Going Rogue: Faces of Morality
#3: Victim or Villain
They call me a supervillain.
Well, actually, I call me a supervillain. I'm not exactly a misunderstood innocent forced to adopt the label. Of course, I've claimed innocence in the past, when it suited my purposes. People are always sympathetic towards a poor little girl, especially if she's cute and can be redeemed. Especially if she's wearing a skimpy costume.
But you see...there are advantages to adopting the villain label. To understand that, you need to look at all the people who don't.
There are plenty of people in the superhuman underworld who don't like being called villains. A lot of these types also reject codenames and costumes. Because they're rejecting the status and everything that comes with it. But if you do use a fancy codename, if you do wear a fancy costume...well, that sends a message. It tells potential allies and enemies that you mean business. It tells everyone that you're fully part of the game, and you're going to play it.
Mind you, this isn't enough. It's a good first step, but it's only that - a first step. If I were teaching a college course, that would be the first week in Villain 101. Believe me, though, there's a whole semester to go through.
The trouble is...'villain' is a very broad category. Too broad. It covers everything from hard-headed thugs with antisocial impulses...to cerebral masterminds who never get their hands dirty. 'Villains' include idealists fighting for a cause. And also psychopaths just out for thrills.
The only thing we all have in common is this: we're all on the wrong side of the law.
But not everyone who's an outcast ends up there by choice, Take Malaise. For years he was a villain, one of the most notorious in Europe. He was insane. He was sick. He wasn't well. When Sister Psyche cured him, he joined the proverbial angels. And no, before you ask, I'm pretty sure Sister Psyche didn't brainwash or nudge the poor boy in any way. He really was sick. And she really made him better. Pity she couldn't do anything about his fashion sense, but I guess all that time spent gaga did permanent damage to his brain.
If someone breaks the law and commits crimes because they aren't in their right mind, are they really villains? Society calls them that anyway, but is it right? After all, while they might have done terrible things..it isn't their fault.
Many so-called villains are just...victims. Nothing more. The Clockwork King was just a petty crook. Yes, he stole. Yes, his creations caused havoc by looting metal and machinery from around Paragon City. But he didn't deserve to be beaten to death. He didn't deserve to be pummeled so hard that his spine shattered, his ribs pierced his lungs, his heart stopped, his body died. and yes, he did die. Its just that his psychic powers were enough to preserve his mind until his brain could be reanimated in a new metal body. So now he's a villain. And now he's completely insane.
But he's a victim, let's not forget. He didn't choose to be this way. It's not his fault. Not entirely.
Ghost Widow was just an ordinary girl, once. Yes, she died as an Arachnos Widow, but there's nothing evil in joining Recluse's army. How many opportunities do you think there are, when you're a Rogue Islander from the slums? From all accounts she died alongside a man who was family to her - and she protects him still. Today she's an undead spectre, bound to serve Arachnos. She deserves pity, not hatred. Actually I envy her slightly, but mostly because of her hair. But eternal servitude seems a rather high price to pay for perfect gothic fashion.
Do you think Dr. Hamidon Pasalima wanted to become a shapeless world-devouring monster? He was an ecological extremist, yes. He created the bacteria that destroyed his body. But that's not what he intended it for. Once he was just a reckless young man. And so was Imad Malak. Just a man. Just an idealist and dreamer. All he wanted was to take up the mantle of his homeland's greatest hero, to be the successor to a legacy. He never asked to be cursed. Because of his curse, everything he does turns to darkness. Now he's Scirocco. But he wanted to be loved, not feared.
I can go on, and on, and on. I think you get the idea, yes?
The word 'villain' gets used too lightly. So many people don't deserve that name. Even the Rikti aren't villains. Yes, they've killed millions of us, they've burnt our homes, our cities. But they're not villains. They were manipulated into attacking us. They were deceived. The Rikti aren't villains. They're heroes. Heroes to their people. Back on the Rikti homeworld, I'm sure little Rikti boys, girls and monkeys have plush dropship toys, while drunk Rikti urinate on pictures of Statesman.
So where does that leave us? What is a villain, then? Who would be a villain truly deserving of the title?
I think it comes down to choice.
Choice and free will.
If you don't have the intelligence, sanity, or even information to make a choice, then you're not really a villain. If it's just circumstance that leads you to fall, if it's just tragedy, if your intentions are pure...you're not a villain. Not really. You're just misunderstood. But if you understand fully what it is you're doing, if you grasp the consequences and ramifications of your actions...and you do it anyway...
That's different. That's entirely different.
