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What's a hero without a great villain? Whether they're out for revenge, money, or world domination,Marvel Comics is full of them. But who is the baddest of the bad?
Check out our list of the top 25 Marvel villains, then let us know your favorites in the comments!
M.O.D.O.K.’s mission statement is clear. It’s right there in his name - Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. This oversized villain was bioengineered by the scientists of A.I.M. to be the ultimate super-smart, tyrannical leader. And while his appearance may be comical, M.O.D.O.K. is certainly good at killing things.
M.O.D.O.K. is a multi-purpose villain in the Marvel Universe. He’s an enemy to many heroes, especially the Avengers and Fantastic Four. His master plans can be fiendishly brilliant or laughably silly, and sometimes both at once. There are even multiple versions of MODOK floating around the Marvel multiverse, including M.O.D.A.M. (Mental Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers) and M.O.D.O.G. (Mental Organism Designed Only for Genocide).
Hulk may be the strongest one there is, but The Abomination can certainly give him a run for his money. The Abomination is Hulk’s dark mirror. Formerly a KGB agent, Emil Blonsky dosed himself with gamma radiation and transformed into a Hulk-like creature. Unlike Hulk, the Abomination retains his human intelligence while transformed. Which is a good thing for Blonsky, considering that his transformation was permanent.
Though he’s largely been out of commission in the Marvel U. lately, the Abomination remains one of Hulk’s most iconic foes. He was the natural choice to oppose the Jade Giant in his most recent movie.
Thor is happy to battle Frost Giants, Fire Demons, and dragons all day long -- if it can be smashed with a hammer, it's right up his alley. That's why The Enchantress is one of his greatest villains; her schemes can't be overcome simply by swinging at it with Mjolnir. A skilled trickster and sorceress, the Enchantress won’t rest until she possesses everything she desires. And it just so happens that she desires the god of thunder.
Often accompanied by her hulking bodyguard, Skurge, the Enchantress is a force to be reckoned with in Asgard, Midgard, or any of the Nine Realms.
The X-Men were formed to battle intolerance and work to foster peace and understanding between humans and mutants. The Sentinels are the ultimate representation of the hatred man holds for mutants. These giant robots are engineered to take down mutants by any means necessary. And even though the X-Men team includes some of the most powerful beings on the planet, the Sentinels have endlessly adapted and improved their weapons to claim countless mutant lives.
As we’ve seen from various alternate future storylines (like Days of Future Past and its recent movie adaptation), these robotic hunter-killers will remain a threat long after the likes of Magneto and Mystique have died away. As long as humanity fears mutants, there will be Sentinels.
The terrorist organization known as Hydra has many heads. But few have played such a crucial role in the organization or caused as much trouble for heroes like Wolverine, Captain America, and Nick Fury as Viper. As if having a literal army of henchmen weren’t enough, Viper is a deadly martial artist and a master of poisons. She definitely earned the moniker of “Madame Hydra.”
Viper has also enjoyed a big mainstream boost in recent years thanks to recurring appearances in the TV series Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and her role in the movie The Wolverine.
What’s better than having six retractable adamantium claws and a healing factor? Try 10 retractable claws and a boatload of cybernetic enhancements. Lady Deathstrike’s father invented the adamantium-bonding process, and she’s made it her mission to kill anyone she feels dishonors that legacy. Naturally, that’s put her in Wolverine’s path on many occasions.
Deathstrike is one of Wolverine’s best villains because she always gives the old Canucklehead a run for his money. Neither fighter has been able to kill the other, but they’ve both drawn plenty of blood. Their rivalry also made for what is arguably the most memorable fight scene in all the X-Men movies.
The Marvel Universe has a companion universe in the form of the anti-matter-based Negative Zone. And in the Negative Zone, Annihilus reigns supreme. This armored, insect-like villain wields the Cosmic Control Rod, a weapon granting him control of the Negative Zone’s billions of inhabitants.
Annihilus began his career as a foe of the Fantastic Four. But no story showcased the threat he poses to all life like the Annihilation storyline, where he led an invasion force that nearly succeeded in subjugating the entire universe. The galaxy’s greatest heroes have been forced to accept that there’s no stopping Annihilus, only living with the constant threat of total annihilation.
Sometimes you set out to build something to help mankind and you wind up creating a genocidal robot with an Oedipal Complex instead. That’s what Hank Pym did when he invented Ultron. This artificial intelligence has dedicated itself to wiping out humanity and its “father,” not necessarily in that order.
Ultron is an imposing villain, by virtue of the fact that its core body is usually built of nigh-indestructible adamantium. And because it can constantly swap bodies and upgrade itself, Ultron is a threat the Avengers will never be truly able to defeat. Which, of course, makes Ultron the ideal villain to oppose the team in the next Avengers film.
Galactus is an all-powerful being tasked with serving “cosmic consonance,” which is a fancy way of saying he eats planets to make sure the universe as a whole stays healthy. But try telling that to anyone who lives on a planet that’s about to be Galactus’ dinner.
For Marvel’s heroes, threats don’t come bigger or more dire than Galactus. Earth has been on his menu several times, and only through desperate actions and out-of-the-box thinking have heroes like the Fantastic Four been able to drive him away. Sooner or later, his hunger will prevail.
Kang is proof of how dangerous a combination boredom and time travel can be. Kang originally hails from the 30th Century, but he used the advanced technology of his era to travel back in time and meddle to his hearts desire. This technology makes Kang a god to the people of the past, and so Kang has come to view himself as the rightful lord and conqueror of pretty much everything that ever was and will be.
Some know him as the pharaoh Rama-Tut. Others know him as Immortus or Iron Lad. But the one constant with Kang is that he can never be trusted. His ambition isn‘t bound by time or space. And thanks to the tricky nature of time travel, he’s a threat the Avengers will never be able to get rid of.
Bullseye is one of the most feared assassins in the Marvel Universe. That’s not just because of his sadistic streak, but also the fact that he’s a superhumanly talented marksman. In Bullseye’s hands, anything can become a deadly weapon - a playing card, paperclip, even a tooth.
Because of his talents and prestige, Bullseye has long been one of the preferred hired killers on the Kingpin’s payroll. That, in turn, has put him in the path of men like Daredevil and the Punisher. The Bullseye/Daredevil rivalry has persisted for years, with Bullseye claiming Matt Murdock’s loved ones and pushing the hero to cross a line he’ll never be able to return from. For Bullseye, their rivalry is both business and pleasure.
Wolverine has Sabretooth, and Spider-Man has Venom. Just like Sabretooth, Venom is an amplified version of his nemesis. When Eddie Brock stumbled across Spider-Man’s discarded alien costume, he inherited boosted versions of Peter Parker’s powers and the symbiote’s hatred for its former wearer. That quickly made Venom a force to be reckoned with, even among a rogues gallery as diverse and fearsome as Spider-Man’s.
Venom has persisted even after being abandoned by a repentant Brock. It found new hosts in the form of a mob boss’ son, the former Scorpion, Mac Gargan, and even in Peter Parker’s good friend, Flash Thompson. Though the Venom suit is being used as a weapon for good these days, it's original incarnation was an incredibly evil monster with a sadistic streak as long as its tongue.
The Green Goblin will always rank among Spider-Man’s greatest foes. No villain has taken so much from Peter Parker or left such a lasting impact on his life. Once simply a powerful businessman, Norman Osborn was driven insane by his exposure to the strength-boosting Oz formula. One Halloween costume, glider, and satchel-full of pumpkin bombs later, the Green Goblin was born.
Osborn left his mark when he caused the death of Peter Parker’s love, Gwen Stacy. He’s since cheated death and even managed to elevate himself to an Avengers-class villain when he pretty much took over the world as the head of H.A.M.M.E.R. Currently, thanks to Superior Spider-Man, Osborn is getting back to his roots as a costumed villain.
