InDeus Ex: Mankind Divided, the Majestic Council of the Twelve is a shadowy group of people who are plotting to take over the world. Before the 2030s, Majestic 12 was an Illuminati division devoted to controlling technology and communications.
However, following a coup led by Bob Page, one of Majestic 12’s leaders, the organization secedes from its parent, assuming control of the entire Illuminati infrastructure and becoming one of the primary antagonists ofDeus Ex: Mankind Divided.
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Majestic 12’s Formation and First Steps
In the mid-twentieth century, the Illuminati leadership realized that it needed to control financial and technological matters. to accomplish this, they established two new Illuminati branches: the Bilderberg Group and Majestic 12. Majestic 12 had been in operation since 1947. AUFOwas reported to have crashed, intact, in Roswell, New Mexico, earlier that year. After the military seized the alien artifacts, the President of the United States appointed a blue-ribbon panel (codenamed Majestic 12) to investigate them.
The Illuminati ensured that MJ12 was stacked with their own high-ranking members, and the US government quickly hushed up and denied the Roswell incident. It is unknown whether the crashed UFO was real or part of an elaborate Illuminati hoax to cover up the creation of MJ12. In any case, MJ12 became a member of the Illuminati power structure, dedicated to researching and exploiting post-atomic technology.
Majestic 12 was theIlluminati’s most important arm in the twenty-first century. This was due to the enormous power and influence made possible by technology. Majestic 12 distributes and suppresses technology, controls the distribution of both legal and illegal drugs, and introduces diseases. In addition, MJ12 is tasked with influencing (and, if possible, managing) the world’s intelligence organizations.
Majestic 12, the Illuminati’s scientific and technological branch, conducts research frequently at Area 51, a top-secret facility. An example of such research is the Bovine Manipulation Project. This project’s precise nature was unknown, but it created the gray lifeform. This study was deemed a failure at the time, but rumors of grays being of extraterrestrial origin circulated. The Illuminati used this as a powerful propaganda tool. The public’s attention was diverted away from actual Majestic 12 research due to the ‘alien’ rumors.
Majestic 12 does an excellent job of controllingtechnologyfor the most part. However, communication is one area where it falls short. The Picus Group is one method by which MJ12 overcomes this problem. This corporation is made up of some marketing and media firms. Majestic 12 wields considerable influence over public opinion due to the scope of Picus. MJ12 would need to find a way to regulate the vast, chaotic internet to control global communications truly. The Morpheus Initiative is launched by Bob Page and Morgan Everett (both Majestic 12 leaders). They work with Morpheus to create the technology required for mass internet traffic surveillance.
Majestic 12 as an Independent Organization
The transformation of Majestic 12 from an Illuminati arm to an independent organization is precipitated by events in theUnited States of Americaduring the early twenty-first century. The US government was on the verge of collapsing at the time, having been ravaged by several diseases and the 2030 earthquake, which rendered much of the west coast a disaster zone. Therefore, the Illuminati decided to allow the United States to fall apart, hoping that it would be more easily pushed into suspending its constitution and accepting a one-world government.
The United States did not implode but rather recovered, and a new breed of terrorist emerged outside of Illuminati control. Some Illuminati members advocated for drastic measures, but the group chose not to act. Disgusted by the Illuminati leadership’s do-nothing attitude, Bob Page and his allies made a successful bid for power at this point. Majestic 12 then went on to control the Illuminati’s political, financial, military, and religious arms by 2035. They assumed de facto control overEuropeand Asia, and it was decided that the United States would be the first nation to fall in front of them.
Majestic 12 declared independence and begins its plans for complete global dominance and establishing a new world order. The organization was no longer constrained by the Illuminati and was free to pursue these goals in any way it saw fit - even if it was morally repugnant. In addition, it created some major projects to aid in the achievement of these objectives.
One example is the Aquinas Protocol, which, combined with the sophisticated IcarusAI, could censor and control all forms of media. Aquinas' hardware serves as a hub through which all communications are routed. Furthermore, MJ12 employed nanites (a technology developed by a member of the Illuminati) to create a variety of new technologies. These included nano-augmentations and the Gray Death.
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The Grey Death Epidemic
Majestic 12 is solely to blame for the spread of the deadly Gray Death virus. This virus, which infected many US cities by 2052, had a 93 percent fatality rate. Furthermore, it had begun to spread to rural areas of the United States, infecting millions of people in the process. The virus was designed to cause global chaos and be used as a tool for power. Rioting, sickness, and looting became rampant inNew York City, which the Gray Death had overrun.
