DOOM, A Mystical Terrorist Conspiracy

As long as I was rummaging through old campaign notes for Hugo Hellbinder and company I figured I might as well do a writeup for the organization that was behind him in my game.  These people (and things, in some cases) were the primary antagonists in one of my 2022 games, where they operated as a kind of magic/supernatural-themed mashup of Marvel's Hydra, GI Joe's Cobra, and your generic occult conspiracy.

DOOM

The organization known as DOOM is an international terrorist organization of occultists who share a common hatred of modern civilization, blaming it for marginalizing the practice of magic in favor of science and technology.  The group is decentralized, operating as as a bewildering array of sinister cabals, dark cults, hidden orders and sinister sects, most of whom have little connection to one another beyond their agreement with DOOM's destructive agenda.  Individual sub-groups vary wildly in terms of membership size, mundane and magical resources, and overall power, but all are united in despising the existing world order and all those who accept it.

There's no such thing as a "typical" DOOM cell, but almost all of them have an inner cadre of fairly accomplished magical adepts supported by less talented (and more expendable) acolytes.  Some call on the powers of eldritch entities, others perform the darkest of ritual magics, some concentrate on crafting arcane artifacts, and a few even toy with the balance of life and death through necromancy.  Their plots invariably revolve around magical terrorism meant to destabilize modern society.  A favorite approach is to cause a showy mass casualty event followed up by extortion, threatening to repeat the attack on a grander scale if their demands aren't met.  Those demands are often quite strange and often impossible, but usually display either an anti-technological bent or a desire for artifacts and obscure books.

Most cells are divided into two broad tiers of membership.  Low-powered apprentices make up the bulk of most cells, while the more potent leadership positions are occupied by adepts.  Individual adepts rarely rival actual superhumans (like your PCs) in raw power, with those who do reach such levels of mastery breaking away from (or being driven out of) DOOM to pursue their own schemes from then on.  Instead, you'll generally find a group of adepts working together, aided by larger numbers of apprentices and often accompanied in action scenes by multiple magical challenges to deal with - including Doomsday Devices in the form of rituals, strange alchemical substances, etc.  

Heavier support capable of matching a superhero is usually in the form of magical constructs (see Brazen Idol below) or wielders of the most potent mystical relics available (see the Larva Vesparum below).  DOOM cells are also capable of creating entities like Corpsefires or Silent Harvesters, empowering murderous pawns like Bodycount or summoning and binding more demonic reskins of Gadfly to harass victims they don't wish to destroy outright.

On rare occasions a DOOM cell may employ more mundane mercenary villains, but the organization is seen as too extreme and unreliable by the supercrime community for that to happen often.

One notable quirk of the organization as a whole is that while everyone agrees that DOOM is an acronym, no two cells agree on what it stands for.  Some examples include:

• Dread Order of Mystics
• Directorate of Occult Mayhem
• Dark Overlords of Mankind
• Devotees of Obscure Magics
• Doleful Orchestra of Malice
• Deepest of Occluded Mysteries       

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Individual cells within DOOM vary widely, but these two writeups reflect the most basic rank-and-file and roughly average leader-tier members.  It wouldn't be uncommon for either or both to have another ability to reflect unique specialties, and other types of minions with magical themes (eg animated corpses or bound spirits for necromancer cells, summoned devils for diabolists, etc.) are fairly common as well.

   

Servants of DOOM d8 minions

Description: Whether they're called apprentices, acolytes, cultists or something more exotic, these are human occultists who've learned just enough magic to be truly dangerous with it - both to themselves and others.  They rarely carry weapons as such, but some might have wands or staves, usually more for show than anything.  Different cells have different accoutrements, but in general you can expect to see a lot of robes and hoods, often in dark colors that don't show blood stains as badly. 

Dangerous Magics: Whenever you roll the maximum possible result on your die, add +2 to that result and then reduce your die size by one step.  If this would take you below a d4, you are defeated.

Adepts of DOOM d10 lieutenants

Description: Adepts, masters, sages or some other title, these (mostly) human occultists have the mystic might to have clawed their way into the leadership ranks of their DOOM cell.  Their magics are potent indeed, rivalled only by their ruthless ambition.  Most rely purely on their spells but a few might carry ceremonial implements for the aesthetics.  Their ritual costumes are more impressive than those of their servants but still lean toward robes and hoods.    

Master and Apprentice: You are accompanied by a d6 minion with no abilities that represents a personal apprentice or familiar.  They always act immediately after your turn, and cannot be chosen to take their turn at any other time.  If you are defeated, so is your personal minion.

Serve Your Master: Whenever you roll your die, you may remove one nearby allied minion from the scene to roll their die and add it to your result.  You can only use this ability once per roll you make.

