History CutLexLuthorACheck / TheDCU

CutLexLuthorACheck in this series.

** Subverted by Creator/ElliotSMaggin in his [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Pre-Crisis]] novels ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton'' and ''Literature/MiracleMonday,'' which assert that Lex regularly maintains multiple false identities as prominent scientists, businessmen, and even artists; and that they are [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys how he is always able to raise the money necessary for the equipment and hired minions]] his world-conquering and Superman-busting schemes require. In other words, Lex is perfectly capable of playing the legitimate marketplace like a fiddle and ''regularly does so as a matter of course,'' but because he views himself as an {{ubermensch}}, he considers the idea of just playing by society's rules and getting rich and famous to be ''beneath him.'' He only views the money thus earned as a means to an end -- that end being conquest of the world and the destruction of Superman, two things polite society frowns upon. Also, [[OlderThanTheyThink although no one remembers it]] (a fact Maggin has lamented), the name "[=LexCorp=]" actually originated in Maggin's story "The Ghost Of Superman Future," a FlashForward that depicted Luthor [[HeelFaceTurn going straight]] in his old age and marketing his inventions, as well as becoming friends with Superman again [[WeUsedToBeFriends as they had been in their]] [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} youth]] before ''ComicBook/HowLuthorMetSuperboy''.

** In one [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] ''Batman'' story, Characters/{{Catwoman}} establishes up a fashion magazine as part of plan to steal a fur coat. Think about what the investment versus return on that particular caper must have been. Somewhat justifiable; the Catwoman -- no matter her incarnation -- isn't in the game for the profit; she's in it for the rush.
** Another [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] ''Batman'' story has a character named Carlos who had a phony mind-reading show; Bruce figured right away he was using code words to get the answers, gaining real mind-reading powers following a car accident and emergency brain surgery that "Fate slyly played its hand in". He does use his power to make money somewhat legally at first, in card games and radio shows, but decides to turn to crime so he can make even more money. He hits this trope head on when he learns Batman and Robin's real names, but can't think of anything better than to blackmail them into keeping away from him. It bites him on the ass when his last robbery victim [[spoiler:[[DeathBySecretIdentity fatally shoots him in the back]] while he's distracted fighting Batman]].
** There was another [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] ''Batman'' story featuring a person with a photographic memory. Despite graduating from college with ''every degree possible'', this guy couldn't get any work better than stage acts. He was recruited by mobsters so that he could memorize secret information without taking the relevant documents themselves and later sell said info, under the condition that the mobsters [[EvenEvilHasStandards don't kill anyone during their jobs.]] The man's skills are proven when he forces Batman to fight dirty, renders him and Robin unconscious via nerve pinching, and ''perfectly copies the Batplane.'' Ultimately, since this story takes place during WWII, the story is subverted when Batman saves the man's life and recommends him to the Army so his talents can be used against the Axis to atone for what he's done.

* Superman fought a guy called Funny Face during the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]]; an unsuccessful comic strip writer, he was ''much'' better at science, inventing a device that could bring [[ArtInitiatesLife comic strip characters to life]] and [[MakeMyMonsterGrow enlarge them to titanic size]]. Superman couldn't even ''touch'' these guys, much less fight them, and the only way he even ''found'' the villain is when Lois, who had been kidnapped, got the idea to write the address of his hideout on one character's shirt before the device was used. Still, Funny Face used it to rob banks and museums. In fact, the next time he appeared - much later, in an issue of ''ComicBook/AllStarSquadron'' - the heroes were dumbfounded as why he'd be stupid enough to use his miraculous invention for something as petty as pulling robberies.

** In ''ComicBook/HeartOfHush'' Victor Fries aka [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart2 Mr. Freeze]] invents a machine that allows Hush to [[spoiler: remove Catwoman's heart and keep her alive, and preserve the heart while it's out of her body]]. Hush says in a throwaway line that Fries is ahead of his time, and the work he'd done could merit a Nobel Prize if he'd done it legitimately. Just think about the money he could make adapting the machine to help organ transplant patients!

