Dr. Wretched

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Dr. Wretched at ease.JPG
Dr. Wretched
Player: @DoctorVoid
Origin: Science
Archetype: Stalker
Threat Level: 50
Personal Data
Real Name: Confidential
Known Aliases: Doc, Wretched, Mr. Doctor
Species: Human
Age: Confidential
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eye Color: right: Reddish Brown left: Icy Blue; While masked: Black
Hair Color: Black
Biographical Data
Nationality: Possibly Japanese...
Occupation: Mercenary, Courier, Scientist (multiple fields), Surgeon, Medical Doctor
Place of Birth: Confidential
Base of Operations: The Rogue Isles
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Confidential
Known Powers
Superhuman agility, enhanced speed, slightly enhanced strength, ki manipulation (self), personal stealth field, accelerated regeneration
Known Abilities
Genius intellect, extraordinary focus, extremely high pain tolerance, expert combatant with surgical knives
Equipment
Unknown number of ceramic surgical knives, specialized belt that releases a gas that allows removal and attachment of his synthetic skin mask, various equipment acquired from jobs, unknown quantity of chocolate candies
No additional information available.


Dr. Wretched was originally created for the City of Villains Beta with a distinctly different personality than he has now. His appearance and several of his powers were inspired by one of my all-time favorite anime villains. I decided, once City of Villains went live, that I wanted the character's personality to be a bit different than many of the villains I'd read about in comic books, and changed him from the insane person who laughed maniacally at the drop of a hat that he was in the beta to the much calmer, soft-spoken, friendly-yet-ruthless villain that he is now. This page is subject to revision as more information comes to light, or more things happen.

Contents

Affiliations

Ataraxia

After parting ways with one villain group, Dr. Wretched made inquiries into joining the group called Ataraxia. He had already made several acquaintances in the group, and found them to be very enjoyable to work and socialize with without placing too many restrictions on him. While he has been accepted into the group, he has remained aloof with most members, as reluctant to share too many details of his background with them as he is with anyone else. Nevertheless, he does not hesitate to come to their aid when called upon.

Lady Reiki

Lady Reiki and the doctor's friendship sprung up in what could be described as a rather unusual way - they were at a Cape show, and he gave her some candy from the bag he'd been consuming. Since then, they have become quite friendly, though until recently, Reiki did not realize that "Mr. Doctor" was in fact a resident of the Rogue Isles. Rather than sour her view of him (unusual, since he usually doesn't much care about what others think), he tends not to mention it very much.
Dr. Wretched in his Freaker's Ball outfit.

The Cape

Dr. Wretched is a longtime fan and supporter of The Cape, and has, in the past, frequently been spotted at various shows, particularly those of the Wild Muse. He attended the Freaker's Ball in 2008, giving the Muse a sendoff gift of a large bag of chocolates.

Roxy and David

Dr. Wretched at one point became involved in business dealings with Roxy Acetylene and Dr. David Smith, also known as Blackstar Rising. They became two more people that he counts as friends (though David seems to trust him more than Roxy does), and are, without a doubt, very interesting people. Further, it is thanks to these two that he encountered one of the greatest genetic puzzles of his career, as well as met his (now-ex-)girlfriend Astrid Myers, also known as g1gAh3rtz. Wretched drifted apart from Roxy and David over time. He has not, as is his nature, gone out of his way to see Roxy since David's death.

Personality

A soft-spoken man, he does not speak timidly, but rather quietly, yet loud enough to be heard. Regardless of how others treat him, he is, almost without fail, very friendly. Some might say disturbingly friendly. He is not usually the sort to engage in sexual humor or flirting, and when he does it is usually a surprise to the recipient. He cares little for whether people are from the Isles or Paragon City; to him, they are all people, and should be liked or disliked based on personality. He is capable of casual discussion, showing genuine interest in others, yet he almost never discusses his past.

