Which comic book character would you elect president?
After a shocking outcome to the US presidential election, we at Proper Villains have decided there has to be a better way. So Mike and I — along with PV contributors Ryan and Serge — have put forth our choices for President…from both the Marvel and DC Universe.
So without further ado, here we go.
Gary — Black Panther
While the obvious choices would be either Captain America or Iron Man, neither one fit the bill for me. Steve Rogers is too bashful and always the reluctant hero. And while Tony Stark is brilliant, rich and a captain of industry he’s a little too flaky for the role of Commander in Chief.
But T’Challa, with him we have a regal statesmen who’s been learning the ropes from his father his entire life — he’s literally been groomed for task at hand. Sure he’s a bit quiet and more than a little impulsive (destroying the streets of Austria to chase down guy he thought murdered his dad), but you’re getting a king who has the ability to defuse a situation with his mind as easily as with his fists. Plus he comes with his own secret service agents and cat-like reflexes should shit go down!
The only question is whether he’d trade ruling over a progressive place Wakanda to baby-sit a bunch of people who just elected Donald Trump (who may or may not be a super-villain himself). Maybe sit this one out dude.
Mike — Reed Richards
When Donald Trump announced his run for the presidency over a year ago I thought it was a joke. Then, to collective shock and dismay one month later he actually received the Republican party nomination. Still, actually winning the presidency seemed laughable. Not funny, but laughable. Ha-ha-that-couldn’t-really-happen type of funny. And super unlikely. His chances, and the concept, seemed fictional. Staying true to that sensibility, the question of which comic book character would make the best president came up. As it does.
The Hulk was the first to come to mind, but only because his volatility and Jekyll/Hyde persuasion came close to the current reality.
Daredevil was next. Unfortunately the whole idea of blind justice is too cliched, and the likelihood of voting in a blind man seemed pretty slim. Myopic, you might say.
And then I remembered what the question actually was. Best. Who would make the best president… I’m not really sure what “best” means, but I’ll assume it doesn’t come in the form of comic relief or sensationalism. So, long-story-short, I’d have to say: Mister Fantastic. He’s brilliant, but flexible. And his wife can make things invisible.
Ryan — Pepper Potts
Calm, collected and rational (maybe except when it comes to Tony Stark). She’s organized, detail-oriented and always has a plan. Plus she’s been known to don armour — just in case she needs to get hands-on in the war on terror.
Serge — Barbara Gordon
Snap judgements are bad in hindsight. Like really bad. Like getting Taco Bell before an important presentation bad. Snap judgements lead to bad presidents. With a snap judgement you may actually nominate someone like Steve Rogers, the famed Captain America. I mean, it’s right there in the name. America. How can he be bad for the country? A politician may often find himself in a position which requires a level of moral ambiguity that leads to difficult decisions. A position in which a sacrifice is to be made for the better of mankind, where there is no alternative. Do you really want someone who spent an entire movie trying to instigate World War 3 except with super heroes because he missed his friend a little? Thought so. You may also say, what about Batman? The caped crusader, the defender of the people of Gotham who often took the dark path to get what he wanted. Sure, but then you also remember that Batman has multiple motivations and had to struggle with his conscience. He also often gets tunnel vision which leads to creating more problems along the path. Sure, he solves those problems too because he’s the freakin’ Batman, but at the end of the day, I’d rather do without my president creating additional collateral damage.
So, we get to Babs. The calculating shadow intelligence officer behind Batman. First Batgirl and then the Oracle, the Caped Crusaders hub of information she combines the ideal qualities of a presidential candidate. She is intelligent, decisive and willing to take action. She prioritizes information and has a wealth of experience in both gathering and analyzing it before making the best decision. As the daughter of a police commissioner, you can also count on Babs to have a strong moral compass. She has not necessarily always agreed with Batman’s methods but has been known to make a compromise on occasion for the betterment of Gotham. Additionally, she’s also the one who consistently warns Bruce Wayne against some of his rash impulses that tend to muck up the situation before it gets better. Oh, and did I mention she already served as President in Superman & Batman: Generations so unlike the current President-Elect she actually has some government experience.
