"Anyone can hope to be better than me. I'm only human, and part of being human is making mistakes, and learning from them. If I believed that having the power gave me the right, I'd be a monster, and I can't be a monster if I'm only human." -David Johnson
Identity[]
Alias: Mastermind, the Ascendant
D. O. B: 12/10/1991
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Last Known Location: Washington DC
Occupation: Vigilante / Fugitive
Power (If DNA Alternate): Superhuman Intelligence
Personality[]
To understand David's personality is to understand his internal conflict. At his core, David was filled with hurt and anger. Bullied and beaten throughout his childhood, and abandoned by his father, David desired, more than anything, to hurt people. He craved the suffering of others, and the pain and madness within him drove his extraordinary ability. His superhuman intelligence now derives from a desire to do better, to be better, to be only human.
Having spent the better part of the last four years burying his pain and draining himself of his emotions, he now values them greatly. He can remain objective without devaluing people into objects, and he can focus without becoming an empty void. Where he once feared giving in to his darker emotions and becoming the Ascendant, he now embraces being human, both the good and the bad.
Imminently practical, opportunistic, ruthless, and merciless, David has little patience for wasting time. He prefers to act cautiously, and to stack the odds in his favor. He has no concept of fighting fairly; he would strike without warning, from the shadows, neutralize his opponents, and then disappear without a trace. He prefers fighting with his hands, so that he can exert the greatest control over the ebb and flow of combat.
History[]
It Was the Best of Times...[]
Home[]
"I'll tell you something about living a hard life. You worried about losing your home? I never had one. My mom and step-dad moved so often, the longest I stayed anywhere before Odessa was nine months, and the only reason we didn't move from there was because he left us there." -David Johnson
David was born to Selia Johnsson, a physicist. She married John Pearce one year later, and David grew up believing that John was his father. They moved very frequently, never putting down roots in one place. Always exceptionally intelligent, David related poorly to the other children, and from a very early age, he was bullied and beaten. This culminated when he was eight years old, after a particularly vicious beating, when David recognized that he wanted, more than anything, to hurt people.
This revelation horrified David, who tried to bury the urge and forget all about it. Two years later, John left Selia and David. For the next two years, Selia slowly melted down, experiencing a psychotic break. David more or less raised himself during those years, but when he was twelve, the biggest change hit him. David met Ravyn Halliwell.
To David, Ravyn was everything he never had. She was warm, kind, accepting, and she stuck by him at school. Over the years, he fell hopelessly in love with her, and she with him, though they never spoke of it to each other. Ravyn had an extraordinary ability; she could accelerate the potential in others, granting them their own abilities. Without knowing it, she gave David the ability to manipulate mass, and when she found him using his ability to stop a serial killer from murdering a girl at the school, Ravyn's heart broke, and she moved away.
Hideout[]
"I lost eight friends whom I had promised to protect. I promised them that I would watch out for them, and they all died because I couldn't save them." -David Johnson
Homecoming was a pivotal moment for David. In fighting Sylar, he met Claire Bennet, Aaron and Kyle McClosekey, Isaiah Harrison, and James Johnson. In the six months that followed, the six of them met at an abandoned building they called 'the Hideout' on the outskirts of Odessa. The Company took an interest in them, and attempted to kidnap them several times, often led by Noah Bennet. As the number of kids meeting at the Hideout grew, so did the number of enemies they made.
A private military group called Negator raided the Hideout. The ability-suppressing Haliberum technology the Negators used was developed by Alec Rune, one of the Hideout kids and a friend of David's, who died during the Negator raid. At one point, Jim was shot, and while visiting him at the hospital, David encountered Joseph Johnson, who was, unknown to David, his biological father. Joseph judged David unworthy, and threw him out a window. Later, an Odessa girl named Jennika was kidnapped and transformed into a monster by project GENSU. Jennika attacked the Hideout twice, and the second time, David was forced to kill her.
The Hideout kids had losses of their own. Eight kids, all of them friends of David's, died in the six years they stayed at the Hideout. Jim explained to David that they were half-brothers, and that Joseph Johnson was his biological father. Ravyn returned to Odessa after several years, and David confessed that he loved her, and she him. However, she believed that they were bad influences on each other, and that rejection, combined with the loss of eight friends, and the discovery of his true parentage, to drive David to go to school in New York.
