I don’t recall the exact day, but it was sometime in November 2005. The Grinning Ghoul, still pumped from his unexpected prison break, was deposited on Mercy Island, where it was hoped he would become a loyal servant of Arachnos. Instead, the mad arch-genius assembled a crew of villains to form Infamy Unlimited, the organization which today looks back upon a year of blood and victory.
It’s a credit to all of you, the members and minions of IU, that we have managed to grow so strong and so feared even under the very shadow of Arachnos. Consider what we have accomplished in a single year, starting from nothing at all:
- Assembled three dozen of the most desperate and dangerous criminals the world has ever seen.
- Learned to coordinate and fight as a single unit.
- Constructed a hidden base in the heart of Lord Recluse’s own domain, filled to the brim with wealth and advanced machinery, and kept it secure from all intruders.
- Brought terror and death to all who have opposed us — even coming out victorious in battles against Recluse’s lieutenants and the Freedom Phalanx.
- Bested the arch-demon Bat’Zul in his own lair.
- Briefly went all emo and survived.
- Remained a cohesive and powerful group even during the leader’s unplanned absence into the infinite jetsam-choked streams of time and parallel reality.
- Endured the humiliation of temporary possession by pirate ghosts, and successfully broke the spell and reassumed control of our own bodies. (I’m pleased to report that relapses of possession by the Queen’s Ransom ghosts are down 17% as of this month.)
- Brought terror and mayhem into the very heart of Paragon City, proving that no place on Earth is safe from Infamy Unlimited’s diabolical power.
You guys are, without dispute, the world’s greatest supervillain group.
So does this mean we can now rest idle upon our thorny, blackened laurels? Not remotely! We’ve done nothing more than lay the groundwork. All that Infamy Unlimited has accomplished so far is merely the prelude, the first phase in the Grinning Ghoul’s grand scheme.
We now have the talent. We have the wealth and the equipment. Now, in the year to come, we will begin to seize the power. TRUE power. In time, Arachnos itself will be eclipsed by the growing influence of Infamy Unlimited. We will no longer hide underground when the Rogue Isles become our domain. Paragon City’s defenders will finally comprehend the true threat to their existence, but it will be too late. The heroes of the free world will be swept away in a bloody tide. Soon, Earth itself will writhe in our grasp! Our power will truly be unlimited! And the future will belong, not to Recluse, not to the Freedom Phalanx … but to the Grinning Ghoul.
Gentlemen and ladies, a toast! Phase Two begins today! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
