TOP TEN FAVORITE MARVEL VILLAINS
In celebration of AVENGERS: ENDGAME and the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we here at Blood Work would like to list our favorite villains of the Marvel Comics universe. Not merely our favorite rogues of any particular hero, but villains from across the whole Marvel landscape. We've been reading Marvel comic books since we were in single digits and still going strong! And over the years we've come to know and love a host of villains as well as the heroes.
A while ago I listed, what I believed to be, Marvel Comics Top Ten Super Villains. Judging from Marvel's continuity, stories, and influence on the premiere heroes in the Marvel universe. That wasn't a list of my personal favorite Marvel super villains but rather me showing my own self awareness.
You see, I am anything but your typical Marvel fan. I like some of the weirder and far out characters and, in many cases, characters not everybody likes. Look at it this way, if I were to say Marvel's greatest heroes were Sleepwalker, Darkhawk, Hellstorm, and so on who'd believe me? You'd think I was nuts and didn't know my head from my foot. I like the stranger characters. To me they're the best. But I am self aware enough to know how crazy my tastes are and can recognize the characters who, in actuality, are Marvel's premiere characters.
So if I do a list that isn't necessarily my personal favorites but the most recognizable it's to show I'm not crazy... well not totally.
Anyway, like I began that other villains post, a hero is only as good as his villain. And I love me a good villain! Sometimes I'll follow the villains just like I follow my favorite heroes. In some instances I've gone back and purchased every appearance of my favorite villains across many different comics. I've done that with the top two characters on this list and I have aspirations to do so with others on this list! Because sometimes the villain's journey is just as interesting, if not more so, than the hero's.
So here's my list of the villains I'd follow anywhere and everywhere, just like I would my heroes!
THE BONUSES
#14
FIN FANG FOOM
First Appearance: Strange Tales #89 (October1961)
Primary Nemesis: Iron Man, Hulk, Thor
Why I Like Him: Marvel's very own kaiju (ancient dragon/alien conquerer), Fin Fang Foom was one of those characters that I saw as a child and said, "I want comics with this guy in them!" I still want comics with this guy in them. The unfortunate reality (or charm) of the character is that most appearances of his are treated as jokes or goofy adventures. Rarely is he treated seriously. While I love Fin Fang Foom (especially just saying his name aloud), these absurd stories do little to endear him to me further. I read them and I laugh and inside I'm saying, "That was fun but a shame." I kingdom for a truly amazing Fin Fang Foom story
But really, it must be difficult to have a serious take on such a character in the Marvel universe, and I get that. Therefore the easy answer is lean hard into absurdity. I just wish someone somewhere would one day write a truly epic and serious Fin Fang Foom story. My favorite Fin Fang Foom stories include his first appearance, his two issue stint in ASTONISHING TALES, and his epic major return in IRON MAN #261 through #275. Interestingly, Jon Favreau (the director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2) worked on a comic mini series featuring Iron Man battling a wickedly cool redesigned Fin Fang Foom (artwork by Marvel Studios' concept artist Adi Granov). It's a possible glimpse at what the dragon could've looked like in a movie.
#13
GALACTUS
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)
Primary Nemesis: Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Thor, and more!
Why I Like Him: The Devourer of Worlds, Galactus isn't necessarily a villain, he's a piece of cosmic consonance serving a necessary function within the universe: unbiased random destruction. He's like a force of nature, a great flood or tornado that comes through and destroys everything in its path. He doesn't choose to destroy a planet out of malice, but out of necessity. He harvests a planet's energies to sustain himself. He's beyond good and evil, and that's why I like him. He's a heady esoteric character that provokes thought and conversation. His sheer size too is awe-inspiring and cause to give both the characters and reader pause when he arrives in the story.
He's a bonus because I don't consider him a true villain but usually his appearances place him as the antagonist in the story. But, man, I am in love with everything that comes with Galactus, namely his Heralds and the cosmic adventures therein.
First Appearance: Strange Tales #178 (February 1975)
Primary Nemesis: Adam Warlock, the Guardians of the Galaxy
Why I Like Him: I have a serious soft spot for villainous doubles of heroes, dark reflections of the title characters. The Magus is Adam Warlock from the future gone completely evil. Heralded by his Universal Church of Truth, his power and threat level is beyond imagination. So frightening was the Magus that he scared even Thanos. Adam Warlock encountered his dark future self for the first time when the Magus traveled back in time to the present to conquer our timeline. Thanos sensed his arrival first and sent Gamora to Adam Warlock to forge an alliance against the Magus.
