Top 10 Greatest Villains in Comicbooks

  • 89 results
  • 1
  • 2
Avatar image for alfacess
alfacess

468

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

#51  Edited By alfacess

@darthmummy: He is right and I'm just telling you why, since you can't seem to understand why. Of course he would choose and see his race as the superior one because they are. If he didn't go through everything he did in the past, maybe he'd be a superhero and work with Xavier.

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#52  Edited By VoloErgoMalus

@alfacess: I understand just fine. Magneto's solution to having been a victim is to become a master, a tyrant who commands by hate and rules by fear. Mutants are not inherently superior. They shouldn't take over the world just because they can; the very abilities that allow them to seize that power do not make them worthy of it. Magneto's pride and arrogance is proof of this. Rule by the strongest is not the answer, unity and rule by law for all mankind is.

Avatar image for monkeystarship
MonkeyStarship

486

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#53  Edited By MonkeyStarship

Shredder

Avatar image for eternalgrandmaster
EternalGrandMaster

459

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Magneto

Dr.Doom

Lex Luthor

Joker

Avatar image for batmite1995
batmite1995

423

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#55  Edited By batmite1995

Led luthor(new 52)

Avatar image for alfacess
alfacess

468

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

@darthmummy: You clearly don't understand. Have yosu watched the x-movies? It is often stated CLEARLY that mutants are the next stage in evolution. Just as us homo-sapiens were the next stage ine evolution when neanderthal still inherited the earth

Avatar image for marcus_halberstram
Marcus_Halberstram

646

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Joker.

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@alfacess: You can't possibly defend Magneto's actions with nature when they are so unnatural, even if we assume that evolution is a valid substitute for morality. Erik himself doesn't believe in mutants' inherent superiority. That's why he hatches insane plots to overthrow or destroy human civilization, because the dominance of culture and institutions of mankind are not as easily dismissed as our obsolete sapient cousins. He also fails to realize that humans and mutants are alike, but for genetic quirks that, while fantastic, are irrelevant from a governmental standpoint, other than their obvious security implications.

Avatar image for alfacess
alfacess

468

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

@darthmummy: There's nothing more natural than nature now is there? Mutants are the next stage in human evolution. You said Erik doesn't believe in mutant's inherent superiority? That's like saying Superman or your avatar Captain america don't believe in justice and the American way! Humans and mutants are alike but that doesn't take away from the truth: mutants are the next stage in human evolution and humans will soon be extinct (or should be in theory but wont since it's fiction)

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@alfacess said:

@darthmummy: There's nothing more natural than nature now is there? Mutants are the next stage in human evolution. You said Erik doesn't believe in mutant's inherent superiority? That's like saying Superman or your avatar Captain america don't believe in justice and the American way! Humans and mutants are alike but that doesn't take away from the truth: mutants are the next stage in human evolution and humans will soon be extinct (or should be in theory but wont since it's fiction)

If Erik truly believed in mutant superiority, he wouldn't feel the need to artificially undermine humanity in order to give them an advantage. All that blowhard rhetoric about mutants inheriting the Earth is just to attract followers. If mutants are the next stage in evolution, then magneto doesn't have to work to achieve mutant dominance; it'll happen naturally. Thing is, he'll fight anyway, because he's power-hungry. The only moral foothold he has is opposing the humans who want to suppress the rise of mutants, and he and Charles are alike in this, so it's a moot point.

Avatar image for spambot
Spambot

9727

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I'll vote Doom just because I think he represents someone obsessed with power at any cost and has an interesting backstory and array of powers at his disposal.

Avatar image for battle_forum_junkie
Battle_Forum_Junkie

10331

Forum Posts

8401

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 2

@alfacess said:

Magneto, if he doesn't win, comicvine ends.

Unless Lex Luthor does, in which case comicvine is just.

Can someone please explain where all these Joker votes are coming from? I understand he's a mainstay villain, but what makes him a greater villain than Lex Luthor?

