Part 2: My Actual AU of Point Nemo.
Some things I wanted to mention before I start I like the 2019 Carmen Sandiego Netflix series and treat it like its own continuity. This blog post will be more or less a critique/rant so not a lot of the things I say will resonate with people and THAT'S OKAY.
With that being said I didn't like the 2019 redesign as a young teenager and since the outfit I made is mostly for another separate AU I was working on I decided to post this on the main subreddit on r/carmensandiego.
This outfit is following the original continuity of the 1994-1999 series "Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego".
In my AU Carmen is an ACME agent with mentor Suhara Nakamura and her estranged (but alive) father Malcom Avalon.
Like the 2019 series Malcom is an archeologist who got rich as a "self-made" person quoting Benjamin Franklin.
Carmen is a sleeper agent among the ACME agents, how did she become one?
Well, Carmen was working in her office when she gets a message across a third-party group of ACME.
Carmen does not realize that this organization will soon form vile but for now Carmen accepts the challenge because she likes playing mind games staying true to the original motivation of the 1994 series.
Carmen becomes a sleeper agent amongst "ACME's finest" which includes child soldiers but toddlers Ivy and Zach (the 1994 versions ginger and blonde not 2019), a DIFFERENT VERSION of Chase Devineaux, and Julia Argent along with a robotic assistant that accompanies them sometimes the Rodger Bumpass version of the c.h.i.e.f in the 1994 version.
At the same time Ivy and Zach are taken for a "summer boot camp" at acme headquarters since their uncle works at ACME where ACME headquarters is not located in the US but rather Point Nemo (a location so stranded NASA astronauts irl is closer to the location on planet earth and where HP Lovecraft's close location for Cthulhu).
Their uncle is Chase Devineaux and the parents of Ivy and Zach tell Chase that he needs to let other people in his life since Chase usually doesn't let his family near him (yes like the 2019 version he got transferred from Interpol to ACME) and their parents think that Chase going into ACME is a perfect opportunity for Ivy and Zach to learn.
Chase doesn't like this idea but does so anyway under some condition that Ivy and Zach agree to the NDA disclosure agreement or something (idk it's a rough draft). So Ivy and Zach are the protagonists and Carmen is a deuteragonist.
This photo (the man in the trenchcoat) was actually an OC I was working on in another Amino blog post (different franchise) but seeing Chase Devineaux's 2019 design I thought that his outfit as a field agent in tis gear was perfect plus it kind of looks like a Gambit-inspired design like his 1997 game counterpart. Yes, this version of Chase does have green eyes and it's to highlight like Ivy (1994 Ivy has green eyes too) how he prioritizes Ivy over Zach leading to Zach's cynicism.
Btw, I did not intend for Chase to hold a seven of hearts card I just don't know how to draw hands, it wasn't for him to look cool (ew).
Who is Chase/Why Is He Important (context of my AU)?
Chase Devineaux in the 2019 Netflix series is a French Interpol agent who transferred to A.C.M.E for the sole purpose of catching Carmen. His determination would be great for catching Carmen if the story didn't try and portray him both as a comedic goof and a serious agent. Chase in Season 4 develops a conscience and somehow knows where the V.I.L.E island is which felt more like piggybacking off of Julia's intuition. Chase is also known in the fanbase to be incredibly obnoxious including coworker microaggressions to Julia, not even getting the chance to develop or reflect from his actions, etc. In a way Chase embodies the inoffensive version of stereotypical agents like OSS-117 (Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath) who are often offensive but good at their jobs whereas Chase has little redeeming quality and constantly questioned into why he even works in A.C.M.E. Making Chase incompetent doesn't just hurt his character it hurts A.C.M.E and Julia itself for being incompetent enough to not catch their main enemy...
The ACME Incompetence Problem (Beyond Chase)
It wasn't just Chase who was written poorly; ACME itself was functionally useless for most of the run.
The Rant Point: ACME existed primarily to mess up or provide exposition for Carmen to fix. They weren't a credible threat or a brilliant agency. This makes Carmen look good, but it makes the world feel small.
The Flaw: If the good guys are too dumb, the bad guys (V.I.L.E.) don't need to be very smart. This lowered the intellectual tension for everyone.
So you may not but still ask how I approach his character?
He’s not just French, he’s Gaullist: He lives in a Cold War spy fantasy. He genuinely believes in the "old ideals" of ACME and that French intuition is superior. This isn't just a quirk; it's his entire life philosophy.
