Mirage (Aladdin)

"Scratch a hero deep enough and you'll find the coward inside."

- Mirage "She hates good. She annihilates good. Evil is all she does."

- Iago about Mirage.

Mirage, the Evil Incarnate, is a major antagonist in the Aladdin television series. She is the Queen of Evil in the Aladdin universe, and she can compete with Jafar and Mozenrath for the title of Aladdin's most powerful and most dangerous foe. She is loosely based on the Egyptian goddess Bastet and she carries several references to ancient Egypt, such as her temple which looks like a Sphinx. She has also several other feline features: she often purrs, meows or hisses loudly, following her mood and her signature attack is a claw swipe-like energy blast. Because of this, Genie likes to taunt her by calling her "kitty" or by presenting her a squeaking, toy mouse; often to suffer her wrath in a painful way immediately after.

She is voiced by Bebe Neuwirth.

Background and Presentation
"I do love a tragic ending."

- Mirage

Mirage was once a "normal" enchantress, involved in a romantic relationship with the cyclops mage Phasir. After some time, she parted ways with him and became evil, rising in rank until she became the new Evil Incarnate. Why she turned to the Dark Side, and whether her feline features are in her nature or due to the influence of Evil is not known. What is sure is that since her downfall, Phasir keeps standing in her way, trying his best to keep her evil influence at bay, and patiently waiting for the moment when love will bring her back to his side. He attempted several times to convince her to renounce to her evil ways, but to no avail.

Being the Evil Incarnate, Mirage has no defined goal and she acts out of sheer malice. She reigns over the demonic world of Morbia: an endless void of everlasting night filled with floating rocks, where her Sphinx-like temple is located. She keeps an eye on the world through several crystal balls and chooses a place at random, where she causes strife, plagues or other disasters before passing to the next one. She controls many types of monsters, if not every kind of demonic being in the world, and sends them to attack a town or a village on a regular basis.

She also often attempts to increase the number of her minions: looking for people with a "seed of Evil" within them, tempting them with a promise of power and tricking them to become monsters under her command. Many of Mirage's Monsters (and even Mirage herself to some extent) feed and gain strength on the fear they cause to their victims. Because of this, they become weaker against someone who isn't afraid of them.

Personality
Mirage is unsurprisingly cruel, sadistic and sarcastic. She enjoys destruction and disarray, but she enjoys even more despair and broken dreams. She considers breaking her victim's spirit to be much more important than mere destruction, and as such, she intensely dislikes everything that can inspire people's faith, and she despises love and any other positive feeling. She hates Aladdin and cannot stand Genie, yet she displays a loathing respect towards them and acknowledges their merit (mostly Aladdin's). She would stop at nothing to defeat Aladdin but not necessarily to kill him, as she would be satisfied to let him live, either as her slave, or simply hopeless in front of the ruins of his beloved Agrabah.

Mirage is highly intelligent and manipulative. She knows very well how to use people's doubts and dislikes to her advantage. She is more of the scheming type and rarely directly involves herself more than she absolutely must. She prefers giving her instructions or set her plans and then watch the action in her temple of Morbia.

She has also several other feline features: she often purrs, meows or hisses loudly, following her mood and her signature attack is a claw swipe-like energy blast. Because of this, Genie likes to taunt her by calling her “Kitty” or by presenting her a squeaking, toy mouse; often to suffer her wrath in a painful way immediately after.

Powers and Abilities
"I have eternity to teach you fear. And even if it takes that long, you will learn fear, Aladdin!"

- Mirage to Aladdin.

Mirage is extremely powerful, being on an equal footing with Jafar, (as a sorcerer) Genie and Mozenrath, even probably higher. She wields many common powers such as flight, teleporting, inter-dimensional travel, glamour and shape-shifting, making images or avatar of herself appear out of nowhere, or seeing or talking where she isn't physically present.

True to her name, she can create illusions (normal ones or tangible ones) that draw from her victims' memories, or even illusionary places which she merges with the real world and which she can manipulate. Moreover, she can warp reality to the point of creating replicas of an entire city, including its population, controlling the elements and causing natural disasters. She controls shadows as well, as she is able to generate objects whose shadow erase from existence everything it comes in contact with, and rules the Shadow Realm where the evil El Katib are dwelling. She also has the ability to summon nightmares in sleeping minds.

