Heroes, by their very nature, stand upon a pedestal. They are aspirational figures, shining saviours sworn to give their all for the sake of the greater good, and so long as they carry the blessing of the Hero Association they can always count on having someone who looks up to them. From the lowliest C-rank to the very pinnacle they carry the hopes and dreams of humanity upon their shoulders. It’s only natural then that people would want to be heroes and stand side by side with their idols.

But what of those who idolise villains and dream of following in their footsteps …?

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Heiress-in-exile of the Serpens Group (a biotech conglomerate), Eveline Serpens once operated under the alias Venom Queen as a supervillain of modest infamy. Though born a baseline human, her arsenal of toxin-based weaponry and enhancements spliced from reptile DNA made her a match for most mid-tier heroes when she set the battlefield accordingly. She took vengeance, wealth, tech – whatever her heart desired – from behind a mask. Nothing could touch her, let alone stop her.

Then one day the release on her snake-head gauntlets failed catastrophically and an otherwise flawless job was thwarted by her inability to operate a simple keypad. The arresting hero found Eveline listless and morose, her boiling anger having given way to despondency, and she gave herself up without a fight. The media ran with the story under the headline ‘Snake Hands Chokes,’ and between the nickname sticking and the footage going viral she was too embarrassed and ashamed to even consider staying in the game. Venom Queen hung up her gear and Eveline Serpens slank away into relative obscurity, her reputation in tatters and standing within the company little better.

In the end it wasn’t heroism that drew her back into the spotlight. With destruction at hand and no heroes in sight, Eveline had little faith in a last-minute rescue to protect her investments – and the surrounding area and populace. A monster drowned in venom, a community saved, and Snake Hands caught the eye of the Association.

Whether she’ll remain a hero is another matter, but for now there’s something to be said for the chance of rebuilding her aura and clawing back the respect she truly deserves. And doing it from atop the pedestal this time.