Crossovers, more than almost any other kind of story, can get audiences excited based on little more than the idea alone. While that may be a good thing for publicity, a really good crossover can be extremely hard to write. Since you're already working with established characters that have their own stables of fans, you're already dealing with the baggage of fan expectations, and the pressure to get each of their beloved characters just right. That alone can derail an otherwise promising tale, but one must also consider the more fundamental questions: when you've assembled a nigh-unbeatable squad of heroes, what can you possibly give them that would present them with a credible threat? The simplest, or at least most obvious, answer may be "an equally powerful, united gang of villains." But that raises yet another question: who is going to lead this group of overpowered, antisocial backstabbers? Oftentimes, one villain out of the group gets promoted to Crossover Villain-In-Chief. A Crossover Villain-In-Chief is a previously established villain that, for whatever reason, becomes either the official or de facto leader of most or all of the other villains in the crossover. There may be a clear reason why they were raised to this position: they may be the most intelligent and/or best strategist, they could have the best (or only) leadership skills of the group, they may be the most skilled in combat, or they may just be so scary that none of the other villains dare challenge them. In more lighthearted or comedic works, they may just be the the least stupid or incompetent of the bunch. Sometimes, however, they may become the leader for no other reason than being the most popular villain, or even the writer's favorite of the bunch. In rare cases, this role may be filled by a Big Bad Duumvirate, ideally representing characters from more than one universe. However, the Crossover Villain-In-Chief need not be the ultimate evil entity of the overall story; they only need to be the leader of a group of other villains. It's not unheard of for the Villain-In-Chief to be controlled, manipulated, or otherwise employed by a greater malevolent force, be it knowingly and willingly or not.
All items (34)