An Idea On How To Shake Things Up In DC Comics

So, I’ve been thinking lately about ways DC could keep things interesting in their comics. More often than not, their ideas include reboots or big epic crossover events or stuff like that. And not to say that plan doesn’t work, but I don’t really think it’s necessary all the time. Instead, I had another idea on how to shake things up: Rotate villain rosters a little. Add variety to the different antagonists that show up in the books. Give us some new dream matches of heroes vs villains we either haven’t seen before or don’t see often.

For example, let’s say that some of the villains in Gotham City actually wised up and realized “Hey, this city sucks and Batman is always kicking our asses! Let’s leave this shit-hole!” Like, what if Poison Ivy decided to find her own home away from everyone to continue her research and whatnot, only to accidentally end up on Themyscira and become a recurring character in the Wonder Woman books? Or if Penguin realized he had an opportunity to become the kingpin of crime in Star City and thus became a villain in the Green Arrow books? Or Bane could go to Detroit to test the power of muscle (with illegal strength enhancement, lol) against metal by fighting Cyborg in his book? And none of these would HAVE to be permanent, so those worried that Batman would lose some of his precious and continuously expanding villains roster wouldn’t need to panic.

But hey, Batman’s not the only hero with villains to go around. And maybe everyone could just kinda swap one or two with another. Maybe Parasite could go try to absorb Flash’s connection to the Speed Force or Shazam’s incredible strength. Perhaps the Injustice Gang could try their luck at their enemies’ teenage counterparts, the Titans? Conversely, what if the Justice League had to engage in a battle of wits and strategy against arguably the devil himself, Trigon, to keep him from rising? What if Nightwing was forced into a situation where he’d have to occupy space with the man who killed him, Lex Luthor? Or hell, why not have Deathstroke, a guy with a healing factor, fight Cyborg, an old enemy from pre-Flashpoint and a guy whose body was saved by technology?

 

Lastly, there’re a few villains that haven’t appeared in a really long time that could be brought back under the right circumstances to fight new heroes. What if Composite Superman returned to fight the Super Sons, Jon and Damian? Perhaps Roxy Rocket could decide to try her luck at becoming a Green Lantern and become a rogue for Jessica Cruz? Or hey, Wally West is back now; how about bringing back Inertia as a rival for him?

 

Anyway, that’s all I got for now. If you think of any other good ones, lemme know in the comments. Ja né!

My Own Answer To My DC Multiverse Questionnaire – The Villains

So, as you saw in an earlier post of mine, a few days ago, I sent a number of people on Tumblr a sort of questionnaire, asking what they would do with their own world in the DC Multiverse. I guess with Multiversity being out (and being AWESOME, btw), with the possibility of the return or integration of the previous continuity on the horizon, and with other stories involving multiple universes being told in other books across DC and Marvel, it’s just really hitting me the mass potential that can exist in stories like these. But, just because I sent the questionnaire out in the first place does not mean that I am exempt from giving an answer myself. As I said before, I’ve done stories with my own take on the DCU, but that was more-so becoming my idealized versions of the characters. So, I guess this is how I would do my own world in the DC Universe, who would its heroes be, and who would its biggest villains be (besides alternate Earth villains or singular entity enemies like the Anti-Monitor or Darkseid). And since I did the heroes already, let’s take a look at the villains, starting with arguably the most memorable of all, Batman’s rogues gallery.

Batman’s Rogues Gallery

Of course, I’d want the big names like Joker, Riddler, Penguin, and Black Mask around, but I’d also wanna introduce lesser-known villains and tweak some of the more well-known ones. For example, what if Victor Fries was actually an ally of Bruce Wayne/Batman’s, and the man to become Mr. Freeze was none other than Joe Chill, the man who killed Batman’s parents? What if Roxy Rocket, originally conceived for the 90’s animated series, was the one who played cat and mouse with Batman the most in Catwoman‘s absence (we’ll get to her in a bit)? What if Mirror, from Gail Simone’s run on Batgirl, was trying to kill Bruce Wayne for surviving when his parents didn’t? And then there’s the Joker. I think I’d want him to be more akin to Heath Ledger’s Joker in terms of, rather than having his skin bleached and hair turned green by falling into chemicals, he’s just a guy in make-up with no traceable fingerprints or identity. Also, I think I’d give him a bit of an Alex DeLarge Clockwork Orange twist on him in leading the Jokerz, though perhaps toned down a little from that in terms of…*ahem*, ‘Singing In The Rain’. After all, Joker should still keep that part of him that you can laugh at and/or with while still being frightened of him.