It's one of my favorite stories, and in fact, the Magus shows up in many of my favorite stories, Infinity War, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. He's seldom used in the comics, but when he does appear it usually ramps the story up to the next level. He's even wielded the Infinity Gauntlet once before!
#11
ATTUMA
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #33 (December 1964)
Primary Nemesis: Namor, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four
Why I Like Him: Warlord barbarian of the seven seas, Attuma has long plagued the Marvel universe. He's an Atlantean with far greater physical power than most natural born Atlanteans. He believes that his natural born power is a sign that he is destined to rule the oceans. Going about achieving his goal has put him in opposition to Namor ~ the Sub-Mariner, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers on numerous occasions. His vast strength has allowed him to go toe to toe with the likes of Thor and Hulk, heroes such as Captain America, Iron Man, and others being no match for him.
Attuma reminds me of a Genghis Khan-esque character, a medieval conquerer of overwhelming power. He also possesses a Skeletor-like determination and tenacity. It's that swords and sorcery fantasy element that he embodies which is so cool. It's these traits that endear him to me and have made him a lasting villain in my eyes. I also dig his design and how he wears the carcass of a sea monster into battle.
THE TOP TEN
GALACTUS
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)
Primary Nemesis: Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Thor, and more!
Why I Like Him: The Devourer of Worlds, Galactus isn't necessarily a villain, he's a piece of cosmic consonance serving a necessary function within the universe: unbiased random destruction. He's like a force of nature, a great flood or tornado that comes through and destroys everything in its path. He doesn't choose to destroy a planet out of malice, but out of necessity. He harvests a planet's energies to sustain himself. He's beyond good and evil, and that's why I like him. He's a heady esoteric character that provokes thought and conversation. His sheer size too is awe-inspiring and cause to give both the characters and reader pause when he arrives in the story.
He's a bonus because I don't consider him a true villain but usually his appearances place him as the antagonist in the story. But, man, I am in love with everything that comes with Galactus, namely his Heralds and the cosmic adventures therein.
#12
THE MAGUS
First Appearance: Strange Tales #178 (February 1975)
Primary Nemesis: Adam Warlock, the Guardians of the Galaxy
Why I Like Him: I have a serious soft spot for villainous doubles of heroes, dark reflections of the title characters. The Magus is Adam Warlock from the future gone completely evil. Heralded by his Universal Church of Truth, his power and threat level is beyond imagination. So frightening was the Magus that he scared even Thanos. Adam Warlock encountered his dark future self for the first time when the Magus traveled back in time to the present to conquer our timeline. Thanos sensed his arrival first and sent Gamora to Adam Warlock to forge an alliance against the Magus.
It's one of my favorite stories, and in fact, the Magus shows up in many of my favorite stories, Infinity War, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. He's seldom used in the comics, but when he does appear it usually ramps the story up to the next level. He's even wielded the Infinity Gauntlet once before!
#11
ATTUMA
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #33 (December 1964)
Primary Nemesis: Namor, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four
Why I Like Him: Warlord barbarian of the seven seas, Attuma has long plagued the Marvel universe. He's an Atlantean with far greater physical power than most natural born Atlanteans. He believes that his natural born power is a sign that he is destined to rule the oceans. Going about achieving his goal has put him in opposition to Namor ~ the Sub-Mariner, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers on numerous occasions. His vast strength has allowed him to go toe to toe with the likes of Thor and Hulk, heroes such as Captain America, Iron Man, and others being no match for him.
Attuma reminds me of a Genghis Khan-esque character, a medieval conquerer of overwhelming power. He also possesses a Skeletor-like determination and tenacity. It's that swords and sorcery fantasy element that he embodies which is so cool. It's these traits that endear him to me and have made him a lasting villain in my eyes. I also dig his design and how he wears the carcass of a sea monster into battle.
