Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another list of five. Today’s Top 5 list centers around comic book villains who could be the main character in a television series or movie. The DCU and DCEU have been better showcasing their villains. Penguin, Black Adam, Joker, Clayface, and even Harley Quinn have all had television shows or movies featuring them as the main characters. Marvel has been less prolific. This may be a Marvel-heavy list of five, but I’ll try to sprinkle in some DC Comics characters who haven’t yet seen the limelight. Let’s get started with our list of Comic Book Villains who can be the main character in a movie or television series.

Honorable Mentions

We have multiple characters who could claim an honorable mention spot, so we’ll run through a few here. Darkseid can and should get the Thanos (in Avengers: Infinity War) treatment, and Kingpin could have his own series akin to HBO Max’s Penguin. None of them make this list because this is more of an inevitability. While we won’t shy away from obvious choices (more on that with our top spots), we don’t want to include characters who are all but assured a movie or show. With that said, we’ll give a shout-out to anti-hero and sometimes villain Lobo. I’m writing this post early and haven’t yet watched Supergirl, but if Lobo captures fans’ hearts, he could easily get his own movie or show. Consider this the Penguin effect. Fans loved Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the character and demanded a show.

5: Vermin

Vermin is a strange choice, especially when he’s the only Spider-Man villain who made this list, but his inclusion makes some sense. I’d love to see a Marvel show, film, or special presentation of the Spider-Man story, “The Child Within.” Vermin is the main character in that story. Geekly has mentioned “The Child Within” in the past, but we’ll give you a quick breakdown. Vermin encounters a nine or ten-year-old child in the sewer. The child asks Vermin to help take him home. Vermin reluctantly agrees. He leads the child to a mansion (his home), but the boy is too scared to enter. We learn the child is Vermin’s inner child. This mansion is his family’s home.

“The Child Within” tells Vermin’s backstory. Vermin is one of Marvel’s most tragic villains, so what this show portrays may not be for everyone. But “The Child Within” explores identity and the power of acceptance. Both of these topics have a strong pull in today’s climate. This story is long overdue for a live-action telling. Make it happen, Marvel.

4: Poison Ivy and Bane

My head tells me Bane should take this spot. My heart insists Poison Ivy claims the fourth spot. I went with both. Let’s begin with Bane.

Bane seldom gets a fair shake on the big screen. Ironically, he was little more than Poison Ivy’s mindless pawn in Batman and Robin, and he served as an underboss in The Dark Knight Rises. Neither one of these versions does Bane justice. Heck. Bane often gets sidelined in his own stories. “Knightfall,” the storyline where Bane builds a Gotham empire, breaks Batman’s back, and arguably Bane’s most well-known story, pushes Bane aside to focus on Azrael (the replacement Batman), midway through its arc. Not everyone likes Tom King’s run on Batman, but I thought it did a great job showing Bane at his conniving best. “City of Bane” could showcase this underrated villain like no other big screen project has.

Simply put, Poison Ivy is a fan favorite. She co-stars in the Harley Quinn Animated Series, but has rarely seen the limelight on the big screen. Poison Ivy is more of a sure thing. I could easily see her featured in a future movie or show.

3: Atrocitus

Wonder Woman and Superman villains don’t lend themselves to solo movies too well. I can’t really see Lex Luthor outside the context of a Superman movie. I’d love to see that, but I question if it could work. I also didn’t want to include multiple Batman villains on this list, and Flash hasn’t landed as a big-screen superhero…yet. That leaves Green Lantern villains. Several could’ve made this list. Star Sapphire is more of a hero at this point. Nekron and Black Hand could certainly headline a film, but we may need to wait several years for the DCU to set up those characters. Sinestro is Green Lantern’s longest-running foe, but Atrocitus serves a specific purpose in Green Lantern lore. The Guardians of the Universe (the ones behind the Green Lanterns) make mistakes and can commit atrocities.

Hey! Atrocitus sounds close to atrocities. Coincidence? I think not. The Guardians destroyed Atrocitus’s home world and murdered his people. He gains the red power ring, fueled by rage (part of the emotional spectrum, with green meaning will and yellow fear), and goes on a revenge tour. Atrocitus has a clear goal. Fans could even root for him to succeed. This can make Atrocitus as compelling a villain as Thanos for a solo movie. Sure, Sinestro recruits his army of yellow lanterns, but his goals reek of selfishness. Atrocitus believes in a righteous cause. And I like the idea of the Guardians owning a checkered past.

2: Apocalypse

Ever since his first appearance forty years ago (1986), Apocalypse has been one of the X-Men’s most consistent villains. As the oldest known mutant, Apocalypse’s origin stretches back to Ancient Egypt. He has a simple philosophy: Survival of the Fittest. Apocalypse embodies this philosophy. And it’s this philosophy that makes Apocalypse a great villain with which to focus a movie or show. Funny how having clear goals makes a villain a good candidate as a main character. While I could see several Apocalypse storylines translated to the big screen, “Age of Apocalypse” may be the most fun.

