From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

The idea for this character arose when I made a character using the Helm of the Blood Widows. I decided it made sense to have mind powers, and the helm would enhance those powers. Then, because of the way domination works, and inspired by both Psyduck of Pokémon and Miss Misery of the Sleeper comics; I decided she should have terrible headaches, and that inflicting brain pain on other people would be the only way to ease her own agony.

Affiliations

Villain Group: The League of Evil

Personality

The Mind Stinger is always in a foul mood unless she is inflicting pain on others. She's easily frustrated, and hates to give up or admit defeat, even when it is obvious that she has lost a battle.

On the other hand, she is happy as long as she is hurting people (or anything that can feel pain), even if they are hurting her back. Her otherwise constant, splitting migraines have given her a high pain threshold to the point where she could be half-conscious and lying on the floor with massive injuries, and still be calling for the fight to continue, if she's just recently given someone a bad headache.

Mind Stinger is immature, petty, and cold, though she has been seen to express gratitude towards fellow villains who provide her with more battles to fight and victims to torture. In particular, the Mind Stinger hooked up with the League of Evil because of how many enemies they have.

Also, Mind Stinger is over-the-top in showing off a villainous attitude, tossing in such stereotypical phrases such as "curses!" and "muahahaha!" at all opportunities. Considering her behavior, she has nothing to prove, but seems to revel in the whole villain image and culture.

Powers

Psionic Attacks

The Mind Stinger doesn't think of her mind assault powers as being distinct. She comprehends her powers as drawing from a well of her own pain and flinging it upon the victim. In practice, there are some distinct effects depending on the amount and type of force she is using.

• Pain - that feels anywhere from a slight localized headache to a full-force, incapacitating, splitting, migraine headache (especially if she gets close to the victim).

• Neuron overload - burst of psychic energy so strong it puts the victim into a temporary comatose "sleeplike" state. Can affect a whole group of victims in a small area.

• Physical force manifestation - when the energy is sufficiently strong and focused, it can be transformed into kinetic energy, causing the victim to be hurled into the air or violently blasted away from Mind Stinger. Rarely, the Mind Stinger can focus this energy as a continued force, suspending victims helpless a few feet above the ground, though the force will continue to push them away from her unless there is something solid to block their progression.

• Recovery transference - If she concentrates, she can isolate the effects of hurting others to help herself in such a way to boost her own recovery while reducing a victim's.

Special

After inflicting continued torment for a few minutes, the Mind Stinger experiences euphoria from the lack of pain. Contrary to her "well of pain" visualization, the high actually enhances her abilities, meaning she can continue to inflict pain on others, even in the absence of her own pain. The power-amplification effect doesn't last long, but a longer-term relief effect enables her to get a good night's sleep now and then.

Travel

The Mind Stinger uses the same psychic to kinetic energy conversion that blasts back foes to enable her to fly.

Weaknesses and Limitations

Bodily pain doesn't bother the Mind Stinger that much, and so she often pushes her body farther than it can go. She's incredulous at her defeats, waking up confused from a face-plant or wondering why her powers aren't working while she is incapacitated.

Equipment

In a climactic battle, Mind Stinger's helm was torn from her head as she tried to steal a cape from a hero. She defeated the hero without her helm.

The Mind Stinger wears her Blood Widow helm into all battles. It was given to her by Kalinda, long before her first stay at the 'Zig. Though it helps her focus her powers, the helm is not necessary for Mind Stinger to utilize her abilities. In fact, it does not have much of an effect on her powers at all anymore, but Mind Stinger believes it has a great effect and would defend it with her life.

That doesn't stop her from complaining about how stuffy it is, and taking it off between missions.

Mind Stinger minus her special helm, plus her new cape.

Character History

The headaches started when Francine was 5. Her parents tried to help her, taking her to a slew of doctors, pain therapists, mental therapists, and she finally ended up in a mental treatment facility at the age of 12. It was there that she met Kalinda, who gave her a very special helmet, that let her inflict her misery on others. She's been hurting people ever since.

Of course this landed her in the 'Zig eventually, where, after escaping, she met Kalinda a second time. Her feelings about Arachnos are mixed, however, and she doesn't feel any special debt to them, though she does to Kalinda.

The Mind Stinger currently taking shady jobs in the Rogue Isles, as her rudimentary elementary level education doesn't really give her many other options. Even though she can barely read and can't write, she is street-smart and seems to have a high aptitude, if she cared to learn anything. She seems pretty satisfied with her life as it is, as hurting people is very profitable in the Rogue Isles.

Trivia

• She's been mistaken for a robot with her helmet and strappy armor, but is 100% human.
• Sometimes forgets to remove helmet when trying to eat, leading to hilarious results.
• For some reason, being in Pocket D has a meliorating effect on her headaches -- consequently, Mind Stinger will sometimes hang around there even though she doesn't like other aspects of PD's atmosphere. She may be found there only when there are large crowds, because she thinks no one will notice her then. After a few drinks though, she WILL make a fool of herself on the dance floor.