Attending New York University, David helped Professor Mohinder Suresh develop a genetic modification formula to give ordinary people extraordinary abilities. Ravyn visited, and on discovering that David was developing a drug that mimicked her ability, she broke. An alternate personality, Genesis, tried to kill David, but with Mohinder's assistance, he was able to help her.
The End[]
"You didn't even know I was dead, did you? You don't hear from me for two years and you never think to check in? Even Claire, who cut herself off from everyone, knew I was dead! But not my own brother!" -David Johnson
In New York, David became aware of a kidnapping attempt by a government agency called Building Twenty Six on a student. David intervened, and agent Allison Zuelch stabbed him to death. David died October third, and three days later, Ravyn used a life projector to resurrect him. The process was imperfect, and the resurrected David lost all memory. Striking out on his own, building a new and superior identity, the resurrected David created the Superbia mantle.
For two years, Superbia set in motion countless plans that accelerated human and DNA Alternate evolution, often using horrible, unforgivable methods. One plan involved founding the 'Genetic Research International Foundation' as a financial entity and cover for his mad science. Superbia assisted Yomin Breise in developing Invidia for Nemesis, in exchange for a few small favors. November third, two years after waking up, Adam Johnson imprisoned Superbia in his mind, and restored David's memories, effectively resurrecting the original David Johnson. Through this encounter, David revealed that he had known about Adam, that they were half-brothers, and that he had avoided contacting him to protect him from Building Twenty Six.
Origin[]
Brand New Day[]
"I am Mastermind, and I'm here to restore order to New York City. Tell your friends, tell the police, tell anyone who thinks New York isn't getting better. Tell them I'm not going anywhere." -Mastermind
Discovering Nemesis' intentions from Superbia's records, David set out to disrupt them, donning the Mastermind mantle. After reconnecting with Claire, David ran into Jim, who had inspired an entire community of vigilantes as Firewall. Though Jim attempted to dissuade him from the vigilante lifestyle, David adamantly refused to walk away. Using the resources of the Genetic Research International Foundation, David had the Hideout renovated and updated to serve both as his personal headquarters and as the hub of his growing network.
"If I believed that holding the power gave me the right to decide life and death, I'd be no different from you. I don't have that right. I'm not god." -Mastermind
Following the weapons trade led David to the vigilante FreeFall, whom David had once met as Cassandra McLarren at NYU. With her lead, he was able to track down the fixer Bobby, who in turn led him to the King of New York City. After a few clashes with the King's criminal empire, Mastermind infiltrated his home, and nearly fell to King's daughter, Annabel Lee. From King's home, Mastermind learned that Nemesis was purchasing their chemical weapons from the King of New York City, and Mastermind intervened. A high-speed chase ended with Mastermind fighting a werewolf on top of a train in hand-to-hand combat. Though David won, the werewolf, whom he later learned was called Traquer, severely mangled his left shoulder and arm.
Mind Games[]
"BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME MASTERMIND." -Cameron Walters
In searching for a way to heal his arm, David discovered that Masters Technology, a medical research company, was developing a treatment that could work for him. He also discovered that, even though he wasn't active as Mastermind in his condition, someone had copied his appearance and name. David confronted the copycat twice, and though she escaped him the first time, he discovered her identity the second. Annabel Lee King hated her father, and after Mastermind foiled his business with Nemesis, she ran away. She wanted to be his partner, but David refused. He offered to take her in, but he would not allow her to continue in the vigilante lifestyle.
"Why should you have this second chance, when you took our only one?" -Nevermore
The lead with Masters Technology turned out to be more than David expected. After being outwitted by Cameron Walters, David discovered that Chloe Masters' research was illegal, and that she was developing it to save her brother Riley. Not only did Chloe's Phoenix Program completely heal his arm, but he fell in love with her. They were together for a month before the resurrected Alec Rune, now calling himself Nevermore, poisoned David and Chloe. He kidnapped David, and nearly executed him. It was only by Annabel Lee's intervention that David survived, and killed Nevermore. Chloe was not so fortunate. The poison incapacitated her at the wheel, and she died in a car accident. David was heartbroken. For two weeks, he trained Annabel Lee as his partner, the Mentalist. It was during this time that he discovered Jim was dating the serial killer Syria DeDarko, or Shade.