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Brazen Idol

Brazen Idols are broad category of magical constructs designed to give their spellcasting creators some raw physical might to draw upon.  Optimized for combat, they're fairly thick-witted otherwise and often play the role of sentry in DOOM strongholds or other wizards' lairs.  While rare, they aren't unique and variant models are fairly common, but the writeup below is fairly typical.  Other versions might trade out the detachable flying fists for flame-breath, gouts of toxic smoke, or exotic melee weapons. 

Description: A towering brazen statue in the shape of a six-armed demon-thing, with short, thick legs and an apelike posture.  Its snarling visage is lit from within by an unnatural flame that glows through its eyes and grated mouth.  The thing's movements are smooth and organic despite being sculpted of metal.  The only sounds it makes are ringing footfalls, the crackling of it internal fires and the clang of its powerful blows landing home on its victims.

Gender: None     Age: Antique     Height: 7'10"     Eye: Hollow Pits Lit With Flame

Hair: Spiky Brass     Skin: Polished Brass     Build: Squat, Hunched, Six-Armed

Approach: Bully                  Archetype: Indomitable

Health:  45 + (5 x H)

Powers: Strength d10, Momentum d8, Part Detachment d8

Qualities: Battle Construct d8, Fitness d8, Self-Discipline d8                                     

Status: Always d8

Abilities:

Brazen Juggernaut (A) Attack one target using Momentum.  Either Hinder that target using your Max die, or Defend yourself using your Mind die and you and the target end up elsewhere in the scene.

Enchanted Brass (I) Reduce damage dealt to you by 2.

Grasping Hands of Doom  (A) Attack two nearby targets using Part Detachment.  Use your Max die against one target and your Mid + Min dice against the other.  If either target Defends against the Attack, that Defend applies to both Attacks.

Relentless Bludgeoning (A) Attack one target using Strength.  Use your Max die.  Until the start of your next turn, use your Mid die to Defend against all Attacks from that target. 

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die. 

Master of Annihilation (I) If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where a show of overwhelming force would help.

Tactics

This version of Brazen Idol is simple but efficient fighter, although it will require careful instructions to deal with much outside of a fight.  It prefers to use Brazen Juggernaut to drag a single foe away from allies.  It can then use Relentless Bludgeoning to keep them from resisting effectively while it pounds on them - something it can also do at range by hurling a barrage of debris or its own detached fists at targets.  If faced with multiple ranged foes it uses Grasping Hands of Doom to send a pair of its own hands magically flying off to deal with them, smashing their victims together if possible.  While the Brazen Idol lacks reactive defenses it is inherently quite durable thanks to being made of Enchanted Brass.

More important, powerful and wealthy cabals will upgrade their Idol(s) to make them even more efficient fighters, which is usually obvious thanks to the addition on a fourth pair of arms and often a second or even third head.  Its mastery is reflects the thing's limited mentality even when upgraded.  

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Larva Vesparum ("Mask of Wasps")

The Larva Vesparum ("Mask of Wasps" in English) is a self-aware magical artifact dating back to the time of the Roman Empire, and may be even older than that.  It takes the form of a face mask with insect-like jeweled eye coverings.  Any who don the thing become part of an inhuman gestalt consciousness.  Strong-minded people (like our heroes) can resist, retaining their autonomy and eventually fight off the mystical "infection" but for most the bond is permanent, lasting even past the point of physical death.  The hive mind behind the mask has access to an ever-growing body of knowledge and memories going back thousands of years.  Its precise goals are unclear, but like DOOM the thing is no fan of modern civilization and its often found working with (or even quietly controlling) a cell full of cultists dedicated to recruiting more to wear the Mask of Wasps and join with the collective intelligence.

The relic has been separated from its current wearer and confined in high-security facilities for study on several occasions, but winds up either being stolen or tempting some dupe into putting it on sooner or later.  Mystics and psychics who've managed to contact the gestalt entity without losing themselves to it report an extremely alien core mentality that's evolving as it absorbs more and more human minds.  The thing is inhumanly patient, content to spend long dormant periods exploring its own inner mindscape between bouts of activity when it has a living bearer again.  Former bearers lapse into a comatose state while it's dormant, but revive as puppets if the thing becomes active - which has sometimes been the first warning that some new fool has donned the Larva Vesparum.  

Description: A self-adhering domino mask with distinctive compound eye-lenses, worn by a strangely indistinct humanoid figure.  Anyone with mystic senses can immediately detect that this is  a powerful artifact with a will of its own that connects to a much larger mentality that has exists across other times and dimensions.  Regardless of who wears the thing it's always that mask that draws your attention and stays in memory afterward.  This is especially true when those bejeweled eyes are firing eldritch rays of dark magic, of course.  The thing speaks rarely, but when it does it sounds like a chorus of voices all at once.

Minions of this thing are visually identical, but it's somehow apparent even to the most mundane observer that their masks are mere magical reflections of the true one.   

