Smug Super: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
[[File:supersmugdick 6183.jpg|link=Superman|frame|[[Superdickery.com|That]] [[Super Dickery|dickish grin]]<ref>Abandoning Lois to [[And Now You Must Marry Me|a super-villain]], for [[Silver Age|the second time in two months]], because [[Loves My Alter Ego|she thought she could do better than Clark.]]</ref>]]
 
{{quote|''"If I was in [[Superman]]'s place, I'd be totally lording my powers over all the other [[Superfriends]]. 'Hey [[Batman]],' I'd say, 'Nice utility belt! Got anything in there that would help you lift an oil tanker? I didn't think so. Hey [[Aquaman]]! You realize I could pretty much kick ass over any sea creature you cared to summon, don't you? [[Wonder Woman]]! Your magic lasso makes me tell the truth: You suck!'"''|'''[http://www.bookofratings.com/superfriends.html Book Of Ratings]'''}}
|'''[http://www.bookofratings.com/superfriends.html Book Of Ratings]'''}}
 
Normally, [[Superhero|Super Heroes]]es [[Humble Hero|are modest]], and failing that at least they're rarely vain. But then again, if you had superpowers, wouldn't you be the ''tiniest'' bit tempted to lord it over the foiled bad guys? Well the '''Smug Super''' thinks so, and in fact he'll [[The Magnificent|tell you about it]]. At [[A God Am I|great]] [[Trash Talk|length]]. In fact, he ''[[Large Ham|won't shut up about it!]]''
 
The Smug Super is a super hero or villain who knows they've won the [[Superpower Lottery]] and won't hesitate to remind others, especially if they're beneath him on the [[Super Weight]] scale. This character is similar to the [[Smug Snake]], though rather than be manipulative and sneaky, he's very up front about his opinion of himself and is an active fighter who is at least on an equal footing with the rest of the cast. Also similar to the Smug Snake, he can be a very enjoyable to see in action for the [[Chewing the Scenery|Scenery Chewing]] [[Badass]] [[One-Liner|One Liners]]s they deliver. Likewise, he might fall over the edge into camp.
 
In combat, he's likely to [[I Am Not Left-Handed|hold back]], taunt his opponents, and [[Trash Talk]] with the best of them. Though he might occasionally suffer setbacks due to his [[Pride]] and underestimating opponents. Especially if they're [[What Measure Is a Non Super|mere mortals]].
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* Crackerjack in ''[[Astro City]]'', despite [[Badass Normal|not actually having superpowers]].
* Doc Magus of [[Marvel Comics 2]]. Apparently being [[Dr. Jerk]] is [[Doctor Strange|is in the blood]].
* In [https://web.archive.org/web/20131029130101/http://www.johnnysaturn.com/2006/01/18/book-one-page-01/ "Johnny Saturn"] the Utopian is so smug that his feet rarely touch the ground, and he speaks with an arrogant tone.
* Believe it or not, [[Superman]] had quite a few moments like this in [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]], using a LOT less restraint against criminals, and generally lording it over the [[Muggles]], as in the very first issue where he broke into the governor's mansion to stop an execution...
{{quote|''Superman: It's locked!''
''Servant: Yes, and made of steel! [[Tempting Fate|Try and tear this door down!]]''<br />
''(Superman tears the door off its hinges)'' <br />
''Superman: (dickish grin) It was your idea!'' }}
* Happened to [[Batman]] when Superman's powers get transfered to him. Superman eventually takes his powers back because Batman was acting like a total dick and bullying the villains after they had already surrendered.
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* Alfie O'Meagan from ''[[Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja]]'' constantly alternates between casting himself as a selfless savior of humanity and gloating about being the most powerful person on Earth.
{{quote|"There is a purpose behind my ability to increase my own powers! My potential is limitless! You can't possible conceive of the wonders I have in store for the world! Lucky that I am a pool of endless compassion!"}}
* A number of the heroes in ''[[Irredeemable]]'' fit this blend. Qubit is an [[Insufferable Genius]] who has little trouble reminding people he's the smartest guy in any room. When The Plutonian was still a hero, he played up some false modesty, but after he turned evil he promptly dropped it and had no qualms rubbing his power into everyone's faces. But the best example from the comic is The Survivor, who's entirely too pleased with himself about his abilities and uses his power to do whatever he feels like after getting it.
** The existence of Smug Supers is something that [[Irredeemable]] examines in detail. At one point the heroes discover a man with super-powers on par with The Survivor, but decides to never use them and instead became a humble monk out of fear of what such power could do to him.
* ''[[PS238]]'' got a great big crowd of these. Starting with kids who don't know better, but are about to learn the hard way. Taylor's parents (who chose "Powers" as their "masked" last name) are introduced as highly prideful, but this turned out to be a moderate version. Many super-intellects are [[Insufferable Genius]] sort. Many others, well...
 
