Off THEIR Mind: Do Superheroes in a City Attract Supervillains?

Joshua Hale Fialkov, Scott Lobdell, Jim McCann, Jimmy Palmiotti, Sam Humphries, J.T. Krul, and Brian Buccellato answer the question.

Embed
Click To Unmute

Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

Sign up or Sign in now!

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
Please enter your date of birth to view this video

By clicking 'enter', you agree to Comic Vine's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

32 Comments

Avatar image for commanderlondon
CommanderLondon

2

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By CommanderLondon

Yes, but, as previously stated, it depends on the villian. Some want to hunt down a particular character, or group, and don't give a crap about anyone else, unless they're protecting them. Some want to kill everyone, hence, the global killer.

Joker - Batman

Loki - The Avengers, along with the rest of humanity.

Avatar image for thorson
THORSON

4995

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 1

Edited By THORSON

I THINK ITS THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

SUPERVILLIANS ATTRACT SUPERHEROS.

WITHOUT A VILLAIN THERE IS NO HERO.

Avatar image for the_thornes_rockyx
The_Thornes_RockyX

11

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Down Town Man!? I must consult Madame BB

Avatar image for stmichalofwilson
StMichalofWilson

5643

Forum Posts

29688

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 107

Edited By StMichalofWilson

Yes

Avatar image for paracelsus
Paracelsus

2361

Forum Posts

342

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Paracelsus

 Which came first the chicken or the egg- do supervillains  appear in cities just because  superheroes do?- sometimes supervillains appear in cities just BECAUSE there are NO resident heroes!
 
Terry

Avatar image for redhoodnet
redhoodnet

168

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By redhoodnet

Looks REAL STRONG!!!!

Avatar image for chasereis
chasereis

802

Forum Posts

8

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By chasereis

If I was a super villain, there is no reward worth being there. Bragging rights for taking on a hero successfully or being a successful super villain, hmm. Yea, I'll take knocking over banks in rural towns and keeping off the radar. Thanks.

Big difference between a super villain and stupid villain.

Avatar image for deactivated-5791595859013
deactivated-5791595859013

1157

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

The tendency for supervillains and superheroes to collect themselves in the same urban areas is out of convenience for the writer. Any competent villain would live and operate as far from the central hub of heroes as possible, how often can one be interrupted in the middle of a heist and be surprised?

In the Marvel U if you lived anywhere other than NYC or LA you would have near free reign over any other metro area with almost no regular interference for some time. At that point open a map and pick out another city to take over until the heat gets to be to much, rinse and repeat.

Avatar image for lensnart
LenSnart

435

Forum Posts

48

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By LenSnart

Yep, it's all about evening the odds, crooks need to up their game to beat the superheroes

Avatar image for jamdamage
JamDamage

1195

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By JamDamage

Actually it's proven somewhere that larger amounts of people in areas always brings out crime. Doesn't have to be comicbook baddy. It brings out your more common criminal like dope dealers and thieves. I wish I remembered where I read that so I could back that up.

Avatar image for boywander
BoyWander

333

Forum Posts

130

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By BoyWander

Yes no kind of. Like if Flash were to say, "Oh am I attracting villains?" and he ran far away to maybe draw them away, I don't think that'd in anyway effect Captain Cold's plans. Flash would come back and be like, "Damn…" as he watched his city burn… or freeze as the case may be.

However, like what we see in The Dark Knight Returns, Batman's absence left Joker catatonic, and many villains tried to reform or were dealt with. Batman specifically is a villain magnet.

Superman fights villains who are after vengeance, not money or power. He's the magnet as well.

It really depends on who these heroes and villains are. They all have different relationships.

Avatar image for zlightburn
zlightburn

9

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By zlightburn

Yes & No, It always depends on personality and motives. Some villians wanna avoid heros at all cost.

while others seek them out for the challenge, thrill of the hunt, etc.

Avatar image for minigunman123
minigunman123

3262

Forum Posts

558

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Edited By minigunman123

I'd say yes, but that's just the nature of the beast; you shouldn't stop doing good just because someone will try and stop you from doing good, because people are inherently mean to each other quite often, and there's plenty of criminals in the world without heroes or police or anything; so, when you have a force of good fighting back, things might get worse before they get better, but keep pushing, things will eventually improve as long as you push harder than the other guys, more than the other guys.

Avatar image for redheadedatrocitus
RedheadedAtrocitus

6958

Forum Posts

8982

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 3

I think it really depends on what the motives of the supervillain are. Location of the superhero hardly attracts supervillains to the big city. Bigger city, bigger crime and more chances to do evil. Maybe some are glory hounds who see more chance for exposure in the big city. I have no doubt superheroes are probably part of what draws supervillains to big cities, but they are by no means the only impetus to drive them to large urban areas. In many ways supervillains operated in big cities before superheroes came along, so no, I cannot say with full certainty that superheroes draw supervillains to major urban regions. That is up to what motivates the villain him/her/itself.

