WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

[Metaphysician]

One day, while your character is watching the news, a special bulletin flashes, reporting violence and terrorism spread across the nation, including attacks by powerful robots, in the name of the IHA. A video recording sent to the news has a masked figure stating that "since humanity would not do what is necessary to protect itself from the mutant menace, the Institute would."

 

Basically, the IHA is throwing all its resources into one big push to wipe out superhumans in the US. Enough Minuteman robots have been constructed to dedicate at least one to each major city, and a few extra for each major superteam. In addition, several hundred IHA troops are busy engaging in attacks on superhumans as well, sometimes with Minuteman robots, sometimes without ( especially for softer targets ). This includes attacks on any group associated with superhumans, such as L'institut Thoth sites in the US.

 

Of course, even a few hundred agents wouldn't be enough to do as much damage as the IHA seems to be doing nationwide, so maybe not all of these "IHA troops" are really IHA. . .

 

Oh, and if applicable ( your character has a public ID or an easily figurable secret ID ), right after seeing this news report, IHA agents attack, possibly with support of a Minuteman robot ( if you are a major public super or connected with a super team ).

 

What do you do??

[Super Squirrel]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Our team acquired a teleportation device from one of our early adventures. I'd put the base on full defense and contact the federal government. I'd teleport Windwitch and Beacon to take on the troops (Beacon is useless against robots) and get the National Guard to Assist. The Inventor, Titanium Avenger, and Null would teleport to the location of the Minutemen robot. Titanium Avenger would go full size and provide the distraction while I would work with the inventor to try to find its central computer system. Then we would reprogram it. Once we had it reprogrammed, we'd help Beacon and Windwitch finish up. Then it would be off to the next major city with our extra combatant and so on.

[OddHat]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Style - Slips into Babylon and does some research to try to find the central comand center for the attacks. Unless they have serious magical backing, should succeed. Leads team in to take the leadership out. If they do have serious magical backing, attempts to capture a commanding officer and trace the attacks back to their source.

 

AnimeGai - Enters the "mind" of a minute man, takes it over, learns everything it knows, goes to any central computer control center, takes it over, gets all the data. Now with the location of the IHA leaders and/or their real masters revealed, leads an assault.

 

Flesh Gordon - Hits things. Shoots things. Calls Agent.

 

Thirteen - Tortures captured commanding officer into telling everything he knows.

[Wormhole]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Hardware: Unless IHA had the forsight to equipe the Minutemen with EMP countermeasures, Hardware should have no problem building a device to take them out.

 

Tiger Shark: (Cue Jaws theme) It's not safe to go back in the water... if you're an IHA scumbag, that is.

 

Air Raider: Depends on how much air support these idiots have.

 

Dr. Bryce: Use his superintellect to devise a strategy for a counteroffensive using the Mechanon robots he now controls.

 

Wormhole: When you mess with the proud owner of a Gatemaster Belt, you will soon find yourself trapped in the Dimension Of Lost Socksâ„¢.

[Blue]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Information is the most needed resource here. Capture IHA agents. Identify them (to see if they've been associated with IHA before or perhaps some other agency affiliated with IHA). Extract information from said agent regarding activities. Start proactive steps to stamp out this terrorist group.

[JmOz]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

BOWMAN: Well I have no chance to defeat one of the minuteman (no tech skills, moderatly low damage) so I would concentrate on the agents, while my brother (My tech guy DNPC) works on trying to stop them via virus or whatever.

 

I would also be trying to protect as many mutants etc...that I could (I'm sure Marvel Man will need all the help he can get). I will also provide backup for Cerebus, are resedent 7d6+1 HKA (Includes STR) AF-3

[Ghost Archer]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Ghost Archer:

"Damnit. So soon? Last time I gathered together an alliance of not only mutant heros but many mutant supervillains. The loss of life was incredible. In the last case, the mutants gathered together in Death Valley and drew the Minuteman robots to them along with many agent types. Once the robots got their act together and made a concerted attack, the Alliance of Mutants pretty much took them apart. All of the Minuteman robots where destroyed and most of the agents killed or captured. We lost far too many mutants, both friends and enemies. One person we missed, was the leader of the group, the Black King. Now we are seeing the first of a new generation of robot. It starts over . . . "

[Metaphysician]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Okay, as a further complicating matters, lets say that at least one of the troops captured and investigated at some point proves unconnected to IHA. However, he *does* have a known connection to VIPER, having been arrested as an agent a few years back before being acquitted on an evidence technicality.

