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

[Booze Zombie]

"Hey, a nigh-invincible man who's died and come back to life multiple times... let's attack him!"

If I were a super powered sort, I'd probably murder a serial killer or someone who does disgusting stuff like cutting women open for fun. Though, I'd most likely have to stop them in a sort of "caught you because I flew through a wall and stopped you just in time" type of way, meaning that I knew what their crime was because they were about to/obviously doing it.

I don't see myself killing litters and shoplifters, though.

 

[Elim Garak]

I weep for society, I really do!

I'm glad I have Batman, Superman, Flash and Spiderman on my side. The Justice League would be very upset with the lot of you.

Where are your ideals? When did it become cool to be a murdering psychopath?

Heh, I know what you mean, a bunch of the people here are way too into GTA. Problem is that power corrupts - I am not sure I would trust myself to not become corrupted with sufficient power.

However, JLA is going too far in the other direction. It is not cool to be a murdering psychopath - but it is also not cool to put one into prison even though there is an over 95% probability that he will escape and kill a hundred more people within 1-2 years. DC prison system doesn't have a good track record.

 

[rossatdi]

At some point you've got to draw the line - if you can't guarantee that a guy is going to stay in jail, then after the first 50 people there should be a shoot on sight and/or execute order. "To be brought in dead or alive - preferably dead. Reward: 5 million." I mean one of the Gotham commissioners put out such a shoot-on-sight order against Batman after the War Games storyline - but not against Joker? Or Two-face? Or Dr. Freeze? (Don't ask - I've been reading the last 20 years of the bat-universe for the past month.)

The moment Batman starts capping criminals he loses everything in my eyes. The point is the ultimate sanction can never be justifiably used by a man whose entire formation was in reaction to murder. To become a murderer he becomes like Joe Chill more than his Dad.

Also, to take the philosophical argument, it is not Batman's fault these people escape and re-offend. If it wasn't for his actions they'd have killed more, not less. Blame must finally rest on the man pulling the trigger, not the man who handed him into custody.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Had the man been handed to a morgue he could never re-offend, yeah?

 

[rossatdi]

I weep for society, I really do!

I'm glad I have Batman, Superman, Flash and Spiderman on my side. The Justice League would be very upset with the lot of you.

Where are your ideals? When did it become cool to be a murdering psychopath?

Heh, I know what you mean, a bunch of the people here are way too into GTA. Problem is that power corrupts - I am not sure I would trust myself to not become corrupted with sufficient power.

However, JLA is going too far in the other direction. It is not cool to be a murdering psychopath - but it is also not cool to put one into prison even though there is an over 95% probability that he will escape and kill a hundred more people within 1-2 years. DC prison system doesn't have a good track record.

Yeah, I think the term 'revolving door prison' might have easily been 'DCU prison'! Still, you gotta walk the higher path and take every sucker punch that comes from it on the chin. Otherwise you're just another thug with a bigger gun.

 

[Elim Garak]

At some point you've got to draw the line - if you can't guarantee that a guy is going to stay in jail, then after the first 50 people there should be a shoot on sight and/or execute order. "To be brought in dead or alive - preferably dead. Reward: 5 million." I mean one of the Gotham commissioners put out such a shoot-on-sight order against Batman after the War Games storyline - but not against Joker? Or Two-face? Or Dr. Freeze? (Don't ask - I've been reading the last 20 years of the bat-universe for the past month.)

The moment Batman starts capping criminals he loses everything in my eyes. The point is the ultimate sanction can never be justifiably used by a man whose entire formation was in reaction to murder. To become a murderer he becomes like Joe Chill more than his Dad.

I am not saying the he necessarily should be the one to kill them. That is a job for an executioner or bounty hunter. Bruce Wayne however has a lot of power at his disposal, and he is not exercising it in an optimal manner. Within the law there are plenty of options that are not being used. Bomb-collars for example? Medicinal coma-inducing collars at least? Mandatory implanted tracers? Moon-based prison managed by JLA?

Also, to take the philosophical argument, it is not Batman's fault these people escape and re-offend. If it wasn't for his actions they'd have killed more, not less. Blame must finally rest on the man pulling the trigger, not the man who handed him into custody.

I am not blaming Batman - I am blaming Bruce Wayne. And the DC justice/prison system. And the society that lets such a system operate. The DC US government too - they abandoned a couple of cities a bunch of times, building walls around them, and not letting anybody in or out. Gotham in "No Man's Land" - and Bludhaven got so bad that they built a wall around it once, and then after a while a guy was forced to nuke it.

