Owner	Pose
Hugo Strange	Hugo Strange looked at himself in the mirror as the TV station's makeup crew freshened him up. He was quite used to this by now, being one of Jack Ryder's favorite guests tended to give Hugo a lot of TV experience. Jack Ryder, being ever the sensationalist, decided to air a segment debating the mental stability of Super-Heroes, something that interested Hugo, partily due to his obsession with a certain Bat. As Hugo walked down the aisle, his mind raced over to the details he was told about his opponent tonight, Dr. Dr. Leonard Samson, a pro-hero psychiatrist. He was on the pro-hero side of the debate tonight, and Hugo was determined to destroy him. As Hugo walked into the brightly-lit set of the Jack Ryder show, the live band was over-whlemed by the sounds of applause and cheers. Hugo smiled and nodded at the audience as he made his way to the center of the room and shook hands with Mr.Ryder. He then turned and waited for Doc Samson to arrive.
Doc Samson	For his part, Samson was dressed in a bespoke suit, its muted blue color offset by both the doctor's long green hair and his bright red tie, itself accented by a yellow lightning bolt design. He walks into the studio calmly and confidently, adjusting his shirt cuffs and offering a polite wave and smile to the studio audience, as he approaches his assigned seat. "Mister Ryder," he says to the host, and then he nods to his 'opponent'. "Doctor Strange. I look forward to our conversation."
Hugo Strange	"As do I Doctor Samson, as do I." Hugo's voice was deep and cultured and had a hint of confidence in it. He then grins at uou and takes the seat across from you, looking at you straight in the eyes. Ryder then clears his throat and says," Now, these two distinguished doctors will debating the mental stability of heroes in a segement I call " Heros: Saints or Insane." I will let Doctor Samson begin and then let our resident Doctor respond." Hugo tilts his head and starts to rub his chin, as if he were listening intently to you and your arguments.
Doc Samson	Blinking, Samson nods and clears his throat. "Right. I know that the world is a complicated place, and it can feel like there's so much we don't know. In turn, what we don't know tends to frighten us, if for no other reason than we don't know what to expect from it." He tilts his head slightly to the side. "But that doesn't necessarily mean the unknown has to be frightening. In many cases, it's just something that exists. We can't know everything in the world, after all. Why should that be any different for 'super heroes'?" Samson places his hands on his lap, fingers intertwined. "If there's one thing we /do/ know about super heroes, it's that they're trying to make the world a better place. Different individuals go about that in different ways. And they tend to have different abilities, or skills, or philosophies about how to make the world a better place. It's hardly a form of insanity or even of mental illness."
Hugo Strange	As Samson relates his side of the argument, Hugo just listens calmly, ocassionaly scratching his beard. The second Samson was finished Hugo cleared his throat. "True, these heroes do a lot of good and have helped many over the years. But my friend, i have one question. Why? Why do they do it?" "What drives a person to use their gifts or natural abilities to go out and do these actions. No normal individual would go out and do this, what drives them to do this if it isn't mental instability as you claim."
Doc Samson	Samson leans back slightly, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "Well, Strange, I would have thought that was obvious to a fellow psychologist." He takes a deep breath. "Natural instincts can drive many to use their natural abilities. Is it insanity for a bird to use its wings? Why should it be insanity for someone to use their powers to help others?" Samson runs a hand through his hair. "I know some have hypothesized that super heroes are a kind of immune system, like the white blood cells of mankind, protecting us." "Others," he adds, "don't have their abilities naturally. They gained them through some sort of extraordinary circumstance. But that, too, can be a catalyst. There is an obligation many feel--they have these powers, they are in a position to do good with them. After all, is it not said that 'the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for a good man to do nothing'? It might well be argued that it would be insanity /not/ to use those abilities for good."
Hugo Strange	Hugo was about to retort when suddenly the timer went off, signaling that Samson's time was up. Ryder then turns to Strange and says," Alright Doctor Strange, you heard Dr. Samson's POV, now enlighten us with yours." Hugo nods at Ryder and grins slightly at Samson before beginning. "My view is that supers must be mentally ill. What else would drive a person who finds himself with powers to do something someting to benefit others instead of themselves. Humanity is naturally a selfish race. If you want proof of that, just look outside your window, Gotham is full of evidence of that." "What mentality drives them to it, a variety in my opinion but i theorize that it is a mix of Narcissism and Trauma for most of them. My prime example for trauma is the Batman." This man shows up dressed as a Bat fighting Gotham's organized crime dressed as a Bat, no normal individual does that. It is quite obvious that something happened to him in his past that drove him to this. It sounds frightfully familiar to someone else I have heard of, Frank Castle, The Punisher. In fact, if it wasn't for the Batman's non-lethality, I would shudder to think what he would be capable of. As for narcisism, look no further than the Flash. Unlike Batman, he wants the attention. He dresses up quite colorfully and he seems to be quite the Media Darling dosen't he? What man would draw attention to himself like this. And don't you dare say this is a natural part of his crime fighting. "A narcissus thinks only of himself and what he can gain from what he is doing. Sure, he may be heroric now, but will happen once his starlight starts to dim. If you have heard of the term Hero Syndrome, which is definded as phenomenon affecting people who seek heroism or recognition, you would notice that it matches many heroes to a tee."
Doc Samson	"Doctor Strange," Samson asks, "wouldn't it be most useful--and ethical--to begin from the simplest of syllogisms? In the Flash's case, for example: he wants to help others. He wears colorful clothing. Thus, perhaps he simply wants to be a hyper-visible symbol to those he helps. He might even want to be visible to his /enemies/, to give them a chance to reconsider their actions and surrender." He shifts slightly in his seat. "As for the Batman ... if indeed he suffered trauma, how would that make him insane? Would your argument not be stronger if the Batman--whomever he might be--had, in fact, an entirely nondescript life? The Punisher serves to prove the case. He is the product of a number of traumatic experiences, with one in particular a horrible catalyst for his violence. But he is, I would argue, entirely sane. He acts in a lucid manner--it's just that his actions are gruesome." "Let me ask you this," Samson continues. "What is narcissistic about the Punisher's actions? Or Batman's? What recognition are they seeking?"
Hugo Strange	"They desire to be feared," Hugo says with a grim look on his face. " They desire to be feared by the criminals they hate. It may not be the traditional sense of narcissium at work, but their tactics do seeom to give them a lot of fear and attention. Which is something they obviously want and encourage the fear to be spread among the Underworld." Suddenly, the buzzer again goes off, annoncing the end of the debate. As Jack closes the segment, Hugo stands up and offers his hand towards Samson for a handshake.
Doc Samson	"I appreciate the conversation," Samson says to Strange as they shake hands. "Even if I'm not sure you've reached the correct conclusion. But I suppose that's what peer review is for, isn't it?" He grins and then turns to wave at the applauding audience.