# "Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 24, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899 "2011-08-24T15:13:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/1 "2011-08-24T15:13:19Z")
“The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!” There have been hundreds of supervillains in television, movies and the comics tht have attempted to take over the world, but if you could choose one to to actually become _Emperor Of The World_, which would you pick? My vote goes to Victor Von Doom. He has shown that he can rule a country without screwing it up, and he is a man of his word. PLEASE READ!: No voting for **Skald** -I am looking for fictional megalomaniacs, not real ones. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/2 "2011-08-24T15:29:53Z")
Lex Luthor. He has the requisite scientific genius, he already runs a legitimate business, he’s already served as U.S. President, and once he got rid of Superman, he’d probably settle down enough to be a reasonably benevolent dictator. Assuming he got over his obsession with extraterrestrials. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/3 "2011-08-24T15:51:41Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Lex Luthor. He has the requisite scientific genius, he already runs a legitimate business, he’s already served as U.S. President… …for part of his term before getting run off in disgrace. He wants power, but Vic knows what to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/4 "2011-08-24T15:56:21Z")
Klaus Wulfenbach, although he already has conquered a sizable chunk of it. He maintains a stable, functional government, and seems to actually care about the plight of his people. As long as you’re not both a spark and opposing him, life is actually pretty good under his rule. Even when he is forced to commit atrocities, he does so as quickly, cleanly, and painlessly as he can. Plus, the dude rules from a city-sized airship, and that’s just friggin’ cool. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/5 "2011-08-24T16:02:49Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Lex Luthor. He has the requisite scientific genius, he already runs a legitimate business, he’s already served as U.S. President, and once he got rid of Superman, he’d probably settle down enough to be a reasonably benevolent dictator. > > Assuming he got over his obsession with extraterrestrials. Seconded. Check out _Superman: Red Son_ for a very interesting what-if of Luthor eventually rising to ultimate power, and doing pretty well at it. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/6 "2011-08-24T16:07:32Z")
Doom would get in an argument with his mirror. I’d take Sebastian Shaw any day (havent seen the last XMen movie, I’m refering comic book Sebastian Shaw. Besides, Shaw would probably take control without anybody realizing it. Doom would build a giant statue of himself fist fucking the world with an iron glove). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/7 "2011-08-24T16:10:22Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Doom would build a giant statue of himself fist fucking the world with an iron glove). And you would vote _against_ him for that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/8 "2011-08-24T16:20:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > “The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!” > > There have been hundreds of supervillains in television, movies and the comics tht have attempted to take over the world, but if you could choose one to to actually become _Emperor Of The World_, which would you pick? > My vote goes to Victor Von Doom. He has shown that he can rule a country without screwing it up, and he is a man of his word. I have to agree with you here. Doom’s problem is his obsessive hatred of Richards. Take away that and he’s the guy you want in charge of the defense if the world’s getting invaded. And he’s not going to go on any ethnic cleansing programs; its just too petty. There’s good things to be said about Lex Luthor as well. None other than the Big Boy Blue Scout admitted in some massive crossover about a humongous alien invasion that he was glad Luthor was president at that moment, and that Luthor – ahead of even Batman – was the guy to think them out of this situation. > [@](#): > > PLEASE READ!: No voting for **Skald** -I am looking for fictional megalomaniacs, not real ones. In the first place, Evil!Skald _is_ a fictional character. The real Christopher is not Skald. In the second place, even Evil!Skald has renounced all ambitions to conquer the Earth. Too much paperwork. In the third place, you may want to stock up on … Nah. I don’t have any flaming bee jokes in me today. Left 'em all at home. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/9 "2011-08-24T17:19:48Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > even Evil!Skald has renounced all ambitions to conquer the Earth. Too much paperwork. Yeah, yeah. The old “Trying to Lull Them into a False Sense of Security” trick. That’s the third time it’s been tried on me in the last month. Oh yeah, the OP. [Conrad Siegfried.](http://kopell.tripod.com/pages/getsmart.html) ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/10 "2011-08-24T17:48:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And you would vote _against_ him for that? 😃 This very subject was covered in the old school Marvel Graphic Novel [Emperor Doom](http://www.amazon.com/Emperor-Doom-Starring-Mighty-Avengers/dp/0871352567). He seemed to do pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/11 "2011-08-24T17:50:59Z")
[Michael Korvac](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korvac). It seemed like he actually had a pretty good plan, though the Avengers were right to oppose it on general principle. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/12 "2011-08-24T18:26:57Z")
Dr. Evil. His aims are easily satisfied, and #2 seems to have a grasp of basic business principles, so not much would change. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/13 "2011-08-24T18:43:53Z")
why Brain of course - much like Wile E., he’s earned it. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/14 "2011-08-24T19:02:00Z")
He’s not really a villain at all (in fact, it could be argued that he’s as much a hero as anyone else on the Discworld), but Lord Vetinari’s pragmatic approach to despotism would make for quite a pleasant dictatorship. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/15 "2011-08-24T19:27:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > My vote goes to Victor Von Doom. He has shown that he can rule a country without screwing it up, and he is a man of his word. Latveria is stuck in the 19th century, despite their despot being a scientific and magical genius, and there are more than a few stories that present the ‘we love Doom’ attitude of the Latverians as a fear-based façade. So, it’s hard to claim he hasn’t ‘screwed it up’. Pretty much anyone who wants absolute power is too unstable to be trusted with it, but, to choose one…hmm… Sinestro. His methods are fucked to the extreme, but you can keep your head down and minimize your chances of being executed for some minor crime better when the despot doesn’t care if you like it (making ‘not being sufficiently enthusiastic in your love of the Great Leader’ a crime) and isn’t a paranoiac (making ‘being in the room when he thinks someone is trying to assassinate him’ a potential crime). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/16 "2011-08-24T19:33:58Z")
I’m going to go with Magneto. I figure as long as I don’t bother mutants, he won’t bother me. Might even offer me a cushy job in his administration…say prosecuting abuses under the now nullified Mutant Registration Act as crimes against Homo Superior or something… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/17 "2011-08-24T19:38:02Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’m going to go with Magneto. I figure as long as I don’t bother mutants, he won’t bother me. Might even offer me a cushy job in his administration…say prosecuting abuses under the now nullified Mutant Registration Act as crimes against Homo Superior or something… The MRA was a stupid idea. Remember when they tried to waterboard Namor? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/18 "2011-08-24T19:46:18Z")
I’m going to pretend that I’m not hurt by the responses to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/19 "2011-08-24T19:58:04Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > I’m going to pretend that I’m not hurt by the responses to this thread. Hell, you can’t even take on _Zabu_ in a fair fight. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899/20 "2011-08-24T22:10:48Z")
Emperor Palpatine. He may have employed somewhat draconian measures to suppress the rebellion, but other than that, there’s nothing to indicate that the galaxy was any worse of under him than it was under the Old Republic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-brain-what-do-you-want-to-do-tonight/593899.md?page=2)