History Main / NebulousCriminalConspiracy

*** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'': It's actually revealed that Quantum and Le Chiffre were [[spoiler:fronts for SPECTRE]], and that they bankrolled RogueAgent turned cyber-criminal Raoul Silva in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''. Their EvilPlan in ''Spectre'' is to [[spoiler:[[FalseFlagOperation stage a series of terrorist attacks]] in order to trick the governments of the world into setting up a joint intelligence and surveillance sharing network -- which they'll have total access to thanks to their [[TheMole moles]], allowing them to stay permanently one step ahead of the opposition.]]

** [[ComicBook/{{Hydra}} HYDRA]] began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazis in the closing days of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. They were infrequently allies with ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'s evil {{ninja}} enemies The Hand (in some tellings, HYDRA began as an offshoot, a faction subverted by Nazis), and used to team up with the Maggia, who were Marvel's politically correct {{exp|y}}ies of TheMafia (though The Mafia have also started popping up in stories as well). Their science division AIM also went their own way, but they still team up from time to time. AIM both creates the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]]. HYDRA are reponsible for bringing back the ComicBook/RedSkull (who quickly betrayed them). One of HYDRA's leaders and main assassins is Viper/Madame Hydra, who once dated the Red Skull (he left her- ''she was too evil'') as well as [[ComicBook/XMen The Silver Samurai]], and usually leads the snake-themed mercenaries the Serpent Squad, who consequently are often in HYDRA's employ. The Squad's current leader is Sin, the Red Skull's daughter. WordOfGod even modeled them after SPECTRE, the NebulousEvilOrganization that File/JamesBond frequently fights in the books and movies.

* In the upcoming NBC series ''Odyssey'', a soldier uncovers that a Military-Industrial Complex MegaCorp has been funding jihadists and goes on the run from PrivateMilitaryContractors across the desert, while back stateside, a corporate lawyer and a political activist stumble upon more threads of TheConspiracy.

** The most recent films providing good examples as Le Chiffre from ''Film/{{Casino Royale|2006}}'' is bankrolling African terrorists as an employee of NebulousEvilOrganization Quantum, who in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' are trying to set up a Bolivian general as a dictator to seize control of Bolivia's water, and whose members include evil phony philanthropist Dominic Greene and an advisor to the British Prime Minister. They also convince the CIA and, later, MI6 to go along with their schemes under false pretences. They seem to be motivated by power more than by cash, and probably have some kind of ideology.

*** As in the classic continuity, [[spoiler:SPECTRE]] is a shadowy, [[TheIlluminati Illuminati-esque]] cabal of crooked politicians, businessmen, criminals, terrorists and officials working behind the scenes and manipulating geopolitical events from {{Black Site}}s, secretly meeting to discuss their global criminal operations, and killing those who get in their way.

*** As in the classic continuity, [[spoiler:SPECTRE is a shadowy cabal of crooked politicians, businessmen, criminals, terrorists and officials working behind the scenes and manipulating geopolitical events from {{Black Site}}s, secretly meeting to discuss their global criminal operations, and killing those who get in their way.]]

*** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'': It's actually revealed that Quantum [[spoiler:is a faction of SPECTRE]], and that it was also behind the events of ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', where they bankrolled RogueAgent turned cyber-criminal Raoul Silva in an effort to shut down MI6. Their EvilPlan in ''Spectre'' is to [[spoiler:[[FalseFlagOperation stage a series of terrorist attacks]] in order to trick the governments of the world into setting up a joint intelligence and surveillance sharing network -- which they'll have total access to thanks to their [[TheMole moles]], allowing them to stay permanently one step ahead of the opposition.]] And as in the classic continuity, [[spoiler:SPECTRE is a shadowy cabal of crooked politicians, businessmen, criminals, terrorists and officials working behind the scenes and manipulating geopolitical events from {{Black Site}}s, secretly meeting to discuss their global criminal operations. In essence, SPECTRE is a shadow government.]]
** As an underworld banker for not only Quantum but many other clients (it's implied that the 9/11 perpetrators were among them), Le Chiffre is basically a one-man show, who constitutes the link between a huge and diverse number of terrorist organizations whose money he secures and launders. This largely explains why MI6 is so interested in capturing him.