Poison Ivy’s Rogues Gallery

For Poison Ivy, who I envision as being akin to Greg Pak’s interpretation of Storm in this world, her villains would be a mix of wealthy tyrants (Veronica Cale and Knightfall in particular come to mind), other elementally-based baddies (Volcana, Killer Frost, and Livewire), and general villains for hire (mercenaries and assassins like Deadshot or Bane). And of course Floronic Man…’Cuz, duh. And, just for the hell of it, SNOWFLAME! XD Otherwise, though, most of what Ivy would do is just help people out and get into conflicts with governments that either distrust her or don’t want her involvement, even though she’s just trying to be of assistance to people that could use it.

Doctor Fate’s Rogues Gallery

For Doctor Fate, since Khalid hasn’t really been around long enough to earn a Rogue’s Gallery, save for Wotan, I’m thinking he would fight a lot of the mystical/paranormal threats to the world. Mordu, Enchantress, and Morgaine le Fey were easy choices, but I also wanted to bring in villains that hadn’t necessarily gotten much in the way of attention. Then I remembered an old enemy of Batman’s, one that even pre-dates Joker, that was vampiric in nature, and hadn’t been seen much in years: The Monk. Surely someone like that could prove a sufficient threat to the newest person to claim the Helm of Nabu.

The Rogues

Yeah, not much of a shocker, huh? Of COURSE it’d be The Rogues. They’re pretty much THE trademark villains of anyone carrying The Flash mantle since just a little while after Barry Allen took up the role. All the really great ones, like Captain Cold, Weather Wizard, Golden Glider, Mirror Master, and so on. Also, as a sort of take-that to how he was portrayed in Countdown as unapologetically homophobic, I think I’d want Trickster to be gay (seriously, suck it, Countdown). I’m thinking they could perhaps take a bit more directly antagonistic role with the female Flash, in that she has little time for their quirks and wants to shut them all down. And of course I’d need to include a Reverse Flash, and other villains like Gorilla Grodd.

Green Lantern’s Rogues Gallery

In addition to other ring-bearers like Sinestro, Black Hand, and Atrocitus, I’d like to see some of the classic Green Lantern villains come back. Solomon Grundy is of course a great pick, and a fairly well-known baddie, what with his appearances in the Justice League animated series, Batman: Arkham City, and Injustice: Gods Among Us. Doctor Polaris is another good one, since he’s pretty much Magneto, only in an even dumber costume. Although technically, I’m pretty sure neither one is a rip off of the other, since they both made their debuts a couple of months apart from each other. Not really enough time to cheat off the other person’s test sheets, if you get my drift.

Wonder Woman’s Rogues Gallery

Since Diana would be Queen not only of Themyscira but of Atlantis as well with Mera, I’m thinking her rogues could be a blend of her usual enemies and Aquaman’s. So, on one hand, you’d have the typical Wonder Woman enemies like Cheetah, Circe, and Giganta, and on the other, you’d have people like Ocean Master, Black Manta, and King Shark. Of course, as a result of that, Mera would naturally get in on the fun of taking them down from time to time, because hey, she can’t just stay behind sitting on the throne ALL THE TIME, right? 🙂

