A Mutants and Mastermind Villain: By Cazmonster (Artwork by Ampere)

Solomon Wright was once The Remedy - a super-powered doctor who could heal injuries and cure sicknesses just by touching his patients. But he and the rest of the Samaritans ran afoul of the Black Heron and her minions while trying to get aid and medical help to a devastated Vietnam. The villainess used her connections with the Powers of Death to summon up powers that killed half the team in the first ambush. She tortured The Remedy, Soul Man and Good Sam over the course of months as international agencies and other super teams attempted to secure their release. Soul Man and Good Sam quickly succumbed to the combination of poisons, infection, abuse and the ever-present sweltering heat of the jungle. The Remedy's super-charged metabolism allowed him to withstand everything in Black Heron's arsenal. However, the ancient maladies that sickened the vast majority of the local population eventually found their way into his always-regenerating system. All too soon, he was racked with a constant cough, and sores all over his body that would not heal. The diseases had adapted, but still could not put The Remedy down.

However, the worst was a strain of bacterial meningitis that sent his body temperature soaring. As hallucinations and fever-madness ate away at The Remedy's last reserves, the diseases coursing through his body mutated voraciously. In a matter of days, his captors were sickened or dying from the diseases that Patient Zero continued to survive. Charged with madness and hatred for Black Heron, Patient Zero was able to escape. He left Black Heron in spasms, her nervous system overrun with illness. The rest of her fortress had become a charnel house of half-dead bloated bodies. The choking coughs of the dying were muffled by the buzz of fat-bodies flies and the maddened laughter of a broken hero.

Patient Zero was eventually found by Le Zhaou, China's solar-powered heroine. But not until he had created an epidemic all along the Mekong River, hundreds of thousands of people grew ill as he released pathogens into the waterways and through the small jungle cities. The two fought just outside of Da Nang and Le Zhaou was able to use her light-constructs to bind Zero until he was transferred to a holding facility provided by the American military.

Solomon spent years at a number of holding facilities, always heavily medicated and restrained, as psychiatrists and doctors attempted to reverse the abuses he suffered at Black Heron's hands. But the obsession to infect others with his diseases had grown too strong. Except for short times of clarity, Patient Zero devotes all of his energies to escaping whatever confinement he's been subjected to and infecting the world.

• Power Level: 14
• Age: 34
• Height: 6' 2"
• Weight: 145 pounds
• Hair: Black
• Eyes: Brown

Powers:

Dazzle +4: Patient Zero is wreathed in a cloud of noxious funk and putrefaction, byproducts of his continuously decomposing flesh and rampant infections. Any one who comes within 20 feet of him must make a Reflex Save (DC 14) have their sense of smell overwhelmed. Also, if they are dazzled, they must make a follow up Fortitude Save (DC 14) or be Nauseated. [Extras: Area Effect, Secondary Effect (Nausea); Flaws: Affects Minor Sense (Smell), Always On; No Range; Source: Mutation; Cost: 2pp Total: 8pp]

Drain +8: By combining a number of the toxic, necrotized fluids from his own body, Patient Zero creates a horrible, eventually lethal, affliction. Patient Zero must inject a target with his hypodermic, who must then make a Will Save (DC 20) or lose up to 8 ranks of Powers. Once established, Patient Zero can drain an additional 8 ranks per round. Patient Zero prefers to drain Super-Attributes and defensive powers. Drained powers return at a rate of 1 rank per day. The victim must make a follow up Fortitude Save (DC 20) or be infected with Zero Hemorrhage Plague. Finally, the victim is infectious - anyone who comes in contact with the victim while they still have Drained powers must make a Will Save (DC 18) or suffer the same effects. [Extras: Contagious, Slow Recovery x3; Flaws: Affects Patient Zero, Must use Hypo-Injector, Uses (4); Power Stunt: Secondary Effect (Disease); Source: Mutation; Cost: 3pp Total: 24pp]

Fatigue +8: Infested with voracious mutant strains of pneumonia bacteria and influenza viruses, Patient Zero convulsively hawks up an expanding cloud of debilitating microbes out to normal range. The target, and anyone within 35' of the target must make a Fortitude Save (DC 18) or be Fatigued. If anyone is fatigued, they must make a follow up Fortitude Save (DC 18) or be infected with Pulmonary Influenza. Anyone with Immunity (Suffocation) or any similar defenses against gases is immune to this power. [Extras: Area Effect, Secondary Effect (Disease); Flaws: Affects Patient Zero; Source: Mutation; Cost: 3pp Total: 24pp]

Mental Protection +4: Torn by multiple personalities and ravaged by neurological disorders, Patient Zero's brain is surprising resilient in the face of mental assault or probing. [Source: Psychic; Cost: 2pp Total: 8pp]

Paralysis +8: His body teems with a fast-acting virus, similar to one that causes meningitis. Patient Zero can inflict epileptic-like seizures in anyone he can touch, and keep them from moving or taking any physical action so long as he's touching them. The Paralysis is resisted with a Fortitude Save (DC 20). After the first round, Patient Zero can spend a free action while still touching the victim and keep them from making their save. Anyone with Immunity (Disease) or any similar defenses against infection is immune to this power. [Extra: Sustained; Flaw: Range (Touch); Power Stunt: Alternate Save (Fortitude); Source: Mutation; Cost: 2pp Total: 16pp]

Super-Constitution +4: Before his horrible transformation into Patient Zero, the hero known as The Remedy could use his supercharged metabolism and immune system to heal the injuries his companions suffered. Now, while he's still incredibly tough and resilient to harm, the crippled villain uses his powers to heal only sporadically, and loathes doing so. [Extras: Healing, Regeneration; Source: Super Science; Cost: 6pp Total: 24pp]

Flaws:

Disturbing: Infected with sores, babbling incoherently and smelling of decaying flesh, Patient Zero can not go unrecognized through normal society. He also suffers a -5 penalty on all Bluff and Diplomacy checks.

