Tag: villains

Top 5 Marvel United Villains

Top 5 Marvel United Villains

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, we’ll be discussing Marvel United. Yes! We haven’t discussed this board game in quite some time, and it’s time to fix that. Marvel United’s various villains and the way they alter the gameplay are the game’s most intriguing game design elements. In today’s list, we’ll share our picks for the Top 5 Marvel United Villains.

Dishonorable Mention: Gladiator (War of Kings Expansion)

Right off the bat, we’re shaking up things with this list. While a Top 5 Marvel United Villains list is up for debate (everyone has their own taste), Gladiator may just be one of the most universally hated villains in the game. Simply put, he’s unwinnable at heroic mode, unless you use multiple heroes with lots of wild symbols, which limits the number of heroes you can even use to defeat this villain. Most games against Gladiator end with the heroes auto-losing after a couple of turns. No thanks.

While the rest of the War of Kings Expansion adds some nice variety, Gladiator as a villain is plain unfun. Fortunately, he is an antihero. I’d use him as a hero, not a villain.

5: Dark Phoenix (Marvel United Season 2, X-Men, Stretch Goals)

We’ll be seeing a ton of Marvel United Season 2 on this list. Most gamers list it as the best Marvel United Season, and I tend to agree. Marvel United X-Men rules. Unlike our previous entry, Dark Phoenix may be difficult to acquire. Difficult, but not impossible. She’s available in the Season 2 Stretch Goal box. This box includes a heap of fantastic characters. We may see another one on this list from the same box, so the hefty price tag of $80 to $100 may be worth the cost.

Dark Phoenix offers a chaotic and fun fight. She doesn’t go down easy, but at the same time, Dark Phoenix doesn’t feel unfair of a fight (ahem, Gladiator). It also doesn’t hurt that Dark Phoenix is an iconic villain. I love playing against her, reliving moments from the epic Dark Phoenix Saga. And look at that mini. Gorgeous.

4: Legion (Marvel United Season 2, X-Men, Stretch Goals)

It did not take long for us to get to another Marvel United Villain from the Season 2 Stretch Goal box. Legion may be the pinnacle of Marvel United villain design. Like in the comic book, his personality changes. Every two turns brings a new wrinkle and mechanism into the game. Sure. This gimmick functions like an intricate puzzle in miniature game form, but puzzles can be a blast.

I’ve heard rumblings that at least one DC Super Heroes United villain borrows some game design ideas from Legion. I hope that’s true. Legion’s changing personality adds plenty of spice.

3: Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four Expansion)

Doctor Doom is our third representative from Marvel United Season 2 (X-Men). Such a great set. Naturally, Doctor Doom is included in the Fantastic Four Expansion, and he makes this list for more than nostalgia reasons. I swear. Doctor Doom is a “fantastic” Marvel United villain. All jokes aside, I’ve always had tight games against Doctor Doom as a villain. The Marvel United design team made sure to tune his combination of cards so players will always be one turn away from winning or losing each game. Brilliant!

Combination doesn’t begin to describe Doctor Doom’s Threats and Master Plan cards. They work so well together, and every time a new card gets revealed, players will be forced to make tense and meaningful decisions. Doctor Doom is one of those villains you face, and you’ll know which decision caused you to win or lose.

2: Juggernaut (Marvel United X-Men Core Set)

The X-Men set is four out of four on this list. Yowza! See what I mean when I said the Marvel United X-Men was a banger? Juggernaut makes this list–and almost tops it–because he makes a phenomenal introductory Marvel United villain. And he happens to be included in the Marvel United X-Men Core Set. Unless you really want Avengers in your game, I almost always suggest picking up the readily available X-Men Core Set. This makes Juggernaut one of the easiest villains on this list to add to your collection.

Juggernaut makes a great introductory villain because he’s thematic and fun. He charges around the board, headbutting people. Juggernaut behaves like you’d expect Juggernaut to behave. His ruleset is on the simpler side, but he can be challenging. Marvel United found a way to make Juggernaut easy to play and rewarding to defeat. I’ve never had a table dislike Juggernaut, and he just may be one of my most commonly played Marvel United villains.

1: Sinister Six & Assembled Sinister Six (Return of the Sinister Six and Maximum Carnage Expansions)

I’m double-cheating with our top entry. First, the Sinister Six is a supervillain team. Second, I’m picking two expansions here. Return of the Sinister Six was a KickStarter exclusive all the way back in Season 1, but plenty of stories carry this expansion, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Maximum Carnage was released in Season 3, but the modular Sinister Six add-on was only available in the KickStarter exclusive variant of the expansion. I picked up the Maximum Carnage expansion via retail, so I have a method of adding the modular Sinister Six.

