The Amazing Mumbo [Adopted by Bark]

Codename: The Amazing Mumbo
Nickname(s): Mumbo, Ian Layfield
Age: 63
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Is this a canon?: Yes. Not to be confused with a cannon.



Hair Color: Grey
Eye Color: Blue
Gender: Male
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 169lbs
Other Traits: Mumbo is a lanky, elderly man who has gone naturally bald. He often wears braces with a plain white shirt. When transformed by the wand, his hair changes colour to white and his skin to light blue. He gains a goatee and divided pencil moustache. Physically he is several years younger, as the lack of wrinkles show. His outfit consists of a black tuxedo, equipped with dickey-bow and a small flower decoration below his left shoulder. Fancy black shoes, white gloves, his top-hat, and a red cape complete the effect. His bandit career is indicated by the small black mask he wears over his eyes.



Main Power Origins: Borrowed Magic

Powers
Mumbo makes use of a magic wand he found to conjure up a variety of magical feats. Below is the entirety of what he can achieve:

Seen in show:
- The first and most potent trick Mumbo used was to enchant himself. Undoing the effects of old age and granting him a more cartoonish interaction with physics. Dodging has become far easier, and he is able to leap across rooftops with a single bound. A side-effect is that his skin has been tainted blue somehow.
- Straitjackets and mummification can be employed to bind and gag people. Though victims usually have opportunity to fight back before they can be ensnared.
- Explosives are readily conjured and can take the form of throwing bombs or bouncing balls. Their detonation is comparable to that of a firecracker.
- Mumbo can change outfit with a wave of his wand. Usually used for comedic effect, as his skin is still blue and therefore renders it useless as a disguise.
- Any brick wall can be dismantled, without danger to structural integrity, allowing no bigger than a man-sized hole for passing. The opening is then magically resealed.
- Inanimate objects ranging up to the size of a bus can suddenly vanish, but must immediately reappear within the immediate vicinity. This can effect only one object at a time.
- A trio of metal hoops may be called upon to surround a person for two purposes. Constricting them, or levitating them in horizontal fashion.
- Mumbo may summon a chain of hankies from up his sleeve to use as either a whip or lasso.
- The flower on his suit can douse anyone in front of him with a short high-pressure burst of water.
- Flicking playing cards at an opponent will cause them to be momentarily inundated with the plastic.
- From his hat, or via replicas that he leaves behind as trigger-activated traps, Mumbo can summon a burst of doves or toy bunnies.
- His cape, when used in matador fashion, will hide the sudden appearance of a small brick wall.
- Conjuring a stage crook allows him to pull people closer.
- When close, Mumbo can entrap a person inside a wooden box for use in other tricks. Namely sawing them in half or impaling them with swords.
- Though the pocket dimension in his hat is no longer powerful enough to hoover people in, it can still be employed as a vacuum for paper. Specifically bank notes.

Additional:
- Where there are no waves, it is possible to walk on water.
- Any object broken or torn by Mumbo can be restored to its previous quality if done so within a minute of destruction. This includes complex devices such as a watch.
- If a bullet or similar projectile is fired at him, Mumbo may catch it in his teeth. Though this can only be done one at a time.
- The Indian Rope Trick made real. A sinuous material may be enchanted to defy physics and rise from the ground for purposes of climbing up.
- For short demonstrations Mumbo's hands can appear to separate from his body and move on their own. Yet they are still connected to him and any pain they receive is felt by him.
- Most locks can be disengaged magically.
- Mirrors can be summoned to redirect weak laser and light based attacks.
- A puff of smoke can be used to envelop an area, allowing for escapes. However, this works best indoors, dissipating in only seconds among fresh air.

