Elgen Corporation

Elgen Corporation is a tyrannical corporation and the main antagonistic force of the Michael Vey book series. The company is led by Dr. Hatch, their CEO.

Before the Michael Vey series takes place, it was a medical equipment provider. However, after the birth of the Glows (electric kids), Dr. Hatch turned it into one of the most profitable corporations in the world by building Starxource plants, which were bioelectric power plants. As of Storm of Lightning, the Elgen Corporation is in control of at least 98% of the world's commercial and residential electricity, gaining a monopoly over electric supply.

Despite this, the Elgen Corporation is more concerned with global domination. As such, the Elgen's renewable energy industry is merely a facade, and the corporation is more of a private military group.

History
According to resistance member Gervaso, the Elgen Corporation was founded in 1984 as a medical equipment developer. One of their first products was an electric nerve ender for back pain.

Approximately twelve years after its founding, one of the Elgen's scientists, a man named Dr. Steven Coonradt had discovered a breakthrough in magnesia and he, Carl Vey (Michael's dad), and Carl's assistant Anna Ferguson developed a MEI (Magnetic Electron Induction) machine to cure babies. In the essence of success, the company gained a contract with the Pasadena General Hospital, and installed the MEI.

However, the chairman of the Elgen, Giacomo Schema, and a group of investors, got impatient, and the Elgen's CEO, Dr. Hatch, was forced to test the machine before it was ready (against Coonradt's warnings). The machine killed all but seventeen of the babies it was tested on. Now accused of at least forty-two murder charges, the board moved the Elgen's headquarters into a multimillion-dollar superyacht called the Ampere. In the attempt to keep the MEI hidden, Schema realized that some of the MEI's producers who were not directly employed by Elgen could threaten the company with lawsuits, and had them "disappear".

Among other things, Hatch was demoted to director, and was ordered to find the seventeen children in case they started dying as well. By the time Michael Vey takes place, the Elgen Corporation owns and operates Elgen Academy, a private training course where the Glows develop their powers disguised as a prestigious school (Hatch bribes the newcoming Glows with expensive gifts and privileges). However, Michael Vey and his group, the Electroclan, shut the Academy down, and force Hatch to flee to Peru.

In Rise of the Elgen, Michael learns that after the defect of the MEI, Hatch and Coonradt tested an upgraded MEI on rats, and successfully electrified them. These rats are used in powering Starxource plants, and the Elgen are starting to take over the world' energy. Eventually, Michael and the Electroclan manage to shut down the Peruvian Starxource plant by destroying its cooling facility (as the electrified rats cannot withstand the heat of each other). This costs the Elgen Corporation billions of dollars, and the country of Peru a national crisis. The Peruvian government labels the Electroclan (with the exception of Michael and Tanner) terrorists.

In Battle of the Ampere, Hatch his loyal Glows take over the Ampere with three corrupt board members (they go by numbers Six, Seven, and Eleven), and regains the position of CEO. Hatch announces that he plans to establish a land base for the corporation. He plans on taking over the small isle of Tuvalu with force, and use the Starxource Plant the company built there as a base of operations. Despite his efforts, Michael, Ostin Liss, Taylor, Jack, and McKenna destroy the Ampere, delaying Hatch's plants, much to his fury.

In Hunt For Jade Dragon, the Elgen Corporation, now having lost their main headquarters, briefly bases itself in the Taiwanese Starxource Plant after sailing to Taiwan from Peru in their fleet of ships. Unlike the Peruvian plant, the Taiwan plant is much more large and protected (because the company has stricken a deal with Taiwan's government, the Taiwanese Army is now guarding the plant with the Elgen's soldiers). The Electroclan manages to rescue Jade Dragon from the plant, but they are almost captured by the Army and the Elgen. In this book, Gervaso, a former marine who is in the resistance, reveals some history about the Elgen.

In Storm of Lightning, Hatch and the Elgen soldiers successfully overthrow the government of Tuvalu, and they take up base in their Starxource Plant. After the island's overthrow, Hatch has a meeting with the three board members, where they discuss the reproduction of the Glows. Hatch reveals that the Elgen scientists have developed a new electric-generator (powered by rats, respectively) called the Nova Starxource Pod, which grants the Elgen Corporation even more control to the world's energy (to the point where Elgen has a 98% monopoly of electrical supply in the world). After the meeting, Hatch learns that his former EGG (Elite Global Guard) David Welch has escaped from his brig on the Volta, the Elgen's science ship. He realizes that one of his Glows, Quentin, assisted him in his escape. Hatch, apoplectic with rage, captures Quentin and puts him in Cell 25, just like he did to Michael.

In Fall of Hades, the Elgen Corporation's power over Tuvalu is ruined when Michael climbs to a tower on Hades Island and explodes in a nuclear-fashion. Michael, who was being chased by almost all of the Elgen's security soldiers, blew Hades and his attackers into the sand, therefore decimating Elgen's forces. Effectively, without the Elgen guards, the Tuvaluans broke out of their prison and started a rebellion.

In the book, when Welch remembers his employment at Elgen, some more of the company's profile is revealed.