With so many comic series focused on a singular, central character, "comic book villain" has come to refer to a character that acts as an opposing force to the hero, not just physically, but philosophically, ideologically. Nobody fits this description better than Lex Luthor. To every "1" that Superman represents, Lex Luthor is a "0." Superman is selfless and concerned with the greater good, while Luthor is narcissistic and individualistic. But this is just the surface.

Luthor presents himself as trying to convince humanity to reject the influence of metahumans that solve all their problems and treat them as children, instead embracing their own self-efficacy and potential for greatness. In this regard, he leads by example, just like Superman. His true villainy is in his self-absorption, the way his single-minded pursuit of goals and desire to prove his superiority over Superman overrides any value of or love for his fellow man, which tragically precludes him from ever fulfilling his destiny.

Lex Luthor is not just a malevolent plot mover like Thanos or Joker. He represents the evil that dwells in the hearts of men.

And to top it all off, he's highly intelligent and resourceful. He can back up his threats to Superman and the status quo he represents with vast wealth and an incredible ability to implement evil strategies. It makes for great storylines.

I think the main thing that makes him a greater comic villain than Magneto is the way that he's tailor-made to suit the medium. He is the ultimate antagonistic reaction to the existence of benevolent superhumans, a fixture of the comic world that evokes human evil, not just a stand-in for supremacist/prideful rhetoric and action in response to oppression, in the endless debate in which Erik and Charles (and many in our world, in different contexts) are engaged.

What about the rest of y'all? How did your candidate earn the title of "greatest" in your mind?

That was a great assessment of Lex Luthor.

I get the feeling that "Joker" has become a default response for a lot of people who are asked questions like this, without really considering what makes Joker such a great villain compared to people like Luthor. I think I can say that both Lex Luthor and Joker are such great villains, and the dynamic they have with their rival is such that they both deserve the title of "greatest villain". So it ultimately boils down to personal preference, I think.

For me, Joker is a great villain because of his dynamic with Batman, who is very much the opposite side of the same coin, like Superman and Lex Luthor. One of these reasons - and I think I've brought this up in a different response to one of your comments - is that they've both had that "one bad day" that completely re-defined who they where and who they where going to be. One fights for order while the other fights for chaos. And in a time when Batman seems to have a contingency for every threat he comes across there's still one person he can't prepare for, and the only thing he can count on him being, is unpredictable

Another thing I like about their dynamic is that the hero, Batman, is supposed to be a very relatable, human character, while Joker is ultimately a very sadistic and inhuman monster - similar the dynamic between Superman and Luthor, but completely flipped on it's head. But, at the same time, in the Joker's mind, he's benevolent - simple trying to help people "see the light", and liberate them from sanity. So in this sense he fits both the archetype of the pure evil and the self-righteous villain .

Although, I think one of the things I like most about the character is that he has no set origin. Not even the Joker himself knows for certain. There's a lot of mystery surrounding his origin. And that makes him a very unique villain to me.

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#64  Edited By VoloErgoMalus

That was a great assessment of Lex Luthor.

I get the feeling that "Joker" has become a default response for a lot of people who are asked questions like this, without really considering what makes Joker such a great villain compared to people like Luthor. I think I can say that both Lex Luthor and Joker are such great villains, and the dynamic they have with their rival is such that they both deserve the title of "greatest villain". So it ultimately boils down to personal preference, I think.

For me, Joker is a great villain because of his dynamic with Batman, who is very much the opposite side of the same coin, like Superman and Lex Luthor. One of these reasons - and I think I've brought this up in a different response to one of your comments - is that they've both had that "one bad day" that completely re-defined who they where and who they where going to be. One fights for order while the other fights for chaos. And in a time when Batman seems to have a contingency for every threat he comes across there's still one person he can't prepare for, and the only thing he can count on him being, is unpredictable

Another thing I like about their dynamic is that the hero, Batman, is supposed to be a very relatable, human character, while Joker is ultimately a very sadistic and inhuman monster - similar the dynamic between Superman and Luthor, but completely flipped on it's head. But, at the same time, in the Joker's mind, he's benevolent - simple trying to help people "see the light", and liberate them from sanity. So in this sense he fits both the archetype of the pure evil and the self-righteous villain .

