Poll: If you were a superhero would you kill criminals?

[rossatdi]

Say you were your standard superman-lite superhero. Strong, resilient, able to fly and used it all to fight crime; how far would you take the law into your own hands?

Are you the Aristotelian morally excellent Guardian that can make the life and death choices to make a better world?

Many of the X-men are quite happy to slaughter generic mooks, Wolverine's tally in X-men 2 was certainly quite high. Is it right to kill people attacking you?

Iron Man is basically a one man lethal war against terrorists.

Batman won't kill because he doesn't believe he has the right.

Superman won't kill because its wrong.

EDIT: Or the mentalist Frank Castle/The Punisher approach. Although most other heroes won't work with him/can't stand him. If Captain America & The Batman hate the guy, you know he's a dick.

Where do you stand? (And maybe back it up!)

I personally would side with Batman, as soon as you take a life you become 'judge, jury and executioner', that is not a position I could morally hold without corruption. On the other hand, someone probably ought to put down The Joker, why not you?

 

[curlycrouton]

What about, "Yes, indiscriminately?"

 

[Rajin Cajun]

I would kill criminals just like Frank Castle.

 

[rossatdi]

What about "Yes, even petty criminals"?

Done. Sodding absolutist anti-heroes.

 

[CIA]

Dude, if I was a superhero I would BE a criminal.

 

[mattttherman3]

You forget to include the punisher, he basicly kills murderers rapists and the mob, we could use him in mexico against the drug cartels

 

[rossatdi]

What about "Yes, even petty criminals"?

What about, "Yes, indiscriminately?"

I would kill criminals just like Frank Castle.

Jesus Christ this board is filled with psychos. What gives you the right? Who elected you? And how do you possible justify murdering a robber?

 

[Mr. Squirrel]

I'd kill rapists murderers and the like. Don't even have to think about it, then again I'm not quite the social and forgiving type of person.

 

[rossatdi]

You forget to include the punisher, he basicly kills murderers rapists and the mob, we could use him in mexico against the drug cartels

I didn't forget him I just don't really classify him as a 'superhero' because he's not a hero. He's a murdering fuck. But that's my opinion, so I put it in.

 

[ace_of_something]

Only to save an innocent life. Kind of like the police.

 

[scarbunny]

If I was an unstopable Superman-lite, flying killing machine then no I wouldnt kill criminals. Not for any moral reason but because I'd be too busy robbing and destroying.

 

[mattttherman3]

ah yes well there are places where the punisher is necessary, like in mexico right now, the drug cartels are killing millions(counting all those that are addicted), includes kidnapping and murdering children and the innocent

 

[Kiefer13]

I'd rather be a supervillian than a superhero, but if I did have to be a hero, then I'd probably go with the no killing thing, except for in extreme cases. A bit like Batman I suppose, but I'd probably kill the Joker. I mean, we all know letting criminals like that live simply means they're going to escape and go on yet another murderous rampage;if I had the power to stop them permanently, I'd use it.

 

[Rajin Cajun]

What about "Yes, even petty criminals"?

What about, "Yes, indiscriminately?"

I would kill criminals just like Frank Castle.

Jesus Christ this board is filled with psychos. What gives you the right? Who elected you? And how do you possible justify murdering a robber?

I will take that as a compliment and thank you. Oh yes I was being a 100% serious if I thought I could get by with it legally I would be Frank Castle.

 

[rossatdi]

I will take that as a compliment and thank you. Oh yes I was being a 100% serious if I thought I could get by with it legally I would be Frank Castle.

Well we'd have a good fight if we were both superheroes. Mentally the way I grade it is the first two options are 'wrong' or 'evil', a vigilante does not have that right, and the last three are 'right' or 'good'.

I'd go with No - Never as a creed but suspect I would to save an innocent life. Unfortunately the nice guys are losing heavily at the moment.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I remember the JLA/Avengers crossover where Batman beat the crap out of the Punisher to save a bunch of drug dealers. A brillaint contrast between the two, written by the fantastic Kurt Busiek of course.

Personally in comics I don't really like "heroes who kill" since the people who seem to be writing them lately make them super lame. The only guys who I would trust on products like this are JMS, Kurt Busiek or Mark Waid, because they "get it".

 

[shatnershaman]

I personally would side with Batman, as soon as you take a life you become 'judge, jury and executioner', that is not a position I could morally hold without corruption. On the other hand, someone probably ought to put down The Joker, why not you?

Which Batman? Dancing Batman, Nipple Batman, Realistic Batman, crazy 80s comic batman or Silver age batman who carried a gun and shot people.

http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2005/08/batman-and-guns.html