominence in the West, and he and his family of misfit adventurers dubbed the "Fantastic Four" (a team of "adventure scientists," a name carefully picked to avoid connections to the controversial super-heroes of the 1940s) would stymie Doom's attempts at global domination time and time again. In 1966, Viktor van Domashev and the Fantastic Four engaged in a final battle, with all vanishing in the aftermath, seemingly destroyed. Without the brilliance and charisma of Doctor Doom at its helm, the Latverian Empire quickly came undone, and was reabsorbed back into the USSR. Despite being written off as dramatic but ultimately brief distraction in the wider history of the Cold War, many still believed in the philosophy of the Way of Doom, and Neo-Doomist militias and terrorist cells would crop up over the next sixty years, typically put down quickly by organizations such as SHIELD.

In recent years, however, while the eyes of the world have turned to the likes of Superman and other colorful personae in the West, a new movement has begun in Latveria, Viktor Van Domashev's old seat of power. An extremely well-funded, well-organized, and well-trained paramilitary organization has begun a civil war against the corrupt and incompetent NATO-installed government. They offer stability, security, and national pride in exchange for obedience and service to the Way of Doom. What's more, they boast weaponry and technology that puts all but the most advanced Western technological firms to shame. As neighboring governments try and fail to undermine this radical movement, more and more people become drawn to its cause, seeing a future where they can not only stand on equal footing with the super-heroes of the West, but make them kneel.

What was dismissed as a fleeting bad dream has returned as a new nightmare. The Legion of Doom marches again.

C H A R A C T E R   M O T I V A T I O N S   &   G O A L S:
For starters, I wanted to have a sort of 'universal villain' that absolutely everyone can run up against. I figure we have more than enough shadowy organizations carefully working on secret machinations behind the scenes, so it would be a nice breath of fresh air to have one that's so brazenly out in the open about what they are and what they want to do. It'll hopefully give the heroes some fun material to work with as well, since most of the people joining the Legion have legitimate grievances against the Western-centric super-community, and hopefully this can lead to some stories with interesting real-world parallels without just beating people over the head with heavy-handed social commentary.

I've also just been on a nostalgia kick for the old Command and Conquer games lately, so this is at least partly to live out my dreams of leading the Brotherhood of Nod.

N O T E S:

The Legion of Doom is operated by a triumvirate of Ministers, who maintain a delicate balance of power between the three of them:

Lucia Von Bardas: The newly elected Prime Minister of Latveria, Lucia proudly displays the scars and cybernetic augmentations she acquired during the bloody civil war that ousted the previous government. Wildly popular among the Latverian people, she is the public face of the Legion, frequently seen making speeches and public appearances to portray the Way of Doom as the path to liberating the downtrodden from the yoke of their old imperialist oppressors. Behind the scenes, Lucia also operates the Legion's vast media network, altering and censoring data and spreading indoctrinating material in the name of "combating misinformation."

Kristoff Vernard: Latveria's Minister of Science and Culture, Kristoff sees it as his duty to carry on the brilliant work of Viktor van Domashev. His inventions have catapulted Latveria to the forefront of the technological world, while his printed works expounding on the Way of Doom have convinced countless disenfranchised and disaffected people to join the cause. Many are quick to condemn Vernard's many gruesome experiments on human subjects, but he is always quick to quote his hero, stating "only Doom dares to dream, all others serve."

Bram Velsing: Also known as the "Dread Knight," Velsing is the supreme commander of the Legion's armed forces. Equal parts brash, cunning, and fanatical, the Dread Knight is a hardline believer in the Way of Doom, and especially in its ethos of 'peace through power.'

