Midnight Crew

The Midnight Crew is a group of mercenary super-villains based in Chicago. The team takes its name from the 1909 vaudeville song, "I'm a Member of the Midnight Crew," by Eddie Morton.

## Origin

The Midnight Crew was founded in London the early 2000's by Perfidy and Hellion after the two had some success committing crimes as a villainous duo. They wanted to try for larger scores, and so began to recruit powerful independent European villains. Hellion's former associate Corona was the first to agree to join, and the three women were the Crew's founding members.

Not long after, the group recruited Onslaught for his technological prowess, military discipline, and sheer firepower. He was an ill fit at first due to his love of violence, but Perfidy was able to manage the team's awkward dynamics to the satisfaction of all members. They had an excellent year or so of heists, and used the proceeds of their crimes to found a secure base in Amsterdam (the Netherlands being neutral ground among super-villains).

With the group's profile growing, they were approached by several hopeful applicants through the Temeraire Club but rejected them all until Facade impressed them with his metamorphic abilities. Realizing that the shapeshifter had the perfect powers to round out their team's capabilities, they brought him on board without delay and were immediately impressed with how well he fit into the team. This was largely due to Facade's low-level empathic abilities, which let him unconsciously mirror the behaviors of those around him; this gives him a psychological edge and makes him seem universally "likable."

With their combined strength (and the financial needs of five ambitious thieves on payroll) they began to take larger and larger scores, and it wasn't long before Europe became unfriendly territory. They were pursued not only by UNTIL and various groups of super heroes, but also by villains who weren't happy with the sheer number of scores "stolen" by the Crew. Looking for a change of scenery, the Midnight Crew left Europe entirely for America, and after a brief stint in New York settled finally in Chicago, operating out of their local Temeraire Club chapter.

The Crew found success in their American capers, and they were mostly content with the move. In 2009, Corona retired from active villainy, though she still supports her old team with her scientific expertise. She was not replaced, and the Crew learned to operate without her, occasionally hiring mercenaries from the Temeraire Club to fill out their numbers when necessary.

In 2020, the Crew finally admitted a new member: Ultraviolet. The hot-headed young villain needed a good deal of field experience and maturing, but the older villains in the Crew saw a great deal of untapped potential in him and brought him on board. Ultraviolet has proven himself useful, but he has difficulty meshing with the rest of the team and time will tell if his membership is permanent or short-lived.

## Goals

The Midnight Crew is concerned first and foremost with acquiring wealth. Its members have varying goals, ranging from wanton destruction, personal survival, to just having a good time, but the glue that holds them all together is their golden rule of seeking profit; in Hellion's words, "If it doesn't pay, we don't play."

The Crew as a whole tends to plan and execute their own heists, though they have occasionally been hired as a unit to fight on the Temeraire Club's behalf. They are not shy about walking away from bad contracts, but they never take a job that requires them to fight to the bitter end in the first place. Although not the most powerful group of villains in the world, they have a reputation for competence, reliability, and restraint that is rare in a group of super-mercenaries and keeps them consistently employed.

## Members

Perfidy

Hellion

Corona (Retired)

Onslaught

Facade

Ultraviolet