DC might have some incredible villains, mostly located in Gotham City. But the enemies of Marvel’s superheroes are right up there too. For 60 years, they’ve become iconic, both because of comics and because of their portrayals in outside comics media. But which ones rule the roost? We narrowed down the ten greatest Marvel Comics villains, based on their comics history as well as film and television.
10. Mephisto
First Appearance: Silver Surfer #3 (1968) Created by Stan Lee and John Buscema
So let’s not beat around the bush. Mephisto is the Devil. He’s Satan, Lucifer, and Mephistopheles. (Who is actually a Germanic demon not related to the Fallen Angel, but c’mon). I mean, Mephisto is just the cutesy shorter nickname for Mephistopheles. Marvel was just too scared to make Satan a literal character in their superhero comics that kids buy. So, as the Devil, it doesn’t get much worse in terms of villainy, at least in theory. Stan Lee and John Buscema created Marvel’s demon lord back in 1968’s Silver Surfer #3, one of Lee’s last memorable creations of the early Marvel Comics era.
Mephisto often fulfills the Devil’s role we see in most fiction, tempting good people with alluring deals and “selling their souls” to him. And he has fought just about every major hero at Marvel, starting with the Silver Surfer. But he’s also battled Doctor Strange repeatedly, as well as Ghost Rider and Doctor Doom. And he literally erased the marriage of Spider-Man and Mary Jane from existence, perhaps his most famous evil act. A lot of his coolness derives from his memorable Satanic look, designed by his co-creator John Buscema. Sometimes, a killer look is just enough to make you an A-lister.
9. Apocalypse
First Appearance: X-Factor #5 (1986) Created by Louis Simonson and Jackson Guice
Magneto remains the “King Daddy Baddie” of the X-Men books, but we think Apocalypse is very much a close second. Marvel originally introduced him in the pages of X-Factor as an elevated threat to the original X-Men. A creation of writer Louise Simonson and artist Butch Guice, En-Sabah-Nur was the self-proclaimed “First Mutant,” claiming to be born 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. A large, imposing figure, Apocalypse is a mutant with nearly unlimited power. This is thanks to his X-gene allowing him to control his own cellular structure. Unlike most mutants, his powers, augmented by Celestial technology, make him practically god-like.
Unlike Magneto and Charles Xavier, who fight for all mutants (in their own way), En-Sabah-Nur cares only about elevating the strongest of the species. So if a mutant is weak, they’re as useless to him as a garden variety human. But for all his ruthlessness, even Apocalypse has (kind of) understandable goals. Using his fabled Four Horsemen, he wants to make sure mutants are strong enough to inherit a world where humans want them extinct. But he’s willing to burn down the planet to achieve it. That alone him one of the most formidable villains in all of comics.
8. Red Skull
First appearance Captain America Comics #1 (1941) Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
The MCU version of Red Skull tried to skirt around it as much as possible, implying that he was more part of Hydra than someone who worked for Hitler. But in the comics, the reason Johann Shmidt is so awful is simply because he’s a ruthless Nazi, very loyal to twisted Nazi ideals. Red Skull first appeared in Captain America Comics #1, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. And he has been a thorn in Cap’s side ever since, surviving the death of his Führer and the ravages of time. At first, his “red skull” face was just a mask, until he became disfigured, Joker style. But in either case, it created a truly memorable look that’s hard to forget.
Aside from his status as a Nazi, Red Skull has done a metric ton of damage as a villain. Not only has he killed Cap (actually trapping him in a time loop), he once stole Charles Xavier’s brain and created mutant concentration camps. In addition, he’s funded tons of hate groups that have given many a Marvel villain a run for their money. Unlike other villains on this list, Skull doesn’t have much in the way of redeeming qualities. But in terms of pure villainy, few Marvel baddies come close to causing the amount of damage Red Skull has.
