Villain Concept: The Whisper

[Marcus Impudite]

A truth told with the darkest of intent, beats every lie a devil could invent...

 

No one is entirely sure who or what the entity known as "The Whisper" actually is, only that whatever it's up to can't be good. The first reported incident involving it was a murder-suicide back in 1983. An accountant walked in on his cheating wife and her lover in a cheap motel, fatally shot both of them, and finally turned the gun on himself. In the accountant's personal journal, the last entries went into detail about how he heard a whisper in his ear that told him everything about his spouse's infidelity; who she was cheating on him with, where they would meet each other, and how she was lying to cover up the affair. At first, he dismissed it as his stressed out mind playing tricks on him, until one day when it told him to look in his wife's purse. He found receipts from the aforementioned motel, a box of condoms, and a letter she received from her paramour. The rest is history.

 

In every case, the Whisper operates by whispering just the right information in just the right ear to set tragic events in motion. Though its motives are far from benevolent, it is notable that it never lies; everything it tells people can be confirmed to be 100% true. How it knows the things it knows is not yet understood, though the prevailing theory is that it is an entirely intangible entity and could thus be eavesdropping on a person and their activities anytime and anywhere; the Whisper could be in the same room with you and you would never be the wiser unless it chose make itself known to you (usually by whispering to you) or if you have extremely sharp psychic and/or mystical senses. It will usually flee the area at the first sign that someone can sense its presence.

 

Discussions of game mechanics I'll save for another time. Instead, my question to you is this: if you, as GM, were using the Whisper in your campaign, who or what would you have it turn out to be in the big reveal?

[assault]

First layer: the Whisper is an urban myth. A relatively normal guy is using the myth to destroy an enemy, and make a big pile of bucks.

 

Second layer: the villain from the first layer claims that he was inspired by something that could have been a real Whisper. This is left hanging to make the players paranoid. The villain is found insane.

 

Third layer: yes, the villain is insane, and the "real Whisper" was a product of his delusions. By the time he escapes from the asylum, he'll be playing with a full deck of Jokers.

 

And possibly there is a psychologist/psychiatrist out there pulling his strings, Hugo Strange style, or is being influenced by him, Harley Quinn style.

 

And, just maybe there is a real Whisper out there somewhere. Who knows? Maybe it's a demon, or some kind of dream creation. Perhaps it is the urban myth brought to life by the pure force of insane belief. Not unlikely, in the wrong kind of asylum...

[Lord Liaden]

I would have the Whisper be Nemesis, the goddess of justice and retribution from Greek myth. This kind of subtlety is not unprecedented for how Nemesis operates, as when she lured Narcissus to the pool where he saw and fell in love with his own reflection. This being the Champions forum, you would probably want the conclusion of the story of the Whisper to include a fight with your PC heroes, and Nemesis would justify a tough one. But I would have resolving the conflict be a role-playing exercise, convincing the goddess that her brand of justice no longer belongs in the modern world.

[Mister E]

[Comic]

I'd go for an "All of the Above" approach.

 

As an Urban Myth, the Whisper is a powerful diversion for many investigations, with as many red herrings as actual events -- so many red herrings, the investigators might give up, and conclude it's all coincidence, rumor and overactive imaginations at work.

 

I'd have at least one cheap copycat, a mere imitator using bugging devices and electronics, plus a bit of subterfuge -- the copycat inserting himself into the investigation as a victim, for the excitement.

 

I'd have at least one ulterior copycat, an imitator trying to use the Whisper ploy to get away with murder.

 

How about when the original murder-suicide is investigated, there be clues that the original Whisper lied: planted the evidence of infidelity, kidnapped the wife and 'paramour' and set them up to look like they were trysting, even snuck drugs into the murderer's food over the weeks before the incident to induce rage. It was all there, every clue, if only people chose to investigate skeptically.

 

And yes, there'd be an avatar with psychic powers of an Entity of malicious truth, in the long run, seeking twisted justice in the most ruthlessly cruel way, but they'd be a lot less powerful and influential and present than the rumors indicate. Freeing the avatar of the Whisper's influence would be a blessing they'd be grateful for.. but with a catch. The avatar's disenchantment is what soured the Whisper Entity: if the hero has a real affinity for truth and justice without cruelty or malice, then the Whisper would gladly vest another with the power. Denied, the Whisper will choose a villain host.

[freakboy6117]

Hmmm some different genre versions

 

Pulp hero

 

The whisper is a assasin for hire or a mad scientist causing the deaths of those who wronged him. Both use amazingly small microphones and a directional speaker only the target can hear. After extensive surveillance they begin their campaign to destroy the victim by suicide, murder or madness.

 

Mystic hero

 

The whisper is a demon brought to this plane by a local demon-hame it was used as a weapon against the enemies of DEMON until it escaped it's bindings brought murder and madness to those that bound it and now is free in the world to accumulate souls.

 

Contemporary Super heroic

 

The whisper is a psychic mutant who experienced lock in syndrome when his powers first manifested he has spent the last 4 decades catatonic in a state facility the abuse and neglect of the orderlies resulted in him lashing out first against hospital staff then against those who he feels so not deserve the pleasures afforded to them unable to move in real life he travels across the astral plane spying on his targets learning their every secret then using it to destroyed them.