The Rules of Supervillainy

***The Rules of Supervillainy*** by C.T. Phipps is the first volume of the Supervillainy Saga.

### **Blurb**

Gary Karkofsky is an ordinary guy with an ordinary life living in an extraordinary world. Supervillains, heroes, and monsters are a common part of the world he inhabits. Yet, after the death of his hometown's resident superhero, he gains the amazing gift of the late champion's magical cloak. Deciding he prefers to be rich rather than good, Gary embarks on a career as Merciless: The Supervillain Without Mercy.

But is he evil enough to be a villain in America's most crime-ridden city?

Gary soon finds himself surrounded by a host of the worst of Falconcrest City's toughest criminals. Supported by his long-suffering wife, his ex-girlfriend turned professional henchwoman, and a has-been evil mastermind, Gary may end up being not the hero they want but the villain they need.

### **Synopsis**

Gary Karkofsky stands on the top of a bank, wearing the Reaper's Cloak and being lectured by its spirit, Cloak. Debating whether to adopt a "villain voice", he is interrupted by the bank being robbed by the Ice Cream Man. Killing the Ice Cream Man and most of his henchman, he discovers the surviving one is his ex-girlfriend, Cindy Wakowski, who he promptly hires.

Gary returns home and meets with his wife, Mandy Karkofsky, who is less than happy about his supervillainy career. They promptly receive a call from the Commissioner of the Falconcrest City Police on the Nightwalker's old red phone. Rescuing Amanda Douglas from The Typewriter, Gary recruits another supervillain in Diabloman.

Gary is troubled by memories of his dead brother, Keith Karkofsky AKA Stingray: The Underwater Assassin. Keith was killed by the antihero, Shoot-Em-Up when Gary was ten years old. Later, Gary killed Shoot-Em-Up as a fourteen-year-old with a gun. This is how he met Cindy, who was a prostitute sold to Shoot-Em-Up by her mother.

Gary is soon contacted by Big Ben, who offers to sell him the Nightwalker's Clocktower. This is actually a trap and Gary ends up killing Big Ben along with his henchman. They find out about the Mayor hiring The Extreme to take him down right as they proceed to rob a bank for the second time. The fight ends with all of the Extreme killed but this brings about Ultragod arresting Gary and dragging him off to the moon. The Society of Superheroes has built a massive prison there to house the world's supervillains.

Despite being a minor villain, Gary is put in the Archvillains wing across from Tom Terror and agrees to help him break out of jail. Gary is partnered with Psychoslinger until the two end up fighting one another. Gary also fights a renegade xenomorph. Afterward, he joins up with the Shadow Seven, led by Ultragoddess. Gary and she recognize one another and rekindle their romance before he realizes what he's doing. They slay the summoned demons, Gog and Magog, before Gary helps Ultragod subdue Tom Terror. Gary "blackmails" Ultragod into letting him go, though.

Gary uses a faulty teleporter to go back to Earth and ends up arriving three months later, only to find Falconcrest is now overwhelmed with the walking dead.