Before he was an Internet meme, Juggernaut was an unstoppable powerhouse capable of going toe-to-toe with the Hulk. But as the stepbrother of Charles Xavier, Juggernaut tends to direct his wrath towards the X-Men.
Cain Marko isn’t a mutant like his stepbrother. Instead, his power derives from a mystical crystal that grants him strength and invulnerability from a deity known as Cyttorak. There’s a reason his favorite catchphrase is “Nothing can stop the Juggernaut!”
Aside from being a major X-villain, much of Juggernaut’s appeal rests on the fact that he’s tried to turn his life around several times. He’s even joined the X-Men in the past. But it seems the demonic influence of Cyttorak and Cain’s desire to smash things wins over.
Wolverine has lived long enough and fought hard enough that he’s acquired quite a few enemies. But none have shared such a heated rivalry with Logan over the decades as Sabretooth. Victor Creed is basically an amped-up version of Logan. He’s bigger, meaner, and not bound by any sense of morality. He’s all too happy to kill people just for the fun of it.
The full extent of the connection between Wolverine and Sabretooth has always been a mystery, which is a major part of Sabretooth’s appeal. Are they brothers? Former roommates? Is Sabretooth Wolverine’s father? One thing that is clear is that Sabretooth has made it his mission to prove that Wolverine is every bit the savage animal that he is.
Raven Darkholme has the mutant ability to shapeshift and transform her body at will. Thanks to her power, Mystique is effectively immune to age or injury. She can go anywhere and be anyone. The world is her oyster, and she’s rarely been reluctant to abuse her powers.
Mystique is also frequently depicted as the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, fighting for the survival of her race by any means necessary. But though she’s often battled and betrayed the X-Men, there is a more complex nature to Raven’s personality.
Mystique has long been a big player in the X-Men films, and her stock has only risen thanks to her central role in X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past.
What if there was a secret mastermind controlling all the criminal activity in New York City, from the street corner to the boardroom? That might be impossible in real life, but in the Marvel Universe, that’s where the Kingpin comes in.
Wilson Fisk rose from obscurity to become one of the most powerful crime lords in the world. His money and resources make him untouchable to politicians and law enforcement, while his army of hired thugs and assassins makes it all but impossible to topple his regime. When even heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil have failed to defeat Fisk, you know he’s a force to be reckoned with.
A spider has eight limbs, but so does an octopus. And thanks to Doctor Octopus’ four mechanical arms, even Spider-Man’s strength and reflexes are hard-pressed to overcome his might. But it’s not the arms that are Otto Octavius’ best asset. Instead, it’s his keen scientific mind, one that has brought New York and the entire world to the brink of destruction in the past.
Always among Spidey’s best villains, Otto rose to the top over the past couple years thanks to the Superior Spider-Man storyline, where he stole Peter Parker’s body and tried to prove he could be a better hero. It was a victory for Otto, but also one for Peter, as Otto ultimately learned the vital lesson about power and responsibility. Now the only question is when Otto will return, and in what form.
Apocalypse is one of the world’s first mutants, born in the days of Ancient Egypt and forced to learn at an early age that only the strong survive. Apocalypse used Celestial technology to make himself the strongest person alive. For millennia he traveled the world, battling men like Thor and Dracula, inspiring a cult of followers and furthering the process of evolution. Now in the present day, Apocalypse is determined to make sure only the strong survive, whether they be human or mutant.
Apocalypse sees himself as the rightful master of the world, and with a vast array of powers including shapeshifting, psionic abilities, and body-swapping, he certainly has the means to make it happen.
The name “Thanos” is enough to inspire dread in almost every living being in the universe. Thanos is a tyrant obsessed with Death. Not just the concept of death or the act of killing, but the literal personification of Death herself. Thanos would happily kill entire worlds to win her favor -- they call him the Mad Titan for a reason.