7. Loki
First appearance: Journey into Mystery #85 (1962) Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby
In the comics, Thor is a fairly popular Marvel hero. But he’s often outshined by Spider-Man, Iron Man, and others. Yet, his evil adopted brother Loki, the son of the Frost Giant Laufey, is easily one of Marvel Comics’ most notorious villains. Based on the trickster god of Norse mythology, Loki was eternally jealous of his brother Thor, and harbored bitter feelings towards his father, Odin, ruler of Asgard. He used his arcane knowledge of magic to concoct scheme after scheme to embarrass his adopted family, and one of those schemes resulted in the formation of the Avengers.
Loki’s profile was raised further in the ‘80s when he became a recurring foe for the X-Men, Marvel’s most popular team. Loki has gone through many transformations in the comics, even becoming a woman at one point, and later, a teenager. But his brand of likable villainy has made him one of the publisher’s best bad guys since 1962. Of course, his profile increased even further thanks to Tom Hiddleston’s MCU portrayal. But even before going Hollywood, the God of Mischief had earned his place in the pantheon of Marvel villains.
6. Thanos
First appearance: Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973) Created by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich
If you’re only a Marvel fan thanks to the MCU and Josh Brolin, you’d probably think Thanos, the Mad Titan, would be higher on this list. After all, he was the main bad guy of the Infinity Saga. But in the comics, he actually wasn’t as big a deal until decades after his creation. Still, Thanos wasn’t ever a slouch. He first appeared in a 1970s issue of Iron Man, created by writer Jim Starlin. And he became a recurring cosmic menace to heroes like Adam Warlock and Silver Surfer.
Starlin admits that at first, Thanos was not much more than a copy of DC Comics’ Darkseid. He was mostly a secondary villain for decades until the 1991 event series, The Infinity Gauntlet, where he collected the Infinity Gems and wiped out half of life in the universe. This, of course, was the basis for Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. But even since that early ‘90s series, he’s become a major player in the Marvel Universe, involved in cosmic events like Annihilation and headlining several series of his own.
5. Galactus
First appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (1966) Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
We can say one thing about Galactus…he’s the tallest villain on this list. As the Devourer of Worlds, he’s got the biggest body count on this list as well. But even with so many dead planets in his wake, it’s hard to truly call Galactus a villain. He’s a force of nature, consuming the energy of planets for sustenance, not out of malice. He first appeared in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four #48 in 1966, when he came to Earth to devour its energy. Over the years, Galactus has also plagued Thor on several occasions, as well as his former herald, the Silver Surfer.
Although he’s usually portrayed as a cold and remote being above mortals, Marvel did eventually humanize Galactus with an origin story. It was revealed he existed in the universe before this one, where he was scientist Galen of the planet Ta. He survived the implosion of his universe, becoming a unique being who has now lived for billions of years. We’d be remiss to not admit that a lot of his popularity is thanks to his amazing character design by Jack Kirby, which will finally come to life in live-action in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Because of his omnipotent power levels, Galactus isn’t a villain Marvel can pull out of their pocket too often. But when they do, you know the stakes are going to be huge.
4. Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin
First appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #50 (1967) Created by Stan Lee and John Romita
Wilson Fisk has no superpowers, nor is he a scientific genius. So why is the so-called Kingpin of Crime so damn scary? Part of it is his imposing figure, as artist John Romita designed him as a giant of a man back in Amazing Spider-Man. While he was pretty memorable as part of Spidey’s rogues’ gallery, he had to compete there with many costumed criminals with powers. In the ‘80s, the writers of Daredevil reinvented Kingpin as the primary enemy of Matt Murdock. Over the years, Kingpin took apart Daredevil’s life, causing him more pain and personal loss than anyone else.
In more recent years, Fisk became Mayor of New York, making life miserable for every vigilante hero within city limits. Fisk’s profile was raised by his brilliant live-action portrayal by Vincent D’Onofrio across four seasons of Daredevil television shows, where he’s given a performance for the ages. Like DC’s Lex Luthor, Kingpin proves you don’t need superpowers to be a superheroes’ main villain. You just need smarts, endless resources, and a shiny bald head.
3. Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
First appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964) Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
On the surface, the Green Goblin may seem like he’s simply the Joker to Peter Parker’s Batman, if you catch our drift. After all, Green Goblin is another cackling, murderous psycho clad in purple and green. But that’s where the similarity ends. Norman Osborn isn’t a common crook or serial killer. He is highly intelligent and a wealthy captain of industry. Yes, he’s been ruthless and amoral, but he actually has a good side. Only that alternate Goblin personality all but consumed that good side. This persona was a result of experiments he performed on himself, that enhanced his strength but tore apart his sanity.
Green Goblin has done more damage to Spider-Man’s life than any other member of his impressive rogues gallery, murdering his love Gwen Stacy, and being responsible for the infamous Clone Saga that tore his life apart. The delicious irony is that as Norman, he is the father of Peter’s best friend Harry, and saw himself as a father figure to him at times. When you factor in that Norman Osborn has been an enemy of Iron Man and the Avengers as well, you can see why he’s one of Marvel’s most iconic villains. Even a bad costume worn by Willem Dafoe in the Spider-Man movies can’t make him less formidable.
2. Magneto
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963) Created by Styan Lee and Jack Kirby
Calling Max Eisenhardt/Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto a “villain” is somewhat reductive. Because he’s often been a force for good in the Marvel Universe, and even an occasional member of the X-Men. But, for a much larger part of his comics career, he’s been an antagonist to Xavier’s students, working to eliminate any and all threats to mutantkind. Yes, thanks to his traumatic childhood as a concentration camp survivor in Nazi Germany, the Master of Magnetism is a sympathetic villain. That’s part of what makes him so compelling. Excellent portrayals of the character in X-Men: The Animated Series and by Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender in film have only made us love the character more.
His relationship with ex-friend Charles Xavier forms the ideological divide on mutant rights. And thus, the backbone of the entire X-Men franchise. Because we understand why he is the way he is, thanks to the exploration of his trauma, as readers, we can’t help but sympathize with his pain. But it’s hard to argue that he’s not committed legitimately evil acts in the name of mutant liberation. He once sank a submarine full of soldiers, causing a global EMP that killed thousands. So yes, he is still a villain, even if his ultimate goals are noble. Because when those acts cost the lives of hundreds of innocents, we have to label him a bad guy. He’s just one that we really hate to love and sometimes even root for.
1. Doctor Victor von Doom
First appearance: The Fantastic Four #5 (1962) Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
There is no other Marvel villain who could have topped this list. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created Victor von Doom in 1962, the stars aligned. The creative duo knew the FF needed a powerful enemy, and they came up with the twisted monarch of fictional Latveria. Kirby wanted Doom’s metal mask to give the impression of “the Grim Reaper meets The Man in the Iron Mask. That gave him the kind of visual punch that made him instantly iconic. But then, Lee and Kirby gave Doom layers. While not as sympathetic as Magneto, the loss of his mother as a child and his suffering at the hands of his country’s ruler do make him understandable. Just not entirely likable. Marvel’s writers did a great job explaining why this evil despot became an evil despot.
Marvel also added a rich background with Reed Richards, making him Victor’s former friend and college competitor. They gave him a legendary rivalry that was incredible fodder for literally decades of stories. Not only was Doom a brilliant scientist, but he was a powerful sorcerer. This allowed him to work in sci-fi scenarios, as well as horror/fantasy tales. He’s the Fantastic Four’s primary villain of course, but he’s also terrorized Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the Hulk, the Avengers, pretty much every Marvel hero has gone against Doom.
In the iconic Secret Wars crossover, he even became God Emperor Doom, reshaping reality in his own image. He may have started as just an FF foe, he eventually became the face of villainy in all of Marvel Comics. He’s never had been portrayed well in film, but we’ll soon know if Robert Downey Jr. will be the one to finally elevate Doctor Doom to his comic book status in the MCU. It’s certainly been a long time coming.
The post The 10 Greatest Marvel Villains, Ranked appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Fady Askharoun Samy Askharoun
All Rights Reserved to Amznusa www.amznusa.com
Why Amznusa?
AMZNUSA is a dynamic website that focuses on three primary categories: Technology, e-commerce and cryptocurrency news. It provides users with the latest updates and insights into online retail trends and the rapidly evolving world of digital currencies, helping visitors stay informed about both markets.