In The Final Spark, Hatch, who survived the explosion, calls in reinforcements from Taiwan, Peru, New Zealand, and the Philippines to protect him and regain control over Tuvalu. Paranoid that the natives could attack him, he arms everyone under his control with guns. When the Electroclan escapes in the Joule, the Elgen's floating treasury, he alerts the Philippines Secretary of Defense and tasks him to ambush the Joule with the Philippine Navy. The capture is successful, and he appoints Navy Captain Shool as the Elgen Army's chief admiral.

At the end of the book, Hatch is defeated by Michael (who emerges from his God-like state after the explosion) by being vaporized into nothing, and the company is taken over by Carl Vey, who faked his death to hide from the Elgen all these years.

Under Vey's management, the Elgen Corporation abandons its plans for global energy control, and it becomes a more humanitarian corporation.

Employees

 * Dr. Hatch - CEO: He oversaw the production of the MEI and tested it on at least 59 infants. When he saw that seventeen infants had survived with electrical powers, he kidnapped them all and tried to force them into taking over the world with him. He was killed by Michael Vey.
 * Giacomo Schema - Chairman of the Board: Schema invested in the production of the MEI. After the machine failed, Schema and a group of investors became board members, and demoted Hatch. He was last seen abducted by Hatch's guards. It is unknown if he is still alive.
 * Six, Seven, Eleven - Corrupt board members: They remained board members after Hatch overthrew the Elgen company, and supported his world domination plans. It is unknown if they survived Michael's blast on Hades.
 * Two, Three, Four, Five, Eight, Nine, Ten, Twelve - Original board members: They were presumably investors of the MEI when it failed. They were captured by Hatch when he overthrew the Elgen. However, they were freed by the Electroclan. Only board members Two and Ten were murdered. The survivors were captured by Hatch.
 * Elgen Soldiers - Security forces: Were hired as security guards, but turned into a private military commanded by Hatch. Most of them were incinerated on Hades after Michael's explosion. All of the remaining guards surrendered and presumably became security officers again.
 * David Welch - Former Head of Security: He was the commander of the Elgen Army until he defected to the Electroclan. He is the current CEO after Hatch's death.
 * Dr. Steven R. Coonradt - Director of Research and Development: Coonradt temporarily became "the voice" and led the Electroclan on dangerous missions. It is unknown if he was freed when he was arrested by Hatch.
 * Carl T. Vey - Current Chairman of the Board: Although not entirely an employee of the Elgen Corporation itself, he worked as a research manager at Pasadena General Hospital. He faked his death and led the resistance with Coonradt. After Hatch's death, he became the new chairman, replacing Schema and the original board of directors.
 * Elgen Scientists - Medical doctors and scientists: Helped develop the electric rats. Still employed by Elgen.
 * J.D. - Hired Bounty Hunter: He stroke a deal with Hatch to bring Welch and the Electroclan to him. He committed suicide to avoid being eaten alive by Hatch's rats.
 * Captain School - Chief Admiral of Elgen Navy: Once the leader of the Philippine Navy, he was personally appointed as Chief Admiral. Possibly deceased when Michael vaporized Hatch's bodyguards.
 * Patrick - Chief of Security: He hired Welch. Before he retired, he promoted Welch to acting head of security.
 * Briton Hill - CEO and Possible Founder (deceased)

Trivia

 * According to Hatch, the Elgen was originally a small business known as Amberz before it was incorporated.
 * It is unknown if the corporation's legal name was "Elgen Corporation" or if it was "Elgen Inc.", seeing as the company is referred to by both names.
 * "Elgen Inc"" is the corporate name for the company in newspapers and commercials, and on their website it is titled Elgen Incorporated. However, the resistance and Electroclan members refer to it as the "Elgen Corporation", so it is likely that Elgen Inc. is the company's actual name.
 * It is unclear who founded the corporation in the 1980s. However, in Fall of Hades, a man named Briton Hill is the CEO of the company by the time Welch was hired, so it is possible that he was the founder.
 * This is backed by the fact that (if one does the math ) Welsh was hired in 1989, and the Elgen Corporation was founded in 1984.
 * According to Michael, the company is being renamed Veytric Inc., after his father takes over the company.
 * After the end of The Final Spark, Michael's father takes over the company. It is unknown what the company does after this, or if it continues to operate the Starxource plants. However, it can be assumed that the latter is correct because the company's new name, Veytric, is a portmanteau of "Vey" and "Electric".
 * Typically, both names for the corporation suggest some sort of electrical energy production such as Vey-tric (Vey and electric) and El-gen (electricity and generation)
 * Chronologically speaking, Dr. Hatch was employed by the Elgen for sixteen years, ever since 1996. If Michael was fifteen by 2011 (when the first book was released), he would have been born in 1996. In Fall of Hades, after the MEI was invented, Hatch was hired as CEO when Briton Hill died.
 * It is stated by the resistance members that the Elgen company is earning $7 billion dollars a year as an energy corporation. It is unknown of how much money the Elgen earned as a medical products company.
 * It is shown that the Elgen have high-level connections to government, military, police, and economy. As stated in Rise of the Elgen, the corporation has inroads into those four things.
 * In the same book, when Sharon Vey threatens Hatch that they'll come find her, he mistakes "they'll" as the Meridian Police Department, and mockingly states that he owns them. This is possibly an example to corporatocracy.