Gender: Male            Age: Late Teens?           Height: 5'11"           Eyes: Green, Bloodshot

Hair: Black Buzzcut              Skin: Sickly Pale           Build: Gangly

Approach: Creator                   Archetype: Indomitable

Health:  35 + (5 x H)

Powers: Infernal d10, Awareness d8, Duplication d8, Suggestion d6

Qualities: Magical Lore d10, Gestalt Magical Sapience d8, History d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8, Self-Discipline d8

Status:  Always d8

Abilities:

Collective Awareness (R) Defend by rolling your single status die.  If this reduces the damage to zero, Boost using the amount of damage prevented.

Hive Mind Summons (A) Use Gestalt Magical Sapience to create a number of minions equal to the value of your Max die.  The starting die size of these minions is the same as the die size of your Min die.

Massed Eye-Beams (A) Attack using Infernal.  Use your Max die with a bonus equal to the number of minions you control.

Unnatural Durability (I) Reduce the amount of damage dealt to you by two.

Upgrades & Masteries:

Brainwashing Zone (I) +10 Health.  While the scene is in the green zone, all heroes' qualities of d8 or higher are reduced by one die size.  In the Yellow zone all of the heroes' qualities of d10 or higher are reduced by one additional step (two die sizes total).  In the Red zone, all heroes' quality dice are treated as d4.  Heroes can remove this upgrade with three overcome successes.  If a hero takes a minor twist while taking these Overcomes, they lose access to a quality entirely until this upgrade is removed.  If a hero is knocked out while this ability is active, create a new friendly minion with a die size equal to the hero's largest power die to represent the brainwashed hero.

Master of Mysticism (I) If you have access to proper materials, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation involving harnessing magical forces.

Tactics

The current wearer of the Larva Vesparum acts as the focus of a mystical hive mind composed of all who've ever worn the mask, living or dead.  Hive Mind Summons lets them conjure former wearers to the scene as inhumanly coordinated minions, adding to the strength of their Massed Eye-Beams and taking independent actions as well.  Collective Awareness is a very versatile defensive reaction that should be used against relatively low-damage hits (including on allies) whenever possible to maximize the chances of triggering the free Boost rider, while Unnatural Durability helps keep your primary form in action.  You can also take Overcomes with Suggestion + Magical Lore to "infect" a suitable target that's gone Out and force them to don the mask, leaving them open to manipulation by the hivemind in the future, setting up future narrative complications.

With its upgrade the gestalt intelligence now has more direct influence on those around them, and can more easily infect others and immediately transform them into wasp-masked minions.  Its mastery reflects growing magical prowess as more and more of the hive mind's attention is focused on the immediate situation.

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Ray D8, Young Superhero That's Been Through A Lot

New super, potentially for use in a play by post game I might be dropping into.

Name: Raymond Marks, aka Ray D8

Origin: Raymond Marks left high school in his junior year over the objections of his widowed father.  The day after he he turned17 he volunteered for duty in the US Army, getting through boot camp without issue and then joining the controversial new all-volunteer Anti-Superbeing Military Response program.  He'd just completed ASMR training when several units were mobilized in response to [campaign supervillain of your choice] attack on a site containing tactical nuclear weapons.  The ensuing battle was a disaster for the ASMR units, who suffered over 80% casualties before [campaign superhero team of choice] intervened and drove off the villain.  The entirety of Ray's squad were fatalities - except him.  

Instead, he was altered by exposure to a blend of exotic energies, changing his metabolism so the he became a living nuclear reactor, constantly generating a variety of radiation that he initially struggled to contain.  Diplomatic and legal considerations keep most supers out of active military service, and for once the Army was happy to turn a former soldier over to [campaign civilian superhero aid agency] for counseling and training.  The entire ASMR program had been a debacle in hindsight and Ray was a reminder of it they were quick to sweep under the rug as best they could.

Subject D8-7666 "Marks, Raymond" quickly mastered his new abilities, although there were lingering concerns from counselors about lingering trauma from his sole military action.  Despite this and his young age and limited education, he was actively recruited for a role as a public superhero.  Part of this process included issuing him a piece of advanced (possibly alien) technology that had been held for study - his "force gauntlet" requiring a user capable of generating compatible energies to power it, and having been largely useless hitherto D8-7666 coming along.  

After half a year of evaluation there was a push to "graduate" him to active duty with [dubious government agency of choice].  Some of his more sympathetic counselors managed to divert him to [young superhero academy of choice] instead, citing the fact that he'd never completed his high school education as well as reiterating concerns about his psych profile.  This would have happened quite recently - he crammed a lot of experience into last two and half years or so, and at 19 years old he feels awkward about resuming his education again even in such an unusual environment.        

Description: Lean but fit young man.  His haircut and the way he carries himself suggest a military background, while his glowing eyes are a dead giveaway that he's empowered in some way.  His "costume" is just a set of unmarked dark urban-camo fatigues with the sleeves removed.  Wears a bulky armored gauntlet on his left arm that reaches up to his elbow, a pair of chunky jet boots and an obvious commo headset with mike and earbuds.  In civilian guise he ditches the obvious technological gear and adds black sneakers and a pair of very dark sunglasses which do a poor job of concealing his internal radiance even at the best of times.  

