| rdfs:comment
| - So, the heroes have finally captured Duke Diabolico, yay! ... so now what? He's repeatedly proven he not only doesn't want to reform, but will turn any such attempts into another dastardly scheme by masquerading as reformed, and the Cardboard Prison is looking especially porous right now. Plus, he's proven smart enough to defy being a Self-Disposing Villain and even if the heroes weren't too principled to kill, he's also avoided giving the heroes (and other villains) reasons to kill him. Examples of Brainwashing for the Greater Good include:
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| abstract
| - So, the heroes have finally captured Duke Diabolico, yay! ... so now what? He's repeatedly proven he not only doesn't want to reform, but will turn any such attempts into another dastardly scheme by masquerading as reformed, and the Cardboard Prison is looking especially porous right now. Plus, he's proven smart enough to defy being a Self-Disposing Villain and even if the heroes weren't too principled to kill, he's also avoided giving the heroes (and other villains) reasons to kill him. There's only one thing to do. Brainwashing... for the greater good! This can be done with varying degrees of squick. Heroes might go the "soft" route and administer Care Bear Stares, use The Power of Love and Friendship, and in conjunction with "motivational" speeches trigger a quasi-voluntary Heel Face Turn. However, a more extreme villain might require a more extreme method. The combination of Laser-Guided Amnesia, a new personality, and a Restraining Bolt might be in order. Who cares about Mind Over Manners if Duke Diabolico is no longer a threat and is helping old ladies cross the street? He might even join the heroes and help capture and brainwash other villains! But why stop there? Why not paint smiles on everyone's soul? Eventually, the heroes will be dumped at the bottom of the slippery slope: a world of Grey and Gray Morality where the horrific after-effects manifest. If Duke Diabolico doesn't spontaneously relapse and kill willy nilly in reprisal for being demeaned into planting posies in the park, his minions or allies will come by and break the brainwashing. When this happens, it might even turn out that he likes good more than evil. If so, it will cause a Heroic BSOD as he grapples with a hidden lifetime of evil. Of course, it might be that the brainwashing had the side effect of turning him Brainwashed and Crazy. Compare Heel Face Brainwashing, and also see No Medication for Me for a trope that touches on the same ethical questions. Examples of Brainwashing for the Greater Good include:
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)