Cerebra's Files

Mastermind

Real Name: Unknown
Affiliation: None
Previous Affiliations: Hellfire Club NY, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (I), Factor Three
Aliases: Jason Wyngarde
Relatives: Martinique Jason (Mastermind III, daughter), Regan Wyngarde (Lady Mastermind, daughter)
Status: Deceased (Legacy Virus)
Alternate-X Versions: (AOA), (Ultimate), Jason/Mutant 143 (Movieverse - variant), (Evolution)
Codename Etymology: Pronounced măs'tər-mīnd' [From Latin, magister + Old English, gemynd]; One who plans complex projects.
Powers & History: Mastermind could project sophisticated illusions that fooled almost everyone. As a member of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, he helped Magneto against the X-Men time and again. After Magneto appeared to have died, Mastermind was among those mutants captured by Larry Trask's Sentinels and put in a containment unit. Following the X-Men's defeat of the Sentinels, Mastermind teamed with Blob and Unus in running a fake carnival and other assorted schemes. Mastermind's powers were critical to these efforts, and were also useful when the mutant leader Krueger found Avia, Angel III and later Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Candy Southern. Mastermind's powers faked up the cash with which the villains bought the captured heroes. Then Mastermind tried to convince Jean that the Blob was Cyclops, but that failed, as did the illusions he cast around the male X-Men, once they figured out that Mastermind was involved. Then Krueger showed up for revenge and his energy-draining powers left Mastermind helpless.

Mastermind is most noted for using a mind-tap device to convince Phoenix II that she had loved him in a previous life, thereby seducing her into becoming the Hellfire Club's Black Queen, a move which precipitated her transformation into Dark Phoenix. When she broke free of Mastermind's control, Phoenix expanded his consciousness to god-like proportions and he nearly went insane for a time. He returned to disrupt Wolverine's marriage to Mariko Yashida and then to convince the X-Men that Madelyne Pryor was Dark Phoenix reborn in an attempt to ruin her wedding to Cyclops by having the X-Men kill her. This taking of an innocent's life would also have destroyed the X-Men as individuals and as a team. Due to his prior experience with Mastermind, Cyclops was able to discern his involvement and work through the illusions to defeat the villain. Mastermind apparently was then transferred to the Muir Island facility.

Shortly after the formation of Excalibur, Mastermind lured Captain Britain to his cell and switched places with him. He used Cap's form for a while, and though his teammates noticed a surly change in personality, and Widget and Lockheed reacted to him with unease, no one detected his presence. Finally, Mastermind made his move on Phoenix III, posing as her dead love Franklin Richards (from "Days of Future Past") and maneuvering her into mind-linking with him. Through the mind-link, Mastermind was once again in touch with the god-like power the original Phoenix had exposed him to. Fortunately, Nightcrawler deduced Mastermind's involvement and snapped Rachel out of his illusion. Rachel then called on the full power of the Phoenix, ripping it away from Mastermind and leaving him nearly a vegetable. He was returned to Muir Island.

Over time, Mastermind's mind healed itself somewhat, but he then contracted the Legacy Virus. Before he died, he wanted to apologize to Phoenix IV for what he did to "her" while he was with the Hellfire Club. Phoenix, Iceman, and Bishop came to Muir, and Mastermind linked with them, putting them in a fantasy scenario in his mind. He intended to give them the gift of their realized dreams, but his powers were so out-of-control from the Virus that they were trapped. His last act was to shove Jean out of his mind, so that she wouldn't die with him.

Jason Wyngarde ran a large tech company that was working on a new microprocessor to compete with Stark Industries. Things looked bleak when Stark unveiled an even better microprocessor the same day. However, when Howard Stark's treachery was revealed and Stark Industries was nationalized, Wyngarde's company was poised to dominate the field.