The Greatest Villains in Comic Books

[Charles Phipps]

List your all-time favorite Comic Book Villains and what qualities make them the absolute best of the best. You can pick one or just give a list of whom are the greatest bad guys ever created.

Here's my list....


1. Magneto (X-men)

2. Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four)

3. Lex Luthor (Superman)

4. Kingpin (Spiderman/Daredevil)

5. Doctor Octopus (Spiderman)

6. The Rose (Spiderman)

7. The Corinthian (Sandman)

8. Ra's Al Ghul (Batman)

9. Two-Face (Batman)

10. Thanos (Infinity Gauntlet)

My picks obviously reflect my preference for thinking man's bad guys as a rule. I confess, I chose the Corinthian over the Joker simply because the Joker is so rarely done WELL.

[Otto-Sieve]

I believe the Joker trumps all. Not becasue he's the most powerful, or strongest, but he is just so unpredictable. His personality changes about everyday, and his schemes goe from the childish, like throwing a pie in your face, to the grossly vile, like killing a whole boy scout troop with poison cotton candy. He just is the coolest.

[Dalenthas]

1. Dr. Doom, because he actually took over the world once.
2. The Mandarin, because he returned China to the Iron Age.

[Gundato]

Spider-Man's writers.

What other villain manages to seriously injure a hero's loved ones/screw up a hero's life on such a regular basis?

[GoC]

1. Dr. Doom, because he actually took over the world once.
Several other villains have too.
Thanos took over the universe twice.

[Irenaeus]

From the top of my head in no particular order:

1. The main villain in Watchmen... ...because he actually succeeds.2. The Family Man - Hellblazer
3. Mnemoth - Hellblazer #1
4. Judge Dredd - in most of the good Judge Dredd stuff

Can't think of any more of the really good ones right now.

[....]

Ultimate Magneto is pretty groovy. Especially since he hasn't gone goody-two-shoes yet (or if he has I haven't read it yet).

I really hate that whole, "I'm evil, I'm good, I'm evil again" thing.

Mr. Dee from the first Sandman collection was pretty horrifying, in what he did to the people in the diner.

[Irenaeus]

Mr. Dee from the first Sandman collection was pretty horrifying, in what he did to the people in the diner.Oh! I would like to second that. I think it's one of the few moments in Sandman where Gaiman uses a more traditional masked hero/villain type DC character and really succeeds.

[Tirian]

It's a little strange for me to think of the Corinthian as a villain. He seems more like a raw force of nature supernature. I like Loki's flavor, though, and also Desire and Thessaly (although their evil is more complex). Elsewhere in the Vertigo-verse, I really loved Barbatos the demon from Books of Magic.

I like Lex Luthor a lot, particularly when post-Crisis writers get his character right. Actually, this is probably a common theme, since writers will take liberties with even core villains that they wouldn't take with the heroes.

Evil characters in one-shot universes are probably a separate case, because you don't have to worry about years of different writers blowing your vision. All the same, the villains of Watchmen and the first volume of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen both deserve mention.

[JessSoccer]

Hmmmm..... don't like villains much either way, but ...

I do like Lex, cause he just seems plausible to me. I mean, I know its a comic book and all, so its suspended belief, but I like seeing a villain that could actually happen. Thats not a mafia guy. Or a serial killer. He's just...Lex. *shrug* I know I'm not explaining clearly, but I can't seem to find the right words why I like him over the other villains.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Devil Dinosaur.

[sun_tzu]

Lex Luthor and Dr Doom are among the best evil geniuses in fiction.
The Joker, when written right, works as an avatar of Madness - incredibly threatening for an unpowered human.
Darkseid, when written right (which isn't all too common these days) can be a truly impressive cosmic evil.
Thanos is freaking Thanos.
The main villain from Watchmen...Well, I won't spoil it, but yes, he ruled.

Also, since they did come in comic book form, the Xykon/Redcloak duo.:smalltongue:

[W Herzog Zwei]

I tried to devise a top ten/five, but I really could not put most of my favourites in any particular order beyond shared number one spot:

1: Ra's Al Ghul & Dr. Doom

The Rest:

Roderick Kingsley Hobgoblin
The Kingpin
Bullseye
Rasputin (Hellboy)
Herr Starr (Preacher)
Black Adam (whenever he's in real villain mode)
John Byrne

[Finn Solomon]

Dr. Doom is the best of the best. Then you have gems like Herr Starr, Magneto, and the Joker.

[Irenaeus]

I disagree on Starr. It is hard to be a good villain when the writer is so hellbent on humiliating you at every opportunity. This reminds me how much I hate most of Ennis' comics.

