Global-tier Power Level, Espionage Theme
A.C.T.I.O.N.
A secretive body dedicated to tracking international superhuman threats. Its agents are empowered to keep the public safe, but at what cost?
The Advanced Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Operations Network tracks superhuman threats all over the world. Agents are a mixture of off-the-books heroes, reformed villains, and specialists in relevant fields. They deal with viral bioweapons, genetically engineered monsters, captured aliens, telepathic spies, and much more.
Temptation is ever-present, whether it’s wealth and power or a chance at revenge. And not everybody the Agents go after is what they seem.
Using A.C.T.I.O.N.
A.C.T.I.O.N. is for…
- Globe-trotting espionage scenarios
- Dirty deeds done for the greater good
- Stories about loyalty, betrayal, and secrets
Plots
- A.C.T.I.O.N. agents have an interest in some high-tech dingus which may clash with what the heroes want
- A villain in A.C.T.I.O.N. custody escaped, and the agency asks for help
- The agency has answers to the heroes’ problem, but their aid won’t come cheap
Comic Book Panels
Something is happening that’s not out of the ordinary - whether daily activities from mundane life, or a super-battle in the skies. A figure in sunglasses and a suit steps out from behind concealment, places one finger to a radio receiver in one ear, listens, and nods…
The heroes are negotiating with a villain in a fragile moment of peace. Cut to someone looking through the scope of a sniper rifle, their finger on the trigger, a voice giving them orders through a radio earpiece.
Major Figures
Characters and locations often have Pole Stars. These indicate the driving forces - what motivates a character, what uniquely defines a place, and so on. When telling stories about these things, you should push those stories toward the indicated pole stars.
Director: Craig Costigan
Costigan fought in two World Wars as a patriotic soldier, thanks to the physical power and longevity granted him by a mystical elixir. When A.C.T.I.O.N. was founded, he realized the potential for abuse it represented. He couldn’t trust anyone else to keep it safe, and so used his heroic record to get himself appointed as director.
Today, he does his absolute best to keep the agency as honest as it can be, while still making the hard choices his role requires. He is intensely distrustful of others, but ultimately he is a force for good.
Pole Stars:
- War is Hell
- Trust is earned
- Weary super-soldier voiced by Ed Asner
Science Specialist: Professor Pulsar
A researcher assigned to A.C.T.I.O.N.’s Department 42, the weird-tech division. Interns are assigned to keep her under control and aimed at approved research.
Pole Stars:
- Not-so-ex-supervillain on a very short leash
- “Discoveries drive science, researchers are replaceable”
- “I have to see it in the field!”
Senior Agent: Chris Forge
A take-no-prisoners veteran spy now working for A.C.T.I.O.N. as a handler for field agents. Chris has no patience for sloppy tradecraft, and seems to have a history with everyone in “the great game”.
Pole Stars:
- Hints of past encounters
- Gadgets are a trap - you can only trust yourself
- Hidden heart of gold? Don’t make me laugh
Infiltrator: Frank Chapman
A deep-cover specialist, often working as henchmen for supervillains to give A.C.T.I.O.N. valuable intel. He can be gone for days, weeks, or even months on a job, and he sometimes make comments that strike others as suspect.
Pole Stars:
- “Don’t ask how I got that”
- Ambiguous loyalties
- Moral compromises for the greater good