The League of Extraordinary Ladies
The Good Weasel Made a Post. I have taken on this challenge whole-heartedly, thus will happily present to you my League.
For the sake of keeping things different, and entirely for my own amusement, I set myself one challenge: This League is all-female.
I almost fell down at the first hurdle, mostly because it is FUCKING DIFFICULT to find an awesome female leader in fiction with a contemporary setting (otherwise, paging Laura Roslin right the fuck now). In the end I settled on a two-tiered leadership system. There's an official face to handle the money, the higher ups, the briefings, and any public communication which is necessary. As such I needed someone with talents in these areas, who's good at personnel management and just good with PEOPLE to boot. They did not need to be either combat-oriented nor especially high in their Knowledge Skills in the relevant Weird or Scientific areas; they just needed to know how to get their team to give them the goddamn answers.
Breaking it down like this gave me one obvious candidate: Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you White House Chief of Staff Claudia Jean Cregg from The West Wing.
"Outraged? I'm barely surprised. This is a country where women aren't allowed to drive a car. They're not allowed to be in the company of any man other than a close relative. They're required to adhere to a dress code that would make a Maryknoll nun look like Malibu Barbie. They beheaded 121 people last year for robbery, rape, and drug trafficking. They have no free press, no elected government, no political parties. And the Royal Family allows the Religious Police to travel in groups of six carrying nightsticks and they freely and publicly beat women. But 'Brutus is an honorable man.' 17 schoolgirls were forced to burn alive because they weren't wearing the proper clothing. Am I outraged? No... That is Saudi Arabia, our partners in peace."
No, she doesn't know what to do when the bullets start flying and the monsters attack; that's cool, she's got the rest of the team for that. But the team will NOT misbehave when they've got CJ holding the leash, and any interactions with Bigger Organisations (as friends or allies) or keeping a lid on situations with the public, or handling any bolshy individuals who want to give the League verbal shit, are circumstances where CJ will shine as the Official Leader.
However, she does need a field commander, and a strong right arm. Someone she can work with in close cooperation, who is going to be prepared to listen to her and is going to be prepared to give her the right tactical advice. This person also needs to be able to physically lay down the law and be a rallying point when in the field, so it helps for them to be a bruiser in their own right as well as a charismatic figure.
The XO of this group is Buffy Summers, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"That's everything. No weapons... no friends... no hope. Take all that away, and what's left?"
"Me."
She's got combat experience, she's got leadership experience, and while if she gets an idea in her head she'll be as stubborn as anyone, if in the right mindset she can help keep a team together. She leads from the front, and I'd be astonished if CJ wouldn't figure out how to steer Buffy pretty damn quick.
Buffy coming in automatically gives the group some chops when it comes to fighting the supernatural. So while we don't want to focus the group entirely on that, it would make sense to lend some backup to Buffy's strengths. The hole to fill is that Buffy benefits from the Scoobies, who we don't have, hitting the books and running research so she knows what MacGuffin to hit. Plus, although neither one of these women are slouches in the brains, we are lacking The Smart Gal.
There's one stand-out candidate for this, and she brings with her some extra weight of her own. She knows the supernatural, hell, she lives in the supernatural world, and while nobody can claim to have saved the world as many times as Buffy, she's definitely got a contributing credit under her belt.
Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series.
"You said to us once before that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?"
From her we get not-insignificant magical talent, plus a top class mind who's capable of applying that intellect not just to knowledge, but also to research to fill in the gaps. She's a good planner, and while she might not manage too well when things go to pieces and she has to think on her feet, that's the kind of weakness the rest of the team are good for counteracting.
The downside so far of the group is that CJ lends herself to Politics and Organisation, and Buffy and Hermione are almost exclusively focused on Going It Alone against Supernatural Hordes. CJ can provide them with backing, but the group could do with some figures who are a bit more rooted in the Real World.
If CJ is the most normal person in the team, then now we come to one of the two contenders for Second Most Normal. This is someone who knows how to be professional, how to play with others, but is also driven, intelligent, and self-sufficient. She's a superior problem-solver, she'll take no bullshit, but unless the Berserk Buttons are pushed, she's going to be a team player. When the League come up against the mundane horrors of the world - the evils of normal humanity - this is the woman they go to when they want to figure out how to fix it. She's also no stranger to sinister conspiracies or working with the government.
Detective Kate Beckett from Castle.
"What’s up girl? How’s the weather in your world?"
"Sunny with a chance of ass kicking."
Plus, when the League of Extraordinary Ladies have run-ins with bodybag_pilgrim's League, Hilarity Ensues in the inevitable petty competition on who can save the day first.
Continuing the purpose of Rounding Out our expertise, especially since Beckett mostly just brings things back down to Earth rather than expanding the sort of threats that the League is capable of dealing with, I thought someone to complement CJ's political savvy and talents at handling organisations could be handy - ie, when you have someone involved in politics at the top, why NOT have a government agent involved?
This government agent enjoys running, jumping, climbing trees, exploding them, and putting on a wide variety of costumes. She's used to the whirlwind world of spies, and also has exposure to Fucking Weird Shit, so by now nothing's going to faze her. She might not be the world's best team player, but her talents at working solo can be harnessed for the good, and I don't think we have yet anyone who's going to make life difficult for her to work with. There is not a building in the world this woman cannot get in and out of, probably with spinning kicks and then zip-cording out into a moving helicopter to make her escape.
May I present Sydney Bristow of Alias.
"Some people go miniature golfing with their parents. We go to India to look for nukes."
And not that I recommend laying this on the table as a method of personnel management, but her Mummy Issues put Beckett's to fucking SHAME.
Sydney opens the League up to dealing with the Wonderful World of Spies (though her experience with Rambaldi would totally make her cope with the supernatural baggage which Buffy and Hermione bring with them). But we need to add another 'genre' - also, while Hermione is easily the Brains, her knowledge has an especially narrow focus and she might not be able to use her raw intelligence to counter-act this.
The team lacks someone with scientific expertise and technical know-how. Although a super-tastic techie would be great, none particularly presented themselves to me. However, the most obvious candidate is broadly qualified and experienced enough to justify it, and also qualifies the team to defend the world against aliens from outer space. I'm not MASSIVELY hot on my canon for this individual, especially the later, but I am going to tentatively put her rank at Lieutenant Colonel for roughly where in the character arc I am aiming for.
Samantha Carter of SG-1.
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."
Okay, so I think that's a pic of her as a Major, but I'm just wondering how many pictures I can get of these ladies with their arms crossed. Yes, it would have been very easy to find a pic of Beckett but it only started occurring as a theme by the time I was browsing for Sydney.
She's got a goddamn PhD. She's a team player, and she's also a leader, which makes her a natural second to Buffy - I think Sam doesn't have such a bad ego that she would have to be in charge, despite her talents, and she would likely back Buffy up and make a good field 2IC. She's professional, she's been exposed to all MANNER of horrendous weirdness, and she's got a gun.
Pretty much every one of these ladies is self-sufficient (with CJ leading from Mission Control). They all know how to kick and shoot you while going about their merry way, and Buffy's supernaturally strong and fast, to boot. That Kate Beckett is the most likely person to go down in a fight in the field so far is pretty damn telling. But other than Buffy, who has other responsibilities, we don't have a powerhouse. Someone to send in to kick the everloving snot out of the bad guys. And when we're elbowing out a whole range of Marvel and DC heroines, that narrows the field.
So I set my eyes to other comics, and came up with the main reason for why Buffy is on the team. A) If this person wasn't, Faith would have been - but I do NOT want to see Faith and this person on the same team. And B) Someone needs to potentially put this girl physically in her place.
My obscurest choice yet: Sal Walkerton from It's Walky.
"Ah'd say something inspirational 'bout the human spirit, but you're really just pissin' me off." [1]
Thanks to alien abduction she's super strong, super tough, super fast. I really hope that CJ knows a good glazier. She's also incredibly erratic, impetuous, and quick to anger, and has every chance of flying off the handle and telling the party to go fuck itself if things don't go her way. That said, she is an asset, and knows how (but often chooses to not) cooperate with government protocol. She'll be a handful for CJ and Buffy to keep in line, but since she's the only major offender and our leader types can come at her from two directions, I think they can handle it.
