Background
The villain known as Diamond formed W.O.M.E.N. She had begun her criminal career with the group Viper. After being passed over numerous times for advancement, because of her sex she felt, she decided it was time to move on. She slipped into one of the technology labs that Viper had, and stole a few weapons as severance pay. While contemplating her next move she looked out her window and saw an unknown female villain fighting a group of Until agents. She jumped in and helped this unknown women defeat the Until agents and a bond was formed. The unknown woman was the villain Powerhouse.

Powerhouse was an ex-Until agent who had volunteered for a program designed to increase the strength and toughness of Until agents. Something in the serum mixed with her blood and transformed her, giving her great strength and toughness. Her supervisors, all men, treated her as nothing more that a tool, while treating others subjects of the test, who were men, like they were the saviors they were looking for. She decided to destroy the lab and equipment and leave the agency, Until seem to take offense to this.

The two new friends talked till early in the morning and a plan was formed. They would form a group of all women and would strike back at a society that would suppress some with great power, while helping others based on their sex. The group would gain wealth and power for its members as well. Thus W.O.M.E.N. was formed Women Organizing Men’s Elimination or Neutralization.

They now had the plan and started looking for other like-minded women to join them in the quest for revenge and wealth. The first member they recruited was Chuka. She was a Viper security agent Diamond had known when she was working for Viper. The two had become friends, so she seemed like a good and logical choice for recruitment in W.O.M.E.N. When Chuka left Viper she took several prototypes with her, earning her and W.O.M.E.N. the further wraith of Viper. Chuka took over the job of security for W.O.M.E.N. She is very serious about her responsibilities.

The next members they found to join their little group was The Seductress, a mutant with the power to control men’s minds, and Lightning Bolt, a mutant able to move at incredible speeds. These two mutants siblings were running from the Church of Genetic Purity. A group bent on the destruction of all mutants. Diamond and Powerhouse help the two in defeating the agents sent after them and they joined the group out of gratitude and the desire to be safe. After all there is safety in numbers.

The next member was Black Rizer. She has the ability to change her height. She was robbing the same diamond exchange W.O.M.E.N. had decided to rob. After a brief battle Black Rizer was offered membership in the group. She has been a loyal and handy member ever since.

W.O.M.E.N. has grown in leaps and bounds over the years since it’s beginning. Several other members have joined the group bring the membership rooster close to fifteen. All have become valuable members of the team.

Unfortunately some members have brought the groups in conflict with several other organizations. Viper has continued to harass the group because of Diamond and Chukka. Until, Church of Genetic Purity, Primus and other groups have fought W.O.M.E.N. numerous times as well. Their largest conflict to date however is with Demon.

The villain Spellbound is a former member of Demon. She gained her powers while with Demon, and they feel they own her. Sea Witch is a magic-user, Thunderbird gained her powers because of a magical amulet, Power Maiden has some magic devices of which Demon feels they of course have claim to. Because of these four W.O.M.E.N. members, and the fact that a morbane has required intense medical care after a battle with the group, Demon has had a standing order to “get” W.O.M.E.N.

This consist battle has slowed W.O.M.E.N., and Demon for that matter, from reaching its own objectives. Should this feud come to an end it could be a bad thing for those who strife to protect the public.

Members:

Diamond - Co-Leader
Powerhouse - Co-Leader
Chucka - Security
Black Rize
Ghost
Ice Maiden
Lightning Bolt
Power Maiden
Spellbound
Seductress

New Members:

Helena
PsiClone
Thunderbird

Full 5th Edition Write-up For WOMEN members can be found HERE
Full 6th Edition Write-up For WOMEN members can be found HERE
Cardboard Figures For WOMEN can be found HERE
Picture of Thunderbird created by and used with the permission of Storn Cook
Cardboard figure for Thunderbird, and other characters drawn by Storn,can be found on the Hero Games Website. Here

Campaign Use

W.O.M.E.N. can be quite useful in campaigns. Here is an organization that will attack male heroes for little or no reason, other than being a man. They also will offer female heroes a chance to join W.O.M.E.N., which could lead to some interesting role-playing. Joining the group only to infiltrate it so that it can be brought down from the inside. Remember to several male heroes take the disadvantage “won’t hit/fight women”. This can lead to some interesting circumstances.

This is not to say that W.O.M.E.N. won’t start world dominating quests. Their “mission” is to over throw the male dominated society and institute a matriarchal society. To this end nothing is sacred, nothing is safe, no plan out of the question.

The worst aspect to W.O.M.E.N. is the complete disregard to the well being of men. While they don’t go out to greatly harm or kill men, with the exception of Ice Queen. They don’t seem to care what happens to them either. While they do offer female heroes membership, they aren’t afraid to harm those that turn them down. If a woman not only turns them down but also proofs to be an enemy then all bets are off. They feel if a woman knowingly allows herself to be used by the male dominated society, then she deserves what happens to her.

All this being said, members of W.O.M.E.N. don’t necessarily hate men. They are just tired of their treatment by some men. While some of their members have had and do have love interests, they still feel the world would be better off with women in charge of things. Remember to, these women have no problem with playing on their looks. Some of them wear revealing costumes in the hopes of keeping the male heroes a bit distracted. After all rumor has it that men can’t think straight with a pretty lady in the room.

Creator’s Note:

This organization was created neither to bash women, nor make fun of those women that strife for equality. This is far from my intention.

This group was started because of the numerous heroes with the same disadvantage “won’t fight/harm women”. I noticed that several of the players I played with at the time seemed to feel this was a “free” disadvantage. Most of the villain groups were mostly or all male, therefore not a disadvantage they figured they have to deal with. So often used was this disadvantage that I felt compelled to show them the error of their ways.

But, to be honest, the more I played the group the fonder I became of them. As the years went by they slowly became one of my favorite villain groups to use. I mean think about it, beating on a women in public, villain or not, isn’t good for a heroes reputation. The best part is that the villain your fighting doesn’t care about your reputation. They may even attack you while they’re in street clothes to dirty your reputation.

W.O.M.E.N. loves to sully the reputation of male heroes. They will set up elaborate plans with no other outcome in mind. They love to embarrass and humiliate men. Some of their members rather do this than become rich.

I will say most of the female players I have met over the years like the idea of W.O.M.E.N. Some even gave me some vicious ideas I’d have never thought of. Like making sure the heroes remember to keep their girlfriends happy. One call to the newspaper or Viper by a mad ex-girlfriend could be very devastating.

Plot Hooks:

Besides the usual bank or diamond exchange for cash here are a few other ideas:
1) Diamond has learned of a new proto-type for a suit of power armor that Until has built. She has decided that this would make a good suit for a new recruit into W.O.M.E.N. The heroes are asked to escort the truck carrying the proto-type to a Until base.

2) W.O.M.E.N. has produced a serum that when drank will react with the Y chromosome. This makes anyone drinking it with the Y chromosome relatively stupid. Their Intelligence will drop like the proverbial rock. But to be effective they have to put it into the drinking supply of a large town.

3) W.O.M.E.N. has kidnapped a scientist that has created a device that broadcast the thoughts of its wearer for hundreds of miles. Given the power of the Seductress this would be a bad thing to have in the hands of W.O.M.E.N.

4) Diamond has found the whereabouts of plans for human looking robots. They plan on using then to make replicate robots of male members on the UN.

This is just a few ideas of plots using W.O.M.E.N. Anything that will further the goals of W.O.M.E.N. or make it’s members richer are always a option. While furthering the down fall of men is their goal. Becoming incredibly wealthy is as well.

Also remember that some members of W.O.M.E.N. will attack male heroes just to attack them. This can cause heroes to become a little bit jumpy.

Picture this:

Your hero is swing through town when is swing line is cut. He makes it to a roof -top, where he’s jump by an extremely powerful woman. He manages to defeat her, leaving her bond for the police he swings on. Where this happens again and again.

After the last battle he swings up to a bridge to try a catch his breath. A female hero friend sees him and decides to show off her new costume. Your hero can see another costumed female he doesn’t recognize coming towards him, of course attacks her.

Getting a little punching in his old age, huh?