The Zinco Corporation is a massive, globe-spanning organization with resources, equipment, money, and political connections all across the world.
History
The Zinco Corporation came into existence since or prior to the 1930's known as Zinco-Davis. The company has been involved in peculiar events regarding the paranormal since the 1930's at the earliest, when one of their researchers amplified his brain's strength to the point where he could murder using telekinesis.
Roderick Zinco, the most recent Zinco to head the company, offered his services to a newly awoken Leopold Kurtz, Karl Ruprect Kroenen and Ilsa Haupstein after Grigori Rasputin's failure at Cavendish Hall. Zinco products are used frequently by the B.P.R.D. during the Giurescu affair, most of which malfunction at crucial times. Zinco himself had a vision from Rasputin, explaining the mortal man's purpose. However, after the retrieval of Herman von Klempt's head prompted Kroenen to murder Kurtz, Rasputin was furious, and blinded Roderick as punishment. This caused Roderick to stumble on the conveniently placed "self-destruct" button, which obliterated the castle and everyone inside - though Klempt's head somehow survives, to resurface in the Hunte Castle affair.
A new C.E.O
The Zinco Corporation returned under new management from C.E.O., Landis Pope, who appears to be just as corrupt as the previous one. In fact, Pope was Zinco's second-in-command during the events of the Giurescu affair, implying that Pope was heavily involved with Rasputin and the Ogdru Jahad right from the start. His office is brimming with Nazi memorabilia, much of which looks as though it was once part of Rasputin's Project Ragna Rok. Pope tasked his R&D department with studying the frog monsters, to the extent that Pope is able to both speak to them and control them. For purposes of safety, Pope wore a suit of reinforced black armor when dealing with the frogs, but this costume serves a second purpose: it personifies him as the Black Flame. Presumably under the guidance of some ancient text, Pope and the frogs performed an occult ritual, sucking the life force out of one frogman and enveloping Pope's skull-like helmet in a torch of obsidian fire. Suited up and ensorcelled as the Black Flame, Pope hoped to harness the power of Katha-Hem for his own personal gain. Too late did he discovered that the destiny of the Black Flame is to simply "light the way" for Katha-Hem into our world, and that he was manipulated by the frogs into serving their purpose. Pope was last seen being dragged into a deep chasm by a swarm of frogmen.
Zinco: Building a Better World
Following the absence of Landis Pope, his assistant and head of Zinco's R&D department Isaiah Marsten succeed as director of the corporation. This time having Zinco to take the directing spearhead to influence the world in the wake of the Ogdru Hem.
Zinco was recently able to revive the Black Flame using the last of the superhuman bodies created by the Oannes Society. The B.P.R.D. contacted Zinco about using new Zinco technology to complete the body so that Agent Johann Kraus could inhabit it. However, Zinco lied to the Bureau about their true intentions and used the Oannes body for their own purposes. Former Project Ragna Rok members Karl Ruprect Kroenen and Leopold Kurtz were able to fully revitalize the body on the promise that it would be a vessel for the rebirth of their master, Grigori Rasputin. However, the current CEO of Zinco, Marsten, lied to them as well, claiming to have found the soul of Rasputin within the prison of the Ogdru Jahad. His real plan was to summon the soul of Landis Pope and revive him with the Oannes body. The experiment was successful but it was neither Rasputin or Pope who was revived, but rather the Black Flame. This version of the Black Flame appears to lack humanity, possibly making it the most dangerous version of the Black Flame to appear so far.
Staff
- Roderick Zinco - former CEO (deceased)
- Landis Pope - former CEO, host of the Black Flame (deceased)
- Isaiah Marsten - former CEO, former head of R&D (deceased)
- Evelyn McDonald - former assistant to Marsten, CEO of the remnants of Zinco (deceased)
- Karl Ruprect Kroenen - Zinco Scientist, member of Project Ragna Rok
- Leopold Kurtz - Zinco Scientist, member of Project Ragna Rok