History Literature / TheSupervillainySaga

* CapePunk: The books Deconstructs the NinetiesAntiHero and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks by having Gary disgusted by heroes who kill and overly psychopathic villains. It also serves as a DeconReconSwitch because Gary, himself, is a well-written NinetiesAntiHero. The book, notably, treats LighterAndSofter superheroes significantly more sympathetically than most examples of the {{Capepunk}} genre.

* DeconReconSwitch: The series is about a somewhat offbeat fellow, Gary Karkofsky, who finds a magic cloak and decides to become a supervillain. The book Deconstructs the NinetiesAntiHero and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks by having Gary disgusted by heroes who kill and overly psychopathic villains. It also serves as a Decon-Recon Switch because Gary, himself, is a well-written NinetiesAntiHero. The book, notably, treats LighterAndSofter superheroes significantly more sympathetically than most examples of the {{Capepunk}} genre.

** Gabrielle and the Shadow Seven are a somewhat LighterAndSofter version of this, breaking international laws and being composed of TheAtoner villains mixed with superheroes. They're basically ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders''.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Surprisingly happens a few times in the novel. Indeed, these are the basis for ''The Rules of Supervillainy.''
** A lot of Gary's problems stem from the fact that he was traumatized by the execution of his brother at the hands of a {{Antihero}} vigilante in front of him. Even then, it doesn't turn him against regular superheroes or start a RoaringRampageOfRevenge like Batman or the Punisher. [[spoiler: He just tracks down the specific antihero involved and shoots him when he's visiting a prostitute.]]
** FantasticRacism is a result of regular humans being constantly subjected to escaping supervillains, monsters, alien invasions, [[GreenEyedMonster and simple jealousy over not having powers themselves.]] A lot of politicians stoke the fears of the populace while pressuring for more permanent solutions while publicly being on the sides of superheroes.
** Supervillains can and do steal whole fortunes but usually run through them quickly because they have to maintain their lairs, equipment, and armies of henchmen. If they had the psychology to manage their money well they wouldn't be supervillains.
** A {{Antihero}} pretending to be a supervillain and wise-cracking the entire time isn't viewed very fondly by heroes who are irritated as hell by his activities. It makes them look like a joke, still results in a lot of severe crimes, and makes him look like TheSociopath due to his EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor. By ''Literature/TheTournamentOfSupervillainy'', a lot of heroes just want to kick Gary's ass.
** DatingCatwoman comes with a lot of issues as [[spoiler: Gabrielle and Gary]] find out by book 5.
** The books tackle superhumans and violence a great deal.
*** It turns out that superhero combat is a lot more lethal than you'd think. The only way that people don't die all the time is the fact the Society of Superheroes use a lot of magic and specialized technology to make sure casualties are kept to a minimum. Gary, who has access to none of that, kills a bunch of people.
*** Indeed, Gary's power set is fairly modest by the standards of the universe but is extremely dangerous because he uses it in a variety of brutal CombatPragmatist ways. As such, villains who do well against heroes trying NOT to kill them don't do well against Gary at all.
*** Mandy is an incredibly gifted heroine with lots of combat training from her father but only recently someone who has taken up being a superheroine. [[spoiler: She dies saving Cindy's life in a split second combat situation.]]
*** Most superheroes don't actually have a ThouShallNotKill rule. They try ''not'' to kill supervillains whenever possible but whenever it becomes a choice of taking a supervillain alive or saving an innocent life, they move to lethal force.
*** NinetiesAntiHero types only are popular for as long as it takes the public to realize they're causing a huge amount of collateral damage and killing people who might not necessarilly be psychotic killers themselves.
*** Much like as how cops respond to copkillers, a villain who kills a superhero has the entirety of their kind descend on him until he's dealt with.

* DeconReconSwitch: Despite being from the perspective of a man who idolizes supervillains while disdaining superheroes, it becomes very clear that villains are bad people and superheroes are (generally) good.

* HitlersTimeTravelExemptionAct: In one tie-in short story, "Merciless vs. Hitler", Gary mentions that he went back in time to kill Hitler multiple times at various points in history. This just sprouted alternate timelines in which Nazism still arose without Hitler and in one the Nazis won the war without having to deal with his inept leadership, only for their FacistButInefficient government to fall apart in a few decades anyway. Ironically, this results in Gary being recruited by the TimePolice for another mission: to kill Hitler in a universe where the Nazis ''did'' win and ''kept winning'' until they became rulers of their universe.