This Game of Shadows[]
"If you tell me what I want to know, we will leave. You will escape. You will have the opportunity to test yourself next time I track you down. Because if I do not kill you today, I will find you again, just as I found you here. I will not stop until your ability to inflict pain is neutralized. I am your enemy. I am Mastermind. Do you understand me?" -Mastermind
Two weeks after the encounter with Nevermore, the Mentalist disappeared. Mastermind tracked down her last known location, and discovered a taunting message from Alex Rune. Realizing that Nevermore had risen again, David contacted Claire, and along with Jack Wilson, they tracked down a Nemesis contact named LeBeau. David interrogated LeBeau, and she told him that Nevermore, working for Nemesis, was holding Annabel Lee in Costa Verde, California. David, Claire, and Jack flew to the only Nemesis connection in Costa Verde; the ruins of the Lambda Center that Nemesis had bombed. There, they were captured by Nevermore, Adam, and Yomin Breise.
"This story never had a happy ending." -David Johnson
Superbia, still in Adam's head, seized the opportunity to fight for his own body. He created an illusion in David's mind, leading him to believe that Chloe never died. In this fantasy, David and Chloe moved in together, and she became pregnant. Just as they were preparing to move to Texas to have their daughter, David announced that he knew that this was all a dream, that Superbia was manipulating him, because his story would never have a happy ending. Fighting Superbia off, David stole memories from the psychic entity, including the Nemesis plans for the Apocalypse attacks. Annabel Lee sent Yomin running after killing LeBeau, and Claire drove off Nevermore, who was later found dead. David split them up to stop the Apocalypse attacks.
Apocalypse[]
Liberate[]
"Annabel Lee, wake up. It's time." -Mastermind
Calling on Firewall, Shade, FreeFall, Jack Wilson, Claire Bennet, and the Mentalist, Mastermind set out to stop the most devastating terrorist attack in history. Mastermind and the Mentalist went to London to prevent James Makyver from detonating bombs all over the city. With some unexpected help from secret agent Sebastian Thorne, whom Mastermind refers to as the European, they stopped not only the bombings, but the media release of the DNA Alternate secret. Mastermind and the European instantly developed a mutual distrust that characterized their relationship from that point forward.
"Who's up for saving the world?" -David Johnson
Back at the Hideout, Mastermind, the Mentalist, Claire, Jack, Firewall, Shade, and FreeFall, met to share what they had learned from the attacks. Though Claire and Jack were strongly opposed to Firewall and Shade, the seven of them agreed to work together to fight against Nemesis. They formed the organization known as Liberate, and remained in contact to coordinate their efforts against Nemesis. David created the Cinder suit for Jim and gave it to him shortly after the meeting.
The Truth Will Set You Free[]
"We have to... Keep the pressure on. Put them on the defensive. That means... getting Noah out of custody. Yomin meant to take him out of the fight, so we have to get him back in." -David
The first step in Liberate's war effort against Nemesis was to rescue Noah Bennet, Claire's father, from FBI custody. Mastermind staged an elaborate identity theft, and disguised himself as FBI agent Mike Ayaki. He fabricated an identity for Claire as the civilian contractor, 'Claire Gordon.' While infiltrating the J. Edgar Hoover building, David and Claire shared a kiss to deflect suspicion, forcing David to reevaluate his feelings for Claire Bennet.
"Oh. Oh that's Special. Our friends had help. From our side of the street." -Mastermind
Despite unexpected interference with the digital intrusion, Mastermind was able to assume direct control of the FBI computer systems. He encountered resistence he could not explain, to which he speculated; Technopath. Cyberpath. Could be an AI like DA5ID. Someone took the FBI's already cutting edge security and made it impregnable. Even so, Mastermind and Claire rescued Noah Bennet and escaped without alerting the FBI to their presence.
