| 1 | [[WMG:[[center: [- ''VideoGame/EvilGenius'' and ''VideoGame/EvilGenius2'' [[Characters/EvilGenius character index]]\ |
| 2 | '''The Evil Organization:''' '''Evil Geniuses''' | [[Characters/EvilGeniusHenchmen Henchmen]] | [[Characters/EvilGeniusMinions Minions]]\ |
| 3 | '''The Forces of Justice:''' [[Characters/EvilGeniusSuperAgents Super Agents]] | [[Characters/EvilGeniusAgents Agents]] -] ]] ]] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ! General Tropes |
| 8 | Put quite simply, these guys are ''you''. They serve as your avatar in the game, with their ultimate goal being world domination. |
| 9 | [[folder:All of them]] |
| 10 | * ActuallyADoombot: In the first game's Game Over screens, the corpse of your Evil Genius is revealed as this. [[StuffBlowingUp Then they explode.]] No such luck in the sequel though, where if the Geniuses die, they [[KilledOffForReal kick the bucket for good.]] |
| 11 | * BadBoss: They can execute their own minions. It greatly boosts the loyalty of minions who witnessed it. In the second game, executions restore all the stats of witnesses, and the Geniuses can even execute Henchmen if the player so dictates. Mainly because now there's a limited number of slots on the team. However, maintaining your minions' morale and well-being is also an important part of the game since otherwise the quality of their work will decrease as well as them potentially quitting. |
| 12 | * BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Zig-zagged in ''2'': [[spoiler:while they acknowledge that killing Wrecking Bola's dogs would be a dick move and thus leave them unharmed, they have no qualms about [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill using their Doomsday Device just to obliterate Symmetry's cat]]]]. |
| 13 | * BalancePowerSkillGimmick: The core Evil Geniuses in the second game loosely adhere to this trope. Maximillian is a generalist who specializes in simply getting more cash and better performance out of his minions. Red Ivan focuses on muscle minions and direct combat. Emma specializes in deception minions and espionage. Finally, Zalika focuses on science minions and rapid research. |
| 14 | * BaldOfEvil: Both Maximillian and Shen Yu are hairless. |
| 15 | * BodyguardBabes: At higher Notoriety your Evil Genius gets one, then two of these, in the first game. They're hardly effective though, and there's no way to replace them excepting mods. Alexis gets ChippendalesDancers that serve the same function instead. |
| 16 | * CardCarryingVillain: All of them are cartoonish supervillains with world conquest via doomsday weapon as their goals. |
| 17 | * ComplexityAddiction: Implied a few times in the second game. For instance, the quest for the FountainOfYouth starts with the Genius complaining their minions are suffering poor health. A scientist suggests a practical solution (better healthcare for the employees), but the Genius declares they need something more "realistic", and mounts an expedition for a legendary fountain. |
| 18 | * CutLexLuthorACheck: {{Justified|Trope}} -- while several of the Evil Geniuses are already rich and powerful, all of them have ''other'' reasons for world domination -- Maximilian wants it because he realized money did not earn him the respect and love he craved, Alexis wants the world out of {{Pride}}, Zalika is a WellIntentionedExtremist who espouses TheEvilsOfFreeWill, and Polar is convinced that her cryo tech is the only way to save the earth from global warming. |
| 19 | * DecapitatedArmy: The player needs to keep their Evil Genius alive and safe at all times, due to them being the lynchpin of the whole world domination effort in both games. In the event of the Evil Genius getting their health reduced to zero, the game instantly ends. |
| 20 | * DiabolicalMastermind: They are all variations of this trope. Max is a greedy industrialist, Alexis is a beloved heiress, Shan Yu's a YellowPeril criminal mastermind, Red Ivan's a military dictator, Emma's a rogue spymaster with a desire to end the world, Zalika's a hi-tech visionary scientist, and Polar is an eco-terrorist ringleader. |
| 21 | * DoomsdayDevice: Their primary goal is to create one of these to conquer the world. In the first game, the player gets to choose between the [[CloneByConversion ID Eliminator]], [[EarthquakeMachine Earthquake Beam]], and [[GravityScrew Gravity Disruptor]]. In the second game, the Evil Geniuses each have a single doomsday weapon fitting their motives. Max's [[MidasTouch M.I.D.A.S.]], Red Ivan's [[NukeEm H.A.V.O.C.]], Emma's [[HatePlague V.E.N.O.M.]], Zalika's [[MindControlDevice V.O.I.D.]] and Polar's [[WeatherControlMachine Z.E.R.O.]] |
| 22 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: In 2, [[spoiler:when it comes time to kill Wrecking Bola, it's revealed that her dogs who were used as bait to lure her into their trap are perfectly fine.]] They're willing to do anything to get what they want, but even they have limits. [[spoiler:They do not extend this courtesy to Symmetry, blasting her cat with their ''[[NoKillLikeOverkill Doomsday Device]]'', but this can be chalked up to Symmetry being significantly more petty than Wrecking Bola, up to and including refusing to FaceDeathWithDignity.]] |
| 23 | * EvilLaugh: Being supervillains, they all love cackling maniacally, as characterized by the huge, bold "HA HA!" lettering around them. If you let them [[EvilGloating do this to a captive Agent]] in the first game, you'll also net a small Notoriety gain. |
| 24 | * GotTheWholeWorldInMyHand: [[spoiler:The last scene in 2 has your Evil Genius have the world in their hands, with the planet's state based on said genius. Maximillian's is gold, Ivan's is red, burning and wrapped in metal bands, Emma's is purple and saturated with V.E.N.O.M, Zalika's is a green hologram and Polar's is a frozen blue ball]]. |
| 25 | * HeroKiller: Although a bit foggy in the first game, seeing as most Super Agent takedowns are more along the lines of utterly humiliating them into retiring (or [[spoiler:forcefully converted into becoming your minion in the case of Dirk Masters]]), ''2'' takes this to literal heights, as all but one of them are inevitably executed, either by your own hand or your minions', and you also get an achievement for [[LeaveNoSurvivors wiping them all out in one run.]] |
| 26 | * HeroUnit: They are the player avatar and come equipped with unique passive and active abilities to support the minions. |
| 27 | * IShallTauntYou: An ability available in both games, where the Geniuses can strut up to an agent in a holding cell and taunt them. Doing this in ''1'' results in a small Notoriety bump, while taunting a captured enemy in ''2'' deals 50 Resolve damage instead, [[BreakThemByTalking which can be done to break them more quickly,]] and can even be performed on Super Agents. |
| 28 | * ItsPersonal: Why the Evil Genius will refuse mercy on defeated Super Agents, or when the player refuses to recruit a Crime Lord. |
| 29 | * KneelBeforeZod: [[spoiler: In 1, winning the game has you treated to a video of your Evil Genius making the UN assembly hall his/her throne room, and having world leaders kneel down to them.]] |
| 30 | * NonActionBigBad: In the first ''Evil Genius''. Despite being able to [[YouHaveFailedMe off their own minions]], none of them are capable of fighting back or even running. If they're under attack, you'd best have minions or Henchmen nearby to cover the Genius' slow escape. Somewhat lessened in the second game where they are much faster and now do have the ability to attack agents and defend themselves, but their real talents lie elsewhere and so it's still something best left to your henchmen and expendable guards. |
| 31 | * NonIndicativeName: Well, title, at any rate. Despite being referred to as Evil ''Geniuses'', only a handful of them are actually brilliant and well-learned, such as Alexis or Zalika. Most of the finer aspects of their administrations have to be explained to them in detail and, depending on the chosen Genius, they may scoff at Deception or Science-related topics out of an inability to process their minions' {{Technobabble}}. Red Ivan as a playable character is the embodiment of this trope in ''2'', where he is not the sharpest tool in the shed regardless of what he does... unless it relates to military matters, in which case he shows his chops as a general. |
| 32 | * OrcusOnHisThrone: In the first game, mostly. Since they’re very weak, your best way of keeping a Genius alive is having them sit in their Inner Sanctum all day. |
