How to be a "villain" race...

1. Be ugly looking... the lack of a human face really helps. Also being inorganic means that you can get blasted day in and day out and no one need worry... just look at the original Cylons, or the droids in Star Wars. Of course, failing that you can just wear something to make you a faceless enemy (like stormtroopers) or just be REAAAAL ugly.

2. Make sure to start out really powerful and mysterious but that if you get popular, all that mystery can eventually be explained away in generic, banal, unimaginative ways and that despite the fact when you first turned up you were practically unbeatable that as time passes, giving you a thrashing becomes easier than changing the channel.

3. Under that evil, kill all humans and destroy the universe mentality - make sure you've got a caring, sharing side... because even evil robots and psychotic mutants sometimes need to break down and have a good cry.

4. If you've decided to create a device to destroy or enslave the world/galaxy/universe - make sure to put in a handy flaw that will allow a small force of good guys to destroy it.

5. Make sure you're good at exposition.

6. If you start out all shiny and special effecty, make sure that at some point - for no real reason - you take on human form... that's what your enemy least expects.

7. In the unlikely event of capturing the good guys - never, ever kill them... despite the fact that this will instantly assure your victory. Instead, keep them locked up or just tell them your plans and then act all surprised when they escape or have just wandered off while you drone on.

8. Have a clearly defined hierarchy... At the top you've got the mincing, expositioning leader... he'll generally have a sinister henchman or two and of course, there will be an unlimited supply of faceless drones/stormtroopers/shoeboxes to throw at the good guys...

9. Be terrible at poker... often the good guys will be at your mercy but then! They'll come up with an outrageous bluff - if you're going to be an evil race, you've simply got to accept this, despite the fact it's probably not even possible.

10. Always underestimate the enemy - despite the fact you've lost to them dozens of times, you should never really take the good guys as a threat... so, make sure you toy with them while you congratulate yourself on your imminent victory.

11. Never follow through - always be satisfied that if it seems like a good guy is dead, that he is... even though this has happened repeatedly and he never is. Also, never try the same plan twice. Just because it would have worked last time and would be pretty easy to just do again and do right, it's best to just abandon that plan and move onto the next.

12. Never have a plan B - in the event of your superweapon, overly complex plan or similar failing... never have a contingency, that's the preserve of the good guys... just shake your fist and get out of there... or die.