by Ben Settle
Much can be said about why the diabolical vampire Radu Vladislas (from the cult-like following of Subspecies B-movies) has such a rabid (even if niche) following. Part of it is his uniquely gruesome looks and demeanor — with his deep, hissing voice and blood constantly drooling and bubbling up out of his mouth every time he speaks. Or his abnormally long fingers that turn into small demonic creatures that carry out his evil commands when he breaks them off. Or his ability to teleport through shadows to travel far distances before dawn, or to simply appear inside a hapless woman’s bedchamber to feed.
Those are all interesting and useful attributes.
But the one attribute that stands out from them all has nothing to do with his looks. Nothing to do with his powers. Nothing even to do with him being a vampire.
This all-powerful attribute of persuasion is known as…
Obsession!
Radu’s powers of persuasion come from being obsessed with the things he craves. But not in a needy way. He does it in a dominant, self-assured way, as if the objects and people he desires (namely the Blood Stone, which drips the blood of the saints, and his “play thing” Michelle Morgan — who he made his vampiric fledgling despite her constantly trying to resist his wiles) are his already.
This is a common trait amongst many Villains.
And its power and significance cannot be overstated.
For example, Vox Day once said on his blog:
“… consider Sauron, for example. Has anyone ever given any thought to how charismatic he must have been, how inspiring, to not only convince whole kingdoms, whole races, to support his vision for Middle Earth, but even convince some of his most avowed enemies to abandon their fellows and throw in with him?”
I would argue what gave Sauron his supernatural charisma is the same thing that gave Radu his irresistible powers of influence:
His All-Consuming
Obsession!
When used in pursuit of your Mission, Obsession is charismatic.
And, when channeled, it can help you defeat those who are otherwise unbeatable.
Such as the brutal Villain Clubber Lang, who used Obsession to beat and humiliate Rocky — the Heavyweight Champion of the World in Rocky 3 — with ease. The Motherfucker in Kick Ass 2 used his Obsession with killing Kick Ass to assemble a team (against his crime boss uncle’s commands) of the most dangerous killers on the planet. And, yes, the Dark Lord Sauron used Obsession for finding The One Ring of Power to create an army so powerful, it took the combined might of all the elves, men, wizards, and the very creators of Middle-earth to contend with his will.
But that’s just the beginning.
Obsession also means you don’t need anything (or anyone) to motivate you. As heavyweight boxing champion Ed Latimore once Tweeted:
“Obsession is the easiest way to accomplish anything. Your decisions are already made, your time already allocated, and your focus at a maximum.”
More:
The late, great marketing genius (and master of persuasion & influence) Gary Halbert once wrote in his newsletter ( The Gary Halbert Letter ) about Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel Congo . Specifically, the part where a group of high level researchers with genius-level IQ’s compete for grant money to fund their research projects. There is one character especially persuasive at getting big money grants. And the reason why he is so persuasive is explained in this quote:
“Sometimes it’s difficult to tell who is the more brilliant but we look for something more important: We look for who is the most driven!”
These are just a few reasons why Obsession is known as:
“The Dark Lord of Charisma”
But there is no such thing as equality (a true Villain has no equal…), and this is especially true when it comes to Obsession and who it works for (or against).
In order for Obsession to work for you…
It Must Not Be Done
Out of Neediness!
Unfortunately for most men, their Obsessions take the form of wasteful and self-destructive things, like:
• Drugs
• Alcohol abuse
• Partying
• Getting in debt to buy expensive non-assets (cars, clothes, electronics, etc) for “status”
• Chasing dames that disrespect or reject them
• Dopamine addictions (stimulations from entertainment, video games, porn, the internet, etc, where their brains “reward” them for wasting time, and perpetually crave more of the same…)
• Approval seeking
• And the list goes on…
Just like with pain… Obsession will work against you, be unhealthy for you, and utterly sabotage you if you don’t invest it correctly. This is why a Super Villain of Persuasion obsesses only over activities that help him achieve his Mission.
Invest your Obsession in that alone, and you will have all the charisma you want.
All the influence you want.
And, yes, all the powers of persuasion you want.
Chapter 4
-
The 3-Second “Mind Tweak” That Creates Mass Influence
“The entire time I knew Thanos, he only ever had one goal: To wipe out half the universe.”
— Gamora
Avengers: Infinity War
When the Villain Adrian Veight (aka Ozymandius, “The Smartest Man In The World”) in Watchmen noticed the world sinking into chaos and war… when he saw the doomsday clock was but a minute away from midnight… and when he realized nothing the powers that be, the smooth-talking politicians, or political talking heads could do anything to stop the planet’s inevitable nuclear annihilation… there were many things he could have done with his great wealth to stop it.
Such as buying up all the arms manufacturers.
Or bribing the world’s politicians and leaders in to making better decisions.
Or possibly even getting himself elected President of the United States and seizing control over the most powerful nation on earth.
