Can't come up with a decent villain

[drza]

You assume the character is heterosexual why ?

*shrugs* Why not?  This was a brainstorming session, right?  I threw an idea out there, and if it doesn't stick we try another.  I don't see any reason the concept of a bad/gray character that has sexual tension with the protagonist wouldn't work for whatever orientation the characters are.  Do you?

[elsupremo]

Make the villain someone that can cancel out the power. Doesn't need to be anyone super powerful in their own right, just could be someone with the artifact of making-the-rings-not-work. Think Lex Luthor to Superman. Lex Luthor has no super abilities, but he can get his hands on a lot of kryptonite. Also he puts Superman's friends in danger a lot, so while not always directly threatening to SUperman, he can still hurt him in ways that super powers don't always help with.

[Berrylovely]

Why not a pair of villains? Siblings, spouse, SO's, parent & child, etc or a relative of your hero???

And why do they have to be a "villain"? Say more of a person who is doing things for the greater good, but the reasoning is not what your main character (hero) thinks is right? Things are not always good vs bad, sometimes good vs good can occur as well. Should this be the route you take it might be easier to weave this character(s) into the story line of any one story. There could be references to them, even when they themselves are not apparently there.

[meg_evonne]

uhm, I'm heading off in a completely different direction here.  Your TRUE story is all before the place you've put your main character.  Generally, (Jim claiming to be the devil's advocate at MiHi Con was the only opposing view) your character has to be vulnerable and able to change.  If you've already god-powered him up--you've got a pretty serious plot flow problem.  Finding a super demon god to confront him/her...well, why?

Tell the story of how the character got or found or won the powers to begin with and get that story under your belt first. 

As always, follow your own writer's heart--  If nothing else, remember that every major superhero has kryponite somewhere lurking around the corner or he's as boring as a stick in the mud.

[kingaling]

While The Solomon has the power, the right and the ability. He's not too terribly good at it. And that's the point, that is what goes on with The Solomon. They get the original Solomons rings, and then they have to use figure it out for themselves (for the most part). My character does have an instructor (an alcoholic Djinn named Kinny) and when he doesn't know what to do, or what he's doing, or is practicing, Kinny is there.
My character has a real complacency issue. While he has the rings and the power, he doesn't feel burdened, or gifted. He has a real "whatever" kind of attitude when it comes to things that resemble work, unless it's something that really gets under his skin, annoys him. Maybe its a form of selfishness.

I'm not looking for gigantic uber demons (or uber angels) to come swooping in and messing with him. Though I do like the idea of people that are good, and that he believes to be good, trying to take him down and him not knowing what to do about that. (But that may carry him one.. maybe two stories at the most) so it's difficult to come up with enemies.

[Nickeris86]

you could always make himself his own worst enemy.

give him a vice, that he has to fight through, or give him no drive to do whats right, or anything. if he is a selfish charecter he is more than likely going to have to face some challenges of his own creation that will, hopefully, lead him down the right road when the time comes for his destiny or whatever you have planed for him.

[belial.1980]

Here's an idea that you might want to try if you enjoy free writing. Just sit down and write a short story from the POV of your character's nemesis. Just off the top of your head, without knowing anything about him/her/it. Probably best to do it first person to really get inside their head. This story doesn't have to be anything worth saving, but more of an excercise to see things from the other perspective and generate ideas. Hell, maybe just start with a rant about why the villain is out to ruin the protagonist's day. I think if you can build an attitude and a motivation for the character that's opposed to the MC, the rest will be relatively easy to figure out.

I dunno if it's something that'll work for you but it might be worth trying. If you throw enough at the wall, who knows--some of it might stick.

[Gruud]

Since we're just brainstorming ...

How about some sort of quasi-governmental agency sort of thing, or a powerful mercantile group, etc. that is committed to maintaining the status quo that your character is in the process of dismantling?