The Handbook is His Bible: He delusionally reads the ACME handbook every day like it’s a sacred text. This isn't a joke; it's the source of his unshakeable work ethic and commitment to being the perfect (but outdated) noble spy.
He’s a Good Detective Because He Has To Be: His paranoia demands that he be the best embodiment of the noble spy. His delusion forces his competence, making him genuinely skilled—unlike the 2019 flop who was just an incompetent goofball.
The Anti-Tech Slay: He rejects all the fancy Point Nemo tech (shoutout to Unit K / Dr. Kissinger / ACME Carmen's old robot buddy from the 1994 series aka the robot version of the C.H.I.E.F who isn't really the Chief in my AU but Tamara Fraser). This forces him back to pure deduction, which is the exact old-school detective work that Carmen's legendary mentor, Suhara Nakamura, taught.
👶 His Flaw Created the Protagonists
The Ivy & Zack Origin Story: Chase's paranoia drives him to treat Ivy and Zack like ACME foot soldiers. This explains their unbelievable competence in the '90s show. His delusion is literally the source of their power.
He’s the Delulu Uncle: He genuinely loves his niece and nephew, but that love expresses itself as intense, paranoid spy training.
The Silent Read: Julia, the ultimate scientific psychoanalyst (will explain about my AU Julia later), silently clocks all his theatrical paranoia and sees it as a "predictable data set". She totally roasts him in her head, but that quiet mockery is essential.
Learning From the Fool: She secretly learns from his genuine, old-school deduction skills, confirming he’s actually good at his job. He’s teaching her to be a better detective, even if she won't admit it—he's winning the intellectual battle while losing the ideological one.
Treated Like an Idiot: Even though he’s the living embodiment of ACME’s pure, old ideals and a top detective, everyone treats him like a joke—from the V.I.L.E. double agents to his own colleagues in the Circular Trial Podium. This high dramatic irony makes his eventual tragic fate hit so much harder.
In the first episode of the 1994 show Ivy looks up to Tom Cruise (in "The Stolen Smile" S1 E1) and I think that Chase reminds Ivy of who she wants to be a dedicated field agent. Chase as her role model could be such a good opportunity to learn and for some cool moments, she (sometimes) gets to go with her uncle on missions.
Julia Argent AU Rewrite (will cause discontent be warned):
I know that a significant portion of the fanbase thinks that Julia Argent is pretty good but as a character she lacks what Chase had in the 2019 show which is consequence. As much as I hate Chase he does face repercussions (stuck in Interpol to do work until he is rehired by ACME by his "skills"). Julia is a static unchanging character she supports Carmen all the way but this is quite odd. Even if ACME doesn't have the best task force to track down VILE I feel that at the very least Julia could have reprimanded Chase or try to work with ACME before she left with Carmen.
Yes, I know this character design is from Nikke: Goddess of Victory (Mana) and all credit goes to the artist for that game:
👩💼 Julia Argent's AU Role (Psychological Scientist)
My Julia Argent is fundamentally different from her 2019 historian counterpart:
The Motive: She is a scientific psychologist (not clinical) transferred from Interpol. She doesn't seek geopolitical power; she seeks intellectual validation. Her task is to monitor ACME field agents and assess their criteria on where they can improve (yes that also includes Eartha Brute who is a double agent in ACME but secretly works for a pre-vile shadow gov. will explain later; Eartha herself is a top field agent the main reason why Julia was hired by ACME).
The Dynamic: ACME views her as a "tax write-off" when she is first hired as a scientist from Interpol (since she is the cheapest to hire as ACME views psychology as not a sustainable field and doesn't nearly fund their Research department as their Defense department), but she uses Chase (the perfect field agent/lab rat) to prove her deduction skills are superior to any ACME agent's training.
The Dynamic (continued): Julia want's to be a detective by using clinical psychology to deduce other ACME agent's statements while still retaining her roots as an objective scientist. Think of Helen Wong's objectivity in Rick and Morty that's similar to my AU Julia.
The Point Nemo View: She views the entire Point Nemo operation as another massive psychological experiment—the high-pressure environment is a motivator for her to stay unique and competent. She is setting the pace to the slaughterhouse for herself and her team. (sees her relationship b/w ACME agents and ACME and herself as "shepard and livestock" as she set's the pace to the slaughterhouse).
