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

[Fudj]

Well i would'nt kill for stealing a handbag but if your a murderer yourself then turn-around is fair game. I think i'd rather go for a Anti-Hero rather then a hero......fudementally good but willing to bend or break rules to get it done....or as its known in D&D Chaotic Good

 

[Rajin Cajun]

Here's the sad truth about the world...

The justice system fails more often than it succeeds, for a number of reasons which definitely include corruption and the mistaken belief that we should give rights to criminals. So vigilante justice is a preferable alternative when the courts can't be trusted. The hardest part is making sure vigilante justice doesn't become mob justice, which is always a failure.

Exactly, which was always the irony with Frank Castle he started out being a vigilante for the right reasons but eventually just came to love the kill even though he was still whacking scumbags he no longer really cared for Justice.

 

[darthsmily]

No, I'm to squeamish though.
Edit: Wow, It seems that I'm the only pure of heart so far.

 

[rossatdi]

Here's the sad truth about the world...

The justice system fails more often than it succeeds, for a number of reasons which definitely include corruption and the mistaken belief that we should give rights to criminals. So vigilante justice is a preferable alternative when the courts can't be trusted. The hardest part is making sure vigilante justice doesn't become mob justice, which is always a failure.

But a superhero is supposed to be a paragon of virtue, a symbol of all that is good and noble. They can't kill, it undermines them.

I know it sounds inefficient but The Batman must continually recapture a homicidal maniac because the moment he crosses that line it shows he doesn't trust the system, even a bit. And if he doesn't, why should we?

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

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

Or the "Goddamn Batman"? How could you forget the "goddamn batman."

Have I mentioned how much I hate the Frank Millar take on Batman? I much prefer him as a hero, not a macho douchebag. That's what we have The Punisher for... and you're not exactly supposed to "like" The Punisher, you're just supposed to understand why he does what he does.

 

[rossatdi]

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

That Batman didn't last very long. The Batman that I consider The Batman is The Batman of Batman: The Animated Series. BATMAN! No killing, more or less everything up until is fine. But you also have to ssave a criminal's life if humanly possible.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

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

That Batman didn't last very long. The Batman that I consider The Batman is The Batman of Batman: The Animated Series. BATMAN! No killing, more or less everything up until is fine. But you also have to ssave a criminal's life if humanly possible.

If you "must" have a killing Batman, there is really only one that's worth reading.

That's "JSA: The Liberty Files" where Bruce Wayne as "The Bat" is a badass Soldier and Secret Agent, hence willing to kill because he's a Soldier.

 

[shatnershaman]

Here's the sad truth about the world...

The justice system fails more often than it succeeds, for a number of reasons which definitely include corruption and the mistaken belief that we should give rights to criminals. So vigilante justice is a preferable alternative when the courts can't be trusted. The hardest part is making sure vigilante justice doesn't become mob justice, which is always a failure.

Your against criminal rights? So we should be able to torture pickpockets? Or how about someone is just kept in jail indefinitely to avoid a trial?

 

[Kiefer13]

I know it sounds inefficient but The Batman must continually recapture a homicidal maniac because the moment he crosses that line it shows he doesn't trust the system, even a bit. And if he doesn't, why should we?

But surely the fact that he even feels the need to be a vigilante in the first place shows his mistrust for the system?

 

[darthsmily]

Im pretty sure Batman doesn't kill is because that is the only thing seperating him from the people he's after. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

 

[rossatdi]

I know it sounds inefficient but The Batman must continually recapture a homicidal maniac because the moment he crosses that line it shows he doesn't trust the system, even a bit. And if he doesn't, why should we?

But surely the fact that he even feels the need to be a vigilante in the first place shows his mistrust for the system?

No, merely that the system needs help and it's people hope. If he didn't trust the system he wouldn't be friends with Jim Gordon and he wouldn't hand criminals over to the police. Obviously he probably mistrusts the system to an extent, but fundamentally he believes in 'Law' as an institution.

 

[hamster mk 4]

If I were the only super hero on the planet (ie No accountability) I would redefign the word "criminal" to any one who disagrees with me. Then I would start killing criminals left and right. Of course that would make me a super villian, but hey I would be having more fun anyway.

If there were acountability I would probably have to cut down on my homicidal antics, but I still would kill any one who "deserved" it.

 

[Rajin Cajun]

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

Or the "Goddamn Batman"? How could you forget the "goddamn batman."

Have I mentioned how much I hate the Frank Millar take on Batman? I much prefer him as a hero, not a macho douchebag. That's what we have The Punisher for... and you're not exactly supposed to "like" The Punisher, you're just supposed to understand why he does what he does.

Well they failed at that because I completely sympathize with The Punisher and think he is an utter badass as do a lot of Former Marines I know. Oh well.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I might kill someone to save another person if there was no other choice, but thats it. I would probably maim and cripple quite a bit, only violent rapist murderer types though. Non violent drug dealers would be ignored. Petty criminals would get a spanked bottom.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

I wouldn't technically be a "hero". More like a villain.

 

[Mr. Squirrel]

I might kill someone to save another person if there was no other choice, but thats it. I would probably maim and cripple quite a bit, only violent rapist murderer types though. Non violent drug dealers would ignored. Petty criminals would get a spanked bottom.

And you dare to call yourself the scum of society? Shame on you, real scum would rape every criminal then kill them and then rape their dead bodies again only then with a cucumber!

 

[hamster mk 4]

A friend made an interesting comment about super man. He should join the police and put on disguises to make him look like an overweight, black, or possible female police officer. That way the criminals never realy know if they are facing a normal police officer or superman in a disguise. Crime would plumit as the criminals would have to assume that every beat cop could very well be a super powered jugernaut.

 

[Nazulu]

I wouldn't want to kill anyone because I would have alot of fun scaring the crap out of them or humiliating them. However I don't know if I would be able to control myself when it comes to people who want to fire of nukes!

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Honestly I don't know what I'd really do if I had considerable super powers and I was the only one. Overall though I think I'd react like Hiro from Heroes (in Season 1, I haven't seen the others) I would try and live up to the ideal of a paragon of virtue, but it would be hard to figure out exactly what kind of crime I would fight... and how.

I would probably end up like the British Captain Marvel, try as hard as I can to be that paramor of virtue, work within the law and be just to villains. But eventually my power would corrupt me, like all power does and I would probably take over the world as a benevolant but extremely flawed dictator.