Top Ten: Comic Book Villains (Part One)

Like a bird without feathers, or pancakes without syrup, comic book superheroes would be nothing without their villains!

Although little more than gangsters or mad scientists in the early years of superhero comics, villains gradually became as flashy and powerful as the costumed crimefighters themselves. Ultimately, the sheer number of supervillains caused most of them to be forgotten as soon as they appeared. However, a small percentage of them have risen above obscurity and made a big impression on me. I've selected ten of my favorite supervillains, some of which most would agree with...and a few you might quibble with.  But, if that's the case, the internet is in no danger of running out of real estate, so you can post your own Top Ten Villain list if the spirit moves you. For now, here's mine:

Reverse Flash: Considering my well-documented enthusiasm for opposite numbers, it's no surprise that my list begins with The Reverse Flash. Making his first appearance in Flash #139 (1963), Eobard Thawne was a 25th century criminal who gained super-speed from an old Flash costume using that era's ultra-advanced technology. Sometimes known as "Professsor Zoom", Thawne fought Barry Allen time and time again, eventually murdering his wife Iris and, some years later, lost his own life while attempting to kill Barry's fiance Fiona Webb.  Recently, a villain named "Zoom" donned the costume of the Reverse Flash...but now that Barry Allen has returned to the land of the living, I suspect that ol' Eobard Thawne won't be far behind.

Bizarro: Let's face it: despite being the original superhero, Superman's rogue's gallery has never quite measured up to his vaunted status. Sure, Lex Luthor is usually offered up as one of his best...and from the brains vs. brawn angle, he IS a compelling villain, but his last two decades as a somewhat inert corporate & political figure has dampened his standing (at least with me). That leaves only a handful of Superman villains that could make the A-list...and chief among them is Bizarro. Taking the concept of "evil opposite" to its most literal extreme, this "imperfect duplicate" wasn't only a physical distortion of the Man of Steel, but a twisted, illogical version of his intellect and morality as well. Alternately portrayed as a figure of sympathy, humor, or terror (depending on the era or creative team), Bizarro has always embodied the frightening reality of the power of Superman untethered from wisdom and self-control.

The Kingpin: Making his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #50 (1967), New York's imposing "Kingpin of Crime" quickly developed into one of comics' most fascinating and complex characters. Part of that appeal stemmed from how much the Kingpin resembled "real world" figures of organized crime, with few trappings of the more traditional costume-wearing, gimmick-toting villain crowd. Although hints of a more complex personal life came to light during his years as a Spider-Man villain, it wasn't until a young turk named Frank Miller made him a Daredevil foe that the Kingpin (a.k.a. "Wilson Fisk") gained the compelling backstory and machiavellian personna that make him the A-list master criminal he is today.

Thanos: With his massive, craggy-faced appearance and space-god heritage, it's clear that Jim Starlin's Thanos character was at least partially inspired by Jack Kirby's Darkseid, who'd made his DC Comics debut a few years earlier. However, that's where the similarities end. Whereas Darkseid was primarily confined to Kirby's quartet of "Fourth World" titles, Thanos threatened the entire Marvel Universe right out of the gate. Originally appearing as a "cosmic villain" in Iron-Man #55 (1973), Thanos quickly rolled out a plan that spanned several Marvel titles...which became (quite possibly) comics' first mega-epic, multi-title crossover (am I forgetting anything before it?). Seeking to win the love of Death (personified as a mysterious hooded woman), Thanos had long sought to obliterate the universe through a variety of schemes and objects of power (such as the Cosmic Cube and the Infinity Gauntlet). Add to this inexhaustible ambition an origin story with fallen angel/Oedipal overtones and a sprawling supporting cast, and you've got yourself a Top Ten villain.

