Supervillains and Philosophy features an international cabal of philosophers and comics industry professionals conspiring to reveal the dark details {u2014} and deeper meanings {u2014} lurking behind today{u2019}s most popular comic book monsters. Whether it{u2019}s their moral justification for world domination or the wavering boundaries they share with the modern anti-hero, everyone's favorite villains generate as much attention as their heroic counterparts. The 20 essays in this accessible book explore the nature of supervillainy, examine the boundaries of good and evil, offer helpful advice to prospective supervillains, and untangle diabolical puzzles of identity and consciousness. All the legends are here, from Dr. Doom and the Spectre to the Joker and the Watchmen, reconsidered through the lens of classic and modern philosophy.
The wandering unwanted / Ben Dyer -- Why good help is hard to find / Ron Novy -- Making the A-list / Galen Foresman -- The siren song of mad science / Kirby Arinder and Joseph Milton -- V for villain / Robert Arp -- What Magneto cannot choose / Jared Poon -- Bright colors, dark times / Christopher Robichaud -- Mojo's tribe has spoken / J.J. Sylvia IV and Sean Walters -- Why Doctor Doom is better than the authority / Andrew Terjesen -- Marvel's recent unpleasantness / Libby Barringer -- Who trusts the Watchmen? / Rafaela Hillerbrand and Anders Sandburg -- New wars, new boundaries / John Ostrander -- The Joker"s comedy of existence / Daniel Moseley -- Mutation and moral community / Noah Levin -- Two fates for Two-Face / Dennis O'Neil -- What limits an all-powerful being? / Craig Lindahl-Urben and Charles Taliaferro -- What's venom's poison? / John Matthewson and David Wall -- Drawing a line in the Sandman / Tim Pickavance -- Brainiac's brain, Brainiac's body / Paul Loader.