Also, she rounds out what Sydney and Sam bring to the table of government operations and aliens from outside our planet.
The last candidate COULD have been an organisation. I just didn't know one which would fit enough within the thematic premise to satisfy me (it wouldn't have to be ALL women, but... I am stumped). As such, we've got brains of various flavours, tech, charisma, and physical prowess. What're we missing?
Well, apart from Beckett, most of these women live lives INCREDIBLY detached from the reality of the people they fight to protect. Is that a particular weakness? If it is, can Beckett's talents as a Street Level Face overcome it? Hard to say. But it's worth rounding that edge off. Also, while Sal is a volatile entity, the group really lacks a wild card. Someone who can spin through any situation and still emerge the other side intact. Perhaps through great planning. Perhaps through skill and talent. Perhaps by sheer luck.
Let's go with sheer luck. Also, because a lot of these ladies are Serious Minded, we could do with a spot of comic relief.
She owns a gun. She just keeps it in her cookie jar at home because it scares her. She's got a profession in law enforcement - sort of - but she's still in trouble if she's late for dinner at her parents' house. Don't ever let her drive, and no matter how bad the situation gets - and she might have made it that bad to begin with - sheer luck and inexplicable circumstances will converge in the most outstandingly ridiculous way to have the League make it out the other end.
Stephanie Plum of... the Stephanie Plum Series.
"Listen to me, you two bags of monkey shit. I am not in a good mood. My car keeps stalling. The day before yesterday I threw up on Joe Morelli. I was called a fat cow by my ex-husband. And if that isn't enough...my hair is ORANGE! ORANGE, FOR CHRISSAKE! And now you have the gall to force yourself into my home and threaten my hamster. Well, you have gone too far. You have crossed the line!"
Stephanie's not the world's most obvious contributor to the League, but that adds to the reasons to have her. She's good with people, and not in a Buffy or CJ commanding presence kind of way, or in a Beckett 'I relate to your DAMAGE' way, but she understands everyday problems and everyday wishes. You could do worse.
Now, the villains. It is stupidly hard to find some good female villains (while Alex Forrest tops a lot of lists I don't think she's EXACTLY the kind of threat the League would be mobilised to tackle. Nor would Nurse Ratched). So I'm going to start with a faceless organisation here. It has goals. It has agendas. It has resources, and it can tackle matters legitimately, illegitimately, or supernaturally. It is a Big Bad in its own right, as someone close to Buffy found out.
The League will be pitted against the whims and schemes of Wolfram & Hart from Angel.
"Our firm has always been here in one form or another. The Inquisition, the Khmer Rouge -- we were here the first time a caveman clubbed his neighbor and watched in fascination as his brains oozed out in the dirt. We're in the hearts and minds of every living human being [...] The world doesn't work in spite of evil, Angel. It works with us. It works because of us."
But the League still needs someone to fight. Someone who can go toe-to-toe with Buffy Summers and Sal Walkerton. She doesn't need to be an intellectual powerhouse; Wolfram & Hart can throw problems at Sam, Hermione, and CJ they can't just think their way through. Equally, it's a bit unpleasant for Sam, Beckett, and Sydney if they're repeatedly being beaten up by someone who CAN go toe-to-toe with Buffy and Sal.
So... some sort of incredibly vague power level is perhaps in order. Something ridiculously over the top and yet not SPECIFICALLY super-human. This is a strange choice, and I'm kind of scraping the barrel, but trust me, I have an excellent, excellent reason for picking O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill, Vol 1.
"As your leader, I encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so, but allow me to convince you and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is... I collect your fucking head. Just like this fucker here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fucking time!"
That reason is: Lucy Liu makes a fucking awesome villain in general and would be awesome against these guys.
Edit: Who is dead. A substitution will be sought.
The key personnel problems I anticipate is that we have a LOT of Alpha Females on the team, who might not play so well with other such strong personalities. Will the likes of Sydney and Beckett cope with taking orders from Buffy? Would Colonel Carter find the idea insulting? It might make more sense to put Sam as the field commander, but I don't think Buffy would put up with that easily. I think CJ can cope, being an authority figure in a team predominantly accustomed to listening to authority figures, and Buffy is mollified by having a leading role to play. Sal will be a handful, undeniably.
