DAMOCLES FOUNDATION
Membership: Astarte, Agent Briggs, Dr. Chandra, Ulysses Dragonblood, Electryon, Finn, Jordan Holiday, Odysseus Indigo, Dr. Segismund Joshua, Marcelus, Dr. Ogada, Sword, Veeg, Randy Lee Watson, Weller Purpose: To create and control the next species that will rule the Earth
Affiliations: (former) Arcadia Deville, Gatherers, Gryphon
Enemies: Black Queen (Selene), Ulysses Dragonblood, Lucas Guthrie, Tyler Guthrie, Mary, Reignfire, Ry'lor, Sledge, X-Force (Jesse Bedlam, Cannonball, Domino, Meltdown, Moonstar, Rictor, Shatterstar, Siryn, Sunspot, Warpath), Zachary
Base of Operations: Main base "the Keep," in an unknown location First Appearance: X-Force I#79 (July, 1998)
History: (X-Force I#97 (fb)) - After humanity learned to split the atom, members of the Eternals and Deviants believed that the balance of power on Earth which had kept them in check had been upset, and they split away from their respective peoples. Forming the Damocles Foundation with various human scientists, they determined that they would create and/or control the new species which would dominate the Earth, which would almost certainly be mutantkind.
(X-Force I#86 (fb)) - The Damocles Foundation, using the Aguilar Institute as a front, came to the aid of the people in Almost Reno, New Mexico, who had been made sterile from atomic tests nearby. Odysseus Indigo offered the Foundation's resources to correct this by grafting Deviant and mutant chromosomes into them. As a result, every child born in the next generation at Almost Reno exhibited superhuman powers, and the Foundation kept the town under close watch.
(X-Force I#96 (fb)) - The Damocles Foundation set up operations in Cumberland, Kentucky. Their agents Finn and Weller (both Deviants) captured a number of children for experiments. A Deviant under the alias of "Randy Lee Watson" and Lucas Guthrie were to bring one of the Celestials' Gatherers to Finn and Weller so that they could use the Gatherer to jumpstart the evolutionary process in their test subjects. However, "Watson" was killed by a guard, and Lucas brought his brother Tyler Guthrie with him to turn over the Gatherer. When Tyler's son Sam Guthrie witnessed the Foundation's experiments, they determined that they would have to kill all of the Guthries, but the Gatherer ran amock and killed Finn and Weller. The Gatherer was finally destroyed by Sledge, and the Deviants' bodies were buried by the Guthries.
(X-Force I#68 (fb)/X-Force I#69 (fb) - BTS) - The Damocles Foundation, through its Aguilar Institute arm, arranged to awaken Ekatarina Gryaznova from her coma and arrange for her to be selected as one of Bastion's Prime Sentinels in Operation: Zero Tolerance so that they would have an agent within that organization.
(X-Force I#83 (fb) - BTS) - Ulysses Dragonblood quit the Damocles Foundation in order to rescue Arcadia Deville, a young mutant with reality warping powers whom the Foundation intended to exploit. Dragonblood and Arcadia went on the run together.
(X-Force I#79-80 (fb)) - While employed by Orphrah Industries' Gideon, Dr. Joshua gathered data for the Damocles Foundation, and used blood from Sunspot to regenerate their specimen Project 19, who wound up becoming the mutant terrorist Reignfire.
(X-Force I#69) - Under the guise of the Aguilar Institute, Dr. Joshua, Dr. Chandra and Dr. Ogada were brought by Gryaznova to study Meltdown, Rictor and Shatterstar in Operation: Zero Tolerance custody, but had to flee when their friends in X-Force came to rescue them.
(X-Force I#77 - BTS) - The Damocles Foundation sent their agent Briggs to Almost Reno to capture Mary, a psychic girl. When he encountered members of X-Force, he claimed to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. He and his men were ultimately defeated by Mary when she used her powers against them.
(X-Force I#79-80) - Dr. Joshua took time off from the Damocles Foundation in an attempt to clean up after his creation Reignfire, who was battling X-Force in Las Vegas. Dr. Joshua and Reignfire were ultimately taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jordan Holiday.
