I don't think Mercedes is channeling her own condescension. She -loves- City of Heroes and playing it. She never wrote that way in her posts in the forums. She's never written that way through her main characters. Diana Tregarde herself in the books wasn't like she is here.
I still think I'm onto something though with the idea that Mercedes may be playing a joke on all those people who took the Diana Tregarde stuff frighteningly seriously. The ones who essentially drove her away from writing any more books in that series for fear of encouraging them. Who would be jumping at the chance to 'work' with Diana Tregarde. Maybe she's having a bit of an "Anno" moment. "You wanted Diana Tregarde so much, you raving sickos? Well here she is! Choke on it!"
I still think I'm onto something though with the idea that Mercedes may be playing a joke on all those people who took the Diana Tregarde stuff frighteningly seriously. The ones who essentially drove her away from writing any more books in that series for fear of encouraging them. Who would be jumping at the chance to 'work' with Diana Tregarde. Maybe she's having a bit of an "Anno" moment. "You wanted Diana Tregarde so much, you raving sickos? Well here she is! Choke on it!"