Shocker

Many of the villains conferred amongst one another, others deliberated privately. Of them all, one caught Doom's interest. A tall figure, clad head to toe in a quilted suit, with heavy metal gauntlets upon his forearms. Few would have marked the Shocker as a villain of note—he most often quarreled with Spider-Man, and from his dossier, Doom knew that the man's ambitions were extremely modest. A career criminal with an emphasis on "career," who wished only to amass enough money that he could quit and live comfortably and independently.

Yet there were hidden talents in the Shocker. Doom had investigated some of his technology. A self-taught engineer of surprising promise, the Shocker had a knack for practical solutions and innovations. Not necessarily a creative genius, but someone who knew how to refine and improve upon existing methods and technologies. Or to turn existing technology to his own ends. Hence the use of his vibration-emitting gauntlets to silently tumble open safes...and to spar with those with super-strength.

Doom watched as the Shocker stepped forward and touched a holographic display. Navigated through the accumulated data on Susan Storm. Zeroed in on the times that the Invisible Woman had been defeated or disabled. Powerful as she was with her invisible **** fields, her reaction time was only human...as was her biology. A psychic ****, a puff of knock-out gas, easy enough to render her **** and utterly ****.

Yet "****" was not the assignment. Doom's eyes narrowed as he saw the Shocker cross-correlate certain data with Susan Storm's biometrics. Sensitivity to certain stimuli. Hormonal cycles. Psychological profiles. The armored tyrant could not quite make the connection, yet there was a pattern in the Shocker's research...until, not long after, the quilted head looked up at doom and said:

"I have an idea."

Doom gestured for him to come forward.

Once the Shocker passed within the invisible bubble of Doom's personal time sphere, the other villaisn seemed to freeze in place. Locked in a moment, the plucky blue-collar costumed safecracker from the Bronx was now alone with Doctor Doom, a villain so far out of his league that they could hardly have been said to be in the same league.

"Well?" Doom spoke, his iron mask set in a permanent frown.

The Shocker tapped a holographic display. Paibok the Power Skrull, an old enemy of his enemies, appeared on screen. The spy nanobot had captured the part of the battle where the Skrull had unleashed a bolt of bio-electricity that had created a backlash through the Invisible Woman's forcefield and shocked her.

"Her invisible forcefields aren't just a defense or an offense. They're like an extension of her own electromagnetic aura," the Shocker said. "The Skrulls used that to put her out of commission, but they could have done more—a lot more. I think if I modifiy my shock-tech, I can directly affect her through her forcefields. Not to hurt her or kill her, but to manipulate her. Microvibrations that trigger changes in her body."

Despite himself, Doom was impressed. It was a mode of attack he had not even considered.

"Manipulate her how?" the Latverian monarch asked. "And to what end?"

The Shocker quickly swiped the holographic window over to Sue Storm's biometrics. "These readings show the Invisible Woman gets excited during battle. All that adrenaline, the action...she gets off on it. I think we can amplify that. Encourage it. Train her to crave that kind of stimulation. Until she seeks it out on her own."

"Like Pavlov's dog, salivating whenever the bell rings," Doom mused aloud. "If we can modify your equipment in this way, it will require a substantial boost in your abilities...for you would need to 'encounter' the Invisible Woman multiple times."

The Shocker nodded. "Hit and run. We'll need to keep her under surveillance. Whenever she's alone, I'll pull a heist...she'll come to get me...and then I shock it to her!"

There was an edge of excitement to the Shocker's voice. Behind his mask, Doom gave a thin-lipped smile. There were definitely certain possibilities here. Though not necessarily the ones that the Shocker himself had considered. Still, he could prove a useful pawn in this game.

"Very well. Let us plan when and where you shall strike first..."