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Who are the greatest (?) super villains?


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Let's get specific!

 

Based on the original post, that the villian must fit this criteria:

 

1. A supervillian. In my opinion, that means 50 pts in one or more characteristic or power.

 

2. Must be of this Earth. In my opinion that means; interplanetary, extradimensional, artificial beings and et al are out.

 

3. Must be a comic book based character. Not manga, film, books, et al.

 

4. I added this one, S/He must be well known!

 

Yes, I know Lex and others are just smears on Superman's fists.

 

The following, to this date, should be, in my opinion, altho great villians, removed from the list:

 

Artificial: T-800, Ultron, Sentinels

 

Low power: Fu Manchu, HarleyQuin, Herr Doktor Kruger, Joker, Kingpin, Kobra, Lex Luthor, Mr. Freeze, Morgan LeFay, Mystique, PoisonIvy, Ra's al Ghul, Sabertooth, Xanatos

 

Non-comic: Fantomas, Makie Messer, Majin Vegeta, Master in Dr. Who, Mojo Jojo, Moriarty

 

Xeno: Darkseid, Dr. Mabuse, Doomsday, Galactus, Godzilla, Kang the Conqueror, Loki, Mephisto, Thanos, Venom

 

Other: Hellfire Club (team), Hulk (hero), magnificent ten

 

UNKNOWN: Eclipso, Fury, Killer Frost, Mightybec, Ozymandius, Raz Gul

 

OFFICIAL LIST

Apocalypse

Bane

Dr. Doom

Green Goblin

Juggernaut

Magneto

Mr. Sinister

 

And judgeing by the posts, it don't matter, DOCTOR DOOM wins hands down.

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Oh dear. I've been playing Champions since February 1982. I've just organised my 40th Birthday party...

 

Anyway, back in the world...

 

Two DC masterminds:

 

Vandal Savage

Ultra-Humanite

 

Both work for me. By the way, if anyone is interested in Doctor Doom, see:

http://www.reading-room.net/

 

Dr Doom rolled up in Fantastic Four #5. It was a seriously good story. No, really. Juicy time travel plus...

 

You can actually build the not-so-good doctor on 350 points!

 

I feel better already.

 

Alan

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Originally posted by loraxxx

isn't ultron's brain patterned off of pym's?--it could be he has a less advanced version of the vision's ability to handle emotions, and emotional stress?

 

if so, then i would think that the way he's been portrayed to this point is not so much a waste of thematic potential, as it is a disagreement between you and his authors about what the character represents....

 

Obviously Ultron has an emotional capacity. But, a being dedicated to ending organic life who is capable of reprogramming himself and who is smarter than a cockroach (or a comic book writer) would never be stuck working out puerile sex fantasies of forty-something year old, virgin comics writers/editors. Given everything else, for example, why would he build Jocasta with teats?

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I kind of saw Doomsdsay as a force of nature...so whether you see that as a villain or not is debateable. Definitely an antagonist and definitely something to overcome.

 

As for Doom being dull and lame? Well, one is entitled to their opinion, but Doom has a lot character to him rather than being a one-dimensional villain.

 

If we're talking pure earth-based villains without cosmic powers, I liked Ozymandias alot. Anyone who can catch a bullet and outsmart a man who can create life is pretty damn cool in my book. However is he really a "villain"? Sure, he killed a lot of people, but he also might have saved humanity. It's an interesting deontological question..."does the end justify the means"? As is often said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions

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Joker from Batman detective and the darker comic strings.

Green goblin from early spider man when it was The rich mad genuis. The things he put his son thru and Spiderman....nastry, to use and break your own kid for the sake of revenge and power.

After that I like Lex Luther and Kingpen, Master Minds are wonderful. They are able to bring so much to the table, and influnce so many areas of life for the heroes.

Lex Luther and Kingpen did some bravo smear campians that made the heroes life so much more difficult on top of their ability to bring in high powered villians.

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Originally posted by ZootSoot

Obviously Ultron has an emotional capacity. But, a being dedicated to ending organic life who is capable of reprogramming himself and who is smarter than a cockroach (or a comic book writer) would never be stuck working out puerile sex fantasies of forty-something year old, virgin comics writers/editors. Given everything else, for example, why would he build Jocasta with teats?

