Merc

[Dominique]

Here's one more of my little creations. Ever wonder where your favorite villain hires his gun toting thugs? The answer is MERC. It's a company that recruits, trains, equips, and supplies mercenaries to anyone. As with the last two entries, it was designed for M&M, but can be used with any Superhero RPG.

 

Military Enterprises & Research Corporation

M.E.R.C.

 

MERC is an offshore holding company for several international private security firms and military contractors providing specialized security services to international corporations, governments, and VIPs, or at least that's what they advertise. In reality they provide, highly trained, heavily armed muscle to anyone who's will to pay their price. (It's where many of the world's criminal organization recruit their armies of henchmen from.) Persons, or organizations, wishing to make use of their services can be sure they will pay a hefty fee. Once their identity has been confirmed, through a long vetting process, a contract for services is negotiated and recruitment for their client begins.

 

MERC primarily recruits personnel with prior military, or paramilitary experience. Over the last few year, many of their recruits have come from eastern Europe, or from the former Soviet Union. INTERPOL believes many of these recruits to be former elite troops such Soviet VDV paratroopers, or Spetsnaz special operations soldiers drawn in by the promise of high pay and the chance to put the skills they have learned to use.

 

In addition to providing routine foot soldiers, MERC also maintains a small cadre of power armored troopers. These troops are specially selected and trained in the use of their “Enforcer” power armor, and are trained to work in teams of five. Their current commander is the German mercenary, Warhead, who laid out the design specs for the suits. Both he and Ram Rod conceived the Enforcer troopers training program, and continue to refine it as they receive after action reports from the field.

 

In addition to their Enforcer power armor, MERC troops are equipped with some of the latest in hi-tech weaponry (purchased from the Foundry). MERC’s troops receive some of the finest training money can by, with several former special forces members, and the super villain Ramrod, acting as their instructors.

 

To ensure that captured troops can't or won't revel any information about their employers, a telepathic block and several hypnotic suggestions are placed within their minds. If captured and forced to talk, the block will stop all but the most powerful mind probes, and the suggestions will force them to forget everything since their employment.

 

At various times throughout its history MERC's Special Operations Division has made use of super powered operatives including the villainsSalvo, Deadeye, and Hammer, when they have deemed necessary. Although it’s also rumored that the cyborg assassin, Steel Wolf (A former operative of the KGB's Al'fa special operations unit, who now sells his services for profit.) was also once in their employ.

 

MERC's R&D division has been the target of several infiltration attempts by Prometheus. They're extremely interested in a number of power armor and weapon designs recently fielded by the group. As a result, MERC's Board of Directors is seriously considering a series of surgical strikes at Prometheus' ruling Council, mostly targeted assassinations. The overall operation has a working codename of, Operation Stranglehold. How it will work out has yet to be seen, but law enforcement officials can be assured it will be bloody.

 

Another recent thorn in their side, has been the formation of the Orion Security Services, a private firm providing a specialist metahuman services, for a fee. Many of its employees are prior members of various government metahuman programs, and unlike MERC, they will only accept contracts for work they feel is on the up and up.

 

Known MERC subsidiaries include:

 

Strategic Security Services, International (S3I) - A Canadian based "security" company, with offices in the US, the UK, and a private “firearms” training facility, called Battle Site, in Idaho.

 

Battle Site (“Providing quality training for the prepared citizen.”) masquerades as a civilian and private security training facility. Operated by S3I, it's operation provides MERC with a cover story when conducting paramilitary or weapons training. Its also managed to turn a nice little profit, since 9/11, by actually providing firearms training to unsuspecting civilian customers.

 

Command & Control (C2) - A South African consulting firm that provides "trainers" and "advisors" to foreign militaries. The company currently operates out of a small office building in Johannesburg, with a satellite office in Pretoria.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Merc

 

Not a bad idea. Unfortunately, if my PC's ever found out about this organization, they'd have it leveled in the space of a game session! Actually, though, that wouldn't make a bad adventure...

 

Matt "Still-liking-the-idea" Frisbee

[Dominique]

Re: Merc

 

Not a bad idea. Unfortunately, if my PC's ever found out about this organization, they'd have it leveled in the space of a game session! Actually, though, that wouldn't make a bad adventure...

 

Matt "Still-liking-the-idea" Frisbee

 

I'm thinking it would take at least several adventures to trace where these guys are coming from, with everything leading to a big raid on one of their facilities. Then I figure they would lay low for a while before poping up again. Sort of like Task Master and his training operation.

[Dominique]

Re: Merc

 

So, what do the rest of you guys think? Would it work for your campaign? Ideas for improvement? How about throwing me a bone?

[Hermit]

Re: Merc

 

Reminds me of a cross between VIPER's set up and Hench from Kim Possible.