Superman’s Rogues Gallery

And finally, we come to Superman’s enemies. Of course, Superman has some of the most powerful opponents, as well some weaker-yet-varied ones, which makes sense. I mean, let’s say you’re Lex Luthor, calling in villains to kill Superman. Sometimes, when you’re evil and you’re trying to bring down a man as powerful as Superman, you gotta just throw random shit at him to see what works and what doesn’t. I think I’d wanna bring Ultra-Humanite back as one of his primary enemies, since he was his arch nemesis before Luthor came around in comics. Others would likely include Mongul, Brainiac, Atomic Skull, Metallo, Parasite, Bizarro, Toyman, and so on. As for his most notable and recognizable enemy, though…well, we’ll get to him in a sec. One thing I’d probably change is that Brainiac in this universe DID cause the destruction of Krypton. Why? Because otherwise, it makes the Kryptonians look REALLY stupid for not being able to tell (save for one or two scientists that they considered babbling madmen) that their frakking PLANET was about to blow. Seriously, why is it that in every single continuity, they NEVER believe it?! They never for one second suspect that the world is about to end…until right before it ends?! At least in the Superman animated series, we were given the semi-believable excuse that Brainiac lied to them about it!

Justice League’s Rogues Gallery

I’m thinking Justice League level threats, bad guys that are so powerful that they require the League’s attention instead of just one member’s, would be ones that are so powerful and dangerous that no single member of the team can take them down. Amazo‘s a good example, since it can replicate the abilities of anyone it interacts with. Mongul’s another good one, as he’s been shown to be able to be a match for even Superman. Starro would of course be a must, as the first villain the Justice League of America ever battled. And I think I’d want to re-establish Doctor Light as a credible threat to the team, minus…erm, certain things they did with him over the years (see Identity Crisis, unless you have a weak stomach). I suppose, depending on the situation, you could see supervillains like Brainiac, Grodd, and Black Hand as being League threats, and of course groups of villains would require the team’s attention…speaking of whom…

The Legion of Doom

The Legion of Doom are typically recognized as being the ultimate group in opposition to the League. As such, I’m thinking that only the most dangerous, powerful, and brilliant villains of the DCU would form its inner circle. Lex Luthor, Riddler, Grodd, Vandal Savage, those kinds of villains that are a tad bit more devious, diabolical, and dangerous than the average rogue. Also, to round it out, I think I’d want people like Enchantress, Floronic Man, and Lion-Mane to be members, as villains with personal vendettas against members of the League.

Task Force X

Task Force X I think would basically be a mixture of Secret Six and Suicide Squad, in terms of some of the people that have been on both teams. Also, I think it’d be a well-balanced team of strength, speed, and varying skill-sets. In that case, I think Catwoman would be a must for the team. Also, I think I’d want to include Yo-Yo. No, not the one King Shark ATE that time, but the one from Flashpoint who, I’m not 100% sure, but I think was supposed to be Harleen Quinzel in the altered timeline. Again, not certain, but would certainly explain a bit. Otherwise, the obvious members include Deathstroke, Deadshot, King Shark, Scandal Savage, and possibly Bane at some point.

Whew! That’s the end of that! Got your own ideas on who would be the heroes and villains of your own world in the DC Multiverse? Lemme know in the comments below, and I shall see y’all next time. Ja né!

Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Favourite Animated Villainesses

This is one I’ve actually been sitting on for a while now. Originally it was gonna be a video, and also it was gonna be contained to anime only, but I eventually decided to change it to include all forms of animation. I guess I just really like evil women as villains in my stories, and of course like to see them in my cartoons too. So let’s go ahead and look at five of my all-time favourites, and keep in mind that these are limited to one entry per franchise.

#1 – Pokémon Hunter J from Pokémon

I always felt like Pokémon needed a villain like Pokémon Hunter J: A villain who is ruthless, takes no nonsense, and because we don’t know her backstory or her motivations, she’s someone that cannot be reasoned with and is therefore more frightening. Now, I know a lot of people would likely say Jessie or Cassidy or Domino is the best villainess from Pokémon, but for me, it’s J. And why? BECAUSE SHE ACTUALLY TRIES TO KILL ASH! Everyone else just tries to get Ash out of the way, kidnap him, or at worst knock him out. J has actually fired Hyper Beams at him, had Drapion try to crush him, and dropped him out the back of her aircraft from super high up. In other words, she is thus guilty of not only poaching like most villains on the show, but also attempted murder…Not that it would matter though, since Ash would just regenerate. Hee-hee, never gets old.

