# What super hero/villain groups pay their members? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479 "2008-07-23T13:54:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/21 "2008-07-24T21:50:54Z")
There was a time when Hawkeye worked as private security for some rival of Stark’s. Wonder Man worked a side job in children’s TV for a short while, but he was trying to break into the business and presumably didn’t need the money. Does Wonder Man even need to eat? ---
**Author:** ![desdinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@desdinova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdinova)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/22 "2008-07-24T22:01:12Z")
[Hero Hotline](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_Hotline) was a hero-for-hire group. I honestly don’t remember an awful lot about it but I don’t seem to think they were well paid. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/23 "2008-07-24T22:04:58Z")
[QUOTE=Tom Tildrum] There was a time when Hawkeye worked as private security for some rival of Stark’s. Wonder Man worked a side job in children’s TV for a short while, but he was trying to break into the business and presumably didn’t need the money. Does Wonder Man even need to eat? [/QUOTE] Nope. But apparently he did quite well as a stuntman (no medical bills) and even started a foundation. Got blackmailed into being a Mighty Avenger, though (which irritated me, but I’m one of 5 Wonder Man fans in the world). I thought the “new” Avengers didn’t get paid. Spider-Man was disappointed to find out no money went with the gig when he joined. And what does Dr. Strange do to earn his money? Are there really people lined up to ask for spells? Or does he do medical consultations? I wonder what SHIELD agents get… ---
**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:** [July 24, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/24 "2008-07-24T22:09:30Z")
[QUOTE=desdinova] [Hero Hotline](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_Hotline) was a hero-for-hire group. [/QUOTE] Of course, we can’t forget Heroes For hire. Except, of course, we did. \>\_\> ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/25 "2008-07-24T22:48:14Z")
Oh, and H.A.T.E. pays its agents. Probably. The JSA has to have some kind of stipend, since their base gets destroyed all the time and none of them have jobs. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/26 "2008-07-25T00:06:24Z")
[QUOTE=Love Rhombus] The JSA has to have some kind of stipend, since their base gets destroyed all the time and none of them have jobs. [/QUOTE] To the extent that the Brownstone getting wrecked up has anything to do with a stipend, it would, I would say, argue against it - if one is handed out, the Brownstone repairs would come from the same pool of funds (by all indications, from Wesley Dodd’s former fortune) as the stipends, and Ma Hunkel’s salary. As to their employment or lack of…Stargirl, Cyclone, Jakeem Thunder and Lightning are all students, so presumably their parents (or other guardian, in Jakeem’s case) support them. Several of them are relatively wealthy - Green Lantern, Flash, Hourman, Liberty Belle, Sandman, Wildcat, Mr Terrific and Power Girl all founded, or are the heirs to the founders of, (relatively at least) successful businesses…PG and Wildcat are, AFAIK, the only ones who don’t currently own said businesses (well, Hourman’s dad is probably still in charge because of his non-death), though I’m unsure of the current status of Quickstart Enterprises and Garrick Labs. (And ISTR mention of the upcoming Power Girl series involving her having a secret identity and owning the business again.) Obsidian is presumably still employed by Kate Spencer’s former law firm. Lance is employed by the US military. Dr Mid-Nite has a presumably lucrative sideline, aside from his superheroing, and running his free clinic, as a medical consultant. Adult members known to be otherwise unemployed: Mr America, Judomaster, Starman. Though Starman’s place of residence when off duty being a mental hospital means he probably doesn’t need money. Adult members with unknown civilian (er…odd choice of words, I guess) job status: Amazing Man, Damage (he’s probably unemployed), Hawkman (he was employed in a St Roch museum until he disappeared in the last Crisis…currently, God - or Geoff, I guess - only knows.) ---
**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:** [July 25, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/27 "2008-07-25T00:53:44Z")
NBote: Wildcat is the former World Heavyweight Champ. Likely he has loads of dough. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/28 "2008-07-25T18:15:54Z")
Superman must make millions off of copyright fees from all the heroes and villians who wear versions of his S shield. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/29 "2008-07-25T18:29:42Z")