 

[rossatdi]

At some point you've got to draw the line - if you can't guarantee that a guy is going to stay in jail, then after the first 50 people there should be a shoot on sight and/or execute order. "To be brought in dead or alive - preferably dead. Reward: 5 million." I mean one of the Gotham commissioners put out such a shoot-on-sight order against Batman after the War Games storyline - but not against Joker? Or Two-face? Or Dr. Freeze? (Don't ask - I've been reading the last 20 years of the bat-universe for the past month.)

The moment Batman starts capping criminals he loses everything in my eyes. The point is the ultimate sanction can never be justifiably used by a man whose entire formation was in reaction to murder. To become a murderer he becomes like Joe Chill more than his Dad.

I am not saying the he necessarily should be the one to kill them. That is a job for an executioner or bounty hunter. Bruce Wayne however has a lot of power at his disposal, and he is not exercising it in an optimal manner. Within the law there are plenty of options that are not being used. Bomb-collars for example? Medicinal coma-inducing collars at least? Mandatory implanted tracers? Moon-based prison managed by JLA?

Also, to take the philosophical argument, it is not Batman's fault these people escape and re-offend. If it wasn't for his actions they'd have killed more, not less. Blame must finally rest on the man pulling the trigger, not the man who handed him into custody.

I am not blaming Batman - I am blaming Bruce Wayne. And the DC justice/prison system. And the society that lets such a system operate. The DC US government too - they abandoned a couple of cities a bunch of times, building walls around them, and not letting anybody in or out. Gotham in "No Man's Land" - and Bludhaven got so bad that they built a wall around it once, and then after a while a guy was forced to nuke it.

I think that the point that they still act this way despite this is half the point. Walking the noble route is easy when everyone's nice. I'm more interested in the abstract rather than the specific incidences though. The 'Thou Shalt No Kill' is one of the central ideals of many of the League members and WW caused a collapse when (justifiably to many) killed Maxwell Lord.

 

[PirateKing]

If I ever deemed someone way too dangerous to let live then yes, I'd eliminate the threat. Keep in mind they would have to be like, really, really powerful.

 

[Elim Garak]

However, JLA is going too far in the other direction. It is not cool to be a murdering psychopath - but it is also not cool to put one into prison even though there is an over 95% probability that he will escape and kill a hundred more people within 1-2 years. DC prison system doesn't have a good track record.

Yeah, I think the term 'revolving door prison' might have easily been 'DCU prison'! Still, you gotta walk the higher path and take every sucker punch that comes from it on the chin. Otherwise you're just another thug with a bigger gun.

True - but I think there is still a ton that somebody like Superman could do, if he was willing to play the game. For example, he could get a couple of tons of gold or diamonds (from space or make some using alien tech), bribe the judges, mayors, district attorneys, and campaign for various social programs - tougher laws, more funding for prisons, and rehabilitation.

 

[Elim Garak]

I think that the point that they still act this way despite this is half the point. Walking the noble route is easy when everyone's nice. I'm more interested in the abstract rather than the specific incidences though. The 'Thou Shalt No Kill' is one of the central ideals of many of the League members and WW caused a collapse when (justifiably to many) killed Maxwell Lord.

Ah, in an abstract I would do my best not to kill, if I could save people in some other way. Maim, though? Maybe - depends on what they did.

 

[Zac_Dai]

Anyone quoted Nietzsche yet?

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster."

 

[theklng]

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?

who cares what they did. just kill them anyway.

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

Since there are no "Supervillian" or "Turn evil" options, I voted to kill petty criminals, as I would begin to abuse my powers fairly quickly.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Do not have illusions of being better than others or fear of degrading through actions, just do what you have to help those you can and try not to die.

 

[Datalord]

I am against the death penalty, punishment is meant to deter people from repeating crimes, maing capital punishment only relevant as an example for other criminals, i would only kill criminals if i could not capture them, because at the very least their crimes would end, but if i could capture them, i would, and they would stand trial, and go to jail or something

 

[Datalord]

Anyone here ever read "death note"? its really the same ethical dilema, i think the course of options in priority should be,
1 capture if possible
2 kill if not

 

[asinann]

Why are we just killing the bad guys?

 

[Silver]

Anyone quoted Nietzsche yet?

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster."

You realise of course the futility of posting that when people here already ARE the monster, and want to become worse?

If you're not talking about the people trying to stop them, and you're saying they should corrupt, rather than kill?