Avatar image for kagato
kagato

263

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 9

User Lists: 2

Edited By kagato

Im sure im not the only one but ill probably be the only one to admit it, if there was a super hero in my city id do everything i could to become a super villain to take him down. Why? Im not sure, i like pitting myself against people to see how i measure up, i could just see it all escalating very quickly lol

Avatar image for dark_vengeance_
Dark_Vengeance_

15334

Forum Posts

214

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Dark_Vengeance_

@Trodorne said:

We have some modern day super heroes in several cities across North America, Maybe its high time we have some Super Villains.

"Super Villains" would murder the "Super Heroes" instantly.

Avatar image for hyenascar
hyenascar

200

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 6

User Lists: 0

Edited By hyenascar

Only in comics because their wouldn't be a story otherwise. It's more like an arm's race. The villain needs to take on a hero so they need to be able to fight at a higher level.If these things happened in reality, the villains would simply go to another city.

Avatar image for zombie2b
zombie2b

5

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By zombie2b
No Caption Provided
Avatar image for jldoom
JLDoom

2358

Forum Posts

208

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 6

Edited By JLDoom

Sort of ,probably lol

Its not like it matters anyway

Avatar image for modunhanul
modunhanul

453

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By modunhanul

Where there is light, there must be shadow, where there is shadow there must be light.

Isn't it something like this?

Avatar image for hazlenaut
Hazlenaut

2096

Forum Posts

19139

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 14

User Lists: 11

Edited By Hazlenaut

It’s a catch 22 there will be villains do crime just to pick a fight with the hero. It does not matter how nice you are there will be one that would want to pick a fight with you Casper the friendly ghost had one. It was hunter that wanted to kill cute little animal friends for sport. He had equipped ghost killing bullets. The story was not that good but it is evidence. Care Bears have a few Professor Coldheart is a good example. My little pony has a well establish several that wanted cause genocide or wanting take over the land.

Avatar image for mr__kamikaze
Mr. Kamikaze

834

Forum Posts

623

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Mr. Kamikaze

Sam Humphires seems like such a classic nerd, the way he talks, dresses, his eye randomly dart around like he's watching invisible flies everywhere, and those glasses and that hair. XD

I love it. He's an awesome dude.

Avatar image for sunhawk
sunhawk

650

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By sunhawk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=X3ddQpk3Sxc#t=89s

this

Avatar image for phoenixofthetides
PhoenixoftheTides

4701

Forum Posts

5

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Short answer: Yes. See: Superman, Batman and The Avengers.

Avatar image for outside_85
Outside_85

23518

Forum Posts

18735

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 39

User Lists: 1

Edited By Outside_85

I am beginning to notice how Brian Buccellato always seems to be sneaking around in the background of these videos :)

But as for the question; it depends on the goals of the villain in question. The World Conqueror type (like if we take the JLU Mongul) are attracted to fight the given superhero, sometimes to prove who's boss and sometimes because they 'are the only thing standing in the way'. The Masterminds (Slade from the TT cartoon), usually have to remove the hero one way or the other because their complex plans are so delicate that they would fall over if the hero breaks wind at it (or something similar). And finally the Thieves (Catwoman) would prefer steering clear of capes entirely because all they want is to get clear with the valuables they just nicked.

Avatar image for crash_recovery
Crash_Recovery

855

Forum Posts

22

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Crash_Recovery

There are undeniable cases of this.

That's not to say that all super-crime exists in a city due to the existence of a defender.

Avatar image for Trodorne
Trodorne

2773

Forum Posts

6416

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 58

User Lists: 15

Edited By Trodorne

We have some modern day super heroes in several cities across North America, Maybe its high time we have some Super Villains.

Avatar image for jonny_anonymous
Jonny_Anonymous

45773

Forum Posts

11109

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 32

Edited By Jonny_Anonymous

Sam Humphries is awesome

Avatar image for gothamred
GothamRed

2619

Forum Posts

3474

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 23

Edited By GothamRed

Well a lot of the time villains are created specifically to go up against heroes, like the scorpion for spider-man. And there's definitely the issue of gaining reputation by beating them or showing your superiority over them, like Bane or Kraven. This may not always be the case, but I feel it's largely the case.

Avatar image for bernicky
Bernicky

384

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Bernicky

In my opinion they do, because you may be an average criminal until a super hero shows up, and then he knows he needs to step up his game to have a chance at getting away with anything, ergo super villains start popping up.

Avatar image for razzatazz
RazzaTazz

11948

Forum Posts

234582

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1887

User Lists: 79

Edited By RazzaTazz

I like the old Gotham City explanation, that the costumed villains edged out the organized crime at one point.

Avatar image for thejokerha
TheJokerha

169

Forum Posts

5

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By TheJokerha

Depends on the villain.

Penguin sure as hell wishes Batman and his whole team were not around. Where as Joker gets bored with out Bats.

Luthor sees Superman as a threat and wants him dead. But Knockout came to Metropolis because of Superman.

But yes, there is an element of wanting to take down the fastest gun in the west for some villains. Gaining status by beating the already famous hero. Or simply because it would be unworthy of them to go after a lesser crime or let some other villain be the one to kill the hero.

Taking on the hero and defender of the city mantle paints a target on your chest for the glory and thrill seekers, no question about it.