** Franchise/{{Batman}} has a recurring minor [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain "villain"]] named Jenna Duffy. Originally a pickpocket and con artist, she became a mook working for Tweedledum and Tweedledee and took up the mantle of The Carpenter. [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Her gimmick was]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin carpentry.]] [[note]]The carpentry gimmick wasn't ''completely'' out of nowhere - Tweedledum and Tweedledee's gang was based around Literature/AliceInWonderland, and she just happened to get lumped with a bottom-of-the-barrel character.[[/note]] After a few run ins with Batman she decided to actually learn how to build stuff and became a proper carpenter, making a pretty tidy amount of money. Though she mostly does civilian work now, she occasionally does work for supers on [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor both sides of the law]] due to her skill in [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower building and disarming deathtraps.]]

* ''Series/Batman1966'' episodes:
** "The Joker's Flying Saucer". The Joker creates a flying saucer that can (based on the Joker's comments) travel through outer space to other planets. He decides on the standard "conquer the world" strategy when he could have just sold the design to NASA for billions of dollars. Then again, this ''is'' the [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Joker]].

** "The Ring of Wax". After getting caught in one of his wax traps, Batman notes that if the Riddler were oriented towards good, the world could be so wonderful.
* An unusual example would be [[Comicbook/GreenArrow Oliver Queen]] on ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. Being a billionaire, he develops tons of ridiculously advanced technology...[[HypocriticalHumor to rob the rich to give to the poor.]] He seems to have given up on that after a while and [[HeroWithBadPublicity concentrated on blowing up Lex Luthor's evil facilities]].

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'': Riddler. The man could do a lot of good legally, if not for his ego compelling him to prove he's smarter than everyone else.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''
** In "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing The Clock King]]", efficiency expert Fugate was ruined at the end of the DistantPrologue, but seven years later, as the Clock King, he has a lot of OffscreenVillainDarkMatter. (He can afford ConspicuousConsumption, cool GadgetWatches, has acquired an AbandonedWarehouse ''to his real name'', and he organizes a BankRobbery but left all the money in the vault.) As Batman has never heard of Fugate before their first meeting, it's implied Fugate didn't need to resort to crime to get all that OffscreenVillainDarkMatter, as his skills could make his fortune by legal means again.
** A very clever subversion occurs in "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE24FearOfVictory Fear of Victory]]", in which the Scarecrow combines both legal and illegal methods to make money. He bets against famous professional and college athletes, and then secretly dopes them with his fear toxin. When the athletes lose their competitions, the Scarecrow makes a huge amount of money for betting against the odds. The Scarecrow uses the money to pay for the chemicals and other paraphernalia he uses in his more dangerous schemes, making "Fear of Victory" one of the rare times when we actually ''see'' where OffscreenVillainDarkMatter might come from. Notably, Batman and Robin only discover the Scarecrow's plans when Robin is accidentally doped with fear toxin along with his college football playing-friend. Still somewhat played straight in that his toxin would be absolutely invaluable for numerous government and military applications and he'd likely make an order of magnitude more money in licensing it out for legitimate research than ripping off bookmakers with it.