Skills
* Exceptional prestidigitation
* Exceptional escapology
* Exceptional appraising
Knowledge of the jewellers' trade
Knowledge of precious stones
Fencing goods
Stagecraft
Performance
Driving

Abilities
None

Physical Weaknesses
- Of powers: While the magic he possess is infinitely more diverse than stage tricks, Mumbo's obsession with his former profession and developed insanity means he will only ever be limited to magician paraphernalia. Perhaps if someone else could make the wand work for them, though for reasons unknown it appears to favour Mumbo. And though he may brag about his wide range of abilities, his magic is inferior to the average variety, allowing his tricks to be easily countered and dispelled. As the wand is his power source, should anything happen to it any and all spells will be undone. His power levels varied in the old days. There are various things Mumbo used to be able to do but can no longer. This includes animating the inanimate, transmogrification, and trapping foes inside his hat.

- Of body: Without the wand he is an elderly man with back problems, male pattern baldness, and that weird pain in his elbow when it rains.

Mental Weaknesses
- Insanity: An unfortunate side-effect of using the wand upon himself is that Mumbo has gone mad. His slightly insane schemes are proof of such.

- Pride: Mumbo is narcissistic to the point of irrationality. He is susceptible to insults and flattery.

- Dastardly Villain Syndrome: It may be a stereotype, but Mumbo is more inclined to humiliate his enemies when they are at his mercy before actually killing them. This allows for tables to be turned.

- Vengeful: Mumbo remembers ill-favours and is obsessed with getting his own back. This can make him predictable.

Equipment
- Magic wand: The origins of this enchanted artefact are unknown. Mumbo just happened to receive it as a gift. It is the source of all his power. Even when broken it is capable of repairing itself with time (explaining Mumbo's subsequent returns). In other people's hands the item was always inert. Either it is has chosen Mumbo or only the ex-stage magician knows how to unlock its power.

- Magic hat: A by-product of the wand. Inside the seemingly normal top-hat lies a pocket dimension that previously stored a whole theatre. Since then the size distortions have scaled down. The hat is now only useful as a place to store loot.



Personality
No doubt an interesting case for any psychiatrist. Mumbo's mind has been warped, exaggerating some features of his personality to near caricature extremes. Unfortunately this seems to have only effected negative aspects, turning Mumbo into something of a trademark, moustache-twiddling villain. He yearns for two things. Ludicrous amounts of wealth and infamy. He wants it known when he robs a bank or bests his foes. The object of crime is not to get away with it, but to rub people's faces in it.

Pride is the vice most accentuated. Mumbo is infinitely proud of his achievements and magical skill. He boasts like there is no tomorrow and is quick to show up critics. In fact he obsesses on reviews, making these revenge schemes inevitable. Additionally he obsesses on other things such as theme. Such a psychosis in fact adversely effects his powers limiting them to stage magic, though Mumbo is unaware of this. He's the spoiled child given a megaphone, abusing his gift every chance he gets.

A lifetime of disappointment and jealousy has caused him to become quite ambitious. The goal is not to rob one jewellery store, but a whole city of jewellery stores in one day. In doing so Mumbo will play to an audience's expectations, as he is used to performances. This leads him to put on a theatrical display with the aim of distinguishing himself as a villain. For all intents and purposes he is an attention-seeker at their worst.



Family Members: Clive Layfield (Father) - Deceased, Alice Layfield (Mother) - Deceased
Place of Origin: Columbia, Kentucky

History
There wasn't much to Mumbo before he turned super-villain. As a child he was naturally fascinated with stage performance. He would hold small shows for his family and bask in their praise. While he continued gaining skill with illusions, Mumbo sensibly took a more professional job. Eventually he was fully trained as a jeweller. It was a steady income, though he was constantly tempted by the valuables he could not have.

Then one fateful day he stole some diamonds from stock, noticing a clerical error and thinking no one would ever be able to tell. They could. Though his boss could never prove anything, he was certain enough to fire who he suspected of the theft. Mumbo was shamed in the jewellers' world, but had enough of a nest egg to make a rebound. This time he splashed out on his life's dream – to become a stage magician. The Amazing Mumbo was born.

Fully kitted and act polished, Mumbo put his utmost into his performances. Though he never made it big-time. His friends would tell him he wasn't ambitious enough. Their dismissal infuriated Mumbo who could do nothing but throw more money at the problem. He was soon bankrupted.

