Hello and welcome to the English Like a Native Podcast, the listening resource that's designed for intermediate to advanced-level English learners. My name is Anna, and this episode will help you to learn English with the supervillains. Or like the supervillains. Both really, with them and like them. Okay, so, I hope you'll understand much more when I get into it. So, today is the last episode of 2023. It has been quite a journey. We've created 130 podcast episodes so far with many more already in the pipeline for 2024, and I am very, very excited. Now, like every podcast episode, this episode will be peppered with lots of interesting and colourful language. So, listen out for idioms, phrasal verbs, and an array of interesting words. Now, if you would like to get more out of your listening and learning experience, then you can do by becoming a Plus Member. Plus Members help to support this podcast with a very small monthly contribution. And in return, they receive transcripts for all of the current weeks', episodes and wordlists and access to bonus episodes as well. If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Plus Member, then I'll leave all the details in the description. Now without further ado, let's jump into today's episode. On the rare occasions when my partner and I get to transform into couch potatoes with enough time in the evening to squeeze in a film before hitting the sack, we always face one humungous obstacle, deciding which film to watch. This can literally take hours, so to save my sanity, I often suggest that we watch a superhero film because these are usually a safe bet; fun and entertaining. Everyone loves a superhero, after all. Now when you think of superheroes, maybe you go right back to the start of the original comic book adventures of Superman, Batman, Spiderman or Wonder Woman. Perhaps the more modern cinematic heroes like Storm and the Black Widow come to mind. Either way, I want to ask you a question. What is a hero, or heroine, without rivals or an arch-enemy, someone who is your number one enemy, the yin to your yang, the evil to your good? As well as their amazing powers, these villainous characters all have quite a way with words. To invert a common phrase, they don't just walk the walk, but they talk the talk, too. So, in this podcast, we're going to pay particular attention to the stylish, expressive, witty, and downright nasty language, not of the superheroes, but of the supervillains! The anti-heroes who we love to hate. So, how would you describe a supervillain? I would say that a supervillain is the character who is the adversary, or enemy, to the hero or the main protagonist. They possess extraordinary abilities or superhuman powers, just like a superhero, but also a compelling motivation that drives them to engage in malevolent activities. supervillains often play a recurring role in stories, creating tension, drama, and iconic rivalries with superheroes. Let's be honest, some of the most charismatic and alluring figures in comic, live action, and animation history have been the bad guys and girls. Maybe you are familiar with the line that entitles this podcast,"I have you now." Even if you are, please indulge me and allow me to give a little background to it. This line is famously spoken by Darth Vader in the original 1977 Star Wars film, Episode Four, A New Hope. As Luke Skywalker, the hero, is making his attack on the Death Star, the most powerful weapon in the evil galactic empire, Darth Vader, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces, locks onto Luke's X-wing with his TIE fighter's weapons ready to blow him out of the story. Just before he can, Vader says, with supreme satisfaction,"I have you now." Well, if this had actually been true, then Episode Four would have been the first and only Star Wars film to appear. That's the thing with supervillains. They have a tendency to speak too soon; that is to say, something that is quickly shown not to be true. I'm not spoiling things too much by telling you that Darth Vader didn't have Luke at that moment, but what he did have was an iconic line in the history, not only of the Star Wars franchise, but of cinema itself. Their sharp lines and catchphrases are so much part of what makes supervillains memorable wherever they appear, it can even make them seem relatable. I mean, we all like to have a bit of fun from time to time. Why does life always have to be full of work and duty? Do you know where I'm going with this?"Why so serious?" I'm probably doing terrible impressions here. It's not just the words, but the delivery."Why so serious?" The Joker, one of Batman's many nemeses. This is another word for arch-enemy, nemesis. Arch-enemy. He utters these words and other lines in a chilling, iconic tone during the 2008 film, The Dark Knight. Now no one has ever won an Academy Award for playing a superhero, but Heath Ledger's interpretation of supervillain The Joker was powerful enough to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2009. One of the primary reasons supervillains have distinct ways of speaking is to create a stark contrast with the heroes they oppose. And what could be more contrasting than the famous line from a film with an amazing soundtrack by Queen about the ruthless, alien tyrant leader of the planet, Mongo, and an American football quarterback, also known as the survivor of the universe. Flash. Ah! Flash Gordon somehow managed to save the earth in the 1980 film, despite the evil intention of Ming the Merciless Ming was one of those supervillains who also spoke to soon when he said,"Pathetic earthlings, who can save you now?" Maybe we all ask ourselves, why do they do it? Why don't they just finish the heroes off instead of taking those extra seconds to gloat and allowing them that opportunity to escape or for something to happen and thwart their evil-doings? If you remember in his attempt to eliminate the hero