Shapeshifters

[anthimeria]

Okay, y'all, I need some help.  I'm trying to outline a superhero story, and for hero-related reasons, I'd really like my villain to be a shapeshifter.

The thing is, I can only think of sneaky-infiltration type plots for shapeshifters, and that doesn't mesh with my superhero (she's a little more, hmm, think Wonder Woman or Spider-Man instead of Batman or Daredevil).

I am fully capable of pulling full-blown ideas out of tiny bits, so large or small, what kind of villainous deeds might a shapeshifter commit?

PS: it's set in the modern USA, in a world that's accustomed to superheroes.  I'd like to avoid such overdone, boring schemes as "taking over the world," "blowing up something big and important" and "creating new real estate from radioactive minerals."

Comments

[miss_haitch]

There's transforming into a pre-existing famous person for nefarious purposes, transforming into some sort of dangerous beast to scare or hunt down citizens, transforming into a shape that's exceptional in some way to gain fame (super strength or super dexterity for sports or general usefulness). Maybe shapeshifting to pretend to be an alien or some other otherworldly being?

[anthimeria]

Shapeshifting into a pre-existing person definitely has possibilities. Thanks!

[lea_hazel]

Shapeshifting into a predator to poach protected animals. Too strange? You have to admit, not the sort of villain you usually see.

[anthimeria]

Definitely not the usual kind of villain!

[rydra_wong]

Shapeshifting into a lethal virus?

ETA: It depends on what scale and tone you want for the villainy, really: is it something that's going to threaten the nation, or harm a single person? Comic-book style melodrama or subtle creepiness?

(For the latter, how about having your shapeshifter murder someone and then replace them: shift to look exactly like them, move into their life, take over the murdered person's job, their partner, their house, their family ... and no-one will ever know.)

[anthimeria]

I like the virus idea, but the question of displaced mass makes my head hurt. If one could shapeshift via magic it might work . . .

The idea of taking over someone's life is great, but the caveat for the writer is, of course, that my superhero has to be able to catch the shapeshifter! Though the smarter the villain, the better the story, as far as I'm concerned.

[ailelie]

Corporate espionage.
Small-scale identity theft.
If she has a partner, a fake bounty hunter service. (She shifts as the bad guy, friend turns her in and gets money, she escapes).
Hustling (esp'ly if she has some talent at something. Cards. Basketball. Pool. Bowling. Etc.)

Maybe she's a bit of a thrill-seeker and likes to get close to famous people to take a lock of hair or something. She shifts as security detail or close friends of the person, blends in, and then steals something small to prove she'd done it. Etc.

[anthimeria]

Shifting into security personnel and shifting to get out of arrests are good thoughts, thanks!

[dragonjournal]

going on my superhero knowledge:

Think Mystique, from Marvel. She usually works for the highest bidder, meaning she does everything from assassinations to infiltration to espionage.

And she's, possibly, one of the most well known shapeshifters as well.

[anthimeria]

Mystique is certainly one of the best-known shapeshifters out there, which is one of the reasons I'm trying to stay away from her kind of job--no point in just re-creating an already-famous character.

I do like some of the intricacies of her shapeshifting, though, like the fact that she essentially has a healing factor and doesn't age, because her cells regenerate every time she shifts.

[melannen]

Teddy from Young Avengers is a shapeshifter who fills the "bruiser" role - he shapeshifts into a hulk-like person for battle, and hits things.

Basically, if your shapeshifter can alter her mass signficantly as well as her weight, the options are unlimited - think the shapeshifting battle in the Sword in the Stone!

[anthimeria]

Taking hints from Teddy (who is awesome) is a good thought. Though my favorite comics shapeshifter is still J'onn.

And I'm pretty sure my finale-battle is going to look a lot like a magician's duel!

[bliumchik]

I think a bank robber or jewel thief could definitely benefit from being able to fool retina scans and fingerprint checks...

[anthimeria]

Ooh, fooling fingerprints and retina scans is DEFINITELY something that could come in handy.