Either way, for good or ill, failure or success, it would be awesome to see.
For the sake of keeping things different, and entirely for my own amusement, I set myself one challenge: This League is all-female.
I almost fell down at the first hurdle, mostly because it is FUCKING DIFFICULT to find an awesome female leader in fiction with a contemporary setting (otherwise, paging Laura Roslin right the fuck now). In the end I settled on a two-tiered leadership system. There's an official face to handle the money, the higher ups, the briefings, and any public communication which is necessary. As such I needed someone with talents in these areas, who's good at personnel management and just good with PEOPLE to boot. They did not need to be either combat-oriented nor especially high in their Knowledge Skills in the relevant Weird or Scientific areas; they just needed to know how to get their team to give them the goddamn answers.
Breaking it down like this gave me one obvious candidate: Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you White House Chief of Staff Claudia Jean Cregg from The West Wing.
"Outraged? I'm barely surprised. This is a country where women aren't allowed to drive a car. They're not allowed to be in the company of any man other than a close relative. They're required to adhere to a dress code that would make a Maryknoll nun look like Malibu Barbie. They beheaded 121 people last year for robbery, rape, and drug trafficking. They have no free press, no elected government, no political parties. And the Royal Family allows the Religious Police to travel in groups of six carrying nightsticks and they freely and publicly beat women. But 'Brutus is an honorable man.' 17 schoolgirls were forced to burn alive because they weren't wearing the proper clothing. Am I outraged? No... That is Saudi Arabia, our partners in peace."
No, she doesn't know what to do when the bullets start flying and the monsters attack; that's cool, she's got the rest of the team for that. But the team will NOT misbehave when they've got CJ holding the leash, and any interactions with Bigger Organisations (as friends or allies) or keeping a lid on situations with the public, or handling any bolshy individuals who want to give the League verbal shit, are circumstances where CJ will shine as the Official Leader.
However, she does need a field commander, and a strong right arm. Someone she can work with in close cooperation, who is going to be prepared to listen to her and is going to be prepared to give her the right tactical advice. This person also needs to be able to physically lay down the law and be a rallying point when in the field, so it helps for them to be a bruiser in their own right as well as a charismatic figure.
The XO of this group is Buffy Summers, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"That's everything. No weapons... no friends... no hope. Take all that away, and what's left?"
"Me."
She's got combat experience, she's got leadership experience, and while if she gets an idea in her head she'll be as stubborn as anyone, if in the right mindset she can help keep a team together. She leads from the front, and I'd be astonished if CJ wouldn't figure out how to steer Buffy pretty damn quick.
Buffy coming in automatically gives the group some chops when it comes to fighting the supernatural. So while we don't want to focus the group entirely on that, it would make sense to lend some backup to Buffy's strengths. The hole to fill is that Buffy benefits from the Scoobies, who we don't have, hitting the books and running research so she knows what MacGuffin to hit. Plus, although neither one of these women are slouches in the brains, we are lacking The Smart Gal.
There's one stand-out candidate for this, and she brings with her some extra weight of her own. She knows the supernatural, hell, she lives in the supernatural world, and while nobody can claim to have saved the world as many times as Buffy, she's definitely got a contributing credit under her belt.
Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series.
"You said to us once before that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?"
From her we get not-insignificant magical talent, plus a top class mind who's capable of applying that intellect not just to knowledge, but also to research to fill in the gaps. She's a good planner, and while she might not manage too well when things go to pieces and she has to think on her feet, that's the kind of weakness the rest of the team are good for counteracting.
The downside so far of the group is that CJ lends herself to Politics and Organisation, and Buffy and Hermione are almost exclusively focused on Going It Alone against Supernatural Hordes. CJ can provide them with backing, but the group could do with some figures who are a bit more rooted in the Real World.
If CJ is the most normal person in the team, then now we come to one of the two contenders for Second Most Normal. This is someone who knows how to be professional, how to play with others, but is also driven, intelligent, and self-sufficient. She's a superior problem-solver, she'll take no bullshit, but unless the Berserk Buttons are pushed, she's going to be a team player. When the League come up against the mundane horrors of the world - the evils of normal humanity - this is the woman they go to when they want to figure out how to fix it. She's also no stranger to sinister conspiracies or working with the government.
