Supervillain

Supervillains are individuals gifted with either great skills or superhuman abilities that use them to satisfy their own amoral ambitions. In most cases, the motive of a supervillain is personal gain, whether it be for wealth, power or material goods. In other cases, a supervillain may act to satsify a sociological or psychological need. Supervillains act outside of the accepted laws of society and infrequently concern themselves with the wellbeing of others. By and large, they're just dicks.

There are several factors that separate a supervillain from your run-of-the-mill antagonist; not the least of which includes a colorful costume which projects a sense of formidability as well as allows them to maintain some measure of a secret identity. Supervillains do not regularly concern themselves with secret identities however, as most of them have criminal records and their real names are a matter of public record. Many supervillains possess fantastic powers that set them apart from the average ne'er-do-well. There a wide range of such abilities including superhuman strength, durability and reflexes, the ability to project beams of energy, flight, mental powers, mysticisim, etc.

The antithesis to a supervillain is of course a superhero. Superheroes demonstrate similar skills and ambitions, but always operate for the benefit of humanity.

Notes & Trivia

 * An often-used trademark of a supervillain is a haughty, maniacal laugh. This boisterous laughter is commonly heard after a villain has succeeded in a particular plot or has foiled an adversary. One of the more popular examples of this trope can be found in the Super Friends family of animated projects in which villains such as Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom frequently plant their fists on their hips and let loose with a peal of laughter after capturing or defeating the Super Friends.