Summary: Deus ex machina, or god from the machine, is a phrase that has been used for all kinds of things. A scholarly way to scorn a plot device, a vaguely-haunting means to spice up your science fiction thriller. Dead languages are like that; they always make you sound sophisticated or spooky.
Ask a drama student to define the phrase however, and they will give you a very different interpretation. It means an actor, they'll tell you. A rather bad actor in a crude Greek mask, holding onto the edge of a crane for dear life because he drew the short straw and it's his turn to play Zeus.
"Sorry," Emil says sheepishly as he electrocutes the last of the bank robbers with a gentle tap. "Hopefully it won't scar. The ambulance will be here soon, so sit tight okay?"
The robbers are unresponsive. Mostly because they're unconscious.
Shrugging, Emil lowers the man to the ground and makes sure he isn't in an uncomfortable position. He checks the rest of them carefully, taking pulses and making sure none of them are sporting any serious injuries. He rights a potted plant one of the robbers knocked over in the struggle.
Satisfied, he dusts off his hands on the metallic blue of his costume. "All right! That should do it."
Moments later the police arrive on the scene, sirens wailing, only to find that the suspects have already been incapacitated and arranged neatly on their sides in the safety position. There's a note, apologizing for the mess.
It has a smiley face on it.
Emil's apartment isn't really an apartment. It's an abandoned laboratory, all polished chrome and glass. Very modern, very classy. He likes it. He's lived here all his life.
Hoisting himself up onto a chrome examination table, he feels around his stomach for what he knows will be there. Sure enough the ragged edges of a bullet wound meet his fingertips, and he makes a face.
Crap. Should've been more careful.
A sharp twist and pull has the synthetic skin sliding back, the damaged square lifting away easily to reveal that a warped bullet is lodged in the clean chrome chassis underneath. Emil scowls down at it, but the damage isn't too bad. Some pliers, a soldering iron and a fresh dermis sheet and he'll be good as new.
He gets to work.