History Main / TheConspiracy

* The entire point of ''TabletopGame/{{Nights Black Agents}}'' is that the players are all ex-spies who have discovered a conspiracy controlled by vampires. The exact nature of the conspiracy , and the vampires themselves, is determined by GM.

* '''AncientConspiracy''': A secret society consisting of otherwise unrelated individuals who pursue some (possibly esoteric) goals that, as the name implies, is pretty old (likely going back to UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar, TheIlluminati, etc., and sometimes [[TimeAbyss much older than that]]), and very, ''very'' well-hidden. Their power comes either from long-term [[TheChessmaster strategic planning]] or mystical sources.

* In ''HHB''-era ''[[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Narnia]]'' fanfiction In ''FanFic/TheFledglingYear'', the prince’s entourage gets caught up in a conspiracy by a group called the Finii, whose goal seems to be to systematically [[{{Assassin}} kill off]] the royal line of Archenland in order to put a distant cousin on the throne. (The fic is still a WIP, so it’s not yet fully developed.)

* '''[[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 ObviouslyEvil, some appear benevolent, some don't exist at all in the public eye. There may be an OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness, TheMan, TheManBehindTheMan, a BigBad, TheDragon, TheMole, and tons of FacelessGoons among them. Conspiracy is like the [[HydraProblem Lernaean Hydra]]: every time a head is cut off, it just grows another.

** ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja'' deals with the aftermath of a GovernmentConspiracy called Project Leviathan, a top-secret [[CIAEvilFBIGood CIA]] project to produce [[PsychicPowers Psychic]] ChildSoldiers. More specifically, CIA attempts to [[RevealingCoverup cover the whole thing up]], which includes killing the few surviving test subjects, one of whom is the amnesiac protagonist.

* The Franchise/MarvelUniverse two-issue limited series, ''Conspiracy'', revolves around an IntrepidReporter investigating a mysterious group called "Control". The investigation eventually leads him to General Edward Harrison from ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'', who explains that in the wake of the attack by the alien monster Gormuu (as originally told via flashback in ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #271), [[ComicBook/MisterFantastic Reed Richards]] proposed a scientific think tank addressing fantastical crises, and the military implemented it as a means to control and manipulate everything, from [[ReedRichardsIsUseless the use and influence of revolutionary discoveries]] to {{Super Hero Origin}}s. Soon after the revelation, the reporter meets ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}'s Dum-Dum Dugan, who explains that Harrison is actually a nutcase who's been using his Black Ops resources to make his claims convincing. The comic leaves it ambiguous over who's telling the truth.

* The [[BigBad Institute]] of ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' indirectly controls most of the Commonwealth through proxies and Synth agents who operate behind the scenes. They don't take a direct hand in running the place, but any time someone starts getting too technologically advanced and/or organised, the Institute will smother them in the crib before they can grow to become a threat to their power. [[spoiler:As was the case with the original Minutemen. The Institute also have a nasty habit of destroying any pre-war technology by sending an army of Synths to destroy it and massacre anybody around to prevent them ever finding out what it is.]]

* In ''Podcast/AliceIsntDead,'' the {{Narrator}} learns that her missing wife Alice was actively [[ConspiracyTheorist investigating]] a multi-group conspiracy with vague aims before her disappearance, gathering information on three mysterious parties: The Cumberland Project, Vector H, and Bay & Creek Shipping. The discovery of her scattered notes prompts the Narrator to involve herself more directly, going so far as to get hired as a [[IntrepidMerchant long haul trucker]] by [[CovertGroupWithMundaneFront Bay & Creek Shipping]], in hopes of locating her missing wife. However, agents of the Conspiracy, including a cannibalistic HumanoidAbomination, don't much care for her meddling, and its heavily implied that the Conspiracy causes or contributes to seemingly random deaths, disasters and paranormal activity, with tacit approval from at least ''some'' [[TheBadGuysAreCops officials]].

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': The protagonists eventually stumble upon a hidden organization made up of businessmen, politicians and law enforcement officials who are using the MentalWorld of the Metaverse to secretly influence powerful members of society and cause accidents that will encourage social unrest, all in order to increase their own wealth and standing.

