Are super villains easier to relate to than heroes?

MyNameIsCharlie · December 24, 2015, 02:33:02 PM

Picture yourself as Superman. You're invulnerable, can fly, super strong, all of that.

Somehow I don't think you'd fly about saving people. In fact, I see most of you taking over or even wiping everyone out. At a minimum you would just live for yourself, just taking what you want.

Prove that you would be a hero.

Verbatim · December 24, 2015, 02:33:47 PM

Anyone who would choose to wipe everyone out would be a hero.

Solonoid · December 24, 2015, 02:35:04 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:33:47 PM

Anyone who would choose to wipe everyone out would be a hero.

You're only proving his point.

Verbatim · December 24, 2015, 02:35:46 PM

Quote from: Kirlia on December 24, 2015, 02:35:04 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:33:47 PM
Anyone who would choose to wipe everyone out would be a hero.
You're only proving his point.

It's a point that ought to be proven.

Verbatim · December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM

Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

The most powerful thing he has is the power to turn back time, by flying around the world a bunch of times. So he could do that until he reaches back to the Archean Eon, and kill the first prokaryotes.

MyNameIsCharlie · December 24, 2015, 02:42:16 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM

Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

The most powerful thing he has is the power to turn back time, by flying around the world a bunch of times. So he could do that until he reaches back to the Archean Eon, and kill the first prokaryotes.

He could do it the old fashioned way, one at a time. Piss him off enough and he could easily beat every man, woman and child to death with his bare hands and no one could do anything to stop him.

Verbatim · December 24, 2015, 02:42:56 PM

Yeah but suffering. You're asking if I'd wipe out life on Earth if I were Superman--well, I'd make sure no one suffers.

December 24, 2015, 02:45:11 PM

TIL Verb wants to be a supervillain

MyNameIsCharlie · December 24, 2015, 02:49:15 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:42:56 PM

Yeah but suffering. You're asking if I'd wipe out life on Earth if I were Superman--well, I'd make sure no one suffers.

Because you still identity as being human. If I gave you that godlike power, how long before you started seeing everyone else as ants?

Sandtrap · December 24, 2015, 03:10:11 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM

Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

The most powerful thing he has is the power to turn back time, by flying around the world a bunch of times. So he could do that until he reaches back to the Archean Eon, and kill the first prokaryotes.

Dude.

Supes has punched open other dimensions.

He can probably bench press a galaxy if he felt like it.

Hell, even if he was being lazy all he'd have to do is take out our moon. Something he could easily do.

Verbatim · December 24, 2015, 03:11:12 PM

Quote from: Snowtrap on December 24, 2015, 03:10:11 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM
Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

The most powerful thing he has is the power to turn back time, by flying around the world a bunch of times. So he could do that until he reaches back to the Archean Eon, and kill the first prokaryotes.
Dude.

Supes has punched open other dimensions.

He can probably bench press a galaxy if he felt like it.

Hell, even if he was being lazy all he'd have to do is take out our moon. Something he could easily do.

comics are retarded

Azumarill · December 24, 2015, 03:11:23 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM

Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

The most powerful thing he has is the power to turn back time, by flying around the world a bunch of times. So he could do that until he reaches back to the Archean Eon, and kill the first prokaryotes.

if superman appeared on the planet right now he would be able to kill all of us no problem. he's ridiculously overpowered.

Azumarill · December 24, 2015, 03:11:45 PM

superman is a bad example OP.

Sandtrap · December 24, 2015, 03:12:04 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 03:11:12 PM

Quote from: Snowtrap on December 24, 2015, 03:10:11 PM
Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM
Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

The most powerful thing he has is the power to turn back time, by flying around the world a bunch of times. So he could do that until he reaches back to the Archean Eon, and kill the first prokaryotes.
Dude.

Supes has punched open other dimensions.

He can probably bench press a galaxy if he felt like it.

Hell, even if he was being lazy all he'd have to do is take out our moon. Something he could easily do.
comics are retarded

Don't worry, they nerfed Supes.

Now he can probably just bench press mountains or some shit. They seemed to wanna turn him into his old silver age form.

