I did love being a hero… but if this is where it leads, I’m done with it – Superman

I was utterly shocked when I watched the NDLEA video involving our own Abba Kyari, the decorated and celebrated Super Cop crime fighter in an alleged drug deal.

It’s unfortunate, we are not done with Hushpuppi yet, and came this damning reports that is devastating to all his fans and supporters around the globe just got even messier. It’s pity, DCP Abba Kyari is facing a tragic moment in his career as a Policeman.

But, I often asked “why do our Heroes end up becoming Villains? Today, we are watching Abba Kyari fall embarrasingly tomorrow it may be someone else. Its even more worrisome that this things is happening among our top security agency where we need Police Heroes to fight crimes and keep our society safe.

My answers seem to have been that, Heroes walk a thin line between good and evil and many once-proud Heroes have fallen into negativity or descended further into darkness fighting against people they once protected and/or fought alongside. Some end up becoming even worse than those they opposed.

Originally protagonists or forces of good, these villains turned evil due to events in their lives such as being corrupted by other villains, relationships, or any in which they question whether or not the good side is worth fighting for. Sometimes, they betray their friends, family, or even country out of cowardice.

You will agree with me that fallen Heroes or Heroes turned to the dark side are usually the end result of being betrayed, vengeful, tragic exposed to corrupting influences, brainwashers,
extortionists, blackmailers, and/or bond destroyers. However, some heroes can turn for the sake of greed (i.e. “From Sugar to Excrement”).

Some can still redeem themselves, especially if they were Minions who turned on their masters or themselves after realizing how evil they were or in order to save a loved one. Villains who were mind-controlled can count as this if they were good before being controlled or in rare cases, fake being mind-controlled to get away with their crimes.

There are various scenarios for why these individuals turned to the dark side, though said individuals often fall into multiple scenarios:

One of this scenario is that these characters were once people who tried to be friendly and do good, but were rewarded with injustice and ingratitude by the society. Often, they were victims of bullying or abuse and eventually, they were pushed so hard they finally snapped and now seek revenge on the very people they seek to protect.

In other scenario, these characters were once revered but turned evil either by greed, lust or because they were “tired” of being good bringing shock and despair to those who knew them. These Heroes wanted to protect others but eventually realized that they can use their power to get more powers.

Other Heroic characters were either possessed or brainwashed by another villain or corruptive presence and consequently became villains. However, this is the rarest and most controversial form of a Hero turning to the dark side since they did not turn evil by their own free will and essentially had to be programmed into being villainous.

There are other Heroes led by desperations. These characters were people who, despite having followed the work ethics and their principles, are even affected by the crisis both socially and economically and puts them in danger of putting their daily lives or the things they have managed to maintain during the years (an organization, for example) to ruin; this causes these characters to fall into (irrational) despair, in order to prolong, or even to “eradicate” the inevitable, forcing them to break the rules and act immorally, whether stealing things (such as money obviously), kidnapping, or even killing the people who persecute them, or because they witness their crimes.

In some of the worst cases, former Heroes can become pure evil villains if they lose all of their redeeming qualities.

Heroes become villains. When we fail to realize they are fallible human beings. It occurs when we think that people are either all good or all bad. No one is all good and all bad. We are humans. That is why we can never be trusted.

Yusuf Ali