I may allude/foreshadow to something by putting the C.H.I.E.F Robot in here (Carmen's assistant). In my AU he is the navigator and provides missions though the rest of the ACME agents. idk why I haven't seen alot of people in the subreddit talk about this robot I know that Lynne Thigpen will always be the original C.H.I.E.F and no one can replace her really. The C.H.I.E.F will be Tamara Fraser like the 2019 show except she didn't kill Carmen's father to differentiate b/w 2019 Carmen and 1994 Carmen. In the 1994-1999 version Carmen Sandiego's father is named Malcom Avalon who is rich but in my rewrite I made him a rich archeologist (since in the 1994 show he has a collection of artifacts and stuff). Tamara communicates via screen transmission she would appear in the monitor of this robot. I would rewrite Tamara to be like Lynne stern but ultimately caring and encouraging, finally Tamara like 1994 player should be a real 4th wall breaking person communicating though the A.C.M.E screen like the 1994 C.H.I.E.F who should assign A.C.M.E agents.
All of this to say that this AU robot is NOT the C.H.I.E.F he is A.C.M.E's mascot and reminds them of the missions in my AU (also part of the court system in A.C.M.E I will explain in the next blog post). This robot is Commander-in-Chief who took Chase's role. Chas gets pretty mad b/c of this and has to eventually accept that from the C.H.I.E.F's judgement that he was demoted due to his paranoia (while Chase juggles training Ivy and Zach to be better than him).
In an unrelated note (but a hand signature i would put in my AU) I was searching though some Carmen Sandiego games in particular the 1999 published by The Learning Company "Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge" and I found Chase Devineaux's hand signature. The hand signature was made by according to pg. 27 of the game's booklet, "Graphic Tech/Digital Ink and Print: Michele Rocksberg".
For the VILE villains I have a rough outline of what their role is and their respected emblems. Since I am rewriting the villains to demonstrate what the show could've been I will use RWBY villains as placeholders for some (not all) VILE villains. The RWBY villains I will call them 'decoys':
RWBY Character -> AU Nationality/Ideology
Roman Torchwick: Italian Nihilist/Capitalist
He sees the world as worthless and steals with "flair." His heists create demand and volatility in the stolen asset market, maximizing V.I.L.E.'s profit margins. (w.i.p)
Cinder Fall: Russian/Eastern European Strategist -> Comparable: Paper Star (fire beats paper)
Trained in ruthless intelligence, she steals strategic military tech or classified data, using these assets to climb the ranks and gain leverage over V.I.L.E.'s older, less ruthless leaders. (w.i.p)
Emerald Sustrai: Basque ETA Nationalist -> Comparable: Countess Cleo
She targets artifacts symbolic of state suppression or economic inequality. Her heists are acts of political terrorism designed to incite labor unrest (Echoing V.I.L.E.'s Holodomor strategy) and prove that socialist conflict is profitable. (w.i.p)
Mercury Black: Brazilian, Capoeira -> Comparable: Crackle/'Gray'
A mercenary who believes only in physical reality. Conflict is his steady paycheck. He sells his physical ruthlessness to V.I.L.E. for structure and continuous combat assignments. (w.i.p)
Neopolitan (Neo): Italian/Silent Enforcer -> Comparable: Tigress
Her loyalty is a transactional form of security tied to Roman. She is the silent, efficient price tag of V.I.L.E.'s operations—ruthless, mime-like enforcement required to maintain the conflict. (w.i.p)
Malachite Twins: Chinese -> Comparable: El Topo and La Chevre
The Adam Taurus Tragedy (The Failure of Slowness)
Suhara's Initial View (Loyalty/Thoughtfulness): Suhara saw young Adam as a passionate, idealist fighting legitimate injustice. He didn't see an extremist; he saw a future hero with a righteous cause. Suhara's assignment was to vet Adam's extremist group, attempting to guide them toward peaceful, ACME-sanctioned justice.
The Meiji/Clan Betrayal: Adam's clan, rooted in the Meiji-era trauma of traditional power dissolving (as you brilliantly set up), splintered—some into the Yakuza, others into political fringe groups. Suhara's method was to investigate the corruption slowly and methodically, gathering irrefutable proof to clear Adam's name.
The Fatal Flaw (Skepticism of Tech): Suhara's skepticism of ACME info-scans meant he refused to use the digital speed and assets that were necessary to stop the shadowy betrayal of Adam's family/cause. He relied on "lethal with a cane" fieldwork against an enemy that used digitized, global sabotage.
The Split: The turning point was the attack that left Adam with his scar (the one that destroyed his family/clan cause). Adam realized Suhara's methodical, slow justice was a luxury he could not afford. He saw ACME as complicit through their inaction and their adherence to slow bureaucracy. Adam's wilting rose symbol became a sign of his transition from seeking justice (the living rose) to enacting vengeance (the wilted rose). He did not hate Suhara; he pitied Suhara's naive belief in a just system.
