Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

By late November, Inception had wrapped its theatrical run.

North American box office: $478 million. Global box office: $1.186 billion.

Another Martin Meyers film stormed into the top ten of all-time box office history.

The media buzzed: "If this keeps up, Martin's going to dominate the all-time box office rankings!"

Well, almost. James Cameron's two films still held an iron grip at the top, nearly untouchable.

…

April 14, 1986, around 6:30 PM, Tripoli.

Muammar Gaddafi lay on his office floor, a bedsheet draped over his face, lost in thought—a habit of his.

Suddenly, explosions ripped through the air. Tripoli lit up like a beacon.

Hundreds of fighter jets swarmed the harbor's sky, joined by three aircraft carriers and 34 naval vessels at sea. Amid thick smoke, the jets unleashed an 11-minute missile barrage on Libya.

The sudden, low-altitude assault caught the Libyan people off guard. Awakened from sleep, they fled their homes in droves, clogging the streets in panic.

In the attack, two of Gaddafi's sons were injured, and his 15-month-old adopted daughter, Hannah, was killed. Libya lost 14 aircraft, five radar stations, the Bani Ubaid airbase, and a naval academy, with over 700 casualties.

This was the U.S.-led "Operation El Dorado Canyon," aimed at killing Gaddafi.

But Gaddafi, who hadn't returned home that night, narrowly escaped.

Afterward, his hatred for the U.S. burned deeper, cementing his status as the Middle East and Africa's staunchest anti-American figure.

Well, to be fair, he was already fiercely anti-American before the attack, having shot down three U.S. planes with missiles.

Post-attack, his retaliation was brutal: he orchestrated the bombing of a Boeing 747 carrying nearly 200 American passengers over Scotland, killing everyone aboard.

In June 2007, ahead of an African Union summit, Gaddafi visited several African nations, pitching the creation of an "African Monetary Fund." This mini-IMF would provide direct economic aid to African countries, bypassing international institutions. His ambition didn't stop there—he planned to launch an African currency, the "Afro."

This was a direct challenge to Western interests.

The IMF, backed by Western European and U.S. capital, funneled billions in loans to African nations annually, raking in massive interest. An African Monetary Fund, especially one issuing its own currency, threatened to upend that system, enraging the U.S. and Europe.

By late 2010, the EU and U.S. agreed to impose military sanctions on Libya. The U.S., Gaddafi's old foe, was a given. France, however, was the most aggressive, as Gaddafi's plan would hit them hardest.

Historically, many West African nations used the CFA franc, issued by the French central bank. If Libya's African Monetary Fund and Afro currency succeeded, France's economic dominance in West Africa would crumble.

This was why Martin had kept Guinea's currency system dormant, biding his time for a rift between France and the U.S.

And from the memories of his other counterpart, Martin knew exactly when that pivotal moment would come.

…

Gaddafi was once Libya's hero.

In 1912, after the Italo-Turkish War, Libya became an Italian colony. In 1943, France and Britain occupied its south and north, respectively. Post-World War II, the UN assumed control.

On December 24, 1951, Libya declared independence as the United Kingdom of Libya, a federal monarchy. But it was a half-independent state, its economy, politics, and culture manipulated by Western powers.

On September 1, 1969, Gaddafi led the "Free Officers Movement" in a coup, overthrowing King Idris' regime. He expelled the Western capitalists bleeding Libya dry, established the Arab Libyan Republic, and unified the nation through force.

To Libyans then, Gaddafi was a "saint," affectionately called "Holy Omar."

From 1970 to 1972, he served as chairman of Libya's Revolutionary Command Council and Minister of Defense, later renaming the country the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

From 1982 to 1983, he was the sole chairman of the Organization of African Unity.

This was Gaddafi's golden era, when he was most revered by Libyans.

Oh, and by the way, Gaddafi was also an author and chairman of Libya's Writers' Union. His Gaddafi Anthology might still be available online.

Then, he spiraled.

From national hero, he slid into despotic tyrant.

He grew nepotistic, imposed heavy taxes, and indulged in luxury. Over nearly four decades, Libya went from a thriving post-liberation state to one of the world's most corrupt nations.

By 2010, public discontent erupted into anti-government protests and widespread armed rebellions. Libya's historical gun culture—nearly every household was armed—combined with a corrupt, ineffective government army, left Gaddafi's forces outmatched.

At their peak, rebels controlled 80% of Libya's territory.

Desperate, Gaddafi hired mercenaries from around the globe to prop up his regime. From 2008, Libya became a mercenary haven, with over 300 groups active at its height—some hired by rebels, others by Gaddafi.

The absurdity? Some mercenaries, mid-battle, switched sides for better pay, turning their guns on former allies.