Over the course of three years, I played a character from 1st to 9th level, had his soul destroyed, played a retinue of other characters before making an evil NPC that eventually opposed the original party we returned to, and in the final culmination of that magnificent story arc killed a god.
I got grounded for playing late probably twenty times in the interim.
It is, at least within 3.5e, possible to become a PC at the highest rank of divinity and take on the DM. You have to win 12 fights against yourself to fight the DM, but if you win, you have officially and indisputably won D&D.
I say indisputably because if anyone argues, they cease to exist.