** Mr. Freeze's appearance averts this. It's mentioned that he is wealthy and puts his fortune towards making amends to the families who were hurt by his villainous actions in the past. Unfortunately, it all [[GoneHorriblyWrong Goes Horribly Wrong]]...
** Zig-zagged with this version of Spellbinder, a psychologist who uses sophisticated MindControl devices to hypnotize people into stealing for him. Aside from the fact that he's invented all this hypnotic equipment but can't think of anything better to do with it than trick people into stealing for him, he probably doesn't even make a profit on his crimes. However, in his introductory episode Spellbinder goes on a rant which indicates that this may be more about revenge than greed. It took another turn when Spellbinder got wiser and began marketing his equipment as virtual reality generators [[LotusEaterMachine that allowed people to live out their fantasies]]. He "marketed" it like a drug pusher and got taken down by Batman for it. It's unlikely that there would be any actual law against using the tech on willing people itself, but there would be for coercing other people especially minors into committing crimes for him.
** Inverted with Shriek, was a brilliant, yet impractical engineer who specialized in sonics. For his market debut, he developed a suit that could generate and direct sound waves for demolition purposes. However, his boss, CorruptCorporateExecutive Derek Powers, had the reaction upon seeing the suit in action of "dynamite's cheaper" -- his invention isn't practical and ''couldn't'' turn a profit if put on the market, the validity of Powers' claim is unknown as the actual costs of creating and using the suit aren't shown to the viewers. He promised Shriek to continue funding his experiments if he took care of Batman instead. Shriek is later seen to have invented some astonishing devices that would rake in millions, such as a gadget that selectively blocks loud noises (imagine the applications if you live near a construction site), but his boss still forces him to act as a personal killing machine. Afterward, Shriek becomes deaf and thus somehow invents a device that appears similar to headphones that can reverse deafness for as long as it's worn by the person, but by this point, he's too obsessed with getting revenge on Batman to care about making money.

** Temple Fugate lost everything in appeal for twenty million dollars against his company seven years ago. When he appears in "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing The Clock King]]", he has enough money to [[OffscreenVillainDarkMatter buy bombs, an Abandoned Warehouse Supervillain Lair at his name, and can throw off a clock valued at $6,000]]. Justified because he never suffers MotiveDecay; all he wants is to humiliate Mayor Hill, and then kill him. Money no longer matters to him, only revenge. Notice that after he is arrested, he uses his talents for the government as a BoxedCrook.
** Averted in the spinoff comic ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures''. The Riddler signs a deal with some out-of-town businessmen who find that the device he's used to [[DoNotAdjustYourSet hijack broadcasts]] can be the basis for a super-advanced cell phone which makes him millions. He finds an outlet for his ongoing urges by sending Batman riddles without actual crimes attached.
** In "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfBatmanAndRobinE14RiddlersReform Riddler's Reform]]", the Riddler signs a contract with a toy company, using his genius for riddles and puzzles to design puzzle toys and the notoriety he earned as a criminal to pitch them in TV commercials. It almost works for him... but [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter the compulsion to outwit Batman]] is too great, and he decides that the only way he could enjoy his new life is to lure Batman into a death trap and get rid of him altogether. Unfortunately, this doesn't work, and Riddler goes back to prison.
** Notably, Nygma had a similar motivation as Fugate starting out -- he was initially a software engineer who developed a smash hit title, but his boss [[StealingTheCredit took credit for making it]] and unceremoniously fired Edward, asking "[[TitleDrop If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?]]" and prompting Nygma's StartOfDarkness.
* ''Challenge of the WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'':
** The show was notorious for this. Lex Luthor invents a time machine? He and the Legion of Doom use it to steal a few treasures from the past, and never use it again. A teleportation device? They use it to avoid being captured at the end of the episode. But never any other way. Invisibility cloak? Used for a few petty crimes, and never heard from again.