| 33 | * PaperThinDisguise: In some of their verbal exchanges with Super Agents, they pretend they're just the manager of a casino resort. Nobody's fooled. |
| 34 | * PlayerCharacter: The Evil Genius serves as the avatar for the player. |
| 35 | * RankScalesWithAsskicking: Averted in the first game. Your avatar can't attack enemy characters, instead leaving the dirty work to your minions. This is pretty true to the source material for what it's worth, though: a lot of Franchise/JamesBond's opponents, for instance, tended to be executive-types who had colorful henchmen and bodyguards to do that sort of thing for them. Downplayed in the second game, where while they can now defend themselves, aside from Red Ivan it's not necessarily their forte. |
| 36 | * SchrodingersPlayerCharacter: All of the Geniuses are all but confirmed to be active at around the same time frame in both games, or at least the original trio were, as indicated by Max's provided bio in ''2''. However, only the one that you chose to play at will actually get anywhere in the world, with Max being explicitly established as ''not'' being the chosen Genius of the first game, leaving the status of the other ones ambiguous, especially considering the win condition of ''2'', [[spoiler:where the majority of the globe and much of their holdings can be potentially destroyed by the victor.]] |
| 37 | * SpeakingSimlish: Most of the Genius voice lines are them mumbling incoherently to themselves. Zig-zagged in ''2'', where they do have proper dialogue in conversations and when selected in-game, but are still mumbling in the intro and outro cutscenes. |
| 38 | * TheSyndicate: All of them are the head of their own world-spanning criminal organization, with their goal being world conquest. |
| 39 | * TookALevelInBadass: In the first game, the Evil Geniuses were completely incapable of defending themselves, and were very slow and fragile. In the second game, they are now capable of attacking enemy agents, and they are much faster than before. Examples include Maximilian using his pistol, Red Ivan using his Bazooka as a special AOE ability, or Emma crushing enemies with her spider chair's legs. Nonetheless these actions should only be used as a last resort, as the Genius' death will cause the game to end on the spot. After upgrading their Doomsday Device they also get a personalized version of it that upgrades their offensive capabilities. |
| 40 | * VillainProtagonist: Obviously. The game has you playing a supervillain trying to conquer the world with some kind of doomsday weapon, and victory means they succeeded. |
| 41 | * WeCanRuleTogether: During their first encounter in ''Evil Genius 2'', the evil genius will offer Crime Lords and Super Agents an opportunity to switch sides and join them as a Henchman. The Super Agents won't even consider it, unfortunately, if unsurprisingly. A series of Community challenges introduced in Spring 2022 implemented the ability to potentially sway some of them[[note]]Wrecking Bola, Atomic Olga, Symmetry, and Agent X[[/note]] over to your side after defeating them, just as one would a Crime Lord. |
| 42 | * WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: Being the PlayerCharacter, them dying will spell an instant GameOver for the player. However, see ActuallyADoombot above. |
| 43 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The player is not given an update on how Alexis or Shen Yu are doing in the sequel. Max is a returnee and it's established that he ''wasn't'' the one who conquered the world last time, so it's a mystery as to what happened to his fellow Geniuses. |
| 44 | * YouHaveFailedMe: Any of the Evil Geniuses can indulge in executing a minion in spectacularly brutal fashion. This will motivate any witnesses to work harder for a short time for fear that they will be next on the chopping block. |
| 45 | [[/folder]] |
| 46 | |
| 47 | !!Introduced in ''VideoGame/EvilGenius'' |
| 48 | |
| 49 | [[folder:Maximilian Von Klein]] |
| 50 | |
| 51 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maximilian_eg2.jpg]] |
| 52 | [[caption-width-right:350:Mega Rich Megalomaniac]] |
| 53 | ->''Time to make the world shine!'' |
| 54 | -->'''Voiced By''': Glen Mcready (Evil Genius 2) |
| 55 | |
| 56 | Raised in rural Austria by foster parents, Maximilian did not have the happiest of childhoods. Already the bully’s favourite because of his stockiness and squint; the young Maximilian became even more isolated from his peers when he developed chronic stress-related alopecia (hair loss) after a weekend-long ritual beating from his foster father, incurred for the crime of looking at him askew. |
| 57 | |
| 58 | Such early setbacks might have deterred lesser men, but it only made Maximilian stronger, and he went on to found an extremely lucrative empire, fueled by a desire to prove his worth to the world. |
| 59 | |
| 60 | He fancied himself as a maverick inventor, although most of his creations went awry, usually resulting in the death of the person behind the trigger rather than in front of it. It made no difference to him -- weapons were weapons, profit was profit, and other people were disposable. Why else would there be a need for weapons? |
| 61 | |
| 62 | Yet even with his riches, Maximilian found himself rejected by his friends and beautiful women he thought he could buy. Spurned once more, he turned to misanthropy, and began to plot his revenge. If he could not make the world like him, he would have to make the world fear him. He would do whatever it took -- run for president, hold a gun to the world's head -- all in the name of profit and respect. Everything he touched would turn to gold. |
| 63 | ---- |
| 64 | * AbusiveParents: His foster father beat him often to the point that the stress caused him to go prematurely and permanently bald, for the crime of looking at him funny. |
| 65 | * BoomHeadshot: His execution method is pulling out a pistol and shooting his minions in the head. |
| 66 | * CuttingOffTheBranches: His bio in ''2'' confirms that Max was not the Genius who took over the world at the end of the first game. |
| 67 | * DeadGuyOnDisplay: In ''2'' he can gain an upgrade to his gun that can [[MidasTouch turn people into gold statues]]. They can be placed throughout the base. There is even an achievement for having twenty such statues adorning his inner sanctum. |
| 68 | * {{Expy}}: His scar, his BaldOfEvil, and his outfit are all a very, very clear reference to [[Franchise/JamesBond Ernst Stavro Blofeld.]] He also invites some comparisons to Blofeld's most famous parody, [[Film/AustinPowers Dr. Evil]], mainly due to his baldness, over-the-top Evilness, and outfit. ''Evil Genius 2'' gives him elements of [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]], due to his overt MoneyFetish and being both literally and figuratively the man with the MidasTouch. |
| 69 | * FreudianExcuse: He had a terrible childhood and suffered abuse from his foster father. When he became wealthy, he used his riches to find some measure of love and respect. When he realized that his wealth could not bring him either of those things, he decided to go for world domination. |
| 70 | * GeniusDitz: ''Evil Genius 2'' depicts him as a savvy inventor and multi-billionaire, but one who doesn't know the meaning of the word 'research' and who frequently overlooks things obvious to his minions. Fortunately for them, he doesn't mind being corrected as long as they're polite about it. |
| 71 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: Has a scar going vertically down his right eye. |
| 72 | * GratuitousGerman: He inserts a bit of German in his movement responses every so often, especially in ''Evil Genius 2''. |
| 73 | * HighClassGlass: Max wears a monocle perhaps to demonstrate his wealthy background. |
| 74 | * JackOfAllStats: Max is being presented as such for ''Evil Genius 2''. While the other three Geniuses focus more heavily on social, military, or science playstyles and objectives, Max is a mix of the three and is intended for newer players to adjust to the game, with his special abilities involving having a bigger work force and getting money faster. |
| 75 | * ALighterShadeOfBlack: Though still insane and nightmarish in his commitment to Evil and conquering the world, Maximilian is probably the nicest and most reasonable of the four Evil Geniuses in the sequel. Compared to [[BloodKnight Red Ivan]], [[MisanthropeSupreme Emma]], and [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill Zalika]], Max is probably the one who causes the ''least'' damage taking over the world. |