With that being said, here's my rewrite of Suhara Nakamura:
Adam embodies the Physical Attributes (The Body)
Raven embodies the Emotional Attributes (The Heart/Will)
Carmen embodies the Mind/Intellect (The Brain)
Most of Suhara's arc will follow what I've watched in Rurouni Kenshin (basically a swordsman who fought for a political cause but seeks peace after a wrongdoing):
Sengoku Echo (1960s Political Context)
The Cause: Instead of the Meiji Restoration, Suhara fights in the chaotic aftermath of the 1960 Anpo Protests. This massive social conflict pitted conservative government forces (backed by the U.S.) against radical students, left-wing sects, and nationalists who wanted genuine Japanese autonomy.
Suhara's Role: He is a young ninja/samurai fighting for one of the New Left or anti-treaty factions, believing his violence can pave the way for a truly independent, peaceful Japan—much like Kenshin's idealistic belief in the revolution.
The Disillusionment: Like Kenshin after the revolution, Suhara sees the cause degenerate into internecine violence and failure (the student factions splitting into "warring sects" after 1960). He realizes his violence was ultimately futile and that his cause became as flawed as his targets.
2. The Yakuza Exchange (The Sacrifice)
The Yakuza connection perfectly sets up the Faustian bargain that defines Suhara's guilt.
The Yakuza Peak: The Yakuza were at their peak in the early 1960s, heavily involved in crime and having historical ties to ultranationalist politics and even government figures. This makes them the perfect shadow power to be dealing with a disenfranchised former political warrior like Suhara.
The Sacrifice: Suhara's family was terrible, possibly an offshoot clan of the Yakuza or a group that supplied their criminal/political muscle.
The Trade: Suhara trades his family's history and his brother Hideo (who follows the old, violent ways) to the Yakuza in exchange for the freedom of Adam and Raven, who are child soldiers/mercenaries in the Yakuza's employ.
Adam's Eyes: Adam's eye injury is the literal cost of the trade—the Yakuza's price for the deal. This links Adam's defining flaw (the visor/vulnerability) directly to Suhara's moral failing (the sacrifice).
3. The ACME Path (1960s-1980s)
Suhara's entry into ACME (founded 1921 by Agnes ACME) is his attempt at atonement—to use his skills non-lethally for a stable, Western institution.
Suhara's ACME Agent Type: A "Cold War/Analog Field Agent." He would be skeptical of the growing reliance on data and technology, valuing human intelligence, stealth, and on-the-ground observation. He joins ACME to escape the political messiness of Japan and find an external, clear-cut sense of good and evil.
The Flaws Reflected in Pupils:
Adam: Reflects Suhara's sacrificed loyalty and physical pain from the past. He trains Adam to control the physical rage that Suhara himself could not in the Anpo protests.
Raven: Reflects Suhara's philosophical disillusionment and isolation. He trains Raven in escape (ninja mobility) because he believes the only true victory is escaping the fight that destroyed him.
The Final Act (1980s): Suhara's mentorship of Carmen is his last hope to pass on the pacifist lesson of Kenshin—that the new era must reject the violence of the old. But his failure with Adam and Raven proves his past is inescapable, setting up the devastating tragedy of Carmen's intellectual betrayal.
Suhara, Adam, and Raven's storyline is the most fleshed out but still is (w.i.p).
As for how Chase fit's into Carmen's supposed mentor role after Suhara decides that Carmen has failed his old beliefs:
🍵 Suhara's Gambit: The Ginza Guidance
Suhara's goal is to transfer the emotional burden and practical mentorship to Chase, freeing himself to retire without ACME forcing him back into the field or compromising his principles. The setting—a traditional, quiet place like a Ginza tea house or onsen (hot spring bath)—is key, as it forces Chase (the hyper-dramatic agent) to adopt Suhara's calm and reasoned approach.
1. The Strategy: The Transfer of the "Old Way"
Suhara knows he can't fight ACME's bureaucratic data directly, but he can utilize ACME's love for tradition and symbolism (which they project onto him) to his advantage. He needs to convince Chase that he, the Gaullist/Cold War thinker, is the only one who truly understands Carmen's analog mind—a mind that ACME's digital system cannot control.
