A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various mediums. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Action movies are a Film genre where action sequences such as fights, Shootouts Stunts Car chases or explosions either take precedence
They are often used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes. A foil is a character that contrasts with another character usually the protagonist and so highlights various facets of the main character's personality A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Whereas superheros often wield fantastic powers, the supervillain possesses commensurate powers and abilities so that he can present a daunting challenge to the hero. Even without actual magical or superhuman powers, the supervillain often possesses a genius intellect that allows him to draft complex schemes or create fantastic devices. Many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real world dictators, mobsters, and terrorists and often have aspirations of world domination or universal leadership. A dictator is an Authoritarian ruler (eg Absolutist or autocratic) who assumes sole and absolute power without hereditary ascension such as an Absolute " Mobster " is a slang term for a person who participates in Organized crime, which is known as belonging to "the Mob" Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion World domination (sometimes world conquest, global domination, or Colloquially taking over the world) in which a single political authority
Superheroes and supervillains often mirror each other in their powers, abilities, or origins. Often the only difference between the two is that the hero uses his extraordinary powers to help others, while the villain uses his powers for selfish purposes.
Origins
By most definitions, the first supervillain was John Devil, a proto-Fantômas, created by Paul Féval, père in his eponymous 1862 novel, or Féval's nearly-immortal, machiavellian Colonel Bozzo-Corona, leader of Les Habits Noirs introduced in 1863. Paul Henri Corentin Féval, père ( 29 September 1816 - 8 March 1887) was a French Novelist and Dramatist Fantômas is a Fictional arch- Villain and master criminal by French Writers Marcel Allain (1885–1970 and Pierre Paul Henri Corentin Féval, père ( 29 September 1816 - 8 March 1887) was a French Novelist and Dramatist Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday Les Habits Noirs is a Book series written over a thirty-year period comprising eleven novels created by Paul Féval père, a 19th century French Professor Moriarty, the archenemy of Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective Sherlock Holmes, was introduced in 1891. Professor James Moriarty is a Fictional character who is the best known Antagonist (and Nemesis) of the detective Sherlock Holmes. An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis (sometimes spelled arch-enemy, arch-foe, arch-villain or Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional detective of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who first appeared in Publication in 1887 Dr. Fu Manchu, the antagonist of several popular novels of Sax Rohmer, is credited with popularizing many of the typical characteristics of the modern supervillain, including his sadistic personality, his desire for world domination, and his use of sinister lairs and themed crimes and henchmen. Dr Fu Manchu is a Fictional character first featured in a series of novels by English author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward ( 15 February 1883 - 1 June 1959) better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English Novelist Rohmer's work had a strong influence on Ian Fleming, whose James Bond novels and their film adaptations further popularized the image of the supervillain in popular culture. Ian Lancaster Fleming ( May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, Journalist and Second World War James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story
The first supervillain who wore a bizarre costume was the Lightning, from the 1938 film The Fighting Devil Dogs, which preceded the first modern superhero, Superman. The Fighting Devil Dogs ( 1938) is a 12-Chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Lee Powell and Herman Brix. Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon
The first supervillain to regularly battle a superhero was Ultra-Humanite, who first appeared in Action Comics #13 (1939). The Ultra-Humanite is a Fictional character, a Supervillain appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Action Comics is an American Comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major Superhero character as the term
External Links
See also
- Villain
- Anti-villain
- Archenemy
- Mad scientist
- Supervillainess
- Rogues gallery
- Evil Overlord List
- List of supervillain debuts
- List of supervillain teams and groups
Dictionary
supervillain
-noun
- A fantasy fiction criminal or evil-doer, often with supernatural powers or equipment, in popular children's and fantasy literature who can present a credible challenge for a superhero.
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