Super Villain: Difference between revisions

{{tropeUseful Notes}}

{{quote|'''[[Batman]]''': ''What do these guys want, anyway?''<br />

'''[[Superman]]''': ''[[Take Over the World|Take over the world]]... or [[Bank Robbery|rob banks]]. I forget.''|''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'', "Clash"}}

{{quote|'''Titan''': ''This town isn't big enough for two supervillains!''<br />

'''Megamind''': ''Oh, you're a villain all right, just not a SUPER one!''<br />

'''Titan''': ''Oh yeah? What's the difference?''<br />

[[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[The Rolling Stones (Literaturenovel)|The Rolling Stones]]'' points out that for every [[Superhero]], there must be a [['''Super Villain]]''' to give him purpose. Heinlein's ''[[The Number of the Beast]]'' further notes that if the [[Villain]] is [[Killed Off for Real|killed]], he must be replaced by a [[Overlord, Jr.|son]] that's just as evil and [[Badass]] [[Avenging the Villain|as his predecessor]], if the story is to continue.

In short, where would that [[The Cape (trope)|caped]] clown be without ''you,'' his rival, his foil, his [[Arch Enemy]]? Nowhere, that's where. You've been around for as long as ''he'' has, after all!

Like your heroic counterpart, you have [[Magic and Powers|powers]], skills and technology that [[Screw the Rules, I Have Supernatural Powers|elevate you above the average person]], or indeed, the average criminal. Really, [[Good Is Boring|mundanity is for suckers]]. Why rob a bank by barging through the front door in a ski-mask, when you ''could'' release crippling fear-toxin through the AC, bust through the wall in your [[Clothes Make the Superman|power suit]], teleport into the vault, or cast a spell that [[Bad Powers, Bad People|turns the staff to]] [[Taken for Granite|stone]]?

Of course, you need to look [[Evil Makeover|cool]] while doing this, and don't forget those [[Chest Insignia|identifying marks]], unless you want to stay [[Not Wearing Tights|under the radar]]. If you have a day job, you'll wanna keep it [[Secret Identity|quiet]] too, because those parti-colored do-gooders will be gunning for you.

And while we're on the subject, don't those bastards just ruin everything? Spoiling your [[Evil Plan|plans]] for as long as [[Start of Darkness|you can remember]]! Heck, they even [[Collapsing Lair|trashed your]] [[Supervillain Lair|house]] that one time! I mean, you're only knocking over banks...or leveling cities, or taking over planets...y'know, basically doing your own thing. Why've they got such bugs up their butts anyway? What'd you ever do to them, aside from stalking them and [[I Have Your Wife|antagonizing their loved ones]]? You do that to ''everyone''!

Supervillains can be found in any work that features [[Superhero|Superheroes]]es.

[https://web.archive.org/web/20131023231124/http://www.strangehorizons.com/2008/20081006/jackson-c.shtml This] is an excellent deconstruction as to why supervillains never go to jail.