Villain with Good Publicity: Difference between revisions

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If you need to take down a Villain With Good Publicity, send in a [[Cowboy Cop]], [[Knight in Sour Armor]], or perhaps organize an [[Engineered Public Confession]] to out them as a [[Straw Hypocrite]]. The [[Ideal Hero]] and other [[Lawful Good|idealistic heroes]], by contrast, have no idea how to deal with these guys. Either way, any hero attempting to take one of these guys on can end up as a [[Hero With Bad Publicity]].

Contrast with most [[Evil Overlord|Evil Overlords]], who make no attempt to hide their villainy, and the [[Ancient Conspiracy]], which hides its entire existence. The exact opposite is a villain who has a [[Zero Percent Approval Rating]], and a more extreme version is the [[Devil in Plain Sight]] (whom no one cares about one way or the other). Can be a form of [[No Hero to His Valet]].

Contrast with most [[Evil Overlord|Evil Overlords]], who make no attempt to hide their villainy, and the [[Ancient Conspiracy]], which hides its entire existence. The exact opposite is a villain who has a [[Zero-Percent Approval Rating]], and a more extreme version is the [[Devil in Plain Sight]] (whom no one cares about one way or the other). Can be a form of [[No Hero to His Valet]].

Related to [[Hidden Evil]]. [[Anti-Villain|May or may not]] ''[[No Delays for The Wicked|deserve]]'' his reputation as a good guy. If so, expect the setting to lean towards the "cynical" end of the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]. May use [[Too Funny to Be Evil]] as an [[Affably Evil|affable]] PR tactic. Villains who win over the [[Misaimed Fandom|fans]] are [[Draco in Leather Pants]].

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* Sir Crocodile from ''[[One Piece]]''. Suave, amiable casino-owner by day, devious mastermind by night.

** Also: the World Government.

* The homunculus Wrath in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' is {{spoiler|Fuhrer King Bradley, the leader of all Amestris, as revealed in a [[Wham Episode]] during his battle with Greed}}. The difference between the persona he puts on that the people believe and who he is underneath it all is both vast and ''amazing'', kind of like the {{spoiler|Aizen}} example below. {{spoiler|Think if Aizen was in ''control'' of Soul Society.}} But the real kicker is that {{spoiler|his true nature is known to the entire military high command, who are knowingly collaborating with the enigmatic "[[Big Bad|Father]]" and his homonculi, and can be found discussing, among other things, possible "[[Arc Words|human sacrifices]]"}}.

* The homunculus Wrath in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' is {{spoiler|Fuhrer King Bradley, the leader of all Amestris, as revealed in a [[Wham! Episode]] during his battle with Greed}}. The difference between the persona he puts on that the people believe and who he is underneath it all is both vast and ''amazing'', kind of like the {{spoiler|Aizen}} example below. {{spoiler|Think if Aizen was in ''control'' of Soul Society.}} But the real kicker is that {{spoiler|his true nature is known to the entire military high command, who are knowingly collaborating with the enigmatic "[[Big Bad|Father]]" and his homonculi, and can be found discussing, among other things, possible "[[Arc Words|human sacrifices]]"}}.

** {{spoiler|Pride is posing as the Fuhrer's son and pretends to view Edward as his role model}}.

** There's also Father Cornello, who convinces everyone that he's a holy man when he's really a fraud out for power. Edward exposes him using an [[Engineered Public Confession]], but even after this, once the Elrics leave the city, Envy uses his shapeshifting powers to impersonate Cornello, successfully regaining enough followers to plunge the city into civil war, a perfect pretext for Amestrian military intervention. [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]].

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* [[Batman|The Penguin]] of [[DC Comics]], as mayor of Gotham City (in the comic series that spun-off from ''[[Batman the Animated Series]]''), has been known to crack down on "vigilantism" (read: Batman). Also sometimes depicts himself as a "reformed legitimate businessman" while actually a crime boss attempting to take over half of Gotham, though nowadays he seems to truly be reformed (it won't last, it never does).

* Likewise, [[Lex Luthor]] got himself elected president and proceeded to cause problems for the ''Justice League''. Well before that, he was a classic Teflon-coated [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]], on which absolutely nothing illegal could ever be pinned, no matter how involved he was.

** Although Lex is [[Genre Savvy]] enough to realize that he's living in a world where "it wasn't me, it was a version of my [[Mind Control|Mind Controlled]] [[Cloning Blues|clone]] from an [[Alternate Universe]] who had me tied up" is a credible legal defense, and has thus kept himself out of jail, the public has recently stopped buying his collective bullshit. Lex has rapidly plummeted into [[Zero Percent Approval Rating]], lost his corporation, and is well on the way to becoming a pure [[Mad Scientist]] again.

** Although Lex is [[Genre Savvy]] enough to realize that he's living in a world where "it wasn't me, it was a version of my [[Mind Control|Mind Controlled]] [[Cloning Blues|clone]] from an [[Alternate Universe]] who had me tied up" is a credible legal defense, and has thus kept himself out of jail, the public has recently stopped buying his collective bullshit. Lex has rapidly plummeted into [[Zero-Percent Approval Rating]], lost his corporation, and is well on the way to becoming a pure [[Mad Scientist]] again.

* In the ''Secret Empire'' story arc, [[Captain America]] fights and brings down a criminal conspiracy led by an [[Anonymous Ringer]] for then-president Richard Nixon.

* Senator {{spoiler|and later President}} Callahan, the nemesis of Spider Jerusalem in ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'', who has the habit of killing people close to him for sympathy ratings, whenever one of his misdeeds becomes public.

* [[Doctor Doom]] wavers between this and [[Zero Percent Approval Rating]] within [[Ruritania|Latveria]], but as its head of state, enjoys diplomatic immunity during his official visits to the States. On his "unofficial" visits, however...

* [[Doctor Doom]] wavers between this and [[Zero-Percent Approval Rating]] within [[Ruritania|Latveria]], but as its head of state, enjoys diplomatic immunity during his official visits to the States. On his "unofficial" visits, however...

** The Mighty ''[[The Avengers (Comic Book)|Avengers]]'', possibly because they are fully licensed agents of the United States government, seem to have had it with Doom. They responded to his latest attack by simply turning right around and invading Latveria to get at him.

*** Except it WASN'T him who launched the attack, and the Avengers have been played for fools.

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* Jim Profit on ''[[Profit]]''. It helps to have your name in the title.

* In the original 1966 ''[[Batman]]'' series, one of the bad guys is pointing a gun at a local citizen, so Batman busts in to arrest him. It turns out that it was a lighter in the shape of a gun, and he was showing it off to the guy. This gives the bad guy the ability to sue Batman for false arrest.

* Mr. Saxon in ''[[~~Doctor Who (TV)|~~Doctor Who]]''. See [[President Evil]]. Like Jasmine, brainwashing was involved.

* Mr. Saxon in ''[[Doctor Who]]''. See [[President Evil]]. Like Jasmine, brainwashing was involved.

** Davros, in ''Genesis of the Daleks''. At least, before he {{spoiler|arranged the Kaled Dome's destruction (and the extermination of his people) to avoid having to cover his tracks.}}

*** Davros also returns to this in his Sixth Doctor appearance in "Revelation of the Daleks," where he's credited for helping solve universal hunger. You know, until it was revealed his food was {{spoiler|[[I'm a Humanitarian|Made of people]]}}. Whoops.

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== Theater ==

* In [[The Musical]] ''[[Wicked (Theatre)|Wicked]]'', the Wizard of Oz himself is this. He also succeeds in making [[Wicked Witch|Elphaba]] out to be the villain with [[Zero Percent Approval Rating]].

* In [[The Musical]] ''[[Wicked (Theatre)|Wicked]]'', the Wizard of Oz himself is this. He also succeeds in making [[Wicked Witch|Elphaba]] out to be the villain with [[Zero-Percent Approval Rating]].

* [[Othello|"Honest"]] [[Smug Snake|Iago.]]

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** That's mainly an attempt to have the plot advance as you level up. High-level arcs involve Crey as nothing but the rogue remnants of their security forces after their [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] faced trial for about a million charges.

** Also from ''[[City of Heroes]]'', [[Complete Monster|Westin Phipps]]. To the general public, he is an unsung hero standing up for the weak and downtrodden against the threat of Arachnos. In truth, he is in the employment of said villainous organization, charged with finding whatever gives the people hope and driving it into the ground.

* The [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Baten Kaitos]]'', {{spoiler|Melodia}}, was one of the world's most beloved nobles...and puppeteered the [[Zero Percent Approval Rating]] Emperor Geldoblame into doing the grunt work.

* The [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Baten Kaitos]]'', {{spoiler|Melodia}}, was one of the world's most beloved nobles...and puppeteered the [[Zero-Percent Approval Rating]] Emperor Geldoblame into doing the grunt work.

** Baelheit, and later {{spoiler|Verus}} from ''Origins'' work this way as well.

* {{spoiler|The Cruxis and the Tethe'allan side of the Church of Martel}} in ''Tales of Symphonia''.

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** Seriously, who would even ''suspect'' that to be the case?

* In [[Avatar: The Last Airbender]], it's made clear thatt citizens of the Fire Nation are fundamentally good people who happen to be lead by evil people, and they all genuinely believe that Ozai and his family are wise, just leaders trying to share the Fire Nation's glory with tne rest of the world. The fact that Ozai is an absolute ruler with total control over the school system and the media make it pretty easy for him to achieve this, it's at the point where he doesn't even need to worry (or at least, not care) about spinning a genocide, since his people already accepted one as necessary a century ago.

** In the sequel ''[[The Legend of Korra (Animation)|The Legend of Korra]]'', {{spoiler|the Equalists' [[Evil Genius]] Hiroshi Sato}} kept up this act for ''twelve years'' {{spoiler|after the death of his wife at the hands of a firebending gang left him with a hatred for all benders}}. He gives up the act in the same episode it's revealed to be an act {{spoiler|with [[The Reveal]] of his latest invention: [[Mini Mecha]] capable of curbstomping all but the most skilled benders.}}

** In the sequel ''[[The Legend of Korra (Animation)|The Legend of Korra]]'', {{spoiler|the Equalists' [[Evil Genius]] Hiroshi Sato}} kept up this act for ''twelve years'' {{spoiler|after the death of his wife at the hands of a firebending gang left him with a hatred for all benders}}. He gives up the act in the same episode it's revealed to be an act {{spoiler|with [[The Reveal]] of his latest invention: [[Mini-Mecha]] capable of curbstomping all but the most skilled benders.}}

* Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk in the 1990s ''[[Spider-Man the Animated Series]]''. He's a well-respected member of the community. Peter Parker doesn't even know he's a criminal mastermind until late in the season, and, at one point, saves him from an attack by the Green Goblin during a groundbreaking ceremony.

** Speaking of the Goblin, Norman Osborn is also a [[Villain With Good Publicity]] in all versions: [[Muggles]] don't know about his criminal activity as a businessman ''or'' as the Green Goblin. In this particular series, the other crime lords are the same: even ''Spidey'' thought Silvermane was a nice old man.

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[[Category:Fame and Reputation Tropes]]

[[Category:Villains]]

[[Category:Villain With Good Publicity]]

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