History Main / TheConspiracy

[[caption-width-right:206:[[{{Chessmaster}} Someone had a plan to bring you to this page all along.]]]]

->'''GreenArrow:''' ''Don't listen to this guy. Everything's conspiracies to him.''\\
'''TheQuestion:''' ''Not "conspiracies". '''Conspiracy'''. Singular.''
-->--''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''

The most basic definition of TheConspiracy is "a [[ManBehindTheMan secretive]] {{villain}}ous [[CovertGroup group]] with an EvilPlan". Let's break it down:

* '''Secretive'''. The conspirators always [[HiddenAgendaVillain hide their evil agenda]] or [[HeWhoMustNotBeSeen even their very existence]]. They live as far from a CardCarryingVillain as possible. As a result, [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse most of them appear benevolent or neutral at first]] but are then {{reveal}}ed to have been EvilAllAlong, creating an [[ParanoiaFuel atmosphere where neither the protagonist, nor the reader knows whom to trust]].

* '''[[CovertGroup Group]]'''. The number of conspirators ranges from a dozens to thousands. Depending on the scale, the conspiracy may be between individuals or entire organizations. Some of them are obviously evil, some appear benevolent, some don't exist at all in the public eye. There may be an OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness, TheMan, TheManBehindTheMan, TheDragon, TheMole, and tons of FacelessGoons among them. Conspiracy is like the [[HydraProblem Lernaean Hydra]]: every time a head is cut off, it [[SequelHook just grows another]].

* '''GovernmentConspiracy'''. A secret project uniting a small number of members of a powerful but otherwise benevolent organization, usually but not necessarily TheGovernment (hence the name). The project can hardly be older than TheGovernment itself. Their power comes from their FrontOrganization's resources and the trust that NormalPeople put into it.
* '''NebulousCriminalConspiracy'''. An informal alliance between [[VillainWithGoodPublicity seemingly benevolent organizations or individuals]] and / or obviously [[NebulousEvilOrganisation evil/criminal/obscure ones]]. It is likely to be very recent. Their power comes from [[PlayingBothSides controlling everything from both sides]], though they may be too loosely organized to take full advantage of this. TheSyndicate is not a conspiracy in itself because it is obviously evil, but it is almost always a member.

TheConspiracy is generally a great antagonist in any story but two genres make a particularly extensive use of it:

* '''ConspiracyTheory''' is a ScrapbookStory detailing the progress of Their Plan at different times and places from different perspectives in FauxDocumentary style.
* '''ConspiracyThriller''' is a more traditional {{thriller}} narrative [[RuleOfDrama centering on the conflict]] between TheProtagonist and TheConspiracy.

* [[http://wanderers-library.wikidot.com/a-brief-history-of-stairs]] from TheWanderersLibrary has a hilariously petty one. For a long time in the world of Elrich, elevators were the only method of going up. When stairs were invented, they posed a threat to the livelihood of the Elra Architectural Sub-Union, which made elevators. In order to discredit stairs, they loosen one step that the king will be going up. He falls to his death, thus making sure no one will use stairs again.

->'''GreenArrow:''' ''Don't listen to this guy. Everything's conspiracies to him.''
->'''TheQuestion:''' ''Not "conspiracies". '''Conspiracy'''. Singular.''

* ''TheLongestJourney'' series loves to have conspiracies for villains:

** ''{{Dreamfall}}'' had Project Alchera, a GovernmentConspiracy (actually, a [[MegaCorp corporate]] one, but [[OneNationUnderCopyright corporations ARE the world government in the setting]]) by [[spoiler:the top executives and researchers of the Japanese toy manufacturer [=WATIcorp=]]] to develop and spread MindControl technology disguised as lucid dream toys.

[[folder:Other]]
* ''TheChurchOfTheSubGenius'' blames pretty much everything wrong with the world on "The CONSPIRACY" (which is apparently [[FunWithAcronyms an acronym]] for "Cliques Of Normals Secretly Planning Insidious Rituals Aimed At Controlling You").

* ''{{Hellsing}}'' has the Millennium Organization, a group of Nazi scientists that was thought to be wiped out by Hellsing but some of whom escaped out of Europe into Brazil in the aftermath of [[WorldWarII WWII]]. Their purpose was to develop a means of engineering vampires and build an army of them. To what end? Why, [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]] of course. A large portion of their funding came from the Vatican, although we're not quite sure why. In the years leading up to the main plot of the story, they periodically released groups of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent ghouls]] as a covert way of testing the defences of the Hellsing Organization and the world in general, as well as keeping them occupied until the moment came to unleash their undead army on the world.

* ''{{Hellsing}}'' has the Millennium Organization, a group of Nazi scientists that was thought to be wiped out by Hellsing but some of whom escaped out of Europe into Brazil in the aftermath of [[WorldWarII WWII]]. Their purpose was to develop a means of engineering vampires and building an army of them. To what end? Why, [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]] of course. A large portion of their funding came from the Vatican, although we're not quite sure why. In the years leading up to the main plot of the story, they periodically released groups of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent ghouls]] as a covert way of testing the defences of the Hellsing Organization and the world in general, as well as keeping them occupied until the moment came to unleash their undead army on the world.

