I've long been of organizations with a theme in superhero and neo-superhero games. I've unfortunately hit a creative block trying to get my own for 2E H&S and for general usage in play.

Examples of what I'm talking about are prevalent:

Marvel has HYDRA
DC has HIVE
Hasbro has COBRA
Invincible has the LIZARD LEAGUE
City of Heroes has ARACHNOS
Cartoon Action Hour:  has SPIDER (Created by me but given to Cynthia)
Southern Knights has VIPER (corrected)
James Bond had SPECTRE
Venture Brothers has SPHINX

I've been searching for my own organization for a variety of uses of similar themes. Without straying too far from the source.

I've got some ideas, but nothing solid.

I've got ideas:
SWARM,
SCEPTRE (but feels like a British group and I'm wanting more multinational.)

If DINOSAUR weren't so darn long I could use it and put the TYRANT as their leader.

Help me brainstorm! (If it works, I'll put your name in the book..

SL,
  How about DAGGER
  Or FANG
  Or CTHULU
  Or CORE
  Or, it might be interesting to give them an ironic name like VALOR

  I still  like DAGGER, led by Dirk and Stilletto. The names you can use are amazing...

  Either way, good luck!

What about ASP, originally an Egyptian Organization that has survived for centuries upon centuries. We tie in APEP/Apophis and maybe that's their leaders name, Lord Apophis. It gives me a sinister lineage to trace back to Ancient Egypt.


That or hte orgenization was called APEP originally but changed when it became active on American soil because APEP sounds more like an energy boosting bar than a menace. But people get ASP as a menace.

Does the organization name tie in to some kind of acronym (ie. OHMAS = One Horse Man Ass Sexxay) or could it stand alone?

Quote from: Danger;339780Does the organization name tie in to some kind of acronym (ie. OHMAS = One Horse Man Ass Sexxay) or could it stand alone?

I was hoping for it to stand alone. I've enough acronyms. SIGIL, OSIRUS, SCEPTRE, and many many more.

Lion-o,
  I like the whole Egypt vibe. I think Asp is a little too close to COBRA.
  Maybe call it The Order of the Akkadians with the Leader (and/or Master Assassin) named Asp?

Quote from: dindenver;339815Lion-o,
  I like the whole Egypt vibe. I think Asp is a little too close to COBRA.
  Maybe call it The Order of the Akkadians with the Leader (and/or Master Assassin) named Asp?

Well Champions has "Viper" so I think its likely anything I choose will be "close" if I keep a snake theme. I wanted to do a bug theme, but I've got too many insect villains already (Bullet Ant for example) and don't want to shoe them into the SWARM to make it work.

If only their were another easy to use supernatural creature known for its ability to keep going/survive.

Hm?
  Supernatural, eh?
  Chrysalis
  Drakes
  Harpies
  Manticore
  Hydra
  Worm
  Roach
  Scarab

  Any of that do it for you?

Hydra's used by the big M.
It doesn't have to be supernatural but the Hydra imagery is fixed...
(Since Hydra is in part what Cobra is ahem borrowed from...sort of.)
Manticore is nice but too long, and its not seen as having the "strike it down only to rise up stronger" aspect.

I thought of "Dragon" but then I keep running into the fact that its a really good idea but not quite fitting the sinister nature of the group.
Since some Dragons even in myth are "good"

How about VERMIN?  That'd let you do bugs, rats/mice, etc.

Not very awe-inspiring or mythical though.  I'll cogitate on this.

The Mandarins

Regards,
David R

Do you watching anything by joss Wheon? How about the Evil League of Evil?

Quote from: Girl;340216Do you watching anything by joss Wheon? How about the Evil League of Evil?

No. As much as I love Dr. Horrible. No.

Right now I think I'm leaning towards Apophis


The organization alleges its roots go back to an Ancient Greek criminal organization that was created by a surviving cult member (not leader) of an Ancient Apep worshiping cult. The cult, destroyed by proper priests of Ra left one follower alive who escaped to Greece. Where he founded means to continue his worship in private through extortion, theft, and assassination.

There is no historical proof of this backstory that can be dug up by heroes, rather a businessman into the "new spirituality" of the 1920's and seeking a way reap wealth even in harsh times, by any means necessary, re-founded the organization as a criminal (political and economic) tool. Despite the "lack of proof" the businessman managed to finance the organization by very lucrative sale of rare and valuable Egyptian antiquities. The collections eventually returned to various agents of Apophis, something to do with a "curse."


The current High Apophis is Lord Asp, who is planning something very very insidious quite soon...

MANTICORE would be great but I think the name was used for some sort of secret program / project in the DARK ANGEL television series.

CHIMERA would also make a great mythic model - especially since it can be tied to the idea of something you can never truly defeat (because of its multiple heads), like Hydra, with the added implication that it covers its tracks so well its existence could be described as, well, Chimerical. Turning it into an acronym will probably be quite hard, though.

How about WYVERN ?

HADES ?

INFERNO ?