Help with Supervillain Team

[Tech]

Hi all. I need some help coming up with a motive for one of my supervillain teams. Why are they even a team? They're ecologically mindful and tackle some of these problems (i.e. illegal dumping of chemicals, etc). They're also not above helping themselves to some cash along the way. Still, I need an overall goal for the superteam.  A cool team name would also be nice but it does not need to be ecological in nature; I had a name but it was so close to another supervillain team that I didn't want to confuse anyone.

 

So, throw out some goals for the team to help me out. Thanks.

[Burrito Boy]

The Monkey Wrench Gang would make a good team name.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey_Wrench_Gang

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Not much to go on, but I'll give it a shot.

 

Maybe they're a criminal organization first and eco warriors second. Perhaps a charismatic leader assembled them for a basic smash and grab type group, but he has a side interest in the ecology thing and convinces them to come along on a few side jobs.

 

How many are in the group? Who's the leader?

[CaptnStrawberry]

I think I once proposed going the other way - a group who honestly believe plants are superior to mammals and are working on a (very gradual) plan to eliminate the human race and give our planet back to its rightful owners.  The classic Dr. Who story Seeds of Doom gives an example of this kind of wack-job!

 

Possible name: the Harvesters.

[Steve]

Perhaps the team gained their abilities from the same source, like a toxic/mutagenic substance? That gives them a reason to stay together, since they all became superhuman together. They could also resent polluters, since pollution made them what they are.

 

For a team name, how about "The Crew" for a suggestion? It's simple, kind of like "The Rogues" for Flash's bad guys.

[Enforcer84]

Well if they're socialist/communist, they could be the Collective

If they're mostly greedy with a veneer of altruism, I like Capt Strawberry's The Harvesters

If they're high minded eco terrorists who see their ill gotten gains as plunder from a war against those would destroy the planet they could be The Harbingers of Gaia.

 

Or, if you want to steal my name for crazy mixed up leftist "heroes" who did as much damage as they helped...The New Peace Armada!

It would of course be the "New" New Peace Armada.

[Lord Liaden]

Deleted for lack of anything useful to add that Tech hasn't already seen.

[Comic]

They could be Greenwashers, a mercenary group who will commit violent and spectacular crimes for pay to 'help' the environmental cause, while secretly taking money from industry and politicians.

 

They could be fae or Atlanteans or some such defending what they hold to be their legitimate lands and waters from colonization.

 

They could be random hipster anarchists who 'protect' the environment as an ironical statement. And steal for the same reason, given their powers make them above such petty concerns as cash.

 

They could all just like each other and get along despite their differences.

 

They could all loathe or be indifferent to each other but be dependent on each other to live, for example really rare medical conditions or alien dependencies only one or two of the team can supply, and those are the odd ones out. (Or, a circle of dependence, where each has something one other needs.)

 

They could be mercs trying to infiltrate peaceful environmentalist groups (or violent ones) for some reason.

[freakboy6117]

I can't help but think of a evil version of the planeteers from captain planet

[Steve]

The Ecoterrors?

[Tech]

The members are:

Redwood - from Scotland (growth powers. He just took the name because redwoods are tall)

Seaweed - from the ocean, possibly a neried (entangles)

Cactus - from western USA (powers obvious)

Desert - also from western USA (sand powers)

H20 - original unknown at moment (lady made of water, water powers)

Plant - intelligent, superpowered plant from a nuclear testsite

Snowstorm - Canada (snow powers)

Mount Fuji - Japan (sumo)

 

I may drop the ecology part, and instead go for the goal of getting more members of an international origin. Still, a goal is needed.

[death tribble]

Nature's Avengers  if you don't want to use Gaia as a name.

[Lord Liaden]

The group make a lot of public statements about wanting to save the environment, stop pollution and deforestation, to encourage people to covertly donate money to aid their "cause" through front charities, websites, and the like. They target corporations and government operations with questionable track records, taking the opportunity to also rip off everything valuable from them that they can. But the whole "eco-warrior" campaign is a facade. The team adopted this persona to scam gullible people and build up supporters who can help deflect pressure from law enforcement.

[jolt]

If you do drop the ecology theme then the multinational makeup of the team could suggest that they view the separation of the Earth into "countries" and "nations" as being inherently flawed.  They could be aiming to develop a world government (by force most likely; they are villains).  Name: No Borders

[Cassandra]

The Majority

 

Earth Man - Ethan Day, Tech Billionaire whose embraced the Ecology as a cause in hopes of diverting funds to his now faltering business.  Wears an "Solar Powers" set of armor actually powered by an illegal nuclear reactor who's leaking radiation is causing him to slowly go insane.

 

Mother Nature - Shirley Brady, Activist whose use of experimental narcotics accidentally gave her mind control powers.  Enjoys manipulating members of the team for her own benefit while presenting herself as a friendly voice of reason.  

