History Main / NebulousCriminalConspiracy

* In ''TheUsualSuspects'', Keyser Soze is the DiabolicalMastermind who has Turkish drug dealers, third rate American crooks, and apparently every criminal everywhere dancing to his tune. [[UnreliableNarrator Or so he claims]].

* In ''[=~24~=]'', not every BigBad is part of it, but it has been hinted from Day 1 that there is a bigger and more complex conspiracy running the show. This is confirmed in later seasons when Jack's brother -- who we had previously seen bossing around the President -- confesses to being behind the hits on David Palmer and Jack's friends, plus several attempts on Jack's own life. Day 7 reveals the apparent mastermind of this conspiracy but others are still out there. Pretty much every ''femme fatale'', crooked politician and CorruptCorporateExecutive seems to be involved in one way or another, with terrorists and dictators used as pawns in their unidentified scheme (it seems to be about setting up some kind of hardline government to deal harshly with threats to the US, albeit by plotting most of the attacks on said US to create the environment such a government would need to operate in).

* ''JamesBond'', the most recent films providing good examples as Le Chiffre from ''{{Casino Royale}}'' is bank rolling African Terrorists as an employee of NebulousEvilOrganization Quantum, who in ''QuantumOfSolace'' are trying to set up a Bolivian general as a dictator to seize control of Bolivia's water, and whose members include evil phony philanthropist Dominic Greene and an advisor to the British Prime Minister. They also convince the CIA and, later, MI6 to go along with their schemes under false pretences. They seem to be motivated by power more than by cash, and probably have some kind of ideology.

*** One of HYDRA's leaders and main assassins is Viper/ Madame Hydra, a CompleteMonster who once dated the Red Skull (he left her- ''[[BeyondTheImpossible she was too evil]]'') as well as [[XMen The Silver Samurai]], and usually leads the snake-themed mercenaries the Serpent Squad, who consequently are often in HYDRA's employ. The Squad's current leader is Sin, the Red Skull's daughter.

* The Inner Circle from the MaxPayne series, while seeming to be an AncientConspiracy in the first game, is revealed (or {{Retcon}}ned, if you're feeling less charitable) to be one of these in the second game.

* In MarvelComics, it was recently established that Norman Osborn used to work for various shady industrialists, who used him and others to fund and create low and mid-level supervillains for the heroes to fight so that they won't have time to turn on them for all their misdeeds. They seemingly did not plan for Osborn to become an insane superpowered supervillain in his own right, of course. It is strongly implied that he was not the only such businessman they hired and they have apparently been up to this since at least the days of CaptainAmerica.

* [[NebulousEvilOrganization HYDRA]] infrequently allies with [[DareDevil Daredevils']] evil {{ninja}} enemies The Hand (in some tellings, HYDRA began as an offshoot, a faction subverted by Nazi's), and used to team up with the Maggia, who were Marvel's politically correct [[{{Expy}} expies]] of TheMafia (though they've also started popping up in stories as well. Their science division AIM also went their own way, but they still team up from time to time.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', a secret society known as The Light seems to have connections or acts as [[the mastermind TheManBehindTheMan]] with nearly every villain that the heroes have faced so far.

** HYDRA are reponsible for [[VillainBall bringing back]] the [[Red Skull]] (who quickly betrayed them). They began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazi's in the closing days of WorldWarTwo, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. AIM is notable both for creating the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]].

** The Hand (or a group of them) are presently run by [[DareDevil the Kingpin]] (who took over from DareDevil himself). They are responsible for training Daredevils girlfriend [[DatingCatwoman Elektra]] and his newer enemy Lady Bullseye up as assassins, and are a magical cult led by demons who worship another demonic creature called [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Beast]], who recruit members by killing them and ressurrecting them as either undead ninja or, if they are named superheroes/ villains, brainwashed killing machines. The Hand started off as poltically motivated rebels before being taken over by a more even cult called the Snakeroot, who generally form the Hand's elite.

* [[NebulousEvilOrganization HYDRA]] infrequently allies with [[DareDevil Daredevils']] evil {{ninja}} enemies The Hand (in some tellings, HYDRA began as an offshoot, a faction subverted by Nazi's), and used to team up with the Maggia, who were Marvel's politically correct [[CaptainExpy expies]] of TheMafia (though they've also started popping up in stories as well. Their science division AIM also went their own way, but they still team up from time to time.
** HYDRA are reponsible for [[VillainBall bringing back]] [[CaptainAmerica The Red Skull]] (who quickly betrayed them). They began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazi's in the closing days of WorldWarTwo, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. AIM is notable both for creating the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]].

