Doctor Evil

The vote has now ended.

Why Doctor Evil should rule the world of screen scientists, by Andy Lane, author of The World of Austin Powers.

The key elements when it comes to being a top boffin are big ideas and a convincing manner. Doctor Evil has the first of these in spades. Just look at the scale of some of his projects. Drilling a hole through the Earth's crust in order to cause disastrous volcanic eruptions, for instance. A destructive laser system based in a hidden moonbase. Time travel. Think what you like about him – and, given that most of his schemes are set up in order to to blackmail the governments of the world, you can be excused for thinking the worst – you have to admit that his scientific endeavours are not of the common or garden variety.

When it comes to the convincing scientific manner, however, Doctor Evil does have a way to go. He doesn't wear a white coat, he doesn't rant and rave about the glories of technocracy and he doesn't even operate his own switches and levers. In fact, there is a suspicion that he relies a little too much on the scientists that work for him. Still, at he named his space-based laser – The Alan Parsons Project – after the man who designed it for him.

When not working, Doctor Evil's hobbies are equally as scientific as his attempts to extort riches from the world's rulers. He like nothing better than to electrocute unruly subordinates, or just sit and relax beside a pool of genetically modified sea bass. In fact, the nicest present he ever received was a tank of sharks with laser beams strapped to their foreheads. Still, what else do you get for the man who wants everything?

Vote for him, or he'll destroy the world!