Er, ahem, uhm . . . is this thing on? Alright — I’m back!
So, uhm, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’ve not posted in this thread for a couple of months. Sorry 'bout that. Real Life stuff got busy, and well, it kind of got away from me, and before I knew it it had been two months.
But I’m back now, and should be posting more regularly. So, let’s get back into it!
Mistress Mystic
“No longer shall you plebeians be free to govern yourselves — for you are now under the mystical rule of Mistress Mystic!”
Alias: Dr. Mary Morgause
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Inventor
Health: 30 + (
× 5)
Powers
Fire 
Gadgets 
Lightning Calculator
Toxic
Qualities
Banter
Creativity
Magical Facade
Science
Status: Inventions & Mods
4+ Inventions or mods 
2-3 Inventions or mods
1 Invention or mod
0 Inventions or mods 
Abilities
Caustic Burst (A): Attack multiple targets using Science. Use your Min die. Hinder each target with your Max die. If one of those targets rolls doubles on their next turn, they take damage equal to the penalty.
Chemical Weaponry (A): Boost using Gadgets. Hinder with your Max die. Attack with your Min die.- Corrosive Conflagration (A): Attack using Fire and at least one bonus. If you have multiple bonuses, you may also Attack another target using the Min die and one other bonus, and may also Attack a third target using the Max die and a third bonus.
- Preemptive Splash (R): Whenever a target takes a Hinder action against you, you may first roll your Toxic die as a Hinder on them.
- (U) Weakening Fumes (I): While the scene is in the Green zone, all heroes’ power dice at or above are reduced one size. In the Yellow zone, all heroes’ power dice at or above are reduced two die sizes. In the Red zone, all heroes’ power dice are treated as if they are
.
- Heroes may remove this ability with three Overcome successes. If a hero takes a minor twist, the hero must lose access to a power entirely until this ability is removed. (When using this upgrade, Mistress Mystic has 10 additional Health.)
- (M)
Master of Mad Science (I): As long as you have access to materials, you can automatically succeed when Overcoming a challenge by using scientific principles and inventions.
Mistress Mystic
Alias: Dr. Mary Morgause
Gender: Female
Age: 50s
Height: 5’5"
Eyes: Green
Hair: Greying brown
Skin: Light
Build: Average
Costume/Equipment: A green dress with purple accents and a tall, wide-brimmed hat in similar colours.
Approach: Disruptive
Archetype: Inventor
Biography
Mary Morgause was a chemist. And yet, despite her vast knowledge of the workings of the materials of reality, she didn’t get the respect that she felt was her due. She was treated like just any other person by those around her, not like someone who could control the very building blocks of matter!
To remedy this grave injustice, Dr. Morgause decided to don a supervillainous alter-ego to inspire terror and respect in the laypeople. Taking the name Doctor Materia, she kidnapped the mayor of the city and declared herself its new ruler. However, a group of heroes easily defeated her, as they quickly concocted an antidote to the caustic gas that she was using the threaten the city.
After escaping her subsequent incarceration, Dr. Morgause went to work on her next nefarious scheme. She had learned that being just another mad scientist supervillain wouldn’t get her the abject terror and obedience that she craved; another pesky hero would always come along and out-think her.
Thus Dr. Morgause hit upon the idea to veil her scientific prowess behind the facade of magic! The appearance of such supernatural power would be sure to cow the common masses into submissive veneration, and would make it more difficult for heroes to come up with their own scientific solutions to her chemical genius. And so, Mistress Mystic was prepared to act!
Capabilities and Motivations
Mistress Mystic uses various chemical substances to imitate acts of magic. She can release bursts of caustic gas that harms and debilitates, fling vials of corrosive “potions,” and “summon” blasts of chemically-created flame.
The main method with which she dispenses her hazardous gases, liquids, and fires is via a discrete mechanical delivery system of tubes and sprayers that she wears concealed by her costume. She can use it to eject her harmful substances from wrist-mounted nozzles, so that it appears she summons them with magical gestures.
Mistress Mystic is also rather quick-witted and excels in science, particularly chemistry, her chosen field of study. She is fairly arrogant and immensely hubristic, and firmly believes in the idea that the most intelligent (i.e. the most scientifically-adept) should rule the rest of society. Due to her own pride, she isn’t too eager to work with other villains, but has done so on occasion with other masterminds of an intellectual bent, though their teamwork could be generously described as teeth-clenched. However, she is always glad to take on subservient underlings, and usually dresses them in faux-magical garb like her own.
Upgrades
Oftentimes, Mistress Mystic will outfit her lairs with an eerie green gas that subtly saps the strength and power of her foes.
Editor’s Notes
Miss M. was partly inspired by an episode of the old 1966 Adam West Batman television program, in which the villainess was aided by an elderly relation who was a chemist but also dressed as a witch for no discernable reason. So, it was that bit of Silver Age silliness that I aimed to capture here.
Also, I think that Miss Mystic likely tries to invoke and weaponise the Arbitrary Skepticism trope; despite comic-book “science” doing such patently impossible things, it seems like supers still get more shaken when they have to deal with “magical” stuff for some reason, so she uses that to her advantage.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, her surname comes from a famous mythical sorceress.