Gender: Male     Age: 19     Height: 5'11"     Eye:  Glowing Cyan Blue (used to be brown)

Hair: Black High-and-Tight     Skin: Heavily Tanned Caucasian (from within)     Build: Trim

Background: Military               Power Source: Radiation               Archetype: Marksman

Personality: Stalwart                   Health (G/Y/R):  28/21/10

Powers: Force Gauntlet d10, Nuclear d10, Absorption d8, Awareness d8, Gadgets d6

Qualities: Ranged Combat d10, Alertness d8, Ex-Army ASMR Infantryman d8, Leadership d8

Status: Green (28-22) - d8 / Yellow (21-11) - d8 / Red (10-1) - d8

Abilities:

Green

Principle of Debt: Survivor's Guilt (A) Overcome in a situation related to repaying a debt.  Use your Max die.  You and your allies each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: How does your survivor's guilt impact you in this moment?  Major twist: Who has come to call in your debt?  RP: You owe your squad mates more than you can ever repay.  You know the military would be quick to offer you assistance, but it will always come with strings attached.

Principle of Great Power (A) Overcome in a situation using one of your highest rated powers.  Use your Max die.  You and your allies gain each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: How do you restrain yourself from unleashing your full power?  Major twist: What major damage do you inflict in the process of saving the day?  RP: Your powers are so strong they frighten even you, but you work hard to control them.  You can wield those powers to intimidate others.

Quick Assessment (A) Boost using Leadership.  Create one bonus using your Max die and another using your Mid die.

Radioactive Barrage (A) Attack multiple targets using Nuclear.  Use your Min die.  If you roll doubles, also Attack one ally using your Mid die.

Variable Kinetic Blast (A) Attack using Force Gauntlet.  This Attack ignores all penalties and Defend effects, and no reactions can be taken against it.

Yellow

Atomic Flash (A) Attack one target using Nuclear.  Hinder that target using your Max die.

Careful Control (R) After rolling your dice during your turn, you may take one irreducible damage to reroll your entire dice pool.

Combat Coordination (A) Attack using Leadership.  Boost another hero using your Max die.

Precision Shot (A) Attack using Ranged Combat.  Use your Max die.  If you roll doubles, use your Max+ Min dice instead. 

Red

Atomic Metabolism (I) If you would take damage from Nuclear, ignore that damage and instead Recover that much Health.  Use the value of that damage to Boost yourself.

Nuclear Torrent (A) Attack up to three targets using Nuclear, one of which must be you.  Assign your Max, Mid, and Min dice as you choose among those targets.

Reactor Heart Restart (I) Once per issue, if you would go to zero Health, roll your Absorption + Alertness + Red status die.  Your Health becomes that number.

Out

Radioactive Aura (A) Defend an ally by rolling your single Nuclear die.

Tactics

Open with Quick Assessment, applying bonuses to whoever needs them most - often yourself, if you plan on performing Principled Overcomes or sweeping minions with Radioactive Barrage on round two.  If you can avoid having to sweep until you're in Yellow it's safer for your allies thanks to Careful Control allowing a reroll on doubles.  Variable Kinetic Blast is your go-to against any target demonstrating a strong reaction, or when buried in penalties.

In Yellow, Atomic Flash is best for debuffing enemies with multi-target abilities.  Precision Shot deals the most raw damage and you could fish for a bit more with your dice-fixing reaction, although that's pretty unreliable.  Combat Coordination is good for aiding a key ally while delivering some damage, although you might want to go back to your Green booster ability if you really want bonuses badly.

In Red, the insanely versatile combination of Atomic Metabolism and Nuclear Torrent gives you simultaneous damage output, self-healing and self-Boosting.  Be polite and at least declare who you're targeting before rolling, this is already great without being greedy about it.  If you manage to get taken down before you can act in Red, or just don't manage to heal enough when you do, you have one "get out of Out free" card per session with Reactor Heart Restart, which should leave you around 14-15 Health, but note that your dice-fixing can't be used here since you aren't rolling on your turn.  Between that and the Red combo you can reasonably expect to pogo between Red and Yellow several times a session.

Principle of Great Power is often fairly easy to apply, but twists may wind up reducing your best powers' die sizes or worse.  Principle of Debt: Survivor's Guilt has been slightly altered from the rulebook version to reflect that what you owe can't be paid back with mere money, although you might still bankrupt yourself helping vets and their survivors while trying.  Your Overcome game is not great in general, so try to save some bonuses to improve your odds of avoiding a twist - or better yet, generate bonuses for other heroes who can handle the job better than you.