** [[ComicBook/{{Hydra}} HYDRA]] began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazis in the closing days of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. They were infrequently allies with ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'s evil {{ninja}} enemies The Hand (in some tellings, HYDRA began as an offshoot, a faction subverted by Nazis), and used to team up with the Maggia, who were Marvel's politically correct {{exp|y}}ies of TheMafia (though The Mafia have also started popping up in stories as well). Their science division AIM also went their own way, but they still team up from time to time. AIM both creates the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]]. HYDRA are reponsible for bringing back the ComicBook/RedSkull (who quickly betrayed them). One of HYDRA's leaders and main assassins is Viper/Madame Hydra, who once dated the Red Skull (he left her- ''she was too evil'') as well as [[ComicBook/XMen The Silver Samurai]], and usually leads the snake-themed mercenaries the Serpent Squad, who consequently are often in HYDRA's employ. The Squad's current leader is Sin, the Red Skull's daughter. WordOfGod even said that they were modeled after SPECTRE, the NebulousEvilOrganization that File/JamesBond frequently fights in the books and moviews.
** The Hand (or a group of them) are presently run by ComicBook/TheKingpin (who took over from ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} himself). They are responsible for training Daredevil's girlfriend ComicBook/{{Elektra}} and his newer enemy Lady Bullseye up as assassins, and are a magical cult led by demons who worship another demonic creature called [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Beast]], who recruit members by killing them and ressurrecting them as either undead ninja or, if they are named superheroes/villains, brainwashed killing machines. The Hand started off as poltically motivated rebels before being taken over by a more even cult called the Snakeroot, who generally form the Hand's elite. In the one-shot ''Wolverine: Enemy of the State'' they allied with HYDRA and also took over a mutant terrorist group Dawn of the White Light, and "recruited" dozens of lesser D-list characters into their ranks (and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}). That same story introduced an old hag called Elsbeth, a psycho devil worshipper and one of the richest people on the planet who spent her fortune on funding HYDRA and other evil conspiracies.

** [[ComicBook/{{Hydra}} HYDRA]] began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazis in the closing days of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. They were infrequently allies with ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'s evil {{ninja}} enemies The Hand (in some tellings, HYDRA began as an offshoot, a faction subverted by Nazis), and used to team up with the Maggia, who were Marvel's politically correct {{exp|y}}ies of TheMafia (though The Mafia have also started popping up in stories as well). Their science division AIM also went their own way, but they still team up from time to time. AIM both creates the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]]. HYDRA are reponsible for bringing back the ComicBook/RedSkull (who quickly betrayed them). One of HYDRA's leaders and main assassins is Viper/Madame Hydra, who once dated the Red Skull (he left her- ''she was too evil'') as well as [[ComicBook/XMen The Silver Samurai]], and usually leads the snake-themed mercenaries the Serpent Squad, who consequently are often in HYDRA's employ. The Squad's current leader is Sin, the Red Skull's daughter.

*** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'': [[spoiler:It's actually revealed that Quantum is a faction of SPECTRE, and that it was behind the events of ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', where they bankrolled RogueAgent turned cyber-criminal Raoul Silva in an effort to shut down MI6. Their EvilPlan in ''Spectre'' is to [[FalseFlagOperation stage a series of terrorist attacks]] in order to trick the governments of the world into setting up a joint intelligence and surveillance sharing network -- which, thanks to their [[TheMole moles]], they'll have total access to, allowing them to stay permanently one step ahead of the opposition. And as in the classic continuity, SPECTRE is a shadowy cabal of crooked politicians, businessmen, criminals, terrorists and officials working behind the scenes and manipulating geopolitical events from {{Black Site}}s, secretly meeting to discuss their global criminal operations. In essence, SPECTRE is a ShadowGovernment.]]
** As an underworld banker for not only Quantum but many other clients (it's implied that the 9/11 perpetrators were among them), Le Chiffre is basically a one-man Nebulous Criminal Conspiracy, who constitutes the link between a huge and diverse number of terrorist organizations whose money he secures and launders. This largely explains why MI6 is so interested in capturing him.