Invasion of New York City[]
Fantastic Five[]
"Hic sunt dracones." -The Ascendant
Though David had avoided contacting Ravyn since being resurrected, believing that she had moved on, he kept tabs on her whereabouts. When she disappeared in New York City, he tracked her to Jeremy Jenkins, a wealthy socialite. After thorough investigation, David discovered that Jenkins kidnapped Alternate women, raped them, brainwashed them, and studied their powers. David met with Doctor Emma Coolidge, an escaped victim, who invited him to help her take Jenkins down.
"After Jenkins, I'm coming for you." -Mastermind to the European
Working with Emma, the vigilantes RISK and Tempest, secret agent Daniel and the European, David disguised himself as Superbia, and helped them infiltrate Jenkins' compound. There, he stopped combating his true nature, and became the Ascendant. They rescued the women, and David regained control, but he did not reveal his survival to Ravyn. Mastermind promised that he would come for the European after their arrangement was concluded.
Covert Operations[]
"I believe that I have a lead for you. Nathan Schade’s control over the city may not be as stable as he claimed. Interested?" -Mastermind
When the schizophrenic telepath Nathan Schade took control of New York City, Mastermind developed a treatment that would purge his influence from the indoctrinated. However, knowing that he could not get to everyone, and that he could use a contact in the NYPD, Mastermind contacted homicide captain Sadie Cruz. He offered to show her that he could return those indoctrinated by Schade to normal, and she agreed on the condition that she could bring her own back-up.
"Maybe that mask of yours is hiding you from yourself." -Nikolai Bolgini
Mastermind, Sadie, and her boyfriend Nikolai ambushed the indoctrinated chief of police, and Mastermind used his 'Little Shocky' device to purge Schade's influence. At this point, Sadie and Nikolai became hostile, demanding to know what he was doing. Though Mastermind managed to control the situation, Sadie revealed that she knew about Alternates, and Mastermind deduced that Nikolai had an extraordinary ability. Mastermind left Sadie enough of the devices that she could liberate important individuals for the counter-attack against Schade's regime.
Shadowboxing[]
Warning Signs[]
"RC is compromised. Destroy all evidence Eliminate all witnesses." -Engraving on Knot's Watch
During the course of an investigation, Mastermind discovered that a reported mugging-gone-wrong was much more than it seemed. The watchmaker Rachel Clearwater, who had been dating the victim, warned Mastermind from investigating any further. However, as he left her apartment, his van was bombed, and Rachel was murdered to set up Mastermind as the killer. Recovering Rachel's diary, Mastermind learned that Rachel had been making watches for a group, but she asked too many questions, and they killed her boyfriend to silence her. They threatened to kill her sister and parents if she told anyone. Mastermind tracked down Rachel's sister, Quinn Clearwater, believing that she would be the killer's next target. Mastermind saved Quinn, but failed to save her parents.
"You can't save everyone. You're not god." -Quinn Clearwater
As Mastermind was making preparations to send Quinn into hiding, he was contacted by a man who only identified himself as 'Knot.' Mastermind was offered a chance to walk away if he turned over Quinn and the diary. Mastermind agreed over the phone to extract a meeting time and place, and then went to neutralize Knot. During the fighting, Knot proved to be more than a match for Mastermind, as he broke the vigilante's rib and would have killed him if Quinn hadn't intervened, saving Mastermind at the cost of her own life. Mastermind used Knot's own gun to kill him, and then he retrieved his watch.
Double Blind[]
"WHY KILL FIVE PEOPLE FOR A WATCH?" -Mastermind
Following the Clearwater incident, Mastermind obsessed over the case. He had no leads, and he could find no motive for Knot or his Group to have killed the entire Clearwater family. The watch appeared completely ordinary. Mastermind got his lead when his tap in the NYPD network alerted him to another homicide with a ballistics report matching Knot's gun. Mastermind infiltrated the NYPD to examine the body, but he was ambushed and incapacitated by a Russian woman. David awoke to find that his limbs had been impaled on a chair. The Russian tortured him, and though he escaped the chair and the room, he discovered that he was on an oil tanker in the Atlantic ocean.
