Black Hand

The Black Hand of Nod is an organisation within the Brotherhood of Nod formed with the blessing of Kane by General Gideon Raveshaw, which comprised of zealots deeply devoted to the cause. The members were hand picked by General Raveshaw and given exceptional training, as well as best equipment and body armor available, with the most notable being the Ezekiel's Cape chameleon suit and experimental portable Obelisk of Light modules, codenamed Firefly and Tarantula respectively.

The Black Hand proved to be an ample opponent to GDI, as small groups of their operatives could infiltrate and easily destroy enemy bases. Also, they served as personal bodyguards to Kane and protected Temples of Nod with unparalleled religious zeal.

The members are handpicked from the best and most faithful members of the Brotherhood. While many brothers are eager to join, the final decision is left to the current Black Hand commander. When accepted, the members undergo extreme indoctrination, resulting in nothing less than a lethal zealot, completely devoted to the Brotherhood.

First Tiberium War
During the First Tiberium War, the Black Hand was founded as the personal guard of Kane by General Gideon Raveshaw. Built from the ground up as the most elite combat force in the Brotherhood absolutely loyal to Kane, it soon became more than just a guard - they were deployed as special forces whenever the situation called for it.

The Black Hand had a radically different modus operandi from other Nod forces, as they cared little for civilian casualties. Nod tended to avoid civilian casualties in order to more freely manipulate the media and cover up their operations. The Black Hand was primarily responsible for safeguarding the ReGenesis project as well as capturing important GDI personnel, such as Dr Ignatio Mobius, Dr Sydney Mobius and Dr Elena Petrova.

Three most common Black Hand operatives included the snipers, support infantry and the Black Hand Chameleons. The Black Hand had their own second design Light Tanks during this time.

Second Tiberium War
It is unknown who became the commander of the Black Hand following the death of General Raveshaw at the hands of captain Nick Parker, but it is known that at the time of the Second Tiberium War the unit was commanded by Commander Anton Slavik.

Commander Slavik commanded a substantial force of these men, which allowed them to become a significant player in the struggle for power prior to the Second Tiberium War and allowed the rebirth of the Brotherhood, stronger and more resilient than before. Members of the Black Hand served as officers, advisors and commanders and following the destruction of Kane's Pyramid at the last moment by commander McNeil and the rebellion of CABAL were called upon to fight for Nod in the field, as their elite cadre status made them formidable soldiers.

Third Tiberium War
After the Firestorm Crisis was rectified, the Black Hand of Nod formed the core of the Brotherhood revival efforts, gathering support for them in the Yellow Zones and procuring supplies and technology. They played a crucial role and soon their ranks expanded, to the point of them becoming elite infantry formations of the Brotherhood.

Currently, the Black Hand wear full powered armor with capes, cloaks masking their thermal signatures and helmets with three horizontal visors. This equipment allows them to use their advanced flamethrowers effectively without harming their health as well as effectively clear out garrisoned buildings and decimate infantry. The Black Hand Chameleons are back under the name of the Shadow Teams. The female Commando is another Black Hand elite trooper with a laser rifle.

Possible historical connections
An organization named Black Hand has existed, as a secret society in Serbia. It was financed by Serbia, as part of the Pan-Slavism nationalist movement, with the intention of uniting all of the territories containing South Slav populations (Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, etc) annexed by Austria-Hungary. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria is considered to have been the main catalyst to the start of World War I. The assassination was carried out by the Black Hand. The connection to the Black Hand of Nod is unclear, though it should be noted that Franz Ferdinand was assassinated at Sarajevo, a key location for the brotherhood.