Sunday, January 25, 2009
Super Villainy...A Necessity?
Almost everything has opposites, such as Night and day, black and white, good and bad, etc. So too must the superhero, therefore this week we will pay homage to the anti-hero, the masters of disasters….The Super hero villain. Many super villains like their counterparts have ‘powers’ and some are just the stereotypical bad guys. Arguably, Superman’s greatest opponent, Lex Luthor, was amongst the ranks of the mortals and not some fictitious being with the opposing powers of his arch-enemy. Batman has his wise cracking counterpart the Joker and Spiderman has the Green Goblin, but which of these notorious baddies came first? According to mentalfloss.com (2009), The Joker was debuted in the comic books in the spring of 1940 and was the “first foray into literally insane bad guys….who was utterly terrifying.” Whether it is meddling with the world's way of life or just to wreak havoc for the fun of it super villains do it with class. One thing is for certain they are the response to the super hero. Which brings me to my next point, sure the whole battle for the fate of the world thing is cool and all, but more importantly I feel that there is an unsung battle that needs some attention….Who has the cooler toys? I feel that the bad guys have one this battle hands down. Who comes to light when you think of a superhero that has some pretty sweet weapons in their hero arsenal? For me, the answer was Batman. He is notorious for having the best weapons that money can buy. Whether it is the Bat-mobile, Bat-glider (the plane), or his Bat-boat he rides around in style. Of Course, one can’t forget the infamous utility belt armed with gizmos that would make a whole platoon of marine s envious. There are other super heroes that utilize some pretty cool weapons, but I feel that the Super villain has leveled the playing field effectively. In 1995 one of the most unique weapons was unveiled in “Batman Forever” with the Riddler, played by Jim Carey, unleashing his “Brain Drainer” to read the thoughts of city of Gotham. In another Batman movie, Batman & Robin, Mr. Freeze sticks to his name and immobilizes many of “Gotham’s finest” in the movie. The penguin’s notorious “umbrellas” he used in “Batman Returns” were some of the most unique style of weapons I have ever seen. There were other evil-doers that had some awesome tools as well. The Green Goblin’s glider was pretty much a flying tank in the first Spiderman movie. Certainly, as the war rages on and the heroes draw their guns, the villainous will draw theirs…which may be just a little bigger. The battle for justice, peace, and stability will be one that will continue on for if there is a hero, in the shadows there is a villain waiting to answer the call. Without one there is no other…so in a way their dirty work is essential in the imaginations of producers and directors for our entertainment in the box office. I ask you this without Super villains would there truly be a need for super heroes?
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Whoa Zachman, deep question there. My answer is no, there would be no need for super heroes if there were no super villains. For one, there would not be anything for the super heroes to fight if there was no mischief being caused by the super villains.For two, day cannot exist without night, heat cannot exist without the abscence of heat, and good cannot exist without bad.
ReplyDeleteThere are some pretty cool super heros and some pretty cool super villains as well. One of my favorites is a newer one...THE INCREDIBLES. Oh man....that is a great movie. I should know, I watched it every day this summer when I lived with my 5 and 10 year old cousins in Minneapolis. I love this blog Zach...great topic!
There would still be a need for superheroes because there are still Average Joe-villains that are committing crimes in the world. In The Dark Knight, Batman was working on ridding the streets of crime by trying to force the Falconi crime family out of business, and then the Joker came to town. Obviously, supervillains are more of a threat, because they have awesome weapons (as you stated) and they're not afraid to use them. It didn't hurt The Joker's plan that everyone in the movie underestimated him at first, and didn't take him "seriously".
ReplyDeleteI think that even if there were no supervillains (and in the land of comic books and blockbuster movies, that's not likely), superheroes would still be necessary, be it as a symbol of hope, telling people to hold on to their morals, or as a physical force to be reckoned with.
I have to agree with you Zach. Without Super Villains people could never see the true hero. For example when we read comic books we like the story and the characters, but we also like to relate to characters. It also helps to see the Super Villains triumph over the hero to make the battle at the end very intense.
ReplyDeleteThe main point i want to emphasize is that without these big baddies we would not see what it takes to be a super hero. Having to sacrifice what they want or would rather have for their life. It just shows their true character
I would have to say that without super villians, there would be no need for the super hero as well. Super heroes need someone to battle that is worth there energy otherwise the normal law inforcement can handle the situation. I also think that if there were no super villians, the public would learn that a super hero is not necessary and begin to attack him or her. This happens in the movies, "Dark Knight" and "Spiderman 3." In Spiderman 3, the tabloids do whatever they can get incriminating pictures of Spiderman to make him look bad, and in Dark Knight the public wants Batman to turn himself in so all his damages and crimes will be penalized just like every average Joe. So, I believe that without a super villian, there is no need for a super hero.
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