(X-Force I#96 (fb) - BTS) - Holiday, working for the Foundation, returned Dr. Joshua and Reignfire to them.
(X-Force I#82 - BTS) - X-Force attacked the Aguilar Institute's facility in northern California and fought Gryphon. Gryphon ultimately set the base on self-destruct.
(X-Force I#83-84) - The Foundation's Sword caught up to Dragonblood and Arcadia in Kentucky, and fought them and X-Force. The Sword were defeated. When Indigo learned of this, he decided that they would have to either recruit X-Force, or destroy them.
(X-Force I#86 (fb)) - When the children of Almost Reno began to degenerate, agent Briggs and other Foundation agents were sent to quarantine the town and capture all of the locals. All of the children began to die as their powers became unstable, with the exception of Mary. The only children who evaded capture were Mary and Zachary.
(X-Force I#86) - X-Force came to aid Mary and Zachary, and fought off Briggs and his men. Briggs summoned in Indigo, who revealed to X-Force what the Damocles Foundation was, and offered them a chance to join him. They refused, and likewise refused to turn over Mary and Zachary. Indigo said that he would have them both eventually.
(X-Force I#93 (fb)) - Electryon and Astarte tricked X-Force into going on a mission to the island base of the extraterrestrial Ry'lor so that they could siphon Moonstar's cosmic energies away.
(X-Force I#93) - Electryon and Astarte succeeded in taking Moonstar's energies, but Ry'lor helped her regain her powers, and she took back the energy Electryon and Astarte had stolen. X-Force then defeated the two Eternals.
(X-Force I#94) - Two Deviants guised as humans attempted to kidnap Selene from a hotel in Sao Paulo, but she was aided by Sunspot, and turned both of the attempted kidnappers into stone.
(X-Force I#96) - Selene captured and tortured Holiday, learning he was working for the Foundation. Meanwhile, Dr. Joshua and Dr. Chandra brought Reignfire's remains to Brazil to meet with Indigo.
(X-Force I#97) - As Dr. Chandra and Dr. Joshua began to bond Reignfire's remains to the Gatherer as a solar battery, they were spied on by Selene and Sunspot, The duo were discovered by Sword, and quickly beaten. Indigo placed the ashes of a Lemurian sorcerer on Selene's brow to contain her magical powers. Later, Veeg helped Sledge, Dragonblood, Arcadia and X-Force enter the facility, and they released Selene and Sunspot. While Dragonblood fought Indigo to prevent him from activating the Gatherer, Selene claimed the Gatherer for herself, and used it to de-evolve the Sword. Selene demanded that Indigo turn the organization over to her, but Moonstar and Arcadia destroyed the Gatherer, and Selene responded by teleporting away with X-Force as her prisoners.
Comments: Created by John Francis Moore, Adam Pollina, Mark Morales and Rob Stull.
by Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS: Who also inspired:
Aguilar Institute and Almost Reno projects
Other bases located worldwide, including Almost Reno, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; Brazil; California; and Cumberland, Kentucky.
The Damocles Foundation takes its name from:
Finn was an agent of the Damocles Foundation assigned to retrieve a Gatherer with Weller, and received it from Tyler and Lucas Guthrie. When Sam Guthrie discovered their experiments upon children, Finn and Weller were going to have the Guthries killed, but the Gatherer was revived and killed them both. They were buried by Lucas and Tyler Guthrie.
--X-Force I#96 (fb)
Parody of Penn Jillette, partner of Raymond Teller in the magic act Penn and Teller.
Marcelus and another Deviant masqueraded as humans in an attempt to capture Selene in Sao Paulo, but Sunspot came to her rescue, and she was able to turn them both into stone.
Dr. Ogada was an associate of Dr. Chandra and Dr. Joshua, and worked mainly through the Aguilar Institute branch of the organization. He assisted in awakening Ekatarina Gryaznova from her coma and arranging for Bastion to select her as a Prime Sentinel in Operation: Zero Tolerance. He also collaborated with Dr. Chandra and Dr. Joshua on Project 19, which produced Reignfire. He also helped plant a device inside Domino's nervous system, and helped study Meltdown, Rictor and Shatterstar when they were briefly in Operation: Zero Tolerance's custody.
