Sue-wraith

Sue-wraiths, a.k.a. author-wraiths or Sue/Stu/Ooh phantoms, are spirits created by the author of a fic in order to force the canon characters to act like Mary Sues, regardless of their normal characterization. Those that inhabit slashed characters have also been called slash dwimmerlaiks. A CAD pointed at a possessed character will usually (but not always) reveal the character's possessed status. It will also show a very high OOC reading, which tends to be 70-99%. If an exorcism is performed, the wraith will coalesce from the bodies of the characters, and more often than not, whine at the exorciser.

Sue-wraiths have no fixed form, and are physically helpless, being basically a sort of sentient mist. They usually dissipate quickly after being removed from a character, and are absorbed back into the multiverse, but may on occasion, if belonging to a particularly persistent author, attempt to re-possess a character. Additionally, Sue-wraiths have been known to possess agents if the exorcists aren't careful, as happened to Agent Drake. These can be displaced by exorcism as usual. They may also be caught in jars and subjected to experiments.

Please note that OOCness is not strictly the result of a wraith. It could easily be caused by general Suefluence instead. Characters possessed by Sue-wraiths tend to display distinctive Mary Sue traits.

Higher-Order Wraiths
Wraiths seem to be capable of mutating to some degree, creating new subtypes as they infiltrate the multiverse. These subtypes are often specialized to specific modes of attack, and are far more intelligent than most wraiths and corporeal Sues. New subtypes are to be listed here as they are discovered.

Ficubus
A dangerous variation of the Sue-wraith was discovered by Nume, Ilraen, Diocletian, and Suicide. This creature (named the fic incubus or "ficubus" by Diocletian) is a more solid subtype of the Sue-wraith with shapeshifting abilities that it uses to lure unsuspecting canons. In the case of the original discovery, it used the form of a small child purporting to be Harry Potter, despite using the name Archir the Emerald throughout most of the fic. After attracting canon characters, it feeds off of them, which can eventually reduce them into a zombie-like state. The ficubus is far more aggressive than a standard wraith, especially if interrupted during a feeding, and is tangible enough to kill an agent if provoked; however, this also means that it can be destroyed with most weapons.

Agent Rayner Blitzkrieg encountered another ficubus in November 2014, which he accidentally dropped onto the Sunflower Official's bloom when he tried to banish her. Unfortunately, due to the properties of the homefic she had spawned in, she was able to form a two-way life-bond with Rayner, preventing the PPC from killing her without losing him. She has since become his partner, to his understandable dismay.

Conflictus Creatrix
Conflictus creatrix is the name given by a wraith exorcised by Zug and Kirill in the Harry Potter continuum, after it was commanded to give its name during the exorcism. The wraith showed traits unlike those of most other Sue-wraiths heretofore encountered: rather than forcing a canon into bad slash or giving him Mary Sue traits, Conflictus creatrix worked its mischief by forcing the canon into killing people he would not normally kill. Its ability to create conflict is a form of strong Suefluence and, once exorcised, it was able to turn this power on the agents, even without first possessing them, by feeding on the pre-existing tension between the partners.

A second instance of Conflictus creatrix was seen by Anneli Rodriguez, Cinderella, and Xanthus Garakan, where it worked with an Overpowered!Stu that wished to kill a Mass Effect canon character by possessing the character and driving every part of her past life against her. This instance of the higher-order wraith showed that the subtype is capable of malicious intent, though its desire to cause conflict was so pervasive that it was found out rather easily.

It is highly probable that other instances of the Conflictus creatrix exist elsewhere in the multiverse, though no other encounters with their subtype have been recorded. Their presence is to be suspected in cases where characters who would not normally become violent turn violent for no good reason, or where characters who are normally willing to resort to violence turn on their friends instead of their enemies.

Impetus Miserabilis
Impetus miserabilis is the name given by a wraith that was discovered by Anneli Rodriguez, Xanthus Garkaran, and Cinderella after Anneli told the wraith to give her its name. Much like Conflictus creatrix, Impetus miserabilis showed a trait unlike those of most other Sue-wraiths encountered before then. Impetus miserabilis worked its mischief by creating a past so tragic that the canon characters could not help but pity it. Once it manifested, it was able to make the agents think about the saddest parts of their lives while reciting depressing poetry to anyone who wasn't affected.

It was considered very likely since this mission that more wraiths like this exist; if a possessed character has a particularly trajeck past, then an Impetus miserabilis may be behind it. Indeed, agents Sarah Katherine Squall and Rashida Mafdetiti encountered another Impetus miserabilis in February 2015. This Sue-wraith presented a relatively innocuous backstory as such aspects go, but caused the possessed canon to wangst far too much for comfort. It attempted to kill Rashida, but was subdued by Sarah and the presumed Sue of the fic before it could do so, just in time for Palutena to remove its poorly written aspects - though due to the backstory remaining a tad inconsistent with canon, the character that resulted from this was recruited on the spot.

Sue-Wraiths in the PPC
It is possible to recruit Sue-wraiths that are both powerful enough to manifest a physical form and, more importantly, have enough character traits that they can be developed into balanced characters in their own right. However, instances of this occurring are extremely rare, and normally not recommended unless it can be proven with absolute certainty that the Sue-wraith won't present a threat to the multiverse and any characters thereof, including other PPC agents.

In any such cases, the Sue-wraith is often restrained by the canon material of the continuum they spawned in, and required to undergo a purification process which, due to the entity being practically made of glitter, can be a difficult and dangerous process for all parties involved. Usually, this requires substituting the glitter with a comparable substitute depending on the circumstances of the wraith's creation, although in some instances, a deity or other similarly powerful being can remove the poorly written characteristics, leaving only the basic personality traits behind.

Purified Sue-wraiths who have just been recruited by the PPC are usually looked down upon by other agents, who often do not take kindly to the prospect of formerly Suvian beings that once possessed or imitated canons roaming their halls, let alone working alongside them. It takes time for a purified wraith to develop into his/her own character, although exposure to badfic, often of a quality even poorer than their homefic, can serve as a helpful comparison. Purified wraiths frequently regret their past lives as shameless possessors of canons, and often strive to turn their own development into a lifelong goal.

Agents Derived from Sue-Wraiths

 * Evangeline von Lilith
 * Cupid Carmine