* ''{{Hellsing}}'' has the Millennium Organization, a group of Nazi scientists that was thought to be wiped out by Hellsing but some of whom escaped out of Europe into Brazil in the aftermath of WWII. Their purpose was to develop a means of engineering vampires and building an army of them. To what end? Why, world domination of course. A large portion of their funding came from the Vatican, although we're not quite sure why. In the years leading up to the main plot of the story, they periodically released groups of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent ghouls]] as a covert way of testing the defences of the Hellsing Organization and the world in general, as well as keeping them occupied until the moment came to unleash their undead army on the world.

* ''{{Hellsing}}'' has the Millennium Organization, a group of Nazi scientists that were thought to be wiped out, but some of whom escaped out of Europe into Brazil in the aftermath of WWII, and developed a means of engineering vampires and building an army of them. To what end? Why, world domination of course. A large portion of their funding came from the Vatican, and in the years leading up to the main plot of the story, periodically released groups of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent ghouls]] as a covert way of testing the defences of the Hellsing Organization and the world in general, as well as keeping them occupied until the moment came to unleash their undead army on the world.

* ''{{Hellsing}}'' has the Millennium Organization, a group of Nazi scientists that were thought to be wiped out, but some of whom escaped out of Europe into Brazil in the aftermath of WWII, and developed a means of engineering vampires and building an army of them. To what end? Why, world domination of course. A large portion of their funding came from the Vatican, and in the years leading up to the main plot of the story, periodically released groups of [[Zombies ghouls]] as a covert way of testing the defences of the Hellsing Organization and the world in general, as well as keeping them occupied until the moment came to unleash their undead army on the world.

* ''Manga/Hellsing'' has the Millennium Organization, a group of Nazi scientists that were thought to be wiped out, but some of whom escaped out of Europe into Brazil in the aftermath of WWII, and developed a means of engineering vampires and building an army of them. To what end? Why, world domination of course. A large portion of their funding came from the Vatican, and in the years leading up to the main plot of the story, periodically released groups of [[Zombies ghouls]] as a covert way of testing the defences of the Hellsing Organization and the world in general, as well as keeping them occupied until the moment came to unleash their undead army on the world.

The most basic definition of TheConspiracy is "a [[ManBehindTheMan secretive]] {{villain}}ous group with an EvilPlan". Let's break it down:

* '''Group'''. The number of conspirators ranges from a dozens to thousands. Depending on the scale, the conspiracy may be between individuals or entire organizations. Some of them are obviously evil, some appear benevolent, some don't exist at all in the public eye. There may be an OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness, TheMan, TheManBehindTheMan, TheDragon, TheMole, and tons of FacelessGoons among them. Conspiracy is like the [[HydraProblem Lernaean Hydra]]: every time a head is cut off, it [[SequelHook just grows another]].

** ''{{Noir}}'' pits the protagonists against a {{cult}}-like AncientConspiracy of [[GratuitousFrench Les Soldats]], a secret society formed (probably) by the [[TheHeretic Cathar]] survivors after the [[KillEmAll Albigensian Crusade]] to oppose the rule of the [[TheChurch Roman Catholic Church]]. Their ([[spoiler:or rather, Altena's]]) EvilPlan, ''Le Grand Retour'', involves reverting the Western society to [[TheMiddleAges Medieval]] norms.

** [[spoiler: And on a truly epic scale, AssassinsCreedIII reveals that Juno has been manipulating humanity from ''before recorded history'' so that she could blackmail Desmond into bringing her back to rule over humanity. Just to be clear, she did this entirely through prerecorded messages left where certain people would find them. And she did it without the entirely ''benevolent'' first civilization conspirators noticing.]]

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' the whole plot is an ancient conspiracy of the Knights Templar's plot to rule the world which spans from thousands of years, in their search of the Pieces of Eden.

* ResidentEvil is starting to show shades of this regarding to the [[TheGovernment U.S. Government]].

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' the whole plot is an ancient conspiracy of the Knights Templar's plot to rule the world which spans from thousands of years in search of the Pieces of Eden.

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': [[AncientConspiracy Hundreds of years prior to the story]], the BigBad [[GovernmentConspiracy founded the country of Amestris]] to further his plan. All of the highest ranking officials in the government are in on it. They're so far along in their plans that even when the protagonists figure out what's going on, they can't do anything about it, and the only reason they aren't killed is because [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou they're needed for the plan]].

->'''TheQuestion:''' ''Not "conspiracies". ''Conspiracy''. Singular.''

->'''TheQuestion:''' ''Not "conspiracies". ''Conspiracy''. Singular.''\\

->''Not "conspiracies". ''Conspiracy''. Singular.''\\
--'''TheQuestion''', ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''