[QUOTE=Daddypants] The Avengers used to, they may still. I remember an issue of Spiderman (?), years ago, where Spidey is stunned when he finds out that by declining an Avengers invite, he also turned down $5000 a month. [/QUOTE] There was also the one where he tried to interview with the Fantastic Four and left when he found out that there was not any money in it. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/30 "2008-07-25T18:31:38Z")
Is X-Force still a government agency? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/31 "2008-07-25T20:00:55Z")
PG’s new series will feature Starrware, so the company apparently still exists, and she still runs it. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/32 "2008-07-25T20:24:09Z")
In at least one iteration of the JLA, the situation was the opposite: members were forbidden to take money for super-heroing. That was, of course, horribly elitist. I think membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes has always implicitly been a paying gig, though I can’t imagine the Silver Age Superboy and Supergirl taking the money. What were they going to do with it? ---
**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:** [July 26, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/33 "2008-07-26T01:09:22Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] Is X-Force still a government agency? [/QUOTE] Nope. X-Force is currently the X-Men’s ‘black ops/wetworks’ division. (Also their ‘how the hell does this fit in with the other books?’ division.) When was it a government agency? I only read the first series for the first year, and didn’t read it again until the new series. Or are you thinking of X-Factor, which was government affiliated in its earliest incarnations? (Also not currently a government agency, but a private detective firm owned by Jamie Madrox, and thus, in theory, a paying gig.) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/34 "2008-07-26T16:13:25Z")
[QUOTE=Tengu] Or are you thinking of X-Factor, which was government affiliated in its earliest incarnations? (Also not currently a government agency, but a private detective firm owned by Jamie Madrox, and thus, in theory, a paying gig.) [/QUOTE] X-Factor in its earliest iteration was a front set up by Warren Worthington to allow the original X-Men to locate and shelter mutants while appearing to the outside world as mutant hunters. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/35 "2008-07-29T20:49:11Z")
[QUOTE=Love Rhombus] And what does Dr. Strange do to earn his money? Are there really people lined up to ask for spells? Or does he do medical consultations? [/QUOTE] He uses magic for material gain. Sounds a little tacky, but you could argue he’s subsidizing a “greater good”-type mission. One story in Marvel Feature (drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith) showed a magical room filled with gold, cash and precious gems. Wong needed grocery money. He had a series in the 90s where he had long hair, red granny glasses and the Cloak of Levitation resembled a smoking jacket (Kid Eternity and Lazarus Churchyard sported similar styles). In this series, he explicitly used magic to manipulate the stock market to his advantage. And yes, he does still do medical consultations. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/36 "2008-07-31T17:31:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Love Rhombus** > And what does Dr. Strange do to earn his money? Are there really people lined up to ask for spells? Or does he do medical consultations? > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Krokodil** > And yes, he does still do medical consultations. Most notably, in the graphic novel _The Death of Captain Marvel_, and in the _X-Men_ annual where Nightcrawler’s mother sent him to Hell. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/37 "2008-07-31T17:34:14Z")
[QUOTE=mbh] Most notably, in the graphic novel _The Death of Captain Marvel_, and in the _X-Men_ annual where Nightcrawler’s mother sent him to Hell. [/QUOTE] I seriously doubt he got paid anything in the former instance, as the Titanian-US exchange rate sucks. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/38 "2008-07-31T17:53:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Veering back to television, there was an episode of The Man from UNCLE where a THRUSH agent mentions that they have a pension plan and insurance coverage. If it’s the episode I’m thinking of, the episode revolved around the retirement of a T.H.R.U.S.H. agent. Napoleon Solo tried to talk him out of that and joining U.N.C.L.E., because the Thrush plan really turned out to be that they killed you – they simultaneously saved money on retirement benefits and guaranteed that you wouldn’t blab company secrets. Some retirement plan! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479/39 "2008-07-31T19:16:45Z")
Scorpio has free dental care and a stock plan that helps you invest. [/simpsons] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-super-hero-villain-groups-pay-their-members/457479.md?page=1)