of Star Wars, Darth Vader was only temporarily thwarted or stopped from doing what he wanted. But in Ming's case, at least for now, it seems to be the end for him. Over 40 years and counting, and still no sequel, but you never know. Flash. Ah! Another one in 2024. Who knows. Okay, so, Star Wars, Batman, Flash Gordon, all pretty famous, I think you'll agree. Now for a personal favourite of mine who might be a little less well known, although a couple of films have been made about the titular main character. I remember him best from the 1980s cartoon series, which I watched as a kid. I couldn't wait to get to school the next day to talk about it with my friends and sing Inspector Gadget. He was pretty hopeless, to be honest, but he always managed to save the day in the end by some strange stroke of fortune. Much to the annoyance of one of his many enemies, Dr. Claw. Dr. Claw was in such perpetual disbelief at Inspector Gadget's incredible run of good luck that he was always convinced that he would triumph in the end repeatedly saying,"I'll get you next time Gadget, next time". This recurring phrase and ending gave us a sense of familiarity and comfort. Something to look forward to. Eternally safe in the knowledge that Gadget would always triumph. It's pretty similar to what regularly happened in the Scooby-Doo cartoon series. The perpetrator of the crimes that the kids in the Mystery Machine solved, always solved, always seemed to end up saying, and I would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids. Here's an example of the importance of perception. Meddling actually means to interfere in something which is none of your business, and producing an undesired result. Is catching a criminal in the act an undesired result? I guess it depends on who you ask. So, who was the first supervillain? Perhaps one of the enemies of Batman or Superman, the earliest comic book superheroes from the 1930s and 1940s. But what if you look past the comic books and go back a little further in time? In 1900, L Frank Baum published a novel that would lead to one of the most famous films in history. Not a superhero film, but a fantasy work. A children's literature classic about a girl who, along with her faithful dog Toto, is blown away by a tornado to a magical land called Oz. The 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz features the character, the Wicked Witch of the West, who seems to fit the definition of a supervillain rather well, if you remember, possessing extraordinary abilities, but also a compelling motivation that drives them to engage in malevolent activities. Her most memorable line is,"I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too." What a meanie! Threatening a helpless girl is bad enough, but to add that adorable little doggy to her hitlist is simply horrid. Unforgettable though. And actress Margaret Hamilton's portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West has given us a representation of what a witch looks like, which endures to this day. From the outright nastiness of the wicked witch of the West. Let's move on to the pure arrogance of a character whose contempt extends to the entire human race. Theatricality is another key element of supervillain communication. These characters often speak with a sense of drama and flair, making their words and actions larger than life. Magneto, the master of magnetism from the Marvel Comics is known for his disdainful tone. At one point in the film, X-Men 2, he meets his adversary Professor X. Professor X is a mutant like Magneto, but unlike Magneto, he advocates peaceful coexistence between the species. Magneto refers to humans as homo sapiens, but to mutants as homo superior, and at one point tells Professor X,"you are a God among insects", acknowledging Professor X's status, but simultaneously belittling him. Sometimes the difference between hero and villain is not so clear-cut. If you were on the mutant side, you might consider Magneto a superhero, not a supervillain. Likewise, Judge Dredd who first appeared in the pages of the 2000 AD comic series in 1977. Dredd is a law enforcement officer in Mega-City One, a city of hundreds of millions of people stretching all the way down the east coast of America. A good guy then, surely? Well, he has the authority to arrest, sentence and even execute those who he finds guilty. And his catchphrase?"I am the law." This statement combined with the fact that we never fully see his face, seems to resonate with the idea of an unknown and unaccountable hand, administering justice, a totalitarian vision of what's right and wrong. Perhaps Dredd is an example of what we know as an‘antihero’, a character who is morally ambiguous; that his actions have different motivations and meanings. 35 years after his debut comic, Judge Dredd appeared on a series of British stamps, so he can't be too badly regarded if the Royal Mail wanted us to lick him and stick him, first class too! So, there we are, our“Villainous Seven”. I'm sorry if I haven't been able to include your personal favourite supervillain. Who have I left out? Which other supervillains talk the talk as well as they walk the walk? I hope you'll agree at least that these have been well worth hearing about today. If not, then in the words of our first supervillain Darth Vader;"I find your lack of faith disturbing!" I've had a lot of fun with our cast today, but thank you most of all to all you listeners for following along. Now you know that you can find motivation for your English language journey in unusual places, even from the mouths of supervillains. So, this episode wraps up 2023. I shall be returning on the 1st of January, 2024, and if this podcast has provided you with any value this year at all, then I would be eternally grateful if you would leave a rating or review to help boost this podcast's visibility. Until next time, happy holidays! Have a good one, and goodbye.