[Moogle0119]

Norman Osborn should be added to that list as well. He's not on such a grand scale as say Dr. Doom but he is a genius and manages to mess with his hated nemesis (Spider-man) in more ways than anyone else.

[Irenaeus]

Norman Osborn should be added to that list as well. He's not on such a grand scale as say Dr. Doom but he is a genius and manages to mess with his hated nemesis (Spider-man) in more ways than anyone else.Agreed. Plus, he got Spider-Man to kill Gwen Stacy. That is a quite important moment in comic book histoy, and it has got to count for a few villain points.

[T.Titan]

Here's my list....


1. Magneto (X-men)

2. Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four)


Doc Doom is second to no man.... or mutant.

Joker, for having the best super power ever... being bonkers.

But Thanos is my favorite... coz he's only dong it to impress a chick...



Norman Osborn should be added to that list as well. He's not on such a grand scale as say Dr. Doom but he is a genius and manages to mess with his hated nemesis (Spider-man) in more ways than anyone else.

But he loses points for being retconed into it.

[Kaelaroth]

I quite like Ultron.

[ArtifexFelicis]

Looking at his original bit. Doomsday was an amazing villain. Then Brainiac came. Imperix bit was alright, but after that Doomsday just turned into a damn pansy.

Dr. Doom was awesome. In every sense of the word.

The Joker is also amazing.

[Emperor Demonking]

1) Doctor Doom
2) Magneto
3) Thanos
4) Lex Luthor
5) Joker
6) Twoface
7) Shocker
8) The wizard
9) Kingpin
10) Hobgoblin

[sealemon]

I can't really rank them, I just know that these guys are at the top of my list:

The Joker. Best Batman villain of all time. Always has been, always will be.

Darkseid. His power level is practically a force of nature, yet, he's a thinking man's villain (Usually...when the writers get him right).




I like Lex Luthor a lot, particularly when post-Crisis writers get his character right. Actually, this is probably a common theme, since writers will take liberties with even core villains that they wouldn't take with the heroes.

QFT. A lot of people seemed to really hate him right after the Crisis reboot, but I always thought he was one of the best retcons I've ever seen. And I mean seriously, when he was President, and Superman had to do what he said? Pure awesome.

Lord Saker. From the Elementals series from Comico (Late 80's to 1997 or so). Claimed that he was Lazerus, and that Jesus raised him from the dead to impress some onlookers. HATED being immortal, so he spent the next 900 years or so gaining occult power, then spent a full century casting a truly global spell that would cleanse the world of all but the strongest people, who he would then rule. Coold blooded, smart as hell, ruthless. It helped that he was in a comic that didn't give a @$@$# about the Comic Code.

Doctor Doom. Come on. He has the coolest look of all time, he's kicked the crap out of practically everyone in the Marvel U at one time or another, he even stole the Beyonder's power for awhile. And his name is Victor von Doom.

Magneto. Because my favorite villains are the ones who think they are heros (One of my favorite recent Luthor retcons: He feels like what he's doing is championing the common man). Not to mention how hard he rocked in the two X Men movies (TWO, I said. There was no third).

Doctor Octopus. I've always like Otto more than Osborne. To me Doc Oc is both more original and more compelling that Green Goblin. And I really like how he owned Spidey the first time they fought, and how he still gives him a good fight to this day (Well, maybe not anymore...have the fought since Spidey's power creep?)

Iron Man. Heh. Just kidding.

[sealemon]

Oh, yeah. And Jesus from Preacher.

[Finn Solomon]

Oh, yeah. And Jesus from Preacher.

Jesus never appeared, you're thinking of God.

[Megalomaniac2]

My favourites are Doomsday, Shocker, and especially Taskmaster. You ever watch a kung-fu movie and then spend the next couple hours feeling like you could be Bruce Lee in a second? That's Taskmaster every single day. He's living the dream, folks.

[Lerch]

Why didn't anyone mention Galactus? Just curious.

My favs in no particular order

Magneto./Brotherhood of Evil
Dr Doom.
Punisher before he got his own mag.
Bullseye.
Lex Luthor
Joker
Kraven the hunter
Dormannu vs Dr Strange et al
Loki vs Thor
Carnage/Venom

[ALOR]

1- Dr. Doom
2- Joker (the killing joke is a great joker story)
3- Norman Osborne
4- Apocolypse
5- villian from the watchman
6- Thanos
7- Magneto
8- Loki
9- Doc Ock
10- Galacticus

[Stam]

I've got to second (third, seventh, twentieth - whatever! :smalltongue: ) Doctor Doom.