Two-Face: Formerly Gotham City's District Attorney and an ally of Batman, Harvey Dent lost his sanity and turned to crime when one side of his face was hideously disfigured. Like his bizarrely mismatched outfit, Dent's psyche was also split down the middle, requiring the flip of a coin to determine his good or bad actions. This constant theme of duality, beyond his chilling look and M.O., is the primary reason I enjoy Two-Face so much. He seems to embody the warring sides of human nature itself, as good and bad behavior coexist yet battle for control with the capriciousness of a coin flip.

Stay tuned for part two of my Top Ten Comic Book Villains!

Comments

[Wes C]

All worthy villains, but not any that would make my top ten (ok, Kingpin maybe). I know you aren't fond of the Fourth world stuff. But I'd take the original over Thanos any day.

But, like you said, it is YOUR list so obviously, that's cool.

I think there will be rioting in the street though if Dr. Doom, Red Skull and M.O.D.O.K don't make it into the top 5

Am I showing a Marvel bias?

[Mark Engblom]

"I think there will be rioting in the street though if Dr. Doom, Red Skull and M.O.D.O.K don't make it into the top 5"

Well, better get the riot gear ready, then. Actually, one of the above does appear in the top five...so maybe all we'll need is pepper spray and a nightstick.

As for Darkseid vs. Thanos, I think this is a case where the knock-off surpasses the original. See, Thanos actually did stuff rather than just stand around with his hands behind his back and glower. With few exceptions, that's been Darkseid's standard mode for the past three-plus decades...a stuck-in-neutral mode that a "mover and shaker" like Thanos has avoided for the most part.

[Chris Tolworthy]

Off topic, have you checked your official blog rating recently? (I didn't actually think they'd change it! Now I feel guilty. We readers used to cut you some slack, now we all expect nothing less than perfection. So no pressure or anything.)

Even more off topic, since yesterday's post comments are closed: the question was asked, why would the monarch of Latveria pay US taxes? He doesn't. I think the story indicates that Victor DESIGNED the US tax system. No doubt as a way of weakening his enemies. On that cover he's expressing satisfaction at having created a form that even the greatest genius on Earth would be unable to complete correctly. Bwahahahahahaha!

[Wes C]

Oh there will be rioting on my street at least.

I guess I can live with 1 out of 3.

As much as I love M.O.D.O.K, I assume Dr. Doom will be the one.

Personally I think he's the single greatest villain in comics, but it's your list.
I just hope he makes it to the top 3.

I just hope the Joker's not #1 - I think he's rather overrated.

Gotta run now and barricade my doors and windows before all the enraged Bat-Fans show up with the pitch-forks and torches

[Pat Curley]

Love the picks so far. My favorite Flash stories are probably the two issues where the Reverse Flash tries to corrupt Al Desmond (the reformed Mr Element/Dr Alchemy), while the Flash tries to help him stay honest. The battle of good versus evil is also quite evident in Two-Face.

As for the top five, the Joker, Green Goblin and Dr Doom are obvious, but the other two I'd have to go with guesses. Judging by the discussion of Bizarro, I'm guessing there are no further Superman villains. Catwoman? That would be three Batman villains in the top six, so I'm going to say not. Maybe a dark horse like Sinestro? Dormammu? Grodd?

[Ivan Wolfe]

Y'know, I always though Reverse-Flash had the better costume. The yellow appeals to me more than the red. But that's just me.

[zubzwank]

The original Brainiac, the strange visitor who stole cities, was a great villain. He was scary, a really alien guy who didn't give a damn about any planet or hero or anything.

They changed him, I'm not sure what he is now.

Loki, again as originally presented, was pretty cool, too, mythical and mystical. Remember, the Avengers arrived only because
of him.

Another neat, weird bad guy was Dormammu, with his head permanently shrouded in smoke, living in an always-psychedelic dimension.

Yet another weird alien was Despero, like when he played chess with the JLA.

Now that I think of it, I like non-human bad guys, altough I did like the early-but-later-overdone Green Goblin.

Guess it's easy to tell I've been reading comics for a while.

[zubzwank]

Oh yeah, Grodd!