* The Inner Circle from the MaxPayne series, while seeming to be an AncientConspiracy in the first game, is revealed (or {{RetCon}}ned, if you're feeling less charitable) to be one of these in the second game.

* The Lucian Alliance from the StargateVerse are an example of sorts- a collection of criminals and criminal organizations who existed (presumably) prior to the dissolution of the Goa'uld Empire's hold on the galaxy who banded together to take advantage of the power vacuum left behind. Initially they seemed content to deal in addictive space corn and just do regular criminal stuff, but by the time of [[StargateUniverse SGU]] they clearly had some sort of plan to take over the [[CoolShip Destiny]]. Since the series was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork canceled]], [[WhatCouldHaveBeen we'll never know]] what they wanted it for.

* In ''AlexRider'', international assassins The Gentleman and Yassen Gregorovitch are each hired quite separately by two villains (for a total of four); the latter was trained by NebulousEvilOrganization SCORPIA who, in addition to their own evil schemes, offered support to most of the other Big Bads of the series. SCORPIA themselves are led by former assassins, spies, an infamous torturer, and the Big Bad of the 7th book who was the head of a Triad human trafficking ring, from all around the world, united by greed. They had at least one mole in the Australian Secret Service, and do work for unidentified rogue states.

* The smuggling ring in [[AceAttorney Ace Attorney Investigations]] features [[spoiler: [[corrupt prosecutors to manipulate trials in their favour, detectives in Interpol to hinder and keep tabs on the investigation, Amano/Amanogawa's conglomerate to aid in the smuggling, the Ambassadors of two nations who produced counterfeit bills (using their authority to keep it under wraps besides the heavy security), and pretty much destroys the economy of a foreign nation by means of counterfeit bills. Each case of this game involves the syndacate, and the head, Quercus Alba/Canage Onred is considered to be by many the most frustrating Ace Attorney villain yet.]]

** Maggia bosses include minor SpiderMan foes Silvermane and Hamerhead and old XMen baddie Count Nefaria (who is the dad of ''IronMan'' baddie Madame Masque, another Maggia member). The are rivals of the Kingpin and other smallet-time crime lords, but have a lot of connections.

An AncientConspiracy only in that crime is as old as sin, this trope brings together TheSyndicate, the CorruptCorporateExecutive, CorruptBureaucrat, TheChessmaster, MagnificentBastard, ArmsDealer, terrorists, rogue states and potentially anybody involved in organized crime of one kind or another. It won't likely be a full-fledged GovernmentConspiracy, but it will have a few politicians in its pocket. A portion of the loot for that bank job goes to the local [[TheSyndicate Syndicate]] who are dealing arms to African revolutionaries with links to Islamic terrorists, who blow up a plane with a mafia snitch on board and run by an airline that was getting in the way of a CorruptCorporateExecutive. All this was monitored and assisted by the NebulousEvilOrganization who knew all the necessary information from their mole in the FBI.

** HYDRA are reponsible for [[VillainBall bringing back [[CaptainAmerica The Red Skull]]]] (who quickly betrayed them). They began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazi's in the closing days of WorldWarTwo, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. AIM is notable both for creating the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]].

** HYDRA are reponsible for [[VillainBall bringing back [[CaptainAmerica The Red Skull]] (who quickly betrayed them). They began as a ''Werewolf''-esque backup plan for the Nazi's in the closing days of WorldWarTwo, and evolved into a major international terrorist organization who have crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. AIM is notable both for creating the Cosmic Cube and the freakish [[AIIsACrapshoot MODOK]].

* In MarvelComics, it was recently established that Norman Osborn used to work for various shady industrialists, who used him and others to fund and create low and mid-level supervillains for the heroes to fight so that they won't have time to turn on them for all their misdeeds. They seemingly did not plan for Osborn to become an insane superpowered supervillain in his own right, of course.
* And in DCComics, Intergang receives weapons from [[NewGods Darkseid]], seemingly just to annoy {{Superman}}.

* ''{{Taken}}''. A tour of the Parisian underground, from lowly Albanian thugs to crooked intelligence officers, to the wealthy Saudi Sheikh who is the client for all those pretty sex slaves.

* The smuggling ring in [[AceAttorney Ace Attorney Investigations]] features [[spoiler: [[corrupt prosecutors to manipulate trials in their favour, detectives in Interpol to hinder and keep tabs on the investigation, the Amano/Amanogawa's conglomerate to aid in the smuggling, the Ambassadors of two nations who produced counterfeit bills (using their authority to keep it under wraps besides the heavy security), and pretty much destroys the economy of a foreign nation by means of counterfeit bills. Each case of this game involves the syndacate, and the head, Quercus Alba/Canage Onred is considered to be by many the most frustrating Ace Attorney villain yet.]]