Turn a really lame villan into a serious character

[The Overlord]

Here's a fun game, turn a lame villain like Stilt-Man or trapster into a serious villain.

 

[Doc Destruction]

If someone says The Shocker, I will bleed them.

 

[The Overlord]

If someone says The Shocker, I will bleed them.

Shocker is okay, he's a B-lister, but he does need a writer that is willing to give him more development. Ultimate Shocker is a D-lister though.

 

[fifthfiend]

I have a better idea, take a boringly serious villain and make him fun. Like I don't know, Venom or somebody.

 

[Dread]

Shocker could easily be a Captain Cold type villain, a guy who runs with a handful of fellow "rogues" committing robberies. Shocker was always more out for cash or occasionally revenge than massive world take-over plots. He's actually had a better win/loss ratio against Spider-Man than a few of his "B-List" enemies. Perhaps a writer could tap into his skill with cobbling together machines; being able to make an impressive weapon from prison scraps and then consistantly upgrade it is fairly impressive.

I always imagined Man Mountain Marko could become some sort of minor mafia figure, especially with his boss Silvermane out of comission, Hammerhead dead now and Kingpin out of circulation. He's no match for superheroes like Spider-Man or She-Hulk but could easily challenge Daredevil or Moon Knight on the "local vigilante" level. Back when I did some fan-fic outlines years ago, I condensed his name to "Triple M", WWE style. That name is a mouthful, and "street" guys always have sometimes hammy nicknames. I don't imagine he would be any smarter, though, but you don't have to be a super-genius to run some mob circles and exploit a power vaccuum.

I always thought Hydro-Man could have been interested as an extreme "eco-terrorist", like he becomes so obsessive about the environment that he floods cities and whatnot. Of course, Spider-Man could try noting that Morris is only interested in that stuff to fill the void in his life from being single and a loser criminal.

Hypno-Hustler could always try to become a legitimate musician and encode CD's with the "subconcious" drive to buy more of them for anyone to hears them. It would be very hard to prove this as illegal as business/media stars essentially manipulate their customers into buying more products all the time with various means. He could become something like a rap figure who has legitimate as well as underworld ties that could make for some interesting stories (such as tales where Penguin in Batman comics runs a legitimate night-club as well as having underworld ties that can't be entirely proven).

 

[WolfCypher]

I have a better idea, take a boringly serious villain and make him fun. Like I don't know, Venom or somebody.

As long as we're talking Brock. Screw Gargan!

 

[Doc Destruction]

Shocker is okay, he's a B-lister, but he does need a writer that is willing to give him more development. Ultimate Shocker is a D-lister though.

I pretend I never saw Ultimate Shocker. Makes me sleep better.

 

[Dread]

I have a better idea, take a boringly serious villain and make him fun. Like I don't know, Venom or somebody.

I don't know about Venom but I would be curious about what "serious" villain you think should be "fun". The problem is that "fun" villains rarely excite the fans much to buy a comic with multiple covers like some melodramatic arc.

I pretend I never saw Ultimate Shocker. Makes me sleep better.

Lots of wasted potential in some USM villains, or ones not used.

 

[Ikaris-Eternal]

Diablo was a really lame villain, but in the right writer's hands his power set could make him a formidable opponent. Make him a more - pardon the pun - elemental character by having his visage appear in lakes and deserts, etc.

 

[The Overlord]

Shocker could easily be a Captain Cold type villain, a guy who runs with a handful of fellow "rogues" committing robberies. Shocker was always more out for cash or occasionally revenge than massive world take-over plots. He's actually had a better win/loss ratio against Spider-Man than a few of his "B-List" enemies. Perhaps a writer could tap into his skill with cobbling together machines; being able to make an impressive weapon from prison scraps and then consistantly upgrade it is fairly impressive.

