Mastermind (web animation)
A series of Web Animations by Michael Swain (of Blockhead fame), Mastermind is about the eponymous Diabolical Mastermind and the day-to-day occurrences of his machinations to bring the world to its knees.
The series begins here. In addition to the five episodes up as of this writing, there is a spinoff RTS game, Mastermind World Conqueror, as well as a spoof of the code-breaking board game, here.
Tropes used in Mastermind (web animation) include:
- Bad Boss: Quite possibly the Most Triumphant Example.
- Bald of Evil
- Beleaguered Assistant: The one recurring secretary.
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Secretary: My life in your service is a... series of unforeseen adventures, sir. |
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- Diabolical Mastermind
- Evil Overlord: What he's aiming for.
- NGO Superpower: It's unknown exactly how the Mastermind makes his money (the game implies robbery and various legitimate side businesses), but he has a standing army of loyal minions and has the power base to wipe whole cities off the face of the planet.
- Evil Laugh
- Face Framed in Shadow: Often how the Mastermind is depicted.
- Gag Boobs: Dark Ophelia. Literally, "a pair of tits, with legs." She/it communicates by Gainaxing.
- Gas Chamber: The Mastermind once tried a variation of this by locking his minions in the room with him and ordering a burrito.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: One across the Mastermind's lips, and a line of omnipresent stitches over his head.
- I Am Spartacus:
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Mastermind: If you aren't the one saying "Balls," point to the one who is saying "Balls!" |
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- No Name Given: He is known simply as "Mastermind."
- Reverb of Doom: Mastermind has this going for him.
- Shark Pool: A favored method of execution for heroes and minions alike. Though at least on his moon base, the trapdoor just leads to the cafeteria.
- Space Base: One of the possible bases you can occupy in the game (and the setting of Mastermind 5) is on the moon.
- Walking Techbane: We never see him do anything with technology but push buttons and pull triggers, but he was apparantly able to tangle up a wireless router in such a manner that impeded its operation.
- Wave Motion Gun: The Doom Laser. May or may not also be a Kill Sat. The Mastermind also keeps a smaller, portable version on hand for executions and the like.
- Worth It: One lackey dooms his last chance of not getting blown up in Finland for one last call of "BALLS!"
- You Have Failed Me...: Seems to do this at least once per meeting. He actually won't proceed with the point of the meeting until he's found an excuse to kill someone, regardless of what the meeting was called for in the first place. Unfortunately for him, his minions are quite Genre Savvy and have gotten wise to his process until one of them inadvertently answers the question of why he's called the meeting in the first place. Luckily, the trap door ended up just dropping him in the cafeteria.