Although, I think one of the things I like most about the character is that he has no set origin. Not even the Joker himself knows for certain. There's a lot of mystery surrounding his origin. And that makes him a very unique villain to me.

Well said. It think that both Batman and the Joker believe that the world is absurd. This may be an oversimplification, but it may be that, while Batman wants to change the world and deal with people as they are, the Joker likes things the way they are, but wants, perhaps needs somebody else who gets the joke, who "gets" him. Maybe this is what he sees in Batman. Sure, Batman's overall goal is a sane world where good people can live without bad things happening to them, but his methods to that end are insane. Like the old Gothic cathedrals of the city, Batman stands as a bulwark against the moral decay of Gotham*, but his crusade is folly because the "cowardly and superstitious" zeitgeist that keeps him alive in the hearts of his enemies also sustains the violence and corruption that made Batman necessary in the first place. Batman and the criminal element form a symbiotic relationship.

And that's before you even get into the escalation from crime to super crime that Batman's presence arguably caused.

* I really, really dig the idea of connections between Batman and the history of Gotham City. Architecture, folklore, occultism, the Wayne family, all of it. The Batman persona as an exploitation of the sort of pre-existing "spirit" of the city...

Avatar image for marvete_e_dcnauta
Marvete_e_DCnauta

1799

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

My favorites:

1 - Green Goblin
2 - Doctor Doom
3 - Joker
4 - Lex Luthor
5 - Magneto
6 - Brainiac(favorite robotic villain)
7 - Loki
8 - Shredder
9 - Venom
10 - Red Skull

Avatar image for ostyo
Ostyo

14103

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Avatar image for username12345
username12345

4583

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 9

Joker

Bane

Joker

Bane

Joker

Bane

Joker

Bane

Bane

Joker

Joker

Bane

Bane

Then it would probably go...

Joker

Joker

Joker

Then Bane

and last but not least...

Owl man

Avatar image for battle_forum_junkie
Battle_Forum_Junkie

10331

Forum Posts

8401

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 2

@battle_forum_junkie said:

That was a great assessment of Lex Luthor.

I get the feeling that "Joker" has become a default response for a lot of people who are asked questions like this, without really considering what makes Joker such a great villain compared to people like Luthor. I think I can say that both Lex Luthor and Joker are such great villains, and the dynamic they have with their rival is such that they both deserve the title of "greatest villain". So it ultimately boils down to personal preference, I think.

For me, Joker is a great villain because of his dynamic with Batman, who is very much the opposite side of the same coin, like Superman and Lex Luthor. One of these reasons - and I think I've brought this up in a different response to one of your comments - is that they've both had that "one bad day" that completely re-defined who they where and who they where going to be. One fights for order while the other fights for chaos. And in a time when Batman seems to have a contingency for every threat he comes across there's still one person he can't prepare for, and the only thing he can count on him being, is unpredictable

Another thing I like about their dynamic is that the hero, Batman, is supposed to be a very relatable, human character, while Joker is ultimately a very sadistic and inhuman monster - similar the dynamic between Superman and Luthor, but completely flipped on it's head. But, at the same time, in the Joker's mind, he's benevolent - simple trying to help people "see the light", and liberate them from sanity. So in this sense he fits both the archetype of the pure evil and the self-righteous villain .

Although, I think one of the things I like most about the character is that he has no set origin. Not even the Joker himself knows for certain. There's a lot of mystery surrounding his origin. And that makes him a very unique villain to me.