This provided Majestic 12 with the perfect excuse to declare martial law in these cities, effectively giving MJ12 forces complete control. Rioting was seen as a valuable tool by the group’s leadership, even though it was not supported by MJ12. They hoped that the situation would worsen to the point where people would beg Majestic 12 for assistance rather than be forced to comply.
The Gray Death was used as a direct means of coercing people to do MJ12’s bidding. Bob Page forced a plague-infected senator into appointing Walton Simons as FEMA director. He accomplished this by offering to put Ambrosia on the priority list for the plagues vaccine. Majestic 12 created Ambrosia, as well as the Gray Death. This means that the grou[ had complete control over who got infected and who got cured.
This gave MJ12 unprecedented power and influence over the world’s elite, who could afford the vaccine. People as influential as the President of theUnited Stateswere included in this category. Once President Mead was infected, it was only a matter of time before the entire country was placed under martial law. This was most likely not a coincidence, as Mead would have no choice but to obey Majestic 12 once he obtained the Gray Death.
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Majestic 12’s Counterterrorism, Propaganda, and Technology
Terrorist organizations became a problem for MJ12 beginning in the 2030s. As a result, they launched a “counterterrorism” campaign, primarily through the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition. UNATCO, a global anti-terrorism effort, was active all over the world. UNATCO’s main adversary in the United States was the National Secessionist Forces (NSF). This terrorist organization seeked to locate and seize Ambrosia shipments to distribute them to plague victims. Even though the NSF’s goal is noble, it did not align with MJ12’s desires, and is thus quashed by UNATCO.
Given MJ12’s extensiveillegal and unethical activities, they must censor the truth and used propaganda to advance their agenda. The Aquinas Protocol and Icarus, which monitor all digital communications, made this possible. In addition, UNATCO employed extensive propaganda, most notably in the Know Your Enemy bulletins, to discredit organizations opposed to Majestic 12. Another way MJ12 tarnished these organizations' reputations was by framing them for the assassination targets' deaths.
Majestic 12 employed propaganda within the organization to encourage recruits to stay loyal. They came up with various “secrets” that members must follow to be “set free.” They persuaded recruits that individuality is unimportant, and by indoctrinating their members in this manner, they could more easily push them to obey orders without question.
Majestic 12 made numerous technological advances, notably nanotechnology, genetic modification, and weaponry. They created several types ofaugmented agents. The most advanced agents are those that have been nanotechnologically enhanced. These agents were imbued with nanites, which improved their stealth and combat abilities, among other things. Physiopharmaceutical augmentation was a similarly sophisticated type of augmentation. In addition, Majestic 12 advanced phytopharmaceutical augmentation, resulting in the development of Series P agents. These Series P agents were not only as skilled as their nano-augmented counterparts, but they were also entirely dedicated to Majestic 12.
Majestic 12’s Downfall
Majestic 12 made many enemies as a result of its attempts to take over the world through chaos and fear. These include its former parent organization, the Illuminati, as well as a group of ex-MJ12 scientists known as X-51. Other organizations and individuals who oppose the group include Tracer Tong, Silhouette, and the NSF.
Majestic 12 was being challenged by these organizations and individuals on their own, with little success. Significant progress is made only whenJC Dentonasked for the assistance of each of them. With the help of the rogue Daedalus AI, JC had both the means and the desire to deconstruct Majestic 12’s power structure.
When he discovered the truth about their plans, he became determined to stop them at any cost. The primary concern was preventing the spread of the Gray Death. To accomplish this, JC traveled to places like the VersaLife facility inHong Kong, the Cathedrale de Payens in Paris, and the Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California. A cure for the Gray Death is devised and begins to be manufactured at Vandenberg with the help of X-51 and the Illuminati. Majestic 12 responded to this threat by launching a nuclear missile at Vandenberg.
When this failed, and the missile is intercepted atArea 51, Majestic 12’s leadership became vulnerable to attack. JC Denton seized this opportunity and traveled to Area 51 to confront Bob Page. Page was preparing to join forces with Helios (a hybrid of Daedalus and Icarus) to become a god-like being. If he succeeded, Page would have complete control of the internet as well as a swarm of Universal Constructors. His dream of having MJ12 rule the world would then come true. However, JC stopped him, and the Majestic 12 conspiracy came to an end.
Deus Ex: Mankind Dividedis now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
