V.I.L.E. Academy was a vocational school that was originally built on an island in the Canary Islands off the coasts of Western Africa which was known as the Isle of V.I.L.E to its inhabitants, over the course of many decades it served as both a headquarters for The Faculty to plan their missions and as a school for its V.I.L.E. operatives.
After it became known to The Faculty and operatives that Shadowsan was a traitor and had allied himself with Carmen Sandiego, the headquarters on the Isle of V.I.L.E was evacuated and eventually blown up to avoid its location and existence from being found out by authorities. After Shadowsan officially defected, the fifth seat became open and several adult operatives were considered as replacements, it soon went to Nigel Braithwaite, a double agent who worked for both V.I.L.E and British Secret Services and who went by the codename of Roundabout. The academy was relocated to an abandoned castle in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, which served as the headquarters until the organization met its downfall.
The academy also served as a home for a young Carmen Sandiego, due to her previous home being burned down after a confrontation that left her father, Dexter Wolfe, dead. Due to this, many nannies taught her various lessons. When Carmen was slightly older, she requested an audience with her mentors and asked to be enrolled within the program, despite being slightly younger than the other student. She was allowed to join after it was agreed upon by the faculty that she had more training than other new recruits, despite this, Carmen still acted immature and pulled pranks on those older than she was, but was protected by Coach Brunt who saw the young girl as her adoptive daughter.
The Faculty and Other Staff[]
The Faculty, also known as V.I.L.E. Faculty, were a group of five who served as its teachers and masterminds who conducted many crimes and plotted various plots in order to benefit themselves as a whole, they targeted richer areas and locations in to garner riches and made sure to keep themselves in the shadows so as to not be caught. To avoid being discovered, The Faculty allowed an operative to abandon the mission even if it meant leaving behind what they were after and considered failure acceptable though were not lenient towards the operatives who were captured by authorities, if one were to face capture then they were picked up by The Cleaners and taken back to the academy where they faced having their minds wiped of their alignment with V.I.L.E, the procedure was often overseen by Professor Gunnar Maelstrom and Dr. Saira Bellum. Other staff also consisted of guards who patrolled the area and were directly loyal to their superiors.
Admission[]
On missions, operatives are allowed to keep a watchful eye for potential recruits and can be considered to join if they were young orphans who were naturally skilled in thievery and had no issues with stealing valuables. If a candidate is considered, they are tasked with a minor heist such as stealing from a low security museum[1] and if they pass, the operative already on the scene then informs their superiors, the candidate is then asked to join the academy and upon agreeing, they are taken to V.I.L.E Academy.
Operatives that are considered often have a minimum age roughly around their twenties though an exception can be made for anyone just slightly younger if they prove themselves to the faculty. One such exception was made for a young Carmen who was only allowed to join the academy due to already having more training than by any other considered recruits.
Life in the Academy[]
The Faculty operated on strict rules and forbade their operatives from from having outside contact , electronic jamming devices were installed around the island to block out GPS signals, they were also designed to shut down all forms of communications if security was breached.[2]
A curfew was also implemented which forced operatives to be in their rooms by a certain time, rooms were patrolled and checked by staff, often Coach Brunt to make sure all students were in their beds.
All operatives were to go by codenames and were allowed to choose what they could be called, if an operative had not yet chosen a name, it was a rule that they were to only go by their first names and were not allowed to disclose their surnames with anyone else.
Each year, only forty graduated and were known as "The Forty Thieves". To be considered for graduation, an operative must successfully pass all final exams given to them by the faculty, if they fail then they are held back and must go through the classes once again in what is known as their remedial year.
On missions, if an operative is caught by the police or any kind of law enforcement, Roundabout[3] is contacted and obtains legal papers that state the one arrested has been cleared to leave and from there, they are taken back to V.I.L.E Academy by The Cleaners where they are then sent to Dr. Bellum to have their minds wiped of ever being allied with the organisation, after the procedure is over, the former agent is returned to their home country.
Should a former operative come into near contact with Carmen Sandiego, Player advises her to keep away from them if possible as he believes that despite being a former agent, it is possible for them to still be sleeper agents who do tasks through subliminal messaging and could be activated at any moment.