Above is a picture of Carnage’s puzzle piece that can be used in the modular Sinister Six. Using the Marvel United wiki, I took images (and real-world measurements) and printed out my own copy of each puzzle piece of a modular villain at my local library. There are some unique cards you won’t find in a retail copy of Maximum Carnage, so you’ll need to print out those as well. Both are easy to find and download.

I love both iterations of Marvel United’s Sinister Six. Featuring the Sinister Six’s founding members, Return of the Sinister Six provided Marvel United’s first supervillain team. Like Legion, The Sinister Six functions like another intricate puzzle. But once you’ve figured out the puzzle, it may be time to move on to the modular Sinister Six. This version of the Sinister Six includes every villain who has ever joined the Sinister Six, so that static puzzle becomes an ever-changing puzzle. The first Sinister Six holds a special place in my heart (and you’ll need them to fill out your roster of every Sinister Six member), but the modular Sinister Six is clearly the best Marvel United villain. Fun, adaptable, and never boring.

Did we get the list right? Let us know who your favorite Marvel United villains are in the comments. Thank you for reading, wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Star Wars Villains

Top 5 Star Wars Villains

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Happy May the Fourth, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re celebrating with a Star Wars Top 5. A great hero needs an intriguing villain. Yes! We’re continuing our Top 5 Villains Series with a Top 5 Star Wars Villains.

5: Jabba the Hutt

Jabba the Hutt is a massive space slug who oozes out a living, making shady deals throughout the galaxy. He reminds me of Beelzebub, the devil associated with gluttony. Jabba is the pinnacle of excess. He moves as little as he can, forcing his servants to do most things for him. He stuffs his face all day long, smokes his hookah, and admires the woman he has on a leash. Heck. Whenever he gets bored, he’ll feed his enslaved women to the space monster in his basement. Yikes!

Jabba has an iconic design. His giant puppet–Lucasfilm pulled off this giant space slug with a puppet–impresses audiences decades after Return of the Jedi’s original release. Growing up, I had an original Jabba the Hutt figure from Jenner. Looking back, there were so many red flags with that figure. And we can’t forget Spaceballs’s Pizza the Hutt, who ate himself while trapped in his car. I can’t wait for Spaceballs 2.

4: Grand Admiral Thrawn

Grand Admiral Thrawn differs from every other villain on this list in almost every way. Thrawn originates from a Star Wars novel–The Heir to the Empire trilogy, to be exact–before making his debut in the Star Wars Rebels animated series. His story went from being canon to not being canon and then back again. And Thrawn’s approach separates him from most Star Wars villains. He’s as cold and calculating as his skin tone. He seldom uses overwhelming force. No. He’ll understand a community or culture first, before dismantling it from the inside. Thrawn’s tactics may be the most diabolical in Star Wars lore.

3: Darth Maul

Even in his debut, Darth Maul looked cool. Double lightsabers will do that. Heck. Fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jin at the same time adds to his mystique. But Maul’s story doesn’t truly begin until after the events of The Phantom Menace. Of course, Darth Maul survives being bisected by Obi-Wan Kenobi. He gains a set of robotic spider legs and eventually a set of humanoid robotic legs. Maul would become a threat to the Republic, then the Empire, and finally the Sith themselves. Some villains want to watch the world burn, and we’re here for it.

2: Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious)

Emperor Palpatine has appeared in every Star Wars trilogy of films, so far. He’s the Lord of the Imperial Galaxy and internet memes. Palpatine began his political career in the service of the Galactic Republic but soon obtained power and destroyed Galactic democracy. And the people cheered. I refuse to make parallels between Palpatine and real life. Anyway, the Emperor’s crimes are countless. Nope. This doesn’t resemble real life. Back to fantasy, Palpatine nearly wiped out the Jedi with Order 66. He killed Mace Windu, and nobody gets away with murdering a Samuel L. Jackson character. And the Emperor plunged the Galaxy into an era of darkness and tyranny.

Not bad for a meme lord.

1: Darth Vader

Could it be anyone else? Darth Vader is the height of a cool villain. Admit it. “The Imperial March” plays when you catch a glimpse of him. Darth Vader is one of cinema’s most iconic villains. Period. What’s not to like? His imposing stature, black space samurai armor, creepy breathing, or James Earl Jones’s rich voice. Darth Vader is the epitome of evil. Like many classic villains, he started as a force of good and became corrupted. And let’s face it, the Star Wars prequels primarily exist to show Darth Vader’s descent. And boy, did we enjoy the ride.

Did we get the list right? Who would you put on this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 XMen Villains

Top 5 X-Men Villains

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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.

Emma Frost X-Men

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.

Mister Sinister X-Men

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.

Apocalypse X-Men

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.

Magneto X-Men

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

Top 5 Avengers Villains

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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

Top 5 Flash Villains

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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.

Top 5 Ice Powered Comic Book Characters Killer Frost

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

Top 5 Daredevil Villains

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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

Top 5 Captain America Villains

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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.