A true villain is not a victim. A true villain is someone who consciously acts against society. A true villain is someone who seizes her own destiny, not someone who has it trust upon her. A true villain understands morality, virtue, and all the principles that guide society. A true villain knows what laws she is breaking. And she chooses to break them all the same, because she has decided that she will not be bound by ordinary conventions. She has chosen to step outside. She has chosen to stand apart.
So the first question is this: what will you do to achieve your goals?
The truth of the matter is...most people stop short. Because most people, almost everyone, really...are held back. There's an awful number of so-called superheroes who aren't particularly righteous, or even particularly nice. They're just 'heroes' because that's the socially acceptable way to use power. And most people are weak. Not strong. Even the most physically powerful individual can be weak where it really counts: in terms of exercising her freedom and making a choice.
The chains that bind us are insidious, really. There are many who have taken the first step beyond the constraints of society...but remain tied by conventions that they barely even realise, hardly ever think about. The average person has a pretty clear conception of good and evil. Now, of course that varies between individuals. Some people are noble, others are more debased. But intrinsic morality is pretty common. We internalise social conventions without really thinking about them.
We have discussed the first question. Now for the second:
How far will you go?
It's not enough to simply do extraordinary things. Your motives also matter.
I know this. Because I was born Rika Hanagawa. If you move in the same rarified circles as I do, then I'm sure you recognise the name. The Hanagawa ninja clan has something of a reputation, after all. Quite a well deserved one, at that.
Not all the stories are true, of course. If they were, we'd have more venereal diseases than all of sub-Saharan Africa combined.
But they're true enough. Even as a little girl, I was trained to lie, to cheat, to steal and spy. I was trained to seduce men. And even women. Because honestly, if you're in the business of espionage and power games, prejudice is simply impractical. So is rigid sexuality.
Now, you might imagine that a group like the Hanagawa would be an example of people unconstrained by conventional morality. Because a Hanagawa will seduce absolutely anything if it serves the cause, yes, yes, we all know that. And in a sense you would be right. But you would also be wrong.
Yes, the Hanagawa move through the shadows of society. Yes, the Hanagawa will do anything for power and influence, tugging on the strings of civilisation like unholy puppeteers. Yet...why do you think the Hanagawa do this? There must be a reason. Why gather power and influence? To rule the world? To usher in a new order?
Sadly, I doubt a Hanagawa world order would go down very well. The Catholic Church might have a number of objections.
No. World domination is not the point. Power is not the point. For the Hanagawa, it's just a means to an end. And that end is quite simple, really.
Preservation and protection of the family. That's all.
Everything the Hanagawa clan does...is to keep the family safe. Simple as that. To keep it safe, and to keep it prosperous. That's all. That's perfectly understandable. It's perfectly normal. It's something everyone wants. And that's why it's inherently limiting.
Even a powerful ninja clan like the Hanagawa isn't immune to the conventions of human society. Yes, yes, they break things like laws, ethics, so on, but at the very core, they still conform to a deeper level of social conditioning, They've made a choice, yes, but they still aren't free. Because the Hanagawa are trying to protect the family above all, they live in the shadows. They operate through subtle means, they move unseen. In the end, they are afraid.
They don't think of themselves as villains, much less supervillains. Politicians, courtesans, lawyers, businessmen, those are the guises that the Hanagawa wear. To put on a tight costume with a symbol on the front, flying across rooftops in broad daylight...no, no. That's unthinkable.
So that's exactly what I do.
I wear a costume. I have superpowers, and I use them freely. The world doesn't know me as Riko Hanagawa, but by a much simpler name, a colourful nom de guerre that describes my abilities for all and sundry.
I am a supervillain.
The mask is useful, you see. With it comes contacts, a social network of spiders and their webs...or even the friendship of a golden king in a shining city. With this, I shall never want for work. The kind of work I prefer, for it helps achieve my goals more than perfume and lipstick ever would.
But it also creates a certain image. My family, bless their hearts...they think I'm a fool, a silly, silly girl. They love me, of course. They just don't think much of me. And that's fine.
The heroes of the world have much the same opinion, if for entirely different reasons. They see a cheerful, flamboyant young woman with a fanciful tongue-in-cheek name, one who clearly enjoys herself...and yet doesn't often hurt people. They think I'm just a thrillseeker, or perhaps just a greedy thief...but they don't think I'm that bad. Just wayward, misguided.
When they find out about my family, when they find out it was this...or a life spent between shadows and sheets...they even pity me.
But remember what I said: I am no victim.
I've made my choice. And all this serves my purposes. For now I play the game. I don't care what they think. I am patient. I can wait.
My name is Battery Acid.
I am a villain.
