Private Military Contractors: Difference between revisions

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These characters can be both heroic and villainous; in a conflict, they usually are allied with the richest party's faction, but sometimes have a [[Honor Before Reason|strict honor code]] that prevents them from switching sides mid-battle. If they get ''too'' enthusiastic about their job, they may become [[Blood Knight|Blood Knights]] and try to start a [[War for Fun And Profit]]. On the other hand, they do have to deal with the risk of [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness|their employers double-crossing them when the job's done]]. And if their clients run out of money before the fighting's done, things will get ugly in short order in one or more of many ways.

In recent years, there's come to be a distinction between a "''mercenary company''" and "''corporate mercenaries''", especially in Western (American) television and movies. The traditional mercenary who hires ''himself'' out (or himself and [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|a dozen of his best buddies]]) is seen as somewhat honest, with at least a personal code of honor of some kind (even if it's just "do the job, get paid"); determined to accomplish the mission for which he has been paid and takes his reputation very seriously; and is scrappy yet skilled. This character is usually played moderately sympathetic, or at least as an [[Anti Hero]]. They will typically have some attention given to their, quite possibly colorful, personalities.

In recent years, there's come to be a distinction between a "''mercenary company''" and "''corporate mercenaries''", especially in Western (American) television and movies. The traditional mercenary who hires ''himself'' out (or himself and [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|a dozen of his best buddies]]) is seen as somewhat honest, with at least a personal code of honor of some kind (even if it's just "do the job, get paid"); determined to accomplish the mission for which he has been paid and takes his reputation very seriously; and is scrappy yet skilled. This character is usually played moderately sympathetic, or at least as an [[Anti-Hero]]. They will typically have some attention given to their, quite possibly colorful, personalities.

In stark contrast, the "''corporate mercenary''" is usually just a [[Red Shirt]] of some kind, and the "character" takes the form of the PMC corporation itself. Corporate mercs are usually depicted as being up to no good, or are the hand-puppets of some shadowy organization which is itself up to no good. They are portrayed -- when anything more than [[Red Shirts]] -- as amoral, ethically-challenged, and professional but [[My Master Right or Wrong|hardly ever inclined to argue with Corporate Headquarters]]. If former military, many will have been dishonorably discharged. They are almost never the "good guys" in recent years. Their parent company usually has a name based loosely or thematically on "Blackwater" in a [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]] [[Expy]] of that real-life PMC -- examples include "Blackriver", "Red River", "Blackthorne", and "Starkwood".

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A sub-trope of [[Hired Guns]]. Commonly a favorite industry of a [[Proud Warrior Race]].

== Anime and Manga ==

* The Knight Sabers of ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]'' and ''[[Bubblegum Crisis 2040]]'' build their own [[Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys|Wonderful Toys]], but pay for the materials by contracting their services.

* The Knight Sabers of ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]'' and ''[[Bubblegum Crisis 2040]]'' build their own [[Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?|Wonderful Toys]], but pay for the materials by contracting their services.

* SMS in ''[[Macross Frontier]]''.

* The Extra Order mercs from the first arc of ''[[Black Lagoon]]'', who are described as war-junkies and take things to [[Psycho for Hire]] levels at the Yellow Flag before Revy and the Lagoon Company take them down. They were probably a [[Shout Out]] to the real-world Executive Outcomes, below.

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* Willard International Consulting in ''[[The Return (Fanfic)|The Return]]'', are PMC in theory, although in practice they come across more as an [[NGO Superpower]].

* ''[[Life Of The Legendaries]]'' depicts Silph Co. as owning Kanto's navy, army and air force.

* In the ''[[Forever Knight (TV)|Forever Knight]]'' Wars, a series of fanfic round-robins in which factions focused around the different characters have a free-for-all, the Mercs are a notable presence. They will take jobs from anyone in any faction; payment is negotiable and extremely variable, but they are fond of [[~~Everythings~~ Better With Chocolate|chocolate]].

* In the ''[[Forever Knight (TV)|Forever Knight]]'' Wars, a series of fanfic round-robins in which factions focused around the different characters have a free-for-all, the Mercs are a notable presence. They will take jobs from anyone in any faction; payment is negotiable and extremely variable, but they are fond of [[Everything's Better With Chocolate|chocolate]].

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** The ''[[Vattas War]]'' series by the same author deals with these heavily, particularly the Mackensee Military Assistance Corporation whom Kylara Vatta, [[The Captain]], both hires and is hired by. The MMAC is depicted as being ''very'' strict in who they will do business with, with their contracts spelling out certain actions their employers might take where they will consider their contract terminated on the spot and withdraw immediately, in order to avoid any association with this trope's negative trappings.

* In Simon R. Green's ''[[Deathstalker]]'' books, the Families employ [[Mooks|hordes]] of these. A few of the main characters are ex-mercenaries, as well (and one of them is only helping overthrow the evil empire for the loot that will be in it for her if they succeed).

* The mercenary unit ''[[Soldiers Of Barrabas]]'', or [[Fun With Acronyms|SOBS]], (a Gold Eagle action series by Jack Hild) is ostensibly lead by a mercenary who's 'soft' on his native country, and so willingly seeks contracts that advance its interests. In truth they work directly for the US government as a [[Heroes R Us|deniable dirty tricks team]].

