Worlds of Freedom Design Journal #3
The Annihilists
Omega, of course, is more than just a cosmically powered megalomaniac; he commands a formidable force of warriors, psychopaths, and sadists. The saddest thing is they were once the greatest heroes of their home worlds, but they’ve been corrupted, either by twisting their codes of honor, being persuaded to abandon them, or just plain cowardice in the face of an unstoppable force consuming their own universes. They include:
• Shadivan Steelgrave: The most powerful and corrupt of Omega’s Annihilists was once Steelguard, one of the greatest heroes of his homeworld, captain of the Heroic Assembly. He became obsessed with a prediction by his futurism machine, fortelling certain planetary destruction unless draconian measures to control superhumans were instituted. Steelguard began a bloody civil war among superhumans on his world, telling himself he had to be realistic, that his old ideals were naďve and would only lead to disaster. In the end, he won: all of his old friends were killed or subverted, and when the Terminus invaded, there were no heroes to stop them.
Steelgrave is now Omega’s chief lieutenant, his chief weaponsmith and strategist, and head of his campaign to conquer Earth. Steelgrave believes in humiliating an enemy before striking the final blow, and intends to find new ways to debase and degrade the heroes of Earth—it’s for their own good, after all, since ideals and heroism are such outdated concepts.
• Mandragora: Mandragora, Dragon of the Terminus, was once hero of a mighty world of fantastic magic and dragons coexisting with modern metropolises. He was the Dragonblood, the man who brought dragon and mankind together. He fought Omega, as was his heroic duty, but when he was beaten, he bowed before him and said: “This world is yours. As am I, master.” Techno-Chivalry demanded it. Since then, whether astride a great dragon-headed battle cruiser or on a planet hunting Furions, Mandragora serves Omega, the noblest of his servants—and yet more loyal than anyone who’s been brainwashed into the fold.
• The Madrigal Martinet: The Madrigal was a superheroine who fought against a tyrannical overlord on her homeworld. Raised by the advanced Kordions, she was chosen as the Champion of Peace, granted a protective enchantment so no weapon crafted by the hand of man could harm her. Madrigal went off the deep end after the Warlord destroyed Kordialis Island and brutally murdered her children on live-broadcast on the worldwide communications network. When Shadivan Steelgrave offered her the chance to destroy the Warlord, she took it, even though it meant the destruction of the entire world she once fought to liberate. And, she enjoyed it. Now is is the commander of Omega’s forces, drill-sergeant of the Final Armada.
• Physician Friendly: The Physician was the greatest hero of his world, a man who organized the resistance against the Nanoknights when they took over. When he defeated the Nanoknights and was put in charge of the rebuilding project, the Physician realized it was a lost cause. The damage done by the Nanoknights, not only on his world, but on the entire universe, was irreversible—incurable cosmic cancer eating away at reality—and people were doomed to a long, slow death. Then, a strange, armored man suggested he simply put the universe out of its misery, quickly and painlessly. He did, but the experience drove him mad.
Now Physician Friendly runs the Helpful Hospice on Nihilor where proles, Omegadrones, and prisoners go to receive his “compassionate care.” With the assistance of his robotic Nightmare Nurses (who give bad patients “a right good scare”), he keeps things running smoothly, always willing to share a smile and a song with his patients while asking them to “tell the doctor where it hurts,” so he can find out more.
These four Annihilists are Omega’s chief lieutenants. There are many others including: Abby-Brio, the Counter; Dakbane, the Twenty-One-Gun Kid (Omega’s page); the Black Beacon; Intendant Kruulthane, High Priest of the Terminus; Duke Nullus; Maven Magnessa (star of what passes in the Terminus for “entertainment,” which consists mostly of watching her stuntpeople die), and the Magnificent Malicia.
One thing the Annihilists all have in common is a punishment implant, inserted into their brains by Physician Friendly as part of their “conversion.” It allows Omega to inflict terrible pain on them at will, even kill them, if he wishes. Although the Annihilists are rarely ever inclined to question their master’s will, the implants help ensure their continued loyalty and obedience.