NEXT: HERO
-- Acyl
#3: Victim or Villain
They call me a supervillain.
Well, actually, I call me a supervillain. I'm not exactly a misunderstood innocent forced to adopt the label. Of course, I've claimed innocence in the past, when it suited my purposes. People are always sympathetic towards a poor little girl, especially if she's cute and can be redeemed. Especially if she's wearing a skimpy costume.
But you see...there are advantages to adopting the villain label. To understand that, you need to look at all the people who don't.
There are plenty of people in the superhuman underworld who don't like being called villains. A lot of these types also reject codenames and costumes. Because they're rejecting the status and everything that comes with it. But if you do use a fancy codename, if you do wear a fancy costume...well, that sends a message. It tells potential allies and enemies that you mean business. It tells everyone that you're fully part of the game, and you're going to play it.
Mind you, this isn't enough. It's a good first step, but it's only that - a first step. If I were teaching a college course, that would be the first week in Villain 101. Believe me, though, there's a whole semester to go through.
The trouble is...'villain' is a very broad category. Too broad. It covers everything from hard-headed thugs with antisocial impulses...to cerebral masterminds who never get their hands dirty. 'Villains' include idealists fighting for a cause. And also psychopaths just out for thrills.
The only thing we all have in common is this: we're all on the wrong side of the law.
But not everyone who's an outcast ends up there by choice, Take Malaise. For years he was a villain, one of the most notorious in Europe. He was insane. He was sick. He wasn't well. When Sister Psyche cured him, he joined the proverbial angels. And no, before you ask, I'm pretty sure Sister Psyche didn't brainwash or nudge the poor boy in any way. He really was sick. And she really made him better. Pity she couldn't do anything about his fashion sense, but I guess all that time spent gaga did permanent damage to his brain.
If someone breaks the law and commits crimes because they aren't in their right mind, are they really villains? Society calls them that anyway, but is it right? After all, while they might have done terrible things..it isn't their fault.
Many so-called villains are just...victims. Nothing more. The Clockwork King was just a petty crook. Yes, he stole. Yes, his creations caused havoc by looting metal and machinery from around Paragon City. But he didn't deserve to be beaten to death. He didn't deserve to be pummeled so hard that his spine shattered, his ribs pierced his lungs, his heart stopped, his body died. and yes, he did die. Its just that his psychic powers were enough to preserve his mind until his brain could be reanimated in a new metal body. So now he's a villain. And now he's completely insane.
But he's a victim, let's not forget. He didn't choose to be this way. It's not his fault. Not entirely.
Ghost Widow was just an ordinary girl, once. Yes, she died as an Arachnos Widow, but there's nothing evil in joining Recluse's army. How many opportunities do you think there are, when you're a Rogue Islander from the slums? From all accounts she died alongside a man who was family to her - and she protects him still. Today she's an undead spectre, bound to serve Arachnos. She deserves pity, not hatred. Actually I envy her slightly, but mostly because of her hair. But eternal servitude seems a rather high price to pay for perfect gothic fashion.
Do you think Dr. Hamidon Pasalima wanted to become a shapeless world-devouring monster? He was an ecological extremist, yes. He created the bacteria that destroyed his body. But that's not what he intended it for. Once he was just a reckless young man. And so was Imad Malak. Just a man. Just an idealist and dreamer. All he wanted was to take up the mantle of his homeland's greatest hero, to be the successor to a legacy. He never asked to be cursed. Because of his curse, everything he does turns to darkness. Now he's Scirocco. But he wanted to be loved, not feared.
I can go on, and on, and on. I think you get the idea, yes?
The word 'villain' gets used too lightly. So many people don't deserve that name. Even the Rikti aren't villains. Yes, they've killed millions of us, they've burnt our homes, our cities. But they're not villains. They were manipulated into attacking us. They were deceived. The Rikti aren't villains. They're heroes. Heroes to their people. Back on the Rikti homeworld, I'm sure little Rikti boys, girls and monkeys have plush dropship toys, while drunk Rikti urinate on pictures of Statesman.
So where does that leave us? What is a villain, then? Who would be a villain truly deserving of the title?
I think it comes down to choice.
Choice and free will.
If you don't have the intelligence, sanity, or even information to make a choice, then you're not really a villain. If it's just circumstance that leads you to fall, if it's just tragedy, if your intentions are pure...you're not a villain. Not really. You're just misunderstood. But if you understand fully what it is you're doing, if you grasp the consequences and ramifications of your actions...and you do it anyway...
That's different. That's entirely different.
