Who is this great and mysterious god-like figure?

Except this wasn't really an intelligence effort, it's a propaganda effort being conducted against a population whose opinions really don't matter.

Not just that, it was also an effort to plant sleeper agents inside the Resistance. Which could be a major blow to a potential ally.

They do - the last thing Tyrant needs when trying to conquer the multiverse is to lose control of his power base - the entire state machine and loyalist activities are devoted to keeping the people repressed - if the opinion of the people didn't matter, Tyrant and his thugs wouldn't spend so much time and effort in trying to control it.
Recluse is much more laid back about being seen as a moustache-twirler, but Tyrant seems to have a desperate need to convince people - and maybe himself too - that he's the "good" guy.

Half of the Resistance is useless, and the other half has to be shot.

The entire framing device of this festering pile of suck that passes for a plot is only Incarnates matter. Non-Incarnates can't even engage Tyrant's forces at this point.

Tyrant's "power base" is the Well, the Praetors and an army that's mostly made up of machines (including the Seers). The people of Praetoria are utterly irrelevant, he doesn't even need them to run the factories. Robots do that.

Except that, you know, you don't need to become incarnate to do these trials.

Not true. Both the Admiral Sutler task force, and even the Trials (where you don't even have to have an alpha unlocked to contribute) have non-incarnates fighting against Cole's forces. Apex and Tin Mage has Cole specifically utilizing the power of the Well to weaken his enemies, but this seems to be a limited effect.

Going by the idea of levelling = passing of time, I think the Sutter TF is meant to happen before the Apex and Tin Mage TFs, so I think his Well-powered debuff is a result of his first invasion strike force being defeated in Skyway City.

Not true at all, if you actually do the preatorian content you'll see that not all factories are staffed by robots, there's an economical foundation to his regime (hence the breeding ground for the Syndicate). And he also needs to keep the middle-management happy. (If only because, presumably, they're the ones actually directing the robots)

He seems very keen on making sure they all love him and don't think bad thoughts about him - why not take the Relcuse approach and just ignore them?

Because Recluse have to fight off people who try to usurp him every day of the week?

Cole only does so on Tuesdays.

this

The immortal guy who can solo the Hamidon and take a direct hit from a nuke needs to make sure all the civilains in his city never think bad thoughts about him?

Well, what if (huge if here, and I'd be shocked if they thought this deep into it, so bear with me) the ancient pantheons of gods were previous champions of the Well. A key component in those gods' power was the worship of mortals. Without that worship, they kinda went away. Perhaps that's the way the Well is working through Cole, and since he's the full on champion he has more insight as to how the Well "works" unlike States and Recluse. So he's doing whatever he can to maintain the adoration of his people. Without it, perhaps the Well would drop him. *shrug*

Well, it does take time off from his hedonistic pleasures.

Or, and I suspect this is closer, he's not actually that fond of killing people unless there's a good reason, if he can get what he wants without people hating him, why not?

Interesting idea.

+1.

I think it's Dr. Manhattan trying to impersonate Dr. Manhattan's Evil Twin. Only way to explain the goatee.

*runs off to reserve 'Captain Caption'*

Technically Prometheus isn't a god. He's a titan. What the semantic differences are there is anyone's guess.

Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.

He drank from the Well of Furies, but didn't swallow?

Titans are primordial entities that preceded the gods.