Doctor Mindbender

Powers:

(none)

Equipment:

Brain-Wave Scanner (w): this device, invented by the late Doctor Venom, can be used to extract audio-visual information from a target's mind, doing so per an intensity 10 mental probe. Of course, its use causes its victim untold agony, and can also be used to instill information from one mind (per brain 'tapes') into another. Of course, Doctor Mindbender has improved it over the years.

For one thing, he's drastically reduced the size of the equipment necessary to produce this effect, while actually enhancing its effect to intensity 15. Also, he increased its utility to the point that the device can be used to simulate similarly potent mind control, per that power. Finally, Doctor Mindbender has also produced several portable models of the scanner, which can be used to reinforce the main scanner.

Brain-Wave Scrambler (w): this device, somewhat resembling a cattle prod and powered by a back-mounted energy pack, can be used by Doctor Mindbender to instill fear in the minds of others. Working as a specialized, intensity 10 emotion control, this unit can reduce even the most strong-willed individual into a cowering wimp - and the Doctor loves watching people cower before him...

Pistols (a): in the event that his brain-wave scrambler fails him, Doctor Mindbender also carries at least one semi-automatic pistol on his person - just in case. These weapons acts inflict his Agility +4 when a single shot is fired, +5 if a full clip is used on some hapless slob. The gun's clip can most likely hold eight shots before it requires reloading.

Hindrances:

(none)

Skills:

Genetics (i): one of the first fields he latched onto after mangling his own mind, Doctor Mindbender has proven to be quite effective in the alteration of genes towards a specific effect - for instance, he has created at least one strain of aggressive, fast growing plants (his creeper bombs) capable of immobilizing a vehicle as large as an MBT Mauler. Impressive, no?

Marksmanship (a): though he loathes physical violence, preferring to use his creations against an opponent in a way that renders him useful in the future, Doctor Mindbender has still gotten himself proper training in the use of various firearms - working with terrorists necessitates this as a general matter of course. He attacks with standard, semi-automatic, and fully automatic guns at one difficulty level lower than normal.

Medicine (i): originally, Doctor Mindbender's medical knowledge was limited to that of an orthodontist. However, after his personality change, he researched all of the knowledge he needed to perform various operations on living beings - though not at all accredited to perform such procedures, he knows how to do so - and does so relatively frequently...

Robotics (i): though an accomplished electronics whiz before his transformation, Doctor Mindbender learned everything he needed to know about robotics technology after he became, for the lack of a better word, evil. He creates electronic devices, robotic systems, or performs the implantation of such things into living, breathing organisms at one difficulty level lower than is normally required.

Calling:

World Domination: Doctor Mindbender has a specific world in mind, one that he has every intention of bringing into being. This world is a rather chaotic, dark place, but that suits the fractured mind of the man who dreamed it up quite nicely. Mindbender thrives on misery and despair - if that of other people - and does all he can to instill it in order to bring about his picture-perfect world.

Costume:

Originally, Doctor Mindbender wore a pair of purple trousers, coupled with black boots (each having a silver band around the top) and black gloves (with purple wrist guards). This outfit was enhanced by silver webbing to hold his power pack and various gear, and of course, a rather large black cape with a silver Cobra sigil on the back. Finally, he almost always had his trademark monocle on at all times.

Personality:

Doctor Mindbender is the quintessential evil genius. He's too smart for his own good, and enjoys nothing better than turning his latest creation upon some hapless victim or another. However, while he likes bullying others, he's also quite a coward, and will generally toady to whomever he believes is a direct threat to his person - or whoever is in a position to help further his own twisted goals...

Real Name: unknown
Occupation: mind control expert, inventor
Legal Status: American citizen wanted for various acts of terrorism, later citizen of Cobra Island
Marital Status: single (presumably)
Alias(es), if any: the Interrogator, Doctor Brainwave
Group Affiliation: Cobra

Height: 5' 10"
Hair: none (shaved bald)
Eyes: brown
Weight: 170 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Doctor Mindbender wears a thick, handlebar moustache, and has a monocle on at all times.

Story:

A long time ago, the man who would become the infamous Doctor Mindbender was merely an honest, caring, and mild-mannered orthodontist, albeit one who had some curious ideas about using electronic brainwave stimulation to treat dental pain. However, the man made the critical mistake of testing his revolutionary equipment out on himself, and it diametrically altered his personality.

The Doctor came to believe he was formerly deluded, and decided this change was a blessing. After this, the dentist abandoned his practice, and bent all of his efforts towards the transformation of his brainwave altering equipment into a hand-held weapon of devastating potential. Once he managed to do this, he began to study all of the sciences, hoping to change the world into one more to his liking.

The man spent years learning the ideas behind genetics, cybernetics, and more, all the while testing out his knowledge in most unethical ways - usually in the creation of strange, hostile mutant plants and assassin robots. In fact, his first encounter with Cobra involved his trying to sell them to Destro and the Baroness, though his pitch included using his creations against several members of the Gi Joe team.