Veeg is a member of the Damocles Foundation stationed at their Brazil base. He was a friend of Sledge, and arranged to teleport him, Ulysses Dragonblood, Arcadia Deville and X-Force into the Brazil base, but made it clear to Sledge that he was risking his life by doing this. He also informed them of the recent capture of Selene and Sunspot.
The Deviant known only as "Randy Lee Watson" was employed by the Damocles Foundation to disguise himself as a human and transport one of the Celestials' Gatherers to Finn and Weller, alongside Lucas Guthrie. However, "Watson" was shot by a guard while retrieving the Gatherer, and suffered a fatal injury. Dying, he told Guthrie to bring the Gatherer to his contacts. When he died, he returned to his normal form. Lucas buried him in a gravel pit.
Weller was an agent of the Damocles Foundation assigned to retrieve a Gatherer with Finn, and received it from Tyler and Lucas Guthrie. When Sam Guthrie discovered their experiments upon children, Finn and Weller were going to have the Guthries killed, but the Gatherer was revived and killed them both. They were buried by Lucas and Tyler Guthrie.
--X-Force I#96 (fb)
Parody of Raymond Teller, the silent partner of Penn in the magic act Penn and Teller. Images taken from: Last updated: 10/05/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
X-Force I#84, last page, panel 5
Finn as human- X-Force I#96, page 11, panel 5
Finn as Deviant- X-Force I#96, page 16, panel 1
Marcelus- X-Force I#94, page 13, panel 5
Ogada- X-Force I#69, page 13, panel 5
Veeg- X-Force I#97, page 14, panel 2 (not counting ads)
watson as human- X-Force I#96, page 5, panel 4
Watson as Deviant- X-Force I#96, page 5, panel 7
Weller as human- X-Force I#96, page 11, panel 5
Weller as Deviant- X-Force I#96, page 16, panel 1
X-Force I#68-69 (Augsut-September, 1997) - John Francis Moore (writer), Pop Mahn (pencils), Mark Morales & Al Milgrom (#68) (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
X-Force I#77 (May, 1998) - Joseph Harris (writer), Adam Pollina (artist), Mark Morales (inker), Bobbie Chase (editor)
X-Force I#79 (July, 1998) - John Francis Moore (writer), Adam Pollina (artist), Mark Morales, Rob Stull (inkers), Bobbie Chase (editor)
X-Force I#80 (August, 1998) - John Francis Moore (writer), Adam Pollina (artist), Mark Morales (inker), Bobbie Chase (editor)
X-Force I#83 (November, 1998) - John Francis Moore (writer), Jim Cheung (artist), Mark Morales, Rob Stull (inkers), Bobbie Chase (editor)
X-Force I#84 (December, 1998) - John Francis Moore, Jay Faerber (writers), Jim Cheung (artist), Ray McCarthy (inker), Bobbie Chase (editor)
X-Force I#86 (January, 1999) - John Francis Moore (writer), Jim Cheung (artist), Mark Morales, Rob Stull, Harry Candelario (inkers), Bobbie Chase (editor)
X-Force I#93 (August, 1999) - John Francis Moore (writer), Anthony Williams, Chris Renaud (artists), Hector Collazo, Scott Koblish (inkers), Jason Liebig (editor)
X-Force I#94 (September, 1999) - John Francis Moore (writer), Jim Cheung (artist), Mark Morales, Rob Stull, Scott Koblish, Rodney Ramos (inkers), Jason Liebig (editor)
X-Force I#96 (November, 1999) - John Francis Moore (writer), Anthony Williams (artist), Mark Morales (inker), Jason Liebig (editor)
X-Force I#97 (December, 1999) - John Francis Moore (writer), Anthony Williams (artist), Scott Elmer (inker), Jason Liebig (editor)
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