But he didn’t just want to change the political process.
Or replace the politicians.
Or rule the world.
Instead, he decided to…
Completely Transform Society!
It was the only way to save the world from itself, instead of just applying another temporary “band-aid” of peace treaties and double-talk negotiations.
And he did it by using his vast resources and intellect to create a deadly crisis so unimaginable it would influence the world and its leaders to focus on attacking that threat, instead of attacking each other.
Which bring us to another Super Villains of Persuasion secret:
Thinking Big!
Thinking big let Ozymandius persuade the world’s most powerful men to change everything about themselves — including their thinking, their plans, and even the very laws of their own countries. It also persuaded the most powerful man in the world Dr. Manhattan to go against his nature, and kill another Watchman to preserve the peace Ozymandius created.
Thinking big is a staple of a Super Villain of Persuasion’s arsenal.
Like when Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse decided to destroy all non-mutants by using Charles Xavier’s mind to control and eviscerate them using their own nuclear warheads.
Or when Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War decided to eradicate poverty, disease, and hunger by wiping out half the universe’s population.
Or when Bane during the infamous “Knightfall” comics storyline decided to not just defeat Batman… but completely destroy him — by breaking his back, his legacy, and his spirit.
Or when the Kingpin in Frank Miller’s acclaimed Born Again storyline discovered Daredevil’s secret identity and decided not to merely kill Daredevil, but drive him insane by using his influence to have the IRS seize Matt Murdock’s accounts (making him poor), have a police lieutenant testify he saw Murdock pay a witness to perjure himself (making him unable to practice law anymore), and then firebombing his apartment (making hi
m homeless). The Kingpin also made it obvious to Murdock he was the one who did it, further driving Matt Murdock into despair.
More:
In Rich Dad, Poor Dad , best-selling author Robert Kiyosaki talks about how the rich and powerful do everything big .
When they win, they win big.
When they lose, they lose big.
But win or lose…
They Do It Big!
Frankly, being a big thinker creates influence by its mere existence.
As your thinking grows bigger, as your plans grow bigger, and as your Mission grows bigger… so does the number of people wanting to listen to you, follow you, and be influenced by you. It’s why all the Villains above are always surrounded by loyal henchmen, dames, and “lieutenants” ready to carry out their marching orders.
Best part?
No matter what your position in life, you can do the same thing. All it takes is a 3-second “tweak” in the way you think — where whatever your plans… whatever your ambitions… whatever your goals… you make them bigger.
Enlarge them.
Blow them up as huge as you can.
And then, keep making them bigger, until…
The Size and Scope of Your Plans
Takes Even Your Breath Away!
That is when you know you’re on the right track.
And it is also when you will begin to automatically take your persuasion game to a whole new level where most men are too timid to tread.
Chapter 5
-
How Even Super Villains of Ill Repute Win Trust
“This isn’t Wall Street, this is Hell. We have a little something called Integrity.”
- Crowley
King of Hell
Supernatural
The King of Hell/King of the Crossroads demon Crowley (from the TV show Supernatural ) isn’t just a great Super Villain of Persuasion because of his ability to plot, scheme, and lead. But also, because he has the one attribute every Villain must have in order to win and maintain loyalty, trust, and credibility in the eyes of a public programmed to be ruthlessly skeptical of Villains.
And that attribute is…
Integrity!
For instance:
When Crowley makes a deal to steal a soul, his word is his bond. Which is why when one of his crossroad demons started making greedy pacts to get souls by breaking his rules, he canceled the scoundrel demon’s deals (even though Crowley would have benefited from them) and took him back to hell to torment him, while declaring:
“You make a deal, you keep it.”
However, this isn’t just limited to Crowley.
Many Super Villains of Persuasion have their own (even if warped) code of Integrity.
Such as the Red Hood in Batman: Under the Red Hood — where the Red Hood seized control of the mafia and Gotham City’s crime bosses. He allowed crime and required a cut of the profits. But, the line was drawn at selling drugs to children.
It was also the case with Don Corleone in The Godfather — who abhorred people who made promises they couldn’t keep, valued family over everything, and also prohibited selling drugs.
And also with the maniacal Tuco in Better Call Saul — whose sense of Integrity made him open to being negotiated with by Jimmy McGill, who talked Tuco down from killing and burying a couple con artists (who tried to con Tuco’s grandmother) in the desert… to merely breaking one leg each, instead.
There was also the violent gangster Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas — who paid everyone for their assistance, regardless of how small the task, and refused to rat his friends out no matter what. (Even if he had no qualms about whacking them out of paranoia...)
And so, it is with many other Super Villains such as Loki, Lex Luthor, Thanos, Magneto, and even Skeletor who escorted a couple kids through Eternia and didn’t let evil befall them. (Then declared after saving one of them, “I am NOT nice!”) Frankly, even hardened criminals in America’s worst prisons show a certain level of Integrity by the way they are quick to attack and kill child molesters imprisoned with them.
