AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics Villain Team

Advanced Idea Mechanics, Inc. Mission Statement: AIM is dedicated to creating a worldwide technocracy. To further this end, they produce advanced weapons, armor, and other technology for governments, military forces, and criminal/subversive organizations throughout the world, saving the best technology for themselves while presenting themselves as a "legitimate" corporation. Capabilities Members: 200,000 TL: 8/10 Wealth: Filthy Rich Contacts Scientific Skills-15 [10]; Invention Skills-18 [15]. Member Traits: Gadgeteer [25 or 50]; High TL +1 (access to both skills and gear, +300%) [20] or +2 [40]; Secret (Subversive Org) (Imprisonment) [-20]. Notable Resources: Undisclosed Locations [1]; Hidden Locations [5]. Manufacturing plants and warehouses across the industrialized world, several of them under subsidiary names, with hidden R&D centers along with underground bases for the subversive technology. Reaction-Time Modifier: +3. Costs and Values Startup Cost: $1,254,240,000,000 Resource Value: $6,271,200,000 Patron Value: 25 points. Enemy Value: -30 points. Social Attributes Type: Advocacy, Commercial, Criminal, Military, Research, Secret. CR: 3. Loyalty: Good (13; +1). Rank: Military Rank 0 to 4 [5/level] for soldiers; Merchant Rank 0 to 8 [2/level] for scientists, technicians, salesmen, and others in the company. Income Range: Comfortable to Multimillionaire 1. Reputation: +3 as a provider of bleeding-edge technology, -2 for rumors of unethical R&D practices. Very few people know about AIM's technocratic goals. Notes AIM exists in a TL8 campaign world, while having access to TL9 and 10 electronics, weapons, and armor as standard. The Startup Cost is based on a TL8 cost.

AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) is a subversive organization dedicated to creating a worldwide technocracy – or rule by scientists. As far as the public at large is concerned, AIM is a legitimate munitions corporation with a sizable research and development department for advanced experimental technology, albeit one that has a shady reputation for questionable ethics. In fact, the United States government agency SHIELD is a known client of theirs.

Secretly, AIM is the number one supplier of advanced technology to the criminal element. A number of costumed villains have purchased technology from them. The most common piece of AIM-tech in use with the super-set is an advanced ballistic fabric which is often sold to government agencies and various costume shops, such as the one owned by Gladiator; it is estimated that the majority of superheroes and supervillains alike who don't wear uniforms made of the dynamic molecules developed by Reed Richards have their uniforms made from AIM's ballistic fabric. Most supers are not aware their uniforms are made from AIM's ballistic fabric.

By all reports, AIM was founded in the aftermath of World War II by Dr. Arnim Zola, a German scientist who became disillusioned with what he saw as the limited vision of the future entertained by the Nazi elite and willingly defected to the United States during the final year of the war. Zola started AIM with the idea of creating a super-intelligent ruling elite. At first, Zola recruited fellow German scientists, most of whom had originally worked with him with the Nazi Hydra science division. Other scientists were soon recruited from Soviet work camps and American universities, where their own ideas were considered too radical and/or impractical.

Most of AIM's projects netted the organization a good deal of money, legally and illegally, through patents and black market sales. Other projects were much more secretive. Several of these projects would have sparked an apocalypse, if it hadn't been for the timely intervention of espionage agents from various agencies worldwide. The most recent was a series of orbital seismic wave generators that would have caused earthquakes and volcanic eruptions all over the world; this attempt was thwarted by Nick Fury and Natasha Romanov, working for the CIA.

Unknown to the world, Dr. Zola is still the Head Scientist of AIM, due to having transferred his mind into a younger cloned body. However, the recently created being code-named MODOK has assumed control of a number of AIM's plants and secret bases; Zola rightly fears that MODOK is after his position.

First Appearance: SECRET AGENT NICK FURY #

Game-Mechanic Details:

AIM is the primary supplier of TL 9 and 10 weaponry and technology for not only governments and corporations, but also a number of other subversive organizations and villains – and the occasional anti-hero who doesn't question the ethics of who he's buying his guns from. The average TL of the equipment used by AIM's soldiers is TL 9 with some TL 10 equipment (particularly weaponry), with the occasional TL 11^ or even TL 12^ experimental device. As such, the TL of AIM's personnel is TL 9.

The ballistic fabric used in the creation of the majority of superhuman uniforms is Reflex armor (Ultra-Tech, p. 172), tailored off the Reflex Suit (DR 12/4*, full body, including head).

Typical AIM Soldier

The common soldier employed by AIM is a well-trained mercenary equipped with AIM's own laser or Gauss weaponry and enhanced armor, commonly deployed in squads of four to six men. Because AIM does not fully trust their own soldiers, the soldiers are implanted with a cortex bomb at the base of the skull to ensure their loyalty.

85 points

Languages: English (Native) (Native Language) [0].

Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].

Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]; Fit [5]; High TL +1 [5]; Military Rank 0 [0].

Perks: Energizer [1]; Full Tank [1]; Off-Screen Reload [1]; On Alert [1]; Suit Familiarity (NBC Suit) [1].

Disadvantages: Duty (to AIM; Involuntary (Cortex Bomb)) (15) [-20].

