Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Difference between revisions
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* ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' had a few, most from [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]]: |
* ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' had a few, most from [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]]: |
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** The Blue Snowman. This was a scientist who invented a suit of [[Powered Armor]] that made her (yes, ''her'') look like a snowman, and it had a freeze ray that produced ''blue snow''. A new version of the character in the more modern era tried to be [[Darker and Edgier]], but only looked ''sillier'', adding a corncob pipe. |
** The Blue Snowman. This was a scientist who invented a suit of [[Powered Armor]] that made her (yes, ''her'') look like a snowman, and it had a freeze ray that produced ''blue snow''. A new version of the character in the more modern era tried to be [[Darker and Edgier]], but only looked ''sillier'', adding a corncob pipe. |
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** The Duke of Deception and the Earl of Greed were two of Ares' flunkies whose job was to keep the Earth in a perpetual state of war. Since this was during World War II, it's not clear why Ares even needed these buffoons, who always messed up. DC may have been going for the [[Halfhearted Henchman]] angle here, but these guys were bigger failures than [[Hercules (1997 film)|Pain and Panic.]] DC seems to have given up on the Earl, but the Duke managed to eventually [[Took a Level in Badass|Take a Level in Badass]], pulling a successful coup on Ares. [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Tomas_Byde_(The_Legend_of_Wonder_Woman)| and still appears from time to time.] |
** The Duke of Deception and the Earl of Greed were two of Ares' flunkies whose job was to keep the Earth in a perpetual state of war. Since this was during World War II, it's not clear why Ares even needed these buffoons, who always messed up. DC may have been going for the [[Halfhearted Henchman]] angle here, but these guys were bigger failures than [[Hercules (1997 film)|Pain and Panic.]] DC seems to have given up on the Earl, but the Duke managed to eventually [[Took a Level in Badass|Take a Level in Badass]], pulling a successful coup on Ares. [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Tomas_Byde_(The_Legend_of_Wonder_Woman)| and still appears from time to time.]{{Dead link}} |
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** Angelo Bend, aka Angle Man, a villain with a... geometry theme. Obsessed with committing crimes with "unbeatable angles" this guy had a silly-looking costume covered with mathematics symbols and a sillier-looking weapon that looked like a Penrose triangle ("the Angler", he called it) but always got his ass handed to him by the heroine. Eventually he modified the weapon so it could warp time and space in a variety of ways, ditched his silly costume (for a getup that made him look like a middle-aged accountant) and was killed in the Crisis. |
** Angelo Bend, aka Angle Man, a villain with a... geometry theme. Obsessed with committing crimes with "unbeatable angles" this guy had a silly-looking costume covered with mathematics symbols and a sillier-looking weapon that looked like a Penrose triangle ("the Angler", he called it) but always got his ass handed to him by the heroine. Eventually he modified the weapon so it could warp time and space in a variety of ways, ditched his silly costume (for a getup that made him look like a middle-aged accountant) and was killed in the Crisis. |
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** Egg Fu may have been in a class of himself among Diana's enemies: |
** Egg Fu may have been in a class of himself among Diana's enemies: |
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* Cassiel from ''[[Misfile]]'' desperately wants to be Rumisiel's nemesis and is constantly plotting his downfall. Too bad she makes the [[Pokémon (anime)|Team Rocket]] trio look competent and effective. |
* Cassiel from ''[[Misfile]]'' desperately wants to be Rumisiel's nemesis and is constantly plotting his downfall. Too bad she makes the [[Pokémon (anime)|Team Rocket]] trio look competent and effective. |
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* Fructose Riboflavin in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]],'' who has been [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20070327.html trying and trying and failing] to take over the Nemesite Empire for [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20061223.html so danged long] that you have [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20070331.html to pity him, just a little.] |
* Fructose Riboflavin in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]],'' who has been [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20070327.html trying and trying and failing] to take over the Nemesite Empire for [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20061223.html so danged long] that you have [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20070331.html to pity him, just a little.] |
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* The [http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=081023 Minion Master] from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]''. |
* The [https://web.archive.org/web/20110128104159/http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=081023 Minion Master] from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]''. |
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** In an alternative universe, [http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/20090910 he's] [[Not So Harmless]]. |
** In an alternative universe, [http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/20090910 he's] [[Not So Harmless]]. |
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* Drizz'l in ''[[8-Bit Theater|Eight Bit Theater]]''. First, he was humiliated when the "true guardian" he bought turned out to be a platypus. Then, he went without a sword for a good majority of the comic and teamed up with the most incompetent antagonists possible. After [[The Starscream|he finally assumed leadership of the Dark Warriors]], his first plan to quit their royal accounting job was an utter embarrassment. Then he was voted off the team (''right'' after finally becoming leader and running a huge, evil castle) and forced to [[Heel Face Turn]] ([[Villain Protagonist|sorta]]) and ended up hating the Light Warriors even more. Then the final showdown he was waiting for [[Wacky Wayside Tribe|was interrupted by a pointless election]]. Then his plan to kill everyone else backfired. Then the Fiends who mistook him as the one who summoned them from Hell were unable to kill his teammates because of family ties. Then said Fiends were suddenly killed off (again). Then his plan to take over the world using the [[Arc Number|four]] [[Elemental Powers|elemental]] [[Cosmic Keystone|orbs of light]] came to a quick end when [[Dungeon Master|Sarda]] pointed out that they have no idea how to do that. Then said [[Physical God|nigh-omnipotent]] [[Jerkass|jackass]] [[A Wizard Did It|wizard who did it]] subsequently [[Mind Rape|mind raped]] the whole team and forced them to run away. And finally, {{spoiler|he is the only Very Real Light Warrior unhappy about being credited with saving the world, probably because he never got to be an actual villain and/or due to the whole stupidity of the situation.}} |
