“This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”
The Joker, The Dark Knight
The relationship between a superhero and supervillain is easily one of the most complex relationships in fiction. A prime example is the relationship between Batman and the Joker. The Joker is a dark reflection of who Batman is. The loss of his parents could have pushed Bruce Wayne into becoming the Joker himself, but he resisted the urge and became Batman instead. For the Joker, Batman serves as the punchline of crime and the source of his sense of purpose and fun. Without Batman, the Joker would not be able to function, which makes him hopelessly dependent on Batman. At the same time, both character symbolize two opposing forces trying to cancel each other out. Batman is trying to bring order to the world while the Joker is trying to bring chaos to the world. I am planning to depict a similar relationship in my new superhero book series. I intend to give the main superhero and main supervillain a relationship that is like that of Batman and the Joker.
After finishing my last superhero short story, I dove right into the next. This will be the second part of a three-part story arc that revolves around my main supervillain and their rise to power. Now, I will depict an elaborate plan that my supervillain and his team will pull off to cause global chaos. My main supervillain will be engaging in his first major fight against many government agents.
“We come to it at last! The great battle of our time!”
Gandalf, Return of the King
As I continue my superhero book series, I am envisioning what the final battle will look like. While the main superhero and the main supervillain are engaging in their personal duel elsewhere, their allies will be engaging in a large scale battle. I hope to make this the most epic large scale superhero vs supervillain battle since Avengers: Endgame. I don’t know if I will pull it off, but I will do my best.
I have just completed the tenth short story in my new superhero book series. This is the first of a three volume story arc that revolves around the main supervillain and his rise to power. I have six more short stories to write leading up to this particular volume. I now have four short stories made for this series and I will move on to the next one soon. I will keep you updated on all developments. Wish me luck!
While I do intend to make the main supervillain the type of villain who is a bold overpowered badass, I will also be giving him some redeeming qualities. He will not be the kind of cliche villain who views his minions as expendable and brutalizes them when they fail. Instead, he will view his minions as his comrades and extensions of himself. As such, he will do whatever it takes to make sure his comrades’ needs are met and takes anything against them very seriously. He and his cohorts are less like a villain and his pawns and more like a group of friends walking towards a shared goal. The main supervillain will not be their leader in the traditional sense. He will just be a guy they follow who happens to share and embody their beliefs. One could argue that they are a modern dark version of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In addition, they will have similar chemistry, camaraderie, and solidarity to George Clooney and the gang in Ocean’s Eleven.
“Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order and everything becomes chaos.”
The Joker, The Dark Knight
I am continuing to work on the supervillain story arc for my new superhero series and I am coming close to finishing the first volume in this story arc. In the midway point in this arc, the main supervillain’s plots and schemes will culminate in the northeastern United States (colored red) being plunged into all-out chaos. While the authorities are thrown into disarray as a result of this development, the main supervillain and his allies will use this as an opportunity to further build their organization. In addition, the chaos that takes place in this area will send shockwaves across the planet.
Out of all the fight scenes that will take place in my new superhero book series, the one I look forward to the most will be the final duel between the main superhero and main supervillain. When this fight takes place, both characters will be at the zenith of their power and development. I intend to make it the biggest and most epic superhero vs supervillain fight since Superman fought Doomsday in The Death of Superman. Superheroes are meant to be modern metaphors to the gods and demigods of ancient mythology. That will be something I will capitalize on. Two god-like beings clashing to decide the fate of the world. Two polar opposite forces trying to cancel each other out. All of creation will be their battleground.
For the last couple nights, I have been putting together speeches for my main supervillain to say in my superhero book series. I plan to make my supervillain the kind of character that says something epic and meaningful every time he opens his mouth. This will make him similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Thanos. Based on what I have put together so far, I will make my supervillain a nihilistic psychopath and anarchist who seeks to create a world without limits. I have a strong feeling that he will be one of those villains that people can’t help but admire. I look forward to seeing if this turns out to be true. I am even working on a speech my supervillain’s most loyal follower gives describing his master’s power. Overall, out of all the characters in my superhero book series, the main supervillain is the most fun to work with.
I am starting to lose any hope that Trump will be held accountable during his hush money trial. He has violated his gag order ten times and counting. All the judge did was give him a $1,000 fine per violation, which is a pathetic penalty to give someone who is a billionaire. If any of us did this, we would have been jailed on the first violation. The judge threatens to put Trump in jail for violating the gag order, but I don’t think he has the spine, guts, or balls to do it. Instead, he keeps giving Trump one slap on the wrist after another and never went through with his empty “warnings” of putting Trump in jail for constantly violating the gag order. Now, Trump is openly mocking the judge for being so damn weak, which is undermining the legal system’s credibility and potentially compromising the jury. If the judge is too weak and cowardly to do his job and uphold the rule of law, he needs to step aside and let someone stronger and braver take over. The judge can threaten to jail Trump all he wants, but I will take him seriously when he actually does it. I’ve had more than enough of empty promises and hollow words. I need more action and less talk and I think the public wants it as well.
I did some research and made a few discoveries. Did you know that the concept of a “galactic empire” is not exclusive to only Star Wars? The original concept of a “galactic empire” began with Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” series. Since then, several writers, filmmakers, and storytellers have done their own unique version of a “galactic empire”. As stated before, George Lucas made his own unique “galactic empire” with Star Wars while Frank Herbert depicted his “galactic empire” in the Dune series. More recently, Zack Snyder featured his “galactic empire” in his two-part film Rebel Moon. After some additional digging, I discovered that over 10,000 authors and writers have done their own version of a “galactic empire” on Amazon. Due to this information, I am thinking of joining their ranks one day by doing my own take on a “galactic empire”. I tried doing a space opera story in the past, but it was a failed project. However, after my current writing schedule opens up, I think I will tackle this concept again. In the meantime, I will plan thoroughly for when I eventually do it. Wish me luck!
Grady P Brown - Author 