I just friggin' loved that whole Counter-Earth mini-series, where Doom stomped all over everyone for the rather righteous reason of saving the world.

[Nerd-o-rama]

My favourites are Doomsday, Shocker, and especially Taskmaster.
I forgot Shocker. He and Octavius are my favorite villains of probably my favorite mainstream super.

But I still say Nextwave villains should fill the entire top ten list.

[gatitcz]

1. The main villain in Watchmen...
There's a villain in Watchmen?

[Nerd-o-rama]

There's a villain in Watchmen?
There's a mass-murdering terrorist, yes. Now, whether he's a good guy or a bad guy is up to the interpretation of the reader.

Come to think of it, there's two, although one's a little more selective, and less easy to apply a "terrorist" label to.

[Irenaeus]

I do think the Comedian is very easy to apply such a label to. In fact I would put him on my list were it not for the fact that he worked against the plans of the main antagonist.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I was referring to Rorshach. The Comedian was mostly tangential to the main plot, and not really eligible for an antagonist label. Villain? Probably.

[Irenaeus]

I was referring to Rorshach. The Comedian was mostly tangential to the main plot, and not really eligible for an antagonist label. Villain? Probably.

Ah. I actually wondered whether you were referring to Rorschach or the Comedian, but for some reason I became sure that you meant the Comedian when I wrote the post.

I agree that the Comedian is not in any way an antagonist in Watchmen, but I feel he is quite central to the plot:
Not only is he a very important figure in most of the flashbacks, but it is he himself who convinces Veidt that small-time crime fighting is largely irrelevant to the world's larger problems. Also, of course, most of the early story revolves around the protagonists trying to solve his murder.

[Tirian]

I do think the Comedian is very easy to apply such a label to. In fact I would put him on my list were it not for the fact that he worked against the plans of the main antagonist.

No, he didn't. He discovered the plans of the main antagonist and had a nervous breakdown, because he couldn't decide if it was the greatest joke ever told or a threat to his mercenary way of life. It is important that he told the plan to Moloch instead of someone who would follow up on the information.

The remarkable thing about Watchmen is that there are ten or so heroes over the course of the three generations, and they are all pursuing the heroic ideal in different ways. The cliched hero who fights crime because it is the right thing to do is very much in the minority. The majority are asshats, and that doesn't so much include the one who you-knowed.

[Blue Paladin]

You know, I'm not usually a Darkseid fan, but there's a single moment for him that sticks in my memory:

When he's wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, tastes the delicious power, and then throws it away because it's worthless to him.

I just love how the Avengers are all getting ready for a throwdown with the Thanos-lookin' guy, and he just shrugs and says whatever. [This happened in JLA/Avengers, in case you didn't figure that out yet.]

Also, Doom.
"How do you do that?"
"DO WHAT?"
"Speak in all capital letters like that."
"SILENCE MINION."
[Said minion later revealed to be Steve Rogers as incognito escort.]

[Witchhunter]

I'm surprised no one here put down Black Adam. I've always loved Black Adam and they did him real justice in Infinite Crisis and 52. Who doesn't love someone with Superman level powers who is totally uninhibited to use them?

Also...no love for Baron Zemo? Zemo's always had a great costume (both versions) and he's had such a great track record of wins/losses. Many villains end up being super-hero punching bags, but Zemo has never been that. What's best is that Zemo doesn't have armor like Doom, or cosmic powers like Thanos. He's not even a super-brilliant scientist. He's just really, really crafty. The first issue of Thunderbolts launched up him up there with all of the A-list villains I know.

But my number-one favorite villain of all-time, however, is Bullseye. Who doesn't love a psychotic assassin who borders on serial killer like tendencies? Plus, what a cool power - the ability to turn anything into a deadly weapon.

[Chrizzt]

I choose Magneto over Dr. Doom all the time. Why? Because Dr. Doom has no real Dr. Title at all...

[Revlid]

I choose Magneto over Dr. Doom all the time. Why? Because Dr. Doom has no real Dr. Title at all...

Lies! DOOM has received a doctorate and a number of PhDs from the university of Latveria. Let this be your lesson!

Dr Destiny is my current personal favourite.

[CharlieSmiles]

I nominate Hitler, for being the main villian in every golden age comic.

[Clerical_Error]

I nominate Hitler, for being the main villian in every golden age comic.

Ha ha! Agreed!

[Clerical_Error]

Personally im quite fond of evil Hyperion from the exiles comic...

i cant remember how many alternate earths he destroyed but it was a few.

Meglomaniac, rediculousl over powered and crazy to boot!! All great halmarks of of an uber villian.