#2 – Queen Beryl from Sailor Moon

Yes, I watched this show, I admit it. I’ll also admit that on the odd occasion that I get nostalgic for it, I have a couple of seasons of the dub. And in the initial season of the show, the big bad was Queen Beryl. Now the thing about Beryl was that she demonstrated a number of times that she had more than enough power to destroy Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts…at least if she’d done so early on. Sadly, as is the case with many evil rulers, she let her generals take care of her dirty work for her, punished them horrifically when they failed, and ultimately allowed her enemies to grow strong enough to take her down in the end. So yeah, not the sharpest tool in the shed, but she was powerful and wicked, and very sadistic to her enemies and to her underlings that fell out of her favour.

Now, I should note that as a kid, Beryl was not my favourite villainess from Sailor Moon. So why am I not counting them now? Well…because it was Zoisite. As you’ve probably noticed from the way I described Beryl, my main exposure to this show was the original English dub, and thus is the main form of it in my mind. This kinda messes with me as not only was Zoisite my favourite villain on the show, I actually had a crush on her…then I found out that Zoisite was really a dude and that they changed him to a girl in the dub because of his romantic affiliation with Malachite…Yeah, I was messed up for a while ‘cuz of that…

#3 Poison Ivy from Batman: The Animated Series

Before you say anything, let me just point out that I’m referring strictly to the version from Batman: The Animated Series, though I’m partial to pretty much any version of her. Hell, even the one from the Batman & Robin movie, despite the sheer amounts of cheese involved. But anyway, what can I say about Poison Ivy? Well, for starters, HUMINA HUMINA HUMINA! That said, do not sleep with this woman, it will NEVER stop itching. Once a brilliant botanist, Pamela Isley turned to a life of crime and became one of Batman’s greatest enemies. And considering she can grow massive man-eating plant monsters, it’s not all that hard to understand why. She also occasionally formed a tag team with Harley Quinn, a major fan favourite who got her start in that show. Though personally, Ivy just edges out over her in my opinion.

#4 – Arukenimon from Digimon

Yeah okay, I just wanted a villainess from Digimon, and…well, Arukenimon is the one that got the most screen time. Okay, I think maybe Lilithmon might’ve gotten as much in Xros Wars, but I haven’t seen much of that, so I can’t count it. I will give Arukenimon this much: She was cunning (for the most part) and had the power to turn Control Spires into evil Digimon with no hearts with just a single one of her hairs for each Spire used. In addition, SHE CREATED BLACKWARGREYMON. However, the truth is she really wasn’t all THAT great a villainess. Now who could’ve been much better if they’d gotten the same amount of screen time? LadyDevimon, of course. I mean she was evil to the core, tried to murder helpless civilians, and best of all, regularly got into cat fights with Angewomon. Now who wouldn’t love to have someone like that as a regular antagonist on a children’s show?!…Wait…

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Is that really the best you can do when it comes to animated villainesses? Well, no. No it isn’t.  Because this last one trumps them all in my opinion…

#5 – Reika Kitami from Bible Black

The victim of a horrific incident as a teenager that led to the creation of arguably the most evil woman walking the Earth, Reika Kitami is LITERALLY a servant to Satan and is imbued with his dark powers, twisting her mind into a sadist, a masochist, and just completely insane in her every goal. I don’t know if there exists someone worse…and honestly, if there is, I don’t think I wanna know. But most horrifying of all is that she has the ability to draw you in, wrap you around her finger, and once she’s got you, not only will she never let go, but a part of you won’t want her to. Now I can’t officially recommend people check this series out, and I won’t be adding links to it. Why? Well, with good reason: It’s pornography, and honestly, it can be morally sick. But because it’s still animated, there is no reason to leave her out of this list, and frankly every reason to include her, as she is quite simply the most evil of all animated villainesses.

So those are my 5 Favourite Animated Villainesses. Hope you enjoyed, and hey, here’s hoping we get to see more great animated villainesses in the future! Ja né!