Supervillains. More interesting than you think.

Written by Ryan Heuer of Comicbooks.com staff fame.

I can admit it. I like super villains more than the heroes. But who can blame me? It seems that comic book authors go to a great deal of trouble to make the villains more relatable, often overshadowing the likability of the heroes. Sure, they may be trying to conquer the Earth or attempting to destroy humankind, but these destructive qualities are all rooted in the realities of our own recognizable personalities.

Powers? Who Needs Powers?!

One of the main issues that often tips me to the side of the villain, is the means of their creation. Look at how many of comic book superheroes gain their powers. The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man stumble into super powers butt first, while Superman is endowed with god-like powers from the get go. Not all superheroes get powers in this way, but a large portion are granted power that sets them apart from the rest of humanity by some means beyond their own capabilities.

Now, look at some of their respective villains. Dr. Doom has no powers, yet through studying and tenacity is able to master magic and create technology to battle on a level with those who have super powers. Lex Luthor forges his ability from the sweat of his brow, building a corporation from nothing and becoming the most powerful man in the world. He also uses nothing but his mind to combat superheroes. Green Goblin? He develops a way to boost his physical attributes through science. Seen through this lens, which character seems more admirable? Those who build something from nothing, or those who get slapped with a gift through no means of their own? The first of the two options seems to encompass the American dream more, so why are these characters driven to villainy?

 You’re a Little Bit Evil!

One might make the argument that what superheroes do with the powers handed to them by fate is the measure of their definition, but even in this aspect, many superheroes become unrelatable. Why does Superman fight so hard for justice? Because it’s right? Superman doesn’t have overt emotional hooks for the reader to cling to. Villains like Lex Luthor and Dr. Doom do. Doom operates off a sense of jealousy and the idea that he was overlooked, as well as a need to satisfy his own ego. Lex operates off of similar characteristics. Jealousy is easy to identify. We feel it every day. Ever get passed up for a promotion at work, got a B in a class you worked really hard in or watched as someone seems to get handed opportunity after opportunity? Now try to relate to the boy scout over there saving the world out of the goodness of his heart. Yeah, you’re a little bit evil…

The one thing that keeps many villains from completely derailing the hero in relatability is the same factor in all super villains. Super villains cross over the edge. While it may be easy to respect someone who actually feels very human emotions and works for everything he has, villains always end up using anything to justify their cause. Doom enslaves the people of Latveria and enforces a dictatorship in the midst of his need to right the ‘wrongs’ that have been done to him by Reed and the Fantastic Four and Lex has no problem using civilian life as pawns his quest to take down Superman. The Green Goblin takes over S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel universe and uses it as his personal hit squad. But this quality of crossing over the edge almost makes the villains even more entertaining.

So, I say go ahead. Root for the villain in comics! Then again, maybe I’ve just been listening to too much MF DOOM these days…

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

Tags: Comic Book Editorial, Comic Book Villains