You are an evil Super-villian like in any number of James Bond movies/comic books/bad sci-fi films (okay, so this part may not be hypothecial for some people).
It could be some kind of giant ray gun fired from a space ship, other planet or orbital platform. (use the spaceships in the movie Independence Day as an example). It could be something else. Plain old nukes, killer rabbits, Barbra Streisand clones, you name it.
You have time/power/energy to wipe three cities off the face of the earth, for any reason imaginable.
What are your choices? Also, optionally, what is the superweapon you use? Why?
Did you consider that there might be howls of outrage at your proposal? I can think of plenty of cities that I’ve hated, but I wouldn’t consider positing their obliteration and resulting deaths of millions.
Maybe three most disliked cities as an opinion poll, but your wording is incitement to grossly offend citizens of cities around the world. It’s a bit ugly.
I can sorta understand Mersavets’ point, but c’mon - using the super-villian senario sets this up in a light-hearted way. I don’t think anyone is going to say, “El Paso, everyone there is an #($&!@!”
The question isn’t, “Which cities do you hate the most?” It’s, “Assuming you’re a super villian, which ones would you destroy?” Being a super villian, you can blow things up for any reason at all. (As the OP says, “for any reason imaginable”.) I don’t think this was meant to be taken too seriously.
Being a super villian I would want to cause as much damage and chaos as possible. This is the overarching reason behind my three choices.
Washinton D.C., for obvious reasons. The US is a very powerful country. Washington D.C. is the headquarters of the government of that country. Makes sense.
The next are tricky. I’m tempted to say New York and L.A., because they are huge and important in many ways. For example, financial companies would be wiped out if New York went away. However, how much extra chaos would this really cause? I mean, if Washington D.C. was nuked, would the panic really be much worse if New York was too?
The attentive super-villian must always be asking himself, How can I maximize chaotic potential?
This leads me to choose:
London. Similar reasons to 1. With two major cities in two major countries gone, worldwide panic would increase exponentially. If only the US was hit, the UK would still be around to offer much support. With both hit, they’ll both be too busy responding to their own messes to help each other.
Now the third is a little trickier. Moscow? Tokyo? I’m going to have to go with:
Moscow. Similar reasons to 1 and 2, but also much symbolic value as well. Shows that nobody is safe from my dastardly power. Mwahahahaha! ahem If I just attacked western powers, some other countries might breath a sigh of relief. But with Russia hit hard, my super-villian message is loud and clear: I take no sides but my own! MWAHAHAHAHAHahacoughheehehesputter. ahem
Sorry, I guess you cast a different light on the question. I read it and thought, “Well, they already tried that on Warsaw, Phnom Penh and Nanking”.
Having said that, my problem with your choices is that it would temporarily knock out the three states that can (or have with the exception of the US) kept France in its place. A France rising to military prominence again is something that does not bare thinking about I’m afraid.
Behold, O Foolish Mortals, and face the wrath of my Underpants Ray! It grabs ahold of the edge of the fabric of space and time, and gives the surface of reality a gigantic cosmic wedgie! Anything caught in the space/time fabric wedged between the butt cheeks of creation is summarily smashed, crushed, devastated, and otherwise destroyed. Bwahahahaha!
If you do not immediately give me ten thousand virgins to deflower, and force Pepsico to start making Josta again, I will be forced to use my Underpants Ray on three targets… if my demands are not met within twenty-four hours, I will first destroy… ::spins the wheel of City-Destruction::… Sydney, Australia! If forty-eight hours pass and you have still not provided me with ten thousand virgins and Josta, then the next city to be erased will be… Cleveland, Ohio! Yes, I am well aware that Cleveland rocks… you shall not make me stray from my course! Finally, if seventy-three hours (I’m on daylight-saving time) pass by and my bitches and soda still aren’t in my grasp, then I shall be forced to obliterate… Nantucket!
Those are my demands, people of Earth. After Nantucket’s destruction, I will destroy another, random city every twelve hours, until I have ten thousand virgins - yes, ten thousand, and not a virgin less! - and a steady production of Josta. Oh, yeah, and the virgins must be female, and reasonably attractive, and have big boobies.
You shall weep for the day that your miserable little testicle of a planet crossed me, the Great and Malignant SPOOFE!
I can annihilate important, heavily populated cities… Nah, been done already. OK, I can annihilate cities with military importance… Nope, too derivative. OK, got it!
Elkton, Maryland, the bell tolls for thee! Dunno why, it just does. Now, who next…? Aha! Guildford, England, c’mon down! You’re the next contestant on OhMyGodWeAreAllGonnaDie! Who’s it gonna be for my final show this week? I know! Nwemauktaung, India, yooooouuu’reee hiiiissstory!
Fear me, oh Earth, for who knows what insignificant town will next feel the wrath of my Pulsating Mucous-Beam…?! Bwwaahaahaahaahaahaaaaa…!
Hell, this is an opportunity for financial gain. For example, I could charge McDonald’s 50% of their annual profits in exchange for carving their logo on the moon.
And for 75%, I’d carve it on the side of the moon that faces the Earth! Hehehe. (See, the moon doesn’t spin…)
Have a punchbowl filled with city names from all over the globe - big ones, small ones, metropoli, tiny villiages, you name it. Then, (after hijacking the television broadcasts), show the people that you’re picking your targets completely at random.
However, I’d go ahead and use one target for someplace big and impressive. Show them also that you’re not above specifically selecting a place.
Basically, make them realize that they are ALL potential victims.
For calculated maximum chaos and terror: New York, London, Beijing. Major hits on financial markets and population, plus good worldwide coverage, plus China deserve it for their treatment of Tibet.
For purely personal whim and indulgence I’d aim all 3 missiles at Swindon (it’s a place in the UK, and easily my least favourite place in the entire universe).
You want people to know what town is next to get it in the neck, preferably about two hours in advance. This gives the news crews just enough time to show up and televise the terror & chaos as the populace tries to flee, but not so much time that too many make good their escape! Picking insignificant towns means that Joe Average feels like a target, further spreading terror, as no one feels safe. You do want a small handful to escape so they can go on Nightline and Oprah, whinging about their pathetic losses and dead loved ones, so people have a chance to wallow in anticipatory fear.
A real Supervillain covers all the angles, and doesn’t neglect the chances for psi-ops! For maximum effect, about a week after blasting the first three towns, you blast a wealthy suburb in one major city and a slum in another city. This gets the terrorized wealthy on the line to their gov’t, while the terrorized poor start to riot. Soon, the world gov’ts will be on their knees, begging to meet your demands! That’s when you tell them about the gold reserves, executing N’Sync, and the unending supply of beer and sexy women. Maximum terror, minimum disruption of the infrastructure that I intend to rule. Wealth beyond avarice, power beyond measure!
The Pulsating Mucous-Beam® will be the goad by which I break the world to my will!
I considered the possibility, but seeing threads such as “What Dictator are you?” and “Best Doomsday device” led me to think people would understand the idea for what it is.
New York (the people are so rude)
Paris (“Our allies who fought so poorly and surrendered so readily” - Mayor Joe Quimby)
Calcutta - so there will really be a “black hole of Calcutta”.