[Jefepato]

I'm going to have to agree on Iron Man and Devil Dinosaur.

[T.Titan]

I nominate Hitler, for being the main villian in every golden age comic.

And one Silver Age marvel comic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_Monger)...



Personally im quite fond of evil Hyperion from the exiles comic...


Now there's how you do a evil Superman... you hear that Emoboy-Prime?

[Goats_o_Mjolnir]

I have to say, the Green Goblin was really harsh after his return from Europe, buying out the Daily Bugle and other such acts of evil.

Also I do like the Ultimate John wraith, he was such a pompous **** to evryone in that weapon x program.

[Hzurr]

Hmm...Here are my favorite (and the books that made them my favorite)

Two-Face (Long Halloween and Dark Victory were too good to keep him off this list)
Joker (Killing Joke + Dark Knight Returns FTW. Although, I think my favorite Joker moments are from the Animated Series)
Kingpin (The entire freaking Bendis run on Daredevil)
Bullseye (Every time he appeared in Smith/Bendis/Brubaker's run)
Dr. Doom (Lots of reasons, but mainly for that one page in Secret Wars where all he says is "I AM DOOOOOOM!")
Magneto (Always good, but so much better in Ultimate X-Men)
Ra's Al-Ghul (Because he was pimptastically awesome in Tower of Babel)
Loki (I'm only really familiar with Ultimate Loki, but he is also pimptastic)
Lex Luthor (Lex Luthor - Man of Steel was good, but I really like the way he was done in the animated series, particularly the Justice League ones)

[Nada Rakshasa]

I'm partial to Poison Ivy. I just hate that most writers and comic-readers pigeonhole her as a childish, inept pin-up girl or manic psycho plant-lover moreso than an powerful, intelligent (if unstable) environmentalist. I prefer her as morally ambiguous to completely amoral and evil.

Greg Rucka, James Robinson, Neil Gaiman Anne Nocenti and John Francis Moore have all written her pretty well in the past and while I hope to see a return to their presentation of Ivy, the DC writers/editors seem to be taking her in the other direction.

[Logic]

Although, I think my favorite Joker moments are from the Animated SeriesThis could be due to the fact that he is voiced by Mark Hamill. Arguably the best rendition of The Joker ever.

[North]

Joe Quesada

[FoE]

Venom. The comic version, not the movie version. Complete psycho.

Brainiac from the Justice League cartoons. The guy tried to re-write the freakin' universe, and nearly suceeded.

No love for Apocalypse? How sad.

[doliest]

1.Red Skull for multiple reasons
1.He has never tried to be a good guy-
2.HE DOESN"T STAY DEAD.
3.He has tried to kill the same enemy for more than 60 years & never thought of moving on-Tell Doom, that's dedication.
4.Need I mention how many times he's rewritten the fabric of everything? You know, cosmic cube.

[Fiery Justice]

Joe Quesada

:smallbiggrin: So true, so true. I definitely am inclined to Ultimate Magneto as number one besides Joephisto of course.

[HolderofSecrets]

Here is my top 5,

1 Dr Doom
2 Joker
3 Lex Luthor
4 Joe Quesada
5 Tony Stark

[Konig]

Wow. You know what's kind of spooky?

Only one person suggested a female villain. (Poison Ivy). The rest are men.

It seems to me that most villains get a comic, miniseries or such that really define them. For Poison Ivy, IMHO, it was the 'No Man's Land' series, with her vs. Clayface. With the sort of 'I live by my ideology', taking the children into her grove for protection. The trouble is, it seems like a lot of writers have a really hard time making female villains that aren't victims or seductresses.

I'd put the Joker, Kingpin and Magneto on my list, all for very different reasons. I'd love to put Mystique on there, but 90% of the time, the writing for her character is just awful. She doesn't know who she is, and neither do the writers.

[HolderofSecrets]

@Konig

Honestly I do have a soft spot in my heart for several female Villians but none of them are in any way the greatest. My list consists of the Dr Doom, Joker and Lex Luthor because normally these 3 never show any caring for others unless it suits them, they cause mass chaos when ever it suits them and their over all kill counts for humans alone are in the millions.

Joe Q. is on the list because he is the only person who has successfully destroyed Spiderman's comic book through just terrible story choices. In short the End of 'One More Day' series has really ticked me off and I will not read another Spiderman comic till the effects story line are reversed.

Tony Stark in on the list because I have yet to see a man be the cause for more deaths of heroes since Anti Monitor and still he has the balls to refer to himself as a Hero.

