THE TOP 10 MOST EVIL VILLAINS IN COMICS

THE TOP 10 MOST EVIL VILLAINS IN COMICS

BY
John "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" Cimino


“Is evil something you are, or something you do?” 
― Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho

While we read comics every month to follow the adventures of our favorite heroes, we know that they wouldn't be as interesting to us if it wasn't for their villains. It's the villains that test our heroes on all levels and make them who they are... who we dream to be. There are many all-powerful, notorious villains in the comic world that battle with the good guys to gain ultimate power. But there is also a select few that really do inspire fear deep within us and sometimes even creep us out. They are the ones that are the most insanely twisted, the ones our heroes can't seem to understand what their motivations are. They hurt, mutilate and kill all walks of life and take a haunting sick pleasure in their atrocious acts of violence. These are the villains that scare on a more psychological level. And what seems to terrify us the most, is that some of these villains could actually exist in real life.

For this write up, I vigilantly researched thousands of comics and reread some of the most entertaining and yet, heart-wrenching stories in the medium to come up with a list of villains that are truly sadistically evil. These are the categories I based each character on: brutality, wickedness, insanity, morality, motivation, creepiness, perversion and most importantly, how I personally felt after reading the stories. I know that comic creators are very fond of making new villains that are heinously evil, but are basically just carbon copies of the originals so reputation and popularity were also considered. Absolutely no villains who carry an honor system or want to rule the world to make it a better place were ranked. While these are popular traits and motivations from most power-hungry villains of the world, they hold no place here. So don't expect to see the popular Dr. Doom, Magneto, Darkseid, Lex Luthor, Sinestro, Loki, Ra's Al Ghul, Ozymandias, Mandarin and the like on this list. I just ranked the nastiest of the nasty, the ones who want to watch the world and life burn... with no exceptions.

Ranking only 10 of the most evil villains was a difficult task indeed, which is why I included an Honorable Mentions list at the bottom. While the characters listed here are a motley crew of despicable disciples and should be given their props, they fail to crack the top 10 because the ones I ranked, I feel just do it better... and I'm usually right. So sit back and enjoy the 10 most evil scumbags to ever come out of a comic book. And let's all be glad that these monsters don't really exist... well, if you've watched the news lately, maybe they do...

10.) BULLSEYE

Bullseye has never been about subtlety, nuance or emotion. He's a brutal, cold-hearted killer, plain and simple. There are very few characters as enthusiastic about creatively killing a victim than this hired assassin. Bullseye gained his notoriety by killing Elektra in an infamous and horrific scene. He quickly became one of Daredevil's archenemies, and has even returned to kill another one of Matt Murdock's lovers, Karen Page. Bullseye is a mutant who has the uncanny ability of marksmanship. He has amassed a huge body-count with this ability over the years. And as the Kingpin's best and most efficient mercenary, the killing will continue for this relentless psychopath.

9.) SABRETOOTH

The history between Sabertooth and Wolverine goes back for decades. It is not truly known if they actually are related and if their rivalry began during their youth in the 1800s? Or it may have begun early in the 20th century, in a horrific event, during which Sabretooth raped and seemingly murdered Wolverine's lover, Silver Fox? Thanks to the Weapon X program distorting Sabretooth's memories, it's impossible to say, but regardless, his hatred for Wolverine is constant. Sabertooth continues to be Logan's most notorious and dangerous adversary. Possessing a healing factor with cat-like claws and fangs, Sabretooth is often considered even more dangerous than Wolverine, due to the fact that he allows himself to completely give in to his animalistic impulses. So, when it comes to savagely killing and mutilating prey, not many can do it better than this mutant.

8.) MASTERMIND

Jason Wyngarde, better known as Mastermind is the first of the truly "creepy" villains on this list. He has the power to cast illusions causing people to psionically see, hear and even touch things that don't really exist. He can make people believe that he is another person or even invisible for that matter. He can even do this to mutants as strong as Professor Xavier. Despite using his powers for petty thievery, Mastermind being somewhat older and ugly with graying hair, uses his powers to appear younger and better looking so that he can sexually assault his helpless female victims. His most infamous incident was when he was part of the Hellfire Club and he manipulated Jean Grey into believing she was a Victorian aristocrat, married to Jason Wyngarde, and that she was the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club. They had many sexual escapades until she broke free from his control and then turned him catatonic. When he eventually came back to his senses, Mastermind went back to his sleazy, promiscuous ways.

