Sovereign

SOVEREIGN is a worldwide criminal organization with a long history. Very little is known about it except that it is generally led by a metahuman also called "Soveriegn", and that it only uses organized crime as a means towards an end... though exactly its ends are is unknown.

Initially, SOVEREIGN was founded during the late 20th century by James Covington, a wealthy British industrialist and metahuman. Covington led a double life for many years, publicly as a reclusive but brilliant captain of international industry, and secretly as Sovereign, the shadowy, secretive leader of a world spanning network of criminal activity which only the highest levels of law enforcement knew existed at all.

Covington was not the first to use that identity; he was apparently inspired by another criminal mastermind by the same name who was active before, during and shortly after World War II. The original Sovereign is believed to have committed suicide rather than be captured by the original All-Star Squadron (Guardsman, Commando, Human Rocket, Lady Liberty and Mr. America).

Like his predecessor, Covington preferred working from the shadows and avoiding direct confrontations. By the turn of the millennium he had a finger in a varied range of legal and illegal activities, including but not limited to arms dealing to terrorist organizations, drug production and trafficking (mainly from South America), prostitution rings and extortion, as well as dealings with other organized crime agencies.

In 2000 Covington and his organization were revealed by the recently refounded and corporate-sponsored All-Star Squadron. Ironically, Covington himself was the team's biggest sponsor... it's speculated that he was doing so in order to keep tabs on superheroic activity, and perhaps to subvert the group. In the subsequent battle, he blew up his base, and was presumed dead.

Subsequently the organization fell into shambles, and various lieutenants adopted the "Sovereign" identity. Eventually one emerged triumphant. Since then, there have been at least three different Sovereigns, and the SOVEREIGN organization is once again active.