The People's Liberation Legion: An ever-growing collection of neo-Doomist militias and paramilitary groups, the PLL is a largely decentralized confederation with loose ties to the Legion proper. While LoD agents often fund, arm, and train PLL cells, each cell operates independently, fomenting revolutions, assassinations, sabotage, cyber-warfare, and other destabilizing actions in any nation the Legion of Doom sees either as a threat or as a potential asset. Currently, there are known PLL cells active in Russia, Sokovia, Bialya, Symkaria, Argentina, Japan, and the United Kingdom, and there are unconfirmed cells active in a dozen other countries, including the United States. While most if not all PLL members are volunteers who are devout believers in the Way of Doom, the Legion proper tends to view them as expendable.

DoomBots: the backbone of the Legion of Doom's armies, DoomBots refer to a vast array of robotic and AI operatives designed to carry out the Legion's will. The 'standard' DoomBot is equipped with nano-spring artificial muscles to grant it immense strength, a variety of laser and particle-based weapons, a layered magnetic and plasma shield system rendering it invulnerable to conventional weapons, and electronic warfare packages that allow it to penetrate the most robust defenses. Deployed correctly, a platoon of DoomBots can defeat a conventional army in a matter of days, and severely wound or even kill all but the most powerful of metahumans.

S A M P L E   P O S T:
"My brothers and sisters," Lucia von Bardas began as she approached the podium, "After the long, bitter fighting that has seen so many suffer needlessly, we have at long last toppled the rotten, clapped-out regime that had been afflicted upon us for so long!"

A thunderous din of triumphant cheers rose from the throng of loyal followers before her. Next to her on the dais, a haggard, beaten man was forced on his knees, trembling and crying, a pair of green-armored DoomBots flanking him on either side.

"Vladimir Vassily Gonereo Tristian Mangegi Fortunov," she addressed her prisoner, drawing out his long name in almost mocking tones. "Former Prime Minister of an illegitimate government. For nearly thirty years, you danced on strings pulled by NATO, propagating their lies and their deceit. Time and time again, Latveria has been given empty promises of autonomy, of 'greater standing in the international community,' of free and fair trade, only for more restrictions and sanctions to be placed upon us! Time and time again, you signed away land that rightfully belonged to the Latverian people, for the benefit of NATO and EU pet projects that have only done us harm! And each time you tell us to swallow their tripe, each time you tell us to settle for less, you line your own pockets with their dirty money!"

The tens of thousands in attendance roared with boos and cries of anger.

"The people of Latveria have said no more!" Lucia bellowed. "We have seen the way forward, and it is not dancing to the tune of the Western pigs. The way forward is that promised to us by one of our own, the genius who brought us onto the world stage, who made the White House and the Kremlin tremble! This is the way of destiny! The way of fate! The Way of Doom!"

Lucia paused to bask in the cacophonous applause, before turning back to the beaten man.

"And your doom, comrade Fortunov," she said, drawing a pistol from the inside of her jacket, "is sealed."

The gunshot rang out through the air, followed by another deafening roar of triumph from the crowd as Fortunov's body slumped forward, before falling off the dais and into the crowd, who proceeded to stomp and tear at the corpse until there was nothing recognizable left.

"The Way of Doom has saved the people of Latveria, my brothers and sisters," Von Bargas beckoned, "but our work is far from over! There are many yet who still cry out under the lash of the corrupt and the incompetent. Our brothers and sisters in Symkaria, in Sokovia, in Pokolistan, we hear your call! Our friends and comrades in South America, in East Asia, we share your struggle! Even our perceived enemies in Russia, in China, in America....they, too, will see the way to that shining future! In time, all will know the power and glory of Doom!"

The cheers had grown so loud, the voices of the Latverian people shook the dais.

"Doom," she called out the now familiar chant, "does not beg!"

"DOOM! the voices chanted back in unison, "DOES! NOT! BEG!"

"Doom denies death!"

"DOOM! DENIES! DEATH!"

"DOOM IS SUPREME!"

"DOOM! IS! SUPREME!"

P O S T   C A T A L O G:
Coming Soon
@AndyC

now I'm glad I didn't apply for Doom.
Sep Member

Migs Mayfield - Core

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