Powers & Qualities

Force Gauntlet is a signature weapon, recovered from a supervillain lair and possibly of alien origin.  It lacks an integral power source of its own and currently runs off its user's own internal atomic energy.  The device is a dual-mode kinetic energy projector most easily described as a tractor/pressor beam.  It normally delivers damage by rapidly alternating between the two modes, subjecting anything it focuses on to massive stress from the brutal shaking.  It can also be used to push or pull a target by exclusively using one mode or the other, although this is usually much less damaging.  In theory using a low-power, wide-focus setting and high mode cycling rate could allow it to perform more subtle functions akin to telekinetic affects, but that would be tricky and any twists generated while attempting it are likely to cause unintended damage.

Nuclear stems from internal atomic reactions, the result of poorly understood metabolic changes following exposure to exotic energy sources.  The process is largely involuntary (much like breathing) but can be ramped up or tamped down with concentration.  He can emit beams and bursts of radiation at will, usually from his eyes of right hand - and grappling with him is a good way to get scorched.  Channeling output into the Force Gauntlet helps control accidental radiation overflow, and being deprived of it for long periods of time becomes increasingly risky.

Absorption is an outgrowth of his radioactive metabolism, allowing him to selectively absorb energy and transform it to raw nuclear energy to fuel himself.  It doesn't have much range, but can be useful for de-powering or damaging technology or energy-based lifeforms.  It's the key ability for his Red zone resurrection ability and potentially handy for many types of Overcomes or other basic actions. 

Awareness is a suite of "atomic vision" powers, which let him easily detect and identify energy sources, see in darkness and smoke, and even see through solid matter, although the last is limited by both the density and thickness of the material.  Lead, for example, can't be seen through at all.  He can voluntarily suppress his extra senses but only while conscious.  Has a lead-lined sleeping mask to keep from waking up at night since he can see through his own eyelids and darkness means nothing to him.

Gadgets are a handful of modestly effective technological tools he's been issued to make him a more effective hero.  The most impressive of these are his jet boots, which can manage air speeds about as fast as an athletic man can sprint but aren't very agile and don't handle severe weather at all well.  They also have a low altitude ceiling, topping out around a few hundred feet.  He also has a commo rig that lets him listen in on police and emergency response channels and allows encrypted radio communication with allies - and he has enough earbuds to hand them out to his team if they need them.  The encryption isn't very good though, and they're easily jammed - although he can personally see most jamming signals with Awareness.  A good smart phone might be more useful, honestly.  He's also got cuff tape and some really basic first aid supplies tucked away in his fatigue pants, at least when he's working.  Note that while he knows how to use this stuff he's no engineer and can't repair any major breakdowns or damage.

Ranged Combat and Alertness are a combination of army training and his new super-senses.  He's a pretty good shooter even by cape standards, and his time in the ASMR (Anti-Superbeing Military Response) program serves him well against supervillainous threats.

Leadership and his Ex-Army ASMR Infantryman also stem from his time in the army, with some added training after gaining his powers.  He was only a private when his squad was wiped out, but he had completed the specialized anti-supers training program and was on track for promotion.  Between the two he's not only a good, fast tactical thinker, he knows how to communicate what he's seen with his team efficiently.  Just completing boot camp teaches you a lot of basic life skills when you're only seventeen, but it's fair to say he's kind of callow at this point.  His high school education and lack of life experience leaves him on default d4 dice on a lot of things.

Trivia

His "Ray D8" supranym is a play on "radiate" inspired by both his case ID during training (Subject D8-7666) and the fact that he was a gamer kid in high school - something his family disapproved of.

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Hugo Hellbinder & the Horror Within, A Doomed Fool and His Terrible Destiny

These two villains were used in an older magic-focused campaign that ran for a few months in 2022, with Hugo being a dupe of the sinister organization behind most of the game's action.  My heroes did manage to stop the Horror Within without it detonating, although it was much too late for poor Hugo.

Hugo Hellbinder

Hugo Schramm was a fairly minor player in occult circles until recently, but after undergoing an arcane binding ritual he's become a very big deal indeed as Hugo Hellbinder.  He now believes he's on the road to godhood and intends to carry out further rituals to accelerate the process - rituals that call for mass human sacrifices and various ancient artifacts, among other things.  That would be enough to attract attention pretty quickly by itself, but the vast power now barely contained within him serves as a beacon to mystic senses and supernatural creatures for miles around.

Unknown to Hugo, the rituals are all a trap.  His newfound power comes from being implanted with an alien spore that gestates within him even now.  Whether he completes the rest of his rituals or not the Horror Within will soon devour him body and soul, bursting forth as a apocalyptic menace that will briefly wreak havoc before overloading itself in a magical explosion rivalling the power of a small nuclear warhead.  Hugo Hellbinder is a walking weapon of mass destruction, and his clock is ticking.    

Description: A slender, wild-haired man dressed in voluminous layered "wizard robes" in somber hues of black and umber.  They start off pristine but become more tattered and charred as a fight goes on.  He wears a dozen golden rings marked with arcane sigils, which are likely to melt or vaporize as he damages himself during combat.  He speaks in a surprisingly deep voice for his light frame, displaying a faint Swiss-German accent emphasized by the odd German word.

