Science for the Sake of Science Groups

[PamelaIsley]

Are there any Champions Universe organizations that are dedicated to scientific research and breakthroughs, almost at all costs?  I'm thinking someone less evil than VIPER or ARGENT so they can work with the government and heroes, but not as goody two shoes as say Harmon Industries.

 

I was thinking of modifying the Goodman Institute to be less altruistic and more about research at almost any cost (short of outright evil or villainy), but I wondered if I was missing something.

 

Pharos in Millennium City kind of fits this as a normal company that isn't quite evil, but isn't quite a perfect corporate citizen, but what I have in mind would fit better with a Think Tank or something that's not run exclusively for profit or shareholder value.

[steriaca]

As far as I remember, there is no group in Champions like that. You might want to look at DC Comics and Project Camious(sp?), but they limit themselves with genetics (the DNAliens, Guardian). Marvel has Roxen Oil, but they are more into profet than science. Same with Hammer Industries. The Enclave? The only thing they did was create Him and Her.

 

If you didn't know, Him became Adam Warlock.

 

You might have to create your own group. Probably use the Enclave and Project Camious as guides.

[Christopher]

56 minutes ago, steriaca said:

You might want to look at DC Comics and Project Camious(sp?)

I think you mean "Project Cadmus". Well know for cloning of Krytonians in both Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice and Titans.

[Duke Bushido]

4 hours ago, steriaca said:

You might have to create your own group. Probably use the Enclave and Project Camious as guides.

 

 

That's pretty much what we did.

 

Had a PC from our very first group retire (player was ready for a new character) and found such a facility.  It has been a prominent part of our campaigns ever since, even though that player moved nearly twenty years ago.  

 

 

[Lord Liaden]

Of existing CU groups, I think the easiest to adapt to your purposes would be Angelstone Laboratories, described briefly in Champions Universe but in much more detail in Cops, Crews, And Cabals. Angelstone initially made its name as an innovative defense contractor, and that remains one of its major focuses, although it's expanded its research over a broad range of applied and theoretical sciences: everything from physics and genetics, to criminology and economics. But it's become best known for its "Superhuman Studies Division" researching super powers and super technology, and activities and behavior of supervillains. It frequently gives presentations and reports to governments and law enforcement on these subjects, and sometimes assists superheroes directly. In that it competes with the Goodman Institute in America, and the Swiss-based l'Institut Thoth (both described in Champions Universe). Angelstone Laboratories is a for-profit company, but will sometimes offer reduced rates to clients in a good cause (or where it sees future advantage).

 

Cops, Crews, And Cabals suggests it would be easy to modify Angelstone based on incidents from its past history, to have become more hostile and antagonistic toward superhumans, while not outright criminal.

 

For something a little more narrowly focused, but edgier, you might consider Department 17, also described in Champions Universe. Since World War II, the United States government has researched ways to safely and reliably create superhumans, as well as to more effectively control them, with few successes. Their efforts have often resulted in severe, even fatal physical and mental side effects to their subjects, and produced as many supervillains as superheroes. During WW II the US military set up the Haynesville Project, also code-named "Project Rainbow," for this purpose, at Fort McLaughlin (now McLaughlin Air Force Base) near the small town of Haynesville, Kansas. After the war the Project was declassified and officially shut down, and McLaughlin AFB appears nearly abandoned today.

That was a ruse. Project Rainbow was never shut down. Still secretly based at McLaughlin, what is now titled Department 17 is the Defense Department's hub for research into superpower generation and superhuman control. Under its current director, General Clarence Smith, it conducts a wide variety of research involving drugs and chemicals, radiation treatments, genetic engineering, and other exotic methods. Much of the Department's current research focuses on refining the Cyberline procedure used for PRIMUS's Avenger program. The Department's scientists are also very interested in investigating any reports of new manifestations of superpowers.

Champions Universe notes that General Smith might go to great lengths to keep D17's existence and activities secret. He's also used some "creative" accounting to keep his department funded. It wouldn't require much to justify stepping up the ruthlessness in how D17 operates.

[Ninja-Bear]

I’m trying to imagine less than evil organization.

[Lord Liaden]

As a corollary to the Angelstone Laboratories rundown above, Cops, Crews, And Cabals p. 7 points out that its main rivals are "defense contractors and think tanks of similar size," and mentions three particular examples: National Applied Research Inc., NovaSolutions Worldwide, and the Silverbrook Corporation. The first of those is a subsidiary of Advanced Concepts Industries, Franklin Stone's corporation; while the last is a front for ARGENT. But NovaSolutions Worldwide receives no further elaboration, in that book or any other AFAIK. If you wanted to create a group tailored to your precise intentions that still fits in the official CU, that would seem a good jumping-off point.

[Christopher]

On 3/9/2019 at 3:57 AM, Ninja-Bear said:

I’m trying to imagine less than evil organization.

How about those guys:
http://superredundant.com/?comic=strip-6

http://superredundant.com/?comic=061-mishaps

 

Of course that is more a problem with their City:

http://superredundant.com/?comic=060

http://superredundant.com/?comic=090-doctors-appointment

 

On a more serious note, Kevyn Andresian from Schlock Mercenary. The guy started and ended more "Intergalatic Wars with thousands of ships" then any living being ever should. And that is excluding his Timeclone.

He is summed up by Maxim 14: "Mad Science" means never stopping to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen?"

[PamelaIsley]

Thanks Lord Liaden!

 

Angelstone and NovaSolutions might work. Angelstone maybe a little better.

[Lord Liaden]

In that case, I'll add that while Angelstone Laboratories as written has no particular anti-superhero agenda, and is often consulted by heroes (due to its excellent expertise in many fields), CCC p. 11 mentions that Angelstone's Superhuman Studies Division "has done contracted research for the Institute for Human Advancement in the past, making some superheroes suspicious of it."