Speedwagon Foundation
It is primarily featured in the second, third, fourth, and sixth parts of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, with an alternate version of the group having a minor role in the seventh and eighth parts.
Summary
The Speedwagon Foundation is an organization founded by Robert E. O. Speedwagon after he made a fortune in oil. The organization dedicates itself to medical research and environmental conservation, but it also secretly investigates and contains supernatural threats. The latest branch is inspired by Speedwagon's own involvement with a Vampire in his youth and witnessing directly how dangerous such threats could be.
The Foundation is rather powerful and its members numerous. They have members and associates from all origins. Among the rank of the Speedwagon Foundation agents are physicians, archaelogists, miscellaneous researchers, pilots, attorneys, and many field agents. Moreover, it has had connections with the underworld, notably gangsters. More importantly, the Foundation is able to deploy its member and assets all over the world. There are two known headquarters of the Speedwagon Foundation located in Washington, D.C. and Dallas, Texas. However, there are also smaller branches in Tokyo and Meguro, Japan. Yet, the Foundation has deployed itself in several continents and many countries, having completed archeological expeditions in Mexico, fought in Switzerland as well as helped the Joestars in Egypt.
The Speedwagon Foundation possesses advanced technology compared to the rest of the world. Among its assets are advanced prosthetics such as Joseph Joestar's metal hand, special chambers meant to contain Pillar Men in a petrified state, cryogenic capsules to preserve the bodies of people, unmanned submarines. It also managed to miniaturize powerful UV lamps into Ultraviolet Ray Blasters, portable shoulder-mounted lamps used to fight Vampires.
In the main canon, the members of the Speedwagon Foundation are mostly contained to a support role as all of them are normal humans with no special abilities. They have a privileged relationship with the Joestar Family starting from Speedwagon's own friendship with Jonathan Joestar, and enduring well after both died. Indeed, the descendants of the Joestar Family are battle-hardened and possess their own powers. Thus, it is frequent for Speedwagon Foundation agents to assist them by providing intel, supplies and medical support. The only time Speedwagon Foundation members were seen fighting was in 1939 when they confronted an army of a hundred Vampires led by Kars. The Foundation also acts as a container for various threats. They notably keep the Pillar Man Santana in a petrified state in a capsule bathed in UV light underneath their base. They also collected the Stand-making Arrows Jotaro Kujo found in Morioh for study and containment.
History
The Speedwagon Foundation was created in 1910[1] by Speedwagon. From 1910 to the 1930s, apart from their official missions, the Foundation offered emotional and financial support to Erina Joestar, widowed after Jonathan Joestar sacrificed himself. During that period, the foundation cooperated with the Ripple warriors to study, locate and neutralize Stone Masks and Vampires.[3]
In 1938, the Foundation explored the ancient Mexican temple where the Pillar Man Santana slumbered. Speedwagon Foundation scientists subsequently sheltered the remains of Santana after his defeat, and uncovered a prediction announcing the awakening of three other Pillar Men in the same year. The foundation's Special Fighting Technological team also fought alongside the Germans against Kars's vampire army.
The Speedwagon Foundation effectively continued to help the Joestar bloodline throughout the 20th century. In 1988 and 1989, they aided the Joestar Group in reaching Cairo, through reconnaissance intel and various modes of transportation. Moreover, doctors from the foundation helped with taking care of Holy Kujo in Tokyo, while agents in Egypt discovered the existence of the Egypt 9 Glory Gods. They tended to the team's injuries at the end of their journey, most notably in helping revive Joseph Joestar.
In 1999, the Speedwagon Foundation led by Jotaro Kujo first escorted Joseph Joestar to Morioh and then were given the Bow and Arrow for study and protection.
In 2011, the SPW Foundation provided a submarine for Jolyne Cujoh's escape from Green Dolphin Street Prison. After Jotaro Kujo was rendered comatose, the doctors of the foundation tended to his body and cooperated with Jolyne to retrieve her father's Stand and Memory DISCs. They also threw a special spear toward the Kennedy Space Center, which combined with Ermes Costello's Kiss and enabled her and Jotaro Kujo to reach Enrico Pucci.