 

why not??--if "puerile sex fantasies" are endemic to the human mind (and let's face it, we're talking about the mind of hank pym, here) then why is it so impossible that ultron might suffer from them--especially if, as i proposed, his brain is a FLAWED COPY of the brain of a man with SERIOUS EMOTIONAL ISSUES....

 

the substance, i.e. positronic circuits, or whatever, the brain is made from really shouldn't make a difference, since it's hank pym's emotional malfunctions being transferred over to him that are probably at the roots of ultron's core anti-social, psychotic, and highly oedipal behavior....

 

keep in mind that the whole "ultron thing" is simply a metaphor--a means of exploring themes seen earlier in such works as "frankenstien" and "pinocchio"--don't get bogged down too heavily in the 'scientific' or 'science-fi-ctific' elements of the tale....

 

think about it this way--1) hank pym has a BUTTLOAD of emotional and pychological issues he is not dealing with very well; 2) hank pym makes a copy of this damaged pysche and puts it in a robot; 3) the copy itself is probably seriously flawed, due to: a) the complexity of what dr pym is attempting to duplicate; B) the limits of science at the time, and; c) that pym is such a mess emotionally that he wouldn't know a stable personality if it bit him tight-white-dupa; which results in 4) the robot developing a personality chock full of emotional and pyschological issues, none of which he is dealing with very well....

 

SING:....THE CIRCLE OF LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFE!!

or

weirdo scientist+makes copy of his (ABBY-NORMAL) brain+puts (ABBY-NORMAL)brain in robot=robot becomes ultron;

OR

messed up parent=messed up kid....

 

the essential truth of THAT statement is probaly why the character resonates enough with us that he's still being debated nearly 40 years after he was created....

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  • 1 year later...
Guest Captain_Lonesta

Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

1. Joker-he's killed Robin II, shot the original Batgirl in the spine, and sprayed acid on Catwoman.

 

2. Green Goblin-he likked Gwen Stacey and used his son for revenge.

 

3. Onslaught-this amalgam of Prof X and Magneto nearly wiped out most of Marvel's major heroes.

 

4. Apocalypse-His name says enough.

 

5.Darkseid-he wants nothing but death and destruction in the universe and searches for a way to cause it.

 

6. Dr. Doom-he's doen way too much to mention

 

7. Magneto-he's killed tons of humans and has the entire earth's magnetic field at his disposal.

 

8. Ra's Al Ghul-Sick psycho who wants to puirge the earth. Batman's most powerful enemy.

 

9. Lex Luthor-He really does damage to Superman, my least favorite superhero. Someone should permanently shut that boy scout up. Batman rocks!!!

 

10. Mum-Ra, The Ever Living-In a manga comic he used the Thunder Kittens as sex slaves, and he's made life hell for the Thunderans.

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

Dr. Doom - for the reasons so many have told. Hated when a lousy author made him casually sacrifice his true love to get an advantage. His sense of honor and being true to his loved ones are central to the character.

 

Magneto -except that I do not deem him a villain. He's heroically trying to prevent what he foresees as a tragic fate for his own people.

 

Thanos - he has as much class and coolness as Dr. Doom, has saved the universe (and the skin of major heroes, like Warlock and Thor) several times, and managed to raise himself at Supreme Being status three times. Darkseid only wishes in wet dreams to be as good as the Dark Eternal.

 

Mephisto - elemental evil as its best. Corruption for the sake of corruption

 

Ultron a reminder of why creating something out of the blueprint of your psyche is no necessaritly a good thing

 

Loki love of chaos, ambition, and wounded pride at one cool mix

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

In no particular order (cuz it depends on the book, the author and the plot for which is ranked #1 at any given time):

 

 

Joker – The scariest mo-fo out there. “The Killing Joke†cemented my love for this guy.

 

Sabretooth – The baddest mo-fo out there. Every clash with Wolverine is a rollicking good time. It’s even better when the writer gives him half a brain.

 

Darkseid – Gotta have one great “dark lord†always in the background. “The Great Darkness Saga†is forever one of my favorites.

 

Ultron – For being the guy who makes everyone go “Oh, $#!^%†every time he shows up.

 

Bane – Cuz he beat Batman. “Knightfall†rocked.

 

Baron Zemo (#4 I think) – For putting together the greatest line-up of “Masters of Evil†ever.

