Malevolent Mugshot: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

In various media, it seems that certain [[Big Bad|powerful villains]] have a rather inflated view of themselves. Sure, the heroes might have their leader's face as a symbol for their team, but the various Big Bads and dictators want to go a lot further than that, and will place their name absolutely everywhere. Their base may actually be shaped like them, the flags may have a stylised icon of the Big Bad in place of the Jolly Roger and heck, they might even have [[Mecha-Mooks]] and vehicles very much influenced by their appearance. This trope will also always be used if the whole "[[Cult of Personality]]" effect is wanted, such as in a [[Dystopia]], as shown in works such as ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'' (along, of course, with the gigantic TV screens showing the Big Bad on the buildings and vehicles).

 

{{examples}}

* ''[[One Piece]]'': Various Pirate bosses model their Jolly Roger after their own appearance.

** The main cast end up collectively known as the "Strawhat Pirates", simply because their leader wears one, and he had one drawn on their Jolly Roger.

** And recently it's been revealed that {{spoiler|the straw hat originally belonged to Gold Roger himself, who looked shockingly much like Luffy before he grew his mustache; it's safe to say that the straw hat has a rich history that's only recently being noticed by the world of ''[[One Piece]]''.}}

 

* DC Comics example: the planet Apokalips is simply covered with images and statues of [[Darkseid]], usually paired with slogans such as "Die For Darkseid."

 

* "Father" from ''[[Equilibrium]]''.

 

* ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'': Big Brother.

 

* ''Doctor Who'', [[Doctor Who/Recap/S5/E01 The Tomb of the Cybermen|Tomb of the Cybermen]]: The tomb complex where the Cybermen lie in suspended animation has big Cyberman-heads stenciled on the walls here and there.

* As a [[Running Gag]] in ''[[Strangers with Candy]]'', Principal Blackman's portrait appears all over Flatpoint High; it seems every classroom has one, like the flag in a real American school, and it's even on the back of the letterman jackets.

* Dwight Schrute of ''[[The Office]]'' had one posted in the entrance to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch office during his brief stint as Regional Manager.

 

* Bowser in the ''[[Super Mario Bros.]].'' series has an icon of his face on various evil objects, machines and the Jolly Roger flag on the airships (and a portrait of his face on the front).

* The ''[[Wario Land]]'' series' latest game has the Shake King's face both on the flag of his pirate ship and on the intruder alarm for each stage.

* Weasleby's Lair from ''[[Henry Hatsworth]]'' has this on spades. The eponymous [[Quintessential British Gentleman]] claims that the brigand's state is not what he had expected, but that his taste in decoration is "as questionable as [he] thought".

 

* Redcloak from ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]''. At least, I assume that it's his face on the banners... all goblins look alike to me.

** That is so stick-figure-ist.

* ''[[Homestar Runner]]'': The forces of the Municipality are represented by a stylized King of Town logo.

 

* On ''[[Samurai Jack]]'', Aku's face is everywhere, even in advertising. Even the architecture resembles him.

* ''The King and the Mockingbird''. The [[Big Bad]]'s face was all over everything, and the heroes is imprisoned in a factory that makes even more portraits of him.

* In the third season of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]],'' Firelord Ozai's face is all over ''everything'' in the Fire Nation. Statues, posters, whatever. It's an abrupt change from the first two seasons when he was [[The Faceless]] as the Gaang roamed the Earth Kingdom.

 

* Germany under Hitler, the Soviet Union under Stalin... you aren't an Absolute Ruler unless your mug is plastered on every surface.

* Don't forget the most iconic real-life version of this trope: Chairman Mao in China.

 

{{reflist}}

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