Random musings...
Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 5:14 am
I watched The Clone Wars with a buddy, last night, and kind of latched onto General Grievous' fairly dogged insistence in thinking that he augmented himself out of his own volition, even if that wasn't entirely the case. He's more droid than cyborg, honestly, with whatever's organic being limited to what's behind his faceplate.
It got me thinking that I had this idea of giving Archie a Moriarty-esque figure, a while back; an old antagonist he'd probably have encountered during his covert ops across the Secession War's theatre. Archie's well-adjusted in the sense that he's narrowed down what defines him as a human despite his nature; he's centered himself on the things that keep him anchored to the mundane realities he's familiar with.
What happens when you transition into a Clank shell and you aren't willing to preserve your humanity? Your nemesis managed to best you one time too many, you're pissed off beyond all measure, and you've vowed to yourself that the next time you run into that insufferable dandy of a spy, he's going to pay. Nothing's too good in your pursuit of ensuring that he bites it, so you take the technological parallel to an Infernalist and sacrifice everything that makes you what you are on the altar of Performance. Extra limbs or less limbs, no emulated circulatory, pulmonary or digestive systems - just five senses, a whole damn lot of motivation, more freedom of movement than your average body allows, and a selection of weapons.
If you're willing to sacrifice that, it's probable that you'll turn into a more results-oriented ideological kinsmen to Rendell. Total domination isn't your focus so much as making this one guy suffer to his last breath. You wouldn't know what to do with that stupid lizard's tales of supremacy; that's not what interests you! You have your target in your sights and you want to take things slow, because that's the only way you know to break a man's willpower. You've had a hell of a long time to cultivate a grudge, so you're not about to go for anything like a quick and easy attempt on the Clank's life.
You've got time, resources and a more practical-minded approach to having a full prosthetic body, ethics and your own sense of Self be damned.
I'd say that sounds like a fairly interesting framework for a villain, especially if I can back that up with more than raw jealousy.
It got me thinking that I had this idea of giving Archie a Moriarty-esque figure, a while back; an old antagonist he'd probably have encountered during his covert ops across the Secession War's theatre. Archie's well-adjusted in the sense that he's narrowed down what defines him as a human despite his nature; he's centered himself on the things that keep him anchored to the mundane realities he's familiar with.
What happens when you transition into a Clank shell and you aren't willing to preserve your humanity? Your nemesis managed to best you one time too many, you're pissed off beyond all measure, and you've vowed to yourself that the next time you run into that insufferable dandy of a spy, he's going to pay. Nothing's too good in your pursuit of ensuring that he bites it, so you take the technological parallel to an Infernalist and sacrifice everything that makes you what you are on the altar of Performance. Extra limbs or less limbs, no emulated circulatory, pulmonary or digestive systems - just five senses, a whole damn lot of motivation, more freedom of movement than your average body allows, and a selection of weapons.
If you're willing to sacrifice that, it's probable that you'll turn into a more results-oriented ideological kinsmen to Rendell. Total domination isn't your focus so much as making this one guy suffer to his last breath. You wouldn't know what to do with that stupid lizard's tales of supremacy; that's not what interests you! You have your target in your sights and you want to take things slow, because that's the only way you know to break a man's willpower. You've had a hell of a long time to cultivate a grudge, so you're not about to go for anything like a quick and easy attempt on the Clank's life.
You've got time, resources and a more practical-minded approach to having a full prosthetic body, ethics and your own sense of Self be damned.
I'd say that sounds like a fairly interesting framework for a villain, especially if I can back that up with more than raw jealousy.