Creating A Villain (Poem-A-Day Challenge Day 15)

A hero is only as good as the villain he faces against
It’s hard to get a good villain down on paper
The villain shouldn’t be a vessel
for whatever ideas the author is against
in order to legitimize said author’s ideals
Nor should they merely be stand-ins
for whoever’s on the author’s blacklist.
Gone are the days of the 60s Bond villains
With their lavish, gaudy lairs, gold rings glinting

Villains these days aren’t flat, cardboard cut-outs
Instead, they hide their fanged teeth behind a lying smile.
Their morals seem right, but there’s always something off
They’re unsettling and sickly fascinating
to the point that we may have sympathy for these devils.
But even the most complex villains have a weakness.
Here’s a hint: It’s usually their ego
Because pride always comes before a fall.