AskMidbus is an ask blog featuring the character of Midbus from "Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story". It was created on November 9th, 2014.
Using a combination of art, story, and sassy responses to asked questions; the blog sheds light on the backstory and ongoing characterization of the former Fawful minion. Subject matter skews more mature, with themes of depression, violence, death, and guilt being heavily focused on.
Oh, and there's a lot of half naked bara. A LOT.
Summary
Midbus is a gioza citizen (specifically a Dragon Gioza) of the Koopa Kingdom, and well known for being the former right hand of Lord Fawful. During the events of Bowser's Inside Story, the gioza betrayed King Bowser and helped Fawful to wreck havoc on the mushroom kingdom and take over Bowser's castle all in an attempt to help his master achieve full power to obtain the Dark Star. He was summarily defeated by Bowser and the Mario Brothers and left frozen inside the castle walls.
After the events of Bowser's Inside Story, Midbus has bid his time, developing his own resources and crafting his own plans, all to take revenge (though on who exactly hasn't been exactly stated). At the same time, Midbus also has been forming his own unique relationships and memories, all without a boss to guide him. Life in the Nintendask world isn't easy when you look Midbus. Rivaling the Koopa King in size attracts attention, and he now navigates the world, reflecting on past mistakes, and teetering between crippling guilt and blinding spite.
Also he just loves to show off.
Appearance
Midbus is a fairly large gioza, towering over other characters in height and exceeding many in width. His body is incredibly well built, matching Bowser's, right down to a layer of softness around the midsection. Complimenting his physique, his face features a thick square jaw, broad nose, and heavy brows. Like all gioza, Midbus has two large tusks protruding from his mouth, dark tan skin, and pointed ears.
Perhaps his most noticeable feature is his brilliant pink hair and beard. The length varies often, but is typically grown long, sometimes with buzzed side. If long enough, his hair will be tied back in some manner with a hair ornament in the shape of horns giving him a "demon" look. Likewise his eyes are pink.
His outfits fall between royal regalia, punk, and urban. Ranging from classy formal to lounge casual. His formal wear tends to be studded, featuring chains and other absurd accessories. His casual wear is far less adorned, and instead is often low cut, tight, and shows off his muscles.
Midbus currently has two tattoos. His first is present on his left shoulder, a Bowser Insignia. He refuses to speak much of it, but he has shared that he got it sometime before "the big freeze". Post thawing, he at some point damaged it resulting in a large x shaped scar covering it up.
His second tattoo is on the back of his neck, and often remains obscured by his hair. It pictures a spiked thwomp with the numbers "935" on it. It has been inferred that this was a sort of branding done during the time he volunteered as a test subject, also before "the big freeze". He is fairly sensitive about it, violently lashing out at those who touch it without his knowledge.
Personality
On the surface, Midbus comes across as both stubborn and aggressive. To many, his grumpy features give an air of displeasure. Midbus is fairly loud and boastful, easy to rile up and start an argument with. This coupled with his frequent anger and sarcasm paints him as a major hot (cold?) head.
Beneath the layers of bravado though, lies a fairly insecure man questioning his worth frequently. In private Midbus experiences frequent self doubt and believes himself a danger and hindrance to those around him. He also does so poorly in reading an academics that he has no confidence in his intellectual capabilities. If it wasn't for his goal of revenge, it's doubtful he would even put in the effort to forge the friendships he has left. Likewise he's incredibly secretive, and his gut reaction to danger is to isolate himself from his peers.
Midbus yearns for trusting and lasting friendships. In spite of his grumpy demeanor, he's frequently looking out for younger or smaller individuals, as protection is a natural instinct of a Gioza. When dead set on a cause he proves to be incredibly loyal until forced aside, of course he also bears strong grudges. This loyalty combined with his insecurity make him more suited as a follower where he feels safe, rather than a leader. He prefers being given direction rather than making it up for himself.
A hopeless romantic, Midbus is quick to form romantic and sexual bonds with other adults frequently, some lasting only a short time and others getting fairly serious. He's a bit of a playboy, with a knack for flirting and an admittedly impressive physique.
All of this makes him a natural observer of the community at large.
Fatherly, self victimizing, ferocious, and dedicated, Midbus is a conflicting mess of emotion and doubt, struggling to find purpose and strength.
Story
Abilities
Athleticism
Midbus's size and dedication to his own body has granted him incredible strength, able to tussle with Bowser and receive large hits and burns without so much as flinching. His skin has shown to be rather durable to minor injury, and he easily can break through a stone wall. He's lifted chain chomps on numerous occasions, often regarded as the heaviest of minions.
Midbus is also fairly graceful, having trained in dance, and performing spins and runs someone his size wouldn't normally be known for. In fact, while Midbus often fails academically, he's proven to be quite adept at most physical training and activities.
Ice Magic
While not common, many gioza can perform magic, with dragon gioza like Midbus able to internalize it as an elemental life force. If dragon koopas specialize in fire, then their gioza counterparts match it in water. Midbus's specializes in an ice version, which flows throughout his body as a sort of mana he can tap into at will and against it.
It frequently shows as a summon, with the moisture in the air solidifying and and expanding rapidly. He is able to manipulate such ice to a large degree though without much technique. This includes summoning snow fall, icicles, ice weapons, and blasts. From semi sentient snowmen to large snowballs, summoning comes naturally.
As a dragon gioza this also forms internally, showing often in blast of cold frost from his mouth of nostrils when provoked (his mouth is said to be fairly minty). He can therfore channel it in blasts this way, or have cold and frost radiate from his very body. Indeed Midbus can survive even at subzero temperatures, fidns no reaction from being cold, and can walk through solid ice.
This ice magic also serves as a protection. While he can't simply swim through lava like a king koopa, he can offer himself protection to it as long as he's in good mind to do so. It makes fairly quick armor too.
Unfortunately due to experimentation and a tumultuous upbringing, his control over such magic is erratic and tied to his emotional state. When provoked he starts losing control, with his blood freezing over first. As his veins freeze and his body turns pale and blue, large icicles puncture his body, growing out in branched spires like a macabre snowflake. In this state he is incredibly dangerous and best avoided. Of course, such mutilation to his body will require medical attention. This state has only been seen twice.
This magic can be augmented with equipment such as a modified crown.
Fighting Style
Midbus's fighting style is in your face, utilizing heavy weapons (like ball and chain), quick rolls and spins, and plenty of solid punches. He fights like a pro wrestler, with none of the acting. He is rarely defensive in his fighting style, instead preferring to beat his foes into submission.
Relationships
In Game Characterization
Midbus originated from Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the third game in the Mario and Luigi series.
In game, Midbus is the second in command to Fawful and conspired with him in taking over Bowser's castle and retrieving the dark star. Midbus in many ways served as a rival and mirror to Bowser, being of similar design, build, and attitude. The pair butted heads often throughout the game, culminating in three fights, the last of which resulted in Midbus being frozen.
His history, species, and motivations are unclear, but in many ways he's just like another Bowser, though one with a more brutish speech pattern and with less showmanship.
Midbus has not appeared in any other media.
Development
Mun
Trivia
- Midbus fares poorly at non-physical activities and playing the leader, yet has been shown multiple times operating large robots, helping to lead Bowser's Castle (albeit with hypnotized minions), and even now has his own castle to run. Granted he's down to two minions and many said robots were destroyed.