| 76 | ** The other three Geniuses gleefully turn on their Doomsday Devices and damn the cost. He's just as enthusiastic about turning his on... and when the Worker tells him that the "worst thing it could do" is that it could painfully kill everyone in the base if the pre-checks aren't done, he ''backs down'' from his decision with horrified embarrassment, aware that he almost doomed everyone (including himself) due to his obsession. Maximilian is mostly ecstatic when the Device is proven to [[spoiler: turn anything into gold on demand]], but is appalled at the Device's backblast [[spoiler: killing random Minions by turning them into gold]], saying that the latter has ruined what is supposed to be the happiest day of his life. |
| 77 | * MeaningfulName: His last name translates to "The Little" in German, which perfectly fits his short stature. |
| 78 | * MidasTouch: [[spoiler:His DoomsdayDevice M.I.D.A.S. turns everything it blasts into solid gold.]] An upgrade Max can gain is to have his gun turn people into gold statues and then put them on display. |
| 79 | * MisterBig: An Evil Genius who stands [[TheNapoleon a good two heads shorter than your average Worker minion]], and is [[HeightAngst incredibly touchy about it.]] |
| 80 | * MoneyFetish: He seems to have a love for gold, as his ''Evil Genius 2'' inner sanctum and décor look to be either made of gold or gold-plated. [[spoiler:His DoomsdayDevice for conquering the world is called M.I.D.A.S., which does [[MidasTouch exactly what it sounds]].]] |
| 81 | * MoreDakka: He pulls this off as best as can be done with a ''pistol'' in ''Evil Genius 2''. Have him in a gunfight for very long and he fires with an impressive speed. |
| 82 | * TheNapoleon: According to his backstory, he has a complex regarding his height. Better shown in the second game where he’s depicted as a shorter man than the other characters. |
| 83 | * ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: In ''Evil Genius 2'', Max's initial scheme for world domination is to use his wealth to become "[[PresidentEvil president of the world]]". His tactics include buying off politicians, kidnapping political aides to learn state secrets, and attempting to purchase smaller countries outright ("How expensive could it be?"). However, the Forces of Justice see through his plan pretty easily and rebuff him, causing Maximillian to shift gears to [[DoomsdayDevice a more aggressive approach]]. |
| 84 | * SeriesMascot: He is easily the most recognizable character in the series, having been heavily featured in promo art and trailers, game covers and is a playable character for the first and second games. |
| 85 | * SkillGateCharacters: As noted in JackOfAllStats, in the second game he's intended for newer players and as such, does have a couple of advantages that make him overall easier for a newer player to use. Namely, he starts with more minions and has ways to make more money (though it is not directly noted, his priority ability also temporary lowers the salary of affected minions). His unique skill allows him to quickly replace fallen specialists, an action that the other Geniuses cannot do without rare recruiting schemes on the World Map. Finally, his normal, ranged attack is more reliable overall[[note]] In comparison, Emma and Polar have no ranged attacks whatsoever, Red Ivan's normal ranged attack works well enough but his rocket launcher is a special ability that risks collateral damage. Zalika has a powerful ranged attack, but she only buffs Science minions with her skills[[/note]]. However, his lack of specialization can make it trickier to make progress late-game when enemies become tougher. |
| 86 | * TheSmartGuy: Being an industrialist, in the first game Max is ''intended'' to get advantages in the science department with lower research costs, compared to Alexis' VillainWithGoodPublicity or Shen Yu's clandestine operations... but he doesn't due to a lingering bug, so he doesn't get those discounts. |
| 87 | * VagueAge: ''Evil Genius 2'' takes place after a lengthy TimeSkip, with Jubei and Red Ivan visibly aged and Eli Barracuda succeeded by his son. Yet, Maximillian doesn't seem to have aged at all. |
| 88 | * WeHaveReserves: His bonuses in the second game. Maxmillian starts the game with extra minions, and one of his abilities completes the training for every minion who's nearby when he uses it, allowing him to quickly replace lost specialists. |
| 89 | * WhereIWasBornAndRazed: In the second game, after building the third stage of M.I.D.A.S., he immediately fires it at Austria. [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Twice.]] |
| 90 | * WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Unlike his peers, Max's drive to conquer the world didn't (initially) come from greed, attention-seeking, or the desire for complete control. Having grown up as an abused outcast [[IJustWantToHaveFriends rejected by everyone he tried to form a connection with]], Max became resolute that if he couldn't make the world love him, he would make it fear him. The massive stockpile of gold is merely a bonus. |
| 91 | * YouWillBeSpared: [[spoiler:Unlike the rest of the geniuses in ''2'', Maxmillian's ending is the only one where the genius does not pull a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefullness moment on the '''''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou player]]''''', instead merely going for intimidation]]. |
| 92 | [[/folder]] |
| 93 | |
| 94 | [[folder:Alexis]] |
| 95 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alexis_3.jpg]] |
| 96 | [[caption-width-right:250:Multi-Millionaire Heiress]] |
| 97 | |
| 98 | When Alexis’s father died, bequeathing his multi-million dollar fortune and media empire to her; it would have been easy for her to conform to the traditional young heiress template, frittering the money away on wining, dining, and generally living the high life. Despite being spoiled rotten, however, Alexis was also highly motivated and intelligent with a sharp awareness of the way the world works. Her hard work and piercing intelligence saw her take the helm of her father’s media empire with aplomb, and global revenues soon quadrupled under her shrewd leadership. |
| 99 | |
| 100 | However, Alexis was not without her vices. Years of being daddy’s little princess gave her a colossal ego and need for constant adoration. After a brief few years of contentment, the sycophantic praise she received from the lackeys in her company was no longer enough. Seeking a wider audience to worship her, she moved in front of the cameras and soon became America’s darling, gaining widespread acclaim for her television and movie roles. All too soon, the glamour faded. Alexis wanted more: more adulation, more wealth, more power. Alexis wanted the world. |
| 101 | ---- |
| 102 | * TheAce: On top of being a charismatic socialite, Alexis is also a shrewd businesswoman who massively expanded her father's media empire and a talented actress who won the adoration of America. And with the right plans and investments, she seeks and could even attain WorldDomination. |
| 103 | * TheCharmer: Alexis is a beloved presence the world over, and her own advantage is that she gets a much larger aura than Maximilian or Shen-Yu. Alexis can singlehandedly restore the loyalty of minions en-masse, simply by standing in a room. |
| 104 | * CharmPerson: Alexis' unique ability makes her minions lose loyalty considerably more slowly than they normally would, allowing her to keep them functional for longer without them deserting. |
| 105 | * CrutchCharacter: Alexis' special ability is very helpful early on, but loses a lot of mileage later when you have enough loot items to keep minions' loyalty reliably topped off. |
| 106 | * {{Expy}}: Of [[WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Cruella de Vil.]] |
| 107 | * EvilRedhead: Her hair is crimson red, and she's an evil genius. |
| 108 | * GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: In true supervillain fashion, she smokes from an elegant cigarette holder. |
| 109 | * InsufferableGenius: As shown below, what makes Alexis an Evil Genius as opposed to being an UpperClassTwit is that she really ''is'' as charismatic and talented as she thinks she is... and she knows it. |
