The Hood

[Pav]

Does The Hood need to be someone’s arch-nemesis? I think I’d like to actually see him as the protagonist of the story. Let’s see how the criminal underworld works from his eyes and watch as he grasps to get to the top (or just to stay alive)

I feel similarly: he's a compelling-enough character to warrant being the protagonist.

I've long thought it'd be helpful to provide him with a rogues gallery that is, in part, made up of heroes who are pretty popular but maybe have difficulty keeping their own solo going. Like, I think Moon Knight would work well as an antagonist to the Hood, and maybe his use would bring a few extra fans to the book.

While I like the idea of the Hood using various magical items, I would love if they re-establish the Nisanti as the real source of power. I always loved seeing Parker Robbins cut loose and transform into the form of the demon.

-Pav, who also thinks the Hood could work extremely well as a Spidey villain...

[Shadowcat]

Does The Hood need to be someone’s arch-nemesis? I think I’d like to actually see him as the protagonist of the story. Let’s see how the criminal underworld works from his eyes and watch as he grasps to get to the top (or just to stay alive)

Like the Shroud?

[The Cool Thatguy]

Hood's 'problem' is that he was created as an everyman villain.

Then, Bendis, who can only write kingpin/masterminds or sociopaths...tried to make him a mastermind and wrote in a lot where there had been blank space before.

I think Hood would work best as a guy who runs jobs and teams up with other villains based on their powers for the heist itself. Not some Kingpin would be, but an evil Danny Ocean

[Michael Watkins]

Like the Shroud?

certainly. i might also suggest someone like the Blue Shield/Joe Cartelli. he has also made enemies from his time as the Hood.

Force (the Iron Man character)
Whitefang
that dude whose name I can't remember but his costume is blue and white - he's a legacy villain/hero - the original was a Spider-woman villain - he used magical artifacts as weaponry -crap - I think his name was Enforcer

villain antagonists:
Zodiac (the new blatant Batman Begins Joker homage version)
the Golem (the mob boss who he humiliated in his original series)

[Master Planner]

Hood's 'problem' is that he was created as an everyman villain.

Then, Bendis, who can only write kingpin/masterminds or sociopaths...tried to make him a mastermind and wrote in a lot where there had been blank space before.

I think Hood would work best as a guy who runs jobs and teams up with other villains based on their powers for the heist itself. Not some Kingpin would be, but an evil Danny Ocean

I could see pre-Bendis Hood being a gang leader and it wasn't a bad idea from Bendis part. What was wrong is that Hood's gang had members who were masterminds and big villains themselves.I would keep Hood's crew into more street level/c-list superbeings and i could had him being a kingpin/big boss in New Jersey. Hell, his crew would be like a super-villain version of DiMeo family from the Sopranos. Capable, profitable but other crime bosses and big list supervillains would saw Hood's gang as a "glorified crew".

[Michael Watkins]

I can agree to that. I could see Jonas Harrow aligning with the Hood's crew because he's one of the lesser known/respected mad scientists. I find it less believable that the Wizard joined up. the latter's ego was legendary. he was possessive of the Frightful Four and would seek them out even after they quit/moved on. he wouldn't suffer someone like the Hood for a minute. and others wouldn't have stuck around because the Hood had nothing to offer them besides money. they should have stuck to costumed villains (as opposed to powered) who needed money for the upkeep of their weaponry. but someone like the Squid is fair game. he's a freak but not a high-level freak. the brothers grimm were also not big enough to refuse the Hood's offer. but I would have removed...

Doctor Demonicus
Centurious
Controller
Crossfire
Wizard
Living Laser
and most of the already-crews like the Circus of Crime and the Serpent Society

[Midnight_v]

Honestly, I think a lot of people get him wrong. While he was an "Everyman Villian" which was why he was so endearing...
What people don't seem to understand is that just like "every" picked on nerd wants superpowers
so he can trounce the jock and get himself the "girl of his dreams" be she the high school sweet heart... or later supermodel.

"Every" petty thug dreams of being a Mafia Kingpin. They all want to be Scarface, but....
Since this isn't real life...

