Dr Francoise Manie was once a respected, and somewhat unassuming member of the St. Augustine's Reformatory on the outskirts of the old part of Niamey. While the city grew beyond its original city limits, the Reformatory stood apart like a relic from a bygone era. Manie worked with the criminals but was neither enthused by her work or particularly helpful when it came to reforming them. At thirty-seven she had long since lost her jeu d'sprit. However, when an anonymous man was ushered through to her care after a bizarre thunder storm, Manie found herself face to face with the criminally insane Shade.

While he appeared as a nondescript European man, the Shade chose to disclose his true appearance to Manie. He trapped her mind in his nightmarish dimension where she was ruthlessly stripped of her sanity. When he allowed her mind to re-settle in its rightful place Manie was a different woman.

The Shade sent her on her way but kept in mental contact with her as she went about her usual routine. To amuse himself, the Shade chose to command Manie in a variety of ways, slowly at first but gradually building to a cacophany of mayhem. At first she was compelled to mishandle medications which resulted in several inmates falling into violent convulsions. This was followed by surgical murders of her neighbours and finally by releasing the inmates of St Augustine's Reformatory. During the break-out, Manie attempted to flee with the Shade but he simply vanished, leaving her a broken woman.

Manie disappeared that night too, but later surfaced in the capital where she led an attempt to blow up all of Niger's television relay stations. The purpose of such a move was never explained, and although she escaped capture, she continued to turn up across the country and neighbouring countries in an effort to cause destruction.

Later still she took her strange attacks to Europe where she nearly blew up the Eiffel Tower, but was stopped by the Brotherhood. During this attack she declared that she was attempting to contact the Shade, and in retrospect her manic attacks across Niger could also be interpreted as attempts to make contact with the enigmatic master villain.

It is not know whether she has, in fact, made contact with the Shade since becoming the criminal dubbed Mania, but he actions have taken on a more systematic approach since Paris. She has hired mercenaries to assist her with her plots, as well as hiring out her own services to others. However, one constant remains and that is that Mania is certainly not one to be trusted. She is just as likely to kill her own security detail as she is to oppose heroes. The only thing she values apart from being reunited with her 'master', is her own liberty and she will ensure she retains this in any manner possible.

It is difficult to understand Francoise Manie's motivation. Since being subverted by The Shade she has become increasingly unstable and has shown unpredictability in all areas of her life. She has cast off her career and family and now roams around the globe seeking a reunion with The Shade. Her methods for doing this vary but almost always involve mass destruction and ultimate mayhem.

"The secret to success is to be unpredictable. And not predictably unpredictable like some madmen. You need to deliver your chaos with a sense of style. Like me."

Mania is criminally insane and her actions can not be predicted. While she has no uberhuman abilities she has a ruthlessness and abandon which put many villains to shame. She employs a simple but deadly handgun and wears protective goggles. She has also employed mercenaries or thugs to either do her dirty work or at least slow down any opposition.

Perhaps her greatest threat is her ability to create dangerous devices capable of mass destruction. The nature and purpose of these machines varies from one incident to the next but all are the work of a criminal mind.

There is something strange about Francoise's eyes: a mania which gives her her name. She was once an average looking woman but since losing her mind she has blossomed into a crazy-beauty. She has cast off inhibitions and low self-esteem, and now runs around the world as Mania. She generally wears her pink bubble-like goggles and has her dreadlocked black hair done up in two piggytails. She changes her costume regularly but has been known to dress in black leathers, tailored business suits and exotic bodysuits.