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15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction

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Jack_Burton
04/20/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Aperture Science (Portal)

Union Aerospace Corporation (Doom series)

Liandri, Izanagi, and Axon (UT series)

Universal Exports (James Bond series)

Parallax Corporation (The Parallax View)
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Grey_Area
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
I am hard pressed to recall any portrayal of a wholly benevolent big corporation in any Speculative Fiction. Can it be so, are our hearts that hardened to the worthy machinations of Big Business? Are we truly that cold and unfeeling?

O cry, o wail for the maligned Zaibatsu. O mourn for those daring financial adventurers who only wish to drain the very best of the world for themselves.

Will you not share but a single tear with the lonely CEO who cries himself to sleep every night surrounded by exquisite mistresses in his vast silk-lined bed atop Dubai's latest architectural gem?

Have you no soul? If you do, would you be willing to sell it for a daring new scientific study?

Our recruiters will contact you shortly.
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Mazda Eric
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
The Middleman didn't even try to hide the fact they stole the Mirror universe emblem: [www.geocities.com]

also, where did you find a Tyrell Corp. logo? I never remember seeing it in any of the books or the film.
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Grey_Area
04/18/09

@Mazda Eric: I suspect that may be retconned. The owl image seems quite suspect.
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Doug Nelson
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Gots to wonder if there are any examples of a truly good megacorporation in sciffy lit?
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Grey_Area
04/18/09

@Doug Nelson: That is the tougher question. Warren Ellis' Planetary? Hmmm...
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Grey_Area
04/18/09

@Grey_Area: Someone else mentioned Stark and Wayne Enterprises although both are heavily into weapons manufacturing. Was S.T.A.R. Labs a private corporation?

Dang, these are all from comic books! Is there no love for the faceless megacorporation in other media?
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R.O.A.C.H. Creates ACyclicUniverse
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Paik Industries from LOST? A translation of the Korean spoken between Sun's father and his aides right before she delivers a corporate bitch-slap reveals that they have ties to the Hanso foundation.

And what about Widmore's company as well? Using one's resources to dig up over 200 bodies and sink them in a shadily acquired plane warrants a place on the evil scale..
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/18/09

@ACyclicUniverse: Both run by clearly evil CEO's, at minimum.
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vulcanized
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Wheadon has said that the Hands of Blue guys worked for Blue Sun. Making people bleed out of their eyeballs certainly suggests a level of evil.
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Mathmos
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
btw, what about Dr. Zeus the time-travel Company in Kage Baker's novels.
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Grey_Area
04/18/09

@Mathmos: It is The Company! Love those books.
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Jim Topoleski
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
But but Yoyodyne makes ships for Starfleet in the 24th century!

[memory-alpha.org]
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/18/09

@Jim Topoleski: There must have been a takeover and clean-up so that they were no longer evil.
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Mav
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Dude I am loving the FatBoy Industries shout out. How I wish we had more of that show to fully realise what that whole plot line was going to be.

LE SIGH!!
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Laffinboy
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Crimson Permanent Assurance, anyone...?
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/18/09

@Laffinboy: Not evil, just swashbuckling! (once the execs were gone)
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OsDavis
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Obligatory Doctor Who mentions: "The Company" from the Sunmakers; Tobias Vaughan's company in "The Invasion"; and whatever company it was manufacturing cybernetic ipod thingees and also Cyberman in recentish "Rise of the Cybermen / Age of Steel" episodes.

Cheers,

Os.
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Mav
04/18/09

@OsDavis: The master's cellphone company? Angel something?
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vulcanized
04/18/09

@OsDavis: Also Geocomtex from "Dalek" run by Henry van Statten. Not a great episode, but an exercise in toplessness for Eccleston and a decently evil corporation (purposely not curing illnesses in order to sell more drugs) so I'll give it a little love.
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OW-Holmes:Bringer of Fear
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Ive always wondered about why there are so many evil corporations in sci-fi. Do these companies not have share holders they have to report to? Is it supposed to be in anyone's best interest to create a world destroying super virus or killer robot bees?

You also forgot Crossgen of Kings fame, though I'm not sure how evil they are.

And not to be a stickler (who am I kidding) but some of these companies may not be incorporated. They could just be evil sole proprietorships or evil limited liability partnerships. It would explain why we never see evil board meetings or any evil CFOs.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/18/09

@OW-Holmes: Evil LLP's or SP's really are the way to go. I'm thinking LexCorp is one of those.
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Steve Roberts
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
Tyrell + Cyberdyne + OCP = GENOM. There's nothing like armored crazy killbots that can assimilate machines and telnet into orbital death rays to brighten your day.

But of course, you could just have Aperture Science. They only make science, cake... and LIES.
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Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
04/18/09

@Steve Roberts: There is still cake, though, right? Delicious, moist, cake. Mmmm.
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ggodo, the man from R.O.A.C.H.
04/18/09

@Discodave: You only get cake after your victory candescence.
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FishinginCrisis
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
No love for MomCorp?
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Regular_Stormy
04/18/09

@FishinginCrisis: She puts up such a good facade though.
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vulcanized
04/18/09

@Regular_Stormy: She IS the world's most huggable industrialist. But I agree - clearly evil.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/18/09

@vulcanized and zombified: Manservant Neville puts up a good front, too. But Mom's completely evil and ruthless.
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Clarox
04/18/09

In reply to 15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
No Massive Dynamics?
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♥AntiSocialSocialite♥
04/18/09

@Clarox: we don't know if they're EVIL yet - we just know they're suspicious and immoral.
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