** That said, it is completely and utterly ''defied'' by Lex, who apparently did this during his presidential candidacy. When confronted by the Question about it in "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E9QuestionAuthority Question Authority]]", amid giving the poor faceless hero a NoHoldsBarredBeatDown, Lex points out he had no interest whatsoever in any of the legitimate power, authority, or money being president would bring him, and in fact [[EvilIsPetty merely did it to annoy Superman]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Justice}}'' demonstrates and deconstructs this trope. As part of their latest scheme, the Legion of Doom pretend to go straight and use their technology and powers to help people instead of committing crimes. Brainiac uses his city-shrinking tech to build cheap paradise cities where nobody has to work, Scarecrow uses his chemistry knowledge to make miracle cures and elixirs, Toyman uses his robotics skills to build artificial limbs for the disabled, Captain Cold uses his cold gun to provide desert communities with abundant water, and more. The results are incredibly profitable and make people love them, but it's all a trick led by Lex Luthor and Brainiac. Why didn't they just take the money and popularity? Because they're egotistical, self-centered jerks who either [[EvilCannotComprehendGood refuse to acknowledge that altruism can help them]] or are using their enemies to try and [[NeverMyFault excuse away their shitty personalities]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' started out with a very interesting subversion. Lex Luthor was going to use a giant mech, something which was ''stated'' to cost millions of dollars to make, to make money illegally. However, Lex wasn't going to use it to rob the banks or other such schemes, he was secretly selling it to terrorists (who were paying him a ''billion'' dollars) knowing that the US government would later hire Luthor to design a better mech to fight the one the terrorists "stole". [[SpannerInTheWorks Superman ruined that scheme]]. The whole premise seems like a sly riff on the [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheatricalCartoons Fleischer cartoon]] mentioned further down the page.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "Injustice for All", the League's battles with Luthor's Injustice Gang all revolve around money. Lex has brought them together with cash, he almost breaks them up when they ask for more money, and in the end, Batman brings the chaos to an end. How? He gets the Ultra-Humanite to ambush Lex by doubling Lex's offer. This allows the Humanite to achieve his main goal -- funding opera on a PBS expy. Not ALL Viewers are Like You!

** In the episode "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing The Clock King]]", efficiency expert Fugate was ruined at the end of the DistantPrologue, but seven years later, as the Clock King, he has a lot of OffscreenVillainDarkMatter. (He can afford ConspicuousConsumption, cool GadgetWatches, has acquired an AbandonedWarehouse ''to his real name'', and he organizes a BankRobbery but left all the money in the vault.) As Batman has never heard of Fugate before their first meeting, it's implied Fugate didn't need to resort to crime to get all that OffscreenVillainDarkMatter, as his skills could make his fortune by legal means again.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' explored the concept with some of its reoccurring villains.
** The Penguin is sane enough to admit associating with criminal riffraff is pretty distasteful anyway and he'd make much more profit with a [[BadGuyBar skimming-off-the-top grey market nightclub]]. Subverted in that he still doesn't turn his act around in the end.
** Temple Fugate lost everything in appeal for twenty million dollars against his company seven years ago. When he appears in "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing The Clock King]]", he has enough money to [[OffscreenVillainDarkMatter buy bombs, an Abandoned Warehouse Supervillain Lair at his name, and can throw off a clock valued at $6,000]]. Justified because he never suffers MotiveDecay; all he wants is to humiliate Mayor Hill, and then kill him. Money no longer matters to him, only revenge. Notice that after he is arrested, he uses his talents for the government as a BoxedCrook.
** Averted in the spinoff comic ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures''. The Riddler signs a deal with some out-of-town businessmen who find that the device he's used to [[DoNotAdjustYourSet hijack broadcasts]] can be the basis for a super-advanced cell phone which makes him millions. He finds an outlet for his ongoing urges by sending Batman riddles without actual crimes attached.
** In "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfBatmanAndRobinE14RiddlersReform Riddler's Reform]]", the Riddler signs a contract with a toy company, using his genius for riddles and puzzles to design puzzle toys and the notoriety he earned as a criminal to pitch them in TV commercials. It almost works for him... but [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter the compulsion to outwit Batman]] is too great, and he decides that the only way he could enjoy his new life is to lure Batman into a death trap and get rid of him altogether. Unfortunately, this doesn't work, and Riddler goes back to prison.
** Notably, Nygma had a similar motivation as Fugate starting out - he was initially a software engineer who developed a smash hit title, but his boss [[StealingTheCredit took credit for making it]] and unceremoniously fired Edward, asking "[[TitleDrop If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?]]" and prompting Nygma's StartOfDarkness.