I always imagined Man Mountain Marko could become some sort of minor mafia figure, especially with his boss Silvermane out of comission, Hammerhead dead now and Kingpin out of circulation. He's no match for superheroes like Spider-Man or She-Hulk but could easily challenge Daredevil or Moon Knight on the "local vigilante" level. Back when I did some fan-fic outlines years ago, I condensed his name to "Triple M", WWE style. That name is a mouthful, and "street" guys always have sometimes hammy nicknames. I don't imagine he would be any smarter, though, but you don't have to be a super-genius to run some mob circles and exploit a power vaccuum.

I always thought Hydro-Man could have been interested as an extreme "eco-terrorist", like he becomes so obsessive about the environment that he floods cities and whatnot. Of course, Spider-Man could try noting that Morris is only interested in that stuff to fill the void in his life from being single and a loser criminal.

Hypno-Hustler could always try to become a legitimate musician and encode CD's with the "subconcious" drive to buy more of them for anyone to hears them. It would be very hard to prove this as illegal as business/media stars essentially manipulate their customers into buying more products all the time with various means. He could become something like a rap figure who has legitimate as well as underworld ties that could make for some interesting stories (such as tales where Penguin in Batman comics runs a legitimate night-club as well as having underworld ties that can't be entirely proven).

Those are some pretty good ideas. Who would be in Shocker's group? A recently Shocker formed a new Sinister Syndicate with himself as leader (it was a small group with only Hydro-Man and Boomerang as members and nothing really came of it), you mean like that group, but with more members?

How would triple M factor into the hood and his gang trying to take over the NYC underworld?

Lots of wasted potential in some USM villains, or ones not used.

True enough, though Ultimate Mysterio seems to have potential, he at least seems competent.

 

[Ugfugly]

The Vulture completely redone. Instead of someone hell bent on crime and robbery, have him be a serial killer that lets the bodies decay a few days and eats them. Write it like a noir type of detective comic with rainy NY city and Spider-man desperate to find this serial killer.

 

[Darthphere]

Shocker.

 

[The Question]

The Vulture completely redone. Instead of someone hell bent on crime and robbery, have him be a serial killer that lets the bodies decay a few days and eats them. Write it like a noir type of detective comic with rainy NY city and Spider-man desperate to find this serial killer.

That's such an unnecessary departure from the character. The key to making villains better isn't making them creepier or more depraved. It's finding what's good about them already and expanding upon it. I see Toombs as a life long career criminal who knows all the tricks of the trade and simply has a certain flair for theatrics. The type of guy who feels that if you have to turn to crime, do it in style. To expand on Dread's idea, if you took a bunch of low level villains who's generally been interested in little more than money in the past, with The Shocker as a prominent member, I could see The Vulture serving as a mentor to that group. The guy who shows all the younger lowlifes how to be a proper criminal, how to pull off a good heist and how to conduct yourself in a civilized manner when doing crime, stuff like that.

 

[samurai black]

I've got an idea, let's take a regular small time crook. Nothing special about him, no costume, no gimmick whatsoever. And let's give him.....I don't know, a piece of magic clothing, maybe a hat.....naw, let's make it a cloak. Yeah a magic cloak...with a hood. And then let's give him some guns. Now if there was a lame character like that in the Marvel Universe, I'm sure the right Marvel writer could turn him into something serious....Like a Kingpin for the superpowered or something.

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

i would go with the rainbow raider. i would make him into a serial killer who collects people's eyes for the different colors that they have ....and naw I'm just kidding with that.Hehe
i thought dude would have a made a great villain. first i would jettisoned that hokey ass costume, that hokey ass name and that hokey ass rainbow mode of transportation. rename him with his real name but have "colorblind"( since that is what he is) as a mockery of what the kids use to call him(ala daredevil) maybe wear an all white suit( since white is the absence of color).Make him a real prima Donna that believes everyone else is a uncultured clod. which is the reason that he steals works of art cause he is the only one that can really appreciates them. he would be reminiscent of the french aristocracy, feeling that his beliefs and wants are all that matter and not those of lesser people. then the Flash could have a more business like villain than just the thuggy rogues he has now.