History in Novels and Spin-offs
El Aleph
In the 70s, after acting as a special advisor, Lisa Lisa becomes the head of the Paranormal Phenomena Section of the Speedwagon Foundation, tasked with handling and neutralizing all supernatural threats to society.[4] They learn about Fernando Alhorn's supernatural abilities and manage to track him down to Lima, Peru by working with intelligence agencies all over the world. Lisa Lisa heads to Peru with Sasha Loggins and Gustave Shaulo Messina many times, certain that Alhorn's base is there.[5]
In around 1972-73, a team of investigators led by an agent named J.D. Hernández go to Guatemala to investigate a series of mysterious murders. During the investigation, they discover that the culprit, a man named Fabio Ubuh, seems to have a supernatural power like Alhorn's as well. These abilities later come to be known as Stands, but the Foundation initially calls them "las Maravillas" (
After begging to join the Foundation, Octavio and Joaquín pass a challenge that Lisa Lisa gives them, and they are hired as apprentice paranormal investigators. Octavio and Joaquín were tasked with tracking the origin of Fabio's powers, and they eventually discover from Izahela Mena-Mena's testimony that a group of human traffickers led by Alhorn are using Arrows to turn people into Stand Users before enslaving them.[4]
Rueda Squad
The Rueda Squad (ルエダ隊, Rueda-tai, lit. Wheel Squad) is the Speedwagon Foundation's trained modern combat unit. They are secretly trained to adapt to battle against the Stand users of the Selva Cartel. While entering the jungle, they adjust the amount and timing of their sleep, switching as much as possible from diurnal to nocturnal for combating El Aleph's ability. Despite all their training, they cannot adapt to actually battling Stand users and several of them die or are incapacitated by the bodyguards of the cartel.[7]
Purple Haze Feedback
In Purple Haze Feedback, the Speedwagon Foundation has made contact with Passione. The two sides are wary of each other due to their respective power and influence, as well as the fact that they stand on opposite sides of the law. As a token of good will, Giorno agrees to help destroying a Stone Mask hidden in Syracuse. However, Giorno cannot approach the mask as it would be considered a red flag to the Foundation and thus Cannolo Murolo is sent to secretly destroy it as part of the mission to eliminate the Narcotics Team. The Speedwagon Foundation have also sent a blimp to oversee a meeting between Guido Mista and Pannacotta Fugo in Milan during which Mista assigned Fugo his mission.
Over Heaven
In Over Heaven, a translator from the Speedwagon Foundation contacted Josuke Higashikata and asked him to restore the remains of DIO's Diary to find a possible clue on how to free Jotaro Kujo from his comatose state following Jotaro's encounter with Whitesnake. The translator managed to decipher the book, although he is not sure if the content is genuine.
Blackstar.
In the short story Blackstar., the Speedwagon Foundation is handling a multidimensional threat called the Spaghetti Man, seemingly a bait meant to lure humans from the three-dimensional spacetime to another dimension entirely, based on the superstring theory and the conclusion that ten different dimensions exists with human acting in three dimensions and other beings acting in other dimensions. They learn that Rohan Kishibe, the famous japanese manga artist, will be Spaghetti Man's next target. They monitor Rohan and also spread their theories in an internet forum dedicated to Spaghetti Man's legend to cue Rohan on how to handle Spaghetti Man.
After Rohan encounters the Spaghetti Man and survives, one of the agents of the Foundation named Gabriel contacts Rohan and asks for a portrait of Spaghetti Man. Rohan doesn't answer, forcing Gabriel to travel personally to Japan to meet Rohan and ask for the portrait as well as his testimony on his encounter for half a million dollars. Rohan accepts to give his testimony plus a sketch of Spaghetti Man to Gabriel not for money but in exchange of the Foundation's intel on Spaghetti Man. Satisfied, Gabriel nonetheless warns Rohan not to make any story about him to avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention.
Miscellaneous
Events and attractions use the Speedwagon Foundation as a pretext for participants to be involved in an altered storyline. For instance in The Real 4-D: DIO's World's cinematic attraction, the audience is put in the role of a Speedwagon Foundation agent who is battling DIO alongside Jotaro. In the special event SOS from G.D. st. Jail, visitors are roleplaying as Speedwagon Foundation agent who have infiltrated the aquarium to help Jolyne retrieve Jotaro's DISC.
Members
★: The character is leader
(✩: Subsequent leader / ✦: Leader of their own faction within the group)
(👻: The character remains as a soul or ghost)
☮: The character has resigned
⚓: The character retired (incapacitated) and/or their fate is unknown
Second Continuity
Although its origins are unknown, the Speedwagon Oil Company is present in the new continuity. During the events of Steel Ball Run, the Speedwagon Oil Company has no connection to the Joestars except for helping to fund Steven Steel's Steel Ball Run race.[8]In JoJolion, it is revealed that Lucy Steel has become a member of the foundation some time after the events of Steel Ball Run, specializing in botany and geomorphology.[9] In 1911, she's shown in Morioh carrying a suitcase with the Speedwagon Foundation's logo.[10] In 1941, she investigates Morioh once again.[9]
After meeting Lucy, Joseph Joestar travels with her back to America and joins the Speedwagon Foundation as her assistant. In 1952, he meets another member there named Suzi Q.[11]
Gallery
Speedwagon and scientists from the SPW Foundation watching over Santana
The Special Fighting Division which intervened against Kars's army
A SPW pilot with the trademark SPW cap
A scout from SPW (exclusive to the anime)
An ambulance from the SPW Foundation
A doctor from the SPW Foundation who helped revive Joseph
Life Capsule used to sustain Jotaro's body
Life capsule's control board
Lucy Steel carrying a suitcase with the company's logo
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chapter 62: The Pillar Man, Santana, Part 9
- ↑ Chapter 312: Red Hot Chili Pepper, Part 6
- ↑ JOJO magazine 2022 SPRING, p.124
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 III - Guatemala Arc
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 V - Peru Arc
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 I - Guatemala Arc
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 15: XV - Final Arc
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 1: The Steel Ball Run Press Conference
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 JoJolion Chapter 109: The Radio Gaga Incident (1941)
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 99: The Wonder of You, Part 16
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 110: Higashikata Fruit Parlor