Skills: Beam Weapons/TL10 (Rifle) or Guns/TL10 (Rifle) (E) DX+2 [4] – 13; Boxing (A) DX+1 [4] – 12; Computer Operation/TL10 (E) IQ+0 [1] – 10; Driving/TL10 (Heavy Wheeled or Tracked) (A) DX+0 [2] – 11; Fast-Draw (Ammo) (E) DX+1 [1] – 12*; First Aid/TL10 (Human) (E) IQ+0 [1] – 10; Gunner/TL10 (Beams or Machine Gun) (E) DX+1 [2] – 12; Guns/TL10 (Grenade Launcher, Gyroc, or LAW) (E) DX+1 [2] – 12; Hiking (A) HT+0 [1] – 11; Knife (E) DX+1 [2] – 12; NBC Suit/TL10 (A) DX+0 [2] – 11; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ+1 [2] – 11; Soldier/TL10 (A) IQ+0 [2] – 10; Swimming (E) HT+0 [1] – 11; Throwing (A) DX+0 [2] – 11.

Starting Spending Money: $4,000 (20% of Starting Wealth).

Other Traits (Not part of the package): Squad leaders would have Military Rank 1 [5]; higher ranking soldiers would have higher levels of Military Rank (see Appendix: Rank and Status Tables).

Typical Equipment: Laser Pulse/Beam Carbine or Rifle (UT116, UT118-9); Underbarrel EMGL, 25mm (UT141-2) or Underbarrel Gyroc, 15mm (UT144-5); Small Vibro-Knife (B272, UT164); Reflex Tactical Vest (DR 18/7*; UT173) or Reflex Tacsuit (DR 20/10*; UT178); TL9 Combat Infantry Helmet (DR 18/12; UT180), w/ Hyperspectral Imaging Visor (×2 magnification, UT61), Small Radscanner (UT63), Memory Augmentation AR (UT56), and Visual Enhancement AR (UT56). All provided by AIM.

Typical AIM Scientist

These are the scientists and engineers employed by AIM to come up with new and exciting technologies. Most of these scientists were recruited through AIM's legitimate holdings; only a handful were recruited directly by the subversive faction.

77 points

Languages: English (Native) (Native Language) [0].

Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].

Advantages: Gadgeteer [25]; High TL +1 [5]; Mathematical Ability 2 [20]; Merchant Rank 1 [2]; Natural Scientist 2 [20]; Wealth (Comfortable) [10].

Disadvantages: Combat Paralysis [-15]; Obsession (Prove My Theories Right!) (9) [-15]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]; Secret (Subversive) (Imprisonment) [-20]; Workaholic [-5].

Quirks: Attentive [-1].

Skills: Beam Weapons/TL10 (Pistol) or Guns/TL10 (Pistol), both DX+0 [1] – 10; one of Bioengineering/TL10 (any) or Pharmacy/TL10 (Synthetic), both IQ+0 [4] – 12, or Engineer/TL10 (any) (H) IQ+2 [4] – 14*; Computer Operation/TL10 (E) IQ+0 [1] – 12; Electronics Operation/TL10 (Scientific) (A) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Electronics Operation/TL10 (Sensors) (A) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Mathematics/TL10 (Applied) (H) IQ+2 [1] – 14*†; Physics/TL10 (VH) IQ+2 [2] – 14*†; Weird Science (VH) IQ-1 [8] – 12.

Starting Spending Money: $8,000 (20% of Starting Wealth).

Other Traits (Not part of the package): Scientists with more seniority or who have come up with even more bleeding edge technology will often be given higher levels of Merchant Rank, up to level 5 (see Appendix: Rank and Status Tables). The higher rank scientists will also have an increase in Wealth as well.

Typical Equipment: Laser Pulse/Beam Pistol (UT116, UT118-9); Reflex Vest (DR 12/4*; UT172); Memory Augmentation AR (UT56), and Visual Enhancement AR (UT56).

* Includes +2 from Mathematical Ability.

† Includes +2 from Natural Scientist.

Typical AIM Technician

These are the men and women hired by AIM to build and maintain the technologies developed by the scientists. Most of them are hired by AIM's public front, and only moved into the secret subversive organization should they pass a number of secret tests. The template below represents one who has made the shift to working for AIM's secret cause.

37 points

Languages: English (Native) (Native Language) [0].

Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].

Advantages: Artificer 2 [10]; High Manual Dexterity +2 [10]; High TL +1 [5]; Merchant Rank 0 [0].

Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Professional's) [-5]; Combat Paralysis [-15]; Duty (AIM) (12) [-10]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]; Secret (Subversive) (Imprisonment) [-20]; Workaholic [-5].

Quirks: Attentive [-1]; Devout Believer (Technocratic Ideals) [-1].

Skills: Beam Weapons/TL10 (Pistol) or Guns/TL10 (Pistol), both DX+1 [2] – 12; Weird Science (VH) IQ-1 [4] – 10; Computer Operation/TL10 (E) IQ+1 [2] – 12. Four of the following: Armoury/TL10 (any), Electrician/TL10, Electronics Repair/TL10 (any), Machinist/TL10, or Mechanic/TL10 (any), all (A) IQ+3 [4] – 14*, or Forensics/TL10 (H) IQ+0 [4] – 11; or Mechanic! (WC) IQ+1 [12] – 10† and one of the previous 4-point skills.

Starting Spending Money: $4,000 (20% of Starting Wealth).

Typical Equipment: Laser Pulse/Beam Pistol (UT116, UT118-9); Reflex Vest (DR 12/4*; UT172); Memory Augmentation AR (UT56), and Visual Enhancement AR (UT56). All have Portable Tool Kits suitable for their jobs; these tool kits often include laser cutting torches (UT80).

* Includes +2 from Artificer.

† Conditional +2 from Artificer when duplicating one of those skills.