Villains do not care for the human population, humans are seen as stepping stones to achievement of an objective, quite frequently are cannon fodder or an unlimited labour force.

Villains are portrayed as grasping, greedy out for their personal enrichment or advancement. They want on a personal level, whereas heroes are working on behalf of people, nations, often the world or universe. Villains are those who are the opposite of heroes. Humans on occasion can be a supporting contributing member to the heroic hierarchy but they are definitely low tier. While going about their managing, heroes are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, which on a frequent basis makes people disposable casualties on the scale of a force of nature. Heroes determine truth, are the harbingers of peace, law and order. Human’s action or inaction merits the intervention of a hero to makes things right (avert disaster, right a wrong, solve a problem) In this context humans have autonomy but at a cost. Similar to domesticated animals who need to be tended to and managed. Humans are those who can not fend for themselves. Those diametrically opposed are villains. Heroes are held to a higher standard – they set the standard at their unachievable limits and those who fall short are not heroic – merely human. In the world of superhero there is no ambiguity. Once feelings are in the mix, then it’s all ambivalent grey. There are contributing circumstances, situations that occur, events that happened and feelings. No one is strictly virtuous and conversely others inherently bad. In real life you understand on an almost subconscious level that people are a balance of this. I forgot that fairy tales are rooted in history and fact. Occasionally illuminating, but a tall tale. It was like a fairy tale allegory for good and evil. Until that time I had accepted the portrayal as gospel, at face value. I don’t know if it was age or apathy before I started to question the superhero universe/trope.

The following ramble is how it made me think, feel and ponder, given my growing self awareness around this topic. To sum up, I loved it and I want to read the sequel right now.

I’m not going to say too much as the Hench cover says it all succinctly without giving away all of the good bits. I eagerly purchased the ebook and it naturally bumped itself to the top of the list. No let’s be honest, it filled gap The Boys had made. I saw this recommendation online in a couple of places and it sounded intriguing.

Control and manipulate the narrative through social media.

Hench goodreads