 

Dr. Doom – The classiest all-around villain out there.

 

Lex Luthor – A used-car salesmen with a genius IQ…the smarmiest, smartest villain around. And he’s President of the USA!

 

[Tie] Ra’s al-Ghul / Magneto – For being truly magnificent villains who don’t think they’re villains.

 

Green Goblin – Cuz he’s just that cool a villain (though I’ll give the ol’ Hobgoblin a “runner up†status)

 

Kingpin – Cuz he just won’t quit.

 

Juggernaut - The greatest of the villain “bricksâ€, and I like him even more now that he’s being given a bit of character.

 

 

Honorable mention goes to my favorite villains who kinda suck:

 

The Wrecking Crew – I just like seeing these guys in a book, even if they do suck most of the time. It always means some good butt-kicking is just around the corner.

 

Anyone of those guys employed by Justin Hammer: Killer Shrike, Melter, etc.

 

The whole “Sinister Six†from Marvel’s Ultimate universe. They’re just cool.

 

[EDIT] Forgot Deathstroke! And Taskmaster! I just love those "super norm" villains...

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

In no particular order...

 

Obviously silliness is not an impediment to greatness in my view. :)

 

It's striking how many are Golden Age.

 

Mr Mxyzptlk.

Gorilla Grodd.

The Wizard (DC).

Solomon Grundy.

Catwoman.

Brainiac.

The Ultra-Humanite.

Lex Luthor.

The Joker.

Darkseid.

Vandal Savage.

Phantom Zone Villains.

The Time Trapper.

 

Oh, yeah - non-DC villains...

 

Dr Doom, Magneto, Green Goblin, Namor(!), the Hulk(!).

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

The ultimate six where really good only problem was that they made the ultimates them selves look like total pansies {the fights ruled you understand} because there is the ultimates the most powerful super powered force on earth and almost all of there incarcerated targets have been stomped into the ground by a scrawny teenager from queens.

 

The recent ultimate version of sinister was very cool going for that modern look and making him look very scary.

 

The ultimate version of the Skrulls where also really well redone. Much more complicated, evil and fully realised, instead of the cosmic comic relief they often appeared like in earlier incarnation.

 

Another favorite from modern iron age comics would have to be THE FOUR from planetary and evil version of the fantastic four played to the hilt really very entertaining especially as there only revealed occasionally but I love the idea of a secret war between the two organizations. Equally planetary played as villains against an altered JLA worked well too.

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

Dr. Doom. The look (wonderful costume design by Kirby).

Darkseid. Pure evil in its most potent and powerful form. Greater gravitas and stature than Dr. Doom - he rules a whole planet. And he looks good too (Kirby again). Thanos is just an imitation, and he's a pretty good villain.

Hey, thanks. :cool:

 

Oh, you meant that Kirby. :winkgrin:

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

I may have caught some DC "revisionism" from my source or vice versa. I read this in some sort of narrative of DC history put out by DC. That doesn't mean it was "pure Kirby."

Pure Kirby. Gotta love it. :rockon:

 

Oh, and from Kirby :confused: : The Old Gods were Norse.

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

On the whole female characters don't work that well as villains. IMO the only female villains worth mentioning are Catwoman and Elektra, who are both of a type - alternating between opponent and lover for the hero.

 

Mind you, the Femme Fatale is also good. "She lures men into her web of sin!" But this is a similar sort of idea to the opponent/lover. There's a duality there too but it's evil/seductive.

 

I don't think female uber-baddies work at all, even in our modern era of ass kicking heroines like Buffy and Tomb Raider. A female Kingpin, Dr. Doom or Darkseid just wouldn't fly.

 

I'm rather distressed by the Champions 5th Ed move to make some of the uber-villains female, such as Istvatha V'han (although she does have a great name). It may be motivated by the desire to try something new but IMO these are flawed efforts at character design.

 

Viper/Madame Hydra ring a bell? She's ruthless, reasonably competent, and (while she's a hottie) her femaleness has little to do with her villainy.

 

Cheetah, Queen Bee, Lady Shiva, Hela, the Black Queen, etc....

 

Glorith was an uber-baddie, worked just fine. Umar, the sister of Dormammu, is another one. Cassandra Nova, the Goblin Queen, etc....