| 110 | * ItsAllAboutMe: What motivated Alexis to becoming an Evil Genius to begin with, as she felt the already enormous attention she was receiving from her global audience was not enough to satisfy her AttentionWhore tendencies. |
| 111 | * KillItWithFire: She executes her minions via flicking her cigarette at them and burning them alive. |
| 112 | * TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female Evil Genius in the first game. |
| 113 | * SmallNameBigEgo: Being the heiress to a wealthy media tycoon gave her quite an ego, motivating her StartOfDarkness. In a subversion, her name really ''is'' that big; her achievements include quadrupling the value of her father's media empire, directing ''and'' starring in multiple movies that became smash hits '''and''' becoming America's top celebrity while at it. She might as well be Big Name, Bigger Ego. |
| 114 | * SpoiledBrat: But she's not your standard spoiled brat; she has the ambition, skills, brains, and charisma to make it REAL big. And so she did, but each new height of fame wasn't enough, so she's going for the biggest prize of all. |
| 115 | * VillainWithGoodPublicity: Unlike Max who's a poor socialite and Shen Yu who stays in the shadows, Alexis steps into the spotlight and is loved by everyone. |
| 116 | [[/folder]] |
| 117 | |
| 118 | [[folder:Shen Yu]] |
| 119 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shen_yu.jpg]] |
| 120 | [[caption-width-right:250:Quixotic Super-Criminal]] |
| 121 | |
| 122 | Shen Yu's criminal career began on the streets of Hong Kong, and none of his street urchin peers could possibly have predicted that this humble pickpocket would eventually rise to become one of the most powerful criminal masterminds in the world. As a teenager, Shen Yu joined a local Triad gang and quickly rose up the ranks. Despite his rapid elevation, he would never have risen any further were not for a fortuitous encounter with a pair of A.N.V.I.L. agents. Shen Yu was arrested immediately for his multiple homicides. They gave him a simple choice: be an A.N.V.I.L mole, or be executed. |
| 123 | |
| 124 | A.N.V.I.L implanted a communication chip inside Shen Yu’s brain so that they could spy on Triad activity, but they underestimated the resources of the Triad. After performing yet more brain surgery on him, the Triads were able to reverse the chip wiring access the operating system at A.N.V.I.L. Desperate to avoid more meddling with his grey matter, Shen Yu defected and used his knowledge his chip provided to build his own criminal empire. With advance knowledge of every move A.N.V.I.L. made, he was untouchable, and soon found himself in a position to bid for world domination… |
| 125 | ---- |
| 126 | * AsianSpeekeeEngrish: Shen Yu's speech patterns replicate this trope to a very uncomfortable degree, speaking largely in [[IceCreamKoan Ice Cream Koans]] with a thick, stereotyped accent and dropping articles of grammar from his sentences. |
| 127 | * DeviousDaggers: He's a sneaky, subversive genius, and his method of execution involves him stabbing his minion with a dagger. |
| 128 | * {{Expy}}: Of Literature/FuManchu. |
| 129 | * FingerTenting: His signature pose. |
| 130 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: Started life as a Hong Kong street urchin, and would have ended life as a Triad mook if not for that A.N.V.I.L. communication chip being implanted in his brain and turning him into an genius-caliber plotter. |
| 131 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: Early on in his career with the Triad, Shen Yu was captured by A.N.V.I.L. and implanted with a tracker chip to be their patsy. Unfortunately for A.N.V.I.L., his employers managed to hack it into doing the opposite instead, which lets them spy on the Forces of Justice in that region. Shen Yu now uses the knowledge he gleaned from A.N.V.I.L. to plot his own schemes against them. |
| 132 | * IceCreamKoan: These make up a good portion of his dialogue, most being pretty obvious or appropriately obtuse. |
| 133 | -->"Foolish man often [[TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch walk into sharp thing]]..."\ |
| 134 | "He who walk... arrive." |
| 135 | * TheMole: His unique ability is an elaborate network of infiltrators among the Forces of Justice who misdirect orders, and make it take longer for agents to show up on the island. |
| 136 | * TheSneakyGuy: Goes in hand with his Spymaster theme. |
| 137 | * TheSpymaster: Compared to Max who's a wealthy industrialist with poor social skills or Alexis who eats up the attention on the spotlight, Shen Yu prefers to remain clandestine. |
| 138 | * TheSyndicate: Runs one of this, which is a counter-intelligence agency dedicated to misleading the forces of justice. In game terms, agents are supposed to take longer to arrive on his island. |
| 139 | * YellowPeril: Since he hailed from an A.N.V.I.L. territory, and is clearly exploiting the trope for all its worth in regards to his mannerisms and appearance. |
| 140 | [[/folder]] |
| 141 | |
| 142 | !!Introduced in ''VideoGame/EvilGenius2'' |
| 143 | |
| 144 | [[folder:Red Ivan]] |
| 145 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/red_ivan_eg2.png]] |
| 146 | [[caption-width-right:250:Heavy Muscle Madman]] |
| 147 | ->''I will do more than avenge Ivania. Soon, the whole world will be Ivania!'' |
| 148 | -->'''Voiced By''': Creator/BrianBlessed |
| 149 | A returning character from the first game, Red Ivan has made the jump from Henchman to proper Evil Genius. |
| 150 | |
| 151 | Life in H.A.M.M.E.R.'s military was far too peaceful for Red Ivan's taste. After earning his nickname on the battlefield he established himself as a fearsome gun-for-hire. |
| 152 | |
| 153 | When the last evil genius arose, he immediately joined up and made himself an invaluable henchmen. As a reward for his service, he was gifted with a country of his very own to rule with a (literal) iron fist. The citizen's of Ivania never question their leader. |
| 154 | |
| 155 | And since his last employer disappeared, there he has stayed... until now. After having been toppled from his throne, Ivan is back, with greater ambitions. |
| 156 | |
| 157 | Ivan represents the Muscle strategy tree, for players who prefer a Might-Makes-Right approach to world conquest. |
| 158 | |
| 159 | For tropes relating to his appearance in the original ''Evil Genius'', see the [[Characters/EvilGeniusHenchmen Henchmen]] page. |
| 160 | ---- |
| 161 | * ArmCannon: After upgrading H.A.V.O.C. to its second stage, Ivan develops a portable version of the Doomsday Device that can replace his metal hand, which serves as his upgraded execution method. It completely disintegrates the victim, along with damaging or destroying any furniture/objects near its blast radius. |
| 162 | * ArtificialLimbs: At some point he lost one of his hands, and by the time of the game has replaced it with a fully functional mechanical prosthetic. In the intervening time he appears to have used several other inferior replacements, which can be used as Inner Sanctum decorations. |
| 163 | * BeardOfEvil: Though clean shaven in the first game, he now sports a beard in the second game. |
| 164 | * {{BFG}}: The good news is, Ivan still has a bazooka like he did in the first game. The bad news is, not only does it cause less damage than it did while he was a henchmen, now you have to manually have him launch it rather than it being his go to way of dealing with people. At least it cuts down on all the FriendlyFire and collateral damage that he was known for. |
| 165 | * BloodKnight: |
| 166 | ** His backstory establishes that he left the H.A.M.M.E.R. military since it was too boring, starting up as a mercenary so he could fight on a more consistent basis. As an Evil Genius, he has still not lost his thirst for combat and is very enthusiastic about being able to fight intruders and fire his rocket launcher. |
| 167 | ** Part of his campaign is him trying to incite the "war to end all wars" amongst the world powers, [[spoiler: but he's forced to de-escalate the situation ''until he's ready to join in'' and properly bring his red fury to everyone involved]]. |
| 168 | ** At the climax of his campaign he tells the surrendering forces that his terms of surrender have changed: [[spoiler: Even though they are willing to surrender, he wants to blow them up, so his terms is that ''they sit there and let him''.]] |