[sikyon]

I vote for Dr Doom and Joker. Joker is flat out bonkers and can be terribly awesome if done right. However, more often than not he's a boner. Dr. Doom on the other hand is what I would term "True Lawful". He's not really evil, it's just that he truly believes the world would be better with him as its ruler. But in an age of heroes he's a villan, but shift to a world where the superheros are evil and Doom becomes a hero.

[Invisible Queen]

Weird, I thought I'd replied to this thread long ago. Maybe it's a new one with the same subject. Anyway, it lets me talk again about the greatest villain in all of fiction, Professor Desty Nova from little known Battle Angel Alita.

A master of nanotechnology on a level unequaled by anyone in the post-apocalyptic future, he creates a few of Alita's antagonists, most notably a sports champion who not only gets some of the most memorable lines and the best death in the whole comic, but both teaches and defeats Alita herself.

All thanks to Nova, of course. Who also, among other things, mutilates and kills thousands of people in experiments that would make Mengele puke, kills and revives the heroine's father figure, tortures his son in ways difficult to describe in one sentence, survives having his head cut off, kills and revives the heroine herself and ultimately transcends antagonism and helps Alita to enlightenment and apotheosis.

Also, he loves flan.

[Satyrquaze]

Ra's Al Ghul

I feel he's a particularlly scary villain because I agree with him on a basic fundamental level.

[Logos7]

I would have to say joker for a batman villian, Ra al, and all the rest have always seemed characterures whereas jokers mad lunacy has this macrbre consistency to it ( Besides you can't beat jack)

For the superman villian, I've always had a soft spot for powergirl , I think she did okay as a villian even if she was just a ridiculus pin up. I could never get behind luther so much as get Not behind superman.

For the Marvels Doom wins in awesomeness, VICTOR VON DOOM DAMNIT

From Sandman the corinthian is a scary guy but not a villian just a tool , I actually found loki being shallow, which leaves the UNINHIBITED FURIES, i mean sure he wanted them too , but destroying a man just because of a minor slight .. thats preety savage

my overall favorite villian would probably have to go to a certain ozzy from the watchmen for the aforemention spoilered reasons. if nothing else the line, " of course you can't do anything about this , I did this 35 minutes ago", completely smashed me in the face a few times the first time i read it. That and his whole lack of vindication as either a good or bad guy makes him a great villian I think.

[Shraik]

THE JOKER. HAHAHAHA!!!!!! Seriously, he's amazing. He is messed up, and twisted to the point were the Scarecrow's Weapon of choice, feargas, didn't work. He is the one Villains talk about to scare Villains

[Lizard Lord]

1. Magneto (X-Men)
2. The Joker (Batman)
3. Mephisto (Ghost Rider and Marvel over all)
4. Rha's Al Ghoul (Batman)
5. Docter Doom (Fantastic Four)
6. Lex Luther (Superman)
7. Doomsday (Superman) Cause I like brute strength once in a while.
8. King Pin (Spiderman)
9. Starro (Justice League) (Docter Doom may have conquered a country, but he conquered a world.)
10 Bizzaro (Superman) Ok, so he is closer to one of my favorite villlains then actually being a good villain.

[Vaire]

My favorite villain, and I don't just mean most powerful, but the one I enjoyed reading the most, was the Joker from The Killing Joke. Whenever I think of the Joker in print (because let's face it, no one in print has nailed him like Mark Hammil did on the TV show) I think of that one. I picked it up and didn't put it down until the end, and it wasn't because of Batman.

Other than that, Loki and the Furies from Sandman, because, seriously, they were just plain engrossing.

If you're going to get into most powerful you'd have to put Doom, Magneto, and Darkseid at the top of the list. Although anymore it's hard to classify Magneto as simply a villain.

[playswithfire]

No particular order
Doom
R'as al ghul, with a nod to Nyssa Raatko who would possibly have been very impressive if they'd bothered to develop the character much beyond death and the maidens
Luthor
Onslaught - I liked that arc; magneto + the darkest parts of Xavier's brain? sounds pretty villainous to me
Joker, mainly for Emperor Joker

[Rama_Lei]

I love Gloriana and the Sheeda from the new Seven Soldiers.
Sally Sonic from that one is also an excellent villain. And Bulleteer takes them both down in great ways
She nails Sally sonic with an engine to head, and then crashes a car into Gloriana. Who needs super strength?
Deathstroke is always fun
Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are genuinely fun characters.
Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime
And of course...Captain Nazi.

[Ethrael]

I always was partial to Magneto, maybe because he's not so much a super-villain, but he can be pretty damn villainous at times.

The Pride from Runaways always appealed to me, the members seemed just so exceptionally evil in one way or another.