2. The Setting (Ginza Bath/Tea Room)
Suhara's Actions: Suhara forces Chase into a quiet, meditative space away from all surveillance. He uses the tradition to convey "This counsel is outside of ACME's jurisdiction." Chase is initially agitated but respects the formality and old-world espionage vibe, viewing the meeting as a high-level, secret briefing.
3. The "Guidance" (The Lie)
Suhara frames the conversation not as mentorship, but as shared intellectual concern over Carmen's genius. "Chase, she is like you—a mind too powerful for ACME's data scans. I need your eyes on her because you are the last true analog field agent." Chase's ego is massaged. He accepts the role as a guardian of the "Old Way"—a Gaullist spy protecting the last honest mind in ACME.
4. The Retirement Subtext
Suhara expresses skepticism over his own ability to connect with Carmen, emphasizing his age: "I am becoming too slow for this digital war. My methods failed Raven and Adam. Carmen needs someone with your fire and proximity to the modern fight." Chase sees Suhara's decision as a strategic retreat of an honorable man, boosting Chase's belief that he must now step up to save the institution, validating his own paranoid worldview.
My Suhara follows the belief of a Shinobi so when he coaxes Chase or tries to carry the weight of his mistakes of Raven and Adam he thinks of this: "The covert skills of the shinobi can be grouped into two categories: in-nin and yo-nin. In and yo are the Japanese words for the yin and yang of Chinese Taoist belief. In represents moonlight, darkness, femininity, and passivity, among other things. Yo represents the opposite: sunlight, light, masculinity, and agency. Neither is considered inherently good or evil, just part of a larger whole." -> https://www.thecollector.com/shinobi-ninjas-japan/
How Does A.C.M.E Track 'Decoys'?
There will be two parts of the trial with one intermission/recess:
Ist Trial: In order to determine which five A.C.M.E agents will go apprehend the villain they will need to complete a test first specifically either a short SAQ/DBQ/LEQ according to the HIPPA system or something similar. The main referee or person conducting the trial will be the robot while the robot itself is a podium for the C.H.I.E.F (4th wall breaking kind of like the Player).
Each of the agents around the circular podium will get the documents and Carmen herself is the main person refuting the arguments made by each agent...yes I am talking of course a popular gaming mechanic of "bullet refutation". Like I said, these systems I am putting in are placeholders for teaching the person how to analyze a Document-Based Question via Prompt and how to approach a DBQ.
Sometimes in later trials you will get thrown curveballs like a SAQ with a DBQ attached to really test agents on dangerous missions in my AU or a SAQ with an LEQ (LEQ replaces a DBQ but document-based primary or secondary sources are not provided, will be expected to know history before trial).
2nd Trial: The next portion of this trial will be dedicated to the clues given by the investigation before the trial. Carmen has done her own private investigation (similar to the Brønderbund games) where she has to deduce a crime scene and her robot is there to forensically scan OR of there is a forensic pathologist/any investigator (A.C.M.E called b/c there are international agents all over the continents also seen in the 1994-1999 series) that Carmen will have to ask questions alone to. After this Carmen will have to C-5 back into A.C.M.E's HQ at Point Nemo by Tamara herself (the C.H.I.E.F/player figure). Carmen will have to present evidence along with other A.C.M.E agents that work in the building as international field agents or other agents from around the world in the trial (they are presumed to already be in the 1st trial when they arrive). All of them will have to present findings and deconstruct each of the clues. Three or four of the motives (they may hide the riddle contraptions or information with their own personal reasons). The riddle contraptions will be one of the villain's emblems tied to a theme for the chapter (1994-1999 could be e.g. chessboard episode, pirates, cats, etc.) except the theme is tied to an ideology or cause.
After finding out where the villain might be located the five agents decided from the 1st trial will go in and try to apprehend the vile decoy villain (they don't capture them but oh well).
*Note: The malachite twins is a custom emblem I made b/c idk what their emblem is, it's not stated in the RWBY series and I haven't seen anyone make an emblem for them. Yes, I know the emblem inside the circle isn't symmetrical/mirrored.*
Here is the rules that every A.C.M.E agent will adhere to which is in the handbook in the tablet A.C.M.E provided for every agent. It is presumed that the person (Carmen) or the player (the reader in this AU, you) will follow along and use the handbook as reference for how the trial goes:
AP Historical Thinking Skills
Developments and Processes: Identify and explain historical developments and processes.
Skill 1.A: Identify a historical concept, development, or process.
Skill 1.B: Explain a historical concept, development, or process.
Sourcing and Situation: Analyze sourcing and situation of primary and secondary sources.
