An Ode to the Bad Guy

Personally, a hero is only as strong as the villains he or she goes up against. To me, the best villains are the ones that challenge the very nature of the hero and make the hero overcome not only physical trials but mental and emotional challenges as well. 

To examine this, I'm going to look at 4 real strong hero/villain combinations that I feel are the real models to build a villain after, starting with:

Superman and Lex Luthor:

Everyone knows the story of Superman vs Luthor: 

Anyway, what really makes this rivalry so great is that, essentially, Superman and Lex Luthor want the same thing; the advancement of Mankind and it's Luthor's twisted views on Superman being the "Alien overlord" that holds him back from being humanity's savior that drives him to kill Superman. 

Luthor truly believes that Superman is what holds humanity back from moving forward because they think that they could never measure up to the Man of Steel. 

The Luthor/Superman rivalry is at it's best when the idea of Luthor being humanity's savior is played up and highlight's Superman's status as an alien sent to Earth. 

Batman vs The Joker

Thanks to Heath Ledger's masterful turn as The Joker, this combination has had a lot of eyeballs on it and a lot of people use that portrayal as a measuring stick of sorts. 

Why Batman and The Joker work so well is because of a couple of factors:

It's really pretty simple and when you look into it, you really can't have Batman without Joker, you can have all of Batman's other rogues but the Joker is different. The Joker is Batman's Id, in a way, he's the animal and chaotic side of Gotham that Batman exists to fight. 

When he's written at his best, the Joker is terrifyingly captivating to the utmost point. He's charming, funny, and down right scary and he always brings out the best and most noble aspects of Batman. 

Hal Jordan vs Thaal Sinestro

This one is a little off the beaten path, compared to the first two, but Hal Jordan and Sinestro is one of my favorite Hero/Villain combinations because it's just so personal and represents so much. 

Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern powered by Will, Sinestro, the Yellow Lantern powered by fear. It's one of literature's greatest rivalries and it is all based on some very personal and emotional tethers:

This rivalry is so good because it's so personal and plays out on such an epic scale. It's two former friends battling under the guise of a battle for the life of the universe. 

Which sounds awfully familiar to...

The Doctor and The Master

The Doctor's most recognizable enemies may be the Daleks or Cybermen, but it's the Master that I feel brings out the most compelling sides of the Doctor. 

The Doctor and The Master; the last of their species and they will always be rivals. With a man who carries the weight of entire galaxies on his shoulders it's the insanity of his former close friend and the amount of damage that he has caused that weighs on him the most. 

The Doctor/Master relationship is something that is so visceral and has so many layers to it that it's almost a shame that The Master isn't featured more often, but if he were he'd probably lose his edge as a villain. 

There are so many examples of great Hero/Villain combos (Sherlock/Moriarty) but these four are the four that I will always turn to when I think of some great characters that drive stories to levels beyond what is expected of them. 

Anders Remembers

“Admiral, we’re in position. What are your orders?”

                Anders steadied himself by bracing the command deck in front of him as the USS Infinity was rocked by controlled cannon fire, the holographic images flickering in and out of existence.

                “Focus central batteries on the blockade, get the Large Hadron Cannon prepped and ready to fire!” Anders had to yell over the cacophony of war that was battering the Command Bridge of the United Nations’ Flagship.

                After another round of volleys the projection in front of Admiral Skarsgaard changed to show that the Federation Blockade had begun to crack and the invasion forces were beginning to breach atmosphere of Orgon. The end was an inevitable now, and the Federation was gathering its forces one final attack.

                “Invasion forces have sustained heavy losses and are being met by heavy ground opposition. The LHC is charged and Federal targets are in range. Should we fire, Admiral?”

                Anders looked over the map in front of him; the Infinity was technically a prototype, carrying a weapon that shouldn’t exist and using it would change the fate of the galaxy.

                “Admiral, ground forces are being pummeled by rail gun fire. We need to fire the LHC.”

                “Anders, listen to me. I know about your reservations with the weapon, but this could end the war. We can go home heroes.” It was Jack Reynolds, one of Anders’ closest friends since the Academy and one of the only people he would allow to not address him by rank.

                Anders studied the layout in front of him and closed his eyes. What are the lives of millions when it saves the lives of billions? He was already a hero in the eyes of the UN and this would just about guarantee him a Grand Admiralship, but was he really that shallow?

                There was a white hot flash and Anders shot up in bed, covered in a cold sweat.

                The soft beep of his alarm clock told him that it was 6am local planet time and the tinted windows in his bedroom began to lighten and let the sunlight in to large, sprawling room. Anders sat in his bed, his bare chest still damp with sweat and his heart still pounding in his chest. It had been five years since the Invasion of Orgon and the ending of the Galactic War, and Anders was still having nightmares.

                “Sir, are you ok sir?” It was Barden, the head of Anders security team had poked his head into the master bedroom to see if the Grand Admiral of the United Nations was awake. His calm demeanor and cadence brought Anders back into the real world and he managed a tired smile.

                “Yeah, Bard. Can you get me a cup of coffee ready?”

                With a small nod Barden went back into the living room to make sure everything was secure in the apartment and Anders got himself out of bed, the plush carpeting adjusting its temperature to make sure he was comfortable as he walked through the apartment.

                After donning a Synthsilk robe to match the Synthsilk pajamas he wore, Anders walked out into the lavish apartment that looked over the Capital Planet of the UN, Karros. The sun glistening off of the sterling spires of office and apartment buildings that stretched as far as he could see, nav lanes crisscrossing and winding through the great labyrinth of the city.

                Taking a seat at the large glass desk that was already filled with data and media pads loaded with the news and notes that help run an interstellar government, Anders sipped the coffee that Barden had prepped for him and picked up one of the datapads.

                “Sir, before that, we have intercepted a private message that was intended for the Halcyon. It came from Fed space and…I think you’ll want to see it.” The voice came from Anders’ assistant, a quiet but ambitious young woman named Dareya. Her jet black hair was tied back in a messy bun, emerald eyes set behind a pair of wire frame glasses and she wore a sharp, navy blue suit that accentuated her figure but put forth the message that she was more than her good looks.

                “A Fed was calling the Halcyon? Who the hell knows that we launched it? Does it have to do with Titan?” Anders was concerned, Halcyon’s launch was supposed to be a very closely guarded event. Only a select few were even aware of the ship’s existence.

                “It wasn’t just a Fed sir, it was General Valeri Barrisov. He was calling for Captain Reynolds personally.”

                “Valeri Barrisov? Alright Dareya, let’s play the message.”

                Dareya tapped a couple of keys on her tablet and the grizzled, bearded face of General Barrisov filled the large vid screen across from Anders’ desk.

                “Ah Grand Admiral, I figured you would get this. I apologize but I have information that Captain Reynolds. It concerns Project Titan. It appears my brethren in the Federalized Planets have resurrected the project and have built successfully built a new Titan. I know who’s on board the Halcyon but they must be made aware of this as soon as possible.”

                The image of Barrisov seemed to bore a hole through Anders as he considered the message. If it was true then it changed everything.

                “Dareya, get me the Halcyon ASAP.”