VIPER as the Mob

[gojira]

Sometimes you have to wonder if these games we play have any foundation in reality at all or if they are complete fantasies. The Washington Post online has an article about the Italian mob. I was struck by the similarity to organized crime in Champions Universe, namely Viper. The article itself is a short but interesting read, and has a link to a book by the author that describes the Italian mob in much more detail. I may pick up that book for "research" .

 

The article:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062702866.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[Hagadorn]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

Viper and such are all based, roughly, on the comic book equivalent. Which are all based, roughly, on reality. So there should be at least some basic similarities, even if its just 'Oragnized Crime'

[bubba smith]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

Well Put

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

I've always thought of VIPER as being "Organized crime, with modern business management techniques." Think the Mafia, with ISO9000 certification.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

The VIPER sourcebook describes many different types of VIPER Nests, from those that use high-profile, high-tech paramilitary forces a la GI Joe's Cobra, to those that pursue profit via the routes normally followed by real-world crime, e.g. drugs, gambling, robberies, weapon sales, even white-collar crimes. You'd be completely justified running any particular Nest like a better-armed Mafia family.

[Hagadorn]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

Does VIPER comply with OHS standards?

[Pariah]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

Viper and such are all based' date=' roughly, on the comic book equivalent. Which are all based, roughly, on reality. So there should be at least some basic similarities, even if its just 'Oragnized Crime'[/quote']

 

"Don't kid yourself. It's not that organized."

-Sneakers

[wcw43921]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

I've always thought that VIPER, like COBRA, HYDRA, THRUSH, AIM, KAOS, BIG O, GALAXY, and just about every other organization with lots of high-tech apportionments and overgunned cannon fodder owes a debt to one organization in particular--The Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.

 

Or, as they are famously known--SPECTRE.

 

Thank You, Mr. Fleming, wherever you are.

[Narratio]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

I'm trying to picture VIPER with an ISO9000 accredition and failing. The recruitment spiel must be difficult to run past a prespective agent without having to mention that or conformance to OSHA standards. I mean, do they really have a health and dental plan? Equal opportunity for the physically challenged? Obviously they employ every mentally challenged person they can lay thier hands on... Psycho's-R-Us sort of thing. But would they really have equipment labels in braille?

[Hagadorn]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

Pfft, now that I think of it... Who do you think CREATED OHSA and other such crap?

 

Viper use it to keep their competitors' down...

[bubba smith]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

I've always thought that VIPER' date=' like COBRA, HYDRA, THRUSH, AIM, KAOS, BIG O, GALAXY, and just about every other organization with lots of high-tech apportionments and overgunned cannon fodder owes a debt to one organization in particular--The [b']Sp[/b]ecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.

 

Or, as they are famously known--SPECTRE.

 

Thank You, Mr. Fleming, wherever you are.

well said but i always thought thatVIPER was supposed to be the champions version of marvel's HYDRA

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

I'm trying to picture VIPER with an ISO9000 accredition and failing. The recruitment spiel must be difficult to run past a prespective agent without having to mention that or conformance to OSHA standards. I mean' date=' do they really have a health and dental plan? Equal opportunity for the physically challenged? Obviously they employ every mentally challenged person they can lay thier hands on... Psycho's-R-Us sort of thing. But would they really have equipment labels in braille?[/quote']

 

I hear they've got a great 401(K), but it's hard to get vested.

[wcw43921]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

well said but i always thought thatVIPER was supposed to be the champions version of marvel's HYDRA

 

 

And HYDRA was Marvel's version of SPECTRE, so there you go.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

I always thought Cobra was G.I. Joe's version of SPECTRE, and VIPER was Champions' version of Cobra. In fact, if you wanted to run a G.I. Joe Hero game, you could pull out the VIPER books and file off the serial numbers.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

SPECTRE is doubtlessly inspirational to all those "acronym" world-threatening organizations, but IIRC HYDRA added the colorful costumes, paramilitary army with science-fictional weapons, superpowered operatives, and other four-color comic trappings, which make such groups a distinctive element of the comic genre.

[gojira]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

I hear they've got a great 401(K)' date=' but it's hard to get vested.[/quote']

 

Naw, getting the vest is easy, it's keeping the vest free of bullet holes is what's hard.

[assault]

Re: VIPER as the Mob

 

but IIRC HYDRA added the colorful costumes' date=' paramilitary army with science-fictional weapons, superpowered operatives, and other four-color comic trappings, which make such groups a distinctive element of the comic genre.[/quote']

 

HYDRA is the "finished product", I suppose, but secret armies have a long history before them, going back to the pulps. "Disposable Hitlers" are extremely useful for writers.

 

One example: "The Batman Wars Against The Dirigible Of Doom." This is the story better known for its prologue: "The Legend Of The Batman—Who He Is And How He Came To Be!" - the first appearance of Batman's origin.