Ninja-Bear Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 I was thinking about pulps lately and I thought of alittle twist. The two biggest villians used in pulps (I believe) are either Nazis or Mobsters, even during pre-WW2 adventures. But what about the Italians? Under Mussonlini (sp?) they were are enemy. So I was thinking of using them instead of the Nazis directly. It would go something like this, the heros are facing a mob boss. What is strange is the mobster is doing illegal things that are not normally mob related, perhaps some type of espionage? When the hero finally confront the mobster, it is revealed that he has been working under the fascists. And if you like, there can be a Nazis attache to the group. Does this sound interesting? Has anyone done something like this? P.s. I don't know if I'll ever get to use this so if you can, be my guest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pruttm Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Re: The Italian Connection It would also be possible to weave in the Propaganda Masonic Lodge as it transforms into Proaganda Due in 1945 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_Due). These folks were attempting to rewrite the Italian Constitution for their own purposes. Lots of good Freedmason conspiracy to pull into a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted February 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Re: The Italian Connection That's very interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Re: The Italian Connection The reasons this wasn't done so much in the Pulp Era were two-fold. The Nazis weren't actually a regular Pulp threat during the 30s and early 40s because they weren't thought of as an enemy until the war. How many Afghani or Iraqi villains did we see during the 80s? Only the later Pulp heroes, and the modern retro-Pulp characters like the Rocketeer, fight Nazis at all. Mobsters had a love/hate relationship with the public at large. Many criminals were thought of as heroes of the working class. Mobsters were bad guys because they tried to become too powerful, but individuals were still thought of as having redeeming qualities. This is why there is both a criminal villain NPC archetype and a Thrillseeking Criminal PC Package Deal in the Pulp Hero book. Somehow you'd have to combine Fascists (who, as wartime enemies, would not be shown to have any redeeming qualities) with gangsters (who, as criminals, need to be able to draw on at least a thread of sympathy). Difficult at best! I salute your attempt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Re: The Italian Connection Historically it was the opposite, of course. Several American mob figures, most notably Charles "Lucky" Luciano who had practically run the New York underworld in the '30s, were recruited (frequently from prison, as it was in Lucky's case) to have the Mafia in Sicily assist the Americans during the war. It wasn't a hard case to make as the mob had suffered under Mussolini. Necessity, as it turned out, had made strange bedfellows. After the war Luciano's remaining sentence was commuted and he was allowed to retire to Sicily to live in comfort, peace and quiet until his death (of natural causes) in 1962. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Re: The Italian Connection Interesting. Though dont forget the Commies. They were used widely too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Re: The Italian Connection The reasons this wasn't done so much in the Pulp Era were two-fold. The Nazis weren't actually a regular Pulp threat during the 30s and early 40s because they weren't thought of as an enemy until the war. How many Afghani or Iraqi villains did we see during the 80s? Only the later Pulp heroes, and the modern retro-Pulp characters like the Rocketeer, fight Nazis at all. Mobsters had a love/hate relationship with the public at large. Many criminals were thought of as heroes of the working class. Mobsters were bad guys because they tried to become too powerful, but individuals were still thought of as having redeeming qualities. This is why there is both a criminal villain NPC archetype and a Thrillseeking Criminal PC Package Deal in the Pulp Hero book. Somehow you'd have to combine Fascists (who, as wartime enemies, would not be shown to have any redeeming qualities) with gangsters (who, as criminals, need to be able to draw on at least a thread of sympathy). Difficult at best! I salute your attempt! I'd have to check but I think Mussolini was favorably regarded pre-war around in the world. At least in certain popular circles. (at least he seemed so when he came to power in 1922-ish and through the rest of he decade) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Re: The Italian Connection I'd have to check but I think Mussolini was favorably regarded pre-war around in the world. At least in certain popular circles. (at least he seemed so when he came to power in 1922-ish and through the rest of he decade)Well, that's not helping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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