Book Ideas

I want to write a book as I made known in my New Years Resolution post.  Somehow I came across some reading material about the super villain, Mister Mxyzptlk.  I think I actually searched for him, I forget my motivations now.  Anyway, the best way that I can describe Mister Mxyptlk (wiki link) is a 5th dimensional trickster.  I don't claim to know much about comic books, I haven't read more than a handful in my lifetime, but this villain interests me.

That eventually got me reading IGN's top 100 Villains, I'm at #58 right now.  For the most part these villains have pretty similar powers, where they become intriguing is their back story.  I found myself liking villains that had more of a plausible (I use plausible in a very loose sense, since I am talking about super villains) back story that gave motivation for their actions.

With the idea that what makes a villain attractive isn't their powers but their motivations.  I think writing a story of how a super villain came into being with special care spent on developing an ethos that is highly believable could make for a good story.  I'm really in the beginning stages, but take any villain you are familiar with and think back to when they were a child.  How did this child grow up into the evil that s/he is as an adult?  The same can be done for superheros, but since they are lasting characters (as opposed to how villains are slain or banished) they have a better developed back story.

Maybe just a story about a modern day villain.  Someone who doesn't have as much destructive power as the comic book ones, but a villain that is locally feared, whatever the locale may be.  I guess my goal would be to create a back story that justifies why the villain is the way s/he is so that the reader is completely sympathetic with the villain despite disapproving the actions.

Think, Kick-Ass, except it never gets outrageous.  What I mean is that I thought that the events were relatively plausible until the jet packs and rocket launchers made their appearances.

I have only a very tenuous idea of my goal, and have no idea how to start the story or how to advance it in a believable manner.  I would love to hear your suggestions!  As always, thanks for your input.