Quirk: His past as The Remedy haunts Patient Zero. Any time he's put under great stress (like fighting superheroes or taking lethal damage) there's a chance he'll revert to his original personality. Make a DC 19 Concentration check when you feel it's appropriate. Failure means Patient Zero loses a half action that round as the two personalities clash. Failing the roll by five or more points means that The Remedy has taken temporary control of Patient Zero. Most often, The Remedy will rant and rave about his current condition, and then try to help those he can with his Healing power. The Remedy will allow himself to be taken into custody, and may even pull off the Gas Mask, exposing himself to his Dazzle, Drain and Fatigue powers.

Devices:

Gas Mask: Patient Zero's Gas Mask gives him Power Immunity and Immunity (Suffocation) Source: Super-Science; Cost: 2pp

Feats:

Accurate Attack, Attack Finesse, Durability, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Penetrating Attack (Drain), Penetrating Attack (Paralysis), Rapid Healing, Skill Focus (Concentration), Surprise Strike, Talented (Hide & Move Silently), Talented (Medicine & Science), Toughness

Skills:

Concentration +8, Escape Artist +10, Hide +10, Medicine +10 (+12), Move Silently +10, Science (Immunology) +12

Tactics:

The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to Patient Zero is that he doesn't do much damage on his own. Most of his powers revolve around taking away the Heroes' ability to fight or to use their own powers. His Dazzle and Fatigue powers are great openers, giving Patient Zero an early advantage in a fight. In order to hit high defense heroes, he can use Accurate Attack on the primary target of his Fatigue Power, so long as he can do damage, there's a chance he'll infect them with Pulmonary Influenza. He'll follow up with Paralysis if the heroes are within range, seeking to knock out flyers or other fast-movers first. If he can deprive a hero of their Dodge bonus, either with one of his powers like Paralysis or through a sneak attack, he can combine Accurate Attack and Surprise Strike to virtually guarantee a hit with his Drain Power (+20 to hit, DC 22 Save, Drain 10 ranks of Powers). Also, he can use his Surprise Strike to wipe out a power in one attack (DC 25 Save, Drain 15 ranks of Powers).

While he doesn't have any movement powers, his skill check bonuses at Hide and Move Silently make it possible for him to elude heroes in built up areas. He can give them a blast of Fatigue or Dazzle, then drop back into an alleyway or other cover and wait to sucker-punch the heroes. Unless he's Paralyzed or currently Draining a hero, Patient Zero should stay in motion, either seeking cover from reprisals, or moving to engage more targets.

On the defensive, Patient Zero is nearly indestructible. The Regeneration extra from his Super Constitution, coupled with Rapid Healing, removes 2 Hits (stun or lethal) every other round, except for the tenth round of a fight. Durability means that no attack with a Damage Save of less than +11 can disable him, only stun him. Patient Zero can reliably run through superhero attacks and fight in dangerous areas (like a chemical plant) without fear of damage.

Using Patient Zero:

Patient Zero can easily be the central character in many plots. Use him to infect the City's water supply with Zero Hemorrhage Plague. Assassinate key members of the CDC with a new strain of Ebola. Or introduce other new diseases to the game through his research or escape from a holding facility. Patient Zero's mix of long-lasting powers and stealth abilities give you the opportunity to set up clues and detective work for your heroes. Why are folks in the Bowery all contracting a lethal and fast-acting strain of cholera? Is the rash of infectious spontaneous human combustion Patient Zero's handiwork?

Always keep in mind though that The Remedy is still part of Patient Zero. There's a good chance that the hero he had once been resurfaces. You may even want to work a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde theme into a game - have outbreaks of diseases disappear as quickly as they started. The Remedy will almost always be able to provide the Heroes with antidotes to whatever Patient Zero has decided to unleash on an unsuspecting world.

Game Notes:

Patient Zero has a +2 synergy bonus to Medicine when dealing with diseases. He also has a +2 synergy bonus to Science (Immunology) when dealing with any pathogens currently infecting someone.

Zero Hemorrhage Plague: This combination of bacterial strains and viruses quickly infects every organ and structure of the body and reduce them to a thick, rotted soup of infectious goo. The Fortitude Save against this disease is DC 14. The disease is dormant for one day and then causes two points of Constitution damage each day (make a save against each point of damage). Anyone who comes in contact with any fluids from the victim (like blood, sweat or vomit) must make a save or become infected themselves. Finally, this disease cannot be recovered from without a super power or medical attention. Successive Fortitude saves only prevent the Constitution damage.

Pulmonary Influenza: These microbes infect the lung and pulmonary tissues, leaving their victims listless and unable to breathe without considerable effort. The Fortitude Save against this disease is DC 18. The disease is dormant for eight hours and then inflicts one point of Strength damage each day and fatigues the victim. The disease is airborne, and anyone who spends an hour near the victim without proper protection must make a save or become infected themselves.