Evil Corporations

[largosama]

I'm curious to hear stories about Evil Corporations in your campaigns. It could evil by way of just bad ethics/don't care if they completely squash the little man to interested in world domination to is actually controlled by supernatural evil entities. How did you use the Corporation in the campaign?

[Iuz the Evil]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I used evil Corporations pretty extensively in a Dark Future-style campaign. The same ones they have in the Corporate Sourcebook from Shadowrun (mainly Ares Macrotechnology, their subsidiary Knight Errant Security, Renraku Systems, and Saeder-Krupp Heavy Industries... I like Aztechnology as well, but that is too heavily interwoven with the Shadowrun system to really handle being transplanted into another campaign setting). They worked out pretty well, had access to daunting high-end tech (also lifted pretty much verbatim from Shadowrun), and a near total disregard for the welfare of human beings in their relentless pursuit of profit. The players enjoyed beating up their hired goons, trashing their illicit/unethical research labs, and generally being pests.

 

If I was going do use them in a more superheroic genre, I'd have made sure the President/CEO was a nice cinematic 'Lex Luthor' corporate baddie they could have repeated confrontations with. Dialogue like, "You'll never pin this on me... and even if you did, I run this city! They'll never convict me" and a convenient alibi whenever badness goes down ("He was at the Rotary Luncheon when the mutagenic hellspawn attacked you, in front of the Mayor and half the City Council").

 

Mmmm... I like evil corporations as foils for the heroes. They're chock full of genre goodness!

[largosama]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

In my campaign, Binary Corp hired the team to guard this high-tech device in their labs. Eurostar broke in to get the device and damaged the lab's walls and a bit of the device. An executive of Binary Corp used the device to teleport both teams to another dimension (Sinister purposes? Of course! But it also saved the device from being completely wrecked)... anyhoo, after the team got back and went to talk to the executive about it, she presented them with a bill for $150,000 worth of repairs. She then said that she'd tear up the bill if they publically vouched for the safety and reliability of a new energy system coming out. They turned it down, but she ended up saying that they did later on anyway... eeeeeviiilll... ;-)

[tinman]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I have a corporation in my game called Magnus Biotechnology which exists principally as a vehicle for researching immortality for the benefit of a cabal of rich and powerful individuals who call themselves The Gilgamesh Society. Once they master death they believe they will be able to control the world at their leisure. Because so many of the intended beneficiaries are rather advanced in age, ethical (and legal) practices have gone out the window in favour of expediency.

 

And of course, unlocking the secrets of the DNA of key metahumans (the PC's for example) is a primary focus of their research.

[largosama]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I have a corporation in my game called Magnus Biotechnology which exists principally as a vehicle for researching immortality for the benefit of a cabal of rich and powerful individuals. Because so many of the intended beneficiaries are rather advanced in age, ethical (and legal) practices have gone out the window in favour of expediency.

 

And of course, unlocking the secrets of the DNA of key metahumans (the PC's for example) is a primary focus of their research.

 

What have they been doing in your campaign to harass the team? Do they kidnap the team? Use secret methods of extracting it? Kidnap other metas (and have your team go for the rescue)?

[tinman]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

Another corporation in my campaign isn't evil per se, but it's products have definitely been used in questionable ways by others, and it seems to be willing to sell to anyone willing to pay with no questions asked.

 

The Hetsuku Corporation is proud to announce that full production of the Hetsuku Hero Man line of tele-operated rescue robots will begin this fall and pre-orders are available. Customers interested in non-civilian models should contact Hetsuku's Tactical Initiatives Division for details.

[tinman]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

What have they been doing in your campaign to harass the team? Do they kidnap the team? Use secret methods of extracting it? Kidnap other metas (and have your team go for the rescue)?

 

Actually I've been able to keep their efforts quite minimal and still drive the PC's nuts. They obtained DNA samples from most of the team (those who had DNA to sample, that is) by means of trickery and since then security on their facilities has gone through the roof. This has led the PC's into fits of paranoia but they've never been able to do anything about it short of busting into the place and trashing their labs (which they are afraid to do because they are sure that Magnus Biotech now knows their vulnerabilities and susceptibilities).

[Iuz the Evil]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

What have they been doing in your campaign to harass the team? Do they kidnap the team? Use secret methods of extracting it? Kidnap other metas (and have your team go for the rescue)?

 

I'd go with 'all of the above' were I the 'evil CEO'. You could operate private prison facilities on behalf of the government, using this as an opportunity to examine supers under controlled conditions. You could sample genetic material through your corporately owned and operated medical facilities ('I had no idea that Mt. Sinai's shareholders were so heavily backed by Meta-Gene ! How awful!'). Illicit corporate assets also would be effective here (secret labs with plausible deniability, kidnapping or just paying experimental test subjects for research, etc.). Oh, and don't forget to have your corporation's legal team ready to roll if the heroes get too pesky and the danger of exposure draws nigh.

