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A constant threat, and someone who knows every little thing about them down to the trifles (as they are the most important), like their favorite color and breakfast of choice. The villain is the hero's absolute equal, in every one of their faculties from the physical to the mental. The villain is the "arch-enemy", the end all-be all danger to the hero and will do anything to get their leverage against them, whether is attacking those they love or destroy their home turf; anything they find comfort and balance in. The villain challenges our hero in ways that other enemies fail to, and may have at times been a dear friend, ally or mentor to the hero. The villain will use everything the hero finds advantageous against them, leveling the field so that the game is easier for them to have for the taking, and to also cripple the hero and make the trials harder for them to surmount. Often, the villain is the hero's destined enemy, the one they were meant to face by fate. Their contentious fight with each other is often a long journey, where both have faced each other before and both know the other like the palm of their hand, making each subsequent battle more taxing and exhaustive for both of them. Oftentimes the only way the hero is able to defeat the villain is alone and face to face, where the likelihood is raised of the hero having to die with the villain to succeed. The hero is dedicated to their duty, and see their death as worthwhile, necessary and for the good of humanity if they take the villain down with them. So is the relationship between the hero and their villain.
Okay so... What does the villain do for a living?
Good question.
I like the master thief idea from @thelivingroyale.
Other thoughts: I'd like it to be a scientist or researcher who is backed by big bucks from the pharmaceutical giants. Whatever profession, I want the villain to be truly menacing and clever and creepy.
Apart from Russians, SPECTRE and various criminal types we have had: Goldfinger a metallurgist, Zorin a businessman, Sanchez a drug dealer, Carver a newspaper magnate, Elektra an oil heiress. And what?
Isn't it all about the caper?
You know I can't keep stoom about it. Look at my username for heaven's sake! I'm writing a monograph on this novel to be published in July 2013 for the Anniversary of the publication of the novel on 15 July 1993. See The Bondologist Blog in time. I may make a believer out of you yet, Ice, if not a belieber!
I will check out your blog again; there are many interesting articles in it. I'll get around to reading more of the continuation novels later this year.
Yes, I hope to get some new content up on the blog soon - I plan 60 or so articles by 2013-2014 period. I'm quite ambitious, shall we say?! The believer bit was a joke - he even thought Anne Frank was a fan?!
I was simply stating my view of what a villain should be, but in fact they can be anything and everything I you wish to know. Often their jobs and possible credentials keep suspicions away from their villainy and allow them to commit their crimes unrestricted.
Think Moriarty and his mathematical talents that he teaches as a professor and author in the world of Holmes.
I got it that the Belieber bit was a joke. (he is such a jerk; the Anne Frank comment is illuminating).
The Bond villain is important and I am all for him having a different profession. How about an archaeologist? (An evil version of Indy??)
Well, it does matter. Because Bond will run against certain types of criminals. If I am a bank robber or a con artist, I have little chance to interest MI6, however good I am. If I am a weapon dealer selling to terrorist organizations, or a specialist in explosives paid to blow up Royal Navy ships, it is another matter entirely. It is about the caper, yes, but also about how to create motivations.
Oh I dream of a Moriarty type of villain in Bond movies! Other than Blofeld, I mean. Who shares a few things with Moriarty.
Very true, my good sir. A good point well made. You've hit the nail firmly on the head, there.
And if only Bond hadn't faked his death so much already, we could have a Bond film end in a face to face fight where both Bond and the Moriarty-type villain appear to die.
And, back on topic, this thing about Moriarty me thing that an academic villain could work beautifully.
Sounds like something from an Indiana Jones movie. I would rather think of a chemist, a biochemist, or even a mathematician.
The challenge here is to make the new villain great, but different from Silva. Matching, even topping it, yet not repeating it.
I think you have a lot of good and interesting points to make about Bond but I worry this inexplicable obsession with NSF may turn you into something of a Nigel Farage figure - a one issue party with nothing to offer on much more important subjects.
I like a lot of Gardners Bond novels but never going to be a believer here I'm afraid.
I take your point, though a look at my topic list on The Bondologist Blog should tell you that I'm not a one-issue Bond fan by any means. NSF is just one of my Bondian interests - it's far from being my only one, but I'm guessing that you knew that already.
I am not a big fan of fictitious countries in Bond movies (or in movies in general), but this could work depending of the motivations and modus operandi of the villain. If a dictator is a direct threat to the UK, they would go to war against him, Bond would not be involved, or very little, and this would be more politic fiction than actual spy fiction. But if say for some reason he needs to be removed quietly, then you may have a plot.
That's another good one. I love your smilie! I've always had a thing for an MP being a minor villain using his political acumen to frustate James Bond at every step of the way - he could be a rogue junior minister in the MoD or some such. I once wrote a (not very good) short story around the idea of a villainous MP. It all seems so fitting now after the 2009 Expenses Scandal here in the UK as well as the general dislike of politicians that resulted in the Hung Parliament Party winning the May 2010 General Election.
Guy Haines was a bit like this, not a politician but an important political advisor. He could of course show up again.
Yes, I meant to mention him, he was a political advisor to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown (quite subversive at the time when you think about it). But an MP is new in terms of both the novels and films - and it's very rare to get that nowadays with a phenomenon so deep and broad as that of James Bond.
Well, which particular PM is not mentioned, but yes Gordon Brown was PM at the time (given Haines's importance, he must have been there when Blair was in power, maybe even John Major). A MP would be different, but could bring all sorts of problems, his political affiliations for one. Guy Haines might very well be non partisan and have friends on both sides of the Parliament, which is the case of many high ranking civil servants.