7.) SCARECROW

Dr. Jonathan Crane is one of the most formidable and thematically intriguing Batman villains of all time. As a child, he was bullied and tormented, so he decided to research the human psyche and how people dealt with fear. After being fired from a teaching position where he used unwilling students in his experiments, Crane decided to use his knowledge for a life of crime. As a deranged genius, he uses a variety of drugs (such as his fear-toxin) and psychological tactics to exploit the fears and phobias of his adversaries. He wants nothing less than everyone in Gotham to be as afraid as he once was. There are not many villains around that are as truly sick and twisted as the Scarecrow.

6.) VICTOR ZSASZ

Victor Zsasz was the head of his own international company and had amassed a large personal fortune in addition to his family's wealth. At the age of 25 his parents died in a boating accident, sending him into a deep depression. He turned to gambling, gradually squandering his entire fortune. Then, while he was attempting to commit suicide, a homeless man tried to assault him with a knife after he refused to give him money. Instinctively grabbing the knife, Zsasz proceeded to stab the man to death. From then on, he dedicated himself to "liberating" others from their pointless existence (he often refers to victims as "zombies"). Zsasz began a tally on his body that would grow to include more than a hundred scars. He usually preys on young women, but has no qualms over whom he murders. He slits his victims' throats and leaves them in lifelike poses, adding a tally mark to his body each time. He has been diagnosed as insane and is regularly incarcerated in Arkham Asylum. In The Batman Chronicles #3, a psychiatrist found herself unable to understand why Victor did what he did. "You don't exhibit the usual signs of mental illness. No voices, no hallucinations, no dementia. Why do you kill?" she asked him. Victor responded, "I have no dysfunctional family background. I suffered neither childhood abuse or trauma. I kill for ONE reason only, doctor -- because I CHOOSE to." Now that's freaking evil...

5.) THE PURPLE MAN

Zebediah Killgrave, The Purple Man is easily the most "creepy" character in comics, by far. As good as Mastermind is at using his powers to fulfill his sexual perversions, Zebediah does it more frequently and with much more narcissistic creativity. His body has been altered to produce chemical pheromones which, when inhaled or absorbed through the skin, allow Killgrave to control their actions by verbal suggestions. The effects only last as long as he is physically present and are somehow keyed to his personal voice and speech-pattern. When he departs, the level of chemicals is reduced within his victims at various rates (dependent upon their metabolisms), and then the victims regain full cognizance of self. Killgrave can influence hundreds of people at one time, and his victims can be controlled to perform actions against their will. He also seems to have some control over the release of his pheromones into the atmosphere, as he is able to walk hidden among crowds without influencing everybody. With a power like this, Zebediah constantly goes out into the world to manipulate, rape and murder whoever he wants just to feel better about his constant defeats at the hands of other superheroes. All I have to say is read Alias, Part: 5 The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones TPB and be prepared for the "creepiest" comic book ever written...mature readers only.

4.) MEPHISTO

They don't come any more evil than this guy. Mephisto is the ruler of Hell and is the Marvel Universe version of Satan. He can shape shift, change time and has superhuman strength. You can try to kill him, but he will regenerate and always come back sooner or later. His pact with Mistress Death allows him to keep the souls of the dead. He can also keep the souls of the living, but only with their permission. While Mephisto is incredibly formidable on all levels, his strongest and most powerful ability is his power of manipulation. No one can do it better. He has caused so much havoc throughout the years with this power that countless souls have been forever lost or corrupted by him. As long as there is peace and love in the world, he simply will not stop. Clearly, the Lord of Hell is not one with whom to mess with.

