Agreeing with supervillains, in a meta-narrative kind of way

(Archived from a Tumblr post at http://shinelikethunder.tumblr.com/post/98935764901/stoatsandwich-when-you-start-agreeing-with-the

[Scan of Steve Rogers gazing out on the NYC skyline, with superimposed villain-monologuing in the captions]
[panel 1]
Red Skull: I could put a bullet between your eyes anytime I want, and you'd never see it coming.
[panel 2]
Red Skull: But that would be too easy. I need to make you suffer.
Red Skull: Because you do it so well, Rogers... suffering, I mean.

stoatsandwich:

When you start agreeing with the supervillains, maybe it’s time to reconsider your life choices.

I have this theory that supervillains who lovingly plot the best, most fitting, most personally painful ways to make the hero suffer are basically just avatars for the writing process itself.

And that goes double for self-sabotaging villains who pass up a zillion chances to just drop a nuke on the stupid bastard, and instead craft elaborate traps that test him and ensure that his suffering is beautiful and make him look awesome when he inevitably thwarts them.

#my problem with cap vol. 5 (besides the sharon carter mess) #is that brubaker writes amazing steve!suffering but his bucky!suffering leaves me cold #and haha guess which one he fell in love with #also #WOW does this trope pick up a d/s-y vibe when pushed far enough #the Master needs to just fucking admit that he enjoys a good hard thwarting #as much or more than he enjoys tying the Doctor up and leering at him