Leap tall buildings, run beside trains, that sort of stuff.

Saleem · December 24, 2015, 04:00:59 PM

I like humanity and I would like to see it grow. Should something come up that the human collective cannot possibly deal with I would step in. That being said I wouldn't do everything for them, I don't want them to become dependent on a godlike being. They need to be able to progress on their own.

If I had absolute power, I would make it my mission to guard humanity (and the life of Earth for that matter) from destruction, and stagnation. Depending on the circumstances it could be read as a hero, or a villain.

Stop an asteroid, painted as a hero
Enact a biblical flood level event to clean out some of the worst humanity has to offer. IE genocide. Yeah, that'll be fucking evil in pretty much everyone's eyes.

MyNameIsCharlie · December 24, 2015, 04:30:45 PM

Quote from: Azumarill on December 24, 2015, 03:11:45 PM

superman is a bad example OP.

Superman is a perfect example.

Because the example is already made for Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark. Their power is money and intelligence. There are lots of wealthy people who have both, and they don't do shit to protect anyone but themselves.

Azumarill · December 24, 2015, 05:33:10 PM

Quote from: MyNameIsCharlie on December 24, 2015, 04:30:45 PM

Quote from: Azumarill on December 24, 2015, 03:11:45 PM
superman is a bad example OP.

Superman is a perfect example.

Because the example is already made for Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark. Their power is money and intelligence. There are lots of wealthy people who have both, and they don't do shit to protect anyone but themselves.

uhhh... whatever you say kiddo.

Super Irish · December 24, 2015, 10:44:11 PM

Quote from: MyNameIsCharlie on December 24, 2015, 04:30:45 PM

Quote from: Azumarill on December 24, 2015, 03:11:45 PM
superman is a bad example OP.

Superman is a perfect example.

Because the example is already made for Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark. Their power is money and intelligence. There are lots of wealthy people who have both, and they don't do shit to protect anyone but themselves.

Protect, no. But Bill Gates has certainly donated a ton to charity.

But really it depends on the hero and villian in question. Can't relate to Superman 'cos I don't have laser eyes, x-ray vision, super strength and endurance, etc,etc... but nor can I relate to the devourer of worlds (forgot his name, somehow I'm thinking of garglamesh or something. The silver surfer was his servant?) because I'm not some oversized version of Mr Creosote that devours planets either.

mojo · December 24, 2015, 10:46:15 PM

Ushan · December 25, 2015, 12:29:25 AM

If I could fly, I'd travel more, that's about it.

Ushan · December 25, 2015, 12:31:18 AM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM

Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

I reckon he could disrupt the environment enough to really fuck things up for humanity if he really wanted to.

Elai · December 25, 2015, 12:57:41 AM

Daily reminder that Superman is more relatable than Batman.

Daily reminder that a character being relatable is uninteresting. I don't want to relate the character to my life. I'm reading comics -- I want to escape my life.

Korra · December 25, 2015, 01:39:04 AM

Yeah no. If anything I'll want to have a magic hammer.

Jono · December 25, 2015, 02:49:49 AM

I can totally relate to the Predator

Casper · December 25, 2015, 04:02:55 AM

I'm happy being Ursula

Doctor Doom · December 25, 2015, 07:49:13 PM

Quote from: Verbatim on December 24, 2015, 02:40:00 PM

Then again, Superman doesn't really have the power to cause total extinction, does he?

The most powerful thing he has is the power to turn back time, by flying around the world a bunch of times. So he could do that until he reaches back to the Archean Eon, and kill the first prokaryotes.

He could just punch the planet to pieces. Or burn it whole with his heat vision.

Doctor Doom · December 25, 2015, 07:57:58 PM

I've always wondered what keeps the villains in Marvel and DC going. Since we're discussing Superman, let's use Lex Luthor as an example. What does he think would happen if he ever won? If he ever managed to straight-up kill Superman, Batman would fly through the nearest window and kick his ass a second later. And if he somehow managed to beat Batman, Wonder Woman would show up soon after, and then the Flash, and then Green Lantern, and so on. There's always going to be more heroes ready to take him down, so what's the point? He's never going to win.