I was thinking this idea might be an especially logical turn of events for the Metrobay characters. And so I thought I'd throw it out there for inspiration. (Not that you need much of that, with the great story arcs that are going on..)
Anyway, what I was thinking is, with all the prevalance of mind controlling villains in Metrobay, what if the Squad reaches out to either the government, or the scientific community for help, but there's a leak and things go horribly wrong? I'll give you a couple of possible examples of scenarios that could be used but I'm sure it could be open to a lot of variations.
Let's say for instance that the squad after requesting help there, receives a call offering just that. i.e A solution to the spread of mind control, that almost seems too good to be true..(And of course it is..Or at least there's a catch..
) Say for talking's sake they are informed that a scientist/group has discovered some kind of anti-thrallium, that reverses it's effects. And a test group of heroines are outfitted with it. You could have a situation, where they take on some minor mind controlling villains, who are surprised to learn that their methods have no effect on the heroines, and get their ass promptly handed too them! However, as it later turns out, these villains have just been set up to take a fall, and when the now cocky and over confident super heroines discover a scheme by Max or one of the R.O.P.E higher ups (like maybe the greentooth hold on positions of power) and confront them, they find that the villain has a method to overide their countermeasure. Like he could fire a ray that melts off the outer layer of the anti-thrallium to reveal a green pure thrallium rock in all it's glory, which of course the heoines are now wearing putting them in the dire state of soon to be mind controlled slaves, that they start turning into before they can remove them. (Or maybe one quick heroine does, but the other ones gang up on her..)
Or you could do a variation on this, where the scientists supply them with some kind of techno gizmo, which they could put in maybe a head band, necklace or a belt, (or even a variation on the greentooth) that is supposed to block the transmission of mind control signals, but again the higher up villain has been secretly supplied with an overide device to shut them down, or maybe they even have them supplied with a secondary function as mind control devices.
As for how the head villain get's his hands on it, if you go the route of having the squad contact the government, you could have American Amazon informing the corrupt government agency that unknown to her, has her reprogrammed to report such matters.
Or it could be a scientist who contacts the squad with the seemingly helpful offer, but is secretly working for Max.
Or you could even have a squad member mention it to a super-heroine who is already being mind controlled, Like Daredoll who reports it to Lance, or someone else who is under R.O.P.E control letting Max know about it.
Another variation on it, could be if members of the squad start seeing a hypnotist to strengthen their will against mind-control attacks, but we later find out that he's been secretly paid off to insert a trigger phrase, that only the higher ups at R.O.P.E are given.
But either way, the higher up bad guy's find out about it, and enact their own secret plans to co-opt the squads counter-measure before the tables can be turned.
Apologies if all this comes off as a bit of a ramble, but it just seemed that with all the mind control getting used in Metrobay, that this might be an interesting way to have the squad try to do something about it, but which of course then has to backfire on the gals dramatically!
