"[I am] a man you cannot touch, directly or indirectly. A mutant you will not remember as soon as I am out of sight, and I will be out of sight as soon as I declare it to be so. You cannot touch me... But I am all over you."
— Me, giving a pretty amazing Badass Boast to X-Man... right before he kicked my ass. Goddammit.
Greetings, pitiful cowards and pathetic basement-dwellers of TV Tropes! You are now reading this in David Tennant's gloriously Compelling Voice! Or at least Brent Spiner's. And, even if you weren't, you most definitely are now, since *I* demanded it! For I am Killgrave... THE PURPLE MAN!!
I first graced this world with my presence in Daredevil Vol 1 #4, where I tried to subvert the wills of the people of New York City for my own designs, and matched wits with that...asshole in yellow-and-red tights named Daredevil, who would become my premier foe. Ah, the good old days, where you didn't have to try to make a superhero comic! Who ever even heard of experimental nerve gas giving people Mind Control abilities based on their skin??? By the way, that's my actual origin. It's as stupid as it sounds.
Speaking of not trying, that's exactly what I decided to do after one too many encounters with that blustering buffoon. "Who needs the grief?", I thought to myself, and, finally realizing what I could do with my powers, retired from crime to become a Man of Wealth and Taste. The writers weren't done with me yet, though, and a run-in with some of the Kingpin's thugs led me into being forced against my will (note the irony) to participate in a plan to kill Spider-Man, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Moon Knight. This failed utterly. Some time after this I moved to an island in the south pacific... where I was kidnapped by Doctor Doom. What joy. Long Graphic Novel short, I was imprisoned in a "psycho-prism" which he then used to control everyone on earth. This being Doom, he grew bored of victory, and let Namor kill me! Thanks a lot, Earth's mightiest heroes! Couldn't spare a single second of your time to save a helpless victim about to be murdered by a crazed atlantean, huh?!
Yes, times were tough for poor old me. But don't cry just yet! For it was only a few years - well, decades, really - after my death that I would meet... her... Yes, truly my life changed after I met her... finally I had a worthy foe - A Joker to my Bat Man, a Thanos to my Captain Marvel, a Dr Sivana to my... other Captain Marvel! Why, we were made for each other... nevermind the fact that I was originally created to be a Daredevil foe and she was originally supposed to be Jessica Drew, thus making my previous statement a total untruth! People liked my involvement in her story so much, I would become a mainstay of her rogues' gallery forevermore!
I bet most of you never heard of me until you saw the X-Men episode "No Mutant Is An Island". I had a ball tormenting Cyclops. Or perhaps you're familiar with me from my appearance in the second season The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Emperor Stark", an adaptation of that horrid "Emperor Doom" storyline in which I was the one conquering the world through Tony Stark instead of just being Doom's tool, where Brent Spiner provided my voice. In addition, David Tennant did a masterful job portraying me in Jessica Jones (2015) with all the true intimidating potential of my power displayed (probably with a bit of help from his role as Barty Crouch Jr. He may be more famous on Earth-5556, but that was as a do-gooder.); they didn't capture my complexion though, but I certainly approved of the wardrobe!
And now, you're all caught up. Oh, there was some stuff in-between then and now, of course - like that time Carol Danvers shot me into the sun, or the time Luke Cage kicked my ass into next week during the prison break at the Raft, or the time where I had a bunch of horrible piece-of-shit kids - but mostly that's all you need to know about me. Now it's time to catalogue all the tropes applying to my humble personage according to this fine website. On with the show!
Now, would you kindly organize this page for me and put all the examples in a nice, alphabetic order? There's a good troper...
- Abusive Parent: Not my fault most of my kids are a bunch of lying, traitorous scum!
- My parents in Jessica's TV show seemed like they were this, but it turned out that they were just trying to save little Kevin Thompson from a terminal illness.
- Adaptational Badass: In the comics, Doom used me as a tool to take over the world, while in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes adaptation of that storyline I was able to do so on my own by controlling all the Avengers, making them my tools!
- Adaptational Jerkass: My televized incarnation actually raped Jessica, whereas I simply made her want to be raped. You decide which one's nastier.
- Adaptation Name Change: My name is actually Zebediah Killgrave in the comics, while my TV version's real name is Kevin Thompson.
