# If people got super powers in the real world what would motivate most villains? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445 "2021-01-13T13:55:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/1 "2021-01-13T13:55:44Z")
In the real world if a number of random people from all demographics and walks of life got super powers (that ranged between nuisances to city destroying) what would most of those who become villains be motivated by? Comic book villains roughly fall into the following categories: Psychopathy/Sadism: People who want to hurt, kill and destroy for its own sake (Carnage, Bullseye and Kid Miracleman). Money: Self explanatory (Taskmaster, Paladin and Deadshot). Ideology: People who act out of commitment to a higher cause they believe is right (Red Skull, Poison Ivy, Flag Smasher and Raʼs al Ghul). Personal: Revenge, attention, power, fame, competition etc (Ghost, Zoom and Lex Luthor). Mental illness: Self explanatory (Cornelius Stirk and Two Face). Which of the above categories would the majority of super villains in the real world fall into? Or would it be roughly even split between the different motivational categories? ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/2 "2021-01-13T17:26:46Z")
I would say that the triptych Money/Ideology/Personal would be the more common. Psychopathy and others Mental illness, except if the powers create these, are rather uncommon. But… give me Superman’s powers and I “may” first indulge in some retaliation (Personnal)… then use them to fulfill my goals, not necessary along the law (Ideology). Money will be the basic reflex of many peoples. Besides, with Ideology, what makes a villain? acting against the local laws? acting against customs? acting against international laws? If Super-Seminole wants to get Florida free of the Forked-tong Whitey, and return it to the Natives, is he a villain? ---
**Author:** ![CoconutPete](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coconutpete/32/5294_2.png) [@CoconutPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoconutPete)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/3 "2021-01-13T19:28:57Z")
Perceived revenge would probably be a lot of the initial villainous acts. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/4 "2021-01-13T19:40:21Z")
My best guess would be personal gain (money, sex, fame, popularity) combined by a savior complex - i.e., I’ll rid the world of the Trump fascist threat or the Antifa socialists, or whichever group they hated most. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/5 "2021-01-13T19:42:50Z")
I would think it would primarily be ideological or money. Personal reasons makes me think of Syndrome in “The Incredibles”. While it’s a powerful motivator, I don’t know that it would be enough to sustain the building of a super-villain enterprise over the time that it would take, or to get the money it would take. Ideology or money allows you to recruit rich backers and/or henchmen a lot easier than personal reasons too. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/6 "2021-01-13T20:10:53Z")
Projection of their sexual inadequacy. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/7 "2021-01-13T20:11:59Z")
There are plenty of real life villains. If they got a super power their motives would remain the same. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2021, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/8 "2021-01-14T04:15:30Z")
post cant be e,pty ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2021, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/9 "2021-01-14T04:21:29Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > post cant be e,pty . The board rules say I can’t have an empty post! The Justice League shall pay for this! ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2021, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/10 "2021-01-14T04:57:09Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > plenty of real life villains. If they got a super power their motives would remain the same. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. People are jerks for a lot of reasons; villains are just jerks to a lot of people. Pick one or several from a list, like the Seven Deadly Sins\* in monotheism or like any list of faults and foibles in any mythology, and you’ll find them behind any villain’s excuse for behaving the way he/she does. –G! \*But not all of the Seven, 'cause then you’re just rehashing that Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman/Kevin Spacey flick. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2021, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/11 "2021-01-14T05:57:07Z")
Do racism, misogyny, homophobia and religious fanaticism all come under ideology? That and money. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2021, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/12 "2021-01-14T06:19:05Z")
Isn’t this what _The Boys_ is all about? People suck, even good people have flaws. People with superpowers are going to be a nightmare before too long. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2021, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-people-got-super-powers-in-the-real-world-what-would-motivate-most-villains/930445/13 "2021-01-14T11:31:06Z")
Money. Heroes–also money. (Product endorsements, film rolls, etc)