** Inverted with Shriek, was a brilliant, yet impractical engineer who specialized in sonics. For his market debut, he developed a suit that could [[MakeMeWannaShout generate and direct sound waves]] for demolition purposes. However, his boss, CorruptCorporateExecutive Derek Powers, had the reaction upon seeing the suit in action of "dynamite's cheaper" -- his invention isn't practical and ''couldn't'' turn a profit if put on the market, the validity of Powers' claim is unknown as the actual costs of creating and using the suit aren't shown to the viewers. He promised Shriek to continue funding his experiments if he took care of Batman instead. Shriek is later seen to have invented some astonishing devices that would rake in millions, such as a gadget that selectively blocks loud noises (imagine the applications if you live near a construction site), but his boss still forces him to act as a personal killing machine. Afterward, Shriek becomes deaf and thus somehow invents a device that appears similar to headphones that can reverse deafness for as long as it's worn by the person, but by this point, he's too obsessed with getting revenge on Batman to care about making money.
** Played with in "The Winning Edge". Unlike Bane, who only used Venom for himself to commit crimes, Chappell manages to convert Venom into an easily usable dermal patch that he begins marketing as a performance-enhancing drug to teenagers. However, he still does this illegally through black market means, presumably because it's unlikely a Venom-based compound would ever be made legal.
** In another episode, a talented weapons designer loses his high-paying job at a defense contractor. It's heavily implied that although he could easily find another job, it wouldn't bring in as much money as he and his family had grown accustomed to having. Instead, he goes into business as a corporate mercenary/saboteur, which apparently pays pretty well [[WretchedHive in Gotham]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', the Riddler subverts this trope by starting out as a legitimate scientist who wants to help the world with his intellect-enhancing inventions. Unfortunately, his co-worker and the girl he liked would end up sabotaging it in front of their first potential investors and him taking the fall (according to her, she found him unstable due to him losing his temper at a condescending investor who reminded him of his abusive dad.) Riddler does not take it well when Batman spells it out for him (Riddler assuming it was the businessman who did it.) This leads Eddie to go on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge in becoming Riddler. Batman even lampshades the whole thing when he tells Robin to not untie her, with the implications being she is going to be arrested:
-->'''Batman''': One last riddle, Robin. When is a villain not ''the'' villain?

** Shown in "Tabula Rasa". After Lex Luthor goes to prison, he leaves his business in the hands of his loyal minion Mercy Graves, who puts [=LexCorp=] back in the black by cancelling his MadScience projects and concentrating on making a profit. Lex is not grateful in the least, being still obsessed with taking on the Justice League. When Mercy goes to walk out on him, Lex points out that's she's hardly immune to the [[GoodIsBoring thrill of transgression]].
** That said it is completely and utterly ''defied'' by Lex who apparently did this during his presidential candidacy. When confronted by The Question about it, amid giving the poor faceless hero a NoHoldsBarredBeatDown, Lex points out he had no interest whatsoever in any of the legitimate power, authority, or money being president would bring him, and in fact [[EvilIsPetty merely did it to annoy Superman]].
---> '''Lex:''' "President"?! Foolish, faceless man; my campaign is a farce! A small part of a much grander scheme. ''(chuckles)'' "President"...? do you know how much power I'd have to ''give up'' to be President? That's right, conspiracy buff. I spent 75 million dollars on a fake Presidential campaign, ''all just to tick Superman off!''
* One old [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheatricalCartoons 1940's Superman short]] had a villain who invented remote-controlled mechanical robots that he was using to rob banks and jewelry stores. Too bad there wasn't any other way to get wealthy with such advanced labor-saving technology, eh?
* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': Lampshaded when Lex Luthor discovers kryptonite and plans to use it against Superman - one of his researchers insists that possessing such a rare and unusual substance must have a more practical application.