Despite his outward behavior, Wretched is someone who takes great enjoyment from combat, and even killing. When on a job, his personality is much the same, and he keeps the same tone and relaxed nature even while stabbing and slashing his opposition with his scalpels. He addresses them in the same friendly tone as anyone else, and acts in virtually the same manner as when not working. He conducts himself with an air of professionalism, not often performing "extras" on a job, but fulfilling his contracts to the letter. Wretched has been known to express disappointment if a job is too easy, or if he defeats an allegedly strong opponent in a simple fashion. He delights in a challenge, even if it means receiving damage to himself. Similarly, he thoroughly enjoys a scientific or other intellectual challenge. The doctor is also very particular about the jobs that he takes - he will only take those that sound challenging, or otherwise sound interesting. Wretched is not a vindictive sort; if an opponent bests him, he will accept the defeat gracefully and move on, most likely looking forward to a day when they might fight again, but will not actively seek the foe. Revenge, as he sees it, has little meaning. The pleasure resulting from gaining vengeance is ultimately fleeting. Similarly, if an experiment fails or is sabotaged, he will either try it again, or move on to another. As a man of experience and science, he is aware that mistakes can, will, and do happen. He treats each as a learning experience, and has a tendancy to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Ultimately, Wretched's loyalty appears to be to his contract of the moment and his interests. In the past, he has demonstrated that even if he calls someone friend (Lady Reiki, for example), he has no qualms at all about using them in a scientific or psychological study (though he has not actually demonstrated this outside of the aforementioned case, where he funneled mystic relics to Lady Reiki, feigning ignorance as to why she wanted them in order to study the effects her addiction to magical energies was having on her). Further, he will not hesitate to cut down anyone who comes between him and a job objective.

Another of Wretched's personality quirks is that he shows no fear, even in the face of impending death. There are times when he can be affected by fear-inducing powers, but this sensation usually passes quickly.

Despite all of his unusual personality traits, Dr. Wretched has shown, time and again, that he is completely capable of rational thought. He does possess a somewhat inflated ego, but does not overestimate his abilities. He is fully aware that when he kills, it is something that most would consider "evil". He is not the sort who kills at the drop of a hat; on a job, he will fight an opponent with every intention of killing them (unless instructed otherwise in a contract); if the person survives, and he sees them on the street, or in the Pocket D, he will not raise a hand against them. Unless, of course, said person attacks him first. He also has few, if any, qualms about human experimentation, if for no other reason than to test a theory, increase his knowledge, or see if he is capable of accomplishing whatever goal he has set for himself (say, in a particularly difficult piece of surgery). In short, Dr. Wretched is not a delusional psychotic; he is a rational, albeit amoral human being with little regard for society's rules who likes to live his life his way.

Powers

Enhanced Physical Attributes

Due to various procedures performed to alter his body, as well as his prodigious control of his own chi, Dr. Wretched is capable of feats of agility that surpass human limitations. He is capable of moving fast enough to cover a large distance in the space of a few seconds, as well as leaping from ground level to the rooftops of some buildings, or halfway up others. His reflexes have likewise been enhanced, enabling him to react to a variety of situations in the time it takes some people to blink. His physical strength is somewhat beyond the peak of human fitness - in the Zig, his grip strength was recorded as exceeding 200 pounds of pressure. Other tests revealed that his breathing and heart rate were much slower than is normal for a human; in a normal person, his heart rate would likely induce cardiac arrest. Wretched's stamina and durability are likewise beyond human limits, though not so far as to render him invulnerable. His body functions with a superhuman degree of efficiency; he can carry on strenuous physical activity for an extended period without so much as breaking a sweat. In recent months, he has been seen to move faster than was previously believed possible, putting known measures of at least his speed and agility into question.

Personal Stealth Field

While capable of stealthy manuevers on his own, Wretched's scientific alterations to his own body have granted him the ability to generate a specialized field that cloaks him from most means of conventional detection. To further enhance his stealth capabilities, he has altered his body in such a way that he gives off no scent. He is unable to extend the field to others, though it does affect almost anything he is carrying or wearing.

Ki Manipulation

Dr. Wretched has displayed the ability to manipulate his own chi, but not for the grandiose effects that some heroes and villains display. His most common use of this talent is using his ki (or chi, if you prefer) to adhere to various surfaces. Wretched makes use of this ability most often when in combat, viewing an "interesting" person or event, or when he wants to gauge someone's reaction, dropping his stealth field to appear on the wall above them, or looking down at them from the ceiling. It has not yet been revealed if he is capable of other feats with this ability.

