The Zodiac

Formed in the early 1980s by Albert Zertstoiten, otherwise known as Doctor Destroyer, the Black Zodiac quickly became the world's foremost terrorist organization. Its agents, the Janissary Squadrons, were specialized and ruthless and the Zodiac utilized weapons, vehicles, and technology that most free nation military forces could not withstand or in many cases equal. As of the Day of the Destroyer, when Doctor Destroyer was elevated to the position of Emperor, the Zodiac became the global law enforcement agency, a title it enjoys to this day.

## The Janissary Squadrons

The Zodiac does not employ agents, it employs Janissaries. Although *agent* is generally the appropriate term and accurate, Zertstoiten feels the title is rather generic and bland, preferring to make his law enforcement arm enjoy a vaunted title that is very good for morale. Each of the Squadrons is highly specialized, making them formidable enemies.
There are a total of twelve separate squadrons. Each of the Squadrons are utilized for a specific purpose and each, naturally, feels superior to the others. This sometimes results in petty squabbling and competitions between the Squadrons but so far no Squadron dares resort to openly sabotaging or taking arms to another.

**Longfangs** are the base and most numerous of the Squadrons. They are a rather staid and predictable type of Janissary, being in charge of general law enforcement. They are the equivalent of state police. Every Janissary begins his or her career as a Longfang, and can expect to serve a minimum of two years before being considered for promotion to a different squadron, dependent on both their record as a Longfang and what the two years reveals to be the individuals particular skills and talents. The Longfangs answer to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Pisces.

**Sidewinders** are the marksmen of the Zodiac. These men and women have displayed a skill with accuracy and familiarity of firearms that sets them far above and apart from the teeming masses of humanity. Almost all of these Janissaries come from military or mercenary backgrounds, but also include people with a natural talent. The Sidewinder Squadron answers to the elite Strike Force Minoris operative Sagittarius.

**Constrictors** are the agents that specialize in taking enemies prisoner. Equipped with an array of weaponry that will stun, entangle, or tie up a foe the Constrictors are often referred to within the ranks of the Janissaries as the 'speedster busters'. Constrictors are also heavily deployed when a situation requires search and rescue. Constrictors answer to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Ares.

**Anaconda** janissaries are known as tank busters. These men and women are the only agents authorized or allowed to pilot the heavy duty Warmonger, mecha specifically designed to be an equal match toward most Meta-humans with super-strength and/or invulnerability powers. Even outside of the mecha they pilot the Anacondas can be a problem for tanks, as they are trained in pressure point strike and take-down heavy martial arts and wield powerful stun batons. Anacondas answer to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Taurus.

**Crab Spiders** are the arm of law enforcement that deal exclusively with white collar crimes and crimes committed by organizations. They are masters of research and interrogation, and have all but memorized the Empires many and numerous business laws. Most of them come from high profile Fortune 500 companies themselves and are not at all required at any time to run out into the public streets and slug it out with supervillains. The Crab Spider squadron answers to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Cancer.

**Huntsman Spiders** are the squad that engage solely in the locating and apprehending of criminals. They are masters of tracking and navigation, and undergo intense and rigorous training in stalking prey through the urban jungle. Most Huntsmen come with extensive outdoor skills or had previous careers in bounty hunting and skip tracing. They re very formidable janissaries, having skills in sniping, firearms, and hand to hand combat. The Huntsman Spider squadron answers to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Leo.

**Bane Spiders** are often looked upon as the elite of the Janissary squads. Each Bane has a long and storied history with the Zodiac, with the most well known Banes such as New Kensington's Bane Spider Edwards having roots that go back to when the organization was engaged in terrorism. Banes have all but unlimited knowledge of Imperial law and are free to use their own judgment when trying cases. The feared and respected Banes answer to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Scorpio.

**Widows** are unique in the Zodiac in that they are 1) the only squadron that is all female and 2) the only squadron that refuses to allow men into its ranks. Widows are referred to tongue-in-cheek as mental busters because their training turns them into lethal trackers, locators, and enemies of those with psychic or psionic abilities. A good 80% of Widows are themselves blessed with mental powers, They engage in backbreaking training to learn psychic shielding and iron resolve and these talents-with a backup of heavy blaster pistol and basic self-defense techniques-make Widows a nightmare for mentalists. Widows answer to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Aquarius.