 

If they're a multi-national corporation, they could ship test subjects off to nation-states where their activities are legal or at least tolerated by the local government too.

[Blue]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

Corporations have actually figured in very little to actual gameplay yet. But I have seeds out there.

 

NEOBEND: Seller of virtual reality equipment and programs, they have always been considered evil by parents who can't get their kids to put down the VR headsets and go outside, but now their terribly seductive adult program "Aether", currently in version 2.0, is coming for the parents; It's more addictive than heroine.

 

LAVENDER COSMETICS: Owned and operated by brilliant chemist, fashionista, and tabloid Fodder, Lavender, they've actually got their fingers in all sorts of chemical and biochemical endeavors. The owner is an accused and acquitted murderer whose trial was the latest "Trial of the Century".

 

AGROPONICS: "Feeding the Earth". It may not be soylent green they're developing, but it's not far off.

[Cancer]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I wrote a Shadowrun adventure titled "Diaplessic Industries", which sold novel high-performance computing equipment with powerful associative logic capabilities.

 

They were snatching metahumans with cyberwear (since those had already demonstrated they didn't have the lethal allergy to the hardware), and in effect replacing everything in their bodies but their central nervous systems and turning them into storage-and-processing devices. They had developed a means to force-train a human-grade intellect into an efficient peripheral device during the episode of total cyberpsychosis that resulted from the "coring" and transfer into the tank. Only about 10% of the people they snatched were successfully turned into compliant equipment, but their return on investment was high enough so they could accept that. The failures just got dumped.

 

The name, "diaplessic industries", just took a word I encountered in an article about a kind of rocks. According to what I read, "diaplessic" derives from the ancient Greek "diaplessos", which means "to destroy by striking".

[GoldenAge]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

AGROPONICS: "Feeding the Earth". It may not be soylent green they're developing' date=' but it's not far off.[/quote']

 

AAAAAAAAHHH!!! Soylent Green is people!

 

 

Heh.

[Speedball]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I don't think corporations have figured into any of the campaigns I've been part of, but if you're looking for good background/source material, there's a GREAT documentary called "The Corporation" that essentially puts forward the thesis that corporations are essentially psychopathic/sociopathic entities. It could make for a fertile source of nasty campaign ideas.

[Mentor]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

We have several worldwide. Our first was Hasagawa Industries, a robotics and electronics company run by the twisted Hasagawa no Yoshio. (Actually the Japanese name of one of our friends and former players, who is half English/half Japanese of good Samurai background.) Another is the American chemical powerhouse Biodyne, named for a local cleaning supply outfit where Lord Ghee once worked, which has since gone under. There are others, but their nefarious undertakings haven't yet been revealed.

[tm80401]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I'm curious to hear stories about Evil Corporations in your campaigns. It could evil by way of just bad ethics/don't care if they completely squash the little man to interested in world domination to is actually controlled by supernatural evil entities. How did you use the Corporation in the campaign?

 

We just use Wal-Mart.

 

[Enforcer84]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I save my megacorps for Street Fighter Hero.

 

actually I have a few:

 

Newton Forge Industries, founded, and advanced by the quasi-divine Vulcan, this all out tech research and weapons developer has it's hands in anything that could concievably have a military application. Vulcan is actually a lot friendlier and benevolent than his board of directors, but he's also apathetic, and ignores Earth for decades at a time.

 

Crucible Industries: The name in American Supersoldier programs. CI has been a major Pentagon playmate since the 1950's. To tell the truth they are pretty benign in leadership and function, it's just that the supersoldier programs they run often produce dangerous loonies. They're "side job" of medical research has done wonders for the modern era.

 

Ronin Corporation: a Japanese conglomerate that basically has eschewed the ethical business model for all out profit. A front for Yakuza and worse (though the Yakuza doesn't know it). This is where 98% of my corporate ninja come from.

 

Genetitech: Creators of fine monstrosities everywhere. A rival of CI for Pentagon genetics contracts. They are the EVIL genetic firm. CI is the Misguided one...

 

 

The Hand of God Enterprises: Not the actual name of the company. I don't know the German translation. It was begun as a front for VIPER Europe in the 60's but when VIPER started to fall apart they went solo and now spend most of their time funding mercenaries, trafficking stolen technology and other goods, and money laundering.

[SKJAM!]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

Anyone remember Grasp, Inc?