This could give you a whole host of enemies to trot out at need, with a faceless big bad lurking out there somewhere, sending his minions after your character.

[Nickeris86]

your villain doesn't even have to be able to match your main character blow for blow, or be able to stand up to him in a fair fight at all. i mean honestly how many antagonists can you think of that fight fairly. just look at the dresden villains, i mean yeah a lot of them are stronger and more experinced than harry and he outwits them but there are a few that have done the same thing to harry.

like Ortaga in their duel he was getting beaten bad by harry in a contest of wills so he cheated, yeah it cost him in the end but at the same time its just the thing that a villain would do. win by any means necessary even if you can't win directly.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

like Ortaga in their duel he was getting beaten bad by harry in a contest of wills so he cheated, yeah it cost him in the end but at the same time its just the thing that a villain would do. win by any means necessary even if you can't win directly.

Ortega's a hero; he's willing to cheat, knowing it means his life is forfeit, if only it kills Harry and stops the war.

Heroes and villains are less fun than morally ambiguous characters with sympathy on both sides.

[The Corvidian]

How about an obcessed collector who wants the rings/knowledge for their collection?

The head of a "employment agency" that deals with the supernatural creatures and people. He/she offered your hero a job, and the hero turned them down. This person doesn't take "no" for an answer, and has decided to send their best contractors after the hero.

In Jewish and Islamic legend there is a group of people called Ibdals/Abdals. There are about 70 of them in the world. They are mortal, but if one falls, another rises.

How about a person who thinks that your hero stole their rightful prize, the Rings of Solomon?

[kingaling]

THAT is really interesting.

I actually have my characters friend as a collector of oddity's who even owns a small museum.. I see how I could actually use your suggestion. Thanks, that will give me a great enemy to work with.

[The Corvidian]

Glad to be of service, now please write it, and get it published.

[Nickeris86]

Glad to be of service, now please write it, and get it published.

yes pleas do i am interested in how this works out.

[BobForPresident]

So, here's the thing. I'm just starting to get into the crux of my short story, and I'm fairly certain that once it's done I'm going to take my main character and start a novel (maybe even a series).

But what the main character is capable of, leaves me without an idea for a villain.

My character has the ability to control demons (particularly the 72 goetic demons of the lesser keys of solomon). He can do this with no strings attached, no moral ramifications and no temptations or his soul going to hell for doing so. He has been gifted/earned the rings of Solomon, and his seat of power is The Solomon, not just because of his adept power, but his mental prowess in understanding things.

But, he's already dealing with dark entities (I'm not looking to turn this into a heaven versus hell situation, I have a completely different series I have planned for that), so what could make a good villain for someone who already deals with (and bitchslaps) evil creatures everyday? Any thoughts would be great.

Sorry if these have already been suggested, but...

For your guy, I like a well-intentioned 'good' character for a villain (or as I prefer, antagonist. They don't always have to be evil.). Evil creatures are not a problem. People with "light" in their souls are obsessive, unpredictable, and powered by beings your hero doesn't necessarily understand.

Suggestions:

* a priest obsessed with saving your hero's soul by stopping him at every turn. This guy could be no more "powerful" than your hero, just more obsessive,  and better connected.

* a woman who was terribly wronged by a demon and who sees no difference between them and their summoners. If she doesn't understand your hero's benefit to humanity, she would likely just see him as another witch trying to undermine good people.

* the person or being charged with slowing the flow of demons into this world. They might be seeking a way to cut him off from his power source, or turn the demons against him. Maybe he's related to Charon, and has seen what sort of things demons can do when a mere mortal attempts to control them.

If you insist on having an evil antagonist, I suggest someone with your hero's same abilities, or comparable ones, who abuses the demons. Are your demons necessarily evil? Misunderstood? Not knowing much about the mythos you mentioned, it would be interesting to cause your readers to feel sympathy for the demons - as if your hero knows to respect them, but your villain summons, abuses and disrespects them.