She controls several monsters such as fire cats and the El Katib, and she exerts an influence over everything evil. She is very knowledgeable in Arcane Lore, especially regarding Dark Arts, as she knows every monster and demonic being, as well as every evil magical artifact that exists in the world. She knows where to find them and she can exploit everything they make happen. She can also use "traditional" sorcery such as spells and potions.

Mirage is never seen actually fighting but she masters several magical attacks: a claw swipe which sends slicing waves of green energy (her most used attack), green energy rays fired in rapid succession, green bolts of lightning, a huge array of green and black lightning all around her. She also displays great physical strength, being able to send Genie flying with a mere backhand.

In the Heat of the Fright
"But with my own eyes, I witness the unthinkable. You bowed down! You inflicted bruises, I ordered lacerations!"

- Mirage (scolding her defeated fire cats)

The episode in which Mirage is introduced.

Aladdin, Abu, Genie and Iago are following a river, making a map of the country nearing it, when they discover a village attacked by many demonic cats of fire, which can turn into fireballs. They engage a fight against the evil felines and manage to defeat them thanks to Genie's abundant tears. (He was watching Bambi on a TV set above the village: the moment when Bambi's mother is killed.)

The fire cats then return to Morbia where their queen, Mirage, the Evil Incarnate furiously remarks that they have been defeated. Mirage takes this as a personal challenge and drags Aladdin and his friends to Morbia, where they are tracked down by the hungry fire cats. Genie resolves to defeat Mirage on his own, and he goes to her temple, but fear gets the better of him and he proves unable to do any harm to the fire cats. As mirage revels in Genie's cowardice, Aladdin confronts her, claiming that Genie is no coward, given that he was brave enough to challenge her, thus restoring Genie's confidence. Being no longer afraid of them, Genie cannot be harmed by the fire cats and he defeats them with ease. Mirage lets them go, swearing revenge and adding a name to Aladdin's long list of foes.

Shadow of a Doubt
"Then don't go. And as the people of Agrabah succumb to their dark fate they will curse the hero who failed: Aladdin."

- Mirage to Aladdin as she disappears.

A noble lady called Sultana is invited for a diplomatic stay in Agrabah, and the Sultan shows her the town, the palace and even (albeit reluctantly) his private collections of toys. Sultana starts making strange comments about Agrabah being a peaceful kingdom, before revealing herself to be Mirage, shape-shifted. The Evil Incarnate has placed a huge black obelisk outside the town. As the sun sets, its shadow will extend, obliterating everything that comes in contact with it. If nothing is done to prevent this, by night time Agrabah will be history. Genie attempts to destroy the obelisk but all his efforts prove in vain.

Mirage gives Aladdin a sporting chance and tells him to go to the top of the world, (very likely the snowy desert where Jafar exiled Aladdin in the movie) to find a magic mirror which shows the "truth behind the appearance." Aladdin eventually finds the mirror and uses it to reflect the sunlight to destroy the obelisk, or so it seems. In fact, Mirage created a replica of Agrabah and its entire population, including Jasmine, the Sultan, the Genie and the others. (She visited the town as "Sultana" to gather enough information on them, in order to make doppelgangers which act exactly like the original ones.) Aladdin only saved this replica, and while he is kept in the party held there in his honor, Mirage captures his friends one by one as they discover the truth.

Finally Aladdin discovers the truth as well and manages to contact Genie (who was still trying to destroy the obelisk). Genie lures Mirage with an illusion of his own, making her believe that the sun is about to set while there is still time left, buying enough time for Aladdin to save the town for real.

When Chaos Comes Calling
"You are Chaos, master of the surprise, the unpredictable. Agrabah is populated by contented cows. Quite the pitiful cliché, really. The usual beautiful princess engaged to the dashing hero, destined to live happily ever after as expected. (crystal ball shows Aladdin and Jasmine kissing) All very tidy and mundane."

- Mirage to Chaos.