 

Overall goal: Own everything.

 

Specific evil deeds: Using genetic manipulation and vivisection to create superpowered animals, corporate espionage & sabotage, political corruption.

[assault]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

but now their terribly seductive adult program "Aether"' date=' currently in version 2.0, is coming for the parents; It's more addictive than heroine.[/quote']

 

Typoes can be quite creative sometimes. Presumably "heroine" is a game where players play female superbeings.

 

Anyone remember Grasp' date=' Inc?[/quote']

 

Yep. I used to use the old guy as my world's Ultra-Humanite homage.

 

I probably will use him again, although I may file off the serial numbers. Which, come to think of it mightn't be too hard... I know just the company to use...

[zornwil]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

We just wrapped up (mostly... ) a storyline centered around an AI called DEXTER at ABC (Atomic-Bacterial-Chemical) Corporation. ABC head honchos had the AI created of course to maximize profits; the AI was way better than they could have imagined, and it gained control of them and the corporation. It had begun to weave a massive web of conspiracy and ultimately death in its power-mad mission to dominate. DEXTER controlled people through indirect means and had built up massive surveillance and elaborate ways to get at people, including blowing up people's homes via devious remote-controlled means. The Justice Squad recently defeated it.

[freakboy6117]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

or so they think bwahahhahahahaha

[Force]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

Big evil corporations never really came into play in my champions campaigns.

 

However, in an original Shadow Run campaign from 1990 our main evil corporation (in a game setting of nothing but evil corporations) was:

 

Setec Astronomy Technology, or SAT for short.

 

My jaw hit the floor when I saw the movie Sneakers...

 

One of the plot lines in our 14 month campaign could have been used to write the screenplay.

 

When it comes to evil corporations, I simply prefer a 'cyberpunk' type setting.

[Trained Chicken]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

Interesting. While I've used the "evil billionaire industrialist" and the "evil head of a foreign country", the PCs generally don't get involved in the corporate world and vice-versa, based upon unspecified PR fiascos common in the indeterminate past when companies meddle in superheroics. Superheroes as a commodity in my campaigns are usually the purview of governments (or militaries) rather than private interests. Although there are counterexamples I can think of, it's usually a matter of the corporation backing a super rather than the super being a foot soldier for a corporation.

 

"Evil Corporation" is such a loaded concept nowadays, it strikes me as unnecessary to bring in in order to have fun.

[pseudodragon]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

Many, many, many years ago (1st Edition days), I used a corporation called Eugenics in a few of my games. I wrote up a brief summary of it in Pegasus Magazine (#7, I think, it was the last issue they published). My first paid work...ah, the memories...anyway, I digress.

 

Eugenics was like the Dr. Moreau of my superhero world. Ostensibly, the company specialized in providing animal-based implants to help those in need (paraplegic, blind, deaf, etc) and those who could afford "upgrades" (i.e. cat's or hawk's eyes, retractable claws, etc). Of course, they had their hand in certain "advanced projects" as well. "Half-breeds" and "chimeras," greatly augmented syntheses of human/animal creatures, were created for certain government and private groups. Some of the supervillains and one hero in my old campaign actually based their origin on the Eugenics program.

 

It's a fairly basic concept, but it worked well enough.

 

Pseudodragon

[Werehawk]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

FROST INDUSTRIES. Jason Frost is a multi-billionaire industrialist who,on the surface, is dedicated to expanding the the knowledge of space exploration. In fact, he is trying to corner the market on all outer space technology, especially alien tecnology, in order to make a as much profit as possible. He even has his own super security force known as the Star Corps to back him up .However, the Star Corps first public appearence involving capturing an "alien" alive resulted in a head-on clash with one of the Global Defense Initiative's first strike teams, the GOLD TEAM, the ensuing clash resulted in two of the Star Corps members being captuered and sent to Tranquility Base (the GDI's lunar HQ) but exposed the fact that Russian supers were operating within the USA. Frost kinda has the goods on the GDI but he cannot expose them without making his actual agenda public.

[Peregrine]

Re: Evil Corporations

 

I find that the 'evil corporations' in the CU work for me, in that they are fronts for actual criminal organizations rather than 'corporations out to do evil for the sake of profit' or, less believably, 'out to do evil instead of profit' (if a corporation exists for anything other than profit, it's either a non- or not-for-profit, or it's headed for bankruptcy).

 

 

 

Duchess Industries (DI) is the clear case in point, serving as the major front corporation for VIPER (which has many others). The fun part about DI is that it predates the current incarnation of VIPER and is large enough to be a criminal organization on its own, though so long as Duchess von Drotte sees benefit in affiliating with VIPER, DI will remain so.