Well said. It think that both Batman and the Joker believe that the world is absurd. This may be an oversimplification, but it may be that, while Batman wants to change the world and deal with people as they are, the Joker likes things the way they are, but wants, perhaps needs somebody else who gets the joke, who "gets" him. Maybe this is what he sees in Batman. Sure, Batman's overall goal is a sane world where good people can live without bad things happening to them, but his methods to that end are insane. Like the old Gothic cathedrals of the city, Batman stands as a bulwark against the moral decay of Gotham*, but his crusade is folly because the "cowardly and superstitious" zeitgeist that keeps him alive in the hearts of his enemies also sustains the violence and corruption that made Batman necessary in the first place. Batman and the criminal element form a symbiotic relationship.

And that's before you even get into the escalation from crime to super crime that Batman's presence arguably caused.

* I really, really dig the idea of connections between Batman and the history of Gotham City. Architecture, folklore, occultism, the Wayne family, all of it. The Batman persona as an exploitation of the sort of pre-existing "spirit" of the city...

Those are all good points. I think the main reason the Joker obsesses over Batman is because he often teeters on insanity, so close to snapping completely, yet he still can't get the joke.

Not that this has any baring on comic continuity, but in The Dark Knight, Batman says - talking about the paranoid schizophrenic" that Harvey Dent kidnapped - "these are the kinds of people the Joker attracts." Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but I think, weather he knows it or not, Batman not only caused an escalation of crime in Gotham, but attracts it as well.

I completely agree on the last bit, too. I think one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed Batman: Gothic and Court of Owls so much is that it expanded on the already rich history of Gotham while still expanding the Batman mythos. I think that's why the best Batman stories always center around Gotham, there's much more of a personal connection between Batman and his city that you really don't see anywhere else in comics.

Avatar image for quickfingers26
Quickfingers26

1679

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Joker

Dr Doom

Lex Luthor

Red Skull

Magneto

The Governor (walking dead)

Loki

Ultron

Darkseid

Green Goblin

Avatar image for alfacess
alfacess

468

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

@darthmummy: The only right thing you mentioned was the faft that he is power hungry. And if he doesn't believe in mutant superiority, what's the point of him opposing humans for the mutant cause? Think about it, then answer me.

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@alfacess said:

@darthmummy: The only right thing you mentioned was the faft that he is power hungry. And if he doesn't believe in mutant superiority, what's the point of him opposing humans for the mutant cause? Think about it, then answer me.

I already answered that question. Magneto fights for the mutant cause because:

  • Like Xavier, he knows that there are humans out there that want to destroy the mutants or minimize their influence (a perceived threat to a group he identifies with).
  • He is a megalomaniac and wants to rule the world (himself).

I guess where we might propose that Magneto believes in mutant superiority is in the way he fights for mutants, for this is where differences emerge between him and his counterpart Professor X. One believes in a united future for all mankind (improve relations with humans), while the other doesn't care as long as the people with the mutant gene survive (destroy all humans). Magneto wants revenge and feeds a cycle of conflict, while Xavier wants peace.

The problem is, all of Magneto's reasons for thinking mutants are inherently superior are insane. It's as ill-founded as Hitler's obsession with the Aryan race. Mutants are just humans with weird powers. The absence of a mutant gene does not preclude people from developing their own unique skills and physiology, or contributing to society. To discriminate based on genetic makeup is incredibly shallow and self-serving. Why not just let Apocalypse destroy the world and claim it as his own? He's said to be as far "above" mutants as they are above humans.

Avatar image for darthmanhunter
DarthManhunter

1907

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Darth Vader.

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@battle_forum_junkie: Batman is a magnet for craziness haha. One of the special things about him is that the city he patrols isn't just a backdrop for the battles between him and his foes, but a unique world that could conceivably produce the dreadful mobsters and lunatics he fights on the regular. It's almost like "it had to get worse before it got better." All this madness was lurking just below the surface, draining the city's energy, before Batman induced a frenzied state.