Regeneration

Due to the various procedures he's performed on his body, Dr. Wretched is possessed of an accelerated ability to recover from damage. While the full extent of this ability has not been recorded, he has displayed on at least one occasion that he is capable of severing a part of his finger and reattaching it with no detriment to its mobility. Additionally, there are several records over the years declaring him deceased. When asked about these, he has yet to give a straight answer.

Abilities

Dr. Wretched has displayed a few characteristics that seem to be natural talents, or borne from a great deal of experience. First and foremost among these is his genius intellect. He has displayed mastery (or at the least more than a passing familiarity with) a wide range of medical sciences, most predominant among them being genetics. Further, he has shown a degree of aptitude with computer hacking, cooking, and even the violin. To most he seems a fairly laid-back individual; however, when engaged in a job, be it field work or his latest genetics project, he has shown himself capable of a somewhat unnerving, laser-like degree of focus: in one instance, he declined to eat for several days, even weeks, while working on a genetic problem for one of the few people he calls "friend".

Another ability the doctor has displayed is a ridiculously high tolerance for pain; even when face down in a Longbow bunker or Circle of Thorns coven, his face always wears that same sly smile. He has not been known to ever cry out in pain, but neither does he go actively seeking it; he has made it clear to some that he is no masochist, and will avoid an enemy's attacks to the best of his ability. After all, it's very hard to fight back when one of your limbs has been crippled or removed. Additionally, he has shown a high degree of skill when wielding his scalpels in combat. He seems to have developed his own fighting style with them, if it can indeed be called a "style", and he uses the blades with surgical precision.

Equipment

Scalpels

The most widely-recognized piece of equipment associated with Dr. Wretched is his collection of scalpels. As stated above, he has displayed a remarkable skill when using these blades in combat, typically fighting with between four and eight at a time, each one held tightly between his powerful fingers (or, as necessary, his thumb and forefinger). Curiously, he has also been shown to have many more than just the eight - if he throws them in combat, typically a new set replaces them in a fraction of a second. He has been known to make both piercing and slashing attacks with his blades, though the wounds sometimes seem larger than would be possible. Some suspect that this is related to his control of his ki.

In the past, early in his history, Wretched made use of standard scalpels, composed of a metal alloy. At some point in his history, these were completely replaced by knives composed of a non-conductive, far more durable ceramic composite. It is suspected that he stores his blades somewhere in his loose trenchcoat, as evinced by a number which were found on his person prior to his incarceration. In addition, he does not seem troubled if his knives are destroyed or damaged in combat. Wretched has, on at least one occasion remarked that he is "never unarmed".

Safehouses

Situated in various locations around the Rogue Isles, Dr. Wretched has arranged (as covertly as possible, given Arachnos' control of the place) the construction of several safehouses. Many of these double as medical and scientific facilities, with state-of-the-art equipment financed by his years as a successful courier and mercenary, or taken as payment for services rendered. Typically the surface level of these facilities is comprised of a rather spacious living area, complete with kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living area. At least one of these facilities also contains a rather advanced greenhouse. It is possible that Wretched has arranged for some of these facilities to covertly tap local electrical and water lines, while independently powering others. When not in use, the facilities are typically kept powered down and "off the grid". It is currently unknown if any of his safehouses in other parts of the world remain serviceable following his incarceration and relocation to the Isles.

Mask

For most of his career prior to his arrival on the Isles, and for several years after, Wretched wore a highly advanced mask of synthesized "skin" with dark eyes an eerie grin that spread in reaction to the muscles of his face. In fact, this synthetic material (created by Wretched himself) was bound to his face by a special compound he usually applied in gaseous form, often from a special device concealed in his belt. When he wore the mask (aside from its unusually pale coloration), it was, texturally, indistinguishable from the skin of his face. Further, the bonding agent prevented it from being removed, as it was bound so completely as to be, in effect, a part of his face; when it was cut, he bled, and when the wound healed, it closed. For several years, he claimed that it was, in fact, his real face. The teeth of the mask were likewise effective, and frequently witnessed as being used (often while munching contently on chocolates or apples). Wretched also used the mask to a certain degree of psychological effect, and incorporated a device into it that slightly altered his voice. It is believed that he could modify the structure of the mask to resemble a more human face; however, sometime within the last two years, he appears to have completely abandoned it. The main reason given by Wretched as to why he stopped wearing the mask was that he felt it was "time for a change".

