Bugaboo

Bugaboo is a mutant hero. He is an alternate-history version of Hardback from another timeline.

## Biography

Bugaboo was once a version of the Ringster native to an alternate timeline that was devastated by the Time Wizard. There he took part in a doomed assault on the villain that resulted in the deaths of dozens of heroes, and he narrowly escaped the massacre with his life. Wracked with guilt and desperate for any way to resist the Time Wizard, he stole UNTIL research on the villain's powers that seemed to indicate that the key to resisting his deadly aging attacks was to have an unnaturally long lifespan; after all, being forcibly aged two hundred years would do little harm to someone who could expect to live for millennia.

He began to experiment on himself with insect DNA, ignoring the risk of losing his humanity in the face of his overwhelming need for power. He eventually succeeding in transforming himself into a mutated human/insect hybrid, granting himself the extended lifespan he had sought along with a variety of bizarre powers. Unfortunately, by the time his research was completed, the Time Wizard had finished his preparations for an assault on the Prime Timeline and had left the dimension. With no other recourse, the hero began to develop his own crude time machine, and after decades of work he managed a one-way trip to follow the Time Wizard into the Prime Timeline.

He arrived in Chicago and immediately set about a plan to build an improved time machine, both as a weapon against the Time Wizard and a failsafe if the villain should escape capture. As an unknown mystery metahuman he ran amok in Chicago, stealing high-tech gadgetry, magical implements, and a great deal of cash. He stole from both heroes and villains, and even attempted to rob the Ringster of his stash of Saturnite. His flashy escapades drew the attention of the news, and since he had no name of his own, the silent super was dubbed "Bugaboo" by the media for his insect-based powers.

Eventually, the Contenders confronted Bugaboo in his hidden lair after he attempted to abduct Doctor Nano to extract his unique nanites. After a brief and furious battle, the heroes subdued Bugaboo long enough for Mentat to scan his mind, rifling through his memories and revealing his origin. Realizing that Bugaboo was a potential ally against the Time Wizard, they let him go and formed a loose alliance with him. In return, Bugaboo shared his insect-transformation serum with the Ringster, who immediately imbibed the concoction in order to gain the same protective longevity as Bugaboo. Since their DNA was identical, the serum proved very effective on the Ringster, who quickly transformed into his new form as Hardback.

Bugaboo lent the team significant insight into the Time Wizard's tactics, and when the time came to assault the villain's headquarters he was eager to be in the first wave of attackers. In the end, the heroes defeated the Time Wizard but failed to prevent him from fleeing into the timestream. Undaunted, Bugaboo used the Time Wizard's abandoned Chroniton Rod to research and develop new hybrid insects that could accumulate and harvest chronitons, allowing him to employ crude time travel properties of his own. When his research was complete, he shared this information with Hardback before departing into the time stream himself, eager to hunt down the Time Wizard and finish him off, once and for all.

Bugaboo apparently succeeded in his quest, stalking the Time Wizard relentlessly through the timeless void between dimensions and slaying him. He found his way back to the Prime Timeline when the Plutonian utilized massive amounts of chronitons in battle, the release of which acted as a beacon to the stranded Bugaboo and allowed him to retrace his steps back to Earth. He emerged holding the Time Wizard's severed head, displaying the grisly trophy for all to see.

## Personality

Bugaboo is a hero but with a time-traveler's perspective. He comes from a ruined world, and will break any law or taboo in order to prevent that same fate from befalling any other dimension. He is not vicious or sadistic by nature, but there is little he wouldn't do in pursuit of his goals. As a result, he will steal from anyone, including superheroes, and doesn't hesitate to dish out savage beatings to anyone who stands in his way. Although this behavior gave him a terrible reputation, ultimately he gave everything, including his humanity, in service to the selfless goal of stopping the Time Wizard's rampage.

Now that the menace of the Time Wizard has come to an end, Bugaboo is content to leave the Prime Timeline's course in the hands of those born to it. He knows that he is a visitor on this Earth, and doesn't want to usurp the place of his 'twin' Ringster. As such he now lives in secluded semi-retirement on the peaceful mutant haven of New Canaan.

## Powers

Bugaboo combines exceptional martial arts prowess with bizarre insect-derived powers. He can 'breed' insects inside his own flesh to aid him in battle, altering their DNA on the fly to provide nearly any effect he needs with just a little preparation. He also has the ability to climb on walls, spew sticky webs from his mouth, and secrete nerve toxins that can weaken and disorient his foes. In combat, Bugaboo prefers surprise attacks, often leaping out of nowhere to unleash a brutal series of blows on a lone foe before racing away towards his real objective. He is exceptionally slippery, and anyone who stands in his way is typically treated to a Passing Throw maneuver delivered with incredible skill and strength to hurl them far out of his path.

Bugaboo can communicate via pheromones, which grants him command over insects. He can call any insects in the area and bend them to his will to act as scouts and distractions. His carapace is heavily armored and infused with the same energy-absorbing Saturnite lattice as his prime-timeline doppelganger. His insectile nature also gives him potent enhanced senses, including 360-degree vision, infrared sight, and even the ability to "see" with his sense of taste, allowing him to fight easily while blinded.

Lastly, Bugaboo's genetic experimentation has granted him incredible longevity. Though not immortal, his natural lifespan is now measured in millennia. His insect physiology also only needs a few hours sleep each week to rest and recuperate, and he can survive on nothing but a little sugar for his nutritional needs.

## Weaknesses

Bugaboo is mute, having a thick carapace plate where his mouth should be. He can communicate using his pheromones, but few creatures could understand this 'speech' except for his insect minions.

A heavy reliance on his summoned insects left Bugaboo weak to AOE attacks, which could quickly wipe out his evasive but fragile minions. Certain common pesticides, harmless to humans, can prove disorienting and even deadly to Bugaboo thanks to his unique insectile DNA.

Because of his origin in another timeline, unique mutant DNA, and the trove of ultra-rare Saturnite in his body, Bugaboo is hunted by a variety of supervillains with various aims. Others hunt him for revenge, as he robbed and humiliated many supers during his early escapades in the Prime Timeline.