Heavy Magician

The Heavy Magician (ヘビーマジシャン) is an antagonist that appears in Sonic Mania. A member of the Hard Boiled Heavies, the Heavy Magician is the enhanced version of an Egg-Robo created by Dr. Eggman after being struck with the power of the Phantom Ruby.

Appearance
Originally an Egg-Robo, the Heavy Magician received a makeover when she stumbled upon the Phantom Ruby. Decorated as a magician, the Heavy Magician's design reflects that of a yellow-colored jacket with a standard black and white tuxedo underneath her chest. She also possesses a yellow top hat with a red band, a red bowtie, red eyes, gray appendages, and a black lower torso. Her forefront is yellow. She also possesses a pair of bumpers on her belt line.

History
The Heavy Magician was originally an elite Egg-Robo who handled the most extreme tasks for her creator, Dr. Eggman. After detecting a mysterious energy source on Angel Island, Eggman sent the Heavy Magician and the other Hard Boiled Heavies to investigate. Upon reaching Angel Island, she and her troop excavated the energy source, the Phantom Ruby, just as Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower arrived. The Phantom Ruby promptly warped space-time around them, transforming the Heavy Magician into her magician attire along with her troop. As a side effect of the ruby, the Heavy Magician and her team gained free wills and personalities of their own, though they were driven mad in the process.

The Phantom Ruby transported the Hard Boiled Heavies, along with Sonic, Tails, and a nearby Knuckles the Echidna, to the Green Hill Zone, where the troop fled with the gemstone. After that, the Hard Boiled Heavies planned to keep the Phantom Ruby for themselves. The Heavy Magician and her troop soon met Eggman again though, who tried to command the group. When they would not listen though, Eggman snatched the Phantom Ruby from their clutches. The Heavy Magician and her troop then fled the scene.

The Heavy Magician was the third Hard Boiled Heavy that faced Sonic and co. First, she ambushed the trio in Mirage Saloon Zone, during which she pushed Knuckles off of the Tornado they currently flew in. Later on, she created a Uber Caterkiller for the heroes to subdue. When the trio finally cornered her, the Heavy Magician fought back using illusions of Fang the Sniper, Bean the Dynamite, and Bark the Polar Bear, but was still defeated and forced to retreat.

The Heavy Magician, now modified into the Phantom Magician, would later reappear to fight Sonic and co. again during their fight with the Phantom Egg.

Personality
The Heavy Magician is said to have gotten a couple of screws loose after receiving newfound power from the Phantom Ruby. In addition to her already insane behavior, she commands tricks and illusions that add to her nature as a mystic performer. Like the other Hard Boiled Heavies, she wishes to do harm to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles whether it be by orders from Eggman or by her own, chaotic nature.

Powers and abilities
The Heavy Magician, as her name implies, is a master of magic and illusions. Using her shapeshifting hat, she has the ability to transform herself into any individual. Unfortunately, a well-aimed hit can dispel her illusions. She also has the ability to conjure up any Badnik from her hat, like a magician can do with a rabbit. She is also able to teleport by disappearing into her hat.

Battle
The Heavy Magician is the second boss of Mirage Saloon Zone and the sixteenth overall boss of Sonic Mania. She is fought with Sonic, Tails or Knuckles at the end of Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2.

Boss guide
After the player drops into the arena, the Heavy Magician will appear from her box on top of the stage and tip her hat to the player, before going inside her box to assume an illusionary disguise. After a few seconds of rumbling, the box will fall to the ground and split open, revealing the Heavy Magician in one of her disguises (which are based on those on the wanted posters in Mirage Saloon Zone), each of whom has a different attack pattern. She will always transform in the following order: A simple Spin Attack to the Heavy Magician will break her illusion, after which she reverts to her normal form and remains stunned for a few seconds. In this state, the player is able to inflict damage upon her. After the first hit, she will resume the same illusion - a second hit will cause her to retreat to her magic box and transform into the next character in sequence. This will continue until the player has hit the Heavy Magician eight times, to which she will admit defeat and vanish. The player can then proceed to the Capsule and finish the Zone.
 * Fang the Sniper: As Fang, the Heavy Magician bounces around on her tail while shooting corks from her Popgun.
 * Bean the Dynamite: As Bean, the Heavy Magician throws bombs at the player.
 * Bark the Polar Bear: As Bark, the Heavy Magician slams into the ground repeatedly using her hands to make the stage lights and other equipment from above fall on the player.

Trivia

 * The Heavy Magician transforming into Fang, Bean, and Bark marks the first time since Sonic the Fighters that the trio have appeared (cameos aside) in a Sonic the Hedgehog game.
 * In the game files of Sonic Mania, the Heavy Magician is designated as the Heavy Mystic.
 * The sound effect used when the Heavy Magician transforms into Fang, Bean, or Bark is taken from various 8-bit Sonic titles when the player loses their Rings. This may be a reference to Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, the game Fang first appeared in.
 * Heavy Magician may be one of the two only females of the Boilded Heavies as shown in Sonic Mania,since the other one refered as a Female is Heavy Rider.