McGinnis/Lore

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< McGinnis
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Overview
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Lore
Voice lines
Sounds
McGinnis.png
“Alright buddy, give 'em hell!”
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“
Do I love working for Fairfax Industries? No. Does it pay a small fortune? Yes. How do I sleep at night? Like a baby.

Maggie McGinnis always had a knack for building things. At 4 she was using Lincoln Logs to recreate architectural marvels. At 10 she built and rewired a custom light fixture for her parent's anniversary. At 15 she designed a machine that refined the souls of the dead...that last one got a little more attention than the Lincoln Logs.

Now the head of Fairfax Industries Military R&D department, McGinnis spends her time in the machine shop, not in a lab. She's not interested in theory, to her science is magic you can touch.

Overview

McGinnis' wish is unknown, although it's implied that she's using the ritual as a chance to test some weaponry.[1][2]

Biography

A child genius with a knack for building things, the brilliance of Margaret "Maggie" McGinnis[3] was picked up by Maximilian Fairfax after she designed a machine that refined the souls of the dead at the age of 15.[4][5] Famously known as "kid genius",[6][7] McGinnis was shown off to the New York elite after Fairfax first discovered her.[8]

Now, as the head engineer of Fairfax Industries Military R&D department, McGinnis brainstorms the occult war machines.[9][10] While it's unknown where McGinnis' inventions have been used, it's said that she may be resposible for millions of deaths.[11][12] McGinnis also implies that she's killed people with her bare hands before.[13]

While McGinnis doesn't love working for Fairfax Industries, she's content with being a "wage slave" since she gets paid a fortune.[14][15] McGinnis was worried that she would lose her job when Fairfax lost the sovereignty of the Island of Cadenza to the US Government.[16][17] McGinnis has a mortgage to pay for.[18]

In The Binding of Oathkeeper, McGinnis creates a new ward for Lady Geist to contain Oathkeeper with. McGinnis helps Lady Geist due to the chance to "harness the power of a God".[19]

Personality

As a "notorious misanthrope", McGinnis doesn't really care about the deaths she's caused or the sins of Fairfax Industries.[20][21][18] McGinnis thinks ethics are for scientists "that can't think big enough".[22] She does, however, appreciate the good Ivy did for New York.[23]

McGinnis dislikes the corporate side of her job, fancy events, and being treated too formally.[24][8][25] She agrees with Holliday that rich people are "assholes with god complexes".[26] McGinnis believes working is "good for the soul",[27] and that she'll work for Fairfax until she either gets bored or "opens a portal to hell and die".[28]

McGinnis doesn't think she'd be a good teacher, because her talent comes to her "naturally".[29]

McGinnis appreciates good craftsmanship, such as Ms. Shelly's work on BebopBebop.[30] She likes to find new challenges to work on.[19][31][32]

It's implied that McGinnis isn't above stealing other people's inventions.[33][34]

Information

McGinnis is aware and makes it known that Spectral Wall usually backfires on her team.[35][36][37]

McGinnis' equipment and weaponry are powered by souls.[38][39]

McGinnis likes to drink beer.[40]

Character Relationships

Maximilian Fairfax

Maximilian Fairfax handpicked McGinnis for Fairfax Industries after she designed a machine that refined the souls of the dead at 15 years old.[4][5] McGinnis was "paraded around incessantly" by Fairfax to New York's elite after he hired her.[8]

McGinnis finds "assholes with god complexes" to be a pretty close description of Fairfax.[26] That said, McGinnis doesn't really care about Fairfax's ethics since she's getting paid by him.[18] She refers to Fairfax as "Papa Fairfax" in a killstreak line.[41]