Detective Kate Beckett from Castle.
"What’s up girl? How’s the weather in your world?"
"Sunny with a chance of ass kicking."
Plus, when the League of Extraordinary Ladies have run-ins with bodybag_pilgrim's League, Hilarity Ensues in the inevitable petty competition on who can save the day first.
Continuing the purpose of Rounding Out our expertise, especially since Beckett mostly just brings things back down to Earth rather than expanding the sort of threats that the League is capable of dealing with, I thought someone to complement CJ's political savvy and talents at handling organisations could be handy - ie, when you have someone involved in politics at the top, why NOT have a government agent involved?
This government agent enjoys running, jumping, climbing trees, exploding them, and putting on a wide variety of costumes. She's used to the whirlwind world of spies, and also has exposure to Fucking Weird Shit, so by now nothing's going to faze her. She might not be the world's best team player, but her talents at working solo can be harnessed for the good, and I don't think we have yet anyone who's going to make life difficult for her to work with. There is not a building in the world this woman cannot get in and out of, probably with spinning kicks and then zip-cording out into a moving helicopter to make her escape.
May I present Sydney Bristow of Alias.
"Some people go miniature golfing with their parents. We go to India to look for nukes."
And not that I recommend laying this on the table as a method of personnel management, but her Mummy Issues put Beckett's to fucking SHAME.
Sydney opens the League up to dealing with the Wonderful World of Spies (though her experience with Rambaldi would totally make her cope with the supernatural baggage which Buffy and Hermione bring with them). But we need to add another 'genre' - also, while Hermione is easily the Brains, her knowledge has an especially narrow focus and she might not be able to use her raw intelligence to counter-act this.
The team lacks someone with scientific expertise and technical know-how. Although a super-tastic techie would be great, none particularly presented themselves to me. However, the most obvious candidate is broadly qualified and experienced enough to justify it, and also qualifies the team to defend the world against aliens from outer space. I'm not MASSIVELY hot on my canon for this individual, especially the later, but I am going to tentatively put her rank at Lieutenant Colonel for roughly where in the character arc I am aiming for.
Samantha Carter of SG-1.
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."
Okay, so I think that's a pic of her as a Major, but I'm just wondering how many pictures I can get of these ladies with their arms crossed. Yes, it would have been very easy to find a pic of Beckett but it only started occurring as a theme by the time I was browsing for Sydney.
She's got a goddamn PhD. She's a team player, and she's also a leader, which makes her a natural second to Buffy - I think Sam doesn't have such a bad ego that she would have to be in charge, despite her talents, and she would likely back Buffy up and make a good field 2IC. She's professional, she's been exposed to all MANNER of horrendous weirdness, and she's got a gun.
Pretty much every one of these ladies is self-sufficient (with CJ leading from Mission Control). They all know how to kick and shoot you while going about their merry way, and Buffy's supernaturally strong and fast, to boot. That Kate Beckett is the most likely person to go down in a fight in the field so far is pretty damn telling. But other than Buffy, who has other responsibilities, we don't have a powerhouse. Someone to send in to kick the everloving snot out of the bad guys. And when we're elbowing out a whole range of Marvel and DC heroines, that narrows the field.
So I set my eyes to other comics, and came up with the main reason for why Buffy is on the team. A) If this person wasn't, Faith would have been - but I do NOT want to see Faith and this person on the same team. And B) Someone needs to potentially put this girl physically in her place.
My obscurest choice yet: Sal Walkerton from It's Walky.
"Ah'd say something inspirational 'bout the human spirit, but you're really just pissin' me off." [1]
Thanks to alien abduction she's super strong, super tough, super fast. I really hope that CJ knows a good glazier. She's also incredibly erratic, impetuous, and quick to anger, and has every chance of flying off the handle and telling the party to go fuck itself if things don't go her way. That said, she is an asset, and knows how (but often chooses to not) cooperate with government protocol. She'll be a handful for CJ and Buffy to keep in line, but since she's the only major offender and our leader types can come at her from two directions, I think they can handle it.
Also, she rounds out what Sydney and Sam bring to the table of government operations and aliens from outside our planet.
