FANOXEAN: THE MAKING OF A DEMON

One of the most infamous supervillains I ever created was the demon known as Fanoxean. Since Fanoxean was a demon, I created him based on what I considered demonic and an epitome of evil. In appearance, I envisioned Fanoxean as being reptilian with black and gray scales, a lipless mouth full of needle-sharp teeth and a long purple tongue, and hands with slender fingers tipped with curved talons. He would glare at his victims with eyes as red as blood with a mane of long hair that is the same color as bleached bone. In terms of personality, I envisioned Fanoxean as being sadistic, manipulative, and utterly nihilistic. Even Fanoxean’s powers are frightening as he has unlimited access to dark magic, which allows him to be truly immortal, cast black lightning from his hands, and shape shift into ever more ominous forms. Out of all the supervillains I created, Fanoxean is without a doubt the most sinister; even more so than Vogan himself.

MY GREATEST FEAR!!!

I saw the Goosebumps film tonight and upon seeing the overall premise of the film, I realized what my greatest fear and worst nightmare is. The thought that always haunted the dark corners of my mind is what would happen if the supervillains I created for my series became real. I created these characters so I know better than anyone just how psychopathic and bloodthirsty they all are and how much madness, death, and destruction they would unleash upon the world if they were real. In a way, this makes me consider myself to be Doctor Victor Frankenstein and my supervillains my monstrous creations. Every once in a while, whenever I sleep, I would have nightmares of this scenario, which would include a world engulfed in flames, cities demolished, bodies strewn throughout the streets, and my supervillains psychotically laughing in unison. Without warning, I would wake up to find myself in my room and have difficulty sleeping for hours. I guess when all is said and done, the creator sometimes fears his own creation even if the creation originates from his imagination.

CHARACTER CREATION: THE WRIST BROTHERS

Among the old foes the Young Guardians battled in my third volume were the Wrist Brothers, Billy Bladewrists and Willy Chainwrists. These two were a notorious serial killer duo whose preferred method of killing their victims was severing their wrists and allowing them to bleed to death, which was how they got their name.

However, when the Young Guardians encountered them, the brothers were maimed and presumed dead. Then Vogan’s Black Pantheon salvaged them, augmented them with cybernetics, and recruited them to serve as weapons against the Young Guardians. Among the cybernetics were two pairs of robotic hands, one pair had swords for hands (Bladewrists) and one pair had crushing metal hands attached to the wrists with chains (Chainwrists).

I came up with the idea for these brothers when I saw a film called The Master of Disguise, which I saw when I was a child. When I watched the film and saw the main character fight, I fantasized on the thought of what it would have been like if he fought with his hands attached to his wrists with chains like nunchuks. From that fantasy, I came up with the name Billy Chainwrists and from there, I came up with the names of the brothers and incorporated them into my series.

SHOW REVIEW: GOTHAM

I watched the whole first season of Gotham and am currently watching the second season. The show is a unique explanation to not only the origins of Batman, but also his entire rogue gallery. I enjoyed how the Penguin was portrayed as an apex predator who started from nothing and then swiftly rose through the underworld hierarchy. With Bruce Wayne, I was interested in his transformation as a character that resulted from the murder of his parents. In a way, the boy died with his parents and the man rose to take his place, paving the way to becoming Batman. One of my favorite characters in the show is Bruce’s butler Alfred Pennyworth. Since Alfred is ex-military, when the situation requires it, don’t mess with the butler! Now that the new season has started, I am eager to see the rise of supervillains such as the Riddler and the Joker as well as how Penguin consolidates his power over the underworld. Overall, the show depicts how Gotham City was before Batman emerged to protect it. I would recommend this show to anyone who is a fan of the Batman franchise.

SUPERVILLAIN REVIEW: LEX LUTHOR

Another iconic supervillain is Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor would be a prime example of the mad scientist archetype because he utilizes technology and his intellect against Superman. One of Lex Luthor’s weapons of choice is Superman’s primary weaknesses: Kryptonite. With Kryptonite, Lex Luthor uses a mind-over-muscle method in order to fight Superman. In the film Superman Returns, Lex Luthor created a landmass that was completely made of Kryptonite, which was enough to give Superman the strength and vitality of a terminally ill cancer patient. What makes Lex Luthor such a dangerous supervillain is his intimate knowledge of Superman’s weaknesses, which he can exploit for maximum damage. Another aspect that makes Lex Luthor a prominent supervillain is despite his illegal activities, his wealth and resources give him powerful political connections, which gives him enough leverage to not only avoid prison, but also further his agenda. Overall, Lex Luthor is a formidable enemy to face whether if you have powers or not.

FILM REVIEW: ANT-MAN

I must say that I am pleased with how the new Ant-Man film turned out. In particular, I am glad it stayed faithful with the comics with Hank Pym being the first Ant-Man and Scott Lang being the second Ant-Man. Even before I saw the film, I often wondered what it would be like to be the size of an ant while maintaining the physical strength of a normal-sized human. I also enjoyed how the supervillain is a polar opposite of the superhero since they have the same powers, but have different mindsets. The film also possessed clever humor and masterfully portrayed the archetype of the unlikely hero. I would recommend this film to anyone who is seeking a film that illustrates how far someone would go to seek redemption.

SUPERVILLAIN REVIEW: THE JOKER

One of the most terrifying and iconic supervillains is Batman’s nemesis: the Joker. In many ways, I find the Joker to be a model supervillain because not only is he a complete and utter psychopath, but he is cunning, unpredictable, and craves chaos for the sake of chaos. My favorite incarnation of the Joker is Heath Ledger’s version from The Dark Knight because he was anarchic and frighteningly convincing. Jared Leto’s version of the Joker in the Suicide Squad film looks promising, but Leto has some serious shoes to fill after Ledger’s performance. One thing I find interesting about the Joker is that even though he has caused Batman pain from time to time such as when he murdered the second Robin, Jason Todd, the Joker cannot imagine a world without Batman. With that in mind, it would be fair to say that the Joker finds his battles with Batman to be a never-ending game that he enjoys.

CONCEPT: SUPERVILLAIN CATEGORIES

Some believe that there is no categorization about supervillains, but upon closer examination, I noticed that they each have their own unique connection to the superhero that makes them distinct. The first category is the type of supervillain who tests the superhero’s physical limits and is kind of like a common thug. Another category is the type of supervillain who is a typical sociopath and challenges the superhero on a mental level. A third category is the kind of supervillain who has an intimate knowledge of the superhero, allowing them to exploit their weaknesses for maximum damage. The last category is the kind of superhero who is more of a nuisance than a threat, indulging in petty crime such as stealing. In general, even though a supervillain always commits crimes and evil, they come in many forms, giving the superhero a challenge i any case.

CONCEPT: UNDEAD PHYSIOLOGY

One of the most common and popular elements revolves around the living dead. There are a number of examples of undead creatures that have been depicted in fiction ranging from zombies, vampires, and many more. Being undead is a rather curious form of existence that comes in many forms. In some cases, your body is deceased, but your mind is intact and still active. In other cases, your body is animated, but your mind is a blank slate and you’re a mindless abomination. When I think about it, it would be strange and unusual if I was unable to breathe, tire, or have a heartbeat while still being able to move. In my upcoming fourth short story, the supervillain the main character will face will be either undead or something resembling it. Unlike cliches like zombies and vampires, I am planning on making this individual something completely entirely different. Based on what I have planned so far, the whole idea is already giving me the goosebumps. This new short story, which will commence creation after my current third short story is completed, will be yet another example of asking the age-old question: “How do you kill something that is already dead?”