 

Global Warning - Edward Blood, former U.S. Senator who ran for President and lost because of his Environmental Agenda.  Spokesmen for the group with sonic powers gained after being exposed to toxic waste during a Senate Investigation.

[steriaca]

As for such an organisation, it is customary to make an anagram of a word associated with their goles (or what they want people to think what their goles are). What comes to mind is GLOBE (Global League Of the Benevolent Empire). Their stated gole, force the planet into a one world government under their leader to protect the planet and help humankind live with the mother planet. Real gole: one world government to serve only the membership of GLOBE.

[steriaca]

What 'separates' theas guys from VIPER, DEMON, WITCH, and such is the fact that the rank and file members think that they are 'doing good' by committing crimes 'for the planet'.

[Tech]

There's alot of good ideas here. I'm thinking of settling for either 'Global Warning' or GLOBE for a group name. Off-hand, I'm thinking 'Global Warning' becomes acronyms are cool but don't want another acronymed (is that a word?) superteam. My thanks for all your suggestions!

[steriaca]

<p>Your welcomed. Thank you for the seed of the ideal for us to plant and water.<p>.<p>An ideal is to incorporate both ideals, as two different organisations running under the same mastermind, using different tactics to reach the same gole.

[Mr. Gray]

You could make them a sort of religious cult who are trying to prevent the end times by stopping Global warming (Your enemy is never evil in their own eyes). A sort of cross between a religious cult and earth first with fanatical dedication and a passion for explosives. There leader could be a super villain version of the Unabomber.

[Remjin]

Okay, not sure how serious you need them to be... but, and this is kind of a stupid idea, what if they are all relatively young, having met at one of those Youth United Nations types of events. During that event, some event granting them their powers (a new eco-friendly energy source that got goofed up somehow?) together. This power source has a certain aspect, let's say (and this is nonsensical science-sounding words rather than actual science) a power matrix using relational partical dynamics that scale exponentially or something that sounds smarter or viable. =) 

 

The power source requires certain elements to be within a certain proximity to really work, and each of these members absorbs a certain type of it (or combination thereof) that gives them, individually, powers. However, only when they are together do they really manifest into something formidable as their combined elements power them up.

 

Thus, while still individuals, they are powered at a low level, but together they are much more... and thus a reason to stay together outside of their individual personalities. Now, being overall well meaning but still young and self-absorbed, they do both good (for their cause) and bad (needs and self-justification) while also just messing things up (young and dumb). They probably were pseudo-friends and had fun at the event as well, thus why they were hanging out in the first place, and having that level of acquaintance.

 

A name... In Justice is uttered ONCE, on the fly, without thinking through (this bringing up memories, anyone?) how it sounds put together... thus, they are labeled as a villain team, Injustice, by the media, whom they are woefully inadequate to correct but angry, creating strife and otherwise amongst them, leading to further acts leading down the path to villainy as circumstance and lack of perspective can lend itself.

 

Thus, while they do some pretty wrong stuff, your heroes kind of feel bad for them, too, while also being incredibly annoyed with them and wanting to stomp in their heads... and then help them. hehehe. It can be the ultimate in shaking your cane at the young people villains...

 

Just some thoughts. =)

[Comic]

The general idea of villainy is that it's, well, villainous.

 

Nemeses who abuse power for terror don't really need to have it pointed out that they have a cause, but that they act as if their ends justify any means.

 

VIPER acts for political power; we don't rationally think all political power is automatically evil, but that there is a VIPER using crime, subversion and terror smears all politics other than our own with that brush a bit in our emotional reactions.

 

DEMON acts for supernatural might; we don't all rationally think every religion is automatically evil, but that there is DEMON stealing souls, sacrificing virgins and performing unholy rituals to raise undead armies would make us think any beliefs but our own might be a bit more questionable.

 

Scientists are good people pursuing noble ends to heal and discover, yet that there is an AIM might make us want to more closely watch and regulate even the most innocuous researcher, while people who study the mind share the same issue with regards to PSI.

 

A loony fringe ecoterror group  will smear all ecology or environmentalism, and draw sharp rebuke from legitimate environmentalists, just as VIPER is hunted by the police (except the ones they've extorted and subverted), DEMON is repudiated by organized religion, and scientists don't invite AIM to their seminars.

 

Terrorists don't get to pick their own nickname.

 

So while your ecoterrorists might want to claim an innocuous title and call themselves something harmless, it's likely that the press would come up with its own label, with more menace. Wastelanders, Malignant Mob, Blight Brigade: What would Fox News call them?

[Remjin]

 

So while your ecoterrorists might want to claim an innocuous title and call themselves something harmless, it's likely that the press would come up with its own label, with more menace. Wastelanders, Malignant Mob, Blight Brigade: What would Fox News call them?

Liberals.

[Comic]

Liberals.

Bulletproof Liberals. Sounds more menacing.