Villains & Crime

The metahuman population is still ultimately a fraction of the regular population of Halcyon City. But just as there are more heroes than ever before, there have never been more villains and super criminals than there are today. They go hand in hand with the heroes, falling into the same generations and styles as their counterparts.

Through the Generations
Gold Generation villains were a bit cheesy and generally kinda tame;

Silver Generation villains were over the top and cosmically powered;

Bronze Generation villains were intense and frightening;

Modern Generation villains are still finding their own places in the world.

Cause & Motivation for Villainy
Although many metahumans can make more money legitimately than they can through crime, that’s not true for all of them. And many aren’t just interested in the money in and of itself—they want the thrill of crime, or they can’t stand the mundanity of regular work. A young super-powered woman from a poor neighborhood might be able to make herself a celebrity...but it’s just as likely that monolithic and dangerous corporations will kidnap her for further study, or lock her into controlling contracts. She might be better able to earn money if she simply steals it. Many supercriminals are mercenaries, taking up dangerous work in exchange for tremendous pay, with no concern for the morality of their jobs.

These criminals abound throughout the city, although they’re not considered the greatest threats from the metahuman side of life. “Supervillain” or “villain” are terms used with a bit of chagrin—as they feel outdated and useless—and used all the time, as no one’s come up with a more catchy term for the superpowered entities that threaten Halcyon City. These aren’t the people out to make money or rob banks; these are the people out to end the city or take control over time itself.

The term is applied unilaterally to extend from dangerous super scientists to time-traveling demigods, all of which Halcyon City has seen over the course the past century. The heroes of Halcyon City have defended it well, and it has weathered many a crisis from these threats. So the city begrudgingly accepts the endless cycle of new heroes arising to combat new villains, and new villains arising as a result of the actions of the heroes. Though the city’s media or politicians may criticize any individual hero, the populace largely accepts this cycle as “just the way things are,” for better or worse. It’s the new normal.