The Resistance (City of Heroes)

Vigilante Group
Full Name	The Resistance
Alias	Unified People's Army (UPA), (Reformed name)
Origin	City of Heroes: Going Rogue
Foundation	November, 27, 2002
Headquarters	Nova Praetoria Underground Imperial Praetorian Underground Neuropolis Underground The Compound, First Ward Grandville Striga Island
Commanders	Calvin Scott (Founder) Vanessa DeVore (Head of Security) Belladonna Vetrano (Operation Organizer)
Agents	Specialized Members Beholder Crow (double agent, deceased) Dr. Steffard Dr. Helix Hatchet Jack Hammer Vagabond Wardog Named soldiers Ford Dumpster Windshield Quinley Tock Pipe Ringtone Akimbo Poster Girl Double Barrel Rebar Twitcher Tire Iron Gasoline Drummer Scissors Sickle Book Keeper Rothstein Bottleneck Mondo Knockout Arsenal Skip Screwdriver Traffic Point Blank Hat Trick Brella Brickwall Icicle Hangnail Stairwell Kill Team Color Blind Rank and File Resistance Fighters Elite Resistance Fighters Resistance Recruits Resistance Recruits Resistance Commandos Elite Resistance Commandos Resistance Heavy Barrels Resistance Heavy Barrel Elites Resistance Heavy Hands Resistance Heavy Hands Elite Resistance Recruits Resistance Veterans Resistance Officers Elite Resistance Officers Runesoldiers
Powers / Skills	Access to laser-rifles Access to hand-grenades Access to body-armor Knowledge of the Praetorian Underground tunnels. Psychic dampening Alliance with Arachnos Alliance with the 5th Column.
Goals	Dethrone Tyrant Free the people of Preatoria Destroy Mother Mayhem Crumble the Praetorian government
Crimes	Theft Murder Destruction of property Kidnapping Abduction Ransom Treason Inciting violence Terrorism Arms Dealing Organizing riots Prison breaks Tampering with drinking water
Type of Villains	Terrorists / Rebels

“	Now then, let's see what we can do to take the fight to Cole.	„
	~ Calvin Scott

The Resistance of Praetoria is a radical organization from the M.M.O., City of Heroes, introduced in it's Going Rogue expansion. They exist to oppose the will of Emperor Cole, or "Tyrant" as they have dubbed him. They are part of "Praetorian Earth" - name for the reality alternate to the game's main one, the Praetorians have dubbed "Primal Earth". While the Resistance claim they represent change and an end to oppression, the Imperial Praetorians say they are rampant anarchists and just exist to cause chaos - both may be true to an extent, for the Resistance is quite large and members range from those who only want to remove an oppressive system, to those who view society as a concept with contempt and want to burn down whole cities.

The Hamidon Wars

On March 8th in 2003 a great disaster fell upon Earth, in the alternate reality now called "Praetorian Earth", a scientist named Hamidon Pasalima mutated himself and became a massive amoeba like organism, made up of billions of spores. The Spores he gave off hard-wired the nerves-system of any biological thing they touched and animated any piece of rock or plant they touched - resulting in monsters called the "Devouring Earth". Hamidon was at the-end stage a hive-mind made up of the spores and the animate element beasts just extensions of him. But the real danger was of the spores that infected normal people. People were conscious, but unable to extend command over their own bodies as they spores turned over full control of their nerves-system to Hamidon. Eventually growths of spores were gestate and clutter so much, those infected became like unto monsters themselves nick-named "The Devoured". Hamidon was a radical environmentalist whose end goal was to rid the planet of corporate masters who would steadily drain the planet of it's resources and destroy the environment with pollution. The mutation seems to have altered Hamidon's behavior, and now, apart from just targeted polluting companies, he wants to Devour all humanity, until the planet is nothing but a giant petri dish of Devouring Earth Spores.Civilizations fell. Entire countries were destroyed. With the monsters both massive and able to convert the soldiers fighting them, Hamidon seemed unstoppable. However he was opposed by the super-hero Marcus Cole.