* The mercenary unit ''[[Soldiers Of Barrabas]]'', or [[Fun With Acronyms|SOBS]], (a Gold Eagle action series by Jack Hild) is ostensibly lead by a mercenary who's 'soft' on his native country, and so willingly seeks contracts that advance its interests. In truth they work directly for the US government as a [[Heroes-R-Us|deniable dirty tricks team]].

* The "Free Companies" mentioned in ''[[The Culture/Consider Phlebas|Consider Phlebas]]'' by Ian M. Banks. The [[Space Pirates]] the protagonist hooks up with like to call themselves one, but don't quite make the grade.

* ''Market Forces'' by Richard Morgan is set in a world where [[Mega Corp|Mega Corps]] are in virtual control of everything, and the world's military and intelligence forces, from the SAS to the CIA, have been privatised. Another example of this trope is the Wedge in ''Broken Angels'', who are an elite company of intersteller mercenaries.

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* In ''[[Team Fortress 2 (Video Game)|Team Fortress 2]]'' the world is secretly controlled by two holding companies. Each company has a branch dedicated to this trope, and both of them employ [[Army of Thieves and Whores|the nine playable classes]] to try to destroy the other company.

* In ''[[Air Rivals|Air Rivals/Ace Online]]'', players start as mercenaries under FreeSKA and only decide which of the two sides to join at level 11.

* The GUARDIANS Security Corporation from ''[[Phantasy Star|Phantasy Star Universe]]'' is a combination of this and [[Law Enforcement Inc|Law Enforcement Inc.]], but with [[A Lighter Shade of Grey]].

* The GUARDIANS Security Corporation from ''[[Phantasy Star|Phantasy Star Universe]]'' is a combination of this and [[Law Enforcement, Inc.|Law Enforcement Inc.]], but with [[A Lighter Shade of Grey]].

* The Mercenaries Guild, from ''[[Wing Commander (Video Game)|Privateer]]''.

* General Shepherd's Shadow Company from ''[[Modern Warfare]] 2'' have most of the trappings of PMCs, though the SOCOM emblems they wear make their true nature somewhat difficult to discern. A PMC, just called "PMC", is a multiplayer faction for ''[[Modern Warfare]] 3'' and is matched up against African Militiamen.

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* In ''[[Strike Commander (Video Game)|Strike Commander]]'', PMCs have become quite powerful, and operate their own armoured and airborne vehicles. They work for different nations to augment armies and carry out percision strikes. The player belongs to one such unit that specializes in F-16 fighter jets. The game takes you all around the world as your squad assists in other countries' wars. Stocking inventory for your squad means buying Sidewinder missiles and laser-guided bombs, among other things.

* In ''[[Red Faction]]'', once the player character and his comrades have killed most of the Ultor security guards, Ultor brings in "mercenaries" for backup. It's mostly an excuse for the Mooks to get tougher, and to start dropping cooler guns when you kill them.

* The [[Player Characters]] in ''[[Mechwarrior]] 2 [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|Mercenaries]]'', ''[[Mechwarrior]] 4 [[~~Names~~ the Same|Mercernaries]]'' and ''[[Mech Commander]] 2'' command companies of mercenaries. The original ''[[Mechwarrior]]'' had this too.

* The [[Player Characters]] in ''[[Mechwarrior]] 2 [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|Mercenaries]]'', ''[[Mechwarrior]] 4 [[Name's the Same|Mercernaries]]'' and ''[[Mech Commander]] 2'' command companies of mercenaries. The original ''[[Mechwarrior]]'' had this too.

* In ''[[Batman Arkham City]]'', new Mayor Quincy Sharp has bought out part of Gotham and walled it off to serve as a replacement prison/nuthouse for Blackgate and Arkham Asylum after the events of the previous game. It is policed by a PMC called "[[Xtreme Kool Letterz|Tyger]]", which is a perfect example of the villainous corporate mercenaries subtype. They are ordered to kill anyone who tries to escape, commit [[Police Brutality]] (though it's hard to feel sorry for, say, [[Torture Technician|Black Mask]]) and at the same time let the inmates free to do whatever they want to each others (at one point deciding not to investigate a murder where the victim had his face cut off while he was still alive), are willing to kidnap innocents in plain sight and in front of journalists and throw them in Arkham City without any sort of trial, and in the end {{spoiler|they partake in the [[Final Solution|culling]] of Arkham City, and seem to be really into it}}. However, it's revealed that {{spoiler|the reason why they committed these actions was because they were brainwashed, making it a subversion}}.

* In the campaign on ''[[Starcraft II]] : Wings of Liberty'' you can hire mercenaries in the ''Hyperion'' from Graven Hill, who hangs out in the tavern drinking mai tais. Mercenary units are much tougher than their regular counterparts, can be purchased from the Merc Compound, and are created instantly, but have a limited pool per mission. Examples include everything from Hammer Securities, who are corporate professionals that provide their specially modified Marauder armor and troops to use them, to the Hel's Angels, pirate fighter pilots who do some mercenary work on the side, to the ''Jackson's Revenge'', an old battlecruiser that some say is cursed.