** The most recent films providing good examples as Le Chiffre from ''Film/{{Casino Royale|2006}}'' is bank rolling African terrorists as an employee of NebulousEvilOrganization Quantum, who in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' are trying to set up a Bolivian general as a dictator to seize control of Bolivia's water, and whose members include evil phony philanthropist Dominic Greene and an advisor to the British Prime Minister. They also convince the CIA and, later, MI6 to go along with their schemes under false pretences. They seem to be motivated by power more than by cash, and probably have some kind of ideology.
*** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'': [[spoiler:It's actually revealed that Quantum is a faction of SPECTRE, and that it was behind the events of ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''. And as in the classic continuity, SPECTRE is a cabal of crooked politicians, businessmen, criminals, terrorists and officials working behind the scenes and manipulating geopolitical events from {{Black Site}}s, secretly meeting to discuss their global criminal operations.]]

** The trope was less overt in earlier films, but SPECTRE is involved in drug running, the Great Train Robbery, nuclear terrorism, and has as members a world chess champion, the former head of SMERSH, a mad scientist, a playboy, a Japanese chemical company, and is recognisable to the public as the International Brotherhood for the Assistance of Stateless Persons. They also do mercenary work for an unidentified country, probably Red China.
** The most recent films providing good examples as Le Chiffre from ''Film/{{Casino Royale|2006}}'' is bank rolling African terrorists as an employee of NebulousEvilOrganization Quantum, who in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' are trying to set up a Bolivian general as a dictator to seize control of Bolivia's water, and whose members include evil phony philanthropist Dominic Greene and an advisor to the British Prime Minister. They also convince the CIA and, later, MI6 to go along with their schemes under false pretences. They seem to be motivated by power more than by cash, and probably have some kind of ideology.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' Online features The Professionals, an inmensely powerful crime network that operates in San Andreas. They are ex-military operatives involved in drug trade, and they are affiliated with various other gangs such as the Ballas, the Vagos, and The Lost MC. The Professionals seem to be affiliated with the FBI as well.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoOnline'' features The Professionals, an inmensely powerful crime network that operates in San Andreas. They are ex-military operatives involved in drug trade, and they are affiliated with various other gangs such as the Ballas, the Vagos, and The Lost MC. The Professionals seem to be affiliated with the FBI as well.

[[AC: Real Life]]

* In RealLife, most well-known cartels, terrorist groups and crime syndicates really are inter-linked and will frequently do business with each other, because they don't have much choice, what with being illegal and all. Intelligence organizations usually monitor such relationships and may get involved in them in pursuit of their own goals.

* In Creator/MarvelComics, it was recently established that Comicbook/NormanOsborn used to work for various shady industrialists, who used him and others to fund and create low and mid-level supervillains for the heroes to fight so that they won't have time to turn on them for all their misdeeds. They seemingly did not plan for Osborn to become an insane superpowered supervillain in his own right. It is strongly implied that he was not the only such businessman they hired and they have apparently been up to this since at least the days of Comicbook/CaptainAmerica.
* Another Comicbook/SpiderMan villain, The Tinkerer, operates on a much smaller scale. Amongst other things, he is responsible for helping deck out Mysterio with his toys, and in the ''ComicBook/SecretWar'' storyline it was revelaed he is one of a number of arms dealers and rogues who are supplied by Latveria (though Doom wasn't actually in charge of the country during that particular story; it is still the kind of thing Doom probably does).
* ComicBook/{{HYDRA}} infrequently allies with Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'s evil {{ninja}} enemies The Hand (in some tellings, HYDRA began as an offshoot, a faction subverted by Nazis), and used to team up with the Maggia, who were Marvel's politically correct [[{{Expy}} expies]] of TheMafia (though TheMafia have also started popping up in stories as well). Their science division AIM also went their own way, but they still team up from time to time.
** HYDRA are reponsible for [[VillainBall bringing back]] the ComicBook/RedSkull (who quickly betrayed them). They began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazi's in the closing days of WorldWarTwo, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. AIM both creates the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]].
*** One of HYDRA's leaders and main assassins is Viper/ Madame Hydra, who once dated the Red Skull (he left her- ''she was too evil'') as well as [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} The Silver Samurai]], and usually leads the snake-themed mercenaries the Serpent Squad, who consequently are often in HYDRA's employ. The Squad's current leader is Sin, the Red Skull's daughter.
** The Hand (or a group of them) are presently run by ComicBook/TheKingpin (who took over from ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} himself). They are responsible for training Daredevil's girlfriend ComicBook/{{Elektra}} and his newer enemy Lady Bullseye up as assassins, and are a magical cult led by demons who worship another demonic creature called [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Beast]], who recruit members by killing them and ressurrecting them as either undead ninja or, if they are named superheroes/ villains, brainwashed killing machines. The Hand started off as poltically motivated rebels before being taken over by a more even cult called the Snakeroot, who generally form the Hand's elite.
*** In the one-shot ''Wolverine: Enemy of the State'' they allied with HYDRA and also took over a mutant terrorist group Dawn of the White Light, and "recruited" dozens of lesser D-list characters into their ranks (and {{Wolverine}}. That same story introduced an old hag called Elsbeth, a psycho devil worshipper and one of the richest people on the planet who spent her fortune on funding HYDRA and other evil conspiracies.
** Maggia bosses include minor ComicBook/SpiderMan foes Silvermane and Hamerhead and old Avengers baddie Count Nefaria (who is the dad of ''ComicBook/IronMan'' baddie Madame Masque, another Maggia member). The are rivals of the Kingpin and other small-time crime lords, but have a lot of connections.
* And in Creator/DCComics, Intergang receives weapons from {{ComicBook/Darkseid}} himself, seemingly just to annoy {{Superman}}.
** Later, feeling that Intergang was small potatoes, Darkseid brought about the formation of the [[LegionOfDoom Secret Society of Super-Villains]], which in various incarnations ended up including just about every villain on Earth.

