After being impressed by the performance and representation of ‘Joker’ in ‘The Dark Knight’, I thought of compiling my 7 favourite comic book villians of all time. It will not cover all the comics but only the comics which I have read and loved. Lets get on with it, ‘Bring on the bad guys !!”
7. Kingpin
Creators: Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr
First Apperance: The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (July 1967)
Description: He is the enemy of Dare Devil and Spiderman. Wilson Fisk, the man who would one day become the Kingpin, started out as a common thug in the Bronx. He was noticed by one Don Rigoletto, an accomplished crime boss who admired Fisk’s sheer brutality and hired him as his primary enforcer. Fisk eventually murdered his benefactor and took control over his mob empire. Thus, the Kingpin was born.
6. Dr. Doom
Creators: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #5 Vol. 1, July 1962
Description: After a failed experiment leaves his face disfigured, the brilliant but arrogant Victor von Doom casts a set of armor and sets out to dominate the world, as well as to destroy his archenemy Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. He is the absolute monarch of the fictional European nation of Latveria, which he rules with a quite literal iron fist. Doctor Doom is one of Marvel Comics’ most recognizable and archetypal supervillains; the character has fought and opposed more heroes than any other Marvel villain. Doom has been considered emblematic of a change in the comic book depiction of the mad scientist, and critic Peter Sanderson describes Doom as one of a select group of antagonists known as “megavillains”. Creator Stan Lee declared Doom his favorite villain of those he created.
5. The Riddler
Creators: Bill Finger and Dick Sprang
First Appearance: Detective Comics #140 (October 1948 )
Description: of his capers by sending them complex clues. The character is often depicted as wearing a domino mask either with a green suit and bowler hat, or a green jumpsuit. His trademark is a green question mark.The Riddler is typically portrayed as a smooth-talking, yet quirky, victim of an intense obsessive compulsion. Riddler’s compulsion is quite flexible, allowing him to commit any crime as long as he can describe it in a riddle or puzzle. His name, Edward Nigma, is a pun of “enigma” (Edward Nigma: E. Nigma).
4. Lex Luthor
Creators: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
First Appearance: Action Comics #23 (Apr. 1940)
Description: Originally written as a pulp magazine-inspired mad scientist with red hair, the character underwent an abrupt makeover one year later, after an artist mistakenly depicted him as bald. In spite of the error, the striking appearance was adopted and became the character’s trademark. Following the release of John Byrne’s limited series The Man of Steel, Luthor was re-envisioned as a Machiavellian industrialist and white-collar criminal, even briefly serving as President of the United States. Though initially known only by his surname, Luthor was retroactively given the name “Lex” in a back-story written by Jerry Siegel in 1962. Luthor’s origin reveals him to be a friend-turned-enemy of Superboy, whom he blames for an incident which resulted in his baldness.
3. Magneto
Creators: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Description: A powerful mutant, with the ability to generate and control magnetism, Magneto, ever since his first appearance, has been the X-Men’s most prominent enemy. In his early appearances, his motives were bent on megalomania, but writers have since fleshed out his character and origin, revealing him to be a Jewish Holocaust survivor, whose actions are driven by the purpose of protecting the mutant race from suffering a similar fate. His role in comics have varied from supervillain to anti-hero to even hero.
2. Carnage
Creators: David Michelinie and Mark Bagley
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (vol. 1, April 1992)
Description: Carnage was once a serial killer known as Cletus Kasady, and became Carnage after merging with the offspring of the alien symbiote called Venom during a prison breakout. The symbiote amplified his psychotic nature making him even less mentally stable than he had been previously, and therefore even more dangerous. An interesting note is that, unlike Venom, Carnage is a singular entity, referring to himself as “I” instead of “We”, because the symbiote has actually merged into Kasady’s bloodstream.
1. The Joker
Creators: Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson
First Appearance: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
Description: The archenemy of the superhero Batman, the Joker is a master criminal whose characterization has varied from a violent and murderous sociopath, causing chaos and committing crimes for his own amusement, to a goofy and virtually harmless trickster-thief. The Joker’s real identity is unknown, and there have been different takes on his origin; the most common variation depicts him as falling into a vat of chemicals which bleach his skin, turn his hair green and his lips bright red, giving him the appearance of a clown.
Phew.. that was a tough task. Hope you guys enjoyed all the evil souls 😀
Dream Merchantz 