* If I ever talk to the hero
on the phone, I will not taunt him. Instead, I will say that his dogged
perseverance has given me new insight on the futility of my evil ways and that
if he leaves me alone for a few months of quiet contemplation I will likely
return to the path of righteousness. (Heroes are incredibly gullible in this
regard.)
* I will not waste time
making my enemy's death look like an accident--I'm not accountable to anyone
and my other enemies wouldn't believe it.
* I will make it clear that I
do know the meaning of the word "mercy," I simply choose not show
them any.
* If I am recruiting to find
someone to run my computer systems, and my choice is between the brilliant
programmer who's head of the world's largest international technology
conglomerate and an obnoxious 15-year-old dork who's trying to impress his
dream girl, I'll take the brat and let the hero get stuck with the genius.
* If a scientist with a
beautiful and unmarried daughter refuses to work for me, I will not hold her
hostage. Instead, I will offer to pay for her future wedding and her children's
college tuition.
* I will not appoint a
relative to my staff of advisors. Not only is nepotism the cause of most
breakdowns in policy, but it also causes trouble with the EEOC.
* My Legions of Terror will
be an equal-opportunity employer. Conversely, when it is prophesied that no man
can defeat me, I will keep in mind the increasing number of non-traditional
gender roles.
* I will instruct my Legions
of Terror in proper search techniques. In particular, if they are searching for
escapees and someone shouts, "Quick! They went that way!" they must
first ascertain the identity of this helpful informant before dashing off in
hot pursuit.
* Before being accepted into
my Legions of Terror, potential recruits will have to pass peripheral vision
and hearing tests, and be able to recognize the sound of a pebble thrown to
distract them.
* I will never bait a trap
with genuine bait.
* If I have several
diabolical schemes to destroy the hero, I will set all of them in motion at
once rather than wait for them to fail and launch them successively.
* My doomsday machine will have
a highly-advanced technological device called a capacitor in case someone
inconveniently pulls the plug at the last second. (If I have access to REALLY
advanced technology, I will include a back-up device known as a battery.)
* If I build a bomb, I will
simply remember which wire to cut if it has to be deactivated and make every
wire red.
* I will provide funding and
research to develop tactical and strategic weapons covering a full range of
needs so my choices are not limited to "hand to hand combat with
swords" and "blow up the planet."
* All guest-quarters will be
bugged and monitored so that I can keep track of what the visitors I have for
some reason allowed to roam about my fortress are actually plotting.
* I will install a fire
extinguisher in every room--three, if the room contains vital equipment or
volatile chemicals.
* If I steal something very
important to the hero, I will not put it on public display.
* If the rebels manage to
trick me, I will make a note of what they did so that I do not keep falling for
the same trick over and over again.
* I will plan in advance what
to do with each of my enemies if they are captured. That way, I will never have
to order someone to be tied up while I decide his fate.
* If I have the hero cornered
and am about to finish him off and he says, "Look out behind you!!" I
will not laugh and say, "You don't expect me to fall for that old trick,
do you?" Instead, I will take a step to the side and half turn. That way I
can still keep my weapon trained on the hero, I can scan the area behind me,
and if anything was heading for me it will now be heading for him.