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

Ok members of Herodom. I will admit to not being a comic book fanatic' date=' I read a few titles about 15 years ago, but I am interested in who the greatest villains are? I would prefer those grown on earth, as opposed those like Gallactus, but all are welcome. So list you favorites and let me now why.[/quote']

From Earth?

 

Juggernaut - Aside from the strongest man and all that when I was a kid, I really liked his loyalty to his buddy (Black Tom?). Also, I loved the concept of his armor and that he couldn't be knocked backwards.

 

Black Adam - Very nice concept. He's an evil Captain Marvel (who I really wish was called Shazam. That's such a better powerhouse name.) And Captain Marvel rocks too (but he's no villain).

 

Brimstone - Technically an Earth-created villain. Darkseid created him via a nuclear bomb explosion; how cool is that? The Firestorm writers screwed him over though.

 

I can't remember if these were in comics or not, but I hope so:

 

Solomon Grundy - How many villains have good rhymes that go with them? He not only had a tragic side (if memory serves), but he could absorb the Green Lantern power. Awesome!

 

Gorilla Grodd - Dr. Silverback, eat your heart out. :)

 

Black Manta - As a kid, I always thought his costume, his voice and his actions were much better than Aquaman's. I don't recall his motivations, but he was at least smart enough to be a criminal in a low-superhero zone. I liked the fact that he did beat Aquaman every now and then (though I don't recall if this was cartoon or comic).

 

Okay, several have mentioned non-Earth bound, so I'll just add these at the end.

 

Darkseid - For many of the reasons already mentioned (planet, power, followers, New God status, etc.), but he also has some depth to him, which shows with the right writers. I love his being taunted by the Anti-Life.

 

Kalibak - Darkseid's villainous son. A great background for this villain and when used properly can wreak total mayhem. An ubervillain whose greatest desire is to be loved by his father? Tragically well done.

 

Female Furies - Women who kick butt. My favorite is Lashina, especially when she was with the Suicide Squad (Those were my high school ROTC days!).

 

Thanos - A Darkseid-like clone, but he was still great; at least until the last issue of Infinity Gauntlet. Then they just ruined him.

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  • 1 year later...

Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

Ten best Marvel Villians:

1. Doctor Doom.

2. The Red Skull.

3. Loki

4. Mephisto

5. Duramumu

6. Nightmare

7. The Kingpin

8. Bullseye.

9. Magneto.

10. The Green Goblin

 

Honorable Mention; The Bushman, Galactus, The Mole Man, Doctor Octopus,

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

Ten best Marvel Villians:

1. Doctor Doom.

2. The Red Skull.

3. Loki

4. Mephisto

5. Duramumu

6. Nightmare

7. The Kingpin

8. Bullseye.

9. Magneto.

10. The Green Goblin

 

Honorable Mention; The Bushman, Galactus, The Mole Man, Doctor Octopus,

Who was the villain that wore a green suit, a purple cape and had a glass sphere over where his non-existant head was? Was his name Mystero (or something similar)? And would someone refresh me on his powers?

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

Who was the villain that wore a green suit' date=' a purple cape and had a glass sphere over where his non-existant head was? Was his name Mystero (or something similar)? And would someone refresh me on his powers?[/quote']

 

Mysterio....Spiderman foe. He had no actual super powers, but relied on SPFX gadgets to create realistic illusions...like making Spiderman think he had been shrunk to only a few inches tall.

 

Rob

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Re: Who are the greatest (?) super villains?

 

I'm going to campaign for a couple of my favorites who don't necessarily get thought of right of the bat.

 

1. Scarecrow(Batman, not Marvel's lame wannabe) - what a great concept, fear gas lets him affect lots of people, great support character who can also be a lead villain. a pretty decent hand to hand fighter too, Batman often comments on how underrated Scarecrow is when he fights him.

 

2. Hobgoblin(Macendale) - another great, cunning villain who makes a good lead villain but can also work well in a supporting role. He really made the costume his own.

 

3. Crossbones - the guy can fight Capt. America to a standstill and has done so on numerous occasion, but still fights dirty, just for the extra edge.

 

4. Justin Hammer - I loved this guy in Iron Man. What a great concept. He never gets his hands dirty, never keeps records, just trades favors with villains. "here, I'll fix your suit for you, and in return your first job will be..."

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