A true villain is not a victim. A true villain is someone who consciously acts against society. A true villain is someone who seizes her own destiny, not someone who has it trust upon her. A true villain understands morality, virtue, and all the principles that guide society. A true villain knows what laws she is breaking. And she chooses to break them all the same, because she has decided that she will not be bound by ordinary conventions. She has chosen to step outside. She has chosen to stand apart.
So the first question is this: what will you do to achieve your goals?
The truth of the matter is...most people stop short. Because most people, almost everyone, really...are held back. There's an awful number of so-called superheroes who aren't particularly righteous, or even particularly nice. They're just 'heroes' because that's the socially acceptable way to use power. And most people are weak. Not strong. Even the most physically powerful individual can be weak where it really counts: in terms of exercising her freedom and making a choice.
The chains that bind us are insidious, really. There are many who have taken the first step beyond the constraints of society...but remain tied by conventions that they barely even realise, hardly ever think about. The average person has a pretty clear conception of good and evil. Now, of course that varies between individuals. Some people are noble, others are more debased. But intrinsic morality is pretty common. We internalise social conventions without really thinking about them.
We have discussed the first question. Now for the second:
How far will you go?
It's not enough to simply do extraordinary things. Your motives also matter.
I know this. Because I was born Rika Hanagawa. If you move in the same rarified circles as I do, then I'm sure you recognise the name. The Hanagawa ninja clan has something of a reputation, after all. Quite a well deserved one, at that.
Not all the stories are true, of course. If they were, we'd have more venereal diseases than all of sub-Saharan Africa combined.
But they're true enough. Even as a little girl, I was trained to lie, to cheat, to steal and spy. I was trained to seduce men. And even women. Because honestly, if you're in the business of espionage and power games, prejudice is simply impractical. So is rigid sexuality.
Now, you might imagine that a group like the Hanagawa would be an example of people unconstrained by conventional morality. Because a Hanagawa will seduce absolutely anything if it serves the cause, yes, yes, we all know that. And in a sense you would be right. But you would also be wrong.
Yes, the Hanagawa move through the shadows of society. Yes, the Hanagawa will do anything for power and influence, tugging on the strings of civilisation like unholy puppeteers. Yet...why do you think the Hanagawa do this? There must be a reason. Why gather power and influence? To rule the world? To usher in a new order?
Sadly, I doubt a Hanagawa world order would go down very well. The Catholic Church might have a number of objections.
No. World domination is not the point. Power is not the point. For the Hanagawa, it's just a means to an end. And that end is quite simple, really.
Preservation and protection of the family. That's all.
Everything the Hanagawa clan does...is to keep the family safe. Simple as that. To keep it safe, and to keep it prosperous. That's all. That's perfectly understandable. It's perfectly normal. It's something everyone wants. And that's why it's inherently limiting.
Even a powerful ninja clan like the Hanagawa isn't immune to the conventions of human society. Yes, yes, they break things like laws, ethics, so on, but at the very core, they still conform to a deeper level of social conditioning, They've made a choice, yes, but they still aren't free. Because the Hanagawa are trying to protect the family above all, they live in the shadows. They operate through subtle means, they move unseen. In the end, they are afraid.
They don't think of themselves as villains, much less supervillains. Politicians, courtesans, lawyers, businessmen, those are the guises that the Hanagawa wear. To put on a tight costume with a symbol on the front, flying across rooftops in broad daylight...no, no. That's unthinkable.
So that's exactly what I do.
I wear a costume. I have superpowers, and I use them freely. The world doesn't know me as Riko Hanagawa, but by a much simpler name, a colourful nom de guerre that describes my abilities for all and sundry.
I am a supervillain.
The mask is useful, you see. With it comes contacts, a social network of spiders and their webs...or even the friendship of a golden king in a shining city. With this, I shall never want for work. The kind of work I prefer, for it helps achieve my goals more than perfume and lipstick ever would.
But it also creates a certain image. My family, bless their hearts...they think I'm a fool, a silly, silly girl. They love me, of course. They just don't think much of me. And that's fine.
The heroes of the world have much the same opinion, if for entirely different reasons. They see a cheerful, flamboyant young woman with a fanciful tongue-in-cheek name, one who clearly enjoys herself...and yet doesn't often hurt people. They think I'm just a thrillseeker, or perhaps just a greedy thief...but they don't think I'm that bad. Just wayward, misguided.
When they find out about my family, when they find out it was this...or a life spent between shadows and sheets...they even pity me.
But remember what I said: I am no victim.
I've made my choice. And all this serves my purposes. For now I play the game. I don't care what they think. I am patient. I can wait.
My name is Battery Acid.
I am a villain.
NEXT: HERO
-- Acyl