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09-16-2016, 10:46 AM | #21 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY.
Posts: 2,258
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Quote:
Quote:
Haha, that's funny. The part with the crows is pretty much what I was talking about. Quote:
Quote:
True, although it's still a little strange to see every variant--such as the desert-themed Basilisk--include a windshield wiper and ski-torpedoes. I guess the windshield wiper could hypothetically help wipe dust and sand away, and ski-torpedoes could probably ski almost as well on sand as on snow. Doesn't explain the references to "thermal" on the decals, though; you'd think heating would be the last thing a desert halftrack needs. And for the HAVOC MK II, I could just imagine those ski-torpedoes getting tangled up in grass or undergrowth. (I still want it, though.)
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09-16-2016, 01:25 PM | #22 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: May 2010
Location: People's Republic of MD
Posts: 95
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Quote:
Crystal Ball was a two bit con man. His second sight was something he cooked up while working in Vegas back in the day. He met and fell in love with a girl that also worked in the casino. She would give birth to his son, but he would leave. The police and others were after him. So he left before knowing the secret she was carrying. The little boy would become DownTown (he was a new Joe at the time and I wanted to give him some conflict).
The battled then found out the truth. CB made amends and DT accepted him. I thought it was cool I was thinking of a different take on Crystal Ball, and have been trying to work the story as I build a 12" scale CB. In my world, CB is a former Eastern European intelligence officer with a background in interrogation who broke away with a small cadre of fellow operators to go freelance. They formed the “Crystal Ball” organization with CB assuming the mantle of the “face” of the organization. This cadre maintained numerous connections to various illicit crime organizations and hacker communities so that they could continue to collect information on targets throughout the world. CB developed the crazy back story of a Gypsy "7th son of a 7th son" as part of the mystic of his character, and then used the crazy costume and other theatrics as part of his interrogations early in the organizations operations to unnerve his subjects. His cadre would actually gather information from their source networks on the interrogation subject’s family and history, and feed the information to CB through an earpiece at critical times during the interrogation. CB would introduce that information to the subject in a way that it appeared he was reading the subject’s mind, and quickly broke his subjects. Later, he added a technological angle to his interrogations by using a device stolen from the Russian GRU that used flashing light and directional ultrasonic sound waves to break down his subjects. He quickly incorporated this tech into his costume by adapting it into a shield, but intelligence has indications he is trying to further miniaturize this tech. His latest addition is the use of contact lenses with miniaturized LEDs to give his eyes a red glow. The intensity of the glow is controlled through certain contacts embedded in his fingers. The motion he makes with his hands controls the intensity of the glow. The “Crystal Ball” organization’s activities eventually came to the attention of Cobra after some Cobra operatives were interrogated by mistake. Cobra Commander, rather than taking revenge on Crystal Ball, decided that the organization would be an excellent addition to Cobra. Cobra Commander extended that invitation through a Crimson Guard strike team, offering assimilation with benefits and conditions, or elimination. CB took the former. His operation now falls under the Cobra Intelligence Operations Division, and his cadre has its own Crimson Guard protective team. The question for the team is whether they are being protected, or being held hostage. “Crystal Ball” is still the name of the activity under Cobra, and still supports CB in all interrogations. Under Cobra's operational design, Crystal Ball forms one third of Cobra’s interrogation capability, with Dr. Mindbender and Interrogator forming the remainder of the capability. CB is the first line of effort with psychological manipulation for intelligence being his specialty. Interrogator is the next line of effort, with his primary mission being advanced physical and psychological interrogation being his specialty. Dr. Mindbender is the third line of effort for interrogations, with medically enhanced interrogation being his specialty. All three can be expected to interrogate high value subjects such as high-ranking government officials or senior-ranking members of the Counter-Terrorism Task Force, Codename: GI Joe. |
09-16-2016, 01:53 PM | #23 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY.
Posts: 2,258
|
Quote:
This is a great story.
I was thinking of a different take on Crystal Ball, and have been trying to work the story as I build a 12" scale CB. In my world, CB is a former Eastern European intelligence officer with a background in interrogation who broke away with a small cadre of fellow operators to go freelance. They formed the “Crystal Ball” organization with CB assuming the mantle of the “face” of the organization. This cadre maintained numerous connections to various illicit crime organizations and hacker communities so that they could continue to collect information on targets throughout the world. CB developed the crazy back story of a Gypsy "7th son of a 7th son" as part of the mystic of his character, and then used the crazy costume and other theatrics as part of his interrogations early in the organizations operations to unnerve his subjects. His cadre would actually gather information from their source networks on the interrogation subject’s family and history, and feed the information to CB through an earpiece at critical times during the interrogation. CB would introduce that information to the subject in a way that it appeared he was reading the subject’s mind, and quickly broke his subjects. Later, he added a technological angle to his interrogations by using a device stolen from the Russian GRU that used flashing light and directional ultrasonic sound waves to break down his subjects. He quickly incorporated this tech into his costume by adapting it into a shield, but intelligence has indications he is trying to further miniaturize this tech. His latest addition is the use of contact lenses with miniaturized LEDs to give his eyes a red glow. The intensity of the glow is controlled through certain contacts embedded in his fingers. The motion he makes with his hands controls the intensity of the glow. The “Crystal Ball” organization’s activities eventually came to the attention of Cobra after some Cobra operatives were interrogated by mistake. Cobra Commander, rather than taking revenge on Crystal Ball, decided that the organization would be an excellent addition to Cobra. Cobra Commander extended that invitation through a Crimson Guard strike team, offering assimilation with benefits and conditions, or elimination. CB took the former. His operation now falls under the Cobra Intelligence Operations Division, and his cadre has its own Crimson Guard protective team. The question for the team is whether they are being protected, or being held hostage. “Crystal Ball” is still the name of the activity under Cobra, and still supports CB in all interrogations. Under Cobra's operational design, Crystal Ball forms one third of Cobra’s interrogation capability, with Dr. Mindbender and Interrogator forming the remainder of the capability. CB is the first line of effort with psychological manipulation for intelligence being his specialty. Interrogator is the next line of effort, with his primary mission being advanced physical and psychological interrogation being his specialty. Dr. Mindbender is the third line of effort for interrogations, with medically enhanced interrogation being his specialty. All three can be expected to interrogate high value subjects such as high-ranking government officials or senior-ranking members of the Counter-Terrorism Task Force, Codename: GI Joe. |
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