* '''Evil Plan'''. The conspiracy always has a very specific objective: [[TakeOverTheWorld power]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive profit]], selective destruction, etc. Without this unifying objective, a secretive villainous group turns into [[{{Masquerade}} The Masquerade]].

* '''[[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, a BigBad, TheDragon, TheMole, and tons of FacelessGoons among them. Conspiracy is like the [[HydraProblem Lernaean Hydra]]: every time a head is cut off, it just grows another.

* '''Evil Plan'''. The conspiracy always has a very specific objective: [[TakeOverTheWorld power]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive profit]], selective destruction, etc. Without this unifying objective, a secretive villainous group turns into TheMasquerade.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', after [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1944 Slick hears about "a club" for love]], and [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1945 refuses to believe it's a figure of speech]], [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1946 he's told it's this.]]
[[/folder]]

* One of the driving plots in ''[[FanFic/TheNuptialverse Families]]'' is a conspiracy by corrupt noble [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Olive Branch]] to use his media resources to discredit Princess Celestia, playing off of the public's fear after the Changeling invasion to eventually gain enough support to overthrow her. [[spoiler: As it turns out, he didn't really care about her position, he was just trying to get into a position to force her to [[ImmortalitySeeker give him immortality]].]]
* ''FanFic/JewelOfDarkness'': One of the major components of the MythArc is the existence of the White Glove, a group with definite negative vibes that is so far reaching that its leader, the "Good Man", can walk in and out of the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} Watchtower whenever he wants. [[spoiler: Jinx is their [[TheMole mole]] on the Titans, albeit one who is BecomingTheMask.]]
* In ''FanFic/AColdCalculus'' Euphie, Cornelia and Schneizel are aware of the Geass Directorate's existence, but not their true nature, and have been secretly cooperating to smooth things out in the Empire, oust their father and put a stop to the Directorate. We're clued into this when Euphie brings Milly into it. [[spoiler:Heinrich Stadtfeld, in turn, knows about ''their'' conspiracy [[ForensicAccounting when a money trail he followed led him to]] [[NuclearOption the Damocles]].]]

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

* The [[BigBad Institute]] of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' indirectly controls most of the Commonwealth through proxies and Synth agents who operate behind the scenes. They don't take a direct hand in running the place, but any time someone starts getting too technologically advanced and/or organised, the Institute will smother them in the crib before they can grow to become a threat to their power. [[spoiler:As was the case with the original Minutemen. The Institute also have a nasty habit of destroying any pre-war technology by sending an army of Synths to destroy it and massacre anybody around to prevent them ever finding out what it is.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'': The protagonists eventually stumble upon a hidden organization made up of businessmen, politicians and law enforcement officials who are using the MentalWorld of the Metaverse to secretly influence powerful members of society and cause accidents that will encourage social unrest, all in order to increase their own wealth and standing.

* [[FAnfic/TheMasksWeWearTeenTitans The Masks We Wear]] has The Court of Owls, the criminal cabal from Gotham City that many think are just a nursery rhyme to scare children. They want to expand into Jump City, bringing them into conflict with both the Teen Titans and Slade.

Multiple concurrent conspiracies form a ConspiracyKitchenSink. A character believing in conspiracies is a ConspiracyTheorist. See also MilkmanConspiracy and PathOfInspiration (aka ConspiracyReligion).

* '''AncientConspiracy''': A secret society consisting of otherwise unrelated individuals who pursue some (possibly esoteric) goals that, as the name implies, is pretty old (likely going back to UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar, TheIlluminati, etc.), and very, ''very'' well-hidden. Their power comes either from long-term [[TheChessmaster strategic planning]] or mystical sources.

There are three basic kinds of conspiracies, though the borders between them are fluid, with a fourth variation that lies slightly off the charts. They are:

[[index]]

Unfortunately, RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement applies when dealing with RealLife conspiracies, since almost all ''known'' conspiracies are not fully declassified, and may be documented in subjective/political bias. All we can say for sure is that there ''have'' been conspiracies and some have been uncovered over the ages.