- Adaptational Nationality: My Comic Book version is Croatian, whereas the TV-show version...is played by David Tennant.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: On the other hand, when he wanted some peace and quiet in a loud restaurant, he merely asked everyone to stop talking. I was not so considerate.
- Adaptational Wimp: At the same time that Earth's Mightiest Heroes made me the main villain of their adaptation of that dreadful "Emperor Doom" storyline instead of Dr. Doom, they also gave me a ridiculous weakness: Apparently, in that universe it's possible for my control over a person to be broken if someone else points out that whatever I'm making them do is against everything they stand for.
- A God Am I: I am an immortal, sociopathic tyrant who is able to control everyone at a whim and force them to do my bidding. Doesn't that sound like God to you? I mean, I'm at least more qualified than that Yahweh person, he can't even keep most of his followers! I'm just saying I think it'd be pretty cool if I was.
- Alternate Universe Purple Man Is Awesome: While I'd argue the main version of me is pretty awesome already, I'll admit there's no holding a candle to that one version of me who decided to use his auditory abilities to go from mere Purple Man to Purple President. For life. As for why *I* don't go and do that? Meh...
- Amazing Technicolor Population: That's why I'm the purple man! Though the TV version only wears purple suits.
- Artistic License – Biology: Let's ignore for a moment the ridiculousness of gaining powers from nerve gas of all things. My power is supposedly based on pheromones. So how come my control doesn't wear off when I'm very far away from the person I'm controlling? And how does it make sense that I can drain the powers off my children to make my powers work on a global scale? Are my pheromones capable of tapping into the Speed Force?
- Biting-the-Hand Humor: In the last issue of Alias, I gave the book a succinct review: "Seen worse. Been in worse."
- Blatant Lies: Want to know how potent my power is? Aside from the fact that you just said "yes" to my question, in my first appearance I told a crowd that I wasn't the Purple Man, just a tourist, and they believed me even though I wasn't even trying to disguise myself!
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Okay, yes, I blurted out my entire origin story and explained the exact nature of my power to Daredevil during our first encounter, I didn't know his billy club had a recorder in it! Hell, the last time he tried that trick it was just a bluff!
- Additionally, during the huge jailbreak that eventually led to the creation of the New Avengers, I attempted to use my power on Luke Cage to kill all the other heroes and then himself, and then gloated that I would take care of our darling Jessica Jones and his bastard baby child she happened to be carrying. I didn't know they drugged me so badly my powers didn't work at the time!
- Breakout Villain: I was a minor Daredevil villain but have since become this for Jessica. She'd better appreciate it. My involvement in her life gave her the much-needed drama that is required for every successful Marvel hero.
- Bullying a Dragon: See Bond Villain Stupidity above for details. It led to Cage beating me to within an inch of my life. Not one of my finest moments...
- Butt-Monkey: There's no denying it at this point. I tried everything. I dated the Top 50 most fascinating people in the world for kicks. I fought the Thunderbolts. I even got retconned into a rapist so I could be Darker and Edgier like everyone else. But all I ever get to do is take a beating and die, but not really, just to make someone else seem cool.
- Card-Carrying Villain: I love being evil. Not the case with my TV incarnation, though, who thinks that everyone being his servant is how the world is supposed to be.
- Cerebus Retcon: Bendis made me into a rapist when he wrote Jessica's first series. The reason this worked to my advantage, unlike DC's unfortunate attempt to reinvent Doctor Light, is the fact that I was already a Mind-Rapist to begin with, and my first appearance even had me bringing DD's not-girlfriend Karen Page into a hotel. I mean, seriously... what did you think I was going to do to her?
- Child Hater: Children should be seen and not heard. In fact, I don't even think they should be seen. Hell, I've got no problem threatening the unborn! Though in hindsight that earned me a red-ass beatdown...
- Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: My alias of "Purple Man" seldom appears in adaptations and was Adapted Out of the TV series.
- Compelling Voice: That's my power.
- Complete Monster: It doesn't bother me if you want to label me as such. I can make you sing my praises all I like.
- Cool Car: I had a purple Rolls-Royce in the beginning of Marvel Team-Up Annual #4, but I then stole a carriage from some unfortunate passers-by, so the same probably applied to the car. I used them up, and then threw them away, much like my girlfriends.
