Why new villains often don't work out

[The Overlord]

Here's a good article on why new super villains don't work out:

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5604413.html

Have there been new villains that have avoided these pitfalls? Besides the ones mentioned, are there any villains that fall into these pitfalls?

 

[fifthfiend]

Among other things, the author has successfully made me nostalgic for the Stunner and white-pimp-suit Doctor Octopus.

 

[turtlefocker]

Nice Essay

I personally would like to see Superman and Batman get some new good villains who don't fall into any of these trapps.

 

[Joker]

Hush doesnt really fall into any of those. He falls into the non-mentioned catagory "seen once then never ever used well again" though. Although hopefully the upcoming 'Tec arc with him written by Dini will fix that.

 

[fifthfiend]

He fits into the "Kicked the entire JLA's asses his first time out" category, he was just one of the rare examples of a well-done entry into that category. Problem is no matter how well it's done there's just not a lot of ways you can follow up on something like that.

 

[Joker]

He fits into the "Kicked the entire JLA's asses his first time out" category, he was just one of the rare examples of a well-done entry into that category. Problem is no matter how well it's done there's just not a lot of ways you can follow up on something like that.

He didn't kick the entire JLAs ass. In fact, he didn't really DO anything, other than give the Riddler a bunch of money to put his plan together, and you know, kill Harold.

 

[Anubis]

I think he was talking about Prometheus.

 

[iamlegend]

I think the main problem with creating new villains is a combination of fickle fans and the age of the comics industry.

The masses love seeing the long established baddies, and some have developed so much over the years it's hard to create a new villain without having to take drastic measures to put him on par with the past ones.

 

[cerealkiller182]

I think the main problem with creating new villains is a combination of fickle fans and the age of the comics industry.

Thats likethe root of most if not every problem

 

[fifthfiend]

I think he was talking about Prometheus.

Blarg, yeah somehow I looked at Joker's post and managed to see "Prometheus" where it says "Hush." Me = dumb.

Hush would qualify as "The Ghost of the Past", IE the villain randomly retconned into the hero's backstory. He's like Batman's Kenny Braverman, as though there were some conceivable reason that Batman needed a Kenny Braverman.

 

[Anubis]

Who the hell is Kenny Braverman?

 

[Hellstormer]

We need a new renaissance where all these huge events stop and we get heroes who're fighting new villains and have to change and adapt.

 

[Mutagen]

An nice read, and an eye opener. I hope some writers out there are paying attention, so that good ideas are not seemingly wasted. It may not be all true, but they guy has a point, and I'm sure his words can have some effect on cool super-villains.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

Reading this...gives reason to why Spider-Man and Avengers are messed up.

"New writers don't give any new characters potential. They just put the comic back the way they it "should" be."

 

[Spike_x1]

Who the hell is Kenny Braverman?

A Superman villain named Conduit.

He is crap.

 

[Spike_x1]

Ah, this one made me smile nostalgically:

There comes a time in the lives of most comics fans where their favorite character gets horribly raped by Jeph Loeb. This is only natural, and nothing to be afraid of. Loeb is a part of life, and the best thing to do is just to accept it and move on.

Silly Loeb. You so crazy.

 

[The Question]

A Superman villain named Conduit.

He is crap.

He was just a crappy Post-Crisis Master Jailer.

 

[The Overlord]

Have there been any new villains in the last 15 years that have avoided these pitfalls?

 

[The Question]

Have there been any new villains in the last 15 years that have avoided these pitfalls?

Manchester Black has fared pretty well. But he's had the benefit of mostly being written by his creator.

 

[The Overlord]

Manchester Black has fared pretty well. But he's had the benefit of mostly being written by his creator.

Yeah, he's pretty good. But last I heard he was dead.

Would he be the best of the crop for the past 15 years? Because for past 15 years the new villains have been pretty poor.

 

[bullets]

A definate good way to keep villians fresh would be to update some of the lamer characters from the past. It's been done before . Bring back a villian who was walloped the last time and laughed at but now he is more sinister and capable after learning from his mistakes.

 

[Hellstormer]

Yea that's worked out really well. But only a few writers can do it really well. Gail Simone for instance really upped Catman but he's kinda heroic now.

 

[yenaled]

It's a bit generalized.

Just because a character falls into one of those categories doesn't make them a bad character - it's the continued writing of them without progression which harms.

For instance Hunter Zoloman (or even Black Adam) is on paper just an "Evil Twin" but infact he is so much more.

 

[The Overlord]

It's a bit generalized.

Just because a character falls into one of those categories doesn't make them a bad character - it's the continued writing of them without progression which harms.

For instance Hunter Zoloman (or even Black Adam) is on paper just an "Evil Twin" but infact he is so much more.

But Zolomon really wasn't that new in terms of concept, he was the second Professor Zoom. He's a legacy character, not a completely new one.

 

[The Question]

But Zolomon really wasn't that new in terms of concept, he was the second Professor Zoom. He's a legacy character, not a completely new one.

The only ties he had to Thawne were the costume, name, and similar powers. He was a completely different character.