Egypt

A land with a rich history, Egypt is a place of modern intrigues and ancient mysteries. Recent political upheavals have made it a hotbed of political and intelligence activity, with agents of SHADOW, UNISON, and other groups fighting a covert war for the region. Currently SHADOW has the upper hand, having long-established cells and secret bases in Cairo, Alexandria, and other Egyptian cities.
Due to its connection to the Egyptian gods and other mystical forces, Egypt is more magically active than many nations. Many heroes and villains who draw their power from Egyptian artifacts or mysticism, such as The Scarab or Overshadow, often find themselves drawn back to this country to seek some ancient secret or oppose some recently unearthed threat. Though many of the tombs of the Pharaohs have been looted or hold only mundane treasures, the desert still hides various tombs and temples holding powerful magical items or unholy monsters.
Though many modern Egyptians are Muslims, with a notable minority of Coptic Christians, many cults worshipping the Egyptian gods exist in secret. Four cults in particular hold major influence in Egypt’s mystical underground: the Hand of Horus, the Dark Cult of Anubis, The Scions of Sobek, and the Coils of Apep.

THE HAND OF HORUS

This heroic collection of adventurers, scholars, and mystics has existed in one form or another for centuries. More of a secret society of like-minded individuals than a traditional cult, the Hand of Horus is devoted to serving justice and taking revenge on those who exploit the weak and harm the innocent. In the past the group has worked with Horus the Avenger, their patron who was active as a superhero during the latter part of the 20th century. However, Horus has not been active on Earth for several years, because he abides by the rules of the Pact put in place by Simon Magus to limit the presence of the gods on Earth-Prime. Horus does, however, work through intermediaries relatively frequently.
The Hand of Horus is constantly besieged by the other three cults, who all share goals opposed to the Hand of Horus and have connections to SHADOW, who occasionally aid them in trying to eliminate Horus’ followers. They survive through skill and secrecy, but many of the order have fallen to these foes over the decades.

THE DARK CULT OF ANUBIS

A perversion of traditional Egyptian worship of the death-god Anubis, this blood cult is led by the Black Anubis, a supervillain who has fought against the White Lions of Dakana in the past. The incarnation of the Egyptian death god Anubis from an alternate Earth, Black Anubis has taken over the cult to grow his power base. Once a more traditional supervillain, he now hopes to use treachery, indirect methods, and corruption where more direct methods have failed in the past. To aid in his deceptions, Black Anubis often uses rituals to cast enchantments masking his true, jackal-headed, form. He has created for himself the false identity of Nasr Mubarak, an Egyptian importer, philanthropist, and respected member of the international business community. He despises having to hide his true form and adopt human niceties, but he only does both for as little time as possible and even while disguised he can domineering and abusive.

SCIONS OF SOBEK

A splinter group of SHADOW, the Scions of Sobek are best known for their participation in the deaths of the first Scarab and the hero Brainstorm. Since then, the cult has been weakened by internal power struggles and external attacks from various forces. Recently, the cult has rejoined its parent group and now functions as a specialized subgroup within SHADOW’s larger structure.

THE COILS OF APEP

A society of assassins devoted to the spread of evil and chaos, the Coils of Apep worship the Egyptian serpent god of chaos, Apep. In recent years, the cult has come under the influence of the Serpent People and the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign, who have convinced the bulk of the cult that they are the “chosen of Apep.” There might be some truth to this, as some believe Apep is simply one incarnation of the Unspeakable One, the dark god of the Brotherhood. In any event, the Brotherhood uses the members of the Coils as assassins, infiltrators, and even suicide troops upon occasion.

Type

Geopolitical, Country