[Leewei]

I'll second Saker from The Elementals. He was a genuine bastard, intelligent, hateful, powerful and ruthless. He was also openly antisemetic.

Dark Pheonix was a neat villain. She's a cliche now, but back when she was introduced, she and her story arc were jaw-dropping.

Grendel Prime was terror-inspiring in Batman vs. Grendel II.

The Umbra Sprite (and his sons, for that matter) from Mage was a great bad guy.

Finally, my last pick would be the Dodo from Sandman.

[Rama_Lei]

Alright, I'm back with a little more, having just checked out 40-odd comic anthologies...

Vanessa Calefrom Wonder Woman. No powers, just smart, rich, and determined to destroy Wonder Woman through whatever means necessary.

Dr. Physco has more issues than I can begin to count, and his dialogue is brilliant.
So far he has:
1. Helped found one of the most powerful villain groups
2. Freed Doomsday
3. Lead the charge in The battle of Metropolis, soon to be followed by an epic psychic fight with Martian Manhunter
4. Asked for ketchup on his Grundy steak.
Maxwell Lord, for obvious reasons

Parallax is incredible

The Secret Six are a fantastic group, and they're hilarious. Ragdoll is a work of genius.

[Kargoth]

Hmm..tough choices, but I don't really look at sheer power so here they are

Lex Luthor: Had his own supergirl, became president, repatedly working with braniac, cloning superman, ect.

Joker: The Killing Joke, Death in the family, killing gordon's second
wife, killing hundreds-if not thousands of people,the creation of Harely quinn, The emporor joke

Green Goblin: Killing Gwen stacy, driving harry crazy, almost turning peter into a goblin, the clone saga-all of it really, had kids with gwen before she died-got them to hate spiderman, leader of the thunderbolts.

Doc Ock: Killing Capt. George stacy, making gwen hate spiderman, almost marrying aunt may, brainwashed spiderman, laid the "smackdown" on black cat.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I always was partial to Magneto, maybe because he's not so much a super-villain, but he can be pretty damn villainous at times.

Ultimate Magneto. That guy's just badass. Completely evil, obscenely powerful.

[kpenguin]

Ultimate Magneto. That guy's just badass. Completely evil, obscenely powerful.

Of course, Ultimate Magneto's badassery is at the cost of Ultimate Doom's suckitude.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Of course, Ultimate Magneto's badassery is at the cost of Ultimate Doom's suckitude.

True. And it prevented Thor from being Ultimate-erized, so they had to quickly hire an impostor (I mean, come on? Where's the cape? Where's the over-the-top, old-English dialog? What's with the hippy crap?)

[W Herzog Zwei]

Thor is easily the most interesting reworking in the whole Ultimate universe - both the hippie stuff and the whole is he or isn't he storyline. His introduction is one of my favourite Ultimate universe pages. Only Captain America as an oldschool badass gets even close.

But of course Jeff Loeb had to come in and destroy what Millar did with Ultimate Thor completely. Good old Jeff Loeb.

Yeah, I really dig the classic 616 Thor too (especially the classic Kirby, Walt Simonson and the current JMS versions), but Ultimate Thor is the greatest example of how to reinvent a character without making it a boring carbon copy of the original with some very simple "changes".

[Hadrian_Emrys]

Dr. Doom, for being the Batman of villians.
The Joker, because I love insanity.
Magneto, for his stance on mutant superiority from an evolutionary standpoint.

If the three of them were to team up, it'd be the best crossover EVER.

[sealemon]

Not sure how I forgot Hyde, from the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, not to mention Moriarty.

Also, The Killer, Jr. from the Wanted mini, simply for the last two pages of Wanted #6. Let's just say, he breaks the 4th wall in a manner most darkly funny

[Green Bean]

I have a soft spot for Zoom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoom_%28comics%29). He's like the Flash's Joker in many ways.

[king korath]

I would have to say Sinestro, don't know what I mean read the Sinestro Corp war. Others are Joker, amazing when done well, and Magneto.

[T.Titan]

Magneto, for his stance on mutant superiority from an evolutionary standpoint.


Something about blue eyes and blond hair springs to mind...

[GoC]

Something about blue eyes and blond hair springs to mind...

There are two problems here:
1. The Nazi's were wrong while Magneto is right about his race's superiority.
2. The Nazi's weren't being persecuted.

Looks like Godwin's law has been invoked.:smallbiggrin:

[Invisible Queen]

See New X-men; there are non-viable (or at least non-kickass) mutations.

[kpenguin]

Maybe, but all mutants do have that immunity to AIDS...