History

Much of Dr. Wretched's history remains a mystery. When asked what his real name is, the only answer he typically gives is "Dr. Wretched." The one exception to this was when he began dating Astrid Myers - noting that it would be awkward to continue addressing him as "Doc" or "Doctor" on the date, he told her to call him "K". He has yet to reveal what, if anything, this letter is short for. All efforts to uncover history on Dr. Wretched typically run into a dead end prior to approximately 30 years ago - the records simply stop. There is, to date, no known written or photographic record of anyone matching his physical description prior to his unmasking two years ago. Even the older records become fairly sparse the further back they go. It has been suggested in some circles that Wretched was simply keeping a low profile early on, and may have given it up out of boredom, as he is wont to do. It has also been suggested that he has either altered his face again, or that it is not the same man, given his young appearance. Modus operandi and testimony of the few people old enough to remember his earlier exploits, however, suggest otherwise. It is also possible that the reason for the sparcity of documents in his early career is that, for many, he was acting in a legitimate capacity, and had broken few laws. The more likely reason, however, stems from the low profile.

Early Years

Dr. Wretched spent a number of years on national Most Wanted lists, but always eluded capture, sometimes leaving a considerable body count in his wake. He was also known to have killed several heroes who attempted to capture him at various points in his career. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number of criminals was also rather high. Curiously, there were also several reports of his death on record, eye-witness accounts of his body buried beneath an explosion, or, in at least one instance, shredded to ribbons. However, the few times the body did make it to the morgue, it disappeared again shortly thereafter.

Dr. Wretched built up a considerable rap sheet as a serial killer, mass murderer, saboteur, and thief. Through further investigation, it was uncovered that he was similarly guilty of crimes against humanity, such as human experimentation. In mid-2005, Dr. Wretched was finally tracked to and cornered in a warehouse in Rhode Island, not far from Paragon City. The fight, as could be expected, was vicious and bloody, with several law enforcement officers losing their lives, and at least one hero sustaining heavy injury. In a move that surprised most present, though, Dr. Wretched ultimately surrendered himself to the authorities.

Prison

At his trial, Wretched calmly faced his charges, and remarked off-handedly that the list was, in fact, a little short. The eerie grin of his mask (at the time believed to be his face) never wavered, nor did the casual tone of his voice. Ultimately, he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in a prison built to contain super-powered threats such as himself: Ziggursky Penitentiary. Perhaps surprisingly to the guards and warden, Wretched appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be a model prisoner. He behaved himself, and, in fact, kept to himself as often as not, interacting with fellow inmates as necessary. As near as they could tell, he was even taking his power-suppression medication as directed; he never displayed any use of his powers. Just the same, he moved with the same casual confidence that had always marked his behavior when he was free.

The one exception to Wretched's cooperative demeanor came from his mandatory psychiatric meetings. Wretched was scheduled to visit prison psychiatrists regularly, due to the nature of his crimes. Many sessions ended with the embarrassment or confusion of the prison staff; he showed none of the personality traits one would associate with a serial killer, sometimes even debating a psychological school of thought with the staff. He was cooperative to a point, most times, always answering their questions openly and honestly, save for questions about specific things from his past, dismissing them as inconsequential. At times he would turn the doctors' own psychological methods back on them, and after a time, began to dismiss some of them, even new ones, outright as "boring". He would answer their questions, look at their inkblots, look at their photos of his victims, all the while effecting an air of ennui. Despite his polite demeanor, for the most part, many prisoners seemed to avoid him. There was something about Wretched that appeared to drive them off. This changed in August of 2005.

