Who’s the Best Villain?
Tag: villains
Top 5 X-Men Villains
Geekly hasn’t covered a superhero team’s rogues gallery since the Avengers, and there’s no better place to continue that trend than with the X-Men. The X-Men topped our list of Most Powerful Rogues Galleries. If you missed that post, you can check it out here. No one messes with X-Men villains.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Top 5 Villains List. Marvel’s merry band of mutants has no shortage of enemies. Here’s our list of the Top 5 X-Men Villains.
5: Emma Frost
The fifth spot on most Top 5 Villains lists could go in several directions. While the X-Men are no different, Emma Frost was an easier selection than many fifth spots. No disrespect, Juggernaut.
Like most great X-Men villains Emma Frost spends as much time as a hero as she does a villain. As a villain, Frost typically serves as the Hellfire Club’s White Queen. We had to include at least one classic member of the Hellfire Club; they’re a frequent thorn in the X-Men’s side. This alone could explain Emma Frost’s inclusion on this list, but Frost opposes Charles Xavier like no other X-Men villain. She teaches young mutants and twists them into doing her bidding.
The Hellions are the most famous of Emma Frost’s disciples. They were a rival class of young mutants. One by one, Frost manipulated the Hellions. She took advantage of Thunderbird’s grief (because of his brother’s death) and coaxed him into taking revenge against the X-Men. At Frost’s request, Empath used his abilities to force Firestar to love him and join the plot. Emma Frost is a powerful mutant telepath. She’s used these powers to control more than just the Hellions. Kitty Pryde, members of the New Mutants and the New Warriors has at some point been one of Frost’s victims.
4: Mystique
Raven Darkhölme or Mystique (even Raven’s an assumed name, so we don’t know Mystique’s real name) has one of the wildest backstories of any X-Men villain. Again, she’s had her fair share of heroic stints, but Mystique is at her best when she shapeshifts, deceives, and infiltrates.
Nearly immortal, Mystique has done it all. In 1895 (or earlier), she took up the identity of consulting detective Sherlock Holmes. She convinced a time-traveling Kitty Pryde to not assassinate Adolf Hitler during the start of World War II. She’s been a member of the Brotherhood of (Evil) Mutants, organizing the third incarnation of the team. During this time, she adopted a young girl named Anna Marie (Rogue) and manipulated her into stealing Carol Danvers’s powers.
Mystique is the biological mother of a couple of prominent figures in the X-Men universe: Nightcrawler and Graydon Creed. While Nightcrawler is another popular X-Man, Graydon Creed is the leader of the mutant-hating organization Friends of Humanity. Creed would later become a politician and after he became too much of a problem, he was assassinated. Mystique was the gunman. Ruthless and conniving, Mystique will do whatever it takes to accomplish her goal.
3: Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is the figure in the shadows. A world-renowned geneticist, Mister Sinister treats humans and mutants as his playthings. He’s cloned (even himself), created new life, and manipulated mutant DNA for enhancing powers (again, he did this to himself). The original Nathaniel Essex (Mister Sinister) was transformed into his current form by the mutant known as Apocalypse, and his clone has spent most of his life scheming ways to break free from Apocalypse. To achieve this end, Mister Sinister has manipulated the lives of critical members of the mutant race. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Gambit, Havok, and even Professor X have been Mister Sinister victims.
Madelyne Pryor may be Mister Sinister’s greatest creation. She posed as Jean Grey, married Scott Summers (Cyclops), and gave birth to a child Nathan Summers (Cable). Yeah. Mister Sinister is all up in the Summers’ family tree. Cable’s given name Nathan is a nod to Mister Sinister’s original name Nathaniel. You could view Cable as having the family name of two families.
Beyond Sinister’s family skullduggery, he was the one responsible for wiping out the Morlocks. Unknowingly, Sinister was the one who unleashed the Legacy Virus, a mutant-specific pandemic that decimated the mutant populous. Despite multiple lifetimes of villainy, Professor X appointed Mister Sinister a seat on the mutant island nation Krakoa’s Quiet Council. His life’s work aided with the re-establishment of the country after the Krakoa Massacre.
2: Apocalypse
We go from Mister Sinister to the mutant who created him, Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur, translated as “The Seven Lights,” has lived for generations. Born in ancient Egypt, Apocalypse began life as a slave, and over time, he became a conqueror. His laundry list of abilities was crucial in Apocalypse’s Road to Conquest. Here’s a brief list of Apocalypse’s powers: self-resurrection, psychic-link, self-atomic manipulation, biomorphing, size alteration, superhuman strength, superhuman durability, superhuman stamina and endurance, telepathy, force fields, and telekinesis. The previous list was a third of Apocalypse’s powers.
Is it any wonder that Apocalypse has taken the guise of a god of destruction and the end times? Like all the other villains on this list, Apocalypse has a massive history with the X-Men. One of Nur’s standout storylines is the Age of Apocalypse. In this alternate future, Apocalypse sees his “Survival of the Fittest” philosophy to a logical conclusion. The mutants who survive are the ones able to adapt to Apocalypse’s extreme worldview.
No one aspect of Apocalypse showcases his extreme worldview than his Horsemen. Numerous X-Men have served as one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse, but Warren Worthington III may still be the most iconic. Nur transformed Worthington from the natural, angelic wings of Angel to the twisted techno-organic wings of Archangel. Archangel served as Death. War, Famine, and Pestilence round out the remaining members. The entire universe is at stake whenever the Horsemen arrive. The same can be said of Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur lives for destruction.
1: Magneto
Magneto is one of the most iconic comic book villains of all time. He had to take the top spot. His origin story is legendary. After suffering atrocities at the hand of the Nazis while interred in Auschwitz, Erik Lehnsherr (known by multiple other names like Max Eisenhardt) vowed never to let anything like the holocaust happen to the people he loves. This trauma formed Magneto’s worldview, and when humanity began lashing out against mutants, Magneto fought back. He wants to live in a world where mutants are humanity’s masters, and this puts him at odds with X-Men founder Professor Charles Xavier who dreams of peaceful mutant-human coexistence.
No other villain typifies an X-Men antagonist more than Professor X’s friend Magneto. We could discuss why Magneto takes the top spot for days, but ultimately, anyone who knows of the X-Men knows about Magneto. Most readers expected to see Magneto take the top spot. Magneto is iconic.
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.
Top 5 Avengers Villains
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with the first Top 5 Villains List; today’s list is the Avengers’ greatest foes. The Avengers are a strange case. Many of the villains one could include in an Avengers rogues gallery are either another hero’s villain (we’ll see some of those) or a Marvel Universe-level villain (we’ll see some of those, too). The Avengers lack villains who are unique to them and many of the ones who are Avengers-specific villains don’t tend to have the personal connection necessary for a proper archenemy. (We may need to make a post for what makes a good nemesis.) But despite not having an archenemy, the Avengers have a lot of great villains they’ve faced. Let’s see who made the list.
Honorable Mention: Scarlet Witch
Yes. We have another honorable mention for this list. Scarlet Witch often works with the Avengers but she does cross the line into the role of villain and when she does, it can be devastating. Much like her MCU counterpart in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel Comics’ Scarlet Witch becomes overcome by the loss of her twin sons in the story House of M. Scarlet Witch has a personal connection with the Avengers. She has the power level that can make someone believe she could defeat the Avengers, too. If she chose the life of a villain full-time, perhaps the Scarlet Witch would serve as the Avengers’ archenemy.
5: Grim Reaper
Grim Reaper certainly has the personal connection to become the Avengers’ greatest enemy. He’s Simon Williams’ (Wonder Man) brother, and in turn, Simon Williams is the brain brother of Vision, so Grim Reaper is Vision’s half-brother of sorts. I don’t know how that works. Grim Reaper has been a part of several plots against the Avengers, too, if only tangentially. He was there in the aftermaths of both Secret War and Civil War. Because Grim Reaper lacks the power level required for an Avengers’ big bad, he tends to work behind the scenes or wait until the team is underpowered before striking. Even so, Grim Reaper deserves a spot on this list.
4: Kang the Conqueror
Kang is the inverse of Grim Reaper. He has the prerequisite power to become the Avengers’ greatest villain, but he lacks a personal connection. Kang the Conqueror is a Marvel universal threat. The Avengers are one of the many teams that happen to get into Kang’s way. Kang has more of a connection to Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. In any reality (in the comic books), Kang the Conqueror began as Nathaniel Richards, a descendant of Reed’s. He idolized Tony Stark—so there’s a small connection there—and his first identity was Iron Lad. But Kang has held many identities: Kang, Immortus, Mister Gryphon, Rama-Tut, and even Doctor Doom. I hope the MCU returns to the character, eventually.
