Nebula is a powerful American corporation, headquartered in Chicago close to the Wrigley Building. The company owns branches in many different industries, including amusement ride manufacturing, food production, pharmaceutics, publishing, and the steel and chemical industries.
Its emblem is rumored to be another creation of the German artist Carnald Strassburg.
Story
Pre-1930s
Nebula was founded in 1924 by Karl Muybridge as part of a company that manufactured amusement park equipment and planned public events. Thanks to Muybridge's expertise with money, the company grew its business into many different fields. It managed to withstand the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
1931
Nebula owns the transcontinental luxury express Flying Pussyfoot. Following the incident that took place between December 30-31, 1931, Nebula compensates and silences many of the passengers by paying them off. With Senator Manfred Beriam's influence, they hide the incident from the world and decommission the train.
January 1932
Nebula is implied to have secured drugs that Begg Garott was using on Roy Maddock.
1933
The Mist Wall, a gigantic skyscraper serving as Nebula's headquarters in New York, is the setting for the climactic conflict that takes place in September 1933. Huey Laforet plots to bomb the location and kill its employees for an experiment, summoning his factions Larva and Lamia to steal the incomplete immortality elixir reported to be stored in the building.
In the ensuing chaos, various members of the Martillo Family, Gandor Family, and Jacuzzi's Gang along with the Lamia and Larva converge on the building through a series of coincidences and misunderstandings. It is revealed through Senator Beriam – who funds a significant portion of Nebula's research at the Mist Wall – that all twelve hundred Mist Wall employees have become incomplete immortals without their consent thanks to Nebula employee Renee Paramedes Branvillier. He states that he tried to argue against such a plan, but also makes it clear that the Mist Wall is his 'laboratory', with the implication that through Nebula he will be able to rid the world of Huey and the immortal threat.
Senator Beriam assists in the cover-up of the Mist Wall incident in the aftermath.
1934
Due to the escalating problems of the Lamia in Chicago, Renee gives Don Placido Russo of the Russo Family and several of his executives incomplete immortality in exchange for their promise to capture the Lamia. Placido Russo hires Graham Specter to track down the Lamia or face dire consequences. Meanwhile, Nebula captures hundreds of Hilton vessels in Chicago to use them in their experiments. Nebula is able to identify the Hilton vessels thanks to Sham, who has secretly betrayed Huey by feeding Nebula information through a vessel stationed under Renee. Sham lies to Huey and says that his vessels were kidnapped as well.
When the Russos and Graham fail to capture the Lamia, Renee devours Placido, Klik, and the other immortal Russos.
After Nebula successfully kidnaps Frank, several of Nebula's buildings and facilities in the Nebula-controlled town Elson Hill are blown up by Rail and Sham. Rail, Nice Holystone, and Miria Harvent are later captured by the Runorata Family and brought to Nebula's Chicago headquarters, prompting members of Jacuzzi's Gang along with Graham, Shaft, Christopher Shaldred, and Ricardo Russo to go on a rescue mission and storm the building.
A showdown eventually occurs on the garden roof of Nebula's Chicago headquarters between Renee and her researchers and the several loosely aligned factions listed above. Renee flees to the ground level when her researchers prove to be no match for Graham and Christopher, only to be confronted by Huey, Sickle, and The Poet. Huey removes one of her eyes in retaliation for his own eye being taken, and retrieves Frank from Nebula's clutches. Surveying the damage on the rooftop, Chairman Muybridge is somehow optimistic despite the huge losses to his company on the grounds that at least Nebula knows a little more about what Huey and his followers are doing.
Durarara!! (2000s)
The company is mentioned in recurring stories at modern times through the series Durarara!!. The first act depicts them having bought out Yagiri Pharmaceuticals, headquarters of one of the locals named Namie Yagiri, to conduct various experiments and research such as research on dullahan activity and manufacturing near indestructible pens that could allegedly stop a tank. They also have a specific interest in the head of dullahan Celty Sturluson and eventually succeed in their goals in Durarara!!'s final volumes.
Namie is hired to conduct research on the Celty's head after causing a near cataclysmic apocalypse in the city of Ikebukuro, but her efforts are thwarted. Celty's head is taken to Nebula's Chicago headquarters.
Notable Locations
- The Mist Wall - A tall white skyscraper serving as Nebula's headquarters in New York. Setting for the climax of September 1933.
- Chicago Headquarters - Nebula's main building, and where its chairman is based.
- Elson Hill - A small town near Chicago
Members
Notable Employees and Associates
- 1930s
- Karl Muybridge - Nebula founder and chairman.
- Senator Manfred Beriam - A powerful politician searching for immortality to abolish it.
- Renee Paramedes Branvillier - Head of Nebula Pharmaceutical Department Unit Six. An immortal researcher using the company to advance her experiments.
- Homer - Head of the New York branch. He is conspicuously absent when the Mist Wall is stormed in September 1933.
- Rubik - Once a regular customer of The Daily Days and once affiliated with the Runoratas, Rubik now works in Security at Nebula's Chicago headquarters.
- Sham - Sham has a vessel stationed at Nebula's Chicago HQ, which he uses to deliver Renee news on Huey's machinations. One of Renee's researchers is also a Sham vessel, but he hasn't told her about that one.
- Placido Russo - The Don of the Russo Family, made an incomplete immortal by Renee with the condition of capturing the Lamia for Nebula. He is devoured by Renee for his failure.
- Bartolo Runorata - The Don of the Runorata Family. He seems to have some history with Muybridge, and arrives at Nebula's Chicago headquarters to propose a deal with Rail, who possesses some of the explosives made by Czeslaw Meyer that were originally intended to be sold to the Runoratas in 1931.
- 2000s
- Shingen Kishitani - One of Nebula's chief scientists when the supernatural is involved. Frequently disregards Nebula's goals in favor of his own frivolous endeavors. He is only affiliated with them for the research funding.
- Emilia Kishitani - Shingen's wife and assistant. Shares her husbands interest in the supernatural and the strange.
- Egor - Hired by Shingen to capture Ruri Hijiribe, who was ultimately rejected for testing.
Notable Test Subjects or Candidates for Testing
- 1930s
- Huey Laforet - One of the original immortals. He has a history with Renee.
- Frank - A homunculus created by Huey.
- 2000s
- Celty Sturluson - Agreed to be a test subject in exchange for safe passage to Japan. The company has since lost interest in Celty's body in favor of her head.
- Ruri Hijiribe - Considered for testing by Shingen but was ultimately rejected by his superiors due to the belief that she would yield very little new discoveries.
- Shizuo Heiwajima - Considered but ultimately rejected as a viable test subject (most likely due to his volatile temper).