The X-Men franchise can boast some of the most memorable, and enduring villains of the comic book world...Among them, are such modern icons and legends as Magneto, The Phoenix, Apocalypse, Mystique, Mr. Sinister and The Sentinels. All of these villains, and many more, can offer the reader a rich and diverse reading experience, with each offering a dynamic and fluid array of individual traits which make them among the comic book worlds most loved "baddies".

Given that there is such a wide range of villains, it is inevitable that there are those who catch our attention more than others. In this knowledge, I ask you, "Who is your ultimate X-Men villain, and why?" - My own favourite villain is Magneto; Not because of his timeless, and undeniably potent abilities, but because of the diversity with which he is presented. That is, as a product of a world into which he had no choice but to be born in, and to suffer in. It is from these circumstances, that, so often, great and good men such as Magneto are deformed by the abject horrors of humanity. Furthermore, his unwavering and unchanging position on his own moralistic beliefs, do truly set a good example by which we could all do with following. I am not, however, going to defend the means by which Magneto pursues his dream - The violent and often belligerent mind-set with which he conducts himself cannot be seen as a good example to follow, in the pursuit of our dreams.

Humanity.

Mankind is responsible for driving villains like Magneto and the Sentinels- which have killed more mutants than any other X-villain.

Humanity does not understand mutation. Humanity hates what it does not understand or refuses to accept. This hatred has spawned numerous conflicts from riots and beatings. Humanity has been represented through the insanity of men like William Stryker. Simply put, humanity is the single greatest threat to the X-Men, and always will be.

Magneto has always been my favorite.......mainly for the reasons everyone recognizes. Though he can be written as a baseline super villain at times, he is often depicted as a character who you actually like better than some of the protagonists.

X_29:

Humanity is indeed a formidable adversary in the X-Men franchise, and their actions are responsible for numerous disasters and blunders throughout the series. It is from their mistakes, that villains are antagonised into committing those actions which define them as "Evil" - Be it true, or not. I also agree with your point, on the lack of understanding regarding genetic mutations. What has always shocked me, though, is that throughout the series, mankind has always had the option of trying to understand mutation, and yet, they let this opportunity pass. I believe that this desire to remain un-knowledgeable is, convenient for them...They see mutants, and have always seen mutants as the weakest and most destitute in society, and therefore, define them as "easy targets" - Much as a playground bully - Now, in defining this social minority as an easy target, they have created for themselves a go-to reference point, whereupon they can place wrongful blame, and can accuse until their hearts are content. It is from this ignorance that such men, as you mentioned, as William Stryker are born.

The whole issue with Mankind and Mutantkind surpasses the planes of comic book literature, and holds, and indeed will continue to hold, a pertinent social statement.

@cattlebattle: I agree, whole-heartedly. At times, I think it may be convenient for some lazy comic book writers to just throw Magneto into the mix for a bit of nostalgia and to evoke some interest, whereas, I believe he should be the ace of the deck, and only played at strategic moments.

@x_29 said:

Humanity.

Mankind is responsible for driving villains like Magneto and the Sentinels- which have killed more mutants than any other X-villain.

Humanity does not understand mutation. Humanity hates what it does not understand or refuses to accept. This hatred has spawned numerous conflicts from riots and beatings. Humanity has been represented through the insanity of men like William Stryker. Simply put, humanity is the single greatest threat to the X-Men, and always will be.

Truth