** In the episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing "The Clock King"]], efficiency expert Fugate was ruined at the end of the DistantPrologue, but seven years later, as the Clock King, he has a lot of OffscreenVillainDarkMatter. (He can afford ConspicuousConsumption, cool GadgetWatches, has acquired an AbandonedWarehouse ''to his real name'', and he organizes a BankRobbery but left all the money in the vault.) As Batman has never heard of Fugate before their first meeting, it's implied Fugate didn't need to resort to crime to get all that OffscreenVillainDarkMatter, as his skills could make his fortune by legal means again.
** A very clever subversion occurs in "Fear of Victory", where [[Characters/BatmanTheScarecrow art2 The Scarecrow]] combines both legal and illegal methods to make money. He bets against famous professional and college athletes, and then secretly dopes them with his fear toxin. When the athletes lose their competitions, the Scarecrow makes a huge amount of money for betting against the odds. The Scarecrow uses the money to pay for the chemicals and other paraphernalia he uses in his more dangerous schemes, making "Fear of Victory" one of the rare times when we actually ''see'' where OffscreenVillainDarkMatter might come from. Notably, Batman and Robin only discover the Scarecrow's plans when Robin is accidentally doped with fear toxin along with his college football playing-friend. Still somewhat played straight in that his toxin would be absolutely invaluable for numerous government and military applications and he'd likely make an order of magnitude more money in licensing it out for legitimate research than ripping off bookmakers with it.

** Franchise/{{Batman}} has a recurring minor [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain "villain"]] named Jenna Duffy. Originally a pickpocket and con artist, she became a mook working for Tweedledum and Tweedledee and took up the mantle of The Carpenter. [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Her gimmick was]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin carpentry.]] After a few run ins with Batman she decided to actually learn how to build stuff and became a proper carpenter, making a pretty tidy amount of money. Though she mostly does civilian work now, she occasionally does work for supers on [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor both sides of the law]] due to her skill in [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower building and disarming deathtraps.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** ComicBook/LexLuthor is the {{Trope Namer|s}}. Pre-Crisis, this was pretty much played straight. In fact, the specific scene that named the trope featured a MadScientist Lex Luthor being brought in to consult with some government officials who wanted to wipe out the ComicBook/SwampThing. Luthor was introduced as an expert, "charging one million dollars for a ten-minute consultancy". After ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', Lex Luthor was retooled into an [[CorruptCorporateExecutive amoral billionaire industrialist]], subverting this trope by showing that he was still a brilliant scientist and engineer, but had used his inventions to become fabulously wealthy.

** A year or so before the ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths,'' Creator/MarvWolfman wanted to write a story where Luthor "goes legit" and becomes a respected businessman, in the process [[VillainWithGoodPublicity gaining the public's trust]] and therefore becoming a much harder opponent for Superman to fight. [[ExecutiveMeddling Editorial]] considered this [[StatusQuoIsGod too big a departure]] for Luthor and nixed the idea, so Wolfman rewrote the script with ComicBook/VandalSavage as the villain in question. The resultant story feels a little forced, as Superman seems to take the whole thing very personally, despite the fact that he and Savage didn't have anywhere near the history that he and Lex did. By Wolfman's own account, this is where the idea for Lex's Post-Crisis CorruptCorporateExecutive persona originated.

** ComicBook/TheRiddler is almost the patron-saint of this trope. It's been shown countless times over multiple media that, if Edward Nigma actually used his amazing intellect for honest endeavors, he'd be rolling in cash. It's also been shown that he also could be [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain a MUCH more formidable criminal mastermind than he is]] if he merely focused on the task at hand instead of following his obsession with riddles and trying to prove he's smarter than everyone else. One time he ''tried'' to commit robberies without leaving riddles, but couldn't resist the compulsion to send them Batman's way ''without even consciously realizing it''. When Batman told Riddler, Eddie realized that he really is insane and needed treatment. There was also a period where a TapOnTheHead cured Nigma of his riddle obsession, leading him to go straight and became a very successful private detective, but [[StatusQuoIsGod ultimately this didn’t last]].
** In ''ComicBook/HeartOfHush'' Victor Fries aka ComicBook/MrFreeze invents a machine that allows Hush to [[spoiler: remove Catwoman's heart and keep her alive, and preserve the heart while it's out of her body]]. Hush says in a throwaway line that Fries is ahead of his time, and the work he'd done could merit a Nobel Prize if he'd done it legitimately. Just think about the money he could make adapting the machine to help organ transplant patients!

** ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': Tim is flabbergasted when he fights Trickster during ''ComicBook/BatmanWarGames'' because ''"If you own shoes that let you walk on air, why rent yourself as a cheap hood? If you'd just mass produce them, you'd be ten times richer than Bruce Wayne by now."''

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** Averted when ComicBook/TheRiddler performs a variant of this based on his compulsive disorder and rampant ego: he becomes a detective, to keep his ego inflated and potentially beat Batman at his own game, ''without'' having to worry about the inevitable Bat-Fist to the face and subsequent jail time should he fail.

** Averted when, at one point, the Riddler is seen chatting with ComicBook/ThePenguin, who has discovered he can make more money as a legitimate businessman selling cheaply made merchandise at extortionate, but legal, markups. Penguin averts this trope again with the Iceberg Lounge. Criminal empires are fun, but Batman tends to kick your ass. Solution? Open a prestigious nightclub that doubles as a BadGuyBar for Batman's huge RoguesGallery. It tends to get blown up a lot, but it provides a steady source of legal income, as well as making Batman just a ''bit'' more lenient on him, as Batman knows he can lean on Penguin for underworld info in exchange for looking the other way on minor lawbreaking.

** In one comic, where Batman was relating to one of the Robins all of the death traps that he has foiled, Batman mentions a Haunted House of Death that ComicBook/TheScarecrow created to try and kill Batman. Robin states that Scarecrow would have made a fortune in the entertainment industry, making haunted houses for theme parks. Batman actually states that he recommended that to the Scarecrow after capturing him, but, Scarecrow being Scarecrow, he didn't listen. More generally, the Scarecrow could probably have named his own price for selling his fear toxins to spy agencies like the CIA or [=MI6=], or to political dictators. Instead, he prefers to pursue his own research using the people of Gotham as his unwilling guinea pigs.
** In one [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' story, ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} establishes up a fashion magazine as part of plan to steal a fur coat. Think about what the investment versus return on that particular caper must have been. Somewhat justifiable; the Catwoman -- no matter her incarnation -- isn't in the game for the profit; she's in it for the rush.

** ComicBook/PoisonIvy falls into a variant of this that actually exists in real life: ecoterrorism, wherein an attempt at enacting social/environmental change is done in such a way that discourages people from doing as desired. Making things far worse than real cases, she really is an absolute genius with plants, able to create miraculous strains that could solve all ''sorts'' of environmental problems that harm the plant ecosystem, the sort of thing she fights for... if only she would market her creations on the legitimate market, rather than turning them into weapons to try and wipe out all humanity, if not all animal life. For instance, she could bring about an instant end to logging by selling seeds for a tree that produces wood that can be harvested in large quantities without killing the tree (and does so much more frequently than letting trees grow the old way), instead of making trees that have digestive systems and eat loggers.

** A very clever subversion occurs in "Fear of Victory", where [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart2 The Scarecrow]] combines both legal and illegal methods to make money. He bets against famous professional and college athletes, and then secretly dopes them with his fear toxin. When the athletes lose their competitions, the Scarecrow makes a huge amount of money for betting against the odds. The Scarecrow uses the money to pay for the chemicals and other paraphernalia he uses in his more dangerous schemes, making "Fear of Victory" one of the rare times when we actually ''see'' where OffscreenVillainDarkMatter might come from. Notably, Batman and Robin only discover the Scarecrow's plans when Robin is accidentally doped with fear toxin along with his college football playing-friend. Still somewhat played straight in that his toxin would be absolutely invaluable for numerous government and military applications and he'd likely make an order of magnitude more money in licensing it out for legitimate research than ripping off bookmakers with it.

*** Notably, Nygma had a similar motivation as Fugate starting out - he was initially a software engineer who developed a smash hit title, but his boss [[StealingTheCredit took credit for making it]] and unceremoniously fired Edward, asking "[[TitleDrop If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?]]" and prompting Nygma's StartOfDarkness.

