So there's this old story I have: the main characters are reformed-ish villains who are made into heroes, and pitted against their former leader and father figure.
I've never been able to get it to work out, though...recently, I had the idea to change the atmosphere of the comic to be a little more villain-friendly, but before I jump into that and try again, I thought I might trawl for suggestions.
Here are some things I've already tried (so if you suggest these back to me unchanged I will (a) ignore you and (b) understand that you don't read):
I. Throwing out the whole parent-child relationship
...It would probably make the story much easier to write, ngl.
But I WANT IT. The latest incarnation of the 'leader' villain, and the one I like the best, was made to be a father from the ground up, and I really want that to be a part of his interactions with the "heroes".
II. "What we've been doing is wrong!"
I considered this for about 10 milliseconds in the early days of writing...it's probably the most common reason that people use to make antagonists switch sides, having them 'see the light' and all.
But I rejected it so quickly because it destroys what makes these "heroes" unique: They're selfish, petty, and immature; they don't fight for 'justice' and they don't consider their job to be morally correct. ^^;
Having them throw around cute, cliche'd change-of-heart speeches would change the whole concept into something else entirely...
III. Threat of imprisonment
The most recent idea, and the strongest one. I liked it because it puts the 'good guys' in a negative light, and complicates the ethics of the situation in an appropriate way (these "heroes" are children, FYI).
Unfortunately, the "heroes" are physically stronger than most of the other villains, and if law enforcement is able to catch them and threaten them...why do they need their help to fight the other villains...?
Now here's where things get messy (AKA how I tried and failed to get myself out of that hole):
i. There are too many villains There aren't, actually...and they tend to stay together and go out in teams. One good reconnaissance mission and they could all be taken out easily.
ii. Law enforcement is just too stupid This is a silly comic, but not that silly. u_u Besides, if they're so dumb, why can't the "heroes" escape and go back to their life of crime?
iii. The "heroes" were caught by sheer luck See the above.
iv. The other villains are too hard to find See i. They just aren't, really...I tried to make this possible by giving them outside help, but the logic just got really convoluted...and it was all still hindered by the fact that they could just be followed back to their base.
I can feel the despair coming back already...but all those dead-ends are because of the old framework. Here are some new things I'm considering doing:
a. Make the villains stronger New designs and abilities? Underdog heroes?? Hell yeah~
b. Give the villains more control I briefly considered making the story a post-apocalyptic sort of setting where the villains have already won, and the "heroes" are charged with taking power back. Could work.
c. Put the "heroes" in a position to protect their old friends Back to the titular question...it would be great if the "heroes" have to take down the villains because the alternative (allowing someone less merciful to do it, perhaps) would be much worse...I'm just not sure how it would work. ^^;