The last candidate COULD have been an organisation. I just didn't know one which would fit enough within the thematic premise to satisfy me (it wouldn't have to be ALL women, but... I am stumped). As such, we've got brains of various flavours, tech, charisma, and physical prowess. What're we missing?
Well, apart from Beckett, most of these women live lives INCREDIBLY detached from the reality of the people they fight to protect. Is that a particular weakness? If it is, can Beckett's talents as a Street Level Face overcome it? Hard to say. But it's worth rounding that edge off. Also, while Sal is a volatile entity, the group really lacks a wild card. Someone who can spin through any situation and still emerge the other side intact. Perhaps through great planning. Perhaps through skill and talent. Perhaps by sheer luck.
Let's go with sheer luck. Also, because a lot of these ladies are Serious Minded, we could do with a spot of comic relief.
She owns a gun. She just keeps it in her cookie jar at home because it scares her. She's got a profession in law enforcement - sort of - but she's still in trouble if she's late for dinner at her parents' house. Don't ever let her drive, and no matter how bad the situation gets - and she might have made it that bad to begin with - sheer luck and inexplicable circumstances will converge in the most outstandingly ridiculous way to have the League make it out the other end.
Stephanie Plum of... the Stephanie Plum Series.
"Listen to me, you two bags of monkey shit. I am not in a good mood. My car keeps stalling. The day before yesterday I threw up on Joe Morelli. I was called a fat cow by my ex-husband. And if that isn't enough...my hair is ORANGE! ORANGE, FOR CHRISSAKE! And now you have the gall to force yourself into my home and threaten my hamster. Well, you have gone too far. You have crossed the line!"
Stephanie's not the world's most obvious contributor to the League, but that adds to the reasons to have her. She's good with people, and not in a Buffy or CJ commanding presence kind of way, or in a Beckett 'I relate to your DAMAGE' way, but she understands everyday problems and everyday wishes. You could do worse.
Now, the villains. It is stupidly hard to find some good female villains (while Alex Forrest tops a lot of lists I don't think she's EXACTLY the kind of threat the League would be mobilised to tackle. Nor would Nurse Ratched). So I'm going to start with a faceless organisation here. It has goals. It has agendas. It has resources, and it can tackle matters legitimately, illegitimately, or supernaturally. It is a Big Bad in its own right, as someone close to Buffy found out.
The League will be pitted against the whims and schemes of Wolfram & Hart from Angel.
"Our firm has always been here in one form or another. The Inquisition, the Khmer Rouge -- we were here the first time a caveman clubbed his neighbor and watched in fascination as his brains oozed out in the dirt. We're in the hearts and minds of every living human being [...] The world doesn't work in spite of evil, Angel. It works with us. It works because of us."
But the League still needs someone to fight. Someone who can go toe-to-toe with Buffy Summers and Sal Walkerton. She doesn't need to be an intellectual powerhouse; Wolfram & Hart can throw problems at Sam, Hermione, and CJ they can't just think their way through. Equally, it's a bit unpleasant for Sam, Beckett, and Sydney if they're repeatedly being beaten up by someone who CAN go toe-to-toe with Buffy and Sal.
So... some sort of incredibly vague power level is perhaps in order. Something ridiculously over the top and yet not SPECIFICALLY super-human. This is a strange choice, and I'm kind of scraping the barrel, but trust me, I have an excellent, excellent reason for picking O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill, Vol 1.
"As your leader, I encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so, but allow me to convince you and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is... I collect your fucking head. Just like this fucker here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fucking time!"
That reason is: Lucy Liu makes a fucking awesome villain in general and would be awesome against these guys.
Edit: Who is dead. A substitution will be sought.
The key personnel problems I anticipate is that we have a LOT of Alpha Females on the team, who might not play so well with other such strong personalities. Will the likes of Sydney and Beckett cope with taking orders from Buffy? Would Colonel Carter find the idea insulting? It might make more sense to put Sam as the field commander, but I don't think Buffy would put up with that easily. I think CJ can cope, being an authority figure in a team predominantly accustomed to listening to authority figures, and Buffy is mollified by having a leading role to play. Sal will be a handful, undeniably.
Either way, for good or ill, failure or success, it would be awesome to see.