During lunch hour one day, a former member of the Council accosted Wretched several times, attempting to provoke him. The doctor remained unruffled in the lunchline, and even at the table, though he did make a few casual remarks about the other man's intelligence that provoked the man into attacking. A moment later, the man slumped to the ground, a spork lodged deep into his carotid artery. This prompted a cafeteria brawl, and once the dust had settled and the situation had been quelled, the doctor was locked away in solitary confinement. The guards noted that he seemed entirely nonplussed at the situation, offering no resistance and showing no outward signs of a negative reaction. It was decided that he should be kept in this situation for a prolonged period, due to the completely unforeseen incident.

Over the next two months, Wretched appeared completely unfazed by his situation; he would spend hours simply staring into space, or out the window on one day, and another day he would engage in rigorous exercise. He showed no signs of fatigue or malnutrition. It was almost as if he were using solitary confinement as a sort of vacation retreat. The truth of things, however was that as time dragged on, he gave the air of slowly becoming bored. This was the impression that the guards who went to check on him had, but no one really knew what was going on behind those dark eyes.

The Breakout and life in the Isles

Finally, on Halloween of 2005, Arachnos enacted its first major breakout of Ziggursky convicts. The chaos that ensued resulted in a momentary loss of power and damage to his cell; something which Dr. Wretched took full advantage of. Another effect of the assault was a decided lack of guards in certain locations. Wretched wasted little time in shedding his prison jumpsuit in favor of his black suit and hat. Just as swiftly, he made his way to the prison yard, cutting down guards and prisoners alike who stood between him and the Arachnos flyer. He carried out his escape with an efficiency and swiftness suggesting that, some might reflect later, he'd been expecting the breakout.

Upon his arrival in the Isles, Wretched wasted little time in establishing himself as a mercenary (specializing, oddly, in courier work) available to the highest bidder, usually provided the job sounded "interesting" to him. Regaining access to his scattered funds around the world, he similarly began establishing his network of safehouses across the Isles. He also let word of mouth spread of his "side" business - freelance medical service, cybernetic enhancement, and genetic alteration. All the while, Wretched continued to pursue his own interests. For a time, he worked under an arrangement with the mercenary group, the Order of the Talons. He established several friendships (or close approximations thereof) within the Order, including a being called Napalm Symphony, whom he found most intriguing. He once offered to "complete" Napalm, finishing the work that her now-deceased creator had begun. Ultimately, however, Napalm Symphony parted ways with the Order. Within two years the leadership of the group had changed several times, and Wretched found himself becoming bored. He came into conflict with one of the leaders at the time, a "mastermind" calling himself Tamper. This man has not been seen since.

Prior to this, while still contracted with the Order, Wretched was pleasantly surprised to encounter the hero Rua Bas. Wretched found himself fascinated by her fierce spirit, as well as the abilities she possessed as a shapeshifter; particularly those demonstrated around the time of the full moon. He maintained his self-restraint, but was surprised to discover that her potent mystical pheremones at the time did, indeed, have an effect on him. To her credit, Rua never trusted the doctor fully. Nevertheless, when he offered her a way out of her situation, she took it. His only price for services rendered was a simple blood sample. True to his nature, Wretched honored the word of their arrangement; he promised not to clone her. Eight days following the completion of the contract, Merry Sakura O'Higgins, who would later become the young hero Merry Go-Round, was "born".

Also during this time, Wretched encountered another hero whom he seemed surprisingly familiar with; the World War II veteran hero, Battleguard. In their conversations, Wretched revealed a detailed knowledge of elements of Battleguard's history, particularly as it pertained to his activities in the Pacific theater. These were details that few if any should have had knowledge of. Wretched also addressed the man as "Bloody Bill", a nickname that Battleguard (a.k.a. William Treynor) had earned in the European theater. The two never came to blows, but seemed to play a verbal game of cat-and-mouse, Wretched ultimately hinting that he, in fact, had been present for some of the events.

Following his departure from the Order, Wretched once again encountered Napalm Symphony, and through her, fellow Isles residents Exequy and the Appropriator. Within a short time, he joined their mercenary company, Ataraxia, and encountered their other interesting members. Wretched worked well with the group, and seemed to enjoy their company, though just as often, he would take solo contracts. It was also during this time that he began to attend Cape Radio broadcasts, including those of the Wild Muse. He was often compelled, when taking his leave, to take his leave after kissing the back of her hand, which she frequently permitted him to do. It was during one of these shows that Wretched finally unmasked, revealing his true face to the world.

