Jimmy wrote --

  jm>>     He still allowed certain things to happen, but the guilty party
  jm>> always had to pay in the end, or be a changed person.

 JA> Sounds like the Comics Code Authority for comic books. Bad guys
 JA> couldn't be allowed to 'get away with it." :-)

   An actor, whose name slips my mind right now (it would be Peter Lorre,
Vincent Price or the like) who was noted for playing bad guys was once
asked why he always played those roles.  In short he said those roles were
more fun than playing the hero.  The hero was bound by certain codes he
could and could not do, but the villain had no such codes to live by and
could always do as he pleased, but of course, had to pay in the end, which
made the roles more fun.
  Joe