| 169 | * BookDumb: Of the Evil Geniuses, he has the least academic aptitude. Ivan often complains that scientists give him a headache. That being said, he has a keen tactical and strategic mind for conquest plans. Ivan embodies the ideology that, "simple is best," unlike other Evil Genius who scheme convoluted plots with complexity that creates multiple points of failure. Not least of all, he is very aware of this weakness. When told a quote from literature he doesn't know, he will take the time to ''read'' that book so he understands the reference and learns from it. |
| 170 | * ButForMeItWasTuesday: Atomic Olga has a personal grudge with Ivan, because he killed her fellow soldiers in combat. Ivan doesn't remember it. The trope namer line is used almost ''verbatim'', except Tuesday is rendered in GratuitousRussian. |
| 171 | * CommissarCap: Wears one as a part of his new look in the second game, which is fitting since he was a former member of the Soviet Union. His previous hat (a beret) can be placed as an Inner Sanctum decoration. |
| 172 | * CompanionCube: His stuffed bear, Mishka. He's actually a taxidermied Russian bear that Ivan killed in his youth, and his first kill at that. Ivan makes a point of securing Mishka early on in his campaign (since the bear makes him feel at home, no matter where he is), and talks to the bear at various points in his story. |
| 173 | * CrutchCharacter: Red Ivan's early game can often be surprisingly light on security, with Ivan himself pummeling investigators in the place of his guards. Later on, as larger waves of more combat-focused agents backed by super agents come into play, he loses his OneManArmy status, but remains a solid force and multiplier in combat. |
| 174 | * DragonAscendant: Once a Henchman in the first game, now a full-fledged Evil Genius in the sequel. Notably, he worked for the unidentified [[PredecessorVillain previous evil genius]] who successfully conquered the world, which is how he became TheGeneralissimo. |
| 175 | * {{Egopolis}}: Founded, ruled, and was deposed from ruling one between games called Ivania. |
| 176 | * {{Expy}}: His status as a RenegadeRussian brings to mind the Soviet villains of James Bond such as [[GeneralRipper Generals]] [[Film/{{Octopussy}} Orlov]], [[Film/TheLivingDaylights Koskov]] and [[Film/GoldenEye Ourumov]]. |
| 177 | * EyepatchOfPower: As shown in the current header image for the game's [[https://twitter.com/evilgenius official Twitter account,]] Red Ivan's ascent to full-on Evil Genius has come with one of these, as well as a [[ArtificialLimbs mechanical hand.]] |
| 178 | * FrontlineGeneral: The "Everything We Can Tell You" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r93-lmNrKqA trailer]] for ''Evil Genius 2'' describes him as a "hands-on evildoer" and shows that even after being promoted to Evil Genius, he still wields his signature rocket launcher from the first game. His version of "Do It Now" buffs all minions' combat stats (damage and armor), encouraging him to be either near a fight or yelling at minions as they respond to an alert. Ivan's more effective in direct melee and ranged combat than the other Geniuses, but it bears repeating that his death will end the game. |
| 179 | * GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Due to his personal rivalry with Atomic Olga, the mission to eliminate her is postponed until later in the campaign (where her role in the main campaign is finished), two missions after the rest of the super agents can be eliminated. |
| 180 | * TheGeneralissimo: Being a CardCarryingVillain military conqueror. |
| 181 | * GoneHorriblyRight: He tries to dismantle a joint peacekeeping operation called P.E.A.C.E. by getting the various governments to hate each other. [[spoiler:It works ''too'' well, and the various governments are about to go to war, with Ivan unprepared, forcing him to deescalate tensions. Atomic Olga mocks him for it, as it reunites the F.O.J. as a result.]] |
| 182 | * GratuitousRussian: He'll occasionally pepper his dialogue with Russian, such as telling Atomic Olga that wiping out her squad, to him, was Vtornik. |
| 183 | * HiddenDepths: Though Ivan comes across as a boisterous bruiser and blood knight, the self portrait decoration for his inner sanctum indicates he's an expert painter. He's also familiar with the works of [[Creator/MarkTwain Mark Twain]], and has a collection of [[Music/QuincyJones Quincy Jones]] music (in vinyl, no less). When someone quotes literature he doesn't recognize, Ivan resolves to read the book in question so he can understand the meaning behind it. |
| 184 | * ICantBelieveImSayingThis: Said word for word [[spoiler:when he's forced to deescalate tensions on the world he provoked so to prevent a world war before he's ready to join in.]] |
| 185 | * LargeAndInCharge: As a Genius, Ivan is huge and towers over most of his assorted Minions and Henchmen. The only ones in his organization that come close are Muscle Minions and the brawnier Henchmen. |
| 186 | * LargeHam: Was this in the first game, but even more so now that he's voiced by the one and only Creator/BrianBlessed. |
| 187 | * LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Turns out that if you run your country like a dictator and treat its citizens like crap, they're ''probably'' not gonna want you back.]] |
| 188 | * NeckLift: His killing blow animation (be it executing henchmen or killing mooks in basic melee combat) is to briefly pick them up by the neck, [[NeckSnap squeeze that neck so hard it lets off a]] SickeningCrunch, then chokeslam them to finish the job. |
| 189 | * NoodleIncident: Averted. While the game states the the Forces of Justice managed to out Ivan from his country, and never states how, Red Ivan himself reveals that he was somehow ''voted out'' while complaining to a minion (likely a reference to the UsefulNotes/HoleInFlag revolutions, which marked the end of Soviet communism). |
| 190 | * NukeEm: |
| 191 | ** [[spoiler:Red Ivan's DoomsdayDevice in a nutshell, mixed with PlayingWithFire. If you watch the World Map whilst it's firing, the result appears to be a combination of a KillSat and a FlamingMeteor shower.]] |
| 192 | ** Playing as Ivan grants immediate access to the side story that involves stealing the Tsar Bomba upon reaching a certain point in the main campaign. All other geniuses need to have at least 40 technicians currently in the lair to unlock it in addition to reaching said point. |
| 193 | * PsychopathicManchild: When placed at the meeting table, Ivan proceeds to laugh as he hits buttons and pulls a lever which doesn't serve any evident purpose, much like an infant playing with a fiddling toy. Furthermore, when he talks about starting the war to end all wars, he finishes by saying "I can't wait!" with all the glee of a child waiting for their favorite candy store to open. While he is never called childish in-game, his behavior and mannerisms are fairly juvenile. |
| 194 | * PuttingTheBandBackTogether: There's an achievement for having Red Ivan recruit Jubei and Eli Barracuda Jr. as henchmen, reuniting cohorts who served under the previous Evil Genius who took over the world (or the successor of one in Eli Jr.'s case). |
| 195 | * RankScalesWithAsskicking: While all the Geniuses in 2 can fight, Ivan is the most combat-capable and can reliably fight on the front lines. |
| 196 | * RedIsViolent: Red Ivan wears a red military uniform, is associated with the color red, and his bonuses concern [[FrontlineGeneral direct combat]] and [[{{Mooks}} muscle minions]]. His EvilPlan is to start WorldWarIII and then win it by [[spoiler:nuking every country on Earth]]. |
| 197 | * RenegadeRussian: As in the original game; however, in the sequel Ivan made a step up from being a mere Henchman and is now looking to TakeOverTheWorld himself. In fact, he's first shown mourning the loss of Ivania, the country he ruled as the reward for serving the previous Evil Genius. |
| 198 | * RocketPunch: After implementing some upgrades for H.A.V.O.C., Ivan gains this as his basic ranged attack, where he fires his metal hand that explodes upon impact, occasionally firing two in quick succession. It also replaces the NeckLift as his execution animation, and firing his fist at a minion can result in a OneHitPolyKill if they're bunched up with other units. |
| 199 | * StillWearingTheOldColors: Wears a stereotypical Soviet military officer outfit even as he strikes out on his own in a quest for world domination. |
| 200 | [[/folder]] |
| 201 | |
