ILLUMINATI

HISTORY

The Illuminati was founded by the immortal Vandal Savage in the waning days of ancient Atlantis, before the last vestiges of the legendary land sank below the waves. The so-called Brotherhood of Light preached darkness and greed and contributed to the final decline of Atlantean society. The Brotherhood of Light survived the sinking of Atlantis and eventually embedded itself in the new home of human civilization in Mesopotamia. Savage still operated openly, taking different names. In Ancient Egypt the Brotherhood served as sorcerers under Savage when he was known as the Pharaoh Khafre.

By the Middle Ages the society had moved into the shadows and adopted the more familiar Illuminati name. To manipulate the Church the Illuminati introduced the ancient cup that would be mistaken for the Holy Grail. An order of knights sprung up around this false Grail and acted in the service of the Illuminati. These knights are historically confused with the Knights Templar because of their use of a red cross emblazoned on their tunics, but their earliest recorded appearance predates the founding of the Templars by several centuries. In fact Savage and the Illuminati may have been behind Philippe IV and Pope Clement V's crusade against the Cathars and the Templars.

The Illuminati have been a secret power behind the throne of the United States since the country's founding. In 1776 the Illuminati substituted a double for George Washington, gaining power in the new nation, and in the 1870s they backed Diaz in Mexico and ensured that Rutherford Hayes won the contested Presidential election in 1876.

The overall goal of the Illuminati is the accumulation of wealth and political power, in addition to serving Savage in the latter's efforts at world domination. The Illuminati control large parts of the western world, though the surprise election of Lex Luthor to the office of President has at least temporarily curtailed many of their efforts in the United States.

VANDAL SAVAGE

PERSONAL DATA

• Alter Ego: Vandar Adg
• Occupation: Conqueror
• Group Affiliation: Injustice Society of the World, Illuminati
• Known Relatives: Wilde Family
• Base of Operations: Mobile
• Known Aliases: Khafre (Fourth Dynasty pharaoh)

HISTORY

Vandal Savage has pursued power relentlessly ever since he gained his immortality. Over the last several centuries, he has adopted innumerable personalities and subtly manipulated history in ways that benefit himself. Among the historical figures he claims were actually himself are Cheops, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, and Vlad the Impaler.

Until recently, Savage enjoyed direct conflict with his enemies. But after he encountered the powerful metahuman heroes of the 20th Century, he began distancing himself from his dirty work as much as possible, reducing the chance that he might suffer a permanent defeat. Now he mainly works through intermediaries and limits his own direct involvement to the predictable gloat that precedes a plan coming to fruition.

In recent years Vandal Savage crossed paths with the hero team Justice Inc. on several occasions. As part of his quest for the Heart of Reason, Savage confronted the hero ArcAngel more than once and was ultimately responsible for her death.

Savage's ultimate ambition, of course, is the complete conquest of the world. The one unique virtue he brings to this ambition is patience. Unlike many of his rivals in the super-villain community, Savage is willing to bide his time. After all, only his enemies are getting older.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Vandal Savage's foremost ability is his longevity; he is nearly immortal, though he can be killed by extreme injuries. Savage is also inhumanly strong (able to bench-press almost 25 tons); his body is extremely durable, making him impervious to most normal injuries; and he has the ability to warp between dimensions a power that comes in handy when he needs to beat a hasty retreat.

Savage is also extremely intelligent and over the millennia he has mastered all manner of skills, particularly those that pertain to combat and warfare. Savage is also a master manipulator, as skilled a tactician behind the scenes as he is on the battlefield.