This demonstration ultimately failed, but Doctor Mindbender (as he began to call himself), stuck with his new friends in Cobra, and began to develop all kinds of new technologies for the terrorist state. However, these trivial innovations were nothing to him, for Doctor Mindbender had a greater creation in mind - a (supposedly) genetically perfect super-soldier!

With Cobra Commander's approval, Doctor Mindbender scoured the tombs of earth's greatest warriors, using their genetic material to create the template for this super-soldier. Of course, he also used samples of the recently-deceased ninja known as Storm Shadow to 'freshen up' the mix, and then added his knowledge of modern politics and warfare to the soldier via Doctor Venom's brain-wave scanner.

This creation, which he christened Serpentor, went on to win a major victory against the Gi Joe team when they invaded Cobra's United States headquarters, the quaint town of Springfield. Of course, Serpentor didn't plan on stopping there, and after he made his way to Cobra Island, began to worm his way into power, trying to usurp Cobra Commander's rule.

As the man did so, Doctor Mindbender toadied to both Serpentor and Cobra Commander, not sure exactly which man would win out in the end. Ultimately, however, when Cobra Commander and Destro were presumed lost in the wake of a Cobra assault on the Pit, Gi Joe's headquarters, Serpentor assumed command, taking Doctor Mindbender with him.

Under Serpentor's rule, Doctor Mindbender continued to create all manner of strange new innovations to help Cobra take over the world, including the creation of the Star-Viper, a cybernetically enhanced pilot capable of super-human reflexes and piloting ability. Of course, things never last, and eventually Cobra Commander returned to retake his island. Kind of.

You see, one of Cobra Commander's Crimson Guardsmen journeyed to Cobra Island in a suit of battle armor he'd designed for the 'late' Commander, and tried to wrest control of the tiny Caribbean nation away from Doctor Mindbender's creation. This ultimately resulted in a civil war, a war that Doctor Mindbender wound up being on the losing side of - once Serpentor was killed, that is.

Somehow finding his way into the new Commander's graces, Doctor Mindbender continued to live in a relatively safe environment - aside from Zartan's growing desire to see him dead - until the eventual return of the one, true Cobra Commander. In a graceful, fluid move, the man retook all that was his, entombing all of his enemies in a land-locked freighter he'd buried under the volcano on Cobra Island!

As it turned out, Doctor Mindbender was but one of many, many folks Cobra Commander doomed with this action, including his ersatz impersonator, Firefly, Zartan, and even his own son, Billy! Eventually, these doomed men ran out of air and food, and died under tons of rock - only Zartan, Billy, and Firefly managed to escape before this doom claimed them all.

Discovering their escape in time, Cobra Commander torched the freighter under the volcano, in order to prevent any other folks who may be hiding within from escaping, and to end the threat of Serpentor once and for all - his corpse was in the freighter, after all, and he didn't want anybody using it to bring about any mysterious resurrections. Only one corpse escaped this charring - Doctor Mindbender's.

You see, Cobra Commander had need of his genius, and used his cloning equipment to bring the man back from the dead. When he'd done so, Mindbender was on the verge of attacking the Commander for his deeds, when he discovered that the man was currently in the process of making a deal with the Decepticon known as Megatron for advanced technology, and decided to stay.

The possibilities were endless, after all. Once he'd completely recovered from being dead, Doctor Mindbender decided to stick around after all, helping Cobra Commander to rebuild his organization. He mainly did this by subjecting various former Cobra operatives to the Brain-Wave Scanner, and literally reprogramming their minds in order to convince them to serve the Commander once again.

Once he'd done so, Doctor Mindbender concocted a strange, massive device intended to befuddle the senses, even those of a trained ninja. This device, a large room he christened the Cyberspace Matrix, was a danger-room style chamber which combined holograms with real-life items and massive speaker banks in order to blend reality with illusion - and it even worked against Slice, Dice, and Storm Shadow.

Of course, the room couldn't defeat the veritable force of nature known as Snake-Eyes, who (knowing what he was up against) took the room apart, along with a new suit of armor Doctor Mindbender whipped up for Cobra Commander. However, his brainwashing proved effective when it helped him command those folks he'd brainwashed (Storm Shadow, Billy, and the Baroness) into driving Snake-Eyes off.

Cobra scattered to the four winds shortly after this, and the evil Doctor continued to ply his trade for the highest bidder - at least until Cobra eventually reformed. Happy to work with Cobra Commander again, Doctor Mindbender immediately went to work, turning some of his earlier work with genetic tampering into the Neo-Vipers, and ultimately creating his highly potent Venomization process.

As things tend to happen though, Doctor Mindbender got on the bad side of Cobra Commander again, and when that villain decided Mindbender had betrayed him for the last time, he personally shot Mindbender in the gut - a lethal shot. However, Mindbender got the last laugh, foiling the Commander's plan to hold the world ransom with an orbiting murder platform with his dying breath.

So having died a second time, the world has not heard from Doctor Mindbender or his terrible creations for quite some time. However... he has been brought back from the dead at least once. And it's quite possible that Doctor Mindbender planned for his resurrection this time around, so though he is dead for the moment, Doctor Mindbender may return to inflict his world-view on us all before we know it...!

Extra Goodies:

Cobra directories featuring a version of Doctor Mindbender: