Bad Villains Part II - Two Takes In the Vegas Shooting (2017)

Looks like what we really need is a great generative AI to figure out what the real story is.

Just recently we had this take on this old story:

https://gematrinator.com/blog/2025/03/28/the-las-vegas-shooting-as-a-pi-riddle-for-nikola-tesla

While back around the time the shooting took place we had things like this:

https://freetofindtruth.blogspot.com/2017/10/23-32-99-223-mandalay-bay-shooting-from.html?m=1

Keeping in mind that these are alleged super sleuths uncovering hidden truths in reality instead of fiction, think about how differently the villain is painted in these two versions.  They aren’t even close.

For example, Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet story.  The character had certain attributes beforehand.  Things we knew about his personality and powers and motivations.  Trying to craft fiction around that and not alienate long time readers requires some effort to at least pay homage to the Thanos we know and love.  Or hate.  Acquiring the stones took some effort instead of just rewriting the character from scratch.  A stretch that would require an Oz level, “Ignore that villain behind the curtain.  Here’s what the guy is really like.”

Lazy writing doesn’t get called out by those that don’t know the back story.  The old Vegas villain was created in a time when the outrage porn was Freemasonry was a big scapegoat and open anti-semitism was more prevalent.  Now this version of our Thanos surrogate has a backstory about Tesla, Pi and eclipses.

Did Terry Brooks rip off Tolkien?

https://thetolkien.forum/threads/j-r-r-tolkien-terry-brooks-similarities.1149/?amp=1

Or was it just an influence and a loving tribute? Enough similarities to make it close enough to appeal to loyal Tolkien fans?  Or a copyright violation cause for a damages settlement in court?

Stephen Paddock was a real person, so some care should be taken into getting it right, especially if you label yourself as a “truth seeker”. But the writers do have one common denominator.  The truth is truthier if you give them money.  One is a Patreon for sports betting, the other is a website teaming with shitty ads or a membership fee to avoid those.  And you’re going to want to keep those subscriptions current because in another five years Truth will come out with a different story.  Totally rewriting the villain with the same name.  Clogging up the internet’s arteries with more misinformation and disinformation.