 

[The Overlord]

That's such an unnecessary departure from the character. The key to making villains better isn't making them creepier or more depraved. It's finding what's good about them already and expanding upon it. I see Toombs as a life long career criminal who knows all the tricks of the trade and simply has a certain flair for theatrics. The type of guy who feels that if you have to turn to crime, do it in style. To expand on Dread's idea, if you took a bunch of low level villains who's generally been interested in little more than money in the past, with The Shocker as a prominent member, I could see The Vulture serving as a mentor to that group. The guy who shows all the younger lowlifes how to be a proper criminal, how to pull off a good heist and how to conduct yourself in a civilized manner when doing crime, stuff like that.

For once I agree with you, turning Vulture into a such depraved creature is just gross and doesn't fit in past characterization. Its too much of strech and frankly doesn't fit in with characterization.

Mr. fear (Cranston) becoming a revenge obsessed psychopath who tried to destroy Matt's life, because that's an outgrowth of his character. I can also see Mr. Hyde becoming a cannibal. But DD is darker title then Spider-Man.

 

[vindrow]

i would go with the rainbow raider. i would make him into a serial killer who collects people's eyes for the different colors that they have ....and naw I'm just kidding with that.Hehe
i thought dude would have a made a great villain. first i would jettisoned that hokey ass costume, that hokey ass name and that hokey ass rainbow mode of transportation. rename him with his real name but have "colorblind"( since that is what he is) as a mockery of what the kids use to call him(ala daredevil) maybe wear an all white suit( since white is the absence of color).Make him a real prima Donna that believes everyone else is a uncultured clod. which is the reason that he steals works of art cause he is the only one that can really appreciates them. he would be reminiscent of the french aristocracy, feeling that his beliefs and wants are all that matter and not those of lesser people. then the Flash could have a more business like villain than just the thuggy rogues he has now.

Not to nitpick...but the absence of color would be black, white is the combination of all colors.t:

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

Not to nitpick...but the absence of color would be black, white is the combination of all colors.t:

hehe not at all my friend that's what i get for drinking and talking about superheroes i stand corrected and if Jessica Alba was around i would stand erect too haha... i still think an all white suit is cooler than an all black one thought:

 

[fifthfiend]

I don't know about Venom but I would be curious about what "serious" villain you think should be "fun". The problem is that "fun" villains rarely excite the fans much to buy a comic with multiple covers like some melodramatic arc.

Nobody in particular, it just didn't seem any less arbitrary than the umpteenth iteration of "let's make Stilt Man a murdering badass."

 

[SUPER MARVELMAN]

Shocker fo sho.

 

[Shemtov]

so my ideas for shocker's group:
Its basiclly a group of spidey villians who alone are b-list however together the are a force to be reckoned with!


Shocker (duh)
Vulture
Speed Demon
Boomerang
Spot
The walrus
The tinkerer as tech. man.

and thats it!

 

[hippie_hunter]

Hammerhead dead now

He's back

 

[Mr. Green]

A while ago (I think a couple years or more) Frank Tieri was talking about how he wanted to make Batroc the Leaper a badass. He said that he's an expert kick boxer and I guess he can jump really high so he has potential to kick ass.

I would actually love to read that.

 

[[A]]

Here's a fun game, turn a lame villain like Stilt-Man or trapster into a serious villain.

Can we try with Venom..?

 

[The Overlord]

He's back

Really, why?

Anyway I think Trapster, should do what Calculator did and switch gimmicks, ditch the glue gun and just use traps. If Calculator can switch gimmicks, I don't see why Trapster can't and I don't tell arcade already use traps, because Trapster wouldn't be a Joker rip off. also trapster should stop fighting the FF, a team that can beat Doom and Galactus ain't going to get beat by a loser with a glue gun.

Also MODOK should upgrade the tech of some Iron Man villains, for example instead of slave discs, Controller should upgrade to mind control nano bots.