Mirage gets visited by Chaos, the Master Trickster: a god-like, winged cat, who uses his unlimited magic powers to break every routine he can, and make things lively wherever he deems the situation to be boring. Chaos is the only being in the universe Mirage is known to be terrified of. Chaos first makes fun of Mirage, telling her that it's always the same thing with Evil Elementals "crush this, destroy that, kill her main him", but Mirage manages to draw his attention towards Agrabah, which she describes as a boring cliché with "the usual princess and hero destined to live happily ever after." Hearing this, Chaos decides to go to Agrabah, to put things in disorder. there, he interrupts an important lunch with several lords of the country, transforming almost everyone into animals or inanimate objects, causing big disarray.

Chaos eventually reveals himself, and in spite of Genie's warning ("He's got more magic than any genie and he makes his own wishes!") an infuriated Princess Jasmine orders him to leave, prompting Chaos (who hates being ordered around) to reduce her to a few inches in size. Genie saves her from being crushed by Aladdin's foot and warns her again to not make chaos mad for "he has more power in his little whisker than a palace full of genies!". Later, Jasmine, Genie and Aladdin try to convince Chaos that nothing is boring in Agrabah, by telling him all their adventures; but Genie makes a fatal mistake when he says "Aladdin always wins." Chaos then creates an evil twin of Aladdin, and makes him fight his (reluctant) original counterpart. Chaos' point being: Aladdin always wins? Fine by me, but which one?

Aladdin manages to defeat his evil twin, but not before said twin calls forth a giant, evil twin of Genie, who starts rampaging Agrabah and even defeats the real Genie. As Mirage is watching the whole mess with delight, Chaos mentions her name, prompting her to go to Agrabah. It appears to be a big mistake, as Mirage is immediately captured by the evil Genie and has no other choice than to tell Aladdin to use the evil Genie's lamp. Aladdin rubs the lamp and wishes everything back to normal. Aladdin then thanks Mirage; being devoutly good, he never would have realized that his evil twin wouldn't have released the evil genie, meaning his lamp could still be used to control him - it took an evil mind like Mirage's to think of this solution.

It appears that Chaos saw through Mirage's clever deceit all along. He feigned being fooled by her and wreaked havoc in Agrabah, indeed breaking its routine, but only to force Mirage to appear and to save the town instead of causing its destruction, thus teaching her than no one manipulates him and breaking her routine too. Humiliated, Mirage disappears with an anguished hiss and Chaos takes his leave, telling Aladdin that if he ever gets boring, he will be back.

The Lost Ones
"Bah! Take them! Those brats are useless crybabies not fit to be El Katib. (Amal stands next to her) You see, every seven years brings new blood into the kinship. The promise of power and immortality entices them. Those with the seeds of true evil within them are perfect additions to the legion."

- Mirage

Every seven years, children disappear all around the Seven Deserts. (Last time, Amal: Aladdin's best friend vanished out of thin air and now it's happening again.) Aladdin meets a young street rat named Wahid, who ultimately vanishes as well, and the gang starts to investigate. They son discover that the children are kidnapped by a monster who travels through portals of shadows, that Iago recognizes as an El Katib (Shadow Walker) a creature who walks the earth 3 nights every 7 years, during a full moon. Worse, they discover that Wahid agreed to join the El Katib, because they are powerful and immortal, and that he is slowly becoming one of them. Even worse, the El Katib they met is none other than Amal.

The gang follows Amal and Wahid through their portal of shadows, and ends up in ruins where Mirage greets them. The Evil Incarnate commands the El Katib, and every seven years, when they can walk the earth, she sends them kidnap children. She tempts those with the "seed of Evil" within them, promising them power and eternal life if they become El Katib. Upon learning that the El Katib must stay in the Shadow Realm for seven years and that they are erased from existence if they are out when there is no full moon, Wahid changes his mind. Aladdin then offers Mirage to take him in Wahid's place, which Mirage accepts, overjoyed by the prospect of having her greatest enemy as her personal slave. But Aladdin tricked her, and the Aladdin who made this promise was in fact Genie shape-shifted.

Furious, Mirage orders her El Katib to destroy them and Aladdin is caught by Amal, who cannot bring himself to kill his former friend. Mirage then retreats, leaving Amal to die by the sunrise, but as Amal has lost his "seed of Evil" the sunlight only makes him regain part of his humanity. To Mirage's dismay, Amal departs to do good deeds in order to fully regain his human nature.