 

How does this effect your response??

[SKJAM!]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Mask of Justice: If he's still alive by the time this scenario takes place, he'll be in his nineties. At home and cheering on the heroes from his recliner, no doubt.

 

Rock Bottom: Public ID, but bricks tend to do well against robots and agents. Plus, he belongs to a team that can back him up. Discovering that TAROT is either backing up Bulwark or infiltrating it (those are the GGU equivalents of the listed entities) would confirm many people's suspicions.

 

Calculus: Will let the rest of his team run interference with the IHA forces, while he figures out where the enemy HQ is so they can short-circuit the Bulwark/TAROT plan.

 

Kira Midori: Is Public ID and useless against robots (and if IHA has the brains God gave carrots, any agents sent up against her will have Mental Defense helmets.) Will need to quickly hook up with her team to coordinate their efforts and switch off prepared opponents.

 

Talion: Public ID, useless against robots. Gets clobbered fairly early on, but no matter what the Minuteman does, nothing actually *kills* Talion. Any human agents foolish enough to attack Talion die.

[OddHat]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Okay, as a further complicating matters, lets say that at least one of the troops captured and investigated at some point proves unconnected to IHA. However, he *does* have a known connection to VIPER, having been arrested as an agent a few years back before being acquitted on an evidence technicality.

 

How does this effect your response??

 

Style - Makes sure that the viper connection is known to the press, as the IHA is also dependant on voluntary contributions and this may limit their ability to recover. Get word to the occult community and local Demon Agents that Viper is on the side of the IHA, thus (hopefully) getting some fire support. Continue plan to locate and attack any central command station.

 

Flesh Gordon - Continue hitting and shooting things. Imagination is not his strong suit. Wonders how he'd look in that cool mask the agent was wearing.

 

AnimeGai - Approach suspected central computer system more carefully, as Viper is known to have better computers than the IHA. Devote more time to re-programing robots to use as allies, as more firepower will likely be needed. Otherwise, plans are unchanged.

[Metaphysician]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Style - Makes sure that the viper connection is known to the press' date=' as the IHA is also dependant on voluntary contributions and this may limit their ability to recover. [/quote']

 

Me thinks that the IHA isn't planning on returning to its more covert strategies after something like this. . .

[OddHat]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Me thinks that the IHA isn't planning on returning to its more covert strategies after something like this. . .

 

They'll deny all connection to the Extremist Elements of their movement but continue to raise money for the legal defense of those captured. "We condemn the use of violence! However, the violence of the metahumans among us must be expected to provoke a violent response. It saddens us that so many good men felt driven to react in such a manner to the threat that faces us all, and we urge Congress to do all in its power to prevent such an event from being provoked again!"

 

The standard "the violent ones had nothing to do with us" speech.

[farik]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Husky will order the Rescue Droids to start evacuating the staff of Mulatti Tower (the building Leviathan HQ sets atop) and tell Sidekick to oversee the evacuation and coordinate damage control of the HQ and call the Fortress of Huskitude and request back up General Labor droids. Husky will then swing outside and commence the pummeling focusing on the Minutemen first expecting Hombre (the Impossible Hand Kid's sidekick) to have his back. He'd instruct the rest of the team to focus on the human agents and try to capture any leaders. After the immediate threat is over Husky will return to the lab and transform into Kenneth.

 

Kenneth will order the research terminals to build a portfolio of the IHA's recent activities and then instruct his Financial Terminal to track all of the IHA's recent funding and reported expenses. Kenneth will instruct Perry Matlock (legal droid) to file class action suits against the IHA to tie them up legally even if they do denounce the "radicals." Katie Kat (public Relations Droid) will be instructed to commence a media blitz highlighting the collateral damage being caused by the IHA and downplaying meta response (even in the case of supervillains). Once a central HQ has been identified Kenneth will transmit well layed out tactical plans and portfolios to the rest of the team waiting in the conferance room. Then He'll change into Husky.