Avatar image for fuzzylittlerodent
FuzzyLittleRodent

2087

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

LEX FCKIN LUTHOR

Avatar image for alfacess
alfacess

468

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

@darthmummy: Magneto only wants a world where mutants can be free and at peace. He wants mutants to unite and prosper. That is why he tries to get rid of humans, because as long as they're around there wont be peace for mutants. And mutants are not humans with weird powers. They are the future.

Avatar image for dimitridkatsis
dimitridkatsis

3019

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Dr. Doom

Avatar image for homer_x
Homer_X

2387

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Magneto

Joker

Dr. Doom

Lex Luthor

Galactus

Avatar image for battle_forum_junkie
Battle_Forum_Junkie

10331

Forum Posts

8401

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 2

@darthmummy: I couldn't agree more. Anyway, thanks. I enjoyed that little discussion. It's not often that I get to really explicate with like-minded fans on this site.

Edit: I'm also looking to read more about Lex Luthor. I've read All-Star Superman and I'm going to be picking up Lex Luthor: Man of Steel soon. Is there anything else you'd recommend?

Avatar image for blacklegraph
BlackLegRaph

5544

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Lex Luthor, Joker, Magneto, Green Goblin come to mind. There are too many others for me to make a definitive list.

Avatar image for battle_forum_junkie
Battle_Forum_Junkie

10331

Forum Posts

8401

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 2

Joker

Bane

Joker

Bane

Joker

Bane

Joker

Bane

Bane

Joker

Joker

Bane

Bane

Then it would probably go...

Joker

Joker

Joker

Then Bane

and last but not least...

Owl man

Your one post alone probably earned Bane at least third place. :P

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@battle_forum_junkie: That's a pretty good selection. Superman: Red Son has a neat elseworlds Lex as well.

Avatar image for battle_forum_junkie
Battle_Forum_Junkie

10331

Forum Posts

8401

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 2

@darthmummy: Thanks, man. I'll be sure to check that one out.

Avatar image for voloergomalus
VoloErgoMalus

2881

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@alfacess said:

@darthmummy: Magneto only wants a world where mutants can be free and at peace. He wants mutants to unite and prosper. That is why he tries to get rid of humans, because as long as they're around there wont be peace for mutants. And mutants are not humans with weird powers. They are the future.

Wiping out the majority of the population of Earth is at odds with achieving "unity." Mutants are humans with powers; all that fear and hatred that Magneto so narrowly reduces humanity to in order to serve his own needs is also found in mutants. How else would he exploit these very attitudes to draw bitter, ostracized, persecuted, and violent mutants to his side? To say that war and genocide will be abolished if we make war and genocide enough is insane. None of your platitudes change the fact that no matter how many lives you destroy, there will always be people who want to believe that they are superior, and/or feel inferior and are resentful as a result. Besides, if we value nothing but evolution, the world is rightfully the property of Apocalypse, because he's even more "evolved" than mutants. We have to acknowledge that, while in the future, everyone will be a mutant, right now most people lack the mutant gene, and this doesn't necessarily make them any less valuable. Evolution is a continuous process.

Avatar image for sladew
SladeW

75

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Avatar image for tbrand32300
tbrand32300

711

Forum Posts

563

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

bullseye

Avatar image for ilostthekey
ILostTheKey

993

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Dr. Doom

Avatar image for cloakx14
Cloakx14

9136

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

1. Joker

2. Reverse Flash (i'm surprise no one mention him)

3.Mystique

4 Lex Luthor

5. Apocalypse

6. Venom

7. Green Goblin

8. ScareCrow

9. Dr. Doom

10. Deathstroke

Avatar image for comicfan11
comicfan11

1419

Forum Posts

23445

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 6

Darkseid

Avatar image for henrikee
Henrikee

41

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

All Hail DOOM

Avatar image for lone_wolf_and_cub
Lone_Wolf_and_Cub

9237

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Doom. Followed by Vader

Avatar image for eyedcyou
EyeDCyou

7512

Forum Posts

378

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 9

User Lists: 13

Joker