**Skull Spider** Jannisaries enjoy their title as 'blaster busters'. These agents are trained to be the counter of heroes and others whom rely on striking at range. Each Skull Spider wears a form fitting combat harness that allows them to fly at speeds of up to 130 MPH. Additionally, each harness is equipped with particle beam blasters that can rotate a full 360 degrees. Each hip of the harness is equipped with micro-missile launchers with a powerful payload; just one of these missiles can bring down a small building. The Skull Spiders themselves are equipped with heavy blaster rifles-the Viper Rifle- of the Emperor's personal design. Viper Rifles lob spheres of energy that can explode on impact with the force of a stick of dynamite, or emit heavy smoke, and even poison clouds. Because of these rifles the Skull Spiders are often viewed with envy and naturally this makes the Skull Spider Squadron feel far superior to other squad. The Skull Spider squadron answers to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Gemini.

**Orb Spider** Janissaries are, in a word, insidious. They never take the field as they are the espionage arm of the Zodiac. They are masters of disguise, demolitions, stealth, and observation. Nothing about them looks in any way remarkable or conspicuous, which helps them to easily blend in as spies in other squadrons, superhero groups, and any other organization that the Emperor feels needs watching. They are never armed as they operate-unless the group they're spying on gives them equipment-but every Orb Spider is trained in the martial arts. The most famous, feared, and hated Orb Spider is the enigmatic man named Zartan, whom is a commander in the squad and a shape shifter. The Orb Spider squadron answers to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Virgo.

**Lynx Spiders** are the infamous Jannisaries that deal with superheroes that don't possess super-powers. They go after martial artists, heroes that wear power armor, and heroes whom rely on devices do fight. Each Lynx Spider Janissary is heavily trained in deadly martial arts, knife fighting, takedowns, and grappling. They are rarely equipped with firearms, but always carry additional knives or short swords as back ups. The Lynx Spider squadron answers to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Capricorn.

**Grass Spider** agents are never seen in the field. Rather, they spend their days behind a computer monitor, for they are the hackers and cyber-terrorists of the Zodiac. Pulled from the ranks of self-taught hackers from around the world, the Grass Spiders monitor the media and other computer systems, keeping an eye on potential threats to the Empire. The Grass Spider Janissaries answer to the elite Strike Force Minoris agent Libra.

## Strike Force Minoris

Strike Force Minoris is the name of the twelve elite meta-humans which boss the Janissary Squads. Each of the agents of the Minoris were once small time hoodlums, but the Zodiac and its training packages helped turn them into the major menaces they are today. In the rare circumstance that the Emperor's personal headquarters is breached it is Strike Force Minoris hat most heroes are likely to encounter first.

**Ares** is the leader of the Minoris. Once upon a time he was the villain Requiem, a small time thug hoping to someday become a household name. While he hasn't achieved that goal yet, Ares has proven himself a wise and capable leader and is respected by his peers and underlings. Ares has the mutant ability to localize ambient sound in his environment to produce blasts of sonic force, sonic booms that deafen and disorient foes, shields that reflect and repel damaging attacks, and even fly. House into each of his gauntlets is a thick and very flexible platisteel cable that can extend a length of eighteen feet. With these cables, Ares can slash, toss, throw, and entangle foes; he is extremely proficient at fighting with these cables. Additionally, if he should manage to entangle a foe he can send send a 100,000 watt jolt of electricity down the cable. This attack is usually fatal to most normal people.
 Ares wears a yellow spandex bodysuit with black gloves and thigh high boots, and a black cape. He doesn't wear a mask, and his slicked back hair is brown.

**Aquarius** was once the rogue criminal Esper, who's main goal in life was to get rich. She still holds onto that goal, being an exceptionally greedy young woman whom puts all of her faith is money. But she is certainly not one to be underestimated. Her movie-star good looks hides one of the deadliest psionic minds in the history of the world. She is able to directly attack another individuals synapses, causing extreme pain that can bring even the hardiest tank down to his knees. She is able to effect entire groups with this, which she calls her "ego attack". She can also sling spears and daggers of psychic energy, create psychic shields and psychic hand to hand weapons, and seems herself completely invincible to psychic or psionic attack. It has often been said that if she wasn't so focused on obtaining wealth she would be a superior leader.
 Aquarius wears a dark blue one-piece with silver bicep length gloves, a silver belt, and dark blue ankle boots with silver trim. She weaponizes her beauty and sexuality by not wearing a mask, leaving her long blonde hair free, and ensuring that her spectacular legs are always on display.