{{quote|'''Phlogiston''': Don't ''any'' of you know what "narcissistic sociopath" means?}}
** Not only they tower over normal people, but many look down at relatively "common" F.I.S.S. ([[Flying Brick|Flight, Invulnerability, Strength, Speed]]) metahumans and [[You Are Number Six|refer to them by numbers]] - enough that many FISS rushed to their own political movement ("Equal recognition for equal [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|<s>work</s>]] heroism!") once they found a fitting "unifying symbol"
** [http://ps238.nodwick.com/comic/2018-06-15/ Ultima Powers helps Gravpulse to regret] coming there, and that's only her fourth page.
 
== Film ==
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* [[The Tick (animation)]]: The episode “The Big Leagues” has a "League of Superheroes" made up entirely of smug, misogynistic supers. In fact, almost every super throughout the show is a smug jerk, excepting the 4 main characters.
* [[Power Rangers Jungle Fury]]'s Grizzaka is a villainous example of a Smug Super. He's so arrogant about his immense power that he likes lording on to others about his belief that no one can possibly be stronger than him or that he will never be defeated.
{{quote|'''Grizzaka''': That was nothing! I won't let it happen again! I'm the strongest fighter there will ever be! ([[Make My Monster Grow|grows to giant size]])<br />
'''Grizzaka''': It's your turn to learn the same lesson all my enemies have. There is no one as powerful as Grizzaka, and never will be! }}
** To be fair, [[Power Rangers]] seems to have a lot of Smug Supers, and there's possibly too many to count.
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** To a greater extent, Miranda Lawson. She's quite smug about her status as a genetically enhanced [[Canon Sue]] as well as being [[The Dragon]] of Cerberus. While she does admit that she's not completely perfect, she still believes she's as close as you can get. Then deconstructed as she realises despite all her gifts she'll never have what Shepard has, could never do what Shepard did.
** They both pale in comparison to Harbinger, whose quotes consist entirely of [[Badass Boasts]] about how inferior the characters are, how their efforts are futile, and how superior Harbinger and his kind are.
* Hakumen from ''[[Blaz BlueBlazBlue]]'' is the leader of the Six Heroes, who saved the world from the Black Beast. This seems to have gone to his head a bit (or it could be that he's ''monstrously'' powerful, and is ''fully'' aware of it). He uses a derisive tone of voice when speaking to most other characters, and many of his in-battle lines seem dedicated to mocking his opponent's inadequacy.
{{quote|'''Hakumen:''' (upon winning a battle with Lambda) "This must be some kind of joke."
'''Hakumen:''' "''I'' will not be defeated by the likes of ''you''!"
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* Lodoze (a Lobo parody) from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]''.
* [[The Non-Adventures of Wonderella|Wonderella]]. She has a cape! And she totally jumps hella high, and lands feet first right smack in this trope.
* ''[[Keychain of Creation|Marena]]'': Marena [http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0092.html cares not for your puny mortal rules.] Even the terrible and fearsome chair is as nothing before her might.
* In ''[[Homestuck]]'', Doc Scratch is nigh [[The Omnipotent|omnipotent]] and [[The Omniscient|omniscient]], and [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004144 loves to] [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004156 remind people of it.]
* In ''[[Heist]]'', the protagonist fits this to a tee.
** Patriot, despite [[Captain Patriotic|his image]], is worse to the point of [[Beware the Superman]].
 
 
== Web Original ==
* ''[[DoctorDr. HorriblesHorrible's Sing -Along Blog]]'' has Captain Hammer, with his song "Everyone's a Hero", which sounds like a [[Rousing Speech]] but is really 100% pure unleaded [[Villain Song]] + [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]. His comeuppance is delivered shortly thereafter.
* Both heroes and villains in ''[[Dimension Heroes]]'' show off this trope, noticeably protagonist Rob and antagonist Clonar.
* The Lamplighter, the most powerful superhero in Boston, in the [[Whateley Universe]]. And a real [[Jerkass]].
* [[We Are Our Avatars (Roleplay)|We Are Our Avatars]]
** Max really IS a powerful Necromancer and later a Greek god, as he assures everybody he meets. This feat just pales in comparison to all the [[Reality Warper]]s and other powerful beings around him. This does not stop him from thinking that he is still the hottest thing in the Multiverse, though.
** [[Mortal Kombat|Shao Kahn]](in this game) pretty much embodied this trope. Most of the time, anyway.
 
== Western Animation ==
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[[Category:Ego Tropes]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Smug Super{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Alliterative Trope Titles]]