* {{Subverted|Trope}} with Doctor Sivana of [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] fame. He started in his youth as an idealistic scientist brimming with ideas to change the world for the better with superscience even Luthor would gape at. Then he met the corporate world. Said encounter tremendously embittered him, showing him the world won't change without good reason and enough power to change the status quo. He resolved to change the world, and that's how a brilliant scientist got broken into the very image of the MadScientist.

** In a Silver Age story, the Flash encounters the villain Element Master, whose gimmick is, well... the atomic elements. In the climax of the story, Element Master says he discovered a new element (the creatively dubbed "elemento") that is a sort of magnetic light, which he uses to ''send the Flash to the Moon''. Ignoring everything wrong with that idea, if it were true, Element Master would've completely changed the way we look at the elements, magnetism, Einstein's theory of relativity, and space travel, easily becoming the most important scientific figure in recent history. Instead... he tries to steal stores of "elements" like gold, platinum, and diamonds (carbon).

* D-list DC villain Sonar is an interesting case of this, as he was never after money in the first place. He became a supervillain in pursuit of his main goal to make his tiny native country of Modora famous, and invented and built several sound-based devices to commit crimes in order to accomplish this, capable of mental manipulation, ranged sonic attacks, lifting massive objects, and even independent flight. However, he never gets the idea that he could make his country famous and himself massively rich simply selling the technology, or better yet, giving it to the government of his homeland to turn it into a high-tech paradise, never realizing how fleeting his own exploits are and how it makes his own country look bad, if anything, compared to the country having actual value to the world. One has to imagine "home of that guy Green Lantern beats up once a month" isn't going to bring in many tourists. For that matter, using his technology to become a ''superhero'' (especially if he adopted a CaptainPatriotic theme) would've also done far more to bring fame to his nation.

!!Franchise/TheDCU
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!!Gaining more money legitimately

!!Possibility of gaining more money legitimately

* The {{Trope Namer|s}} ComicBook/LexLuthor. Pre-Crisis, this was pretty much played straight. In fact, the specific scene that named the trope featured a MadScientist Lex Luthor being brought in to consult with some government officials who wanted to wipe out the ComicBook/SwampThing. Luthor was introduced as an expert, "charging one million dollars for a ten-minute consultancy". After ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', Lex Luthor was retooled into an [[CorruptCorporateExecutive amoral billionaire industrialist]], subverting this trope by showing that he was still a brilliant scientist and engineer, but had used his inventions to become fabulously wealthy.
** Creator/ElliotSMaggin beautifully subverts this trope in his [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Pre-Crisis]] novels ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton'' and ''Literature/MiracleMonday,'' which assert that Lex regularly maintains multiple false identities as prominent scientists, businessmen, and even artists; and that they are [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys how he is always able to raise the money necessary for the equipment and hired minions]] his world-conquering and Superman-busting schemes require. In other words, Lex is perfectly capable of playing the legitimate marketplace like a fiddle and ''regularly does so as a matter of course,'' but because he views himself as an {{ubermensch}}, he considers the idea of just playing by society's rules and getting rich and famous to be ''beneath him.'' He only views the money thus earned as a means to an end -- that end being conquest of the world and the destruction of Superman, two things polite society frowns upon. Also, [[OlderThanTheyThink although no one remembers it]] (a fact Maggin has lamented), the name "[=LexCorp=]" actually originated in Maggin's story "The Ghost Of Superman Future," a FlashForward that depicted Luthor [[HeelFaceTurn going straight]] in his old age and marketing his inventions, as well as becoming friends with Superman again [[WeUsedToBeFriends as they had been in their]] [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} youth.]]

** In post-Crisis continuity, it is established that Lex Luthor became a corporate tycoon through his invention of the Lex Wing, a military airplane that Lex claimed made him an aeronautical revolutionary on the scale of John Glenn, or Neil Armstrong.