| 202 | [[folder:Emma]] |
| 203 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emma_eg2.png]] |
| 204 | [[caption-width-right:250:Ex-Spymaster turned Poisoned Pro]] |
| 205 | ->''They are all dust. They just do not know it yet.'' |
| 206 | -->'''Voiced By''': Creator/SamanthaBond |
| 207 | |
| 208 | A former Head Spymaster for S.A.B.R.E. and later H.A.M.M.E.R., Emma saved the world countless times...until the day she failed. |
| 209 | |
| 210 | While the overlord ruled, she marshaled her resources and prepared for afterwards. But when order was restored, the world slid back into its status quo. Emma was horrified. Then, furious. Then, resolute: the world didn't need her to save it. |
| 211 | |
| 212 | [[OmnicidalManiac It needed her to end it.]] |
| 213 | |
| 214 | Emma represents the Deception strategy tree, for players who want a more diplomatic, under-the-radar approach to conquest. |
| 215 | ---- |
| 216 | * AllForNothing: Her StartOfDarkness. She and S.A.B.R.E. tirelessly fought Evil Geniuses and saved the world multiple times, and the world just swiftly began falling apart all over again or a new villain rising to take the place of the old one. She stockpiled manpower, intelligence, and resources during the reign of the previous Evil Genius for the aftermath when they were deposed, all to make sure that humanity would make something better from the ashes... only to find that the same systems that allowed the Evil Genius to come about in the first place were put right back in place out of complacency. |
| 217 | * ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire: She has a spider theme going on, primarily in her chair and her association with poison. Her Sanctum has plenty of arachnid-themed symbols and decorations, such as engravings and paintings. She even keeps a big spider in a terrarium on her desk, the place she goes to be alone and replenish her stats. |
| 218 | * ArchEnemy: She has one in John Steele Senior (the John Steele from the first game) as in the Choose Your Genius trailer, he specifically is noted under Emma's dislikes. It's not clear what John did that ticked her off while she worked with the Forces of Justice, but it's clear she now hates him with a passion, albeit while being very conflicted about just what he is to her now[[note]]Two of her Inner Sanctum decorations are identical portraits of John, but one titles him as her greatest friend and the other calls him Emma's most hated enemy[[/note]]. A part of her campaign concerns dealing with the fallout of his legacy [[spoiler: and then personally killing John Steele Snr. for good, after framing him for killing diplomats from around the world]]. |
| 219 | * AttackDrone: Her upgraded attack is to summon spider drones carrying V.E.N.O.M. to poison her foes. |
| 220 | * BrokenPedestal: She was the mentor of the first John Steele. Now, she wants him and his ilk dead and to destroy the world. [[spoiler:Also this to her former secretary Ms. Foxworth, who since the first game has used Emma's teachings to form the Steele Programme, an entire army of John Steele lookalikes.]] |
| 221 | * ButHeSoundsHandsome: A downplayed example as a result of non-specific dialogue for side stories: When doing the first mission in the Agent Steele/Ms. Foxworth arc, the Evil Genius demands to know about the Steele Programme and who Ms. Foxworth is, stating that the original Agent Steele's former handler was unmistakable. For the other Evil Geniuses, it's a mundane affirmation that Ms. Foxworth is behind something new. For Emma, however, it could be interpreted as this trope, as [[spoiler:she herself was John Steele Senior's former handler]]. |
| 222 | * CastingGag: Emma is clearly inspired by {{Creator/Judi Dench}}'s portrayal of M, Franchise/JamesBond's boss, but she's voiced by Samantha Bond, who portrayed M's secretary Moneypenny during the Creator/PierceBrosnan era. |
| 223 | * CloseRangeCombatant: Since her chair has no special weapons, when she has to fight she just pokes at enemies with the front legs of her chair or pounces on them as a FinishingMove. |
| 224 | * ColdHam: Contrasting the other Evil Geniuses, who are loud and hammy, Emma by contrast says most her lines with ice-cold malice. |
| 225 | * CoolChair: She moves around via a joystick-controlled chair with spider legs that are sharp enough to fight. It even has a phone built into it! After constructing the second upgrade for V.E.N.O.M., the chair also gains the ability to dispense poison-loaded drones at Emma's victims, which replaces the spider leg attack. |
| 226 | * EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: What her evil plan's end goal is; [[spoiler:use [[HatePlague V.E.N.O.M.]] to unleash the war to end all wars and send the world into anarchy. Later on, V.E.N.O.M. becomes so potent that it straight up kills people.]] |
| 227 | * EvilBrit: Her trailer shows her to have a classically villainous Received accent. Justified, in that being a former agent of S.A.B.R.E. when the U.K. was a part of it, she actually is British. |
| 228 | * EvilerThanThou: Compared to Max (who is rather comical), Ivan (who is bombastic and rather friendly when he's happy), Zalika (who is just condescending), and Polar (who starts off rather heroic but turns evil due to being ignored by the world), Emma is altogether more serious as a villain and doesn't desire world domination, but destruction. |
| 229 | * {{Expy}}: Visually, appears to be one for Hillary Clinton, or possibly UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher. Her backstory and name, on the other hand, show her as inspired by Dame {{Creator/Judi Dench}}'s portrayals of "[[Characters/JamesBondM M]]" from the ''Franchise/JamesBond'' films. |
| 230 | * FaceHeelTurn: Had one pre-story, having been a Spymaster for S.A.B.R.E. during the first game, and later H.A.M.M.E.R. when the forces of justice re-organized. |
| 231 | * FallenHero: Her backstory is that she was a Spymaster for S.A.B.R.E. during the first game, who worked tirelessly to prevent the world from being taken over by villains. When she saw that humanity kept sliding back into the status quo after she and her colleagues saved the world, let alone after the previous Evil Genius was dethroned, she became convinced that world would be better off destroyed. |
| 232 | * HatePlague: [[spoiler:What V.E.N.O.M. causes within people, if it doesn't just kill them outright. She wants to invoke this to not only prove to the world that HumansAreBastards, but to cause a world-destroying war, one that humanity will never recover from. The backfiring effect of this Doomsday Device is that it applies this effect to some of your minions, forcing everyone else to euthanize them out of self-defense.]] |
| 233 | * HeWhoFightsMonsters: Emma is S.A.B.R.E.'s former Spymaster who became disillusioned by how easily the world will just fall back into the status quo no matter how many times she helped take down the Evil Geniuses who threaten it. Rationalizing that everything will be for naught anyway, [[CuttingTheKnot she decided to destroy humanity to save it from itself.]] |
| 234 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: Her death animation has her knocked out of her chair, which leaps into the air and crushes her in the same manner she does to minions when the player executes them. |
| 235 | * IgnoredEpiphany: If the flavor text of two of her Inner Sanctum portraits are any indication, it would seem that Emma still had lingering doubts of her villainy. An important plot point of her campaign is getting rid of this doubt, along with her would-be MoralityPet, [[spoiler:John Steele]]. |
| 236 | * InkblotTest: Her personal decorations have a bunch of different framed ones. |
| 237 | * IronLady: Invokes this, with a clear no-nonsense expression. When the first colored screenshots of her were revealed, it became apparent she's also intended to be a parody of UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton. |
| 238 | * ItIsBeyondSaving: Her stance about the entire world. After the events between the two games and her long career of saving the world multiple times just for it to fall to chaos repeatedly, she just wants to smash the world out of disgust. |
| 239 | * MisanthropeSupreme: One of her stated dislikes in the "Choose your Genius" trailer is "People". Her entire worldview revolves around how she believes humanity is violent, vile and innately awful, and thus should be wiped off the face of the Earth, [[spoiler:reflected in her DoomsdayDevice [[HatePlague V.E.N.O.M.]]]] |
