Last week, I ranked my twenty favorite superheroes of all time. This week, I'm switching it up and doing my twenty favorite supervillains of all time. This is, once again, entirely based off of the comics. Keep that in mind as you go through.
20. Mysterio/Quentin Beck
I've always been interested in Mysterio. Even before Far From Home. First of all, I love his look. I think that it screams mysticism and danger, which fits the character. I've always thought his skill set is unusually interesting. He is basically a magician that uses his illusions for evil. While that may seem cheesy, I think that it works.
19. Bane
Bane is one of the more imposing threats inside of Gotham. He is Batman's Doomsday. The powerful monster that was able to beat our hero. Bane is most infamous for breaking Batman's back, as pictured above, but I think he is cool besides that. Most Batman villains don't have superpowers. They use intelligence to outsmart Batman. Bane, however, is pure strength. And I think that that makes him one of the Dark Knight's most formidable foes.
18. Red Skull/Johann Schmidt
Red Skull is terrifying. I mean, the dude has dark red skin and a hole for a nose! Along with that, he is a Nazi weapons manufacturer that is responsible for HYDRA. That is scary. I think he works as a pure opposite to Captain America. Cap is the symbol of America and all that is good, while Red Skull is the symbol of Hitler and true evil. That contrast is what makes this character so interesting.
17. Two-Face/Harvey Dent
People have always liked Two-Face more than I have. Don't get me wrong. I love this character, but I've seen him praised as the best Batman villain, which is just incorrect. However, I think he fits in with the rest of the insane criminals in Gotham. The idea of his character as a literal half-man, half-monster is very interesting, and I love how that has explored throughout his existence.
16. Electro/Max Dillon
I always think Electro is an under appreciated villain. I would like him to get a proper screen adaptation. Maybe Jamie Foxx will be different in No Way Home, but his character is the worst part of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Either way, I think electricity powers are cool and, for some reason, I've always liked his look. The Sinister Six is my favorite band of supervillains, and I hope they also make an appearance in No Way Home. If that appearance happens, I'll be excited to see Electro in there.
15. Venom/Eddie Brock
Venom is disturbing. I like looking at him as an evil Spider-Man, which is kind of what the character is. He is a twisted, alternate version of the Web-Slinger that is bigger, stronger, and kind of better in every way...except for the fact that he is a bad guy. What makes this character great, though, are his dips into anti-heroism. Maximum Carnage is such a cool storyline, because you see Spider-Man and Venom team up to take down something that they both know is a threat. Hopefully that happens on-screen in Let There Be Carnage.
14. Galactus
If I got to choose the big bad that followed Thanos in the MCU, I'd choose Galactus. I love Doctor Doom and Magneto, but Galactus is one of the biggest threats in the history of Marvel Comics. He eats planets. As a terrifying, looming threat, I think Galactus is fabulous. He works so well because he is a threat to the multiverse, but if he dies, than the multiverse collapses. I think that that is an insanely cool idea for a character. I really, really hope that we see him soon in the MCU. I would love to see the Avengers and the Fantastic Four take him down.
13. Kingpin/Wilson Fisk
Kingpin is the combination of everything good: smart, strong, and very, very powerful. Make Lex Luthor strong, put him in Marvel, pit him against Spider-Man and Daredevil, and you've got Kingpin. I think he works because he can be so versatile in his plans and his enemies. His origin is heartbreaking and makes him slightly sympathetic. Overall, he is one of the best combos you can get out of a supervillain. Maybe not the most unique or inventive, but a great execution of something familiar.
12. Brainiac
I think Brainiac is one of the cruelest villains on this list. He collects worlds just for knowledge. He will kill billions of people to gain more information. He can outsmart and out-strengthen Superman, something that is not easy to do. He is basically impossible to stop, and that makes him one of the scariest villains as well. I really want to see Brainiac on the big screen, hopefully in Ta-Nehisi Coates' black Superman movie.
11. Magneto/Max Eisenhardt
I've never been a huge Magneto guy, but I put him on the list because he is the enemy of the X-Men, and that's a big deal. I love his relationship with Professor X. That complex relationship between the hero and the villain is the best part about the character. I think his costume is cool. His power set is interesting. I think he definitely works as a foe to the X-Men and as a twisted parallel to Charles Xavier.
10. Riddler/Edward Nygma
I really expected Riddler to end up higher on the list. This top ten was really tough, because I absolutely adore all of these villains. The Riddler is another one that I want to get a good screen adaptation. And it seems like we'll be getting that with The Batman. His puzzling nature has always struck me differently. I love the character's little mannerisms and odd quirks. His costume is one of my favorites. As I'm writing this, I want to put him higher. I can't, because the next villains are so good.
9. Darkseid
Darkseid is the most powerful villain on the list. Galactus? Powerful. Brainiac? Powerful. Thanos? Powerful. Doctor Doom? Powerful. None of them can hold a candle to the Lord of Apokolips. This dude has literally every power imaginable. You might be thinking, "Wait. Doesn't Superman have every power imaginable?". Darkseid has more. He is impossible to defeat, and I really, really wish that the DCEU was successful, because we'd get Darkseid as our big bad. Hopefully they press the reset button and we get a version of Darkseid that can measure up to Thanos.
8. Loki Laufeyson
Yep. I didn't put Loki higher than this. He is, no doubt, a fabulous villain. But his MCU adaptation is better than his comic book character. He was the Avengers' first villain, and that gives him huge ups. I think his skill set is great. He still does sometimes join the heroes, but he primarily works to mess things up for Thor and The Avengers. The only thing I feel like he's missing is Tom Hiddleston's inherent charm, which can't be present on the page of a comic book.
7. Thanos
If you have read any of my previous villains rankings, you know that Thanos is near the top...but that is his movie version. While I still think Thanos in the comics is fantastic, his movie adaptation does such a great job of fleshing out his backstory and making the audience understand where he is coming from. Thanos in the comics is in love with Lady Death. That's why he snaps. He still takes on all the Avengers and does beat them, so that's why he's here. His snapping motivation is just stronger in the movies.
6. Thaal Sinestro
We've never really gotten a good version of Sinestro on screen or even on TV. But his character in the comics is great. He's almost like the Darth Vader of Marvel. He is a Green Lantern that falls to the Yellow Lanterns. I've always loved his design and I like that he works as a polar opposite of Hal Jordan. I don't know the character too well, but everything that I do know, I absolutely adore.
5. Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius
Doctor Octopus is one of two quintessential Spider-Man enemies. He is a sympathetic character that becomes less sympathetic as time goes on. Out of all the villains on the list, I'd say he has the coolest and most unique powers. The robotic tentacles are one of the most recognizable villain weapons. Unlike most villains on the list, we've gotten a few perfect versions of Doctor Octopus on screen and in video games, but I'm always excited to see what comes next when he is announced to be in a film.
4. Green Goblin/Norman Osborn
I think of Green Goblin as the Joker of Marvel. Maybe not as intelligent and maybe more physically powerful, but the way that he acts with that maniacal laugh and just insane mentality is terrifying. Green Goblin could be a pretty corny name, but they fix that by having him actually act like a crazy goblin. He has a very Halloween-esc look, with the pumpkin bombs and the strange costume. I think that he is Spider-Man's best villain and one of the best comic book villains of all time.
3. Doctor Doom/Victor von Doom
Doctor Doom is the best Marvel villain in the comics. Thanos, Loki, Magneto, Ultron, Galactus, and Kang have all been up against the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men multiple times. But none of them have had the lasting effect that Doctor Doom has had. He knows that he is evil, but he doesn't care. He truly believes that the world will be better if he rules. Everything about Doctor Doom is cool. His look, his powers, the country that he rules, etc. I hope that we finally get a good on-screen iteration of him in the MCU's Fantastic Four.
2. Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is one of the best ideas for a supervillain. His arch-nemesis is literally the most powerful being on Planet Earth, and he is just a regular human. Yet, somehow, he manages to constantly wreak havoc on Superman's life. Lex is tied for smartest villain on the list. The smartest is at #1. I love that the creators of DC and Superman decided to have his archenemy be a rich businessman that could never physically beat the Man of Steel. But I love, love, love this character.
1. The Joker
If you expected anyone else to be at #1, you are almost as insane as the Joker. The Joker is not only the greatest comic book villain of all time; he's one of the greatest fictional characters ever created. Just like Batman, everything about the Joker is perfect; his look, his multiple origins, his unknown identity, his plans, and more. As a matter of fact, the Joker doesn't have an end goal. He has one hundred or so years on Planet Earth, and he wants to spend as much time as possible causing pain and chaos in Gotham. He is so sadistic and so repulsive. He enjoys torture and murder. He finds it funny. That is the kind of psychotic behavior that earns you number 1 on this list.