Marcus Cole had discovered a Well while touring Europe in World War One, with his friend and foster brother, Stefan Richter. The Well of the Furies was a hidden resting place for the powers of the gods of old, the two had pieced together the location from various folks-tales and old documents they started to notice a pattern of, in during their tour of Europe. In drinking from the Well, they would become real-demi-gods or "Incarnate"- mortals vested with divine properties. Alas, Stefan died just before being empowered, but Marcus survived, and agreed to become an avatar of the Well itself. At the site of the Well was also Pandora's box - unleashing it would ignite potential in people for each year it had been closed, as it had not been opened in over two thousand years, when Marcus opened it, it created a butterfly effect and meta-humans began rising up to levels previously only seen in times of myth and legend. Marcus had spent several years fighting crime, and felt that in opening the box, while he had given the world "Hope", he had also unleashed "Evils" on it, via those who would misuse their power. Cole saw Hamidon as one of the worst examples of evil meta-humans and felt it was his responsibility to stop the Devouring Earth. Cole fought and eventually won with the help of other meta-humans and highly competent normal humans. In the end Hamidon was driven back - deeper into the forests, but the massive war had seen near all the world was made of these spore forests, and most major cities were in ruins.

Cole zipped around the world at super-speed and rounded up all remaining non-infected he could find. He created sheltered cities as the last bastion of humanity, and dubbed society the "Praetorian Empire". Marcus was a fan of ancient Rome, and decided to impose a rule similar to the Praetorian Generals of Rome, where those holding down the city, were it's decision makers during times of war/emergency. He declared himself the Emperor of this new Empire and selected a group of meta-humans who had been most relied upon during the Hamidon War as his Praetors - generals/societal leaders. He appointed the psychic Shalice Tilman as his Praetor of mental well-being, the genetically enhanced Steven Berry was appointed as Praetor of scientific advancement, the power-suit-clad engineer - Dr. Raymond Keyes was appointed as his Praetor of technology, the mercenary Justin Sinclair was made Praetor of security, the head of a convoy of surviving uninfected by the name of Michael White was appointed Praetor of law enforcement and Alexis Duncan, Marcus Cole's grand-daughter was made Praetor of public safety.

The Praetors founded a new society, using their powers to rebuild civilization, make improvements to it, and keep the people of Praetoria safe from the Devouring Earth, still stirring outside their walls.

Curious Case of Calvin Scott

Calvin Scott was a former soldier in the Hamidon War. He was sent to the Mother of Mercy Mental Hospital run by Praetor Shalice "Mother" Tilman. Scott had P.T.S.D. and was enrolled in the hospital by Praetor Tilman to recover along with many, many others. Scott would tell the stories of what happened to him in the hospital to any who would listen. To hear Scott tell it, his wife, Aurora Scott Pena, was his wife and worked at the hospital as a therapist. Aurora was a mutant, born with psychic powers, so she made a good therapist for the mentally ill and traumatize, so Scott was at first happy to be getting care from his wife for his P.T.S.D.. But shortly after being declared a Praetor, Tilman or "Mother" as she preferred to be called (seeing herself as a Mother the troubled minds of the people of Praetoria), was seriously injured by a Devouring Earth. Mother nearly died and was on life-support in the hospital. Aurora went to check on her overseer but would not return, at least, not as herself.

According to Mother, Aurora offered herself willingly for a technique Mother had called "Mind-riding", which amounted to Mother transferring her mind to a new brain and operating out of the new body as her own. Aurora was a loyal servant and a powerful mutant, so combining both psychic talents as one, with Mother at the helm, she became not merely a powerful psychic, but the worlds most powerful psychic. She would stimulate and search-out other psychics to create a linked telepathic network all hooked up to her/Aurora's brain at the head of it. Mother claims to use this network she dubs "The Seer Network" to police the thoughts of the people of Praetoria to ensure no one disrupts the peace, or gets the help they need if they are distressed. Being telepathically linked to the minds of the other psychics in the Seer Network, make Mother the strongest psychic force on the planet, all within telepathically functioning as extensions of Mother.