 

Husky will run to the conference room ask "everyone's read the file right?!" and then he'll wait impatiently for the rest of the team to join him in assaulting the enemy HQ and the identified big bads whoever they may be.

[nexus]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Eve was built for this sort of thing. She immediately begins creating a battleplan to coordinate superhuman groups against IHA insurgents with her tactical module, initates a cyber assault against any IHA mainframes and compter networks to choke off their funding and backers and any Minutemen she can get access to become her new action figures (Considering their AI was probably the basis for her own that should be interesting...). Her plans will focus on blunting their assault and anticipating any major attacks to protect life first and pushing them back as a secondary priority.

 

Tao will work in the local level to combat the threat, but overall would be a minor player, same with most of my other characters.

[Wanderer]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Nova sought superpowers and dedicated himself as protector of Earth just to deal with this sort of menace.

 

Will start attacking Minutemen robots and IHA goons nearest to his current location, then rush off to deal with IHA robots and troops in other locations under attack. When all the immediate threats are dealt with, he will start interrogating surviving IHA prisoners and examinating the remains of the robots for clues about the location of IHA headquarters and bases and the right codes/countermeasures to disable/override Minutemen in the future. Then he'll share his findings with sympathetic superhumans and propose a joint worldwide strike against the organization.

 

He will rank IHA as "world-threatening menace" (both for the attempted genocide, and because superhumans are one of the best defenses for Earth's and Mankind's survival) in the future, along with DEMON, which means he will proactively seek out and terminate/destroy IHA leaders, willing accomplices, bases, and resources with extreme prejudice, whenever he has the occasion.

[Wanderer]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

They'll deny all connection to the Extremist Elements of their movement but continue to raise money for the legal defense of those captured. "We condemn the use of violence! However, the violence of the metahumans among us must be expected to provoke a violent response. It saddens us that so many good men felt driven to react in such a manner to the threat that faces us all, and we urge Congress to do all in its power to prevent such an event from being provoked again!"

 

The standard "the violent ones had nothing to do with us" speech.

 

Unfortunately for them, this will not stop Nova one moment from tearing down their chapterhouses on their heads, since he couldn't despise more using weasely lawyer tricks to escape justice.

[Metaphysician]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

They'll deny all connection to the Extremist Elements of their movement but continue to raise money for the legal defense of those captured. "We condemn the use of violence! However, the violence of the metahumans among us must be expected to provoke a violent response. It saddens us that so many good men felt driven to react in such a manner to the threat that faces us all, and we urge Congress to do all in its power to prevent such an event from being provoked again!"

 

The standard "the violent ones had nothing to do with us" speech.

 

They could *try* that, but I doubt in the extreme that anybody would believe them. When people who claim to be members of your organization undertake a minor war on your alleged behalf, including ( presumably ) considerable civilian casualties, and probably the deaths of at least a few popular heroes, you just don't have much political capital.

 

( not speaking as scenario designer, just my assessment )

[OddHat]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

They could *try* that, but I doubt in the extreme that anybody would believe them. When people who claim to be members of your organization undertake a minor war on your alleged behalf, including ( presumably ) considerable civilian casualties, and probably the deaths of at least a few popular heroes, you just don't have much political capital.

 

( not speaking as scenario designer, just my assessment )

 

I worked with an American Muslim who believed that 9/11 had nothing to do with the Islamic fundamentalist movement that he was a part of. "Friendly" Arab governments deny the connection between unrelentingly anti-American propaganda and terrorist activity. I've met Americans and others who claimed that throwing around phrases like "traitors", "jack booted thugs" and "muderers" when describing their political foes was not an incitement to violence. Many years ago a friend in college raised money for the IRA, and those who contributed did not accept responsibility for the connection between their contributions and the civilians who died in the UK.

 

I think that those who contribute to and support the IHA would continue to do so. I find it depressing, but that's my guess.

