A fascinating part of Avengers lore is the fact that a large percentage of their members started their costumed careers on the wrong side of the law. During the ‘Cap’s Kooky Quartet’ era in the 60s, the team was 75% redeemed black hats who had recently performed a heel-face turn, each of whom was working to overcome their flaws and foibles. The idea of a villain going straight and working to better herself or the world is a fascinating one that still occurs in modern stories. Lex Luthor’s current turn as a Superman is an example of the trope done semi-ambiguously, as he seems to actually want to be a hero, even though his own nature works against him. Given my choice, I’d love to see The Music Meister, from the greatest single cartoon episode of the 21st Century, try his hand on the side of the angels, especially with his impulsiveness and morally difficult powers, leading to today’s absolutionary query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) really enjoyed when Spider-Man’s recurring meathead The Sandman was desperately trying to go straight in the 90s, asks: What villainous personage would you most enjoy seeing make a Heel-Face Turn to become a hero?
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It pretty much comes down to: “Which villain I want to see starring solo series?” Its already happened to almost all the famous ones, so I’ll have to choose Dr Doom, he’s interesting and complex enough to carry a good story. They teased it already in the 80’s too.
This is one of my favorite story tropes (with its counterpart the face-heel turn running a close second).
That said, the trope is at its best when it feels like a natural progression for the character. Thus without the right writer, it feels stunt-ish.
So it’s hard for me to pick one I’d like to see make the jump without knowing the story that would go with it.
I can say, however, that the one I’m enjoying most right now is Heatwave’s slow burn to good guy on the CW’s Legends of Tomorrow.