In 2008, Wretched became involved in several other projects. Several years prior, he had been contacted by an Arachnos Fortunata to look into, and attempt to replicate, a particular DNA sample. Wretched became very intrigued with this sample, completely unable to clone or otherwise duplicate it. He studied it off and on as years passed, as the Fortunata in question had never given him a deadline for the project's completion. Following the collection of a hair sample after a sultry encounter with Roxy Acetylene, Wretched was surprised to find that the DNA pattern was completely identical. When he approached Roxy with this knowledge, she offered him an ultimatum; turn over everything he had, or fight her extraordinarly skilled bodyguard, the cyborg Astrid Myers - a woman whom Wretched was involved with at the time. Luckily for the both of them, Wretched, whose curiosity had been piqued more than it had in some time, chose the first option, and agreed to a meeting with Dr. David Smith. An agreement was reached between the two men, and Wretched offered his assistance. For a fee.

It was also around this time that Wretched, for the first time ever, disclosed another hint as to his past, gifting Roxy around Christmastime with a beautiful violin; a violin on which he proceeded to play the "Devil's Trill", revealing that he'd learned the instrument in his youth. Some time later, he surprised Roxy in Germany with another gift, a part of the contract he'd come to with Dr. Smith.

At virtually the same time as the business with Roxy, Wretched became involved in another venture; this time, the subject was Lady Reiki. Wretched had befriended her some time ago, and he had begun to notice some unusual behavior from her. As he came to learn, she had become addicted to magical energy, and sought to acquire objects of power to feed her addiction. Wretched, being someone whose business frequently involved encounters with magical groups like the Circle of Thorns, was only too happy to assist. He had little use for most of the artifacts in question, and, over the course of a few months, supplied her with a steady stream. All the while, he studied the effects the addiction appeared to have on her, making mental notes for later analysis. On Thanksgiving of 2008, Wretched encountered Reiki's "roommate", the reptilian warrior Chitters. Chitters had come to demand that Wretched stop supplying Reiki with artifacts. The doctor accepted this, though not from any fear of Chitters; if anything, he thought the prospect of fighting him sounded terribly intriguing. However, at the time he was also dealing with Roxy's situation, and, knowing she could probably fend for herself (and that he could continue to observe, regardless), he made arrangements to facilitate the result. Before delivering his second gift to Roxy in Europe, he arranged for the partial destruction of one of his safehouses, the one where he'd stored most of his artifacts. The explosion in Nerva Archipelago was rather spectacular. Wretched informed Kina of the unfortunate accident, "likely involving the Rikti or two metahuman forces battling".

In recent months, Wretched's activity level in the Isles has dropped considerably upon reaching the highest "Threat Level". He has once again begun taking contracts outside of Paragon City and the Isles, but still keeping tabs on the latest word from the criminal underground, as well as local papers. It is uncertain if his relationship with Astrid Myers persists, but, given the doctor's whimsical nature, and the fact that often they are working on opposite sides of the globe, it is entirely possible that it has ended. He still appears at Cape Radio shows from time to time, but for the moment, seems rather intent upon his work. Wretched has also, as time has gone on, little by little displayed more and more power, demonstrating a speed belying anything in his records. It is unknown if his power is growing, or if he has, in fact, possessed it all along.

In addition, another figure from Wretched's past appeared in the Rogue Isles: the enigmatic courier known as Bella Facade. She set up shop, as it were, in Cap au Diable, and seemed to be seeking Wretched for reasons known to only a few. Wretched, for his part, made no overt effort to contact her, simply passing messages to her via Bella's friend Piper McCormick. Bella revealed that he is likely attempting to test her skill at finding him, though due to work and her high degree of professionalism (taking jobs virtually no matter what, and not letting personal matters get in the way), she had little success. The closest she came was tracking him to the Golden Giza in St. Martial, missing him by a matter of minutes.

Some months later, with the help of a friend, Bella finally managed to catch up with Wretched as he was leaving the Golden Giza one evening. They left together, and neither has spoken very much of it since.

Trivia

Word of Mouth

((If your character has encountered/has an opinion of Dr. Wretched, feel free to share it below.))

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