**Cancer** was once the villainous Frost, twin brother to Requiem/Ares. The 'lesser' of the two brothers, Cancer doesn't quite have enough charisma to command an entire supervillain team. He contenct himself being the boss of his Janissary squad but even here he sometimes encounters trouble with strong-willed Crab Spiders that end up going Rogue. When such situations grow dire he always turns to his brother for help. Because of this, Cancer is considered the weakest of the Minoris even though his power is formidable. He is a genetic mutant with the the power to psionically manipulate moisture in the air around him: he can produce blasts, daggers, spears, shields, and coned attacks of ice or snow, can encase enemies in ice and travel on ice slides up to 130 MPH. He can make the ground slick with ice or create blizzards which can blanket an area the size of New Kensington. His power is so strong that there are some circles whom believe that he and Ares are the sons of the Archcriminal Emma Frost, otherwise known as Coldsnap, whom died during the Day of the Destroyer but took several legions of enemy combatantants with her.
Cancer wears a very light blue spandex body suit with darker blue gloves boots, and trunks; and a stylized crab design on his chest. Unlike his brother, he prefers to wear a mask so that he can have some semblance of a social life.

**Capricorn** was part of Ares' supervillain team back before the Empire, when Ares was still Requiem. Operating under the name of Stinger, he was a good martial artist. Not great, but good. But under the Empire's tutelage Stinger has become Capricorn, and his Kenpo martial arts have become deadly. He is an expert gymnast and acrobat, enabling him to avoid most blows or roll with them to lessen the severity of the impact. He has perfect balance, which enables him to run across beams as narrow as three inches without fear of falling. He is most feared for his deadly heart punch, which interrupts the rhythm of an enemies heart and is always fatal to normal people.
Capricorn wears a maroon body suit of spandex, with black under the armpits to the waist, black gloves and boots, and a full black, featureless face mask. He wears his blonde hair long and usually ties it into a ponytail so it can't be a liability.

**Gemini** has a secret that even her cohorts in the Minoris are unaware of: She is not one person, but *two*. Julia and Jennifer Medeley were born within seconds of each other, perfect little brunette twins. The coming of their superpowers in their early teens catapulted them out of their family home, and forced them to turn to crime to survive. As far as they are concerned, the Zodiac saved them. Julia has the power to super-charge the electricity molecules in the air to create powerful bursts of deadly electricity, while Jennifer is a tank with enough strength to lift twelve tons, and a thick skin that can repel even military grade machine-gun fire. They can fuse together at will to create the Gemini form: A woman six feet tall with long black hair and glowing white eyes. Their superhuman powers combine as well, meaning that Gemini is super humanly strong, resistant to damage, and can utilize a number of electricity-based power feats.
The Gemini persona wear a midnight black spandex bodysuit, with white patterns down the legs that resemble starlight, white gloves, and a large white spiral galaxy logo on her chest.

**Leo** was also a follower of Area when Ares was just Requiem. Operating under the name of Arrowhead, Leo was your typical tank: capable of lifting fifty tons of weight and resistant to even military grade firepower. But under the intensive and extensive training he received from the Zodiac, he is now so much more. He has mastered the martial art of Hung Gar kung-fu, and can now utilize hand and foot strikes, throws, holds, and joint locks that can have devastating effects.
Leo wear a golden bodysuit with white boots and gloves. He wears no mask, and lets his very long, shaggy blonde hair fly free to give himself a mane-like appearance.

**Libra** is a monster. Whether it is an alien or a demon, nobody knows. But what everyone does agree on is that Libra is thoroughly evil, and enjoys wrecking havoc. Libra is able to psionically manipulate localized weather effects. It can throw foes back with powerful gusts of wind, create small tornadoes, cause dense chilling fogs that impair eyesight, strike foes with flashes of lightning, deafen them with thunder bursts, and so on. Libra is arrogant and believes himself to be the most powerful member of the Minoris, and tends to treat his team mates as underlings. This has not won him any friends.
The monstrous Libra stands seven feet tall and weighs 300 pounds. From the hips downward it has the shaggy legs and split hooves of a goat. It's torso is human and well muscled. It's head is that of a goat.