3.) THANOS

Thanos, has only one goal, to extinguish all life in the universe to gain favor of the woman he desires, Mistress Death. How romantic. But despite his attempts, he has failed time and time again and with each failure, she dumps him. He has disappointed her so much that he is barred from her realm of the dead and this makes him unable to truly die, which is just great for mankind. So what does Thanos do about this? He tries to find another way to get the job done (they don't call him the "Mad Titan" for nothing). Whether it be with the Cosmic Cube, the Infinity Gauntlet or some other item of mass destruction, all life must cease to exist! With his power of telekinesis, matter manipulation, superhuman strength and durability, Thanos is a fearsome foe. But it's his keen superhuman intellect mixed in with his madness that is his greatest weapon. Thanos can master any technology, time travel, teleport and find a way to cause mass genocide all in one easy stroke. Let's just say they don't come any more dangerous or insane than the Mad Titan.

2.) THE JOKER

There was never any doubt in my mind that the enigmatic, psychopathic Clown Prince of Crime would come in amongst the top when ranking the most evil villains ever. The Joker is the definition of a scene-stealing, deliciously wicked character, one that is quite possibly more complex and interesting than just about any other in the comic world. There are countless of Joker capers that remind us why he is the quintessential DC comic book villain. He exists because of his enemy, and without creatures like the Joker, there would be no Batman. More importantly, this villain is capable of reinventing himself in various incarnations, whether it's being savage and sadistic or even light-hearted and funny, there is just so much depth within the character. And despite being a "street-level" villain, he is so much more terrifying than even the cosmic, all-powerful fiends on this list because his interactions and motivations are ones that readers can truly relate to. Fear, chaos, murder and all done with a smile... no one can do it better than the Joker.

1.) THE RED SKULL

At the top of the list is not only the most evil villain ever created in comics, but also the most truly despised. There are some big components to what makes the Red Skull "the baddest of the bad" when it comes to pure evil in the comics world. First thing, the Skull is a Nazi, and, throughout history there has never been a more villainous group than the Nazi party. It's a simple way to categorize and create a villain, but it's effective, particularly set in opposition to Captain America. Another point is that the Red Skull truly hits home. People like him do exist and believe in his perfect "Aryan-race" philosophies and frighteningly, if Adolf Hitler had his way back in WWII, everyone might even be somewhat like the Red Skull today... and that is horrifying to think about! Everything a sane, rational, and educated person would hate about others resides within this character. For the Skull is not only a brutal and heartless killer, he is also bigoted on a level  that no other villain can match. He wants to conquer the world and those underneath him must be extinguished. 

Unlike the Joker, their is no humor in what the Skull does. Readers sometimes laugh along with the Joker and surprisingly, the Clown Prince of Crime can be written as a likable character. The Red Skull is simply too despicable to be likable in any way... still have any doubts that this guy should be number 1?? How about I give you one more example. When you think about it, arch-nemeses rarely succeed. The Joker never killed Batman. Sabertooth never killed Wolverine. Mephisto has yet to kill or corrupt Thor or the Silver Surfer. But the Skull managed to outwit and outplay Captain America, and in the end, he watched from afar as his master plan came to fruition. Steve Rogers was assassinated and the Marvel Universe lost its only true beacon of hope. Sure, the Sentinel of Liberty came back (like all comic characters do), but the Skull succeeded... and we hated it. So, be warned, the Red Skull will succeed at something evil and atrocious again, and we will continue to despise him for it.

DIS-HONORABLE MENTIONS

Two-Face

Superboy-Prime

Lady Deathstrike

Others:

Nightmare, Green Goblin, Hate-Monger, Dormammu, Baron Blood, Kingpin, Carnage, Parallax, Dr. Light, M.O.D.O.K., Foolkiller, Bushwacker, Mastermold, Sentinels, Mr. Sinister, Apocalypse, Ultron, Braniac, Lizard, Sebastian Shaw, Cheshire, Abomination, Deadshot, Mongul, Baron Zemo, Dark Phoenix and Sin-Eater

Agree? Disagree?? Let's hear it fanboys!


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