“Age of Apocalypse” asks what would happen if Apocalypse got his way, where only the strong survive. This storyline contains some of the bleakest storylines in X-Men lore. There are too many to count, but believe me, they can tug at one’s heartstrings. And “Age of Apocalypse” hasn’t graced the big screen in earnest. I’d love to see A Pair of Lips, I mean, Apocalypse headline a Marvel movie or show.

1: Doctor Doom and Magneto

Doctor Doom and Magneto had to top this list. They’re the obvious ones. They’re two of the most recognizable villains in comic book history. They have compelling backstories, and I don’t believe Marvel has plans to give either one their own movie or show–at this time. Sure, Avengers: Doomsday includes Doctor Doom’s name in its title, but this team-up movie will include so many characters I can’t imagine Doctor Doom will get significant screen time. We need a Doctor Doom and Magneto story like Avengers: Infinity War had with Thanos. These are two of the most complicated villains in comic books. Both could single-handedly carry a movie.

That’s our list of comic book villains who could be a movie or show’s main character. Which comic book villain would you like see get their own movie or show? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

While Daredevil: Born Again is ongoing, let’s discuss the best villains the Man Without Fear has ever had. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with the first Top 5 Villains List. Daredevil doesn’t have the most robust rogues gallery, but he does have a handful of standout villains. Here’s our list of the Top 5 Daredevil Villains.

5: Mr. Fear

Frankly, the top four Daredevil villains are set in stone—for the most part. The only variable I could find was at the fifth spot. I’ve said it a lot in previous Top 5s, but I could’ve gone in several directions. I almost feel like the bottom villain in a hero’s Top 5 villains must bring something a little different. Mr. Fear does that. You’d think that a villain whose gimmick involves fear would be no issue for Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, but Mr. Fear has posed a threat on more than one occasion. My favorite version of the Mr. Fear must be Matt Murdock’s old classmate, Larry Cranston. Cranston once gave Matt’s ex-wife Mia Donovan an overdose of a fear-inhibiting drug that led her to take an innocent’s life. Mr. Fear does more than hold his own with Daredevil’s typical martial arts-savvy characters.

4: Typhoid Mary

Ann Nocenti created Typhoid Mary. She’s a deadly and intriguing villain. Mary’s a mutant with telekinetic abilities and suffers from dissociative identity disorder, which gives her three different identities, a soft-spirited one (Mary), a violent one (Typhoid), and a sadistic one (Bloody Mary). Mary was once a soap opera actress and briefly in a relationship with Matt Murdock. One doesn’t know which one of Typhoid Mary’s personas is in control. Mary’s condition makes her unpredictable. Her mutant powers coupled with her innate mutant abilities make her a force. Season three of the Netflix Daredevil series included a version of Typhoid Mary. Typhoid Mary could make for an interesting foil with the MCU heading toward a Mutant Saga.

3: Elektra

Elektra Natchios is arguably the love of Matt Murdock’s life. Daredevil may have had a lot of girlfriends throughout the years—including the previous entry Typhoid Mary—but Elektra stands alone as Matt Murdock’s most iconic lover. Elektra’s the Catwoman to Matt’s Batman. As the daughter of a Greek ambassador to the United States, Elektra could’ve been anything. She chooses to be a villain for hire. Like Catwoman, Elektra always seems on the cusp of redemption, before showing Daredevil her ruthless nature. Elektra constantly switches sides. And her death at the hands of Bullseye remains one of the most iconic moments in Daredevil comics history.

2: Bullseye

No villain may have caused more pain and suffering for Matt Murdock than the contract killer Bullseye. This is the man that Daredevil tortured by playing Russian Roulette with an empty gun. Bullseye’s hands make anything a lethal weapon. He’s built his reputation on his perfect aim, throwing knives and other sharp objects with insane accuracy. He also helps that Bullseye’s skeleton is coated in adamantium, like Wolverine’s. Despite his physical prowess, Bullseye strives to inflict emotional pain. He’s taken away two of the loves of Matt Murdock’s life, Elektra and Karen Page, and joked about it afterward. Bullseye is the worst kind of villain. He takes pleasure in what he does, and what he does can be sickening.

1: Kingpin

Kingpin started as a Spider-Man villain, but Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil changed the course of the villain’s life. Since Miller’s run on Daredevil, the pair love to hate each other. In the “Born Again” comic book series, Fisk learns Daredevil’s identity and dismantles every aspect of his life, stripping Matt of his law license and even blowing up his apartment. Kingpin’s actions drove Matt Murdock to the brink of insanity. But Fisk has always managed to outsmart and maneuver his way around Daredevil. During the “Return of the King” storyline, he weasels his way into an alliance with Daredevil. He does so intending to betray the Man Without Fear at the most opportune moment. Kingpin may be one of Marvel’s greatest villains, but over the past several decades, he’s been a thorn in Daredevil’s side and worthy of the top spot.

Did we get the list right? Let us know who you would add or remove in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Tag: kingpin

5 Comic Book Villains Who Can Be the Main Character