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 got a couple of screws loose 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. The Heavy Magician and her troop soon reunited with Eggman in the Zone, 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 Caterpillar 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 would later reappear to fight Sonic and co. again during their fight with the Phantom Egg.

Personality
The Heavy Magician is said to have a couple of screws loose after receiving newfound power from the Phantom Ruby. To add on 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 boss of Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2 and serves as the sixteenth boss overall in Sonic Mania.

Boss guide
When the battle begins, the Heavy Magician will appear from her box on top of the stage and go inside this box to transform into her various illusions. She has three types of illusions: Fang the Sniper (who will shoot bullets from his Popgun at the player), Bean the Dynamite (who will throw bombs at the player), and Bark the Polar Bear (who will slam at the stage using his hands to have the stage lights and other equipment from above fall on the player). A simple Spin Attack will reveal the illusion's trick, and the Heavy Magician will be stunned, giving the player enough time to attack. She will go through each character, in that order, twice until the player has hit the Heavy Magician eight times, to which she will admit defeat and vanish.

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.