History SmugSnake / Literature

* Gustav Fiers, aka The Gentleman from the ''Literature/SinisterSixTrilogy''. He certainly ''thinks'' he's a MagnificentBastard, and looks and acts the part, being an excellent ManipulativeBastard and {{Chessmaster}}, and ManOfWealthAndTaste who successfully manipulates the whole of the Sinister Six, has evaded law enforcement for years, and refers to himself as an "investor in chaos". Yet he fails to earn the audience's respect due to his contemptuous attitude and his unpleasant personality, utter heinousness (only his genuine affection for his equally monstrous brother, [[TerroristWithoutACause Karl]], keeps him from being a total monster), and underestimation of Spider-Man, The Chameleon, and Dr. Octopus put him squarely in this trope.

* Gustav Fiers, aka The Gentleman from the Franchise/SpiderMan novelisations, the ''Literature/SinisterSixTrilogy''. He certainly ''thinks'' he's a MagnificentBastard, and looks and acts the part, being an excellent ManipulativeBastard and {{Chessmaster}}, and ManOfWealthAndTaste who successfully manipulates the whole of the Sinister Six, has evaded law enforcement for years, and refers to himself as an "investor in chaos". Yet he fails to earn the audience's respect due to his contemptuous attitude and his unpleasant personality, utter heinousness (only his genuine affection for his equally monstrous brother, [[TerroristWithoutACause Karl]], keeps him from being a total monster), and underestimation of Spider-Man, The Chameleon, and Dr. Octopus put him squarely in this trope.

* In ''Literature/TheEnormousCrocodile'', the titular VillainProtagonist schemes to eat children by disguising himself as a coconut tree, a see-saw, a carousel statue and a lunch-bench. While certainly cunning, he is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is and shoots himself in the foot by gloating about his intention to eat children in front of four other animals in the jungle. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain This is what allows them to foil his plans.]]

** There's also the Supreme Grand Master, a.k.a. [[spoiler:Lupine Wonse]] from ''Literature/GuardsGuards!'', who vastly overestimates his own power in summoning and controlling the dragon which terrorizes Ankh-Morpork, in that he can summon it but has no means to control it.

* Prince Regal in Creator/RobinHobb's ''Literature/{{Farseer}}'' trilogy. A spoiled, petty, selfish youngest prince, he is obsessed with ruling and having power while being completely incompetent as a ruler. Like the example of Cersei above, he is much less clever than he thinks he is.