Yes, the above villains and criminals may very well be vile scumbags.
But, they also have a sense (even if tenuous) of Integrity.
And that Integrity is what makes them in some ways — their evil, sociopathic, and often megalomaniacal actions notwithstanding — trustworthy, credible, and, when needed…
More Persuasive Than Many of the Heroes And So-Called “Good Guys.”
And here’s something else:
Having Integrity even in trivial matters gives you influence. Take, for example, the great marketing teacher Dan Kennedy again, who declared in his NO BS Time Management book:
“First of all, being punctual gives you the right—the positioning—to expect and demand that others treat your time with the utmost respect. You cannot reasonably hope to have others treat your time with respect if you show little or no respect for theirs. So, if you’re not punctual, you have no leverage, no moral authority. But the punctual person gains that advantage over staff, associates, vendors, clients, everybody.”
And make no mistake, being punctual is a form of Integrity.
As is telling the truth.
Being ethical in your deals.
Never going back on your word (no matter how beneficial it would be to you).
Not skimming off the top even if you can “get away” with it.
Doing what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it.
And delivering nothing but your best effort and work.
Moral (or immoral, depending on the Villain…) of the story?
Being consistent in your Integrity wins you the trust of other men and Villains alike.
And That Trust Means More Influence Over Other Men and Villains Alike, Too.
So, in everything you do, do it with Integrity.
It’s one of the few things that not only weeds out the merely average men from great men, but also weeds out the merely great men from the bona fide Super Villains of Persuasion.
Chapter 6
-
Donning the Mask of Authority
“Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask.”
— Bane
The Dark Knight Rises
Believe it or not, the above quote has one of the most valuable lessons in Villain history about persuasion embedded within.
How so?
Because many great (even iconic) Villains were originally ignored, disrespected, mocked, and shunned. But, the second they put their masks on…
They Instantly Received
All the Attention, Respect, and Influence
They Desired!
Case in point:
• Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies — originally Anakin Skywalker couldn’t even muster up enough clout to have a voice on the Jedi Council after being appointed a seat by the Chancellor (with the other council members insulting him by refusing to recognize his membership). But after he put the Darth Vader mask on, he became a powerful and fearsome presence all the Jedi feared, and all the inhabitants throughout the galaxy obeyed.
• Puzzle from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle — who was a mere talking donkey in a land full of talking animals. Nobody thought him special, or worthy of respect and loyalty. But, when he and his friend (the devious talking Ape Shift) found a lion skin left over by a hunter, Shift made Puzzle wear it to impersonate the lion Aslan, creator of Narnia. The result? Almost overnight, Puzzle went from being a nobody, to the single most influential animal in the country.
• Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th movies — most people have no clue what he looked like before donning his signature hockey mask. But after he wore it, he became one of the most frightening and iconic Villains ever recorded. Jason’s mask was so impactful, even Freddy Krueger in Freddy vs Jason used Jason to “remind” the children in the neighborhood he used to haunt about him, so they’d believe in his existence again, which would allow him to escape hell and take physic
al form.
• The Reverend Jonathan Whirley — the evil leader of the Pagan gang in the movie Dragnet . Sans his mask, he was a mild-mannered reverend, with a soft, unassuming nature. But when donning the Pagan mask, he became a sinister figure who sacrificed virgins to a giant snake and committed crimes around the city.
• Jonathan Crane — the Scarecrow in Batman Begins was just a non-physically imposing figure in his day job as a lawyer. But when he put on his mask (and especially when he released his fear toxin) he became one of the most unforgettable figures people saw. (And, sometimes, the last person they saw…)
But this phenomenon doesn’t just apply to physical masks.
In the movies and comics, actual masks are necessary. And usually, the scarier and more menacing the better. But here in the real world, a Villain’s Mask is subtler, less obvious, and can potentially make you far more persuasive and influential than any physical mask can.
In fact, when you don the Villain’s Mask correctly…
You Will Create an Authoritative Personality
People Won’t Be Able to Resist Following!
It doesn’t matter if you are a complete nobody now.
Or even if you have the personality of Homer Simpson.
To give you an example, there was once a series of short Q&A documentaries with various Hollywood directors. One of the featured directors was John Singleton who directed the acclaimed Boyz ’n the Hood . And one of the things John Singleton talked about was how certain world-famous celebrities had to create their own larger-than-life personas in order to stand out in the industry. One of which was 2Pac. According to John Singleton, 2Pac wasn’t naturally as eccentric and dramatic as his celebrity persona was. Yes, it was essentially him and his personality. But it was exaggerated.
And the same goes for Ice Cube, too, as well as several other people he’d worked with.
And you know what?
After dealing with some of the most popular personalities in the marketing and business world, I can testify that creating your own larger-than-life personality not only makes you way more interesting, influential, and persuasive… but also extremely unique, too. Especially since most men will never do it. And the reason why they won’t do it is because…