* HitlersTimeTravelExemptionAct: In one tie-in short story, Gary mentions that he went back in time to kill Hitler multiple times at various points in history. This just sprouted alternate timelines in which Nazism still arose without Hitler and the Nazis won the war without having to deal with his inept leadership, only for their FacistButInefficient government to fall apart in a few decades anyway.

* HypocrisyNod: Gary Karkofsky AKA Merciless: The Supervillain without [=MercyTM=] is an anarchist supervillain who hates the rich and wants to liberate the masses. He's also someone who is obscenely wealthy due to his various heists by the end of the third book and has frequently mentioned his desire to conquer the world. Several volumes have Gary noting he's aware of the irony and just sort of brushes it off.

** Gabrielle Anders is an AmazonianBeauty with BoobsOfSteel of mixed Latina and African American descent. She also wears an outfit inspired by Supergirl.

* DarkChick:
** Cindy fills this role in most of the supervillain teams she's on. Also qualifies as a NotSoHarmless villain when she reveals she's closer to TheLancer of the group.
** [[spoiler: Mandy becomes this by the third book.]]

* {{Expy}}: [[Expy/SupervillainySaga Has its own page now.]]

** Literature/TheFutureOfSupervillainy'' has MadScientist Tom Terror trying to take over the HollowEarth.

* {{Expy}}: Tons, as befitting the medium.
** Gary Karkofsky is one for the Hood crossed with Peter Parker.
** The Nightwalker is one for Batman as the Society of Superheroes reflects archetypes of the Justice League (Ultragod for Superman/Green Lantern, Guinevere for Wonder Woman, Prismatic Commando for Captain America).
** Cindy Wakowski a.k.a Red Riding Hood is one for Harley Quinn and Diabloman is a down-on-his-luck combination of Deathstroke and Bane.
** Ultragoddess is one for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} w/ Franchise/{{Green Lantern}}s powers and the Shadow Seven are stand-ins for the Suicide Squad.
** Tom Terror seems to be a combination of the Red Skull, Doctor Sivanna, and Golden to Silver Age Lex Luthor.
** The Extreme seem to be one for Youngblood, X-Force, the Authority, and every other 90s Antihero superhero team.
** Sunlight seems to be a parody of the Burt Ward Robin from the 1960s Batman series.
** Zul-Barbas is Cthulhu with the serial-numbers filed off. Also comes with his own cult and ''Necronomicon'' with ''The Book of Midnight.''
** Nightgirl seems to be one for Spoiler/ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}/Barbara Gordon.
** The Backwoodsman seems to be a CanadaEh send-up of Wolverine from his brief description.
** The Brotherhood of Infamy combines the cult of Cthulhu and Brotherhood of Owls.
** P.H.A.N.T.O.M and the Foundation for World Harmony appear to be ones for Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.
** President Omega is a combination of Handsome Jack and the Red Skull with Kang the Conqueror.
** Other Gary seems to draw from the Justice Lords in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' cartoon and villains in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'', particularly the portrayal of Superman. There's also some Superboy Prime and Alex Luthor in his desire to bring back his old world.
** Entropicus is one for Skeletor, Darkseid, Thanos, and Shao Khan all rolled into one.
** Valkyrie Girl and Viking Boy are this for the Marvel Family.
** The League of Archvillains is one for the Legion of Doom.
** The Dragon King is one for Fing Fang Foom, Godzilla, and Thulsa Doom.
** Red Sindi is one for Red Sonja, to the point of being a CaptainErsatz.

* DetrimentalDetermination: Gary suffers from the fact that he refuses to give up on his quest to [[spoiler: restore his dead wife's soul to her vampire body.]] It leads to a year of depression and numerous bad choices. Also, making a DealWithTheDevil [[spoiler: that turns out to put another woman's soul in her body.]] It gets to the point even Death, herself, thinks he needs to let go.

* {{Polyarmory}}: VillainProtagonist Gary is monogamous with his wife, Mandy, during the start of the series [[spoiler: but becomes involved with sidekick Cindy when his wife is a soulless vampire. Then Mandy gets her soul back and it becomes complicated. Also, Supergirl {{Expy}} Gabrielle and Gary have an on again, off again relationship dating back to college. Later, Gary admits that he tries to maintain all of his relationships because he's afraid of losing any of them from his life.]]

The series contains the following books:

** Entropicus is one for [[DarkseidDuplicate Skeletor, Darkseid, Thanos, and Shao Khan]] all rolled into one.

* MatzoFever: Gary and Cindy are considered two of the most attractive supervillains in their world. They are also both Jewish.