Skill 2.A: Identify a source’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience.
Skill 2.B: Explain the point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience of a source.
Skill 2.C: Explain the significance of a source’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience, including how these might limit the use(s) of a source.
Claims and Evidence in Sources: Analyze arguments in primary and secondary sources.
Skill 3.A: Identify and describe a claim and/or argument in a text based or non-text-based source.
Skill 3.B: Identify the evidence used in a source to support an argument.
Skill 3.C: Compare the arguments or main ideas of two sources.
Skill 3.D: Explain how claims or evidence support, modify, or refute a source’s argument.
Contextualization: Analyze the context of historical events, developments, or processes.
Skill 4.A: Identify and describe a historical context for a specific historical development or process.
Skill 4.B: Explain how a specific historical development or process is situated within a broader historical context.
Making Connections: Using historical reasoning processes (comparison, causation, continuity and change), analyze patterns and connections between and among historical developments and processes.
Skill 5.A: Identify patterns among or connections between historical developments and processes.
Skill 5.B: Explain how a historical development or process relates to another historical development or process.
Argumentation: Develop an argument.
Skill 6.A: Make a historically defensible claim.
Skill 6.B: Support an argument using specific and relevant evidence.
(i.) Describe specific examples of historically relevant evidence.
(ii.) Explain how specific examples of historically relevant evidence support an argument.
Skill 6.C: Use historical reasoning to explain relationships among pieces of historical evidence.
Skill 6.D: Corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument using diverse and alternative evidence in order to develop a complex argument. This argument might:
(i.) Explain the nuance of an issue by analyzing multiple variables.
(ii.) Explain relevant and insightful connections within and across periods.
(iii.) Explain the relative historical significance of a source’s credibility and limitations.
(iv.) Explain how or why a historical claim or argument is or is not effective.
Malcom Avalon who is Carmen's father is alive (not dead since I hate the dead parents trope) but he is absent in Carmen's life and I would dedicate an arc into connecting with her father but he dismisses her (not a rejection). To be fair, I kept Carmen's mother dead for this specific point in the 1994-1999 show, "Nearly 30 years prior, he was on business trip with his wife Marguerite and daughter in San Francisco. A fire broke out at a hotel, and he ran back, only to not find his wife and daughter. After this tragedy, he presumes they both have died. To commemorate this tragedy; he commissions a painting of his late wife and hangs it on his wall. During his time, he had curated artworks on display in his house."
As a retcon I want Malcom to send his daughter to A.C.M.E's HQ and the rest of A.C.M.E's stations around the world but Carmen herself does not know that her father is really alive. Also, her father Malcom Avalon is Puerto Rician, and her mother is Caucasian with blue eyes. Following Carmens "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego" wiki, "During the 1994 animated series, Carmen was said to have been raised at the Golden Gate Girl's School located in San Francisco, California, USA. When she was young, The Chief took in a Carmen and allowed her to stay at ACME. During her time at ACME, Carmen became of its greatest agents under the guidance of Suhara. When she was seventeen, she successfully captured Gunnar Maelstrom which became one of her greatest achievements. When she was slightly older, she left ACME to become a master thief."
To be fair, I am switching things up but still retaining the fact that at 17 Carmen captured Gunnar Malestrom. I would have Carmen start out in her old office at A.C.M.E in the 1980s before she is sent with her robot (at age 17) to the actual A.C.M.E HQ which is located at Point Nemo. Carmen by then is 20 yrs old still working at A.C.M.E as an exasperated office worker before she meets younger siblings Zach (16) and Ivy (19).
Also fits Dr. Gunnar Maelstrom in the original (1994-1999) Carmen Sandiego series as a "Captain Nemo" themed villain and head of pre-vile shadow government. Malestrom in my AU is a marine biologist in the robust oceanography A.C.M.E community (agency employs civilian marine biologists to support its research). "Maelstrom was a former marine biologist from an unknown part of Europe (strongly hinted to be Norway), who turned to thievery during some point of his life. By the 1980s, he had an established criminal empire and reputation as a master criminal, which immediately had the attention of a then-minor ACME Detective Agency and its rising star agent, Carmen Sandiego. Together with her new robotic partner, the Computerized Holographic Imaging Educational Facilitator (C.H.I.E.F.), they managed to stop Maelstrom's plan of raising the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, a day before the actual discovery of the ship on September 1, 1985. Arrested, he promised to take revenge on Carmen, claiming they were not so different many times before."
