Quote:
Originally Posted by kolakoski
Yet, Spiderman's villains are not awe-inspiring. Good stories with conflicts and issues with which we all can identify, and how well those are played out (or who is cast  ) are more important in the long run than how flashy the villain is. If the villain is that good, he should get his own book ( see Dr. Doom  ).
Why are origin stories so popular? Because they are about the Superhero in the process of becoming a Superhero. We can all see ourselves as being somewhere on that path (however early  ). The next most popular might be the Superhero losing his faith in himself and/or humanity (and regaining it). Who among us has never been there?
There is an odd dichotomy in the Superhero. He must be invincible and vulnerable at the same time, a very hard trick to pull off. Superman may be the most powerful Superhero, but he is very far from being the best. |
Your response is baffling. I never said the best villains were the most awe-inspiring, I said they were the most compelling. They can be compelling in different ways. Joker is a great villain, but not one with which we can really identify. Magneto is a great villain with which we can totally identify. The issue isn't whether or not we identify with the villain, but whether or not the conflict they create for the hero is compelling.
I think you completely miss the point with your comment about origins stories and crises of confidence. Those make good entry points for getting into a story and tend to be some of the easiest things to do in a short format like a movie. They are not, however, the most satisfying stories about our heroes. The most satisfying stories are the ones where the Villain creates the greatest possible conflict that the Hero can overcome in a plausible fashion at great personal cost.
I don't think the Superhero is ever supposed to be invincible. Again you miss the point. The Superhero is supposed to have enough power to magnify the effects of their decisions. Their power makes them more wholly responsible for their actions and for the results of those actions.
~Aldin, conundrumingly