I feel like a lot of your explanation would just be "why" they fit into category 2.
I mean, most people are the hero of their own story and fiction writers take note of that when creating multi-dimensional characters. We could probably find a reason to put 95% of all villains with a backstory into Category 1 under these parameters.
Penguin is just a businessman in his own mind. So is Deathstroke.
Catwoman and Mr. Freeze aren't altogether different. Catwoman steals for herself. Freeze steals and kills to cure his wife, which is also selfish from the perspective of his victims.
How would Two-Face fall into category 2, but Joker would be in a 3rd category? Isn't Harvey's affliction legitimate mental illness? What about Riddler? There was a recent storyline in the comics where Riddler woke up from a coma cured of his insanity and began operating as a good guy.
Bane has fought alongside Batman in the past to take down Venom drug dealers and destroy Ra's Al-Ghul's lazarus pits.
How would we classify the Punisher under these parameters, who we like to think of as an anti-hero?
In one origin story, Black Manta is kidnapped, forced into servitude on a boat, and sexually abused. He hated the ocean because of this experience and, seeing Aquaman as its representative, lashed out at him. Is he category 2? Is he category 1? Is he a third category?
I think it's also best if we not compare bad guys with different power sets. For example, it's easy to find Doctor Doom more threatening than Two-Face because Doctor Doom is about a thousand times more dangerous. I think if we're going to separate this into the aforementioned two categories, Hal's examples feel right.
Lex Luthor feels he does what he does for the greater good. He believes in mankind. He believes if mankind is to prosper it will be done based on their own merits and their own ability to advance and evolve. Superman didn't have to earn his power, didn't have to struggle for it, and for those reasons can't be trusted with it. Furthermore, as an example to live up to, Superman is unrealistic for humans. But Lex Luthor's own accomplishments do serve as an example to which we all can aspire. Lex Luthor's fight, his rivalry, with Superman is for the good of all humanity. It's a war that a man must win.
Joker, on the other hand, sees society as a farce. Its rules, its laws, are just the machinations of people trying desperately to control the chaos instead of embracing it. He delights in breaking said rules and in showing others how chaotic the world can really be. He does evil for evil's sake because it amuses him.
One guy does bad things for the good of all mankind. One guy does bad things because he finds it hysterical.
Villains who I feel falls into Category 1:
Doctor Doom.
Poison Ivy
Magneto
Ra's Al-Ghul
V from V for Vendetta. (although he seems to be more of an anti-hero or even anti-villian)
Sinestro.
Maxwell Lord
Equinox (From one of the batman cartoon series. He wanted the universe to be a better place... by destroying and resetting the entire universe.)
Mr. Freeze
Darkseid (this one is kind of arguable, but he got his reasons for wanting to rule the entire universe).
Brainiac
Category two:
Black Adam
Deathstroke
Two-face
Professor Zoom
Catwoman
Riddler
Captain Cold
Bane
Black Manta
Penguin
Doctor Doom.
Poison Ivy
Magneto
Ra's Al-Ghul
V from V for Vendetta. (although he seems to be more of an anti-hero or even anti-villian)
Sinestro.
Maxwell Lord
Equinox (From one of the batman cartoon series. He wanted the universe to be a better place... by destroying and resetting the entire universe.)
Mr. Freeze
Darkseid (this one is kind of arguable, but he got his reasons for wanting to rule the entire universe).
Brainiac
Category two:
Black Adam
Deathstroke
Two-face
Professor Zoom
Catwoman
Riddler
Captain Cold
Bane
Black Manta
Penguin
Penguin is just a businessman in his own mind. So is Deathstroke.
Catwoman and Mr. Freeze aren't altogether different. Catwoman steals for herself. Freeze steals and kills to cure his wife, which is also selfish from the perspective of his victims.
How would Two-Face fall into category 2, but Joker would be in a 3rd category? Isn't Harvey's affliction legitimate mental illness? What about Riddler? There was a recent storyline in the comics where Riddler woke up from a coma cured of his insanity and began operating as a good guy.
Bane has fought alongside Batman in the past to take down Venom drug dealers and destroy Ra's Al-Ghul's lazarus pits.
How would we classify the Punisher under these parameters, who we like to think of as an anti-hero?
In one origin story, Black Manta is kidnapped, forced into servitude on a boat, and sexually abused. He hated the ocean because of this experience and, seeing Aquaman as its representative, lashed out at him. Is he category 2? Is he category 1? Is he a third category?
I think it's also best if we not compare bad guys with different power sets. For example, it's easy to find Doctor Doom more threatening than Two-Face because Doctor Doom is about a thousand times more dangerous. I think if we're going to separate this into the aforementioned two categories, Hal's examples feel right.
Lex Luthor feels he does what he does for the greater good. He believes in mankind. He believes if mankind is to prosper it will be done based on their own merits and their own ability to advance and evolve. Superman didn't have to earn his power, didn't have to struggle for it, and for those reasons can't be trusted with it. Furthermore, as an example to live up to, Superman is unrealistic for humans. But Lex Luthor's own accomplishments do serve as an example to which we all can aspire. Lex Luthor's fight, his rivalry, with Superman is for the good of all humanity. It's a war that a man must win.
Joker, on the other hand, sees society as a farce. Its rules, its laws, are just the machinations of people trying desperately to control the chaos instead of embracing it. He delights in breaking said rules and in showing others how chaotic the world can really be. He does evil for evil's sake because it amuses him.
One guy does bad things for the good of all mankind. One guy does bad things because he finds it hysterical.
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