Thanks for the replies! Keep `em coming!
As for the contents of the poll, I was more or less curious about the influence of villains from popular media (for the most part), & not as much as villains from myth, classic literature, history, or real life (though they can be just as inspiring, if not moreso).
For me, a lot of the villains listed above were ones that I saw growing up (b. 1974, BTW), & they definitely have had an impact on my design of villains in my games. For example:
* Skeletor, Mumm-Ra, & Saruman have influenced a lich BBEG that I'm in the process of designing (check the .sig)
* A major villain in past superhero games was an arms dealer named Caliber: imagine Destro (of G.I. Joe fame), but with his entire body covered/transformed into metal, with superhuman strength, genius I.Q., and the ability to fly at sonic speed. My players absolutely feared & detested that villain.
* In past superhero games (& for an upcoming d20 Modern game), there has been a evil terrorist organization (ala Cobra, though not necessarily snake-themed). Their leader inevitably wears a battle helmet with a cool mirrored faceplate (ala Cobra Commander's battle helmet).
* Various modern-day games have had a biker/street gang based off of Zartan & the Dreadnoks.
* The Ringwraiths (from LotR) and the Shadowlords (from the Ultima series of games) have been combined for an eerie, unique group of wraiths in my D&D game.
* Yuan-ti have been a mix of the Cult of Set (form the Conan the Barbarian movie), with Cobra-La (of later-era G.I. Joe).
Just a few examples of how popular media has had its influence on my games. But then again, other sources have inspired (& still inspire) my villain concepts as well; for every Skeletor or Cobra Commander, there's a Macbeth or an Iago.
FYI: Miles Mayhem, IIRC, is from MASK (toyline where each person has a high-tech vehicle, along with a high-tech mask/helmet that grants a unique ability).