3: Thanos
Thanos is another super-powerful villain without a personal connection with the Avengers. Thanos is another Marvel Universe threat and not just an Avengers villain. Even the MCU films Infinity War and End Game brought in the Guardians of the Galaxy and a few others. Still, Thanos has had plenty of run-ins with the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. You’ll find Thanos in most Marvel titles named “Infinity” and he’s even been involved in Secret Wars and Civil War II.
2: Loki
2012’s Avengers stayed true to the Avengers’ original villain. Loki Laufeyson was the first villain of many to face off against the Avengers. He also has a personal connection to Thor Odinson, so that’s another positive for calling Loki the Avengers’ archnemesis. My favorite Avengers storyline featuring Loki is the “Acts of Vengeance” comic book crossover. Loki convinces the Avengers’ supervillain counterparts to join forces and attack members of the Avengers that the villains wouldn’t normally attack. Each hero’s nemesis would feed information about the various Avengers to the villain who planned to attack the hero. Leave to Loki to organize a massive crossover with Doctor Doom, Kingpin, Magneto, the Mandarin, the Red Skull, and the Wizard. Loki would take the top spot if it wasn’t for one villain.
1: Ultron
Created by Hank Pym (changed to Tony Stark for the MCU), Ultron was an AI designed to assist with world protection. Ultron turns rogue. He has a link with Vision and by extension Wonder Man. Add in the original Ant-Man into his origin and Ultron has the personal connections to be the Avengers’ greatest foe. He also has the power to back up those convictions. The events from Age of Ultron (the movie, not the comic book crossover, which wasn’t as good) are just the tip of the iceberg. Ultron even took the guise of Crimson Cowl and took control of the Masters of Evil, a supervillain team that just missed this list. I struggled between Loki and Ultron but decided to go with the robot. Who says a robot can’t be a superhero team’s greatest enemy?
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.
Top 5 Flash Villains
I can’t believe Geekly has been doing Top 5 Villains lists for superheroes and we haven’t covered Flash’s rogues gallery. Flash has one of the most extensive rogues galleries in comic book history. He may not have villains with the same name recognition as Spider-Man or Batman, but his rogues gallery is one of the best.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Top 5 Villains list. Many of the Flash’s most iconic villains have superspeed, so we’ll be limiting this list to the top speedster. Let us know if you’d like a Top 5 List of Villainous Speedsters. In the meantime, here’s our list of the Top 5 Flash Villains.
5: Killer Frost
Flash’s top 4 villains were a breeze to compile. I knew who they were the instant I sat down. His fifth villain could go in several directions. I may have said that about more than one superhero, but that’s the truth. Killer Frost beats out the rest of the would-be Top 5 Flash villains if for no other reason than she used to be a Flash ally. She spends part of her time as an anti-hero, having spent stints with the Suicide Squad and Justice League. But whenever Caitlin Snow decides to turn evil, it spells doom for the Flash. Her connections with Flash and Firestorm add to her lethality. Cold powers prove effective against the Flash; cold can slow the speedster. Killer Frost’s freezing ability, as we’ll see with another Flash villain on this list, makes her dangerous.
4: Mirror Master
Mirror Master fills a similar role in Flash’s Rogues that Mysterio does in Spider-Man’s Rogues, and Mysterio ended up as Spider-Man’s fourth-placed villain. Hmm. Looks like the fourth spot is the perfect place for a villain designed to confuse their nemesis. Unlike Mysterio, Mirror Master possesses powers. His mirrors can hypnotize, turn him invisible, generate holograms, change his physical form, and travel into other dimensions. That final ability separates Mirror Master from Mysterio. One of my favorite recent stories Mirror Master showed him trap Flash within a parallel dimension of his creation.
Don’t let the high-speed fool you. Flash is one of DC Comics’ most powerful heroes. He can turn back time and alter the past. Brute strength doesn’t often work against the Flash. Mirror Master takes a different route. And I’m a sucker for a villain with a mischievous streak.
3: Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is one of my favorite Flash villains. I wanted to place him at the one or the two spot, but two other villains narrowly beat him. Gorilla Grodd has superhuman strength, telekinesis, telepathy, a super genius-level intellect, and has a connection to the Speed Force. As his name suggests, he’s a gorilla. He hails from Gorilla City and is the sometimes leader of the metropolis led by super-intelligent gorillas. Gorilla Grodd not only has a laundry list of abilities, he has an army at his disposal.
Marry all of this up with Grodd’s connections with most of DC Comics’ supervillain organizations like the Legion of Doom, the Secret Society of Super Villains, and the Injustice League, and Gorilla Grodd has a plethora of allies he can summon. Grodd is one of Flash’s most formidable enemies.
2: Captain Cold
You can take everything I said about Killer Frost and her freezing powers and apply it to Captain Cold. But instead of Captain Cold being a personal friend of the Flash’s, he’s the man he instituted the Flash’s Rogues, Flash’s version of the Sinister Six, and serves as their leader. I had to put Captain Cold above Grodd because Grodd can get distracted by other heroes, and Captain Cold keeps his animosity toward the Flash. He knows which buttons to press and isn’t afraid to press them. His freezing abilities are only matched by his intellect. In short, Captain Cold knows how to use the Flash’s strength against him and that makes him deadly.
1: Reverse-Flash
Eobard Thawne (also known as Reverse-Flash and Professor Zoom) takes the top spot. He’s another speedster, so if we were to create a list of Top 5 Villainous Flash Speedsters, he’d be the top spot there as well. Thawne is one of the few characters in the DC Comics Universe who can travel back in time with little to no ill effects, and he uses this to his advantage. He’s erased characters to torment and destroy the Flash’s life. He even went back in time to kill Barry Allen’s mother. Reverse-Flash is plain evil.
He too has connections with the Legion of Doom, the Injustice League, and the Rogues. He had to take the top spot. Despite others’ attempts, no one has tortured the Flash more than Reverse-Flash. He does what his name says, he is the Flash’s antithesis.
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.
Top 5 Daredevil Villains
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.
Top 5 Captain America Villains
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re preparing for the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World with another Top 5 Villains List. Captain America has an interesting group of villains, to say the least.
We’ll have two official honorable mentions, but I’m going to cheat a bit and add a few in this introduction: MODOK, Batroc, and Adolph Hitler. MODOK stands for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. I’d shorten it to MODOK, too. MODOK is a floating head. Batroc’s full name is Batroc the Leaper. He leaps. And Adolph Hitler needs no introduction. Cap spent most of his early days punching Adolph Hitler in the face. With those villains out of the way, let’s get to our official honorable mentions.
Honorable Mention 2: Winter Soldier
Spoiler Alert for one of the MCU’s best films Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Steve Rodgers’ old friend Bucky Barnes is the Winter Soldier. He didn’t make the top villains list properly because even though he was the title villain in one of the greatest Captain America stories and recontextualized Captain America’s past, he became a hero. And he’s stayed a hero for the most part. The Winter Soldier even became Captain America in the comics for a time.
Honorable Mention 1: Serpent Society
The Serpent Society is a supervillain group rather than one villain, but they deserve a mention, especially since they’ll receive their MCU introduction in Captain America: Brave New World. Several factions exist within the Serpent Society. That’s to be expected since the group consists of dozens of snake-themed villains. Sidewinder, Princess Python, Anaconda, Constrictor, Fer de Lance, Puff Adder, Death Adder, Bushmaster, Asp, Cottonmouth, Rattler, and many, many more are part of the Serpent Society. We’ll have to see what the Serpent Society’s plot will be in the upcoming movie, but I wager it won’t be poisoning Washington DC’s water supply to turn everyone into Snake-People. That happened in the comics once. It took Diamondback rebelling against Madame Hydra’s rule to put an end to the plot.
5: Crossbones
Crossbones is often viewed as a Red Skull henchman—another spoiler, Red Skull will make the list—and he often gets attributed as a Sharon Carter villain. But Crossbones instigated Captain America’s assassination in the comics. Crossbones takes pleasure in murder. He even laughs when the Winter Soldier and Falcon take him down following Cap’s death. In the MCU, Crossbones (Brock Rumlow) was the one who hinted that HYDRA may have infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. Near the beginning of Captain America: Civil War, he laughs about the torture he put Bucky through when Captain America apprehends him. Crossbones wears a suicide vest, and Scarlet Witch hurls him toward a building filled with Wakandan relief workers, which causes a rift within the Avengers. Crossbones is more than your average henchman.
4: Arnim Zola
Originally a HYDRA scientist, Arnim Zola conducted numerous biochemical experiments. He messed around with the genes of human subjects and even brought back Adolph Hitler. Zola has a mean streak. He doesn’t care who he teams up with so long as he can continue his experiments. Most of what Zola does is in service of these experiments. He even uploaded his mind into a robot body, granting himself a type of immortality. Don’t let Zola’s goofy appearance of a giant TV screen with arms and legs fool you. Zola is one the deadliest villains in comic book history.
3: Baron Strucker
It was Baron Strucker all along. Baron Wolfgang von Strucker founded Hydra in the 1800s. He fought for Germany during World War I and brought the Red Skull into the fold during World War II. It was Strucker who recruited Arnim Zola. Following the end of World War II, Strucker became near-immortal by obtaining the Satan Claw, a strength-enhancing gauntlet. Strucker infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. with HYDRA agents. For years S.H.I.E.L.D. fell under HYDRA’s corruption, feeding the villainous group all its information. Decade after decade, Baron von Strucker earned his place as one of the greatest criminal masterminds in comics.
2: Baron Zemo
Two characters have taken the name Baron Zemo, a father-son tandem of Heinrich (father) and Helmut (son). I’m cheating—a little—by combining the two characters for this entry. Father Heinrich Zemo was one of the most despicable figures of the Third Reich. He, like Zola earlier on this list, loved testing inventions like ray cannons and disintegration guns on innocent people. He founded the Master of Evil, a thorn in the side of the early Avengers, and eventually killed—or at least we believed he killed—Steve Rodgers’ best friend Bucky Barnes. Following Bucky’s “death,” Captain America kills Heinrich Zemo. Heinrich’s son Helmut Zemo swears vengeance on Captain America. Where Captain America wants to make the world better for everyone, Zemo strives to ruin it because of his vendetta against one man. Helmut Zemo formed the original Thunderbolts, which were villains masquerading as heroes.
1: Red Skull
Red Skull appeared in the first-ever Captain America comic book. No other villain has come close to capturing the menace and imagination as Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull. The Red Skull is the antithesis of Captain America. He’s the super soldier experiment gone wrong. His imagery of a bloody skull dressed in a black coat contrasts the symbology of Captain America’s outfit. While Captain America represents the American ideal, the Red Skull did the same for Nazi Germany. Post World War II, the Red Skull has joined forces with HYDRA, a Nazi stand-in, and he continues to clash with one of the oldest comic book characters. No Captain America villain has ever reached the Red Skull’s status and malice.
Who is your favorite Captain America villain? Let us know who you would add or remove in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Top 5 Spider-Man Villains
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with the first Top 5 Villains List of the new year. I can’t believe we lasted this long before mentioning Spider-Man’s top villains. Let’s rectify that. Here’s our list of the Top 5 Spider-Man Villains.
5: Carnage
We could’ve gone several different directions here. I wanted to put a classic Spider-Man at the fifth spot, someone like Electro, Sandman, Kraven, or even Vulture, but Carnage trumps each of them. The alien symbiote that merged with Cletus Kasady Carnage may be the offspring of another character on this list (spoilers, I guess), but Carnage is a formidable Spider-Man villain and worthy of this list. If we were to discuss Spider-Man’s most violent villains, Carnage would be atop that list.
Carnage has had some stellar storylines, some of the best Spider-Man stories in the past three decades or so since his first appearance: Absolute Carnage, Maximum Carnage, and Carnage, U.S.A. to name a few. Carnage rampages his way near the top of Spider-Man’s rogues.
4: Mysterio
I always liked Mysterio as a villain. Quentin Beck’s penchant for the dramatic and choosing to manipulate and confuse Spider-Man instead of trying to out science or beat Spidey to a pulp made Mysterio unique. Beck spent years on Spidey’s back catalog of villains. Wearing a fishbowl as a helmet couldn’t help.
