The Elite

The Elite is the largest villain organization and arguably the second-largest parahuman organization in the United States.<ref name="intro">The largest villain organization and arguably the second-largest parahuman organization in the United States, the Elite got their start in San Francisco as ‘Uppermost’, an organization of rogues organized by rogues, involved in production and entertainment, managed by parahumans. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>

Modus operandi

The Elite do not pursue traditional villainous enterprises, instead seizing an area on the economic or political level before undermining local opposition using sabotage, connection to organized crime and blitzkrieg-style strikes while remaining consistently off the public’s radar by subterfuge or careful manipulation of the media.<ref>The Elite does not pursue traditional villainous enterprises, though they may temporarily maintain connections to organized crime if it suits their purposes. If they have any pattern, it is to seize an area on the highest level -economic or political-, then undermine local opposition on the fundamental level with sabotage, blitzkrieg-style strikes, remaining consistently off the public’s radar by subterfuge or careful manipulation of media. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>

The Elite than forces other villains and villain groups to be beholden to the Elite and nobody else.<ref name="villain_rogue">The Elite expect villains and groups to be beholden to the Elite and nobody else, Rogues are folded into the organization, and resistance is systematically crushed. Once an area is firmly under control, these resources are leveraged to expand elsewhere. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref> Rogues are folded into the organization<ref name="villain_rogue"/> to function as performers, Thinkers, designers and innovators,<ref name="numberman">The Elite, a villain group expanding a subtle control over the western seaboard of America, putting pressure on rogues to bring them under their thumb as performers, thinkers, designers and innovators. He could see the numbers, extrapolate from the data to gauge their rate of growth. They were developing too slowly to be useful, not developing fast enough to outpace the predicted end of the world. They’d reach Brockton Bay in about a year. There would be time to decide if countermeasures were needed in the meantime. - Interlude 21 (Donation Bonus #1)</ref> while the Elite also control a lot of corporate 'hero' teams from behind the scenes.<ref name="los_angeles">Being on the West Coast, LA is caught up with the Elite, which is the second largest cape group in the US and the largest villain group, though it's villainy is ambiguous. I won't say much more, but they appear in brief in Worm. Long story short is that they snap up all of the rogues (ie. if Brockton Bay were on the west coast, Parian would be leveraged into joining one of the Elite's subsidiaries) and they control a lot of corporate 'hero' teams from behind the scenes. They're organized crime with an emphasis on organized and a varying emphasis on crime, depending on the city. - reddit comment by wildbow.</ref>

As the Elite take control of an area, resistance is systematically crushed. Once an area is firmly under control, resources are leveraged to expand elsewhere.<ref name="villain_rogue"/>

Structure

The Elite consists of a loose pyramid-style structure of cells, with the top cell managing interests on the national scale from San Francisco.<ref>The organization forms a loose pyramid-style structure of cells. The head cell, based in San Francisco, manages interests on the national scale, while each step down involves a step down in scale. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref> Each established cell is independent and able to operate however it sees fit. Some, such as the one headed by Uppercrust, are strictly corporate ventures. Others, such as Bastard Son’s are considered only slightly better than the Slaughterhouse Nine.

The Elite control territories across the Western seaboard, maintaining presences in:<ref name="Anchorage"/>

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States where the Elite control territory in red.

• The states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Florida.<ref name="Locations"/>
• Tentatively, the state of New York.<ref name="Locations">The Elite currently control territories across the Western seaboard, maintaining presences in:
  

◈ California
◈ Nevada
◈ Arizona
◈ Washington
◈ Idaho
◈ Oregon
◈ Florida
◈ N.Y. (Tentative)
◈ Other (various cape cities, tentative) - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>

• Tentatively, various cape cities,<ref name="Locations"/> including the city of Anchorage.<ref name="Anchorage"/>

The Number Man speculated that the Elite would reach Brockton Bay around June 2010.<ref name="numberman"/>

PRT Response

While the PRT designates the Elite as hostile, the Elite and PRT are not open adversaries. In fact, interaction with the Elite, or even cooperation, is a hotly debated subject within the PRT, from the lowest to the highest levels; the Elite do reduce crime numbers where they are active, but they also aggressively target rogues and powerful parahumans the PRT would rather support. The PRT’s current stance is to address the Elite on a case by case basis.<ref>At the same time, however, despite the ‘hostiles’ designation in the files, the Elite are not open adversaries of the PRT. Cooperation or interaction with the Elite is a hotly debated subject within the PRT, from the lowest to the highest levels; the Elite do reduce crime numbers where they are active, but they also aggressively target rogues and powerful parahumans the PRT would rather support. While official judgment is pending, the present stance is to address the Elite on a case by case basis. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>