Calvin Scott tells a different story. According to him, Aurora gave no such consent. Mother needed a psychic brain to possess and his poor Aurora was the only psychic employee so she was taken over by the body-hopping psychic.

Mind-Riding takes some time to undertake, during the merger of Aurora and Shalice, security in the Seer Network was down, the Mother of Mercy Mental Hospital, usually omniscient, was down while Mother was integrating herself into Aurora. Scott used the lull to break-out of the Mother of Mercy Mental Hospital, he is the only person to date to do so. He claims Aurora spoke to him telepathically and told him what was happening. Hiding him from Mother was all she could do as her mind was being taken over and Scott ran, determined to get out and spread the word. According to Scott the only thing harder than over-coming security was knowing he had to leave his wife-behind, but later the only thing harder than that, was seeing said wife as the new body of the monster that had tried to keep him locked up and taken her from him forever. As of the moment Mother emerged in Aurora's body, Calvin gave her the new nick-name "Mother Mayhem".

Resistance Rises

Calvin Scott met with a mutant mystic named Vanessa DeVore, while ducking the Praetorian Authorities. Vanessa kept Calvin mentally shielded from the Seer Network, and Calvin kept Vanessa safe from more physical pursuers and helped map out the old subway/sewer systems of the Praetorian underground. Calvin found a former apprentice to Praetor Sinclair named Belladonna Vetrano who realized she was not being trained as a soldier but an assassin and saw Praetor Sinclair as a blood-psychopath who just happened to be validated by the state and had left, just barely alive. While Scott was making contact with Vetrano, Vanessa had heard Emperor Cole had undertaken witch-trials, either recruit or destroy anyone or thing of magic origins, as magic might be the only thing that could challenge him and he intend it to be either on his side or destroyed.

Cole had heard of a ghost called Tammy Arcanus, whose soul had summoned back to life by her magician father but who, in a fit of ghostly malice had killed him. As Tammy was bound to her father's pendant in undeath, Cole saw an opportunity and took the pendant and with it, Tammy as his personal ghost mage. Tammy was bound to do as Cole said lest he destroy her tie to the world and began purging other mystics for him. She would be dubbed "Diabolique" by Cole - seeing her as a wicked spirit made to do good via her ties to him. Diabolique's inquisition of other mystics had resulted in many deaths and bound souls.

Between the mass witch-trials of Diabolique and the psychic arms-race of Mother Mayhem, there were many with extra-talents fleeing the Praetorian government. Vanessa took in all the mystics and psychics she could find, and taught them her technique for hiding from Mother's ever present gaze. Soon Vanessa had formed her own network from the collective mystics and psychics she called "The Carnival of Light", for they were a light in the Darkness of Praetoria, and the magical mask she used to boost her psychic powers made her look like a carnival mistress. Once Vanessa brought the Carnival of Light back to Calvin and Belladonna, Calvin realized they had enough mystics to hide hundreds, maybe thousands from Mother, if they could find others oppressed by Emperor Cole, or "Tyrant" as he was then calling him. Calvin Scott, Vanessa DeVore and Belladonna Vetrano decided to form The Resistance. Who would stand up to the Praetorian government.

Calvin Scott organized the day-to-day activities of the Resistance, from supply-runs, to counter-measures to recruitment of the disenfranchisement. Vanessa DeVore kept training and looking for mystics and psychics to add to their Carnival of Light, her activities include mental shielding, telepathic communication and trying to rehabilitate Seers previously enthralled to the Seer Network, though she refuses to control anyone outright. Belladonna Vetrano sought out hardened soldiers, veterans from the Hamidon War and any former political figures of the previous society that would see a new government formed. Between the three of them, The Resistance became quite massive for a rebel group.