Even with a ridiculous outfit—or perhaps because of a ridiculous outfit—Mysterio has been in some great Spider-Man stories. The five-issue mini-series Symbiote Spider-Man rescued Mysterio from obscurity. He even returned from the dead in “Mysterioso” (Amazing Spider-Man #618). This story bridged the gap from the goofy Silver Age version of Mysterio to the more sinister character in “Guardian Devil.” And the 2019 MCU film Spider-Man: Far From Home did a lot to improve Mysterio’s image to non-diehard Spidey fans.
3: Doctor Octopus
There was a time when Doctor Octopus would’ve dominated this list, or he’d at least be second to another character we’ll see later, but Otto Octavius finds himself in the third spot. Many comic book characters have changed their looks and even their backstory, but Doctor Octopus may be the king of makeovers. He’s been an Atlantean, an octopus-like monster, and he’s even been Spider-Man before in the storyline Superior Spider-Man.
Many of Spider-Man’s villains may know his identity as Peter Parker, but Doctor Octopus was one of the first. And he used that knowledge to torture Peter. Add in the fact that Doc Ock assembled the original Sinister Six and that makes him a no-brainer for this list.
2: Venom
Venom got teased in the Carnage write-up. When an alien symbiote merged with Eddie Brock to form Venom, it shook up the Spider-Man mythos. Since Spidey has such a great rogues gallery, Venom is the only modern Spider-Man villain who can sneak into the top three. One could argue that Venom is equal parts hero and villain, and many of Venom’s best stories cast them as a hero. Venom Vs. Carnage and Maximum Carnage pit them against their offspring Carnage. I especially liked Venom’s turn as a hero in the latter story because it forced Venom to join forces with their hated enemy Spider-Man. But I always thought Venom worked best as a villain.
Since Venom is a symbiote, more than one character has formed an alliance with the alien. Famously, Peter Parker was Venom’s first host. Other hosts include Mac Gargan (Scorpion), Flash Thompson, and even Mysterio. And since the symbiote has merged with Peter Parker Spider-Man in the past, Venom typically knows Spider-Man’s identity, which makes them even deadlier. Throw in the fact that Spidey’s spider-sense can’t detect Venom, and they’re easily a top villain.
1: Green Goblin
Could it be anyone else? Green Goblin takes a lot of what makes the villains on this list formidable and combines them into one character. Norman Osborn knows Peter’s identity. He isn’t afraid to use his knowledge of Spider-Man’s identity to his advantage and has leveraged Spider-Man’s identity on multiple occasions. He has a personal connection with Spider-Man through his son Harry Osborn being one of Peter’s friends. He can manipulate, out-science, and even overpower Spider-Man physically. Green Goblin even killed Peter Parker’s first girlfriend Gwen Stacy.
I could go into numerous Green Goblin stories here, but that may need a future list. Simply put, Green Goblin was the obvious choice for the first Spider-Man big-screen adaptation.
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.
Top 5 Underrated DC Villains
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re doing something very different this week and posting a much older post by our resident Star Trek Geek, Jim Plath. He shared his Top 5 Underrated DC Villains years ago, and I just found the copy. Sorry about that, Jim. Without further ado, here is the Top 5 Underrated DC Villains.
This one ended up being trickier than I expected. When you start digging, you can make a case for just about any villain of Batman’s not named Joker, Ra’s, Deathstroke, or Superman’s not named Lex, Doomsday, Darkseid, or Brainiac. Here’s my list though.
5) Cheetah:
You could make a case for just about any DC female villain not named Harley Quinn these days, but given that she’s really an anti-hero now, she might not make the list anyway. Cheetah’s history with Wonder Woman is pretty front-and-center in Wonder Woman’s current arc, and it’s doing wonders for drawing attention to her sympathetic qualities. As a character, she’s tragic, and as a villain, she’s got Wonder Woman’s durability and the speed of, well, a cheetah. That makes her a worthy adversary for a good portion of the Justice League.
4) Brother Eye
The OMACs/Brother MK1/Brother Eye have been used similarly to Marvel’s Sentinels. They’ve been involved in some great Justice League stories over the years, played a pivotal role in Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis, and always generate hefty stakes.