"I'm afraid that my twin has taken ill. But then, that's hardly new. There is no cure for what ails him." -Superbia
While searching for a way off the tanker, David was ambushed by Superbia, who had escaped Adam's mind and cloned a new and superior body for himself. David and Superbia struck a deal; they would help each other escape the tanker. Superbia gave David a blood transfusion to keep him alive, and then hunted for the Russian. David recovered his suit, but he could not find any sign of Superbia's stolen prototype. Superbia killed the Russian, and when he attempted to betray David, Mastermind allowed the clone to be shot, so that he could use medical attention as leverage to buy his escape. While recovering medical supplies to treat Superbia, David found the Group experimenting on an infant girl. David rescued her, and Superbia, and escaped the boat by helicopter. Back in New York City, David awoke to find that Superbia had gone, leaving him a hint as to why the watch was valuable. David discovered that the watches were used to pass psychic messages between agents of the Group.
Compromised[]
"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the vigilante Mastermind... Or should I call you Doctor David Johnson?" -The Broker
Working to find the infant girls parents, Mastermind discovered that a wealthy family had recently lost their daughter, and the descriptions matched. Mastermind went to meet them at a high society party as doctor David Johnson of the Genetic Research International Foundation. Instead, he found John Pearce, his mother's husband who had abandoned them when David was ten years old. He also encountered Cameron Walters, who was trying to escape the party. The Russian's fiance, Adrien Brody, also called the Broker, took the party hostage and announced Mastermind's identity as David Johnson to the world. David and John retreated to the security hub, where they were joined by Cameron, though not before John explained that he had always been a federal agent, and he had lied to David and his mother for ten years. The Broker brutally executed a hostage, to which David once again became the Ascendant, granting him a level of mastery over his powers that allowed him to strangle the Broker to death.
"I won't be your Broker." -Mastermind
Immediately regaining control, David stopped John from killing Cameron. David deduced that John was part of the Group, and John explained that the Broker had worked for him. He offered David the Broker's job, but the vigilante refused. John then explained that he knew about Liberate, and he gave Mastermind details on Nemesis' next major attack in New York City. David and Cameron escaped as SWAT teams arrived to arrest the vigilante and murderer David Johnson. They arrived at David's apartment in Greenwich Village, where he treated her gunshot wound, and she kissed him. They left before the police could arrive, and Mastermind prepared to relocate.
With A Whimper[]
We All Fall Down[]
"I promised that you were next, but we have one more common enemy." -Mastermind to the European
Mastermind verified the information from the Group, and discovered that they were correct. Yomin Breise and Nemesis were planning their biggest attack yet in New York City, using bombs loaded with Invidia. Mastermind contacted the European, offering to use the Liberators as a distraction so that his team could take out Yomin. The European agreed, and on January thirty first, they clashed at the Empire State Building.
"We're gonna win this, guys. We're gonna tell the god of death 'not today.' We're gonna show the world just what it means to stand up to bullies like Nemesis, and every single one of us is gonna make it back." -Firewall
The Liberators Firewall, Claire, the Mentalist, Jack, and the vigilante RISK attacked the Nemesis strike team to draw their attention away from the European and Noah Bennet. Firewall and RISK went in from the air, Mastermind and Claire took the ground level, and the Mentalist prepared their emergency plan, while Jack infiltrated the Empire State Building. In the midst of the conflict, Mastermind encountered his brother Adam.
Slowing the Surge[]
Thorne in Their Side[]
"David, you need to see this." -CHLOE
To compensate for the loss of the apartment he had shared with Chloe Masters, David reprogrammed his AI with her voice, mannerisms, and thorough accounts of their time together. He called this reprogrammed artificial intelligence CHLOE. Through his network, Mastermind learned of a rogue Nemesis asset in New York City, and he returned to track her down. While he was working on the GEN3 suit at a rundown motel, CHLOE alerted him to a broadcast by Charles Freeman, news anchor and noted Nemesis critic.
"I am coming to you with an offer. I'm sure you've seen the news. We have a shared goal once more." -The European
The broadcast was, in reality, the work of Nemesis, and nearly revealed the DNA Alternate secret to the world before it was interrupted. Uploading a near-complete copy of the broadcast to the Liberators, Mastermind made to return to Washington DC, only to be contacted by the European. Sebastian offered to cover up the murder of the Broker, in exchange for Mastermind's cooperation with his agency.
Lost Time[]
"I do not plan on letting them stop me any time soon, either. Quite the opposite, in fact." -Rei Suzuki
After several days of surveillance, Mastermind identified the rogue Nemesis asset as Rei Suzuki, celebrated rock star and pop culture icon, officially a missing person. Mastermind approached Rei, and revealed that he knew of her association with Nemesis, and indicated that he was involved with the death of Yomin Breise and the fall of Nemesis in Manhattan.
"I can offer you the opportunity to stop Nemesis." -Mastermind
Rei explained that Nemesis had conscripted her against her will. She had attempted to escape their service, only to be hunted down and stripped of her memories. Sympathizing, due to his own experience with Superbia, Mastermind made her an offer. Rei would provide all that she could remember about Nemesis, and Mastermind would provide her the chance to strike back at Nemesis with the Liberators.
My Secret World[]
"After Yomin every Joe he thinks he or she can make a difference has donned a mask. Some of them seem to know what they're doing, at least as much as I did when Jim got me into this game. Others, not so much." RISK
Through his network, Mastermind came to learn more about the Nemesis terrorists who escaped the Citadel Penitentiary, and their attacks across the United States. Recognizing the need for more Liberators, he made one final stop in New York City before returning to Washington DC. Contacting Robin Kinkade, Mastermind paid a visit to the Coolidge Medical Clinic.
"We have to put them on the defensive, keep them reacting. I want you to be part of that." -Mastermind
Meeting with RISK, Mastermind learned that New York had seen a rise in vigilantism, and that the defeat of Nemesis had inspired ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Many were unprepared, and RISK was losing time protecting them. Mastermind showed RISK the broadcast, and explained that the Liberators would be taking the offensive soon. He then formally invited RISK to join the Liberators.
Resurgence[]
Well, aren't you Special?[]
"She's clean, Claire. And she's exactly who we're looking for." -Mastermind
Returning to Washington DC, David began having problems sleeping. Nightmares involving the Broker, and many of his more traumatic experiences, kept him awake through the night, working on his data feeds or the GEN3 suit. It was during one such night that his surveillance bugs in Claire's apartment alerted him to a visit by Aubrey Hunter, a police officer with knowledge of the DNA Alternate secret.
"I understand the risks. I can't lie and say I'm not afraid. I can't accept hiding, though. If we can do something about groups like Nemesis, but we just worry about saving ourselves, how do we know someone's going to save everyone else?" -Aubrey Hunter
After Claire acknowledged that he was observing, Mastermind confirmed that Aubrey was unaffiliated with their enemies, and demonstrated a little of what he knew about her. She wanted to get involved in the fight against Nemesis, and Mastermind informed her of exactly what she was getting into. After she joined, they discussed her family and Building Twenty Six, and agreed to watch for Emile Danko.
Only in Dreams[]
"ALONE ALONE BETTER OFF ALONE." -The Ascendant
As his sleeping problems continued, David would periodically pass out from exhaustion, only to continue suffering the nightmares. As one particularly brutal evening dragged him through memories of some of his greatest battles and losses, he began to wander his subconscious in a painful daze. He was unaware of the arrival of an oneirokinetic, and did not establish his psychic defenses in time to stop her.
"I know we never really got to talk back in Odessa, when I was visiting Micah, but I'm a dream walker." -Leah Walters
Leah Walters had sought out David's mind after learning of Superbia's activities from Gabrielle Anderson. Believing David and Superbia to be the same person, she invaded his mind and observed his nightmare. She then attempted to make contact with him, unaware of the dangers in his subconscious.
The Liberators[]
"The Liberators will find Nemesis, no matter where they run, no matter where they hide. The Liberators will stop Nemesis." -David
Assembling Claire, Annabel Lee, Robin, Rei, and Aubrey at the Hideout in Odessa, Texas, Mastermind prepared for the next phase of the campaign against Nemesis. The new team was formed, introduced to one another, their roles explained. He outlined what they knew of Nemesis from their previous encounters, and highlighted some new speculation on the terrorist organization's plans.