[Dominique]

Re: Merc

 

Okay, I updated the MERC background info, and here's some additional info on MERC’s Board of Directors.

 

The Board of Directors is currently composed of nine members.

 

Warren J. Harding III - A former US Army Ranger who was dishonorably discharged for reportedly providing paramilitary training to several organized crime groups. Thanks to his family’s pull (they own Harding shipping, one of the largest shipping companies in the US), the entire incident was hushed up.

 

“Major” Jerry Nottingham - A former Canadian Forces Major who was discharged for abusing prisoners during a UN peacekeeping mission. Currently the president of Strategic Security Services, International (S3I).

 

Henri Blanchard - A Corsican arms dealer, he has extensive contacts with various European underworld families. He’s currently wanted in France and Spain for supplying weapons to ETA, and the UK for supplying weapons to the IRA.

 

Aleksandr Drevnerussky - A former KGB operative rumored to have extensive contact with the Russian mafia. He still has strong ties to the current leadership of the FSB, Interior Ministry, and the Protectorate (Russia's official super team).

 

Bryan de Klerk - A former South African Recce Commando and BOSS operative. He's the Current president and CEO of Command and Control (C2). C2 is rumored to be involved in everything from providing security for companies mining "conflict diamonds" to providing body guards to various dictators and strongmen.

 

Shamir Levi - A former Israeli Mossad agent, now operating as a mercenary. He’s wanted in Israel for his involvement in money laundering, embezzlement, and gun running scheme. He's rumored to have provided the bodyguard training to many members of the Colombain and Mexican cocaine cartels.

 

Hans Kruger - A former intelligence operative for the East German Stasi. He has many contacts in the former Eastern Europe and with the various criminal organizations operating in them.

 

Col. Jason “Jack” Roach - A former officer with the Parachute Regiment. He has extensive service as a “military advisor” to several African countries. He’s reportedly been involved in several war crimes, but no solid evidence has ever been turned up against him.

 

Kanaye Watanabe - The former Japanese super villain “Steel Warrior”. He currently specializes in providing “highpower” (metahuman) muscle to the various Yakuza families.

 

General Ali Mohammed Al-Barak - A former officer in the Egyptian Army’s Special Forces reportedly with extensive ties to several middle eastern extremist groups, and criminal organizations.

 

I'd like to hear what you guys think of this stuff so far.

[Dominique]

Re: Merc

 

Here's a little background info on several of the powered operatives employed by MERC's Special Operations Division.

 

Deadeye - A bow welding assassin with a cybernetic right eye. At various times in the past he’s worked for the KGB, East German Stassi, the Libyans, and the PLO. It was during one of his PLO contract jobs that he lost his right eye to a well placed Israeli bullet.

 

Hammer- A former Soviet "super soldier", and member of the Soviet super team the Red Vanguard, with super human strength, and the ability to releases massive concussive shockwave when he strikes a solid object. With the end of the cold war, he’s become a high priced mercenary, selling his services to anyone willing to pay his price.

 

Salvo (Roy McFadden) - A former US Marine who volunteered to test a new battle-armor design for Prometheus. During its initial test run, the armor malfunctioned, partially grafting itself to McFadden. McFadden, angry at his employers eventually defected to MERC, taking the armor with him. The armor is equipped with a wide range of heavy weapons systems, including heat seeking and radar guided "micro missile launchers, and a "scatter gun" that fires explosive pellets.

 

Steel Wolf - The mercenary known as Steel Wolf, is a former member of the KGB’s Al’fa counter-terror unit. After he was severely injured by a Chechen suicide bomber, he volunteered to undergo an experimental cybernetic “enhancement” process. Unfortunately for him, the program was based on information stolen from several US research labs, and the scientists conducting his operation didn’t fully understand it. While the experiment was deemed a “success”, the results were not fully satisfactory.

 

The enhancements allow him to boost his strength, speed, and reflexes to superhuman levels for short periods of time, but the process levels him exhausted. He also heals much faster than a normal human, and is resistant to conditions that others would not be able to tolerate.

 

After completing an extensive testing period, Steel Wolf made his public debut fighting along side of Russian special purpose forces in Chechnya. Rapidly growing disillusioned with the war, he eventually deserted and disappeared for several years. He next appeared as the super-powered mercenary, Steel Wolf, operating in the former Yugoslavia as an enforcer for the Russain Mafia.

 

More to follow.

[Vanguard00]

Re: Merc

 

Drat drat and double drat. I just repped you for the other thing and now I find this!

 

Again, good stuff!

[Dominique]

Re: Merc

 

Drat drat and double drat. I just repped you for the other thing and now I find this!!

 

It's all part of my plan to slowly take control of the boards and rewrite the CU in my image.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Merc

 

ROFLOL!!!

 

 

Same problem here. REP yah later

 

QM