3) Mongul
Mongul is something of an ersatz Darkseid. In fact, that’s most likely why he’s underrated. Like a lot of characters, his backstory changes slightly here and there, but he’s proven himself a threat to each member of the Justice League individually, and given them a run for their money as a group. He even once destroyed Hal Jordan’s hometown of Coast City.
2) Psycho Pirate
With the power to affect people’s states of mind, he probably gets passed over too often for villains like Scarecrow, but Psycho Pirate’s powers are broader. He’s been shown to mollify hostile characters, even pacify Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon. It isn’t always about fear with the Psycho Pirate.
1) Vandal Savage
When it comes to men made untouchable to father time, the bulk of the spotlight goes to Ra’s al Ghul these days. Some of that is the influence of the Arkham video game franchise, and the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy, but another factor is Savage is far more powerful. There just aren’t many DC heroes who can make a match for him, so he doesn’t get as many shots at the bigtime.
Do you agree with Jim’s list? Who would you add or remove? Let us know in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Top 5 Superman Villains
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Top 5 Villains List. This time we’re covering Superman’s rogues gallery. We mentioned Supe’s rogues in a previous Top 5, the Top 5 Most Powerful Rogues Gallery. But Superman’s villains are getting their list today. Let’s see who made the list.
5: Darkseid
You may think that Darkseid is way too low on this list, but I view him more as a Justice League villain if not a DC universe-wide villain. But Darkseid needs to make the list. I struggled with that. I wanted to include Parasite or Cyborg Superman or even Toy Man or Mister Mxyzptlk. Consider them the honorable mentions. Oh. Spoiler alert: those villains didn’t quite make the list. Getting back to Darkseid, he inspired Marvel’s Thanos. So, Darkseid is a heavy hitter. Unless the writer powers down the villain, Superman often needs help when dealing with Darkseid.
4: Doomsday
What more can be said of the villain who killed Superman? He belongs on the list; he may even be too low like Darkseid. Next.
Just kidding. We’ll discuss Doomsday a bit more. Doomsday is an engineered being from the depths of prehistoric Krypton. Is everyone still on board with genetic experiments? Doomsday’s creator imbued him with few feelings, mostly hate and a desire for destruction, which led to him destroying worlds and eventually finding Earth. Doomsday can’t die. He adapts every time he gets defeated. He can’t be reasoned with. Of Superman’s mindless foes (or his foes who are forces of nature), Doomsday tops them all and makes this list.
3: General Zod
Since he’s a Kryptonian, General Zod has powers comparable to Superman. And as his name suggests, he’s a general. So, he has military training. That makes General Zod a Superman-powered general who desires to subjugate humanity and turn Earth into a New Krypton. Yep. He’s terrifying.
General Zod may even be my choice for Superman’s first major villain if I were to reboot the character. He ties in perfectly with Supe’s past. General Zod knew Kal-El’s birth parents after all. And he hated them. It made sense that Man of Steel featured General Zod as its main antagonist. Too bad the movie wasn’t better.
2: Brainiac
There have been many Brainiacs and with that several origins for the character. No matter the origins or version, Brainiac is often considered Superman’s second-greatest villain. You can probably guess who takes the top spot. Usually, writers depict Brainiac as a superintelligent android or cyborg from the planet Colu who is obsessed with collecting all knowledge in the known universe. He even goes so far as to shrink cities like Kandor, the capital of Superman’s home planet Krypton, and Brainiac has destroyed countless civilizations.
If his body ever gets destroyed, Brainiac uploads his artificial consciousness into a new body and begins anew. This makes Brainiac pseudo-immortal and a major threat to Superman. One of my favorite versions of Brainiac comes from the Superman Animated Series. Brainiac was an AI present when Krypton exploded. We learn that Brainiac destroyed Krypton so he and he alone would have the knowledge that Krypton ever existed. This put him at odds immediately with Superman. And the reveal was fantastic. Sorry. Spoilers for an almost thirty-year-old cartoon series.
1: Lex Luthor
What more can I say about the man who would be Superman? Most people know Lex Luthor. He’s one of Comicbook’s greatest villains, let alone Superman’s greatest villain. CEO of LexCorp, Lex Luthor as I mentioned in the Most Powerful Rogues Gallery Top 5 is DC Comics’s version of Tony Stark if Iron Man decided to go a different path. Lex hates how much the world loves Superman. He doesn’t trust all that power belonging to an alien. While I could mention several large-scale, DC Comics affecting schemes, my favorite Lex Luthor story, the one that shows how evil he can be, comes from a much smaller story.
Lex visits a diner outside Metropolis. He offers a waitress at the diner a large sum of money to sleep with him. The waitress knows who Lex is, everyone knows him and what he’s done, and she’d rather not sleep with the devil. But the money Lex offered was too good to pass. As soon as she decides to sleep with Lex, he leaves the diner. Lex’s chauffeur asks why he left before completing the “transaction,” and Lex said—and I’m paraphrasing—She will always know that she would’ve slept with me. Now she hasn’t a penny to show for it.
Like Outkast once said, what’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold. That sums up Lex Luthor.
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.
Top 5 Hulk Villains
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re sticking with the Spooky Season theme or at least Spooky Season adjacent with the Top 5 Hulk Villains. Hulk has an odd array of villains because he spends a large portion of his time as a monster.
But the Green Goliath has his fair share of villains. Let’s see who made the list.
5: Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man could’ve been higher on this list. He has one of the most intriguing powers in Hulk’s rogue’s gallery; he can absorb any material he touches. Think of it like a physical version of the X-Men’s Rogue’s power. But Absorbing Man functions just as much as a Marvel Universe villain as he does a Hulk villain. His origins come from a classic Thor comic and has a link with Loki. And his most notable partner Titiania has a connection with She-Hulk, so Absorbing Man could be just as much of a She-Hulk villain.
Even so, he deserves a mention on this list. After fighting Thor for several rounds, Absorbing Man gets banished into outer space. Upon his return on a comet, Absorbing Man battles the Hulk. And the two became on again, off again rivals ever since.
4: Abomination
The Abomination is a classic Hulk villain. Had this been a decade or two ago, the Abomination could’ve landed much higher on this list, maybe even number one. But a few villains have taken his spot as the Hulk’s big bad. Emil Blonsky’s villainous origin plays out similarly to his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) counterpart. He started as a KGB agent and spy; he was switched to a British Royal Marine for the MCU. Blonsky subjected himself to a ton of gamma radiation and turned into scaly and larger version of the Hulk.
The Abomination is the oldest evil Hulk, but there have been other “evil Hulks” who have taken over higher spots.
3: Maestro
Okay. Maestro is just a future version of the Hulk. But he’s one evil son of a gun. This version of the Hulk comes from the Future Imperfect timeline where the world has been rocked by nuclear weapons. Hulk is uniquely qualified to survive such a future and the horrors he’s seen have driven him mad. Maestro may no longer be as strong as his younger counterpart, but his healing factor makes him virtually immortal.
It also doesn’t hurt that the legendary comic book writer Peter David and equally legendary artist George Perez co-created Maestro and gave the character a phenomenal run in the early 1990s.
2: Red Hulk
Red Hulk is yet another evil version of the Hulk, but he’s more than that. Red Hulk started as General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross. Red Hulk may have debuted in 2008, making him the “newest” character on this list. But Thunderbolt Ross has been around since the very beginning. He was the father of Hulk’s long-time love interest and eventual wife Betty Ross. Thunderbolt hated the Hulk and led the military’s charge to subdue him.
Thunderbolt Ross turned himself into the Red Hulk to go toe-to-toe with the Green Giant. The Red Hulk retained Ross’s intellect and more importantly his military training, making him a force. Ross has yet to become the Red Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. William Hurt played the character until his passing. Harrison Ford will portray the character in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. It should be a matter of time before Red Hulk makes his MCU debut.
1: Leader
I may be biased, but the Leader remains the ultimate foil for the Hulk. Janitor Samuel Sterns gets turned into the ultra-intelligent Leader after exposure to gamma radiation. He develops telekinesis, telepathy, gamma ray manipulation, and can self-resurrect. He’s been a part of several major Hulk storylines, including the creation of the Red Hulk, our number two villain on this list.
The Leader is also one of the founding members of Intelligencia, a group of the greatest criminal minds on Earth. This group can affect the Marvel Universe as a whole. But the Leader works best when he squares off against the Hulk. He is the yin to the Hulk’s yang. The only villain who comes close to besting the Leader as the Hulk’s greatest enemy may be the Hulk himself.
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.
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