Every hero needs a villain. You can’t deny that you wouldn’t be as interested in comic book heroes if there wasn’t any conflict, if there weren’t any villains.

Villains are the reason heroes grow and develop as characters. Heroes can even be products of something a villain has done. Do you think Bruce Wayne would have become the Batman if a thief hadn’t shot his parents? The X-men wouldn’t have learned how to work as a team if their villains weren’t so bent on the destruction of humans.

There are many kinds of villains, however. There are villains that were made to be lame, for the sole purpose of making the hero look cool. There are villains that are made to break the heroes and take advantage of their weak points so we can watch these heroes pick themselves up, grow up, and develop as characters. Some heroes, we wouldn’t even like if it weren’t for their villains.

So here are the best of the villains – or should we say the worst? Here’s a list of the ten evilest, coolest, and most popular villains in the comic universe. Take note that these only cover those from the DC and Marvel universes, though, the two most largest comic producers in the world.

10. Doomsday

He killed Superman, that’s all you need to know. Doomsday was a product of cloning, and was raised on the dead planet, Krypton. In fact, he was born thousands of times – Bertron, his creator, sent babies to the planet where they would be killed by the harsh environment, and would take the remains that survived to make a better subject. He would repeat this until the lifeform could survive, and Doomsday was born

Doomsday, however, has the memories of all the creatures that went before him, and thus hates everything that lives. Whenever he is killed, he is ‘reborn’ stronger than ever. He spent thousands of years destroying various planets, eventually making his way to Earth. No one in the Justice League could stop him but Superman, who sacrificed his life to defeat Doomsday.

9. The Venom

Venom is the parasitic villain that Spiderman butts heads with through the years. Venom was actually Spiderman’s black costume for a long ten years worth of comics issues. He is a parasite that needs to bond with a human to survive; in return he gives his host enhanced physical abilities.

Its first host was Spiderman, and carries Spiderman’s abilities to subsequent hosts and is considered Spiderman’s worst enemy.

8. Deathstroke

Deathstroke, originally Slade Wilson, is an assassin in the DC universe. His abilities originate from the various experiments done to him by the military in their attempts to create the perfect soldier. He is the primary villain for the Teen Titans, but also come up in various other comics because of his role as a gun for hire.

Deathstroke has the strength of ten men, improved speed, stamina, reflexes, and thinking. He can access to 90 percent of his brain when most people can only access 10, which makes him a genius in combat and tactics. He can match Batman when it comes to brains, and Batman can only fight him to a stalemate in martial arts. Despite this, however, he is not listed among the best martial artists in the world because of his superhuman enhancements.

7. Darkseid

Darkseid is a classic among villains in terms of ambitions: he wants to rule the whole universe. Quite a large goal, but Darkseid knows that he can do it, if only he had the Anti-Life Equation. He has an unmatched thirst for power, and superhuman abilities. He is extremely strong and fast and also has powerful omega beams (think Superman’s laser eyes, only they can zigzag).

He has an unhealthy fixation on dominating Earth, thinking that the Anti-Life Equation can be found inside our heads. Perhaps the only one who can match him is Superman himself, and even then, Darkseid has enough cunning to outmaneuver Big Blue.

6. Ra’s Al Ghul

Ra’s al Ghul is one of Batman’s greatest nemeses, and sometimes even considered more terrifying than the Joker himself. R’as al Ghul wants to clean the Earth of its stains and restore it to paradise, killing most human beings in the process.

Ra’s has been alive for a long time by using the legendary Lazarus Pit. He is intelligent, cunning, and an amazing martial artist. He is a man so great that the best and most deadly martial artist of the world, Lady Shiva, is one of his mercenaries in the League of Asssassins.

5. The Dark Phoenix

The Dark Phoenix is actually Jean Grey of the X-Men turned evil. Jean Grey, if you didn’t know, is one of the most popular superheroes in the Marvel universe. She is a master psychic, and in one of the issues, she was exposed to solar flare radiation and reached the maximum of her potential. She renamed herself the Phoenix because she was supposed to die.

Later on, after a series of trauma to her psyche – like seeing the psychic image of her beloved Cyclops die – she was able to completely feel her powers. Her powers overwhelmed her, causing her to change to Dark Phoenix. She went to different universes and devoured planets’ energy, killing billions in the process.

Eventually, she was sent back to Earth, where the X-men were able to subdue her powers enough for her personality to take control once more.

 

Jean Grey aka The Dark Phoenix is a well-known character in the Marvel Universe. Not only she is one of the Most Popular Women in Comics but her death is also one of the Top Ten Significant Superhero Deaths ever.

4. Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is bald and bad. He wants humans to live a life without Superman, using his wealth, influence and cunning to get into the thick of things. He gets into trouble a lot, but is never caught for it, and actually becomes the President of the United States.

Lex Luthor, has managed to bring about the downfall of the Justice League. Later on, he is taken from his seat as the President after putting a bounty on Superman’s head.

3. Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom is the renowned ruler of Latveria, and the greatest nemesis of the Fantastic Four. He is the villain with the trademark metal mask and green hood. Despite his appearances, Doctor Doom is actually an intelligent scientist and practitioner of the mystical arts.

Doctor Doom may not seem much, but he is one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe. His aim is to take over the world and to kill Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four.

2. Magneto

Magneto is a complex character, and is the longest-standing villain in the X-Men world. His character has been developed the most out of all the Marvel villains, which is probably why so many fans like him.

Magneto is a metal master and an old friend of Professor Xavier of the X-men. He is cunning and intelligent, and hates humans. He is of the belief that mutants like him are superior to humans, and want mutants to dominate humans. He is ruthless, and will kill anyone who gets in this way.

1. The Joker

Joker may not have any super powers or enhanced intelligence, but his kind of evil is the kind that gives children nightmares and intimidates even the most hardened hero. Joker is the Batman’s villain, but has long since started messing around with other Justice League business.

The Joker killed the second Robin, Jason Todd, and paralyzed the first Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. The way he did it wasn’t pretty, either – he beat Jason Todd with a crowbar and shot Barbara in the spine.

The Joker has no purpose — he doesn’t want to take over the world or become rich and powerful. He only wants to do things that are funny to him. It just so happens that suffering is funny to him.

There you have it: the worst of the worst, and the most chillingly frightening of them all. Remember, kids, these are the kind of people that you DON’T want to be like. They may sound cool and all, but the good guys always win in the end.

 

As it is with great reading material, amazing comics were usually made into amazing cartoons. And where there are heroes, there is sure to be a healthy collection of villains, led by the The Top Ten Cartoon Super Villains That You Love To Hate.