**Pisces** was once the aquatic terrorist Fathom. As Fathom, she was responsible for destroying oil rigs and cargo ship, costing hundreds of lives. As Pisces, she is no different. She is perhaps the most aloof of all the Minoris, preferring her own company to that of others and often away at sea continuing her attacks on sea going vessels and platforms. She is able to freely breathe underwater and swim at speeds in excess of 300 MPH. On land she is incredible dense and strong; she can lift 15 tons and ignore heavy firearms. She carries a spear made out of coral and fights superbly with it as both a staff weapon and a stabbing weapon.
Pisces is believed to be a genetic mutant. Her skin is a light-blue green, which allows her to blend into ocean water to the point of becoming almost invisible. Her hair is black and cropped short, and her eyes are pure white with no visible pupils or irises. At sea she wears nothing, and on land she goes into battle wearing a bright blue one-piece bikini.

**Sagittarius** is a sad case: he used to be a superhero. He was called Blur, the twin brother of the heroine Straightedge. Straightedge suffered a terrible fate: as she and Blue arrived on the scene of a battle between a team of superheroes and a team of supervillains to help, the superhero team mistook the twins for supervillains and opened fire. Straightedge, possessed of no superpowers, was killed. Filled with fury and hate, Blur vowed revenge, which made him a perfect recruit for the Zodiac. Of all of the Minoris, only Blur was approached by the Destroyer himself. Now acting as Sagittarius, he is concretely loyal to Zertstoiten and the Zodiac.
Sagittarius is a genetic mutant with the ability to surround himself in an inch wide, invisible force field that eliminates friction. This force field allows him to run at speeds of nearly 900 MPH. He can run across the surface of water and up buildings. The force field also protects him from damage, he can be hit by a mortar shell with no damage, and can slam into foes and objects at full speed with no injury to himself. He can also focus his kinetic energy into lethal hand strikes. Sagittarius is a young black male in his 20's. He wears a form fitting red bodysuit with black boots and gloves, a black mask that covers the upper half of his face, and a black streak down his torso. The Zodiac symbol for Sagittarius is on his chest in bright yellow.

**Scorpio** is an unknown. It is generally believed that he was previously a hit man or the Yakuza, but he neither denies or confirms this rumor. The evidence points to it, however; as he is missing the pinkie of his right hand. Scorpio is a stoic man; he's more of a listener than a talker and prefers stealth and ambush to direct confrontation. A master marksman, Scorpio makes use of two heavy cadamite pistols specifically designed fr him by the Zodiac's best engineers and scientists. Scorpio is mostly fear by enemies because of the capabilities of his pistols: They have an endless supply of ammunition and, worse, can produce blasts that target a specific hero's weakness; IE the pistols can fire heavy solid slugs, blasts of fire or ice, energy, or whatever is needed in the fight. Scorpio can bank his shots around corners or over cover to strike foes that have taken cover, and the solid shots he produces can punch through cinder block. The pistols are genetically coded to himself, rending others unable to use them should they be taken away.
Scorpion is a Japanese man clad in a silver bodysuit with black gloves, a black belt with holstered pistols at each hip, and a neck guard that comes up to just under his eyes. His hair is black, and he is missing the little finger of his right hand.

**Taurus** may have been human at one point but, honestly, he can't remember. He also sometimes talks about living on a different planet but, then again, memories are unclear. Taurus is slow to speech and slow to anger, and also slow to action. This makes many outside of the Zodiac--and many inside of it to--think that Taurus is dim-witted. In fact he is extremely intelligent, with a penchant particular toward mathematics and philosophy. He prefers discussion over violence but is unwilling to give up his position and title because the Zodiac supplies him with all of his needs. When dealing with heroes one on one, he has been known to apologize to them before or after causing them injury. He is a strange and aberrant creature living under his own undefined code of honor.
Taurus is nine feet tall and weighs two and a half tons. His lower portion and head are that of a ferocious bull, his hands and torso are human. He is a straightforward tank and fights with a six foot long battle axe.

**Virgo** is an angry woman. Whom she was previously to coming into Strike Force Minoris is unknown and, given her fatal temper, nobody dares ask. Cruel and heartless, Virgo seems to be furious at the world and doesn't care whom her actions hurt whether it be a doddering old man, a superhero, or a defenseless child. She is a complete loner staying away from all of her peers in the Strike Force with the sole exception of Cancer, with whom she seems to feel comfortable. Virgo is a living powerhouse, able to generate dangerous electricity around and from her body. She can direct this lightning as bolts and blasts, throw balls of electricity, send shocking bursts through the ground or high tension wires, and even transform herself into living electricity and travel down power lines. She is the only villain in the Strike Force that ignores the Destroyer's mandates and frequently operates as an independent solo villain, which irritates Zertstoiten.
Virgo is a small but attractive brunette. She wears a lavender bodysuit with a sleeveless black leather vest.

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