You know, I wanted to do something different with him... but he is The Archetype. The first eight things that popped in my head were horror related. But perhaps this is somewhat horror related without being the Mad Dr. Perhaps just a little Mad.Mr Douglas West is the aging and grandfatherly appearing CEO of Polycorp (once known as CGMF, the company it became after the take over of International Business Services by Western Hemisphere Manufacturing). You name a type of business, Polycorp has a unit involved in it. There are Polycorp divisions everywhere in the world. This global manufacturing and service concern is one of the largest companies in the world, though its income tends to make is just short of the international Fortune 500.
People have often thought that West's strategems for company growth were peculiar. However they have been effective. He is the head of the board of the directors, the major stock holder, as well as the CEO of the company. Anything Mr. West wants dones, gets done.
And that is good for Mr. West, as what he wants to do is someone exotic.
He wants to take over the world and run it in an appropriate manner: efficient and effectively.
Conventional processes would never work. If they did, someone would of done it by now. No, it would have to be something beyond the normal to make it happen. West has invested in a number of Fortean-esk research projects over the decades. He and a small group of supporters have utilized these odd projects to advance their agenda and make a great deal of money over the decades.
He has aquired a large number of alien artifacts and ancient artifacts of odd power. Many of these items have been duplicated for use, while others had copies made of them and those copies were left for others to find (or left them in their place in various places of storage or display). He has quite the collection of exotic books/ scrolls, many of which he has used to bribe people of "special skills" to utilize those skills for him.
He has harnessed the forces of magic and the occult to extend his own lifespan. While he seems a dabbler, his arcane strength is quite strong. He can also scry to see competition and future trends, though his daughter seems to have stronger talents in this direction. These talents have served him well in business, the stock market, and the commodities market.
He has uses Demons to remove unwanted people who blocked certain business deals or got too close to the truth. He has not yet make proper pacts like some of his board members. He likes to be the majority shareholder of everything, including his own soul.
The alien technology the company has utilized, augmented by the enchantments, had provided a number of useful tools. However the fine control needed to properly utilize them is missing, to date. But any day now, someone will crack those codes.
The biotechnology at his disposal is quite impressive. They may be the key that unlocks his conquest of the world. The suspended animation program that came from his biologic studies, combined with mind reading technology, may be the key to proper everlasting life. Add to that the Andro projects...
The most dangerous part of West's plans is Andro projects: the android and snythezoid manufacturing and replacement programs. West has been manufacturing these things for a decade now. There numbers are growing and their programming is becoming more and more "realistic". Using his service industry positions (temps), the androids are infiltrating key positions in government and industry. When critical mass has been achieved, they will take over their various organizations or immobilize them so they can not respond to his threats.
West is an old school gentleman. He is articulate, well educated, and has proper manners at all times. He will offer people he is interrogating tea and scones. Just because it is just rude not to be a proper host, even under less than ideal relationships. He will not stoop to torture, but the brain ripper does an excellent job as well. He is quite ethical in his own way, not willing to wipe out a huge portion of humanity or do untold damage to conquer the world. That is not to say he won't eliminate people to reach his ends. He just won't do it randomly. He is quite philothropic, and does so because it is right, not because it is a tax write off. He is a complex man who is easy enough just to write off as a madman.
Keep in mind, he may not control the world at this time, but that does not mean he can not manipulate it a great deal.
Next step:
Nicholas Cage
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000115/