Character Interactions

  • In The Binding of Oathkeeper, one possible storyline includes McGinnis building a new ward for Lady Geist.
  • McGinnis consistently mistakes KelvinKelvin's name for "Kevin".[42][43] Most of McGinnis' pings for Kelvin include a variant where she calls him "Kevin".
  • McGinnis accuses Calico of stealing her ideas.[44]
    • It's possible this is referring to Calico's old lore as a weapons dealer, as Calico used to use turrets while she was in Hero Labs.
  • McGinnis wants to talk to Shiv and "fix him".[45][46]
  • McGinnis wants to sample Viscous' goo.[34]
  • McGinnis doesn't frequent Infernus' bar, Jezebel's, because she finds it "too fancy". She does, however, want to go when Infernus offers her free drinks.[25]
  • McGinnis is impressed by the craftsmanship used to create BebopBebop and shows interest in hiring his creator, Ms. Shelly.[30]
  • McGinnis offers help to remove Seven's headgear.[32]
  • McGinnis offers to upgrade Dynamo's body.[31]
  • McGinnis appreciates what IvyIvy has done for New York.[47][48]
  • McGinnis makes fun of Grey TalonGrey Talon and Infernus for not using guns.[49][50]
  • Pocket loathes McGinnis due to her working for Fairfax Industries.[51][52][53]
  • SevenSeven criticizes McGinnis for her lack of creativity.[54]
  • The DoormanThe Doorman calls McGinnis "the brightest mind humanity has to offer".[55]
  • ApolloApollo's father is a "fan" of McGinnis.[56]
  • MinaMina and WraithWraith call McGinnis "Fairfax's pet genius".[57][58]
  • ParadoxParadox is interested in McGinnis' research and the secrets she holds for Fairfax.[59][60] McGinnis has been trying to keep Paradox out of her lab.[61]

The Binding of Oathkeeper

Billy.png
“The hell are you staring at, buddy?”
This page contains game content that is unfinished, work in progress, or unavailable in standard gameplay.
Main article: The Binding of Oathkeeper

McGinnis makes an appearance in Lady Geist's visual novel, The Binding of Oathkeeper.

Note: The Binding of Oathkeeper is currently inaccessible to the main game, instead being something planned for release in the future. As such, everything in the current visual novel is prone to change, as it is still undergoing development.

Storyline A

Storyline A - Lady Geist convincing McGinnis to help her

McGinnis plays a significant role in storyline A in The Binding of Oathkeeper.

In chapter 3, Lady Geist gets Dynamo to bring together all the "greatest minds" he can get for a gala in order to find someone who can help with her failing ward containing Oathkeeper. One of the people invited to the gala is McGinnis, who comes to the gala but stays outside as she "hates these things". After Lady Geist comes outside to get some fresh air, the two have a brief conversation where Lady Geist is rude to McGinnis. McGinnis advises Lady Geist to be nicer as she never knows who can help her before leaving.

In chapter 4, Lady Geist attempts to make amends with McGinnis by visiting her workshop, as nobody else at the gala was able to help her with her ward. Lady Geist asks McGinnis for help with her ward, to which McGinnis is initially reluctant as, even though she likes the challenge, Lady Geist is a bad person. Lady Geist retorts that McGinnis' inventions will kill millions of people if they haven't already, to which McGinnis responds that that makes her a "monster in the theoretical sense". McGinnis agrees to help Lady Geist if she can offer her something "interesting". After refusing money, McGinnis agrees to help Lady Geist on the promise of "harnessing the power of a god" in the Maelstrom.

In chapter 5, some time passes until the day before the ritual, where McGinnis creates a new ward for Lady Geist, designed to "drip feed" Oathkeeper to maximise every life Lady Geist takes. With her job complete, McGinnis tells Lady Geist to participate in the ritual to gather enough souls to charge the ward.

Storyline A ends with Lady Geist equipping the new ward, prepared to participate in the ritual in order to "live forever".[62]

Removed Lore

Forge (Neon Prime)

Neon Prime - Forge

In Neon Prime, McGinnis was named Forge. She had a relationship with Astro ( Holliday).[65][66]

Forge trained fighting with Lash in his dojo.[67][68]

References

  1. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Select): "Ready to do some field testing."
  2. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Upgrade Heavy Barrage): "Been waiting to test this for a while."
  3. ↑ 2025-01-28 - Kaori; Deadlock Discord - "Maggie is short for Margaret, but she goes by Maggie"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 McGinnis' backstory
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Billy's in-game voice line (killed McGinnis) - "Don't act like you're Blue Collar, McGinnis! You were handpicked by Fairfax himself!"
  6. ↑ McGinnis And Holliday Conversation 2 - "You were that kid genius, right?" - "Yeah."
  7. ↑ McGinnis And Lash Conversation 1 - "Ahh, so The Lash is working with the kid genius." - "I was a kid over a decade ago. Now I'm just a genius."
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Binding of Oathkeeper - Chapter 3A
  9. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Killed Yamato): "Yamato, you run a street gang. I drive the occult industrial complex. You never had a chance."
  10. ↑ McGinnis And Holliday Conversation 2 - "I'm the lead engineer for the occult industrial complex."
  11. ↑ The Binding of Oathkeeper - Chapter 4A - Lady GeistLady Geist: "Your mind is the engine that drives the occult war machine. Within a decade your inventions will claim millions of lives, if they haven't already."
  12. ↑ The DoormanThe Doorman's in-game voice line (Taunt McGinnis): "Your creations are responsible for the deaths of millions, McGinnis, you’re a monster.
  13. ↑ McGinnis's in-game voice line (melee kill) - "You think I've never killed someone with my bare hands?! Come on."
  14. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Select): "Do I love working for Fairfax Industries? No. Does it pay a small fortune? Yes. How do I sleep at night? Like a baby."
  15. ↑ McGinnis And Seven Conversation 1
  16. ↑ McGinnis And Haze Conversation 2 - "Honestly, the rest of us were more rattled than he was. I was just a kid freaking out 'cause I thought I was going to lose my job but, Fairfax was surprisingly calm. I don't think he expected Cadenza to last forever. He just wanted to make the most out of an opportunity before legislation caught up. Plus, the guy gets to say he created one of the United States!"
  17. ↑ Newscaster's in-game voice line - "The Supreme Court is poised to rule on the Fairfax Fair Tax bill next session. Will our 50th state remain in the union? Or will Fairfax Industries successfully regain its sovereignty over the island of Cadenza? Only time will tell!"
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 McGinnis And Ivy Conversation 1 - "Carlos says Fairfax Industries is bad for the country." - "And if Carlos paid my mortgage, I might care what he had to say."
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Binding of Oathkeeper - Chapter 4A - McGinnisMcGinnis: "Give me a reason to help you. Something interesting." - Lady GeistLady Geist: "It will likely be 50 years before there's another maelstrom. Do you really want to wait that long before you try to harness the power of a God?" - McGinnisMcGinnis: "Now we're talking."
  20. ↑ Newscaster's in-game voice line - "Presumably walking home drunk after a Fairfax Industries holiday party, notorious misanthrope Maggie McGinnis has been seen looking festive!"
  21. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Select): "Do I love working for Fairfax Industries? No. Does it pay a small fortune? Yes. How do I sleep at night? Like a baby."
  22. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Select): "Ethics are for scientists that can't think big enough."
  23. ↑ McGinnis And Ivy Conversation 3 - "I read about you in the paper. Thanks for making New York a little better."
  24. ↑ McGinnis And Kelvin Conversation 1 - "You can drop the "Miss", though. Feel free to call me McGinnis, or Maggie... really, anything that makes me feel like I'm not in a boardroom."
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 McGinnis And Infernus Conversation 1
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 McGinnis And Holliday Conversation 2
  27. ↑ McGinnis And Lady Geist Conversation 2 - "Turns out being a human being is good for the soul. You should try it sometime."
  28. ↑ McGinnis And Holliday Conversation 3 - "How long you think you'll stay with Fairfax Industries?" - "I don't know. Probably until I get bored or open some portal to hell and die? (...) I think about it a lot."
  29. ↑ McGinnis And Dynamo Conversation 2 - "I'd make a really bad teacher. (...) I don't know how I do what I do, it just... comes naturally. If I tried to teach someone, it would probably boil down to me saying 'Try it again, but don't suck this time!'"
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 McGinnis And Bebop Conversation 1