And perhaps no Marvel villain has racked up quite a body count. Thanos has a habit of amplifying his already considerable strength with cosmic artifacts like the Cosmic Cube or the Infinity Gauntlet. The latter weapon briefly morphed him into an omnipotent being, allowing him to murder half the living beings in the universe as tribute to Death. He only lost ultimate power because of a latent self-loathing streak. That quality, as much as his awesome power or his boundless ambition, is what makes Thanos a fascinating figure
The Dark Phoenix Saga is arguably the X-Men’s greatest story, and it features a force they’ve never truly been able to defeat – The Phoenix Force, to be exact. A cosmic entity of rebirth, it possessed a young Jean Grey, giving her infinite power and a rad new costume. But when the villain Mastermind used his power to control Jean, she was corrupted by her power and became the Dark Phoenix.
Jean became a god-like being of desire and impulse – as emphasized by her iconic costume color palette change. You think Galactus is bad because he eats planets? Dark Phoenix eats entire suns – snuffing out trillions of lives in the process! Jean eventually decided to kill herself rather than let the Phoenix run rampant, and even though she has returned to life again and again, the Phoenix has proven to be a never-ending curse on her, the X-Men, and the universe at large.
The God of Lies and Mischief and Pointy Hats, Loki is ever the troublemaker. Given what he’s the God of, it’s surprising so many people, both heroes and villains, trust him enough to make deals with him. Perhaps he’s just that good.
Loki rarely takes action himself, preferring to lie, manipulate, and coerce others into wreaking havoc for him. He even convinced Odin to exile Thor. That takes talent. And lies, which he is the God of. He obviously got a huge popularity boost from the Avengers movie, but he has long been one of the most rotten backstabbers in the Marvel Universe, and with a wicked grin to match.
With his only notable features being enhanced strength and a creepy face, Red Skull is nowhere near as powerful as the other villains at the top of this list. However, he makes up for it with pure malice. His soul is as black as tar with no moral ambiguity to be found. He’s the Nazi all other Nazis aspire to be. The guy makes most other villains look like Golden Age heroes. He’s not tragically misunderstood; he just wants to rule the world as the master race of the planet. You get the idea.
Magneto is unique in that he could also be towards the top of a list of the best superheroes. As the founder of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, he started out as a fanatic obsessed with making mutants the dominant race of the planet. But thanks to his lifelong bromance with Professor X, he was rehabilitated and joined the X-Men, fighting to make the idea of peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans a reality.
But he finds himself atop this villains list because, just when he starts to take the higher path, Magneto stumbles. He often succumbs to his inner rage, born of being persecuted as a Jew during the Holocaust, and goes back to his evil ways. His anger was born out of tragedy, so it’s tempting to sympathize with him, but he always goes one step too far, forever proving that he’s a villain at heart.
There’s no sympathizing with this guy. Dr. Doom is the epitome of arrogance and lusting for power. He believes himself to be the smartest, most gifted man in the world, which is why he’s constantly going after Mr. Fantastic and his teammates to prove it. He’s often teamed up with heroes to defeat a common enemy, but never without a hidden agenda that will give him the upper hand in the end. As the ruler of Latveria, he sees himself as a regal figure above reproach, but he would go to the deepest, darkest lengths to prove his dominance.
He’s created a time machine to muck with the past. He’s enhanced his archaic-looking armor with all manner of weapons, spells, and gadgets, making him a scientific sorcerer who can take on the likes of Iron Man and the Thing. He’s stolen the Power Cosmic and the Beyonder’s god-like abilities. In short, if there’s power to be had, he’ll find a way to make it his.
In a way, Dr. Doom is the Batman of the Marvel Universe. He's always prepared, and has the smarts to defeat anyone. And thanks to his decoy Doom-Bots, it's hard to pinpoint a time when he was ever truly defeated. But unlike Batman, his pride and arrogance often get the best of him, which causes his eventual downfall.
In his most sickening play for power, he scarified his estranged wife (his one true love) to a pack of demons in exchange for ultimate magical power. They granted his wish, ripping her apart and crafting him new enchanted armor out of her skin. Her skin! If you’re still wondering why he’s Marvel’s number one villain, then wonder no more.
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