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The Secret Origin of the Super-Villain?
May. 1st, 2006 03:14 pmSo I just read Public Enemies by Bryan Burrough, which tells the story of how bank robbers such as John Dillinger and the Barker Gang captivated America in the 30s and how the FBI was given the mandate to catch them. Fascinating stuff, in terms of the history, of the politics, and the people.
Along the way, Burrough talks about how the media - mainly newspapers - and the crooks themselves worked to create a certain image. Essentially, and erroneously, there was a sense that these bank robbers, with their flamboyant exploits, colorful personae, and ability to elude the law, were some kind of super-villains.
Thus I realized for the first time just why comic book hereos fight the kind of bad guys they do. Bad guys who, for the most part, seemed obsessed first and foremost with robbing banks and jewelry stores and the like. The super-villains were John Dillinger reinvented in silly clothes, hungry for publicity, larger than life, and waling off with the money. It was only as America forgot the summer of 1934, when Feds and robbers squared off in the public eye, that the villains in the comics would evolve (sometimes) into Cold War despots like Dr. Doom, and then into today's murderous serial killers and worse. Now it makes sense why the bad guys in so many comics seem so limited in their schemes.
Because when the super-hero was invented, it only made sense for the good guys to go after the bad guys everyone knew. So if you wonder just why Doc Ock or Captain Cold are still robbing banks instead of joining more modern heroes in grander, darker and more contemporary schemes, just blame Dillinger.
Along the way, Burrough talks about how the media - mainly newspapers - and the crooks themselves worked to create a certain image. Essentially, and erroneously, there was a sense that these bank robbers, with their flamboyant exploits, colorful personae, and ability to elude the law, were some kind of super-villains.
Thus I realized for the first time just why comic book hereos fight the kind of bad guys they do. Bad guys who, for the most part, seemed obsessed first and foremost with robbing banks and jewelry stores and the like. The super-villains were John Dillinger reinvented in silly clothes, hungry for publicity, larger than life, and waling off with the money. It was only as America forgot the summer of 1934, when Feds and robbers squared off in the public eye, that the villains in the comics would evolve (sometimes) into Cold War despots like Dr. Doom, and then into today's murderous serial killers and worse. Now it makes sense why the bad guys in so many comics seem so limited in their schemes.
Because when the super-hero was invented, it only made sense for the good guys to go after the bad guys everyone knew. So if you wonder just why Doc Ock or Captain Cold are still robbing banks instead of joining more modern heroes in grander, darker and more contemporary schemes, just blame Dillinger.