| 240 | * MomentOfWeakness: When she first gets V.E.N.O.M working, she proceeds to push and demand the minions to make it more powerful, quite insistently. To the point that she completely ignores the fact they're going mad from the backlash of the weapon firing and just demands it get more power. At this point, Emma completely drops her cool-headed, tactical thinking and the chaos ends up drawing attention from world peacekeepers who might destroy the weapon. Afterwards, Emma collects herself and resolves to be more patient with the development of V.E.N.O.M and more careful with hiding her operations until the weapon is fully ready. |
| 241 | * MyGreatestFailure: It is implied her StartOfDarkness began when the previous Evil Genius succeeded in taking over the world and killed her best agent, John Steele, in the process. |
| 242 | * OmnicidalManiac: Unlike the other Geniuses, she doesn't intend to take over the world -- she wants to destroy it. This is shown with her ending cutscene, as it opens on [[spoiler:skeletal corpses of people in an audience hall while she orders her minions to clean up the mess as V.E.N.O.M. seeps into the room]]. |
| 243 | * PowerCrystal: The description for V.E.N.O.M states that it uses a heavy amount of pheromones that trigger greed, envy, and hate... and it is fueled by diamonds as a result, as diamonds evoke all of those emotions. |
| 244 | * APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: |
| 245 | ** Inverted. Her trailer has her commenting that she taught John Steele all that he knows. Since she's turned evil, left the forces of justice and intends to kill him now, she's a pretty clear case. |
| 246 | ** The same goes for Ms. Foxworth, her former secretary who used what she learned from Emma to form the Steele Programme. |
| 247 | * RousingSpeech: One of her powers; she can reset a Henchman's own abilities by giving them a quick pep-talk. |
| 248 | * SpiderTank: Her chair qualifies for this trope. To move around, she installed some spider legs on it, which she can move via a joystick. The chair also has other items for her to use, such as a built-in phone and a series of buttons to activate weaponry. |
| 249 | * TheSpyMaster: Former Spy-Master, actually, but this gives her an advantage over the Forces of Justice by knowing how they operate and being better in anticipating their movements in comparison to the other three Evil Geniuses. |
| 250 | * StartOfDarkness: Had hers during the first game. Having her efforts ultimately lead to nowhere (i.e. the world could never be permanently saved) gave her doubts, but being defeated by a previous, as-yet-unnamed Evil Genius and having the world go right back to what it was before their reign was what left her permanently embittered and disillusioned with the Forces Of Justice and humanity, leading her to her current villainous career. |
| 251 | * StealthPun: It's not much of a stretch to see "Emma" as a play off of "M", the head of [=MI6=] in the ''Franchise/JamesBond'' films. |
| 252 | ** Also, in all likelihood, a ShoutOut to Emma Peel from ''Series/TheAvengers1960s'' (itself a PunnyName). |
| 253 | ** She gets around in her spider chair and used to be the director of this world's {{Expy}} of James Bond. In other words, she was his [[MissionControl woman in the chair]]. |
| 254 | * SurroundedByIdiots: Giving any order at all to her minions and you can immediately tell how low of an opinion she has of them. In fact, "idiots" seems to be her favorite insult. |
| 255 | * TooImportantToWalk: She never gets up from her spider chair. It's never made clear if it's because she doesn't bother to walk now she has the chair, or because she's unable to walk to begin with. On the one hand, her character animations clearly show that her real legs are fully articulate. On the other, her section in the official artbook features several old designs for her chair, which are clearly wheelchair-based, which lends credence to the theory that Emma was probably meant to be paraplegic at some point in the development process, before that idea was shelved. For what it's worth, she does refer to the chair's legs as her own when she goes to rest in her Inner Sanctum. |
| 256 | * WickedCultured: Her personal Sanctum is designed like an ornate library or mansion, with wooden panels, candles hanging from the walls and beautiful paintings -- and since Emma is one of the titular Evil Geniuses, she is quite callous as well. |
| 257 | [[/folder]] |
| 258 | |
| 259 | [[folder:Zalika]] |
| 260 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zalika_eg2.png]] |
| 261 | [[caption-width-right:250:Scientific Mastermind]] |
| 262 | ->''[[WrongInsultOffence I am not "bossy"]] . I'm '''the boss'''.'' |
| 263 | -->'''Voiced By''': Rakie Ayola |
| 264 | |
| 265 | The ends justify the means, and Zalika never dreams small. |
| 266 | |
| 267 | She created the first artificial intelligence -- the Integrated Robotic Intelligent System -- at the age of six, and beat it at chess a year later. |
| 268 | |
| 269 | Zalika sees society the way it truly is: the patterns of individuals who think they're acting on free will. Most humans are dreary creatures who don't know what's good for them, and waste time with petty squabbles. |
| 270 | |
| 271 | People want algorithms to tell them how to live. They need a single intelligence to bring about a Golden Age of prosperity. Humanity runs on code. It needs a coder. And Zalika is just the supreme intelligence for the job. |
| 272 | |
| 273 | Zalika represents the Science strategy tree, for players who want to conquer the world using only the most cutting-edge technology. |
| 274 | ---- |
| 275 | * TheBaroness: An abnormally young Rosa Klebb version, being a fanatically dedicated technocratic fascist who is willing to burn the world in order to bring about a perfect, orderly world. |
| 276 | * BeehiveHairdo: She has a massive [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Marge Simpson-esque]] hairdo that her helmet is built around. |
| 277 | * BigOlEyebrows: Behind her massive goggles she has fairly prominent eyebrows. |
| 278 | * BlackAndNerdy: She's black, and she's the science-focused Evil Genius, with abilities that pressure her to be watching over the lab directly. |
| 279 | * ChildProdigy: Her in-game biography states that she created an AI (Specifically I.R.I.S.) at age ''6'', and beat it at Chess a year later. |
| 280 | * DeathRay: Zalika's ranged attack is a compact and particularly flashy version of this, firing off giant green rays that are appropriately powerful. She also uses it for her basic execution method, but in this case it appears she's sending the victim through a black hole (even though their body is still there afterwards). |
| 281 | * FishbowlHelmet: She wears a rather tall one that fits over her head and hair. Hilariously enough this muffles her speaking somewhat. |
| 282 | * LightIsNotGood: She has a white and green color scheme for her objects. |
| 283 | * KnightTemplar: Unlike other Evil Geniuses, she genuinely thinks she's bringing about a utopia. She's more than willing to kill anyone threatening her plans or to KickTheDog because it amuses her, mind. |
| 284 | * MadScientist: Her main schtick. Zalika's scientific genius allows the players to research new items, upgrades and traps in a faster rate. |
| 285 | * MeaningfulName: Her name is of Arabic origin, meaning "wonderous beauty", and is also Swahili for "well-born", befitting her status as a charismatic upper-class scientist and scholar. |
| 286 | * MindControlDevice: What V.O.I.D. is effectively. Her goal is to use it to bring humanity under her thrall, and usher in a golden age of science for mankind. |
| 287 | * NanoMachines: Zalika has control of nano drones which allows her to repair objects and extinguish flames. |
| 288 | * NewEraSpeech: Provides one as V.O.I.D. nears completion: |
| 289 | --> ''People of Earth. Are you tired? Tired of never knowing the right thing to do, to buy, to say? Imagine if someone could make those decisions for you, based on science. Based on your own desires and skills. From each according to the algorithm, to each according to the algorithm! I know some will try to stop me, misguided fools. They're no match for me. But most of you already know and love V.O.I.D. Give in to it. Accept it. Accept me. Welcome to Utopia.'' |