Gender: Male     Age: 37     Height: 5'10"     Eyes: Gray, Wild Disturbing Stare

Hair: Black, Makes Rasputin Look Well-Groomed     Skin: Pale     Build: Thin

Approach: Overpowered                            Archetype: Fragile

Health: 30 + (5 x H)

Powers: Infernal d12, Absorption d10, Teleportation d10                                      

Qualities: Conviction d8, Deluded Demonologist d8, Otherworldly Mythos d6                                  

Status: (Personal Health Zone) Green - d10 / Yellow - d8 / Red - d6

Abilities:

Surging Energies (I) Whenever you roll a one on a die, reroll that die.

Step Beyond Space (R) When Attacked, Defend by rolling your single status die.  If the damage is reduced to zero, you may immediately move anywhere on the scene.

Unrivalled Power (A) Attack using Infernal.  Use your Max + Mid + Min dice.  Hinder yourself using your Max die.  Take damage equal to your Mid + Min dice.

Vanishment Charm (I) Whenever your personal zone changes you may immediately move elsewhere in the scene.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master of the Unfathomable (I) If you are in a situation involving otherworldly forces, automatically succeed at an Overcome to do the bidding of unknowable entities beyond our reality.

Tactics

Hugo Hellbinder is convinced that he's fully in control of the vast energies within him, and plans to use it to achieve true apotheosis by continuing the series of rituals that empowered him in the first place.  He's wrong, but by the time he realizes it will be much too late to matter.  Until then, he'll deal with interfering heroes by hammering them with his Unrivalled Power one after another, always opting to maximize his output by using Surging Energies even when it harms him.  He relies on Vanishment Charm and Step Beyond Space for defense, and will always try to relocate himself to a safe place to continue his rituals Overcomes in peace, requiring heroes to split up or hunt him down each time.

His upgrade makes him more durable and further increases the damage he can dish out, but his mastery is the really dangerous bit since he can automatically succeed on Overcomes to achieve his destiny and release the horror within him. 

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The Horror Within

This thing is more of a pseudo-biological weapon of mass destruction than a living creature, dispatched from some otherworldly dimension to wreak havoc on its environs before detonating in an eruption of uncontainable eldritch power.  Fortunately they're quite impossible to directly transfer to our universe in their "primed" mature form, instead relying on magical rituals to transfer a parasitic spore to a misguided or fanatical adept.  This spore grants great power while it feeds on its host's soul and innate magics, but eventually consumes them from within and bursts loose their gigantic final form.  

Description: A massive alien form vaguely like a sea anemone crossed with an octopus.  Its dozens of sickly translucent white tentacles end in clusters of wormlike growths.  The thing seethes with eldritch energy that it can focus in enormously destructive gouts of purple-black flame so potent they wither and burn the limb(s) used to project them.  It produces a cacophony of obscene burbling and piping sounds and sprays gouts of milky ichor when damaged.     

Gender: Irrelevant     Age: Eternal     Size: ~90' Core Diameter     Eyes: None

Limbs: Dozens     Integument: Maggot-White     Build: Mass of Thrashing Tentacles

Approach: Overpowered

Archetype: Titan (Status Challenge: Ritual Counter-Magic 00  Final Banishment 0)

Health:  65 + (5 x H)

Powers: Infernal d12, Elasticity d10, Strength d10                                        

Qualities: Apocalyptic Menace d8, Otherworldly Mythos d8, Alertness d6 

Status: Titan Challenge Start - d12 / Stage 1 Completed - d10 / Stage 2 Completed - d8

Abilities:

Apocalyptic Damage (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone.

Lashing Abomination (A) Attack multiple targets using Strength.  Use your Max die.  Hinder each target using your Mid die.

Magical Backlash (R) When a hero takes a minor twist in the Titan's challenge, in addition to the chosen twist, roll your status die and deal that much damage to that hero.

Resurgent Energy (R) When Attacked by a roll that includes doubles, remove one of the successes from the Titan's challenge.

Torrent of Power (A) Attack using Infernal.  Use your Max + Mid + Min dice.  Hinder yourself using your Max die.  Take damage equal to your Mid + Min dice.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).  Gain Engulfed By Unnatural Flesh (A) Attack using Elasticity.  Use your Max die.  The target can either be Hindered using your Max + Mid + Min dice, or be unable to take actions other than using an Overcome to attempt to escape.

Master of Annihilation (I) If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where a show of overwhelming force would help.

