Vaudevillain

An architect by trade and gaming devotee by passion, Dylan gravitates toward superhero narratives above all else. When an indie studio unveils a virtual reality MMO granting players the choice to inhabit either hero or villain roles, Dylan immediately commits. His chosen archetype? The Saturday morning cartoon villain—those comically inept yet genuinely dangerous antagonists from his childhood cartoons. He treasures their ridiculous world-domination schemes, their predictable weekly defeats, and their melodramatic "Curses! Foiled again!" proclamations. This love inspires him to embody that very villainy within the game.

The studio announces a tempting promotion: high-reputation players can become permanent raid bosses, earning employee wages for their gameplay. Ambitious, competitive gamers eager to transform gaming into income rush to purchase World of Supers. What happens when Dylan—a player simply enjoying comedic villainy—clashes with these ruthlessly competitive adversaries?