Eye of the Beholder
"Ho, ho! Love! It is no more than a tingly feeling.  It is weak!"

- Mirage

Phasir tries to convince Mirage to stop tormenting humanity, stating that love always prevails. Determinate to prove her former lover wrong, Mirage goes to Agrabah shape-shifted as a beautiful peddler lady. There, she instills doubt in Jasmine's mind, saying that her beauty will fade with age, and so will Aladdin's love. She then offers her a magic lotion which will "help her retain her beauty." Jasmine uses the lotion, but to her horror, she awakes the following morning transformed into an awful half-snake hybrid. Genie decides to lead the gang to the Tree of Renewal, a tree whose magic fruits can cure any ailment, but who is located in a highly dangerous and hardly accessible place.

During the trip, Jasmine's transformation worsens, making her more and more snake-like, to the point of frightening everyone who sees her. Aladdin nearly dies because of the venomous barbs that cover her body and Mirage, who is watching the whole ordeal, revels in her torment, convinced than no love can survive such adversity. The gang eventually reaches the tree but Mirage wither it completely with a spell, crushing any hope for a cure. Mirage then appears gloating, easily defeating Genie when he attacks her. Mirage is convinced Aladdin will abandon Jasmine now that there is no hope of changing her back. But instead, Aladdin empties the entire bottle of lotion on himself, becoming a snake hybrid too. He says that if he can't stay by Jasmine's side as a human, he will do so as a snake.

Thwarted again, Mirage departs saying that though they can love each other as much as they want, they will never be humans again. But, Phasir restores the tree, whose fruits turns the lovers back to normal. Phasir states that there is no need for Jasmine and Aladdin to pay for Mirage's defeat, and that one day, love will bring Mirage back to him.

While The City Snoozes
"I would kill for a world without Genies!"

- Mirage

Mirage appears in an ancient, subterranean city below Agrabah, where dwells the Slumbergath: a monster born from nightmares. She opens a magical music box whose sinister tune is heard all over Agrabah. Meanwhile, the whole gang returns to Agrabah after having spent the whole night watching the stars and drawing astronomy maps. They find every town citizen, including the Sultan and the royal guards, fast asleep.

When Abu, Iago and Genie, fall asleep, Aladdin and Jasmine understand that the city is under a curse. Mirage then appears, revealing that this is all her doing, but Aladdin and Jasmine manage to flee to the town. Without leaving the palace, Mirage, takes control of everyone under the sleeping curse, and orders them to destroy Aladdin.

Aladdin and Jasmine try to escape the city, but the Magic Carpet falls asleep as well. The two lovers are now tracked down by an army of sleepwalking townsfolks, including Abu, Iago, Carpet and Genie, who chants "destroy Aladdin" over and over. As they're surrounded by the sleepwalkers, and as Genie is about to finish them off, they are saved by Phasir, who teleports them into the subterranean city. The prophet tells them about the magic music box, (the source of the sleeping curse) before falling asleep like the others. The two then flee, fearing that he will soon start to sleepwalk like the others. Jasmine ultimately falls asleep and attacks Aladdin in her turn.

Aladdin manages to escape and reaches the room where the magic box was placed, guarded by the Slumbergath. The monster's power is fuelled by the nightmares that Mirage has placed in every victim of her slumber, and it has gained gigantic proportions. Mirage herself appears to witness Aladdin's demise, but being a nightmare, the Slumbergath cannot harm him no matter which frightening form it takes. Aladdin makes the Slumbergath vanish by repeating to himself that it is not real. Aladdin is exhausted and about to fall asleep, when Phasir and Jasmine enter, sleepwalking and chanting "destroy Aladdin."

This wakes him up and he manages to close the music box, breaking the sleeping curse and awaking everyone, preventing Mirage from controlling them any longer. Infuriated, Mirage cuts a pillar with her claw swipe energy blast, making a huge boulder fall from the ceiling on Aladdin. Thankfully, Genie appears and saves his friend, ready to "kick kitty." Outnumbered, Mirages flees once more.