THE GOOD GUYS ARE BECOMING THE BAD GUYS!

Ever since Smallville it seems like comic book TV shows are starting the comic book villains off as the heroe's allies, friends, etc. Lex Luthor was the first and his dark side grew as the years went on. He was pretty much the hero in season one with little snippets of his dark side until finally his was the villain of seasons six and seven. This was done beautifully by Michael Rosenbaum. I'm very bitter that he was never nominated for an Emmy for his performance because he was definitely the best part of the series.

Nowadays, the recent comic book shows are trying to emulate that idea. The idea is to see the villain rise as the hero rises. They are both on similar paths and they have the opportunity to make the right choices but only one of them does. It's always heartbreaking but inevitable. Like I said, it was done so well on Smallville but that was a very different show. The slow burn of Lex's downfall was built into the structure of the show. It was all about families and how they shape us. Each new show like Arrow, Flash, Gotham, and now Supergirl has at least one character that starts off as an ally to the hero before becoming a nemesis. Granted on the Flash and Supergirl we can only speculate based on the characters from the comic books, but I'm guessing that certain characters were chosen for a reason to serve some ultimate purpose on the show rather than just be a sidekick or supporting character. Let's go down the list and see what we've got . . .

CAITLIN SNOW is KILLER FROST (THE FLASH)

We are probably a good season or two away from this happening but it's definitely exciting to think about. Caitlin on the show is very different from her comic book counterpart. Sometimes Killer Frost is a member of the Suicide Squad (who of course have a presence on Arrow). Is it a possibility that Caitlin will eventually become a metahuman but not a villain? Yes of course. But is it as interesting. No, not really. Caitlin could easily go down the path of the villain. She's always been kind of a bitch, despite being loyal to her friends. Also her fiancee came back from the dead only to leave her high and dry. Granted he had a good reason but still . . . Not cool bro. Also her boss is the Reverse Flash and will end up betraying all of them. Then there is the shippers of "SnowBarry." I'm all for it! Barry and Caitlin should totally get together. However, when they don't (or do and then break up) I think that that will Caitlin will say "enough is enough" and then turn into Killer Frost. It would be really tragic because I really like her and I very much want Barry and her to get together. But then again . . . hot and cold don't mix so good . . . 

WINSLOW SCHOTT is THE TOYMAN (SUPERGIRL)

As of this writing the Supergirl pilot is being filmed so we can only speculate what role Schott will play in the series. The popular rumor (and most likely true) is that Winslow or "Winn" as he'll be called (these kids have awesome fuckin names nowadays) will be Kara's friend and design her uniform. These heroes always gotta have somebody build them a suit! It makes sense to incorporate a character from the comics that has expertise in building things, albeit robot, evil toys. I'm looking forward to seeing another "Lex-ish" character show up and try to be a friend to a Kryptonian only to feel betrayed and then exact revenge! HAHA! REVENGE! . . . Ahem . . . Sorry. Anyway, I really like the Toyman character. He's got a silly gimmick for sure but he's a great villain. He's actually more of a Batman villain but he lives in Metropolis so . . . Them's the breaks. There's a great Action Comics issue by Geoff Johns (my man) where he tells his story to Jimmy. He says that he always wanted to be a Batman villain but he kept getting caught by Superman. It was really interesting and I'm super (pun intended) excited to see where his character ends up on Supergirl.

EDWARD NYGMA is THE RIDDLER (GOTHAM)

Well, you could mention a bunch of characters on Gotham as on their way to villainy. Nygma's a strange character in the sense that he would almost fit better on The Big Bang Theory. He's a man that's too smart for his own good and too awkward to function in normal society. I've mentioned before how I think he could be a good candidate as the primary villain in season two but I'd like to see a little more of a slow burn with Nygma. So far, we've seen little off hand remarks from the other cops, little glances where Nygma feels cheated, and even a scene or two where he's done some sick things (framing the medical examiner for one). I think it would be great to see Nygma and Gordon become closer friends and maybe even partners on the GCPD. Eventually, something will happen to split them apart. This will bring back all of Nygma's insecurities and form him into the Riddler - just in time for the arrival of Batman. Oh yeah . . . I got this!

HARVEY DENT is TWO-FACE (GOTHAM)

Another from my previous Gotham post, but it's worth noting again the significance of a character that becomes TWO-face being a main character in season TWO of Gotham. I don't think that's a coincidence and if it is then the producers are missing a hell of an opportunity. As I said in my previous post, I don't think that he should become Two-Face (that should be saved for after Batman's arrival) but he at least needs to show off his dark side a little more. I love the idea that Harvey is this charismatic, positive force for justice in Gotham City but there is a lingering darkness inside him that is begging to come out. I'd like to see more of Harvey as an enthusiastic Assistant D.A. that is fighting a losing battle with corruption. We'll see it takes its toll on both Gordon and Dent but the difference is that Gordon never gives up and Harvey will be close to a breaking point. I think that would be a great way to keep him on the show. Gotham will either make you or break you. So far, it's shaping Gordon and Bruce into heroes but what about everyone else . . . ? 

SLADE WILSON is DEATHSTROKE (ARROW)

This is probably the best example of "Lex Luthor-ism" in the comic book TV shows so far. In the very first episode of the show, we knew there was going to be some sort of showdown between Oliver and Deathstroke given the mask on the beach.

Sweet!

What the viewers didn't realize is how quickly the Slade Wilson/Deathstroke story would come on the show. As I said, Smallville built Lex Luthor up as Superman's greatest nemesis over the course of seven years. Arrow wasted little time in getting to know Slade and then turning him into the Arrow's enemy. In the first season, he became Oliver's friend, ally, and brother on the Island. In season two, Slade is back with his trademark eyepatch and black and orange mask. Despite it not being as long of a "rise to villainy" on Arrow for Slade as it was for Lex on Smallville, it was still believable for the audience given the timeframe on the show (the flashbacks) as well as the chemistry between the actors. And we know for sure that Slade is gone but not forgotten. I imagine it won't be long before he returns to Starling City to see his old friend . . . 

And of course, the granddaddy of them all: 

LEX LUTHOR is . . . uh . . . LEX LUTHOR (SMALLVILLE)

As I said earlier, Lex was my favorite character on Smallville. His path to the dark side was compelling and mesmerizing. The character was written well of course, but it was Michael Rosenbaum's performance that gave it the gravitas needed for the role. If you look through my blog you'll find some of my favorite episodes of the show and a couple of them feature Lex in prominent roles. I remember growing up, watching the show, and wishing that Lex would fight his darkness. Upon rewatching, it's fascinating to see how Lionel raised Lex to be ruthless and Lex became a villain and Jonathan raised Clark and he became Superman. I think Rosenbaum definitely set the bar very high for the other actors on this list and their eventual rise to villainy. 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie!