[Johnny1A.2]

From the Lost In Space movie in 1998, I submit the movie version of Dr. Zachary Smith, played by Gary Oldman. He's like the bumbling Dr. Smith of the old 60s TV show the same way a .357 Magnum is like a pellet gun.

He maintains some of the mannerisms, but he's cold, calculating, sociopathic. He's entirely aware that his actions are evil, and doesn't give a rat's ass. If you pay him enough he'll do it. But he's very intelligent, knows exactly how to press people's buttons. He knows how to make himself just useful enough to not execute, while making no secret of looking out for #1.

The degree to which he's a villain is debatable, but Captain Ahab is certainly a useful model for one sort of opposition NPC. He's esp. useful for that NPC who is technically on your side, but who you have to work against anyway. A bit like Feanor, he's driven by a passion for revenge that consumes everything good in him.

From the old Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman shows, I offer the paradoxical Dr. Franklin, played by John Houseman. A brilliant scientist, he successfully created lifelike robots able to fool people into thinking them real, with human-like reactions, and weather control technology.

The interesting thing about him is his personality, which is contradictory. He's a misogynist who respects women and knows how to use male chauvinism to his advantage. He genuinely respects some of his opponents, and is not without a peculiar sort of honor. He's murderous and ruthless, but never sadistic. When he realizes that his plan had been defeated, he releases his hostages unharmed, since harming them would now serve no purpose. I could easily imagine him as the template for an interesting NPC foe.