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 McGinnis And Dynamo Conversation 1 - "How's that body working out for ya? (...) Well, if you ever want an upgrade or something, you may call!"
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 McGinnis And Seven Conversation 2
  33. ↑ McGinnis And Dynamo Conversation 3
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 McGinnis' in-game voice line - "Dibs on Viscous' goo!"
  35. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (pre-game ping): "Just wanna get ahead of this: I will probably misuse the wall at some point, and I'm sorry in advance."
  36. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (upgrade Spectral Wall): "If this misfires, my team won't let me hear the end of it."
  37. ↑ McGinnis And Abrams Conversation 1 - "Just wanna get this out of the way. I'm gonna be doing my best to support you but, shit happens and if you end up on the wrong side of a spectral wall... I'm sorry." - "That was... very specific." - "It happens a lot."
  38. ↑ McGinnis And Abrams Conversation 2 - "How do you not throw out your back carrying all that stuff?" - "It's lighter than it looks. Souls don't weigh a whole lot."
  39. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Unselect): "Great. I thought of a new way to weaponize souls in the shower, I need to go to the lab."
  40. ↑ The Binding of Oathkeeper - Chapter 3A
  41. ↑ McGinnis's in-game voice line (killstreak) - "Papa Fairfax is giving me a raise after this!"
  42. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Killed Kelvin): "Took out Kevin – Kelvin. His name is Kelvin. I'm gonna get that right next time."
  43. ↑ McGinnis And Kelvin Conversation 2
  44. ↑ McGinnis' in-game voice line - "Tell you what, you stop stealing my ideas and I'll stop shootin' ya."
  45. ↑ McGinnis' in-game voice line (killed Shiv) - "When this is all over Shiv, we should talk."
  46. ↑ McGinnis' in-game voice line (killed Shiv) - "I can fix him!"
  47. ↑ McGinnis And Ivy Conversation 3 - "I read about you in the paper. Thanks for making New York a little better."
  48. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Killed Ivy): "Appreciate what you did for Spanish Harlem, but I gotta do what I gotta do."
  49. ↑ McGinnis And Grey Talon Conversation 1 - "You know they make things like "guns", if you ever wanna step into the 20th century." - "I see charm is not one of your talents." - "Charm doesn't win fights. You know what does? Guns. Which you don't have."
  50. ↑ McGinnis And Infernus Conversation 3 - "Where's your gun?" - "I don't need one." - "No one "needs" a gun, it just makes surviving a firefight significantly more likely!"
  51. ↑ PocketPocket's in-game voice line (killed McGinnis): "You could've made the world a better place. Instead, you chose to do this."
  52. ↑ PocketPocket's in-game voice line (pass McGinnis on zipline): "Karma's coming for you, Maggie."
  53. ↑ PocketPocket's in-game voice line (killed McGinnis): "You're complicit, McGinnis."
  54. ↑ McGinnis And Seven Conversation 3 - "Now I think it's safe to say you plateau'd." - "I'm sorry, what did you say?" - "You are a woman who executes pedestrian ideas at the highest level. That makes you a master craftsman, but far from a visionary."
  55. ↑ The DoormanThe Doorman's in-game voice line (Pass McGinnis on Zipline): "So that's the brightest mind humanity has to offer..."
  56. ↑ ApolloApollo's in-game voice line (killed McGinnis): "A pity you're not on my side, McGinnis. My father would be a fan."
  57. ↑ MinaMina's in-game voice line (Destroy Turrets): "I'm gonna kill Fairfax's little pet genius!"
  58. ↑ McGinnis And Wraith Conversation 1 - "You're Fairfax's pet genius, right?" - "I'm no one's 'pet' anything."
  59. ↑ ParadoxParadox's in-game voice line (Killed McGinnis): "I want your research, McGinnis."
  60. ↑ ParadoxParadox's in-game voice line (Killed McGinnis): "What secrets are you hiding for Fairfax, McGinnis?"
  61. ↑ McGinnisMcGinnis' in-game voice line (Killed Paradox): "Maybe Paradox will stop tryin'a raid my lab."
  62. ↑ Lady Geist And McGinnis Conversation 4 - "You remember what you need to do?" - "Collect souls, power gauntlet, summon Patron... live forever."
  63. ↑ McGinnis' removed voice line (killed Infernus): "Eh, I'll tip you extra later, Fern."
  64. ↑ McGinnis' removed voice line (killed Infernus): "Sorry, Fern."
  65. ↑ Lash's in-game voice line - "Astro is a lucky lady to be with someone like Forge."
  66. ↑ Lash's in-game voice line - "I see her at the Bear Pit every Thursday with Astro, that lady is a student of the game."
  67. ↑ Forge's in-game voice line (melee kill) - "Training with Lash is paying off!"
  68. ↑ Forge's in-game voice line (killed Lash) - "I tried to warn you dude, I'm a fast learner."
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