I know he isn’t your Typical autistic-coded character, but the more I think about it, the more autistic traits I find in Professor Venomous. Like how he talks in a flat/deadpan tone, and rarely has much variance in facial expressions. The way he uses a formal/complex vocabulary even in casual situations, and struggles with expressing his emotions–like when Boxman frustrates him, he either tries to come across as Mildly Annoyed or Absolutely Furious, with practically nothing in-between.
The way he’s eloquent and confident when in the role of a villain, which he’s had many years to script for and knows what to expect, but when he’s thrown into a situation where he doesn’t have any idea what a typical response would/should be, he’s more awkward and sometimes has a harder time with words. He even has a big conflict-avoidant streak (outside of the role of being a villain, of course), which can form in some people after constantly being punished in little ways for interacting with others in ways seen as “weird”, to the point of losing confidence in their own ability to take the lead / take any chances in social interactions, incl. engaging in conflict.
The way he cares So Much what others think of him, and has spent So Long seeking more power, which includes gaining other peoples’ respect–something that’s all too rarely given to autistic people. The way he constantly felt inadequate as Laserblast, and felt like he had to put in endless hours of extra effort to be able to do things that he felt like his peers were able to do effortlessly.
I’m convinced this man masks near-constantly, which contributes both to why you wouldn’t think of him as autistic at first glance, as well as to why he’s so tired all the time. He’s even managed to make it look like some of his traits (like a lack of facial expressions / variance in tone of voice) are just part of his aloof villain persona. I’d also argue that Venomous is so different around Boxman not only because he’s in love, but also because Boxman is the only person who he feels comfortable enough around to not mask.
I just love the idea of this being the story of an autistic person who’s been deeply repressing his autistic traits his whole life falling for an autistic person who’s so unapologetically themself that he’s inspired to open up and let himself embrace being unapologetically who he is. I love the idea of an autistic character being portrayed by the narrative as incredibly popular and well-respected, and who is taken seriously. And I love the idea of having a character whose autistic traits look a lot like mine, especially since there’s so little diversity in the kinds of traits autistic characters tend to be written with in stories right now.
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