* Drizz'l in ''[[8-Bit Theater|Eight Bit Theater]]''. First, he was humiliated when the "true guardian" he bought turned out to be a platypus. Then, he went without a sword for a good majority of the comic and teamed up with the most incompetent antagonists possible. After [[The Starscream|he finally assumed leadership of the Dark Warriors]], his first plan to quit their royal accounting job was an utter embarrassment. Then he was voted off the team (''right'' after finally becoming leader and running a huge, evil castle) and forced to [[Heel Face Turn]] ([[Villain Protagonist|sorta]]) and ended up hating the Light Warriors even more. Then the final showdown he was waiting for [[Wacky Wayside Tribe|was interrupted by a pointless election]]. Then his plan to kill everyone else backfired. Then the Fiends who mistook him as the one who summoned them from Hell were unable to kill his teammates because of family ties. Then said Fiends were suddenly killed off (again). Then his plan to take over the world using the [[Arc Number|four]] [[Elemental Powers|elemental]] [[Cosmic Keystone|orbs of light]] came to a quick end when [[Dungeon Master|Sarda]] pointed out that they have no idea how to do that. Then said [[Physical God|nigh-omnipotent]] [[Jerkass|jackass]] [[A Wizard Did It|wizard who did it]] subsequently [[Mind Rape|mind raped]] the whole team and forced them to run away. And finally, {{spoiler|he is the only Very Real Light Warrior unhappy about being credited with saving the world, probably because he never got to be an actual villain and/or due to the whole stupidity of the situation.}} |
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*** "''Good soldiers, bad officers''" is how Rommel described the Italians, and as for how ineffectual they were, one of his other quotes was "''The German soldier has impressed the world, however the Italian Bersagliere soldier has impressed the German soldier''". |
*** "''Good soldiers, bad officers''" is how Rommel described the Italians, and as for how ineffectual they were, one of his other quotes was "''The German soldier has impressed the world, however the Italian Bersagliere soldier has impressed the German soldier''". |
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**** Of course, seeing that an army's capacity to organize, plan, and cause its various elements to cooperate efficiently is more important than individual competance, it's still not the makings of a very good military, as Italy's entire post Roman military history shows. |
**** Of course, seeing that an army's capacity to organize, plan, and cause its various elements to cooperate efficiently is more important than individual competance, it's still not the makings of a very good military, as Italy's entire post Roman military history shows. |
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* ''Any'' crooks profiled on ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Dumbest_Criminals| America's Dumbest Criminals]'' is sure to fit. |
* ''Any'' crooks profiled on ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Dumbest_Criminals| America's Dumbest Criminals]{{Dead link}}'' is sure to fit. |
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* The bank robber who was caught when he got ''trapped in'' the bank he was robbing...when he didn't try to pull the door open, and only pushed it. He was in there for about five minutes before the cops showed up. |
* The bank robber who was caught when he got ''trapped in'' the bank he was robbing...when he didn't try to pull the door open, and only pushed it. He was in there for about five minutes before the cops showed up. |
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* [http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/hostage-post-office-gunman-was-angry-at-government-146816.html Warren Taylor] seems to have found a way to combine this trope with [[Terrorists Without a Cause]]. He stormed into a small-town post office, placed what appeared to be a bomb on the counter, and took three people hostage. At that point, he didn't seem to know quite what to do. Over the following eight hours, he issued two demands: a pizza to share with his hostages, and a pack of cigarettes for a hostage who smoked. In the end, he made his way outside and surrendered peacefully, eventually apologizing during his arraignment for getting everybody out on Christmas. |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091230053507/http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/hostage-post-office-gunman-was-angry-at-government-146816.html Warren Taylor] seems to have found a way to combine this trope with [[Terrorists Without a Cause]]. He stormed into a small-town post office, placed what appeared to be a bomb on the counter, and took three people hostage. At that point, he didn't seem to know quite what to do. Over the following eight hours, he issued two demands: a pizza to share with his hostages, and a pack of cigarettes for a hostage who smoked. In the end, he made his way outside and surrendered peacefully, eventually apologizing during his arraignment for getting everybody out on Christmas. |
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* [[wikipedia:Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf|Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf]], better known as Baghdad Bob and Comical Ali (the latter being a reference to "Chemical Ali", the nickname of the much more effectively evil former Iraqi Defence Minister Ali Hassan al-Majid) gained fame and memetic status during the second Iraq War on account of his hilarious [[Blatant Lies]] about American forces, which were generally contradicted by things visible directly behind him. |
* [[wikipedia:Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf|Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf]], better known as Baghdad Bob and Comical Ali (the latter being a reference to "Chemical Ali", the nickname of the much more effectively evil former Iraqi Defence Minister Ali Hassan al-Majid) gained fame and memetic status during the second Iraq War on account of his hilarious [[Blatant Lies]] about American forces, which were generally contradicted by things visible directly behind him. |
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** So notorious was he that when [http://www.holtorf.com/ray/iraqi_information_minister.htm a comic] showed an American soldier walking into the frame behind him and making bunny ears, this troper's entire US Navy shop had to see if he'd actually been taken off the air by the same soldiers that he claimed were not in the city. |
** So notorious was he that when [http://www.holtorf.com/ray/iraqi_information_minister.htm a comic] showed an American soldier walking into the frame behind him and making bunny ears, this troper's entire US Navy shop had to see if he'd actually been taken off the air by the same soldiers that he claimed were not in the city. |