Supervillain team goals

[Tech]

I've had something of a creative streak in creating villains, and making new supervillain teams. However, I'm avoiding the team goals of 'world domination' and 'become as rich as possible'. Don't have the 'mutants everywhere phobia' so that's not even an issue. Unfortunately, I'm running into a mental block for the supervillain team goals. What are some of your supervillain team goals that you have?

[Grailknight]

Hmmm,  you've ruled out three of the most common tropes here but these two still come to mind.

 

Revenge - Somebody, be they government, corporate or individual has got to pay!

 

Revolution - Things have got to change! It could be destroying the world, culling the population/technology to save the environment or converting  everyone into programs in a VR environment but society will be different or else!

[PamelaIsley]

Some villain groups come together to share and grow their knowledge about something specific (the Devil's Advocates come to mind in the CU).

[BoloOfEarth]

Well, there's always "Clearing My Name."  An innocent is framed for something, and now everybody believes he/she is a villain.

 

There's also "The Ends Justify the Means."  The villain feels permitted to use his/her powers in illegal ways, because he/she has a Greater Purpose, working to make the world a better place.  And you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, right?

 

Also "My Powers Made Me This Way."  Think Marvel's The Lizard / Curt Connors - when transformed, he feels he is a monster and lashes out against the world.

 

 

[Tech]

23 minutes ago, Grailknight said:

Hmmm,  you've ruled out three of the most common tropes here but these two still come to mind.

 

Revenge - Somebody, be they government, corporate or individual has got to pay!

 

Revolution - Things have got to change! It could be destroying the world, culling the population/technology to save the environment or converting  everyone into programs in a VR environment but society will be different or else!

 

I avoided the 'world domination' and 'greedy' because I've got plenty of those villains.. We don't have mutant phobia in the campaign so that's auto out.

[BoloOfEarth]

One I forgot -- "I Can Do What I Want."  The villains' powers allow them to ignore pesky things like laws in pursuit of a good time.

 

As to homegrown villain teams in my world...

 

A-Team -- Greed. Supervillains for hire.

Animal Rights -- The Ends Justify the Means to make everybody vegan

Aquans -- Revenge against the company who made them freaks

Boston Commons - Greed

Corporate Raiders -- The Ends Justify the Means to stop corporations who think they're above the law.

Heavy Metals - Revolution to create a technocracy / meritocracy.

New Gods - Revolution

Real Men -- I Can Do What I Want

Secession Squad -- Revolution -- the South Shall Rise Again!

Windy City Sportsmen -- I Can Do What i Want

 

 

[death tribble]

When Foxbat put the ball in the net with a scrambled kick at the Nou Camp.....

When Dr Destroyer thundered in a shot from 40 yards out at Wembley....

When Firewing scored from the penalty spot at the San Siro.....

and when the Monster put a bicycle kick at the Stade de France in the back of the net

[steriaca]

Both La Squadra and Passione are similar groups from the current season of Jojo. La Squadra is a bunch of assassins who have a grudge over there boss over pay. Passione, on the other hand, wants to topple the boss to stop him from flooding the country with drugs. Unforcently for all, they are pitted against each other via Triss (La Squadra wants her as a bargaining chip and Passione is assigned to protect her).

 

By the way, Dio Brando falls under I Do What I Want. So does Kars of the Pillar Men, and Kira.

[Gnome BODY (important!)]

Seeking love.  "I'll take her away from him, then she'll come to love me!" or "He said he loves strong women, so I'll beat Gynamo and show I'm the strongest woman!"

Being in love.  "She said she wants diamond wedding rings, and the jeweler won't miss just two." or "He'd be crushed if Stanford didn't accept him.  One mind-control won't hurt anyone, right?"

Political motives.  "They can't outlaw swords, my entire family of sword-trainers will go bankrupt!  I have to make them stop!" or "In national news, Mister Everywhere has continued his sit-in of the entire state of Delaware, which he says will continue until Governor Naemhear resigns or is ousted."

Religious ideology.  "The holy book clearly says that lending money with interest is a sin.  I have to save Wall Street's souls!" or "Those new-new-reformed-new-Christians that set up a church are ungodly blasphemers and need to leave."

The thrill.  "There's no sport in fighting normals, and these do-gooders won't throw a punch without me giving them a reason." or "Getting away with it is the best feeling in the world!"

An old mistake.  "I didn't know I had super-yelling, I didn't mean to hurt that cop!  But now they're shooting at me!" or "I was young and stupid, and they saw my face.  I'm still wanted in half the world, but a superman's gotta eat." 

 

Also remember that motivations can easily be changed.  A motivation only needs to hold long enough for something simpler like 'revenge' or for the villain team to finish their relevance and fade into the background. 

[Sean Waters]

Science!  Why should I be prevented from experimenting on living brains?  Some will suffer, but many will benefit!

 

Madness!  They're coming through the walls!  Can't you see them?