Debt-ridden and ruined, Mumbo became more desperate for approval, even to star as an opener for better illusionists whom he resented. Before one of these gigs, someone left what he assumed was an old prop wand at his dressing-room door. No one knew anything about the delivery, whether it was from a fan or even mocking him. He used it anyway, his magic was suddenly real to the trade of his sanity. Mumbo vowed to make good use of the unexpected boon. To begin his unstoppable act of crime.

On numerous occasions he found himself at odds with the superhero Teen Titans who opposed his crime spree. Many times he was defeated and convicted, only to escape. Upon the most recent of these he had backed the Brotherhood of Evil. He was housed in jail until an extra-dimensional intervention broke everyone out.

This hasn't put him immediately back to work like some of the other of Jump's Most Notorious. He must first recover his wand. A task more difficult with each passing arrest



Lock-down procedure initiated. Nobody left the building, not now that someone had broken in. Four heavyset guards mobilised from the security station and took off at a dash down the corridors. They were fully armoured, well armed, and determined. A fifth man radioed instructions to them via headgear. The police had been contacted. Their intruder was still trapped inside the deposit hall. All they need do was apprehend the lowlife ready to be taken to jail.

One guard keyed in the security override. The other three covered him. Steadily they inched inside the vast storage room and locked the steel doors back shut behind them. Something was amiss. The room appeared untouched all except for a lone draw that hung open. Its contents had been taken.

Suddenly, from an undetermined source, smoke began to arise. A massive gas cloud enveloped the agitated security personnel, forcing them to bunch together. They each steeled themselves for the expected sneak attack, when at last someone spoke, “Announcing The Amazing Mumbo!”

The smoke cleared to reveal a tuxedoed man spinning a white-tipped wand about his fingers. As he caught the stick, he turned his attention to the bewildered men with a gaping smile. His left hand removed a top-hat as he moved in to bow.

“Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. I -The Amazing Mumbo- will shock and astound you tonight with my magical act – the man who could steal anything. Yes anything! Your hearts, your minds, your secrets, right down to the shirt off your back. Even those looks on your faces; priceless.”

Mumbo's hat tumbled over his arm till it was back on his head. It had been years since he had felt such strength flowing through him. Magic was in his blood, now both figuratively and literally. It just had to be tested on some unfortunate security lackeys. They ordered him to get on the ground. The front-runner's gun suddenly vanished.

“Didn't your mother teach you to share?” The gun clattered at his feet, close enough to stand on. His opening demonstration hadn't gone over well though. One of the other men opened fire, causing Mumbo to duck or have his head lasered off. He scowled at the personnel as they unleashed another barrage. This time he was ready. With a wave of his wand a mirror intercepted the attack, reflecting it safely away. A second mirror was summoned to divert the lasers yet again straight back to their origin. Two men were knocked down.

The remaining couple were in rabble. Mumbo skipped around his mirror and unleashed a chain of hankies from his sleeve. The pieces of cloth wrapped around a man's legs and swung him into some lockers, head-butting one of them open. The madcap magician stepped over to view its contents.

To his pleasure it was an assortment of gemstones, “Ooo, emeralds. What do you think?” Mumbo turned, holding up the gem for his final combatant to see. That guard was currently baring down on him, “A gem of the finest water, eh?” The flower on his chest erupted like a geyser. His attacker was blown backwards in the resulting stream.

Mumbo hurriedly snatched himself a handful of emeralds and retreated to the back wall while the guards recovered. As expected, he still had it. Even better, he had experience now. This escape artist was never going behind bars again.

“Open Sesame.” The bricks in front of him parted, and he stepped through a changed man.

To this Canon creation there has been filled in some unknowns about Mumbo. Such as name, age, and history before discovery of the wand. His spells have also been divided between those revealed in the show and those I have added.

NICE. Just ALL AROUND Nice.

(I am no fan of canons but I do like The Amazing Mumbo! Well written too, a very nice read!)

Thanks! T_T

Look at that! It's Papa Smurf in the Cyan flesh! Insults aside, the classics are that for a reason. Now go put on a magical show for me to enjoy~