6 Fictional Presidents Who Might Make You Appreciate This Election | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

6 Fictional Presidents Who Might Make You Appreciate This Election

Suddenly Trump and Clinton don't seem so bad.

29
6 Fictional Presidents Who Might Make You Appreciate This Election
Seal of The Office of President

The 2016 election has a lot of people on their toes. Most of us cannot go a day without seeing, hearing, arguing over, and contemplating who is going to be the next president of the United States. As we wait for the new president to be chosen by the masses, let us contemplate the terrible presidents in movies, television, and comic books that make us appreciate the presidential candidates presented to us.

This article contains spoilers for the following: “Marvel 1602,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Jessica Jones,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

1. President Zaphod Beeblebrox

“The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” is a book written by the late Douglas Adams about a normal man and a big universe. The book is a cult classic that was made into a radio show, a television show, and a movie starring Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman, and Alan Rickman among others.

In “Hitchhikers” the president of the galaxy is Zaphod Beeblebrox, a two-headed, three-armed man who is narcissistic, irresponsible, and untrustworthy. In this universe, The presidency is completely a figurehead position so that no one knows who is really in charge. He plays a minor role in the books but had a much larger role in the movie.

In the movie adaptation, his short term as president of the galaxy consists mainly of him kidnapping himself, and stealing a spaceship to find the legendary planet of Magrathea so that he can discover the question of life, the universe, and everything. During his time as president, he doesn’t do anything remotely presidential.

2. President Gaius Baltar

In “Battlestar Galactica” circa 1978, Count Gaius Baltar was the main antagonist that caused the destruction of humanity. The reboot in 2004 took a different approach to Baltar, making him into a genius who unknowingly helps the Cylons destroy humanity.

Roughly midway through the show’s 4 seasons, Gaius Baltar is elected President of the Colonies by the people on the promise that he would usher in an era of peace on a new planet called New Caprica. Which he did, for like a year before the Cylons found them due to the radioactive signature from a nuclear bomb that President Baltar gave to the Cylons. After the Cylons found him, he pretty much immediately surrenders to their control. While under their control, the humans suffer months of oppression by the Cylons. President Baltar, only acting as a figurehead, is forced to allow the execution of hundreds of humans.

Eventually, the people escape from New Caprica, but president Baltar stays with the Cylons as first a prisoner and then a collaborator with the Cylons.

3. President Zabediah Kilgrave

Anyone who watched “Jessica Jones” will remember David Tennant’s portrayal of the villain Zebadiah Kilgrave aka “Purple Man.” For anyone who did not watch “Jessica Jones,” Kilgrave is a mutant in the Marvel universe whose powers consist of the ability to create pheromones that when absorbed through breathing or the skin, allows Killgrave to take control of a person or hundreds of people. Some characters have the ability to resist Kilgrave’s mind control, but Kilgrave has learned to work around that.

In “Marvel 1602” issue 8, we find out Rojhaz is actually a version of Captain America that was fighting “president for life” Kilgrave. President Kilgrave captured him and sent him back to 1587 so that he could continue his term as president indefinitely.

All the reader really knows about Kilgrave’s administration is that he uses mind control to continue his presidency. Anyone who resists his mind control and opposes his presidency is murdered and sent back in time.

4. President Lex Luthor

“Batman vs. Superman” made 166.1 million dollars at the box office. The viewers of that movie got to see Jesse Eisenberg play a wackier version of Lex Luthor. Other fans may have watched “Young Justice” in their childhoods and are used to the imposing figure of Lex Luthor that was shown in the animated television show.

Lex Luthor does not have any powers of his own. He does, however, possess a genius intellect, and does run his own multi-billion dollar company.

Lex Luthor becomes president of the United States on a public platform of technological progress, but secretly was built on the back of murder and forging deeds to buildings. Typical presidency, right?

This is all very normal for presidents, the truly terrifying thing about Lex Luthor’s presidency, other than his appointment of Amanda Waller as Secretary for Metahuman Affairs, is how he leaves it.

His removal from office starts with the Justice League opposing his presidency. To fight Superman, President Luthor takes a sort of uber steroid that drives him even more insane than he was in the first place, which causes him to confess to causing all of the problems he “fixed.” He later finds out that his acting CEO sells his company to Wayne Enterprises leaving him bankrupt and insane.

5. President Coriolanus Snow

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, won over the hearts of many fans when the book released in 2008. The novel about a future dystopian United States took off and went on to spawn two other books and four movies.

The president of Panem is the aging President Coriolanus Snow played by Donald Sutherland. He is a ruthless leader who has no qualms about killing anyone who threatens his power. I guess he gets points for honesty because he is completely honest with everyone that he definitely kills people to maintain control.

Throughout the books, President Snow is an imposing figure, who, like most presidents, is very good at the art of manipulation. He just manipulates people using terrible methods. He gains the ability to control Peeta’s mind using tracker jacker venom and forces him to try to kill Katniss because he knew that Peeta was her weakness.

6. President Jack Cahill

“Escape from LA” is the 1996 sequel to “Escape from New York” starring Kurt Russell. The movie takes place in 2013, roughly 16 years after the first movie. In the time between 1997 and 2013, Los Angeles has been separated from the continental United States due to a flood in the San Fernando Valley.

Jack Cahill uses this event to run for President for a lifetime term. He is a fundamental theocrat who claims that God is punishing Los Angeles for falling into hedonism. Once elected, President Cahill condemns Los Angeles to a prison island, much like Manhattan Island in the first movie.

President Cahill is a nightmare president. He outlaws anything he deems immoral such as tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs, red meat (for some reason), premarital sex, and freedom of religion is punished by banishment to Los Angeles Island unless they repent and die by electrocution. His own daughter is brainwashed and travels to Los Angeles Island to meet with a revolutionary with a weapon of mass destruction, and he does not care. To him, she becomes a traitor and can stay on Los Angeles Island.
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

13570
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2634
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1604
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments