Theme villains obsess. This is more than the usual "Hey, I'll put on a spandex costume and use this arguably-patentable-to-make-a-million-dollars invention to show them all!" obsession. It's even greater than the "Since I was locked in a freezer as a child I've dedicated my life to the study of refrigeration, culminating in this arguably-patentable-to-make-a-million-dollars invention" obsession that grips much of the Flash's rogues gallery. No, the theme villain's level of obsession is complete. Every aspect of their criminal enterprise must revolve around the obsession: costume, weapons, henchmen, modus operandi, targets, method of payment. Everything.
— Brian Rogers, "Variations of a Theme: Designing and Using Theme Villains", in Pyramid Magazine
"He's had years to hide, to plot this damnable thing. He's compelling himself to follow exactly the classic death pattern of the G'tach. It's the psychic force that holds that man together, this maniacal precision. If we could just throw it off, interrupt the cycle, then he might be stopped by his own inflexible standards."
—Dr. Vesalius on Dr. Anton Phibes, The Abominable Dr. Phibes