Tactics

The Horror Within is an eldritch parasite that transforms into a rampaging engine of destruction when released from its host.  Largely mindless but unrelentingly hostile to mortals, it uses its size and power to wreak Apocalyptic Damage to its surroundings unless opposed by someone or something potent enough to get its attention.  Against multiple threats Lashing Abomination leverages its enormous physical might, while a particularly dangerous singular foe will be targeted with a Torrent of Power.  Attempts to weaken the magics that allow it to exist in our continuum risk Magical Backlash, and more direct attempts at removing it from existence are likely to trigger its Resurgent Energy reaction.

With its upgrade in place the Horror Within is even tougher to deal with, and gains another option for dealing with priority targets using Engulfed By Unnatural Flesh.  It's mastery makes it even more efficient at wreaking havoc and endangering civilians before it inevitably overloads itself and burns out catastrophically.

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Design Notes

When I used these two, only Hugo (with upgrade) started the scene in play with the Horror Within "unhatched" as yet.  There was an urban environment representing a small city that produced a mix of mystic effects and potential sacrificial victims as twists, divided into a number of magically significant locations that the action could move between - Hugo has a lot of repositioning tricks that make him hard to pin down.  He also had a few sets of hapless cultist minions scattered around to help out.  Hugo himself could take Overcome actions to try to "complete his apotheosis" and if he managed H successes (IIRC that was either five or six in this case) he'd be removed from the scene and replaced by the Horror No Longer Within, which trashed the location it was now in in the process.  The Horror also popped up if/when Hugo was defeated, but it wouldn't have its own upgrade if the ritual hadn't been completed.  Regardless of how the Horror entered play, the scene immediately went to Red, and some extra Red boxes were added to the end of the tracker I think I used three, which might have been a little generous, two would probably have been okay since they finished Hugo at the bottom of Yellow.  If the heroes failed to defeat the Horror by the time the modified tracker ran out it counted as a Doomsday Device going off.

Both these villains could be decoupled from one another and used separately with some reskinning.  Hugo's inevitable self-destruct and de facto suicide ritual could be ditched entirely, turning him into a more typical glass cannon baddie who'd probably operate with other, more durable mystic-themed villainous allies.  The Horror is a little more work, but it could come boiling out of a dimensional rift in response to a summoning ritual as a sort of magical kaiju.  It isn't terribly durable as Titans go and would need other elements to avoid being focused down - maybe a bunch of "endangered civilians/infrastructure" challenges that start as it arrives.  The Horror Within isn't technically a unique entity but no more than one will appear in a given scene.

Alternately, you could use a less powerful host for it - probably a lieutenant with some kind of timer mechanic - and have it erupt the same way it does with Hugo.  Something like this might work:  

Host of Horrors d12 lieutenant (one per scene, max)

Description: A hapless dupe of a cultist implanted with a mystic spore that's swiftly growing to maturity.  They are crackling with energy barely contained energy and anxious to embrace their supposed destiny as a god through further ritual magics.

Impending Apotheosis: Start a timer with (8-H) boxes (minimum 3).  At the start of each of your turns mark off one box.  You may take an Overcome action during your turn to mark off another box following the usual rules for lieutenant Overcomes (pg. 156).  If you complete this timer you are immediately removed from the scene and replaced by the Horror Within with its upgrade.  If you are defeated while this timer is incomplete, the Horror Within immediately appears in your former location without its upgrade.  In either case, add two more boxes to the scene tracker and the entire track is now considered to be in the Red zone.  The Horror Within doesn't take a turn until round after it appears.

Overwhelming Power: You gain a +4 bonus to Attack actions, but each time you Attack your die size decreases one step at the end of your turn.  When the Horror Within first appears, remove all minions in its location and then deal d10 damage to all remaining targets there. .

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Joe Cosmic, Fighting Evil While Violating Physics

New campaign starting up after a dry spell, so time for a new hero.  Our game's using Method Two for character generation so no die rolls involved in the process, so I decided to try a sort-of-Vision density-changer who runs on absurd Comic Book Science.  This guy's still pretty raw with only a couple of sessions under his belt, but seems to be working okay mechanically so far and I expect him to develop more personality over time.  So far his most noteworthy feature has been having a truly uninspired supranym that leads people to underestimate him when they probably shouldn't.

Joe Cosmic

Origin:  Corporal Joseph "Gee" Williker was exposed to REDACTED (a high-energy metamaterial) while treating a squad mate during Operation REDACTED in REDACTED.  While neither he nor his patient experienced any immediate effects, they were placed under observation immediately after the action concluded.  Within days both manifested so-called "superpowers" and minor physical alterations, leading to their discharge from US military service as per the 1969 Ragnarok Treaty.  Williker opted to enter a civilian government program for training new supers and has recently "graduated" and been assigned to a new local super-team, operating under the uninspired supranym Joe Cosmic.  His former squaddie opted (vigorously) to make his own way instead, and has vanished into the underground super-criminal community.  The two haven't crossed paths again since, but it's almost bound to happen eventually. 