Classes[]
Stealth 101[]
Shadowsan taught this class before his defection. Here, students learned how to stay hidden from others and move undetected, as well as stealthily acquire something from someone else's possession. This class also taught students how to achieve a mastery of hand-eye coordination and a well developed nimble touch necessary for the successful picking of pockets, the best way to achieve which was by practicing the art of origami.
For the final exam, the teacher would wear a coat with many pockets. Hidden somewhere in the coat was a single dollar bill. The students task was to locate the target and acquire it within a two minute time limit. The teacher did actively fight back, though only to defend and trip them up. The students took turns one by one for this test.
The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a Japanese zen dojo; the floor was lined with tatami mats, there were patches of sand with bonsai trees growing out of them, students sat cross legged on cushions on the floor, the entrance was a sliding canvas door, and there was a mural of a Japanese demon-god on the front wall and shinigami masks mounted on the side walls. This classroom looked very different back when Dexter Wolfe was the Stealth instructor; it resembled a Vegas lounge, with fancy dining tables and chairs, a chandelier, and a grand stage with two large statues of posing women at its sides.
Self Defense[]
Coach Brunt taught this class. Here, students learned about the physical element of being a master thief, this included rock climbing, repelling down with a rope, and the art of combat, as well as other physical techniques. The most important rule of this class was "always protect the face".
The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a more militarized version of a school gymnasium; it was a wide open space stocked with assorted workout equipment, and a rock climbing wall.
Support Equipment[]
Dr. Bellum taught this class. Here, students learned about the various gadgets and weapons used by V.I.L.E., as well as how to operate them and use them effectively. Her classes also tend to deal with the use of technology and science in heists.
The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a science lab, with various machines lining the walls and an assortment of beakers and test tubes that contained unknown liquids.
Upper Class Evil[]
Countess Cleo taught this class. Here, students were instructed on undercover work and how to be both cultured and calm, even under pressure. This class also taught students to develop an eye for detail and how to tell the difference between something really valuable and a worthless forgery, no matter how similar the two may look.
The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a fashion show hall, it had a grand stage from where the teacher could stand with a pair of doors that allow for the teacher to make a grand entrance.
Tricks of the Trade[]
Professor Maelstrom taught this class. Here, students learned the general aspects of committing a successful crime that weren't covered in the other classes. This included psychological manipulation, performing tricks like the 'Bait and Switch', and successful infiltration strategy.
The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a stereotypical evil mastermind lair, it had a pair of large book cases will a giant ink blot painting on the wall between them, and there were large aquariums on both sides of the room.
Operatives[]
- Black Sheep/Carmen Sandiego (Defected, later brainwashed into Faculty then freed)
- Graham Calloway/Crackle (Mind wiped, later returned then defected, hospitalised)
- Sheena/Tigress (Incarcerated)
- Antonio/El Topo (Go Mole Truck co-owner)
- Jean-Paul/Le Chevre (Go Mole Truck co-owner)
- Mime Bomb (Incarcerated)
- Paper Star (Incarcerated)
- Lady Dokuso (Status Unknown)
- The Mechanic (Status Unknown
- The Driver (Status Unknown)
- Neal the Eel (Willingly Quit)
- Flytrap (Status Unknown)
- SpinKick (Status Unknown)
- The Troll (Status Unknown, non-captured Agent)
- Otter Man (Status Unknown)
- Moose Boy (Status Unknown)
- Around 800 Agents (Statuses Unknown)
The Faculty[]
- Coach Brunt (Incarcerated)
- Doctor Saira Bellum (Incarcerated)
- Countess Cleo (Incarcerated)
- Professor Gunnar Maelstrom (Incarcerated)
- Nigel Braithwaite/Roundabout (Incarcerated)
- Dexter Wolfe (Deceased)
- Carmen Sandiego (Brainwashed, later freed)
Gallery[]
.png "V.I.L.E Academy Dorm Room (Dusk).png (442 KB)")
Trivia[]
- V.I.L.E. seems to remodel classrooms when the Faculty changes; given Stealth 101 changed from an opera theater design to one of Japanese influence when Shadowsan replaced Wolfe.
- The numbers of graduates allowed seems to come from the story "Alibaba and the Forty Thieves"; another nod to criminal activity.
- Extra credit is awarded to students if they manage to steal from the staff without being caught.
- V.I.L.E. likely searches through security footage around the world for potential recruits. Plus, they may try recruiting independent thieves to boost their ranks with self-taught professionals.