- Cut Zebediah Killgrave A Check: From time to time, I attempt to retire from the game and just have fun with my powers. It never works. On the exact opposite end of this trope, I have on occasion tried to Take Over the World despite it not generally being my thing. But most of the time, yes, you should cut me a check. Rather, you will cut me a check.
- Depending on the Artist: Yeah, those colorists at Marvel can't make up their minds what shade of purple I ought to be. Occasionally I've entertained the thought of making it up for them, but there's just so damn many of them.....
- Depending on the Writer:
- The extent of my powers also tends to fluctuate to meet the needs of the story. Back when the Kingpin captured me, my suggestions made people go into Sycophantic Servant mode, even offering improvements to my orders! Now all it does is temporarily turn them into mindless drones who can't even talk until they complete the order I gave them. I miss being able to turn everyone I saw into adoring butlers.
- Sometimes writers will give different explanations for my powers out of embarrassment. Not as retcons, they just treat it like it always was the case. For instance, Daredevil: Yellow said my power is sight-based (if you see me, I can control you) to make my debut story into a Plot Tailored to the Party. This would mean the colorblind are my greatest threat.
- Disability Immunity: What? Are you trying to say Daredevil is immune to my power because he's blind? Ha, next you'll tell me that he's really that lawyer Matt Murdock the court assigned to me in my first appearance! Wait, he is? I wasn't even trying to make you say that!
- Driven to Suicide/Heel Realization: Did I do this to myself in Jessica's first ongoing that actually had her name on it? It's unclear, but it wasn't the first time I questioned my morals. Anyway, it didn't take.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: I didn't like how I looked in my first appearance on that Avengers cartoon, so when I first heard they were dedicating an episode to yours truly I made sure they drew me in a more menacing way.
- Enemy Mine: Me and Jessica teamed up to give my bastard offspring Benjamin a well-deserved spanking.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Ah.... Kara.... When will you come home to daddy where you belong?
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: I don't get it. Luke Cage is kind, manly, supportive, a good, present father, just... what exactly does Jessica see in him? Why can't she see I was the best thing to happen to her in her entire life? Everyone knows married superheroes are less interesting!
- Evil Gloating: It caused my downfall in my first appearance. I learned from that experience to make sure I have whoever I'm gloating to firmly in my control every time I do so.
- Evil Is Petty: Sometimes instead of making people off themselves I just tell them to stand on their hands for as long as they can. Among other humiliating things. Usually this is when they annoy me.
- Eye Color Change: In Earth's Mightiest Heroes they portrayed my mind control as giving the victim purple eyes.
- Hallucinations: I can make people see whatever I want them to see. For instance, I wanted jessica to see her boyfriend dead, so she did.
- Heroic Willpower: People with this in their character sheets are the utter bane of my existence.
- I Am Not My Father: I know, Kara, I know. But you could be... Just let me teach you.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: Jessica, among others. In my first appearance I did this to Karen Page. She was Daredevil's Love Interest, after all, so this being The Silver Age it was the popular villain thing to do.
- It's All About Me: Hear, hear!
- Joker Immunity: Even before I stopped pinballing from superhero to superhero, the amount of times I was definitively killed off only to return with literally no explanation because my ability was just too cool to waste like that was utterly ridiculous. For a while there it seemed I had to die in every story I was in.
- The Man Behind the Man: At one point I got Rogues Gallery Transplanted to X-Man, and used my powers to help Nate move up in the world. I was going to use him the way Doom used me before, and make the world a better place with him as my figurehead. But like always, it was a complete waste of my time. Serves me right for breaking character!
- Medium Awareness: As you no doubt have realized by now, I'm one of few Marvel characters to realize I live and breathe within the confines of their boxed wall to wall universe where the imagination of writers and artists dictate what happens next so long as fans keep giving them patronage. Call it a side effect of that silly nerve gas that made me...well me!
- Meta Guy: In the issues of Alias that I appeared in, I displayed this ability.
*rolls eyes* Oh, so we're going to pretend you and I don't know what's really going on? You don't want to embarrass yourself in front of your readers.
- Mind Rape: I can take control of your minds and bodies, the sensation of which is described as feeling like rape. Some of my victims are well-acquainted with that feeling.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Zebediah Killgrave. It's so ridiculous the showrunners in Jessica's series changed it to Kevin Thompson and made Kilgrave an alias. They didn't even mention the Zebediah part anywhere. Why? It's a fine hebrew name. Did they think it was Xtreme Kool Letterz applied to Jebediah? It's definitely more realistic than Von Doom, hint, hint.