[Metaphysician]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

I worked with an American Muslim who believed that 9/11 had nothing to do with the Islamic fundamentalist movement that he was a part of. "Friendly" Arab governments deny the connection between unrelentingly anti-American propaganda and terrorist activity. I've met Americans and others who claimed that throwing around phrases like "traitors", "jack booted thugs" and "muderers" when describing their political foes was not an incitement to violence. Many years ago a friend in college raised money for the IRA, and those who contributed did not accept responsibility for the connection between their contributions and the civilians who died in the UK.

 

I think that those who contribute to and support the IHA would continue to do so. I find it depressing, but that's my guess.

 

Okay, perhaps I wasn't clear on what I meant.

 

No, I don't doubt the hard core supporters would still support the group. However, they would no longer be able to do so legally, because the IHA organization and all its leaders would probably be either arrested or on the run from the law. IOW, the IHA is going to cease to be a viable legal front after this incident.

[S7Michelle]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Cannis snarls, “Anti-mutant hate groups, corporations that experiment on us, not to mention the containment camps and murders Adam saw happening in the future….and now they are sending GIANT ROBOTS AFTER US?†She starts out by capturing one of the agents and forcing him to provide as much information (weaknesses of the robots, locations of their bases, etc) as she can get out of him. Once she finds out the location of a nearby base, she sneaks in and steals any information and equipment that might be helpful. If possible, she disables the robots from the base. If not, she does a whole lot of damage on her way out. She then works with the rest of her team to help the rest of the mutants and other supers in the city deal with the robots and army of agents.

 

Once the robots and agents are defeated, Trish Tilby gets a phone call offering her an exclusive interview with Cannis and all of her teammates. With a bit of coaching from Adam and some practice before hand, the interview may well end up becoming a call to action for mutants everywhere and a strong warning about what will happen if they sit idly by and allow humanity to determine the fate of mutantkind.

 

Cannis and her teammates then utilize a variety of methods to put the IHA out of business for good including a mixture of physical attacks, assassinations, thefts, property damage, leaked information, and even some political and business attacks.

 

 

Sailor Io stares at the TV in shock and horror. ~This can’t be happening….~ After a moment she quickly realizes, “They’ve got to be heading straight for the Mah-ki’s island.†She immediately sends Senshi, under a flag of truce if necessary, to warn the various supernatural groups and tell them that, unlike a millennium ago, this time the Senshi will be fighting to protect them from this group of humans and robots. However, the Senshi will make very clear that this is just a battle against the IHA and not against humanity as a whole and that the Senshi will act to prevent attacks against random humans.

 

Once that is done, the Senshi and any others that wish to join them in the battle, will deal with the robot and agents. The Senshi won’t hesitate to use their most devastating attacks against the robot, but will attempt to incapacitate the humans without killing them. Due to the power level differences between the supernaturals and human weaponry, the Minutemen will be defeated fairly rapidly. That is when the true challenge will occur—namely preventing the Mah-ki and other supernatural groups from continuing the battle against innocent humans.

 

Ultimately this event would have a huge impact. At best, the world will undergo a dramatic change as people come to realize that powerful creatures from myth and legend do exist. At worst there will be slaughter as the same powerful creatures decide that this time they are going to destroy humanity before humanity can once again begin the witch trials, and other slaughters that drove them into hiding so long ago.

[caris]

Re: WWYCD #100: IHA Attack!!

 

Okay, perhaps I wasn't clear on what I meant.

 

No, I don't doubt the hard core supporters would still support the group. However, they would no longer be able to do so legally, because the IHA organization and all its leaders would probably be either arrested or on the run from the law. IOW, the IHA is going to cease to be a viable legal front after this incident.

Which is why probably in any game I’m in this scenario would probably involve a “splinter†group of IHA, call it Genocide, for lack of a better name.

 

Adonis is already hunted by IHA, and it is unlikely he would survive a surprise attack if it were competently planned and executed. Of course, it is a genre staple that these attacks are rarely both competently planned and executed, and some times are neither. After the initial attack Adonis would actively seek to defend others to the best of abilities. Once the fervor had died down, things really would just have gone up a notch between the IHA and Adonis. Adonis is already a political activist on “super human†rights, who has spoken out against the IHA’s stated policies and positions. Adonis might actually consider organizing with other activists to create a “super human†PAC/educational organization to counter IHA’s political clout and propoganda.