Fannish Five: World Takeover

[selenak]

What five characters would you want working for you if you were a supervillain plotting to take over the world?


Firstly, candidates like my darling Arvin Sloane are out. Arvin would have his own agenda going and would stab me in the back the moment I feel most secure; he can't help it, that's the way he is. Similarly, I have to regretfully exclude brilliant women like Laura Roslin (Laura would also stab me in the back, if she'd help me at all, because she'd know she's better at ruling the world than I am - she'd do the backstabbing for a higher cause, of course!) and Winn Adami (see also: Laura). And those fallen types like Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader or Faith, because if their moment of redemption comes in the middle of my world takeover, this would get me killed. Or worse: I might die for love of them!

So, my team would be:

1) Mystique (X-men movieverse version): Best Faithful Lieutenant ever. Smart, competent, fiercely loyal (I'd appreciate it if Magneto doesn't), and doesn't want to rule herself.

2) Six (new Battlestar Galactica): granted, this would depend on her being out of contact with the rest of the Cylons, as my world takeover might otherwise end up with me as a puppet ruler, but in a scenario where this is not the case, Six has the same advantages Mystique has. Also, I'd be happy to debate theology with her.

3) Mr. Morden (Babylon 5): together with Six, he'd be the public face of my world takeover, infiltrating and getting us allies. He'd be utterly ruthless about keeping them, too, and I would not have to worry about last minute scruples or second thoughts, either; he'd be utterly committed to my cause, even if he temporarily loses his looks in same.

4) Scorpius (Farscape): granted, this is somewhat risky, but if I sell him the idea that I'm Sebacean and me taking over the world is the only way to save it from the Scarrans, I think he'd refrain from ensuring I don't stab him in the back by giving me a neural implant. Also, chances are that once our world takeover is completed, he'll take off to look for John Crichton anyway. And let's face it, the man is brilliant and another of those rare villains who demonstrably does not want to rule the world himself.

5) Marshall Flinkman (Alias): because someone has to be the lovable comic relief to keep up the team spirit (supervillains need relaxation, too!), and he's a tech wizard. Now you might object that Marshall is one of the good guys, but I point to his decade-long employment by SD-6 and Arvin Sloane as proof that he can be conned to work for me if I sell myself as one of the good guys as well.

****

In other news, you can take a writer once employed by Joss Whedon out of the Jossverse, but you can't take the Jossian influence out of the writer. The other day I watched the first season Lost episode "Walkabout", written by David Fury (who got nominated for an Emmy for it), and quoth he early on in the audio commentary: "So here we have Jack with his tiny flashlight and Sawyer with his BIG flashlight, and the metaphor isn't even subtle."

Comments

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

and quoth he early on in the audio commentary: "So here we have Jack with his tiny flashlight and Sawyer with his BIG flashlight, and the metaphor isn't even subtle."

LOL!

David Fury. I never liked his Spike, but he had his moments.

And your list rocks. I totally agree with all the characters I do know -- Mystique! She really is the absolute perfect first lieutenant; I've adored her in the first two movies (and God, that reminds me, need to see the third one!!)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

David Fury isn't my favourite of the ME scribes, but I do like quite a lot of his episodes on both shows very much, such as Real Me on BTVS, and Salvage on AtS. Re: Spike, he actually contributes a lot to keeping the character ambiguous, but that's a personal opinion, of course.

No, you don't have to see the third X-men movie. Alas. It has its moments, and is shiny to look at, but the characterisation is a disaster, and you can tell the script had far too many doctors and a different director.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Salvage is utterly brilliant, and yes, The Real Me was one good hour of television. And well, ambiguity can be done in different ways; I prefer fic-writers' approach, overall. But yes, personal opinions.

And oh, that's just sad. The first two movies were thoroughly enjoyable; too bad the third one really seems to fall short.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

1: Number 2 (Austin Powers) - Loyal and right and it's a real pain that Dr. Evil didn't listen to him - maybe Starbucks coffee would be better. As Evil Overlord I would want lieutenants capable of coming up with a sound business plan. I'd take Scott Evil too if I could get him, someone has to remind me to kill people rather than taunting them. But dad gets thrown to the sharks - no fracking lasers, they're redundant given sufficiently vicious sharks.

2: Charlie Croker (the original Italian Job movie) - an excellent planner and very good at calculating exactly how much violence is needed for my less legal activities.

3: Leon (from Leon) - sometimes you need people dead. Leon will get it done. But maybe a second or third tier lieutenant, not a right-hand man.

4: Captain Black (Captain Scarlet) - everyone needs an immortal saboteur and assassin on the team. Just cut a deal with the_mysterons - all they really want is apologies and the heads of most of Earth's politicians etc., and you'll be happy to provide that - you'd be eliminating them anyway.

5: Darth Vader - if I can convince him that destiny and the Force are on my side he'd be a useful sidekick. Of course I'd put some plastique and a remote control detonator in his life support suit...

Hope this helps.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Sorry, just noticed on rereading that you don't want Vader. OK.. Egon Spengler is my alternative choice, just the man to run my weird science department.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

It's not that I don't love the character, but well, see my reason above for excluding him and Faith. Anyway, your team sounds formidable, though I must confess I am unfamiliar with Egon Spengler!

[bimo.livejournal.com]

I must confess I am unfamiliar with Egon Spengler!

The slightly nerdy scientist from Ghostbusters *g*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Ah, of course!

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

if I sell him the idea that I'm Sebacean

But won't he spot your heat signature's wrong? Or can you set it up so you dispense your orders only through comms?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

That, and if necessary Mystique can pose as me. Presumably, her shapeshifting abilities will enable her to fake a Sebacean signature as well.

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Mystique appreciates your support! *g* And she can balance the books, always a hard-to-find quality in a supervillain! Most of them go so badly overbudget....

[selenak.livejournal.com]

It's an ongoing vice and also, btw, one big reason why I wouldn't want Pyro on my team. That boy just never considers the costs to his burning everything up - I mean, after I've taken over the world, I'd have to pay for the rebuilding!

[meganinhiding.livejournal.com]

I would throw in Garak with the promise of him returning home plus one or two dead enemies; Lilah also looks promising. I loved it that you threw in Morden who was a rare example of a lackey or servant who combines both intelligence and loyalty. One more thing about Marshall is that he felt bad about Sloan getting executed even though he knew Sloan's true colors by then.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

If I had not been limited in the number of people I could draft, I would have added them, though in Garak's case it would have been risky - I would have to be careful a situation never arises where he thinks selling me out is good for Cardassia.*g*

Marshall: true!