This has just popped in my head right now. I'm wondering because as she's been cursed with the crown she had Ballos make, would it have given her the powers she has with her already in the series? Sure, Jenka had powers but even they're very diminutive compared to those of Ballos. Any thoughts?
I suspect that Jenka's other half wasn't a magic user. Either Misery had very weak magic or no magic due to her father in my mind. A Human child is always the genetic byproduct of both a father and a mother, not just the mother.
The entire point was to gain power from Ballos. This makes more sense if she had low to no magic power. This also would explain why she is standing up and not levitating in the credits of the post-hell ending.
I suspect that Jenka's other half wasn't a magic user. Either Misery had very weak magic or no magic due to her father in my mind. A Human child is always the genetic byproduct of both a father and a mother, not just the mother.
The entire point was to gain power from Ballos. This makes more sense if she had low to no magic power. This also would explain why she is standing up and not levitating in the credits of the post-hell ending.
That was of my suspicions as well. Not to mention that her eyes were red throughout the whole game, which may have been a byproduct of the Demon Crown's curse.
A few random theories in story format :
Story1 - just a kid
Misery was just a little kid at the time, she had her little pal Balrog come with her to see her uncle.
She was supposed to stay away from her uncle, but she was very curious.
Over time she would secretly visit her uncle, learning more about why he was locked away...
Jenka had told her that Ballos had a power that could grant any wish. But, that he had made a wish he should never had made.
Misery thought about what she could possibly want... and after living alone for so long, she imagined ruling over a peaceful kingdom, like the one Jenka told her about.
So she went to Ballos and gathered up her courage, dragging Balrog along for support...
"I want a crown that will let me make my own kingdom!"
Ballos couldn't control his magic, and only smiled and created a crown for Misery... but his magic was uncontrollable, and soon the wish went awry...
Years past, as Misery became cursed to serve others to create their own kingdoms. She had given up hope until she faced a determined little robot...
Story2 - bad luck
Misery had grown tired of her endless enslavement to that little island. Jenka had decided all on her own, that she would live in the empty sky leaving the world behind. Bah!
Had she given her a choice? No.
Gahhh, she was fed up with her mother and their empty toils, waiting for her uncle to snap out of it. She knew it was already too late for him. Jenka just wouldn't accept it. "He's lost! Why do I have to suffer because of his mistakes?!"
It was no use, Jenka refused to listen. That's why Misery began to search for a way off this floating rock.
Then, the answer became obvious. Ballos was like an endless fountain of magic waiting to be tapped. If she had a way to safely access that magic; she could go ANYWHERE. Do ANYTHING.
Jenka wouldn't even be able to stop her.
So, after secretly researching the dark magic of siphoning enchantments; Misery created a fool proof spell to make her dreams come true.
AND IT WOULD HAVE WORKED. BUT NO, Balrog chickens out, tells Jenka and everything goes out of control!!!@
And that's how Misery ended up spending endless years, cursed by her own spell... Along with Balrog, the fool who was worried, and made his worries a reality ><
Her spell was too perfect, even Jenka couldn't break it...
Story3 - revenge
Misery still had nightmares of that day. A city in flames, people falling around her, everything she knew disappeared that day. Balrog and her mother found her and told her that her kind uncle had been taken by the envious king, and turned him into a demon...
Why...? Why had all of this happened?
Years past, but Misery never forgave the people's greed. Even now, somewhere there was another scheming fool who desired power; willing to destroy anyone in their path.
That's why Misery had an idea. To avenge those who had died for that lust... she would use the very evil that had been created against them. She would never forgive those people.
A crown, the "king's crown". That demon who turned him into this. She would take what the king could not, and use it for everyone's sake...
Could Misery have had no powers before she demanded Ballos to make the crown?
Maybe... We have no idea how magic is passed on in the Pixelverse. Maybe it passes to only one heir, upon their demise. Or maybe it's just something she's born with an innate ability to use? Or perhaps there's a ritual that connects her to some source of power her family is able to use.
Maybe Jenka's a type of necromancer (bones, potions of life). And Ballos is some kind of elementalist (earth, air, fire).
Or maybe magic depends on your spirit animal... (talking puppies, Balrog, some kind of invisible wild magic that has possessed Ballos (giant rock monster that possessed him?))
So yeah, maybe she didn't. Maybe she did...
The real question is, does Cave Story have any hints to one way or the other?
I might side with : "She probably did"... otherwise how would she have made Ballos make an enchanted Crown?
She had powers before she was cursed to the crown because;
Her mom a.ka Jenka who was a witch and used magic before Ballos ever got crazy that means Misery inherited or learned from her mom and Jenka/Misery's magic has nothing to do with the crown.
You didn't even specified statements of your theory.
This should be common knowledge that you inherit traits from both a mother AND a father but somehow two people in this thread are convinced that the only genetic traits passed on to Misery are her mother's. Either that or this is some strange notion that not appearing in the story magically removes you from the gene pool. What do they even teach in schools these days? Ugh..
Protip: Misery inherited stuff from her father as well.
If Misery's father had no magic then there you go, Misery could have either weak magic or no magic. Same for if magic was determined by a recessive gene.
Did he really submit to her, though? He's a demonic mage, being confronted by her niece by perhaps centuries. The fact that he placed such a powerful seal on her suggests that he greatly overpowers her. So, it's not impossible to believe (from this information) that she didn't actually have any magical ability before that point.