[Arkhaminmate]

I would have to say Bruce Campbell because as far as we know he is the only person to ever just utterly stop Spiderman dead in his tracks without hope of victory

[goku60018]

my top 5 in no particular order

1) thanos

2) superboy prime

3) mongul sr

4) doctor doom

5) the magus

[TeChameleon]

Comics have a ton of great villains;

Doctor Doom: The absolute epitome of classical comic book villainy. When you say 'supervillain', his is often the face(mask) that pops into people's heads first. Even his rather... interesting... movie outing couldn't tarnish the glory that is DOOM!

Lex Luthor: The primary adversary for the Man of Steel, the most powerful man in the world is... just a guy. I think Luthor (and, for that matter, the Joker's) character was solidified for me in one of the Crisis books...
Lex had finally confronted Alexander Luthor, his alternate universe self and the man behind the new Society of Supervillains... and the man who has, almost single-handedly, precipitated the Infinite Crisis... and tells him "You made one mistake." *steps aside* "You didn't let the Joker play." *mad laughter, gunshot, cut to Alexander Luthor's lifeless hand on the ground with blood running past it...*
It probably helps that I can 'hear' Clancy Brown's brilliant vocal stylings (Superman TAS, Justice League Unlimited) every time Luthor is on-panel; as much as Mark Hammil's Joker, Clancy Brown made Luthor for me.

The Joker, Thanos, Darkseid, the Green Goblin... brilliant villains one and all.

But some personal favourites of mine:

Deadshot: The man who never misses, a stone-cold killer who is almost totally amoral. A former member of Task Force X (better known as the Suicide Squad), his superiours actually thought he had a deathwish, he was so crazy. Add in the occasional flash of dark humour and you have a fairly potent villain. Even the nastiest villains tend to be wary around him- unless you're bulletproof, it's kind of hard to defend yourself against a sniper bullet through the base of the skull.

(He got his own miniseries a few years back- found he had a daughter by an old girlfriend; his ex was in a (very) bad neighbourhood, the focal point of a three-way gang war, and refused to have anything to do with his 'blood money' to get her out of there. So he decided to declare open war on all three gangs simultaneously. Given that his only 'powers' consist of being a superlatively accurate shot with his handguns, that's fairly ballsy.)

Jei, the Blade of the gods: This one is probably going to be unknown to a lot of people- he's a major villain from Stan Sakai's brilliant 'funny animal samurai' series, Usagi Yojimbo. He's one of the rare few that can match the protagonist's lethal sword skills, and is a crazed murderer, who believes himself the instrument of the gods for cleansing the world of "evil"... and he finds it about as difficult to find evil as the historical Inquisition found discovering heresy. Add in the fact that there is the occasional, horrifying hint that he might really have supernatural abilities, and...

Cheshire: You want female villains? Cheshire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire_%28comics%29), despite not having any particular powers of her own, has fought the Teen Titans to a standstill... nuked an entire (fictional) Middle Eastern country into oblivion, and is a sociopath with a real skill in incredibly nasty toxins both poisonous and biological. To give you some hint as to her personality... when her daughter was held hostage, she aquiesced to the demands made of her... until she was certain she'd managed to become pregnant with a new child and gave her older daughter up for dead, betraying her comrades in hopes of a greater reward.

Moonstone: Sometime Avengers villain, now serving 'heroically' with the Thunderbolts (as long as it serves her ends, anyways), Karla Sofen wields considerable personal power, being capable of flight, intangibility, force blasts, superstrength, superspeed... and she's a devious manipulator with a PhD in psychology, which she puts to excellent use- my favourite Moonstone moment was when Graviton was holding multiple cities hostage by levitating them in their entirety... and she proceeds to break him psychologically, ruthlessly deconstructing his psyche to the point where he gives up quietly, returning the cities to their proper place. She's technically a hero now, but she's lost none of the self-interest and ruthlessness that drove her to become a supervillainess in the first place.

(by the way- other great villainesses would be Killer Frost, Scandal (Vandal Savage's daughter), Talia Al Ghul (as deadly as her father, and probably even craftier), Cheetah, the Enchantress (as a match for the Mighty Thor, she's probably one of the toughest ladies in comics), Moondragon (a telepath who barely understands 'right' and 'wrong', but who's probably a match for Professor X, if not stronger... that's a scary woman), and Phobia (another Teen Titans villain))

[Phantasm]

Might as well chime in with mine;

Dr. Doom; when i think a villain with class, a guy who literally could rule the world, be completely ruthless about it, and the one dude who trumps Batman in the traditional "Batman planned for it" arguments, it's Dr. Doom. A monarch who protects his country so that they may serve him, a scientific genius surpassed only by Reed Richards, and a sorceror beaten only by the Supereme one himself, doom is the guy that can BE the best, but is never seen that way except maybe in his own eyes. And frak it, the man's got style.

