At some point in our ordinary, mundane lives we've all fantasized about how cool it would be to be a supervillain... (well at least I have).
Lex Luthor. Magneto. The Joker. Doctor Doom.
We all know these names cause they are the greatest supervillains in comic book history.
But what makes one a "supervillain" as opposed to just a regular, ordinary villain? I ask the questions that will help you be on your way to ruling the world!
After thorough research (reading a bunch of old comics), I've concluded there are about 5 qualities that sets apart a supervillain like Brainiac vs. regular baddies like say, Captain Cold.
1. MISGUIDED IDEALS
A real supervillain, 99% of the time, believes what they are doing is for a noble cause, regardless how misdirected they may be.
They aren't doing it for something as basic as money, like a common criminal. Theirs is a "higher calling."
Look at LEX LUTHOR for example:
He believes that aliens are threat to human kind. So much so that he's willing to be called a villain in order to "save us." He BELIEVES he knows what the rest of us don't know, and he takes action regardless to popular opinion of the masses.
Or look at a character like MAGNETO:
This is a man who watched his family rounded up by Nazis during WWII and put in a concentration camp because they were "different." After discovering he was a mutant and that there were other mutants out there, he made the decision that these were his people and he was going to PROTECT THEM at all cost from the savagery of human kind.
He never believed for a second that he was a supervillain, even though he did atrocious things in the name of "mutant-kind." He considered himself a "Moses" leading his people to a promise land.
2. PROPER HENCHMEN
Every supervillain worth his salt has people under them willing to die for them. It takes a certain kind man or woman to be that person.
Basically being a great supervillian is a pretty much like being a strong cult leader. Cause that's basically what your building. And like any good cult leader you need to know your flock and how they tick. Most importantly, what it takes to get them to take a beating for you.
Think about this:
Why would anybody sane follow a guy like The Joker? Even if you didn't know his history, this is a man who dresses like a clown and likes to watch things burn. Yet, he never fails to rally others to his cause.
The same can be said for Doctor Doom. This is a guy who is literally a King of his own country. His people worship him like a god! And they are completely loyal to their ruler. This is also a man who wears an iron mask and sits in a castle manned by robots built in his image. Yet again, he commands a loyalty that can't be explained.
It's called charisma. That extra something that some people have that makes people want to be around, follow them, be with them sexually, or basically just naturally like.
Charisma they say can be taught, but for those of us who it doesn't come natural to, it's hard to measure whether it truly works for you.
3. A KICK-ASS LAIR
When you hear the word supervillain, you usually think about their cool hideouts.
The Joker has his creepy amusement parks. The Toy Man his weirdo toy factory. Poison Ivy has her killer garden (literally).
You have to have place that mirrors your personality or gimmick. That's what makes the villain lair cool. And lets be honest, world domination aside, you have to have a sense of style about you.
Usually lairs aren't purchased as much as just confiscated. Not encouraging you do aggressive squatting in some abandoned warehouse, just saying, as a supervillain, how you acquire said lair is pretty much up to your own ambition.
4. THE RIGHT LOOK
Clothes make the man (or woman). Not saying you need to wear a cape or suit of armor, but you need something that commands fear and/or respect. The point is, you have to be taken serious!
Nowadays mostly all comicbook characters have gotten an upgrade to their costumes, but there was a time when most characters looked pretty ridiculous.
Characters like: Electro. The Riddler. Mysterio. Just to name a few!
Picking your look is important because it needs to visually represent what you stand for.
A supervillian like Two-Face is the perfect example of image fitting the "modus operandi." He is a character of two minds, two personalities, and his outfit reflects that!
Know who you want to be, then dress accordingly!
5. THREE STEPS AHEAD
There are many times when the "hero" doesn't stop the supervillain from carrying out their acts. That's because the supervilain is usually one step ahead of everybody else!
Foresight! You have to be able to predict everything that can go wrong and adjust accordingly. You need to have a plan A, B, C - Z in order to not get caught off-guard.
The best movies are when you're watching and wondering: "How is the hero going to stop this guy?" And usually the hero has to go through hell to get it accomplished.
But that's what separates a true supervillain from the rest of the rabble!
CONCLUSION
Well hopefully this will help you on your journey to being the supervillain you've always wanted to be.
But just a little warning:
There is a real chance that pursuing this goal can get you extremely hurt or even killed. I would personally suggest just keeping it a fantasy or maybe some naughty role-play with your significant other.
By the way guys, If you liked this piece, be sure to check out my other work: