- For the PC game, see Evil Genius (game)
The Evil Genius is an archetype or even caricature recurring staple in certain genres, particularly comic books, spy fiction, action films and cartoons. From Wile E. Coyote (technically a "super genius" rather than an evil one), to Professor Moriarty, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Auric Goldfinger, Lex Luthor, Dr. Evil, and Stewie Griffin, the evil genius is a common adversary and foil of the hero.
To qualify as an evil genius, one must use one's cunning to create complex plots to wreak havoc and destruction, and as a result criminal tendancies are a must. Such plots often hinge on tiny things that heroes can exploit, foiling the plot in the dying scenes of a film.
Evil geniuses commonly have a difficult childhood. They may have been raised as orphans or witnessed their parents dying a horrible death. Ironically, this is often the same genesis experienced by superheroes.
Excessive hubris is a common characteristic among evil geniuses, so much so that they often boast of their grand designs to their adversary due to their overconfidence that they cannot be defeated.
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