Freedom Fighters/Terrorists

While Vanessa refuses to use force for anything other than immediate protection, Belladonna and Calvin are much more hostile and thus too are their supplicants. Belladonna Vetrano wants peace, she saw enough mindless killing working for Praetor Sinclair and he is the reason she left, however she is under no delusions, oppression can only ever be overturned with force, and she trains her veterans to undertake high-stakes military sieges of major Praetorian resources. Calvin Scott is by far the most violent of the three as are his underlings. Where the Carnival of Light are hands-off support, and Belladonna Vetrano and her vets are a tactical defense response, Calvin Scott encourages outright acts of terror. Players who decide to start off in the Resistance and work for Calvin Scott and his more radical lieutenants will find themselves being asked to do things like destroy a water purification plants, raid hospitals and even blow-up massive parts of the city; Each Calvin labels as necessary, the water outside the walls of Praetoria is thick with Hamidon spores so the government provides purified water, which actually has several additives to induce compliance, the hospitals allow injured soldiers to recover, and Cole draws his power from many parts of the city that are best destroyed to choke Cole's operations. There is a Behavioral Adjustment Facility or B.A.F. or "BAF", where any Resistance found are rounded up to be "reconditioned" anyone with deviant thoughts is taken there to be broken down and indoctrinated to Emperor Cole. Any who resist the normal brainwashing techniques are shipped to the Mother of Mercy Mental Hospital for complete mental reprogramming. The BAF is not easily broken into but it can be done. Whenever someone resists long enough to be set to he shipped out to the Mother of Mercy, The Resistance prioritize attempting a prison breaks, and Calvin Scott has emphasized the horrors of the Mental Hospitals and no one has ever returned from it, at least, not as themselves anymore. Many broken out of the BAF are mentally unstable and join the Resistance; As a result the Resistance is plagued by the those with major mental problems, however they all claim their only unhinged because of the brainwashing techniques used inside, it is left ambiguous how many are traumatized and how many are legitimately mentally ill.

Praetor Keyes would discover an alternate reality, plagued with meta-human crime and fought by meta-human heroes but where Hamidon had never gotten a chance to insight a war and corrupt the environment on a global scale. Keyes would dub this world "Primal Earth" - the main reality of the City of Heroes/City of Villains. Emperor Cole would attempt to seize it as a new world to escape into for his people and rule. The heroes of Primal Earth would foil Tyrant's initial attempted invasion, and deliver the first defeat to each Praetor any had felt in a long time, ending with the portal between worlds destroyed. However the data on the dimensional location was saved. Vetrano's agents had retrieved the designs and frequency for Primal Earth from Praetor Keyes, and bought it to the rest of The Resistance. It was certain Tyrant would try an invasion again, one more organized than before; Before he did The Resistance raced to get more and more advanced technology and build their own portal. Between their thefts and sabotage of Praetoria's reattempts to activate a new portal, The Resistance managed to make contact with Primal Earth. Those working for the Resistance will find they have benefactors from Primal Earth, who intend to topple the Praetorian government. Late in the main story arc of Praetoria it is revealed the ones Calvin Scott made contact with, were Arachnos, a villain organization/government of Primal Earth, and main antagonists of the game. Arachnos formed it's own Seer Network, it is not used to enslave the psychics in it, but a voluntary telepathic link that ensures loyalty and quick coordination. Arachnos's Seer Network is far more massive and grants outright immunity to mind-reading/mind-control to those under it's umbrella; As such the moment Arachnos arrived on the scene they Resistance stopped hiding in sewers by their Carnival of Light units and started massive assaults on their targets - protected from Mother Mayhem's eyes and enthrallment. Arachnos is commanded by Lord Recluse - Stefan Richter, the man who discovered The Well of the Furies with Marcus Cole in both realities, but as it turns out was killed by Cole. Lord Recluse granted aid to the Resistance when they presented him with the covered-up evidence of Marcus's murder of Stefan. Aside from seeking to avenge his alternate-self, Lord Recluse sees an opportunity to turn Praetoria into a new empire for Arachnos. Calvin Scott and Lord Recluse are in an agreement, that either the Resistance will establish a new government and Arachnos will be closely allied with it, or Arachnos itself will make the new government and the Resistance will be pardoned of any previous crimes and be able to start new lives in it. But both seek to destroy Emperor Cole's oppressive "peace".

Gallery

Calvin Scott - character design by David Nakayama