The Elite

The Elite is the largest villain organization and arguably the second-largest parahuman organization in the United States.

Modus operandi
The Elite do not pursue traditional villainous enterprises, instead seizing an area on the economic or political level before undermining local opposition using sabotage, connections to organized crime and blitzkrieg-style strikes while remaining consistently off the public’s radar by subterfuge or careful manipulation of the media. Although they would start with the recruitment of rogues and independent heroes in some cases.

The Elite then force other villains and villain groups to be beholden to the Elite and nobody else. Rogues are folded into the organization to function as performers, Thinkers, designers and innovators, while the Elite also control a lot of Corporate 'hero' teams from behind the scenes.

When the Elite take control of an area, resistance is systematically crushed. The Elite use sweeping series of plays, constantly moving around members, preventing opposition to gather accurate information to adjust or counterattack. Once an area is firmly under control, resources are leveraged to expand elsewhere, although they are careful not to spread themselves too thin, giving them an advantage against the PRT.

Structure
The Elite consists of a loose pyramid-style structure of cells, with the top cell managing interests on the national scale from San Francisco. Each established cell is independent and able to operate however it sees fit. Some, such as the one headed by Uppercrust, are strictly corporate ventures. Others would be keeping the peace and helping the owned corporate heroes. Others, such as Bastard Son’s are considered only slightly better than the Slaughterhouse Nine. The Elite take care to match their most dangerous elements against the most dangerous opposition.

The Elite control territories across the Western seaboard, maintaining presences in:
 * The states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Florida.
 * Tentatively, the state of New York.
 * Tentatively, various cape cities, including the city of Anchorage.

The Number Man speculated that the Elite would reach Brockton Bay around June 2012. This would likely follow a campaign of securing all available west coast cities from California to Alaska.

PRT Response
While the PRT designates the Elite as hostile, the Elite and PRT are not open adversaries. Along the West Coast, cities often have the resident Protectorate hero group and the Elite as a resident villain group, with some scattered villainous organizations that get snapped up or stamped out if they get too big. The PRT is willing to accept that rogues will be inducted into the Elite as the cost of the stability that the Elite bring.

Interaction with the Elite, or even cooperation, is a hotly debated subject within the PRT, from the lowest to the highest levels; the Elite do reduce crime numbers where they are active, but they also aggressively target rogues and powerful parahumans the PRT would rather support. The PRT’s current stance is to address the Elite on a case by case basis, with individual directors using varying approaches. Promotion is unlikely for a director that can't at least maintain the upper hand over the Elite.

Background
The Elite started in San Francisco as 'Uppermost', an organization composed of rogues, involved in production and entertainment. In 1998, Uppermost asked the PRT for assistance in managing the NEPEA-5 bill, which sought to curtail parahuman involvement in business and media, and was arguably targeted directly at Uppermost.

After a great deal of consideration, the PRT’s head office turned down the request for assistance. NEPEA-5 was passed, and Uppermost disbanded. Many former members of Uppermost joined either the Protectorate or Wards to manage the fines and fees that followed the bill’s passage and avoid bankruptcy.

However, Uppermost’s core group took a different course, with the support of outside investors. They divided themselves, and set up their own businesses within the new laws, while keeping in contact outside the PRT’s and public’s knowledge. By the time this became apparent, the members had combined assets, employees and businesses as a loose confederation, under the banner new group dubbed the Elite, quintupling Uppermost at its peak. Many core members have since been supplanted by a more ruthless leadership, titling themselves after elements of aristocracy, combined with ostentatious as possible costume choices.

The Timeskip
In an alternate future, the Elite send a small team to Anchorage rooted in the company Estrella, in a bid to finalize their hold on the western coast of North America.

Gold Morning
The Elite attended the meeting at Cauldron’s headquarters, but decided to commit resources to build a new society rather than participating in Gold Morning, attacking civilians in the process. The Undersiders set Leviathan on them in retaliation, leading to the demise of several prominent members.

It is presumed that they are defunct as an organization. If they did survive they could likely be ostracized for breaking the Truce, even with the Amnesty.

Trivia

 * Both Parian and Panacea are mentioned as possible targets for the Elite by Wildbow.
 * The Elite featured in an early draft of Worm, titled Circus and the Elite.
 * Regis Rex shares part of his name with Harmon Rex.