THE MOMENT
"A villain with good powers?" Orion chuckled and shook his head. "Chroma Corp. isn't equipped to handle that. You'd need to make some changes."
"'Not Equipped'? What does that mean; you're not ready for someone like me?" NightLight asked. Up until that moment, he had full confidence that he was making the right choice. He was new in town, and the local Shadow Enclave was looking for new members. He'd always been kind of on the fence about his powers; he could control light, which he felt pushed him into being a hero. But, that wasn't what he wanted at all. He signed up for an interview and waited a couple of days before he found himself sitting in Orion's office. Chroma Corp. were apparently the sponsors of both the Shadow Enclave and the Hero's League, and they kept things running smoothly. "A Supervillain with good powers is totally unexpected!"
"You're not wrong..," Orion nodded. "But, that doesn't automatically mean it's a good thing. It's like if I were to say, 'You're not expecting a polka-dotted pig to appear on my desk and wish you a Merry Christmas, are you?'"
"What?" NightLight looked intently at the desk then quickly scanned the upscale office. "What are you talking about?"
"That's exactly the point. It's less, 'you're not ready for it' and more 'you never even considered the possibility, because why would you?' That's why you'd need to change a few things before joining the Shadow Enclave."
"Isn't surprise a good thing for our side?"
"It would be, if it were a surprise," Orion nodded. "I think you're focusing on the wrong details, so let me be clearer. The simple fact is that there is no such thing as 'good' or 'evil' powers. I'm not saying you can't join the Enclave, but you'd need to change your power descriptors and take out the whole 'Villain with good powers' angle."
"But, I control light!" NightLight replied. Orion nodded.
"That doesn't mean anything. You control the physicality of light, not the broader concept of 'light' as a force for good. Light blinds people, lasers burn," he shrugged.
"What if I did control the concept!?" he asked. He didn't have that capability, but he was determined to prove a point. "Wouldn't that be a 'good power'?"
"If you used it for good, sure," Orion nodded. "But, on its own, it's neither good nor bad. If you controlled the concept of light, that comes part and parcel with controlling the concept of dark."
"Healing?" NightLight asked.
"Cancer," Orion nodded.
"A mother's love! If I could make someone feel nostalgic and warm and cared for, that's a good power!"
"If you used it that way," Orion shook his head. "But, clearly you're forgetting narcissistic parents exist, and know how to weaponize that love. But, even if not. Let's say you make someone feel warm and loved so much that they just let you rob them, or worse, harm them. Would you still classify that as a good power?"
"So.. what changes do I have to make...?" NightLight asked. He gave up on that conversation and planned to revisit it later while he was in the shower, or drifting off to sleep.
"Just stop calling yourself a villain with good powers," Orion nodded. 'Light powers would be acceptable," he said.
"That's it?" NightLight thought it would be more involved.
"That's all that's necessary, but I do have some further advice," Orion chuckled. "NightLight isn't a particularly threatening name."