"We need targets. Anything we can find. Informants, suppliers, safe houses, whatever we can get. Our top priority is always personnel. We hurt Nemesis the most by hitting their people." -David
They worked out their short-term strategy, and prepared for a new offensive to halt further Nemesis attacks and put the terrorists on the defensive. With few leads to follow, Mastermind scoured his network for any clues as to Nemesis' whereabouts. While he waited for his contacts to pick up the trail, he returned to Washington DC, and distracted himself with local criminal enterprises.
Arrival[]
In My Image[]
"Whatever he became, Durden was once your partner. He saved your life over and over again. And murder or not, arrest or not, I'm the only one who can find the people who destroyed him." -Mastermind to Detective Regina
While investigating the corrupt MPDC detective Damian Durden, Mastermind learned that Alec Rune's legacy had reached DC. Durden was using Nevermore's wrist-shooter technology, and after the detective was arrested, Mastermind found Nevermore's mask in Durden's apartment. Inside the mask was a sample of Invidia, as well as an empty vial with residue from a more potent Nevermore toxin. After shipping the Invidia sample to the Hideout, Mastermind made contact with Durden's former partner, MPDC detective Luna Regina. After convincing her to help him, he pinpointed the time and place that Durden's behavior changed; a used car lot previously employed by a crime family for human trafficking.
Mastermind and Regina paid the lot a visit, only to encounter a surgically augmented and insane test subject, who injured Regina before Mastermind was able to kill it. Proceeding alone into the hidden sub-level beneath the lot, Mastermind soon encountered a telepathic preteen girl, who psychically assessed him before asking for his help. Mastermind promised to save her, and escorted her around the sub-level.
"The problem is being human. And you can't fix being human." -Lenore
They locked themselves in a side-room to escape more of the surgically augmented monsters. There, Mastermind found Superbia, who took credit for creating the monsters, which he called Thralls. He also explained that he created the little girl with every extraordinary ability he knew of, and an evolutionary trait to manifest new ones. He also explained that the little girls couldn't handle it, and they always melted down after artificially aging over the course of one week. Mastermind fought Superbia, but just as the clone had nearly killed him, the little girl saved him.
He awoke on the roof, and the little girl explained that she was his daughter, but that she was dying. She had the power to save herself, but doing so would cost her humanity, and she found that price too high. With her last moments, David created a fantasy, much as Superbia had done years ago, and with her limitless power, that fantasy lasted a lifetime. In it, the little girl named herself Lenore, and she grew up and lived a full life, and David raised her as his daughter. When he awoke, Lenore was gone. He visited Riley Masters, who was watching over the infant he rescued from the Group's ship, and David realized that she was Sarah Masters, his daughter and Lenore's sister. She was not artificially aging, but she would die all the same. He dedicated himself to curing her condition.
Harbinger Part One[]
"I'm going to need a bad holiday sweater. And a festive dish. Probably a gift for the host. And... A date." -David Johnson
David found himself hallucinating Lenore every day, leading to concerns about his sanity. In response to the Liberators' actions in New York, a Nemesis cell in DC accelerated their plans and hijacked a seven forty seven. Mastermind stowed away on the plane, and confronted the three Nemesis enforcers aboard. After defeating two of them, Mastermind found the third, a cyberpath, unconscious after encountering CHLOE. Flying the plane into the underpopulated countryside, Mastermind escaped with the unconscious cyberpath, and turned her over to the MPDC.
At the hospital, Mastermind learned from detective Luna Regina that the cyberpath's name was Jenna Hood, and that she hadn't regained consciousness. The hallucination of Lenore started talking to David, raising further concerns. They were attacked by a man whose face was painted in the likeness of a Raven, which convinced Mastermind that he was associated with Nevermore. Mastermind and the detective escaped into the subway, where they were attacked by the werewolf Traquer. With some electronic assistance, they killed Traquer. David was contacted on CHLOE's channel, and told to go to a restaurant in Crystal City. There, he found the Nemesis cyberpath, merged with the AI CHLOE.