Zach and Ivy are located in Essex, France and I would change them to be French-Americans (born in America before their parents migrated to France). This makes Chase Devineaux French, however, since Ivy and Zach are in A.C.M.E's Point Nemo HQ they will have to go from A.C.M.E's building from San Francisco (since they have various buildings scattered across the worlds countries) to Point Nemo.
I don't really like Zach's characterization in the 2019 show and would stick to his 1994-1999 self (and he's blonde of course):
Since I can't write characters lol I want to describe Zach as a wildcard in the group. His motives should be shrouded by misleading the rest of the group in the court trial sessions and when he talks to other agents like Carmen. Although Carmen knows what Zach is thinking she cannot deduce his motives; Carmen is in her 20s and still mentored by Suhara in the agency so she would later develop into being a better detective then Zach and Ivy in this AU.
I would also change their ages for continuity before 1994-1999:
Ivy’s Maturity (19 vs. 18): Making Ivy 19 at the start (pre-thief Carmen) and 20 when the main 1994 series starts gives her a critical emotional edge. At 19, she is legally an adult, which means her decision to follow in Chase’s footsteps is a conscious, adult choice of vengeance, not a child's promise. Her "head strong" nature is backed by legal responsibility.
Zack’s Vulnerability (16 vs. 17): Keeping Zack at 16 during the trauma (pre-thief Carmen) maximizes his vulnerability. He is a genius child seeing his worldview changed by one moment with his uncle, where he questions his cynical, detached façade. By 17 (1994 start), his carefree nature is a reflection of his realization that his uncle did care about him.
The Summer Camp Setup: Their parents dropping them off for a "summer vacation" boot camp works perfectly because, at 19 and 16, they are old enough to be semi-independent but still young enough to be under the guardianship of their uncle, Chase.
Intelligence: "Knowing many languages and knowing much about science, geography and engineering." Zack uses his knowledge not for collaboration, but for isolation. He speaks a language the others don't know, or uses scientific jargon, knowing it will frustrate Ivy or confuse Chase, thus validating his belief that he is smarter and more efficient alone.
Personality: "Care-free individual though can become serious if the situation calls for it." His "care-free" nature is actually detachment. He doesn't stress because he views everything (except Ivy) as data to be managed, including Chase's escalating paranoia. His "seriousness" is reserved for threats to his sister or threats to his logical worldview.
16-year-old Zack is…pretty cold (even sadistic at times) before the world violently reminds him that life is not a technical problem to be solved. This is reflected in the court trial where Zach lies in the trial:
Zack's initial cynicism is rooted in intellectual arrogance, a feeling that if the world operated by his logical rules, problems like V.I.L.E. wouldn't exist. He sees the emotional, irrational behavior of adults as the source of all failure.
Motivation for Lying: To prove his theory: Emotional attachment and irrational trust lead to failure. He lies not just to "test" people, but to force them into an intellectual corner and watch their emotional responses prove his cynicism right.
The Goal: To expose the hypocrisies of ACME's "honor" and "teamwork" maxims. He believes the true path to success is cold, digital objectivity.
1. Investigative Style: Physical and Instinctual
Ivy is a keen observer who relies on field data rather than digital data.
Loose Logic: Ivy often reaches the correct conclusion based on a massive, intuitive leap. She's not following the path; she's jumping to the destination. Her logic might sound ridiculous or emotional to the others, but it often contains the kernel of truth.
The Field Agent's Eye: She is highly effective at noticing details related to movement, physical stress, and environment:
Forensics of Motion: She won't deduce the exact chemical, but she'll notice the lack of a natural gait (e.g., "The thief was walking sideways because they had something hidden in their shoe!").
Emotional Clues: She picks up on micro-expressions or body language from the suspects in the trial that the data-obsessed agents (Zack, Julia) miss.
Memory of Action: She can recall exactly how Chase or Carmen handled a similar situation, using her emotional memory as a guide (e.g., "Uncle Chase always checked the ventilation shaft first, even if the data said the air quality was fine!").
Ivy's investigative drive is rooted in her need to live up to the standard set by her heroes, which she sees as a standard of physical excellence and uncompromising pursuit.
Chase's Legacy: She idolizes her uncle's field competence and dramatic flair, ignoring his paranoia. She wants to be the kind of agent who can go toe-to-toe with any villain, which is why she loves Tom Cruise movies.
Carmen's Influence: She sees Carmen (the younger sleeper agent) as an athletic and intellectual rival she must prove herself against. She admires Carmen's flawless execution of difficult movements and uses that as a yardstick.