 

Existential Dread!  When the population reaches 10 billion, it will be impossible to stop Climate Change/The Return of The Demon Azararoth/The Intergalactic Invasion!

 

Single Issue Politics!  Whatever hysterical headline the paper is carrying today!

 

Collection!  I simply must have another flyer for my Superhero Zoo!

 

Property Rights!  I know there is an alien spaceship buried under Manhattan but can't get drilling permission...

 

[Scott Ruggels]

The  Challenge :

Villain A and Villain B are masterminds. They both have subtle and manipulative powers. They have a friendly rivalry. They are currently in a game of escalating one upmanship with each other where they try to manipulate  first normals, then supers into bizarre acts or displays adding more and more people to the deception. Yes to them it is a game, but also a psychic dick measuring contest. If the plot is exposed they may join forces and “Play for real”. 

[Ninja-Bear]

What about Robin Hood motivation? Or instead of an individual trying to get home, why not a group?

[mattingly]

Personal Power/Leveling Up. I can amass more power by getting this last spell book. Oh, and that amulet thing.

 

[Duke Bushido]

Power.   Extortion: gaining leverage against someone.  Might start out as favors or backing, but once that special congressman has slipped down the slope....

 

On to the next one.  Do their bidding, work behind the scenes on their behalf..

 

And when you have enough on them, then you have leverage.  Local DAs, state governors--- the long game is coming the man behind the scenes.

 

 

 

Making a fool of X , where X is someone related to said villain's background (and is usually a player character, though any prominent figure on your game world will do).

 

 

Getting the 'mobile out of hock.   (yeah....   that was an odd night)

 

Actual, honest-to-Pete destruction of something:

 

Some one.

 

Some agency.

 

Some political party.

 

Some ethnicity.

 

Earth.

 

 

 

[assault]

Mutual assistance against superheroes. Either in terms of defence or revenge. (Those heroes hunt in packs, so should we).

 

As above, but against other villains.

 

Social affinity. Supervillainy can be socially isolating. Why not hang around with other people who understand?

[Lord Liaden]

Politics can furnish villain goals -- not the mundane politics of "left-right" or Conservative-Liberal, but more radical ideologies promoting more radical actions. In Champions lore Eurostar is the classic example. They want to forcefully unite all European nations so as to promote pan-European global power and influence. They also seek to purge what they consider inherently-superior European culture of the "corruption" from outside forces, particularly the United States. To do this they commit terrorist acts against existing institutions of the status quo, and against representatives and symbols of those they oppose. ( The latest version of Eurostar is in Champions Villains Vol. 2.)

 

A variation on this motive is societal transformation. Another CU team, the Devil's Advocates, resent the dominance of technology in modern society, and wish to promote a "Dark Renaissance" of magic to supplant technology's role. Tech would be confined to pre-industrial levels. (You'll find the Devil's Advocates also in CV Vol. 2.) This approach can be extended to any ideology or group that particular villains may identify as a threat to society and in need of being fought: industrialists, the military, organized religion, the media, Canadians, etc. In a super world it's typical for villains to fear and hate all representatives of particular groups who also possess superhuman powers or resources -- mutants, aliens, mentalists, occultists, and so on.

 

Just as one example, I put together a group of official solo villains from Champions Villains Vol. 3 who I noticed had strong similarities in background, motivation and style, to create a new team. "Gaia's Wrath" are extreme eco-terrorists who believe the Earth is in a war for survival against the depredations of the human race. Gaia's Wrath intend to so cull the human population that they can never again threaten the planet's ecosystem. If you're curious you can read about them here.

[Ninja-Bear]

So LL are you saying that a group of Canadian villains commit crimes in the USA because we are arrogant would be fair goal? (Besides the fact, it would be a little harder to capture them if they cross back in Canada.)

[Lord Liaden]

Is that a rhetorical question?

[Greywind]

Waking up in the morning outside of a prison cell is usually a good goal for them to aim for.

[Tech]

I want to thank everyone for their posts. Alot to look through for consideration & I think I'm going to go with one one of them, just have to figure out which one.

[tombrown803]

then choose two

 

[Ockham's Spoon]

This is related to some of the other reasons or could overlap, but one that I think deserves a specific classification is villains who have a sense of entitlement.  This may be because they think they are better than others (because they are supers or because they are white supremacists or whatever) or because they feel they have been wronged by society and so they are going to get their fair share by force.  Villains like this don't perceive themselves as actual villains even if they break the law because they have justified their actions in their own minds.

[Greywind]

Which goes back to "everyone is a hero in their own story".

[death tribble]

An episode of Star Trek Voyager comes to mind. Well a two parter. Changing the timeline so that your ideal version exists regardless of the costs.

 

Then there is the Grandmaster from Marvel idea. In order to achieve an outcome beyond normal perception the villains are playing a game with everyone else. 

[Asperion]

Here is an extremely over used concept:  personal goal gone to extreme.  The most common use of this is a group that is trying to protect the earth to the point that they are working against the laws and aims of most societies in existence.