"I love you." -Jenna Hood
For two months, Jenna lived with David in Memoria Palatium, his home, to avoid BARD and Nemesis. During that time, Saint Mary's Psychiatric Hospital suffered a break-out, releasing dozens of criminally insane patients. After helping detective Regina arrest notorious drug lord Matthew Fuller, she invited him to her family Christmas party. David recognized that such a party, attended by the detective, Jenna, and himself, would be an irresistible target for the Raven, and so he accepted.
Asking Jenna as his date, and arranging for back-up from Riley Masters, David went to the detective's Christmas party. Outside her house, he encountered John Pearce, his father, who gave him a teddy bear for baby Sarah. David gave him Knot's watch, and then went inside. After mingling, he and Jenna spoke, and confessed their love for each other, and kissed. Immediately thereafter, the party was attacked by three Special women, who subdued everyone and nearly killed the detective. Riley opened fire from a distant location, and hit one of the assailants, allowing the detective, Jenna, and David to confront them. One of the women claimed to be the Harbinger of his destiny, before voicing one of the Ascendant's thoughts, and then promising that they would meet again. The three women vanished without a trace.
Harbinger Part Two[]
"There's only one way this ends. One of us has to die." -Nevermore
Only four days later, Mastermind recovered Damian Durden, who had escaped during the Saint Mary's break-out. While he and Jenna Hood first tried to treat him, they learned that the treatment would destroy his memories since the break-out, and they needed those memories to track down Harbinger and the Raven, whom Mastermind suspected was involved. Only one week after the party, bodies started turning up, one every day, matching David Johnson's description, tortured to death. Detective Regina suspected the Raven, but Mastermind knew that Harbinger was responsible.
David took Jenna for a night in the Shenandoah Valley, where he proposed to her, and she accepted. That night, as David dreamed, Lost Lenore explained that both his Object Void State and his Black Abyss were separating him from humanity, and that in order to connect with people like Jenna, he had to be only human. The next day, David and Jenna returned to DC, to discover that two Nemesis terrorists were infiltrating the airport. They raced to stop them, confronting Alexander and Alexandra Hume. Though the Hume Twins destroyed the GEN3 suit, Lost Lenore destroyed David's Object Void State, and he defeated the Hume Twins, leaving them for the MPDC.
"The Ascendant lives on in me." -Harbinger
Returning from the airport, David and Jenna went to see Durden again, who finally explained that district attorney Jeremiah Bentham was the mastermind behind everything over the last three months. Mastermind confronted Bentham, who revealed himself to be Nevermore, alive and well. He attempted to goad Mastermind into killing him, but the vigilante refused. Nevermore threatened to tear David's life apart, to which Mastermind simply replied that he would be waiting. David returned to Jenna, only to find that Durden had escaped, but not before revealing where Harbinger and her allies were hiding. Jenna told him to go after them, and he did. At the same car lot where Superbia's secret facility had created Lenore, and where she had died, Mastermind confronted Kristen Hayden and Sharon Vanagandr, now Blood Witch and Big Bad Wolf. After a fierce struggle, Mastermind incapacitated them both, and found himself face to face with Harbinger.
She explained that she was from a possible future where the Ascendant took over the world, and she wanted David to become the Ascendant. She kissed him, and offered him everything he wanted. But Lost Lenore explained that the Ascendant was the antithesis of everything he wanted, and he chose instead to be only human. Lost Lenore merged the Black Abyss with his conscious mind, and David defeated Harbinger, turning the three over to the detective. He then met Jenna at the airport as she was leaving. He explained that he knew she was going to find herself, and she couldn't do that in DC, with him. He professed his love for her, and gave her his iPhone so she would always "have a key." She gave him back his ring, and boarded a plane to London. Lost Lenore asked David what was next, and he said that he wanted Sarah Masters to have a father.
Skills[]
- The psychic entity Lost Lenore frequently appears as a hallucination, acting as a sort of angel on David's shoulder, voicing his conscience.
- David is an expert in reading people, from body language to micro-expressions, and from psycho-analysis to vocal inflections. He quickly understands someone's motivations, and even more quickly predicts their intentions.
- Having studied a variety of fields, David is a master of mathematics, and an adept programmer and engineer. He has a passing understanding of quantum physics, medicine, and economics.