Espers (comics) - Adversaries

Adversaries

In the "Undertow" story arc, Bill Silent Bear gives new member Skye Lanning a summary of the adversaries their team is up against. "There are two dark esper groups. The Triad's mainly a criminal branch... They deal in drugs, terrorism, the usual crap. But the Circle, they're the real bad boys... They're political, doing things behind the scenes to start wars, destroy economies... and worse." In issue 4 of the "Interface" story arc, Alan Black explains to Linda Williams that, "The Inner Circle is mostly European in origin. The Triad is extensively Asian. Both groups are trying to control the world. They manipulate events from behind the scenes."

A murderous telekinetic named Sergei Koznishev, who is described as a "high level member of the Inner Circle," first appears in the initial "Espers" story arc from 1986, running the Beirut operation. He appears again extensively in "Undertow."

During the final battle at the end of "Undertow," it's revealed that all the world's espers originated from a secret human breeding program masterminded by a shadowy group called the "Architects," whose origins date back to the American Revolutionary War. The Architects have sought to alter humanity over hundreds of years through breeding and mysticism. The Inner Circle was formed from this organization in 1880. But then in 1922 a group of espers fled this selective breeding program. The title characters in "Espers" are descended from them, it's revealed at the end of the story, which is why they're referred to as "Renegades" by the Inner Circle and the Triad. In vol.3, issue 7 it's made clear that the Triad is at odds with the Architects as well.

In the "Black Magic" story arc it's revealed that there is also on "occult branch" of the Architects called "The Pentacle." The Pentacle is led by Tracy King, a former reporter who has become possessed by an evil ancestor named Aldo Roth, described as "a rogue kabbalistic necromancer who died in 1787."