I finally identified the bald fellow: it's Talisman, an aboriginal Australian character with magic skills, created exclusively for the original Contest of Champions mini-series.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Talisman_(Australian)_(Earth-616) (not to be confused with the heroine Talisman of Alpha Flight, also with magic powers.)
On a pure fantasy level, I'd say it's definitely worth following up on the conversation that was had with all those guys, lol. Maybe there's a charter or blueprints laying around in someone's secret vault.
The adventures could range from cosmic to street-level, frequently since the "Third World" countries tend to be largely ignored by the mainstream heroic community. I'd love it if there were a semi-rotating roster with a core plus some guests based on the mission at hand.
Now that Marvel is publishing the female-centric A-Force, there's no excuse why they can't seriously come up with something like this.
That is a good catch! HOW DID YOU FIND THIS TALISMAN GUY from the pic? Appreciate the sleuthing skills, bruh.
Street Illuminati? Hmmm...I like that, but...not for THEE Illuminati. Street level threats rise to corporate and global threats. That's the purview of say Parker Technology or whatever it's called now, Stark International, etc. Criminals would be like HYDRA, AIM, The Hand and KINGPIN. Periodically, the likes of a Silver Sable. There are already heroes for that. But I don't see the need for an ILLUMINATI approach for that.
The Illuminati are supposed to be thee best and brightest of their ilk. Who could we assemble that is BETTER than Punisher, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Gambit, Elektra, Shang Chi, etc etc AND THEY'RE BLACK?
We'd have to make the characters up. Which I think we should.
And in so doing, find a way to really substantially differentiate them from some street level incarnation of The Avengers. I mean...if they were to be distinct from being tagged as street level Avengers, they'd also have to say take on a hit squad like flavor. They'd have to be willing to KILL their enemies. Which would draw the attention and ire of their street level heroic White counterparts. And SHIELD. But SHIELD could roust the street people living in the neighborhood that these Street Illuminati live in. And DEADPOOL INC could be hired to take our heroes out. TASKMASTER could be hired for the same reason. See where I'm going with this? Ya gotta really think this stuff out before committing to such an idea as genuinely valid.
But they'd also have to have both access to highly sensitive international close hold secrets as well as having established their own street level intelligence operation. The kind of mission they undertake depends upon where they got their info, and the kind of steps they'd take for self protection would have similar roots. Shuri sends you to wipe out some next generation super-AIDS making biology lab? That's One thing.
Da homie Sugah Momma tells you her daughter's missing, and in the course of tracking down the missing girl you break up the local drug and gang cartel, car thief ring, oust a few nonBlack businesses for selling substandard and often tainted food and drinks to the hood...and return the missing girl only to find out Sugah Momma's daughter is pregnant by one of the dudes who got unknowingly infected by the Super AIDS? That's another.
...
Street level Illuminati would have to include Bishop and Blade. Storm and TChalla's daughter and son. Etc. If we want to keep the roster fresh and exciting. Storm and Monica would have to be in, at both street and cosmic levels.
But whoever we select and/or create, we should follow the Afrikan Ogdoad Principle. Balanced energies. A team of equal parts male and female...and they don't always have to be full fledged adults.