| 290 | * SlouchOfVillainy: Unlike the other Evil Geniuses, Zalika always lounges in her personal chair sideways, rather than sitting in it straight. She uses her feet to tap the screens floating by her. |
| 291 | * TheSmartGuy: Takes this role from Maxmillian who had it in the first game. Not only do her scientists research faster, but her priority-order ability also makes it so they restore their smarts when researching... effectively making rest almost completely unnecessary for them and thus allowing research to proceed uninterrupted. |
| 292 | ** Her role as this is also further reinforced in her campaign by the fact that she is the only Genius of the default four who actually designs her superweapon personally. The other three all steal, interrogate, or otherwise get their ideas from others and having their scientists do the research. |
| 293 | * TokenMinority: The only black Evil Genius. In one of Polar's main story missions where she has to reach out to one of the other Geniuses for consultation, Zalika's position on the world stage puts her in the Northern S.A.B.R.E. districts, around where Libya would be on the globe. |
| 294 | * TotalitarianUtilitarian: Her ultimate motivation. She wants to lead humanity into a golden age of science... and to do that, they all need to submit to her every will and command. |
| 295 | * VisionaryVillain: Zalika's end goal is a scientific utopia for the betterment of mankind, though mostly because [[CondescendingCompassion she thinks humanity is already mindlessly compliant and needs someone to rule over them.]] |
| 296 | [[/folder]] |
| 297 | |
| 298 | [[folder:Polar]] |
| 299 | [[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/evil_genius_2_polar.jpg]] |
| 300 | [[caption-width-right:285:Colder Than Ice]] |
| 301 | |
| 302 | ->''If I can't see my breath, [[PunctuatedForEmphasis it's. Too. Warm.]]'' |
| 303 | -->'''Voiced by:''' Rachel August |
| 304 | |
| 305 | When she was a girl, Pilar's most cherished time were in the winter, when the pond froze over so she could skate on it. But pollution escalated. The Earth warmed. The pond stopped freezing. And Pilar -- now Polar -- resolved to undo the damage to the environment and bring winter back. |
| 306 | |
| 307 | Polar first mastered the science of cryonics. Her breakthroughs in freezing tech were eagerly financed by a consortium of billionaires. But when she realized they just wanted to freeze themselves to ride out the incipient climate apocalypse, she shattered them and went her own way. |
| 308 | |
| 309 | Polar regards herself apart from other evil geniuses. While they wish to conquer or destroy the world, she wishes to save it. It's humanity where she draws the line. The way she sees it, humanity broke the Earth, so humanity must buy it, and she's quite happy to help humanity find its chequebook. |
| 310 | |
| 311 | Not included in the base game, Polar was added as the long-awaited fifth Genius as part of the Oceans DLC in February 2022. |
| 312 | |
| 313 | ---- |
| 314 | * ArtificialLimbs: Her two arms are replaced with cybernetic prostheses. |
| 315 | * CloseRangeCombatant: Much like Emma, Polar doesn't have any manner of ranged weapon and, if she has to fight, she will get up close to the enemy to whack them with her staff. |
| 316 | * DeadGuyOnDisplay: Much like Max's golden statues, Polar's upgraded execution method freezes her victims solid, allowing the player to display their frozen corpse around the base. |
| 317 | * EndlessWinter: This is her end goal, to freeze over every nation in the world via her personal Doomsday Device Z.E.R.O. |
| 318 | * HollywoodCyborg: It doesn't appear to be limited to her arms, with how she's able to install upgrades to her systems to give herself higher stats in general. |
| 319 | * HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Polar wishes to bring about an EndlessWinter at the expense of mankind and civilization, whom she views as the true evil for destroying nature and caused irreversible climate change with pollution. |
| 320 | * AnIcePerson: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Polar's motif and powers are all based around freezing her enemies, and eventually, the world. |
| 321 | * LiterallyShatteredLives: What she did to the greedy billionaires who initially footed the bill for her research into cryonics, as they simply coveted the tech for their own use. |
| 322 | * MechanicallyUnusualFighter: She's given the opportunity to upgrade various stats for herself in between major chapters, and relies heavily on Engineering, which is a DLC concept for the game that the other geniuses treat as optional. |
| 323 | * OneHitPolyKill: Unlike her fellow Geniuses, Polar's endgame phase doesn't let her fire her doomsday device at the individual territories of the world. Rather, it's one massive shot that will impact ''all'' of them at once. The drawback to this is that such a huge hit takes a lot of time to impact, during which the Forces of Justice (and any remaining crime lords) will pull out all the stops to try and stop her, [[HoldTheLine and it will be up to you to keep Polar alive until the countdown finishes.]] |
| 324 | * SchroedingersPlayerCharacter: Noteworthy inversion. The other campaigns don't mention the unchosen avatars, but one of Polar's missions involves bringing on one of the others at the player's choice as a consultant. She'd been trying to pursue her goals through legitimate channels for the early portion of the game, and when that didn't work, she decided to get advice from other evil geniuses on a more ''aggressive'' approach. Rather oddly, Max doesn't have a node of his own, so the only available options are Emma, Ivan, and Zalika. |
| 325 | * SpicyLatina: Her former name, "Pilar", is a feminine name of Spanish origin in honor of the Virgin Mary ("Maria del Pilar"). This, along with the cold winter mentioned by her bio, suggests that Polar hailed from the North of Spain, the only Spanish territory in the world where such a climate can be observed. Inverted in temperament, however, as she's literally AnIcePerson with a generally-agreeable disposition, instead of being HotBlooded or sassy as the typical examples of this trope would be, at least not until somebody presses her BerserkButton. |
| 326 | * ShoutOut: One of her minion-executing soundbites is "There might be some momentary discomfort". Notably this was a phrase used by Mr. Freeze [[Recap/BatmanBeyondS1E7Meltdown when he appeared]] in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''. |
| 327 | * ThenLetMeBeEvil: Unlike the rest of the lot, Polar didn't start her campaign as entirely evil. In fact, the better portion of her first act revolves around Polar trying to diplomatically court the representatives of the Forces of Justice to foot the bill for her eco projects, but the repeated rebuffing from them pushed her off the deep end, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and she decided to take matters into her own hands.]] By the time they've begun capitulating to her requests, Polar has begun plotting the more sinister aspects of her plan, with the centerpiece being the dreaded project Z.E.R.O. |
| 328 | * WellIntentionedExtremist: In a different flavor to Zalika. |
| 329 | ** Polar operates with the planet's best interest in her mind, [[EcoTerrorist with the keyword being "the planet" and not "mankind".]] She is all too happy for most of humanity to go the way of the dodo due to the damage they've done to the environment, they're only getting their just desserts. |
| 330 | ** Becomes subverted when you consider that her plans for an EndlessWinter will effectively kill off anything that wasn't adapted to living in cold climates to begin with, and the few animal species she went out of her way to save were cherry-picked to her liking instead of in the name of preservation (even then, she only takes ''one'' of each species [[note]] Though in regards to that, cloning technology ''is'' unlockable. [[/note]]). If her bio is any indication, Polar only seems keen on bringing back the ice and snow she loves instead of everything else nature has to offer, [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist so she's not as noble as she makes herself out to be.]] A P.A.T.R.I.O.T. representative rejects her freezing prototype offhand because they're already ''working on fixing climate change'' and her "solution" is effectively (as he puts it) "the cure is worse than the disease". |
| 331 | [[/folder]] |
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