Well, the world isn't going to take over itself now, is it?
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 to 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.
This series contains examples of:
- Art-Style Dissonance: The series has a gritty art-style and is reminiscent of comic books from the 80s and 90s, down to the character designs, yet it is a comedy series instead of a serious straight-laced web cartoon in the style of its comic book inspiration.
- Bad Boss: He likes offing his minions, and talks down to them a lot... yeah, he's not great.
- Bald of Evil: The titular Mastermind himself.
- Beleaguered Assistant: The one recurring secretary.Secretary: My life in your service is a... series of unforeseen adventures, sir.
- Big "WHAT?!": The Mastermind engages in this, but not because of anger or disbelief; he's just melodramatically asking his minions to repeat what they said to him.
- Diabolical Mastermind
- Evil Overlord: What he's aiming for.
- N.G.O. 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.
- Embarrassing Nickname: One of the mooks is named Gaylord, but the Mastermind calls him "Gayman".
- Evil Laugh
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!:Mob boss: I don't know why I keep showing up to these stupid meetings.Mastermind: Well, I don't know why I even call them, do you?Mob boss: Oui, oui. To get one of us to answer your stupid question about why you called the meeting... oh.
- Face Framed in Shadow: How the Mastermind is often depicted.
- Gas Chamber: The Mastermind once tried a variation of this by locking his minions in the room with him and ordering a burrito.
- Gassy Gastronomy: The Mastermind once tries to create a Gas Chamber by locking his minions in a room with him and ordering a cheesy bean burrito.
- Genre Savvy: During a meeting wherein the Mastermind intends to pull a You Have Failed Me on one of his minions, they all refuse to reply when he asks if anyone knows why he called the meeting, having figured out that he's just going to kill whoever answers. Unfortunately, he manages to outsmart them; see Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: One across the Mastermind's lips, and a line of omnipresent stitches over his head.
- I Am Spartacus:Mastermind: If you aren't the one saying "Balls," point to the one who is saying "Balls!"
Lackey 1: It was me!
Lackey 2: Right here!
Lackey 3: This one over here! - No Name Given: He is known simply as "Mastermind."
- Once More, with Volume!: Subverted. When Mastermind screams "WHAT?!", it is not because he is angry at someone, but because he wants them to repeat what they said.Mastermind: No, seriously, I didn't hear you the first time. No, I'm not being funny. I didn't hear a word you said. It was like I was in my own zone, blanked out and never came back.
- 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.
- That Came Out Wrong: In the fourth episode, this happens:Mastermind: Cherry cola! Does anyone dare to try it? I promise you, it tastes like mouth sex![All the lieutenants are disgusted]Mastermind: It is like having sex in your mouth.Mob boss: So, it is like oral sex, then?Mastermind: Um, I don't think I'm explaining this correctly.
- Walking Techbane: We never see him do anything with technology but push buttons and pull triggers, but he was apparently 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 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. And in the other case, when a minion doesn't remember, the trap door ended up just dropping him in the cafeteria.