Description: Tall, dark and handsome, but his unnatural eyes give away the fact that he's no mundane human.  His costume is a loose dark green boiler suit kind of thing with chunky brown combat boots, accessorized with a classic black utility belt loaded with some basic first aid supplies.  When working on a team he'll sew on patches with a suitable logo.  Super-stylish he isn't, although his density manipulations extend to his outfit so at least he usually doesn't end a fight in tattered rags like some heroes.  If trying to pass as a civilian he'll adopt a pair of extra-dark shades with suitable clothing, but all it takes is a good look at his eyes and the jig is up.

Gender: Male     Age: 24     Height: 6'1"     Eyes: Varies By Form   

Hair: Black, Trimmed Short     Skin: Caucasian, Tanned     Build: Very Fit

Background: Military          Power Source: Cosmos             Archetype: Form-changer   

Personality: Stalwart                                     Health (G/Y/R):  32/24/11

Powers (Base Form): Density Control d12, Cosmic d8, Flight d8, Telepathy d6

Qualities: Close Combat d10, Self-Discipline d10, Army Combat Medic d8, Fitness d8, Leadership d8

Status: Green (32-25) - d8 / Yellow (24-12) - d8 / Red (11-1) - d10

Abilities:

Green (All Forms)

Basic Transformation (A) Take a basic action using Density Control, then adopt any available form.

Principle of Liberty (A) Overcome in a situation where you are restricted or bound.  Use your Max die.  You and your allies each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: How do you become temporarily trapped?  Major twist: How have you become a prisoner yourself?  RP: You can never truly be mentally restrained.

Principle of Space (A) Overcome while in space or similar conditions to space.  Use your Max die.  You and your allies each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: Who can hear you scream?  Major twist: What caused you to drift off into the unknown?  RP: You are unaffected by the rigors of space.

Transition State Strike (A) Attack using Density Control.  Use your Max die.  Then adopt any available form.

Yellow (All Forms)

Cosmic Attunement (I) If you would take damage from Cosmic, instead reduce that damage to zero and Recover that much Health.

Direct the Action (A) Attack using Density Control.  Use your Min die to Boost all nearby heroes taking Attack or Overcome actions until your next turn.

Red (All Forms)

Density Flux (R) When you are Attacked, Defend against that Attack and Boost yourself using your single Density Control die.

Reactive State Change (R) When attacked change to any available form before resolving the Attack.  Take a minor twist.

Red (Base and Null-Matter State forms only)

Cosmic Empowerment (A) Attack up to three targets using Cosmic, one of which must be you.  Assign your Max, Mid, and Min dice as you choose among those targets.

Out

Projected State Change (A) Defend an ally by rolling your single Density Control die.

Alternate Form Abilities and Powers 

Green Forms

Null-Matter State (A) Boost or Overcome using Absorption.  Use your Max die.  Powers: Absorption d12, Cosmic d8, Flight d8, Density Control d6

Superfluid State (R) When an opponent would Attack you in close combat while you are in this form, you may Attack or Hinder them first by rolling your single Density Control die.  Powers: Density Control d12, Flight d8, Swimming d8, Agility d6

Yellow Form

Hyperdense State (I) Reduce physical and energy damage you take by 1/2/3 while you are in the Green/Yellow/Red zone.  Powers: Strength d12, Density Control d10, Vitality d10, Flight d6

Powers

Joe Cosmic has four different forms with quite different capabilities.  All of them can manipulate his personal density and material composition to some degree, as well as flying through some form of gravitic manipulation.  He's also capable of surviving the rigors of outer space without difficulty through some unexplained means.  He has a number of abilities that can be used across all forms, almost all of which key off of his Density Control power to momentarily enhance his strength and the impact of his blows, or allow him to roll with blows more easily or make painful "phasing" attacks by varying how solid he is.

Energized State: This is his base form mechanically, recognizable by his gently glowing orange eyes.  He demonstrates a degree of so-called "cosmic power" in this state that lets him tamper with physics beyond his own being.  This mostly gets used to project flashy displays of raw energy or to extend his awareness to produce minor telepathic effects.  In dire situations he can emit a veritable torrent of power to restore himself or blast multiple foes.

Hyperdense State: An energy-intensive form with enhanced molecular bonding that grants tremendous strength and durability without as much increase in mass as should be called for.  The least mobile of his forms, and also less capable of rapidly altering its own density for offensive moves than some.  It can be recognized by its solid black, slightly metallic-looking eyes.

Null-Matter State: A form with an impossible negative density, recognizable by its pale, colorless eyes.  It acts as a powerful energy siphon and manipulator and in emergencies can output a significant amount of raw cosmic energy as well.  In exchange, it has the least overall offensive potential of all his states and lowest response time for radical density alterations.

Superfluid State: A pseudo-liquid form with bizarre physical properties, it's easily recognized by its solid cyan-blue eyes and an occasional odd rippling effect that runs across its surface.  This state offers improved reaction time, mobility, and a very dangerous counterstrike ability against foes in close combat.  This is usually the first form adopted if a fight breaks out.

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