- No-Sell: Yeah, I'm really getting sick of all these people who can resist my powers! Daredevil, Doom, Kingpin, Moon Knight, X-Man, Jessica....
- Never My Fault: It really isn't! If anything, it's Jessica's fault, for not killing me when she had the chance! Or it's Stan Lee's fault, for creating me, in the first place. Or even YOUR fault, readers, for wanting to see more of me! How's that for an ethical dilemma?
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: Oh, I was more than capable from day one entrancing Daredevil's blonde girlfriend who-oh what was her name again? Karen Page? Yes, and I would have had some fun with her too were it not for that yellow, yes yellow colored Spider-Man knock-off getting between me and my next conquest! However, it wouldn't be until decades later (though more like years later in Comic-Book Time) when I would be introduced to that one special woman courtesy of a man by the name of Brian Michael Bendis who, taking full advantage of the fact Jessica Jones' debut comic was most certainly not aimed at younger audiences, reinvented me from being another villain to get his face punched in by the hero to being revealed as the raison d'être why sweet, sweet Jessica was over with the superhero gig before it ever started in earnest, and allowed to use my mind-control powers for all they were worth!
- Overlord Jr.: Little Benjy was feeling left out because he was a worthless invalid with no powers or purple skin to speak of, so he kidnapped me and put me in a coma so he could drain my blood to replicate my abilities. But me and Jessica gave that little upstart a lesson.
- Painting the Medium:
- Sometimes, my hypnotic suggestions are demonstrated by text turning purple. Either my own text, or my thralls'.
- Taken to hitherto unseen extremes in Daredevil: Yellow, where my power actually paints my victims purple. Of course, that raises the question of whether I myself am actually purple in that story or if it's just more Painting The Medium.
- Paranoia Fuel: You didn't really think you visited this page of your own volition, did you, troper? You did it because I whispered it in your ear. All your perceptions and actions are in the palm of my hand. How do you know you didn't just dream TV Tropes into being, just because I told you to?
- Politically Incorrect Villain: I am sexist, I do not respect privacy, I enslave people mentally and break their wills, and I'm also a rapist who leaves the landscape littered with uncared-for children. But you should still put me in your saturday-morning cartoon shows.
- Power Perversion Potential: I was given the power to control the minds of anyone I wanted to, and used it to turn many young beautiful women into my sex slaves. Honestly, it'd be stupid not to.
- Psychic-Assisted Suicide: One of the many fun ways my powers can be used!
- Purple Is Powerful: Undeniable. After all, you're still reading my article!
- Resurrective Immortality: I must have caught it from Norman Osborn or something, because it's just as much of a random addition to my powerset as it was for him.
- Rogues' Gallery Transplant: Does this even need to be said? Anyone who was actually introduced to me by Daredevil's first mag must be 50 years old by this point. And besides, you shouldn't read his comic book, it's trash that doesn't do me justice.
- Run for the Border: During the Civil War, I hijacked a S.H.I.E.L.D. hovercraft so I could flee to Canada, but U.S. Agent stopped me.
- Same Surname Means Related: Zebediah Stane was Iron Man villain Obadiah Stane's dad, but he was just a backstory character.
- Shaped Like Myself: I am purple, as well as a man, thus Purple Man.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Brent Spiner portrayed me like this in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: I've been told I have a few similarities with Jason Cragg, a one-time Ant-Man villain who had the same power as me and lost them in his first and only appearance. Clearly, Stan Lee decided he needed an upgrade!
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: I tried to help X-Man make the world better, I really did. But he just slammed that door right in my face. Maybe I shouldn't have trash-talked him...
- Would Hurt a Child: Although in hindsight, boasting to Luke Cage that I would even approach his and Jessica's unborn child was a huge mistake.
- The Worf Effect: I suffered from this being Doom's captive. I throw every command at him while his shields were disabled and he still stood there with that smug ugly mug of his taunting me about who really deserves to rule.
Excuse me? You're leaving? No, you won't! I COMMAND YOU to stay here and edit this page until I have the best Self-Demonstrating Article on all of TV Tropes! I WILL NOT BE DENIED! Oh while you're at it, make some changes to Von Doom's page so that everyone knows that he's a spoiled thumbsucker that misses his mommy.