There is also me going into detail into how the Diplomacy-like game for one of A.C.M.E's ambassadors to regulate information like an information war, similar to HOI4 (yes I can't stop using popular game mechanics I know) except the player will not be using it deploying A.C.M.E "Defense" planes and fighter jets for war, rather if the player fails to negotiate correctly there will be a war. I can't really get into the complexity of this game let alone spend thousands of hours into the game or worldbuilding like "The Fire Rises" HOI4 mod but...um hopefully selling the idea is enough (no it isn't lol)?
Finally, I want to use the Almanac in my story for a type of inspector-type game for Carmen (written like a sleeper agent). She first foes to this 80s retro but spy-fi computer inside her office (in the A.C.M.E Point Nemo located workplace) where she gets an anonymous challenge from a pre-vile organization. They say that they are smarter than the rest of the A.C.M.E detectives by hacking into a gov-issued computer and challenges Carmen if she can become the greatest member and detective (something to this effect). Carmen loves mind games so of course she accepts the challenge. By now, she realizes she fell into a stronghold-like trap where if she tries to tell A.C.M.E of the organization she will be exposed by a whistleblower and if she fails to do her job as inspector she will have to engage in petty theft for this pre-vile organization.
When Malestrom and Eartha Brute along with some other pre-vile members that are double agents in A.C.M.E they organize a team for their newest sleeper agent named team C.A.R.M.E.N (Cinder, Adam, Roman/Raven (interchangeable if pre-vile org. gets Raven out of chance), Mercury, Emerald, and Neopolitan). Carmen will have to sometimes do mission for them if she fails being an inspector (rarely she fails the inspection part of her job which takes place mostly inside her computer (picture Scrutinized but 16-bit and monochrome filter).
Actual Inspector Role (after Trial evening time to nighttime):
Phase 1: Basic Vetting & Identity (Days 1–5) and Phase 2: Escalating Bureaucracy & ACME Interference (Days 6–13)
Phase 3: Global Instability & Moral Choice (Days 19–28)
To play the game, Carmen (the player) needs to verify every document against two different sets of information to determine if the applicant is a genuine V.I.L.E. agent or a trap (ACME/Interpol).
1. The ACME Ministry of Admission Handbook (The Lie)
This is the physical, official handbook that sits on Carmen's desk. The rules in this book are the ones that change every single day (as you detailed in your rule list).
Purpose: To establish the legal baseline for Point Nemo entry.
Gameplay Use: The player must check the applicant's documents (Passport, Entry Permit, Vaccine Cert) against the current day's ACME Protocol.
Example: On Day 26, the ACME Handbook says: "Entrant must have Polio Vaccine Certificate."
Player Action: Check the physical Passport/Documents for the certificate.
The Problem: The ACME rules are designed by the V.I.L.E. double agents to distract and confuse Carmen. Following ACME rules alone is a failure, because V.I.L.E. agents may not follow ACME protocol precisely, but they must follow the Almanac.
2. The V.I.L.E. Almanac (The Truth / The Fact-Check)
This is the document V.I.L.E. hacks onto Carmen's 80s computer. It’s the real source of truth for The Directorate. This book contains the secret, uncompromised facts of the V.I.L.E. network.
Purpose: To verify that the applicant is a genuine V.I.L.E. operative, not an undercover ACME agent.
Gameplay Use: The player must cross-reference the applicant's dossier (passport number, code names, entry points) with the Almanac's data. If the two sources don't match, the agent is compromised.
🚨 The Stakes of the Almanac
Carmen's job is not just inspection; it is moral reasoning:
Fail 1 (The Trap): If she rejects an agent who followed the V.I.L.E. Almanac (the truth) but violated the ACME Handbook (the lie), V.I.L.E. wins because she turned away a valuable operative.
Fail 2 (The Exposure): If she lets an ACME spy through, the V.I.L.E. Almanac will prove her error, and V.I.L.E. will track her down (by exposing Carmen as sleeper agent inside A.C.M.E).
-> All of this is just a rough idea of what Carmen will experience and stuff. None of this is really official but the idea is that Carmen will have to use the Almanac to check pre-V.I.L.E agents.
That's pretty much it. This post is pretty long and stuff but hopefully you get the idea. As always, I respect the 2019 Carmen Sandiego continuity, I love the animation and VAs who worked on the show and it's impact on kids. I am just presenting my AU idea of a good enriching narrative that teaches multiple historical perspectives and roles in history.