* ''Film/JamesBond'', the most recent films providing good examples as Le Chiffre from ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' is bank rolling African Terrorists as an employee of NebulousEvilOrganization Quantum, who in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' are trying to set up a Bolivian general as a dictator to seize control of Bolivia's water, and whose members include evil phony philanthropist Dominic Greene and an advisor to the British Prime Minister. They also convince the CIA and, later, MI6 to go along with their schemes under false pretences. They seem to be motivated by power more than by cash, and probably have some kind of ideology.

** The trope was less overt in earlier films, but SPECTRE is involved in drug running, The Great Train Robbery, nuclear terrorism, and has as members a world Chess champion, the former head of SMERSH, a mad scientist, a playboy, a Japanese chemical company, and is recognisable to the public as the International Brotherhood for the Assistance of Stateless Persons. They also do mercenary work for an unidentified country, probably Red China.

* ''{{Film/Taken}}''. A tour of the Parisian underground, from lowly Albanian thugs to crooked intelligence officers, to the wealthy Saudi Sheikh who is the client for all those pretty sex slaves.

* And in DCComics, Intergang receives weapons from {{ComicBook/Darkseid}} himself, seemingly just to annoy {{Superman}}.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', a secret society known as The Light seems to have connections or acts as [[TheManBehindTheMan the mastermind]] with nearly every villain that the heroes have faced so far.

** As an underworld banker for not only Quantum but many other clients (it's implied that the 9/11 perpetrators were among them), Le Chiffre is basically a one-man Nebulous Criminal Conspiracy, who connects with a huge and diverse number of terrorist organizations by securing and laundering their money. This largely explains why MI6 is so interested in capturing him.

* ''SinCity'' has shown that the cops and the mob are both pretty evil and at each others' throats but they do business with each other in ''Hell And Back''.

* Another Comicbook/SpiderMan villain, The Tinkerer, operates on a much smaller scale. Amongst other things, he is responsible for helping deck out Mysterio with his toys, and in the ''ComicBook/SecretWar'' storyline it was revelaed he is one of a number of arms dealers and rogues who are supplied by [[Comicbook/DoctorDoom Latveria]] (though Doom wasn't actually in charge of the country during that particular story; it is still the kind of thing Doom probably does).

** HYDRA are reponsible for [[VillainBall bringing back]] the RedSkull (who quickly betrayed them). They began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazi's in the closing days of WorldWarTwo, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. AIM both creates the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]].

* And in DCComics, Intergang receives weapons from {{Darkseid}} himself, seemingly just to annoy {{Superman}}.