Department of Extranormal Operations
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The United States Department of Extranormal Operations, or DEO, is a federal organisation charged with protecting the United States from domestic threats of an "extranormal" nature, such as acts of terrorism and vigilantism, and in addressing crimes that cannot be prosecuted with the resources of conventional law enforcement agencies - such as those committed by metahumans, transhumans, and extraterrestrials.
Though styled as a federal executive department, there is no "Secretary of Extranormal Operations". Instead, the DEO answers to the Attorney General, making it a twin/counterpart of the Department of Justice.
It is functionally similar to the Department of Homeland Security from Earth Zero - the "real world" - but with a slightly modified mandate.
History
During World War II, the Allied and Axis forces made use of a number of superhuman and paranormal individuals to assist in the war effort. Following the Allied victory in 1945, those "mystery men" returned home, taking their abilities with them into civilian life. Efforts to replicate those abilities during the Cold War by governments and civilians alike gave rise to a new generation of powered individuals, many of whom exploited their new abilities for personal gain. The emergence of super-criminals provoked the rise of costumed crime fighters to thwart them; seeking some degree of control over the situation, the Department of Justice commissioned the Justice Society of America to sanction parts of the superhero community, making them an extension of the government as they had been during the war, rather than vigilantes.
An unprecedented Crisis brought that so-called "Golden Age" of costumed heroism to an end. The Justice Society was disbanded, and the Vigilante Regulation Act was written into law, branding any act of unsanctioned costumed heroism a federal crime. The Department of Extranormal Operations was created by the incumbent Attorney General to enforce that Act, and also to replace the admittedly important role the Justice Society had played in holding costumed criminals to account. Initially a small operation, established to work alongside the Department of Justice but separate from it, the DEO progressively grew larger in size and scope, as a response to rising metahuman populations, an influx of alleged extraterrestrial refugees, and the increasing availability of "extranormal" abilities and technologies to ordinary individuals.
By the 21st Century, the DEO's scope increased to include not only the prevention of costumed crime, but also the identification and monitoring of potential metahumans and transhumans, oversight of immigration regarding persons of extranormal interest, and an assortment of housing, education, and anonymity initiatives to hopefully prevent such individuals from being driven to crime or vigilantism. The DEO's largest facility is DEO Central, located in Central City, which aside from its expansive metahuman crime lab is also proximate to the DEO's primary "supermax" metahuman detention facility, Iron Heights. The DEO also operates a psychiatric detention facility, Belle Reve, near St. Roch, Louisiana.
Despite the DEO's expansive mandate and budget, both costumed crime and vigilantism have become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Of particular consternation is Gotham City, a city so beset by crime and corruption that it is largely regarded as a lost cause by the federal government. The DEO has made a number of unsuccessful attempts to enforce law in the city, but it continues to exist as a criminal haven, to the extent that the GCPD openly welcomes the assistance of the city's vigilante population in preventing matters from becoming worse.
Hierarchy
The Department of Extranormal Operations is led by a Director, who functions as the chief administrator of the department, under the guidance and oversight of the United States Attorney General. They are assisted by a Deputy Director, and a number of Assistant Directors given oversight of each branch, division or office within the DEO - such as Forensic Intelligence, Cyber Intelligence, National Security, an so on.
Field agents of the DEO are Special Agents, meaning they have authorisation to both investigate crimes and make arrests. Support staff may carry a title such as "Agent" or "Investigator", indicating that they are authorised for one or other of those activities, but not both. Occasionally, "Special Investigator" is used for Special Agents assigned to departments where Investigator is the prevailing title. The rank of Special Agent in Charge (SAC) identifies the senior agent for a particular unit, field office, or investigation.
The rank of Inspector falls between Directors and Agents, and is used to identify individuals charged with ensuring the DEO complies with the appropriate policies, procedures, and ethics in its investigations. An Inspector's authority supersedes that of the Special Agent in Charge, but Inspectors are usually expected to not interfere in ongoing investigations.
Though not widely publicised, not all vigilantes apprehended by the DEO are convicted. As an alternative, some are recruited into the DEO as agents, and are permitted to engage in sanctioned acts of costumed activity, often as part of efforts to apprehend and convict more significant criminal and vigilante individuals.
DEO Employees
- United States Attorney General - Maxwell Lord
- Director, Department of Extranormal Operations - Director Bones
- Deputy Director, Department of Extranormal Operations
- Assistant Director, Forensic Intelligence Division
- Assistant Director, Cyber Intelligence Division
- Assistant Director, Investigations Division
- Special Agent in Charge, Gotham Field Office - Cameron Chase
- Assistant Director, Office of National Security
- Assistant Director, Office of Integrity and Compliance
- Inspector - John Holden