The book worm becomes spiderman, gaining speed and strength to match his wit.
The "Every Villain" becomes the kingpin, gaining the Power and influence to match his Ambition.

Comics are wish fufuliment, and while many of us may not relate, identify, or even recognize any particular wish-set at any given time.
In this instance these are the Wishes being fulfilled.

So in that case bendis got it right.

The only problem with "the hood" is he lost some of his "everyman" quality when he achieves his goal and people can't relate to that in the eyes of many editors/writers.
Which is why for good or ill you get reset stories like "OMD" and the such.

The entire idea of:
"...with great power, comes great opportunity" Lets us know from the first mini where the characters arc is supposed to go.
From everyman to big bad.

However, being a big bad isn't supposed to solve his everyman problems, HE has to do that.

What IS wrong is controlling people like "The Controller' and the "Wizard" whom you really CAN'T control you can only get the upper hand on.

Parker Robbins should have far less problems controlling the Griffin and/or the wrecking crew however. The bigger names he has to address by asking:
"What do you want" and spending his life doing his best Tyrion Lannister/Littlefinger impression while dealing with them. Finding out what people want
and "PAYING" or "Delivering" them exactly that is a potent way to gain influence over many people.
It seems the most unsatisfying part of the character is the hand-waving of "how did he get these people to work for him... AT ALL?"
Thoughts?

[Snoop Dogg]

One of the many, many, many things I don't understand about the Doom parts of Brian's Iron Man run was the decision to give Parker this massive gang of supervillains to hang around, be non-characters, give Maleev more work, and confuse editorial. I think Brian just thinks a lot of guys like Wizard and Corrupter are dorks. But Living Laser shouldn't be a normal mook. Character who are dead shouldn't be there. It felt so artificial, like Hood's entire role in the run.

[Michael Watkins]

Even Osborn had to pay his dues and then use the Void as leverage. It's not that the Hood wasn't capable of leading. It's that his gang had already been introduced as incapable of accepting that kind of structure. With Fisk, there was the implied fear of death. Fisk had a very large network. Plus a lot of his power was legitimate/non-criminal. All Parker offered was to spring them from prison. Any regular reader knows that no criminal stays incarcerated for long. The Mad Thinker stays in prison to amuse himself. There are several masterminds who could replicate the Hood's stunt.

[Midnight_v]

One of the many, many, many things I don't understand about the Doom parts of Brian's Iron Man run was the decision to give Parker this massive gang of supervillains to hang around, be non-characters, give Maleev more work, and confuse editorial. I think Brian just thinks a lot of guys like Wizard and Corrupter are dorks. But Living Laser shouldn't be a normal mook. Character who are dead shouldn't be there. It felt so artificial, like Hood's entire role in the run.

Agreed there was some serious laziness there. NOT that you can't get people like the wizard and the Corrupter to play ball but they aren't going to do it for long, and you're never in control of them. They're too chaotic.
Chaotic... Chaotic...

There are villians, LOT of villains who just want money, and desire to netflix and chill, as much as college bro's and that the extent of their ambition. Parker can provide that.
Meanwhile, he's they guy that would: Help Mr.Frieze get his wife out of stasis (recon aside) For example. Etc etc.
He's also get her mind fixed if she rejects the new family structure.

Osborn became a world power, dealing with people like doom.
It seems to me Parker robins just wants to establish something between the Secret Society of Supervillins, and the Costra Nostra with supers.
... at first... but ... no we didn't get to see him Machinate and/or pay his dues to establish an organization.
So he feels like so many heroes today... in a perceived undeserved position, because someone "TELLING US" a character is important/smartes/the best instead of "showing us" why people are lining up to follow this
guy.
Sad because he Could be so much more.

EDIT: OH, and by the way Baron Mordo should be a MAIN person in his Rogues Gallery, as well as a few other mystics who want his hood, because its a relic of power of Dormamu.
Which is big deal, and opens the doors to mystic adventures when he's NOT dealing with "The wrecking ball refusing to wear suits" or whatever sillyness hes up to.