Lex Luthor; megalomaniacal, super-rich, genius. i liked him better as head of LexCorp and watched with a disturbing glee as he hit his stride and actually got himself elected president of the United States. And were it not for some really heavy handed stupidity on the part of a writer i normally like, would still BE president even after the events of the Crisis. This is a guy who used science AND magic to beat death, and consistently finds a way to come out of every sticky situation smelling like roses. Sure he loses a few battles here and there to the alien, but like Doom, that doesnt stop him for long, and im almost willing to bet it wont be long till we see a legal and empowered LEx back in charge of his namesake company one way or another.

Joker; its a mistake when the man is used incorrectly in a story, but when he's used right, its a wonder ANYONE is capable of beating this lunatic. If it weren't for the fact he was mortal, id swear he was a representative of pure chaos itself. Oh yes, he's evil. A vicious murdering psychopath whose name should scare the crap out of anyone who hears it, and runs when they realize he's within a 50 mile square radius. Why hasnt anyone killed this freak yet? because for gods sake, they dont want to be on the receiving end if they miss! The Bat doesnt have the kind of rep to be able to instill fear like this loony, and it almost makes me glad he never ended up with one of those damn Sinestro Rings.

Bane, say what you will and gripe all you want. This is a guy who did what no else could. He broke the Bat. And not in a single swift stroke. He methodically planned and destroyed the Batman, and after being chosen and then spurned by Ra's Al Ghul to be his successor, turned them same ability on Ra's and destroyed every Laz Pit he could get his hands on. Convinced Luthor to buy him his home island of Santa Prisca, and is currently strong man for Waller's Suicide Squad.

Darkseid; simplest explanation, we made Doom a God, even more ruthless and gave him his own planet to plot his dominion of the universe from. Even more disturbing is that everytime i read him, in the back of my mind i heard Michael Ironside's voice from the Superman TAS. He's a God, an Evil God.

Red Skull; its only in the last few years that Red Skull has been a villain on my top list. Once he was little more than the mirror you held up to Captain America and said "ooo look, nazi evil!" but the last few years he's become something truly frightening. An almost disembodied spirit inhabiting a Russian businessman. First as Dell Rusk he brought the Us to the brink and nearly destroyed the Avengers with a version of his patented Red dust, and now he's destroying the united states piece by piece and succeeded where so many other villains have failed and actually BEATEN his hero. bones was the sniper and sharon was the tirgger man, but the man behind the scenes who orchestrated the death of the beloved icon was Red Skull. EVIL!

Joe Quesada; had to do a throwaway right? he's not on my favorite villains list, but i think he falls into the evil god category. a guy who came in with the best of intentions of some genuinely cool ideas and then we sat and watched in utter horror as absolute power corrupted him absolutely. seriously, the guy needs to be smacked on the nose with a rolled-radioactive newspaper, and then locked in a room with a half dozen angry spiderman fans.

There are others, but those are the ones i really wanted to go on and on about, but if i had to round out a list it'd end with; Magneto, Mr.Sinister, Stryfe, Deathstroke, & Kang the Conqueror.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Darkseid; simplest explanation, we made Doom a God, even more ruthless and gave him his own planet to plot his dominion of the universe from. Even more disturbing is that everytime i read him, in the back of my mind i heard Michael Ironside's voice from the Superman TAS. He's a God, an Evil God.

Just want to add something here: If you EVER doubt the sheer evil of Darkseid (or the danger of Lex Luthor) read the "Rock of Ages" arc from Grant Morrison's run on JLA. In an alternate future, Darkseid has WON his war with New Genesis, found the anti-life equation, taken over the Earth, and killed almost all its heroes. He and his minions forced Superman (who was, at the time, still in his blue form) to tear open his containment suit after killing his mind-controlled wife. They put the Martian Manhunter in a particle accelerator and smashed every atom in his body, one by one. The series also gives rise to my favorite comic-book villain quote EVER:
[Darkseid]: "Vanity? New Genesis is a stinking cosmic sewer! I have fouled paradise beyond repair and broken in the mire the shining cities of the gods! I have won! Is this vanity? Then I will remake the entire universe in the image of my soul, Desaad. And when at last I turn to look upon the eternal desolation I have wrought...I will see Darkseid, as in a mirror...and I will know what fear is." <Maniacal laughter>
Darkseid is.