The premier issue
The Second Life of Doctor Mirage was a comic-book series created by Bob Layton and Bernard Chang, and published by Valiant Comics.
Hwen Mirage and Carmen Ruiz are a husband-and-wife team of parapsychologists who investigate paranormal activity. When their latest job puts them on the radar of the mysterious Master Darque, Hwen is rendered incorporeal, but gains the ability to control necromantic energy. Together with Carmen's martial-arts skills, he sets out to thwart Darque's plans and figure out how to restore his body.
In the new 10's, the franchise was rebooted with Death-Defying Doctor Mirage. While it features a version of Hwen, it is a very different series.
This series contains examples of:
- Affectionate Nickname: Hwen calls Carmen "crazy legs" because of her very long, muscular legs.
- Albinos Are Freaks: Master Darque has chalk-white skin (albeit covered in colorful tattoos) and an evil soul. His ostracism from society is probably more because of his use of dark magic, but the chalk-white skin doesn't exactly help convince people that he's a good guy.
- Battle Couple: Hwen uses his energy powers, while Carmen uses her martial-arts skills.
- Butt-Dialing Mordor: In the first issue, Hwen accidentally ends up in Master Darque's crosshairs after conducting experiments with necromantic energy, which disrupts Darque's own attempts to summon the energy for his own ends.
- Cheap Costume: Doctor Mirage's costume is actually just a ski outfit that he was wearing when Master Darque discorporated him.
- Fan Disservice: Master Darque spends an inordinate amount of time naked, which would not be so bad if he wasn't skinny, old, and deathly pale.
- Genius Bruiser: In addition to being a skilled capoeira fighter, Carmen is also a genius engineer. She builds all of Hwen's equipment.
- Happily Married: Hwen and Carmen are a very happy, functional couple, even after Hwen becomes non-corporeal.
- Insistent Terminology: Hwen and Carmen are parapsychologists, not "ghostbusters".
- Intangibility: The downside of Doctor Mirage's powers are the fact that he is no longer tangible.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: Carmen's parents aren't happy about her marrying an Asian man, especially a non-corporeal one.
- Non-Action Guy: Even before becoming intangible, Hwen isn't a very physically-adept guy.
- The Power of Love: Hwen is kept in the physical world by his love for Carmen. Absent that, he might have passed on to the other world when Master Darque discorporated him.
- Statuesque Stunner: Carmen is tall and gorgeous.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Hwen hates dealing with the "gooey stuff" that comes with investigating the paranormal.
