List of criminal organizations in comics
Encyclopedia
The villainous or shadowy group and or organization is a long standing trope in adventure fiction, from Professor Moriarty's
band of villains, to the sinister Mole Men that bedeviled Superman
in his 1951 television show. This page will attempt to provide a somewhat complete list and history of the many criminal and terrorist organizations present in comic books.
from the Ghost in the Shell manga series. The Individual Eleven's motive for terror is an essay
also entitled "The Individual Eleven", which was, in reality, a fake essay implanted with a computer virus
that infected everyone who read it. The virus itself does not cause the members of the Individual Eleven to commit their acts of terror, it is their own political views which cause them to do so. The virus only seems to make them unwilling martyr
s.
in the fictional universe
of Frank Miller
's Sin City
. It is led by Herr Wallenquist, a German-American (though the name is actually Swedish
) mobster shrouded in mystery. The organization has a broad base of criminal enterprise to its name, including drug smuggling, assassination
, organ harvesting
and human trafficking
for the purpose of illegal adoption and slavery, as well as having many city officials on their payroll at one time or the other.
n anime
and manhwa
series Shin Angyo Onshi. The Hwalbindang is a seven member group of powerful martial arts specialists who began working as bandits, taking money from the rich so that they could provide help for the poor.
At some point their ideals become corrupted by a desire for vengeance harbored by their leader Hong Gildong. Despite being more powerful than him, half of the group died fighting Munsu, the Angyo Onshi (bearer of justice). The other half died fighting his sometimes ally Wonsul of the Formless Sword and Munsu's sworn enemy the mad sorcerer known as Aji Tae. With the exception of their leader Hong Gildong, the individual members of Hwalbindang are the most powerful in the Shin Angyo Onshi universe.
ese anime
and manga
series Naruto
. It is first introduced midway into the first part Naruto, and its members gain significance as the main antagonists during the second part Naruto Shippuuden. Despite being composed of only ten members, Akatsuki is arguably the most powerful organization in the Naruto universe. Each member of Akatsuki is an S-class criminal.
Professor Moriarty
Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and the archenemy of the detective Sherlock Holmes in the fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, described by Holmes as the "Napoleon of Crime". Doyle lifted the phrase from a real Scotland Yard inspector who was...
band of villains, to the sinister Mole Men that bedeviled Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
in his 1951 television show. This page will attempt to provide a somewhat complete list and history of the many criminal and terrorist organizations present in comic books.
Individual Eleven
The Individual Eleven (or Particularist Eleven) is a fictional terrorist group dealt with by Public Security Section 9Public Security Section 9
is a fictional intelligence department from Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell anime and manga series. In the story, it exists under the Japanese Ministry of Home Affairs. In some translations, the name is given as Public Safety Section 9...
from the Ghost in the Shell manga series. The Individual Eleven's motive for terror is an essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
also entitled "The Individual Eleven", which was, in reality, a fake essay implanted with a computer virus
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
that infected everyone who read it. The virus itself does not cause the members of the Individual Eleven to commit their acts of terror, it is their own political views which cause them to do so. The virus only seems to make them unwilling martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s.
The Wallenquist Organization
The Wallenquist Organization is a criminal organizationOrganized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
in the fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
's Sin City
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
. It is led by Herr Wallenquist, a German-American (though the name is actually Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) mobster shrouded in mystery. The organization has a broad base of criminal enterprise to its name, including drug smuggling, assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, organ harvesting
Organ harvesting
Organ harvesting refers to the removal, preservation and use of human organs and tissue from the bodies of the recently deceased to be used in surgical transplants on the living...
and human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
for the purpose of illegal adoption and slavery, as well as having many city officials on their payroll at one time or the other.
The Magliozzi Crime Family
The Magliozzi Crime Family control the Cosa Nostra in Sin City. Led by Don Giacco Magliozzi and based at the Magliozzi Mansion (located in Sacred Oaks), they were wiped out in Family Values.Hwalbindang
The Hwalbindang is a criminal organization featured in the KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manhwa
Manhwa
Manhwa is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons . Outside of Korea, the term usually refers specifically to South Korean comics. The term, along with manga, is a cognate of the Chinese manhua...
series Shin Angyo Onshi. The Hwalbindang is a seven member group of powerful martial arts specialists who began working as bandits, taking money from the rich so that they could provide help for the poor.
At some point their ideals become corrupted by a desire for vengeance harbored by their leader Hong Gildong. Despite being more powerful than him, half of the group died fighting Munsu, the Angyo Onshi (bearer of justice). The other half died fighting his sometimes ally Wonsul of the Formless Sword and Munsu's sworn enemy the mad sorcerer known as Aji Tae. With the exception of their leader Hong Gildong, the individual members of Hwalbindang are the most powerful in the Shin Angyo Onshi universe.
Akatsuki
The Akatsuki (meaning "Dawn" or "Daybreak") is a criminal organization featured in the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Naruto
Naruto
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...
. It is first introduced midway into the first part Naruto, and its members gain significance as the main antagonists during the second part Naruto Shippuuden. Despite being composed of only ten members, Akatsuki is arguably the most powerful organization in the Naruto universe. Each member of Akatsuki is an S-class criminal.