History

The Elite started in San Francisco as Uppermost, an organization composed of rogues, involved in production and entertainment.<ref name="intro"/> In 1998, Uppermost asked the PRT for assistance in managing the NEPEA-5 bill, which sought to curtail parahuman involvement in business and media, and was arguably targeted directly at Uppermost.<ref>In 1998, Uppermost reached out to the PRT for assistance in dealing with a bill (NEPEA-5) that sought to curtail parahuman involvement in business and media, arguably targeted directly at Uppermost. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>

After a great deal of consideration, the PRT’s head office turned down the offer for assistance. NEPEA-5 was passed, and Uppermost disbanded.<ref>After a great deal of consideration, the head office turned down the offer for assistance, the bill was passed, and Uppermost disbanded. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref> Many former members of Uppermost joined either the Protectorate or Wards to manage the fines and fees that followed the bill’s passage and avoid bankruptcy.<ref>Many members of Uppermost found their way to the Protectorate and Wards as a way of avoiding bankruptcy and to manage the fines and fees that followed the bill’s passage. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>

However, Uppermost’s core group took a different course. They divided themselves, and set up their own businesses within the new laws, while keeping in contact outside the PRT’s and public’s knowledge.<ref>The events that followed have been pieced together from hearsay and investigation - Uppermost’s core group divided and started up their own businesses and independent directions, still in the open, in keeping with NEPEA-5. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref> By the time this became apparent, the members had combined assets, employees and businesses as a loose confederation, under the banner new group dubbed the Elite, quintupling Uppermost at its peak.<ref>Unbeknownst to the PRT and the public, this group of members were still in contact. By the time it became apparent what they were doing, the new group, dubbed the Elite, had combined assets, employees and businesses quintupling Uppermost at its peak, and formed a loose confederation. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref> Many core members have since been supplanted by a more ruthless leadership, titling themselves after elements of aristocracy,<ref>Many core members have been supplanted by a more ruthless leadership, titling themselves after elements of the aristocracy. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref> combined with ostentatious as possible costume choices.

During Golden Morning, the Elite attended the meeting at Cauldron’s headquarters, but decided to spend resources to build a new society gather than fighting Scion. The Undersiders set Leviathan on them in retaliation, leading to their demise.

Anchorage

In a bid to finalize their hold on the western coast of North America, the Elite send a small team to Anchorage, rooted in the company Estrella.<ref name="Anchorage">The Elite have set up in Anchorage, in a bid to finalize their hold on the western coast of North America. The team appears to be small, rooted in the front company ‘Estrella’. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>

Members

Name	Description
Leadership
Agnes Court	Attended Cauldron's meeting. Could grow organic structures that hardened to stone, able to build a city in two and a half days. Killed by Leviathan.
Bastard Son	Runs one of the more violent cells, called only slightly better than the Slaughterhouse Nine. Speculated to operate in Las Vegas.
Blueblood	Attended Cauldron's meeting.
The Gentleman	Speculated to operate in Las Vegas.
Nonpareil	Attended Cauldron's meeting.
Patrician	Attended Cauldron's meeting.
Regis Rex
Uppercrust	Operating from New York, but is dying from the same medical problem that led to his trigger event. Runs one of the least violent cells.
Anchorage
Entourage (Gabriella Vargas)	CEO of Estrella. A young Hispanic woman with long-range duplication abilities.<ref>➥ ENTOURAGE; Gabriella Disposition: Villain (?) Last known location: Anchorage CEO of Estrella, also a duplicator with apparent long range duplication abilities. A gregarious, charming young Hispanic woman. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>
Erik Granholme	A low level member R&D personnel employed by Estrella. A Tinker with an emphasis on drones and remote tanks with a crystal core.<ref>➥ UNKNOWN; Granholme, Erik Disposition: Villain (?) Last known location: Anchorage Low level R&D personnel employed by Estrella. Apparently a tinker with emphasis on drones and remote tanks with crystal core of some sort. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>
Speaker of the House (Marion Dirks)	Human resources director of Estrella. A former singer and actress with unknown powers.<ref>➥ UNKNOWN; Dirks, Marion Disposition: Villain (?) Last known location: Anchorage Human resources director of Estrella. Powers unknown. Ex-singer and actress. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref>
Upperhand (Don Fraser)<ref name="Upperhand1"/>	Financial manager of Estrella.<ref name="Upperhand1">➥ UPPERHAND; Fraser, Don Disposition: Villain (?) Last known location: Anchorage Financial manager of Estrella. Powers unknown, a heavyset man, reports suggest the ability to turn opposition into ‘hamburger meat’. - PRT Quest (Anchorage)</ref> A Trump that can copy the general nature of powers with an output, and produces his own output in form of powerful hyper-gravity.

Trivia

• Both Parian and Panacea are mentioned as possible targets for the Elite by Wildbow.<ref name="los_angeles"/>
• The Elite featured in an early draft of Worm, titled Circus and the Elite.

References

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