5th Column a 'V' reference?

So I'm watching bits and pieces of the 'V' marathon (old school version) and find that the rebel faction of Visitors are called '5th Column'. The Raerei's even have similar outfits.

So is CoX's 5th modeled after the Visitors or is it a direct historical reference... or a little of both?

The reference is a bit older:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_column

Edit:
The 5th column's uniforms are especially close to a Nazi uniform. Take that as a clue as to the true reference.

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Yeah, I found those wiki entries... so I'm thinking maybe both CoX and 'V' are drawing from the same source. And I've seen the uniform similarities between them and the Nazi's (the grey shirts) but the red shirts do resemble the red shirts on 'V', so I had to ask.

I'm thinking "all of the above"

The CoH crew is very good at throwing in pop culture references in obscure places. It very well may be they drew the name from all of those things combined. The Nazis, the original reference, AND a V reference all rolled into one. It wouldn't be out of character for the devs to do something like that.

For the record....Doc Delilah is inspired by She-Hulk and Doc Samson. Pretty obvious really. (I know it doesn't relate to the topic, just thought I'd mention it)

Direct historical reference, as is V's.

"V" is how the Romans wrote "5"

Exxxplication!

Exxxposed, an exxxcellent exxxpostulator, cast exxx post facto as both exxxecutor and exxxsanguinated, by the exxxegis of Fate. This exxxternality, no overexxxposure of sexxxuality, is an exxxtinct remnant of the voxxx populi, now exxxtinguished, exxxpunged. However, this exxx parte exxxpression of a bygone vexxxation exists, and shall exxxterminate this taxxxing infexxxion exxxcommunicating exxxpertise and exxxpostulating the exxxplicitly unaxxxeptable and exxxcruciating exxxscoriation of exxxecution!

... I'm no Alan Moore.

lmao

Ok I had to answer to this when I saw it. Just so we are all clear: First, yes, look up Fifth Column it refers to that seige at Madrid I believe that was talked about, that's where the term comes from. Second, the Fifth Column, if you read the info about them (like on ParagonWiki, forget where else) they originated from the Nazis in WWII in the game story. Third, Their uniforms are based on the Nazi colors (gray, black, red and the white in their emblem), also their emblem is compsoed of wings like from the German eagle symbol used then with a rendition of a "death's head" over a "V" the Roman numeral for "5". Lastly, the 5th Column were in the game years before the recent show "V" was created. And just for some background info: the Column was removed due to a dispute about the game in Germany, for obvious reasons. They fairly recently brought back the Column in Issue 11, more majorly in Issue 15. There you have it, just so everyone is clear. =)

There is of course additional context.

In the wake of the Spanish Civil War, "fifth column" became a general term for any subversive organization working in support of the enemy in wartime (hot or cold). It was applied to organizations like the German-American Bund during WW II and those which supported (or were perceived as supporting) the Soviets during the Cold War, especially during periods of high anti-communist feeling like the McCarthy era. 'Fifth columnist" was an accusation/insult that ranked with "com-symp" and "fellow traveller" in those days.

Robert Heinlein turned the term on its head in the novel later published as The Day After Tomorrow, which was originally entitled Sixth Column, referring to covert action by citizens of a conquered America opposing the invaders.

The movie V was based on a graphic novel written by Alan Moore decades before this game came along.

afterthought - oh, THAT "V". As Yogi notes, the original series was made in the 70's (SyFy just ran a marathon of episodes and the original miniseries) and surely, there are some visual and script references to the 1970's "V" series which resonate with our own favorite Nazi punching bags.

V the miniseries and later series was notable for, among other things, being a breakout part of Michael Ironside, setting his typecasting as a hardnosed sonofagun for years to come. Favorite line:

Ironside opens the first of several cans of whupbutt on a human traitor who has been working for the Visitors. Another resistance fighter asks "You gonna kill him?" Ironside responds "As many times as I can."

Michael Ironside kind of reprised that role on Terminator: Salvation. An hard-nosed, officer of the organized portion of the resistance movement that adhered to the chain-of-command that has to deal with another (John Conner) that holds more rank/respect over the more independent portions of the resistance.



lol, now that I think about it... there's a few other similarities between T4 and V: TFB that may lead back to Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Entities bent on the takeover of the human species; wearing human skins in order to infiltrate and subvert while processing/transporting humans for food/experimentation.