THE TOP TEN
#10
THE LEADER
THE LEADER
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #62 (December 1964)
Primary Nemesis: The Hulk
Why I Like Him: One of my favorite Hulk villains, the Leader is a gamma mutate like the Hulk, but instead of super strength he gained super intelligence. The gamma also drove him insane (a deadly combination). I like him as he's the antithesis of everything the Hulk is. Sometimes the deadliest enemies aren't the strongest ones, but the smartest ones. The Leader has put Hulk through his paces many times, even defeating the Hulk several times. The Leader figures into many stories from my favorite Hulk scribe, Peter David, from the writer's opening salvo to an epic story culmination nearly 70 issues later!
Typically the stories involving the Leader aren't straight forward tales. They're mysterious and intricate and that is exactly why I like them. When written well, the Leader can be one of Marvel's best villains. Problem is, like the Hulk, he's proven to be a difficult character to craft for most writers at Marvel.
#9
ZARATHOS
First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972)
Primary Nemesis: Ghost Rider, the Midnight Sons
Why I Like Him: The demon bonded to Johnny Blaze that became The Ghost Rider, Zarathos was once a powerful demon that nearly conquered the Earth in ancient times. Powers rivaling that of the high demon Mephisto, Zarathos was one of the most formidable demons in existence. Long ago a team of supernatural heroes were called together by fate to battle Zarathos, forming the original Midnight Sons. Together they defeated the arch-demon. In his weakened state, Zarathos was subjugated by Mephisto and made into a slave. To further humiliate Zarathos, Mephisto would bond him to a human from time to time to do the devil's bidding.
One of my absolute favorite sections in Marveldom is the horror saga of the 1990's. Ghost Rider, Blade, Morbius, the Nightstalkers, and the Darkhold Redeemers (guided by Doctor Strange) all come together to form a new iteration of the supernatural team, THE MIDNIGHT SONS. The major villain that the Midnight Sons saga is Zarathos! Zarathos is free from Mephisto's yoke and regaining his full power. The artwork is great and the story is epic! It has forever endeared the demon villain to me.
First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972)
Primary Nemesis: Ghost Rider, the Midnight Sons
Why I Like Him: The demon bonded to Johnny Blaze that became The Ghost Rider, Zarathos was once a powerful demon that nearly conquered the Earth in ancient times. Powers rivaling that of the high demon Mephisto, Zarathos was one of the most formidable demons in existence. Long ago a team of supernatural heroes were called together by fate to battle Zarathos, forming the original Midnight Sons. Together they defeated the arch-demon. In his weakened state, Zarathos was subjugated by Mephisto and made into a slave. To further humiliate Zarathos, Mephisto would bond him to a human from time to time to do the devil's bidding.
One of my absolute favorite sections in Marveldom is the horror saga of the 1990's. Ghost Rider, Blade, Morbius, the Nightstalkers, and the Darkhold Redeemers (guided by Doctor Strange) all come together to form a new iteration of the supernatural team, THE MIDNIGHT SONS. The major villain that the Midnight Sons saga is Zarathos! Zarathos is free from Mephisto's yoke and regaining his full power. The artwork is great and the story is epic! It has forever endeared the demon villain to me.
#8
BLACKHEART
First Appearance: Daredevil #270 (September 1989)
Primary Nemesis: Ghost Rider, Daredevil
Why I Like Him: The spawn of Mephisto, Blackheart is the prince of Hell. He was first sent to Earth to observe humans and learn to corrupt their souls. Sowing hatred and discord, Blackheart's first real challenge came in the form of a true catholic, Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil. Daredevil resisted Blackheart's temptations. But the demon prince would return again turning an entire town to the darkside. Wolverine, Punisher, and Ghost Rider joined forces to save the townspeople and battle Blackheart.
Again, I'm showing my age and peculiarity with this choice. Everything I love about Blackheart came about in the late 80's and early 1990's. I'm not that big of a John Romita Jr. fan but I love his Blackheart artwork. The character design alone had me terrified and intrigued as a child. And his eventual take over of Hell and machinations against Ghost Rider are among my favorite stories of his.
First Appearance: Daredevil #270 (September 1989)
Primary Nemesis: Ghost Rider, Daredevil
Why I Like Him: The spawn of Mephisto, Blackheart is the prince of Hell. He was first sent to Earth to observe humans and learn to corrupt their souls. Sowing hatred and discord, Blackheart's first real challenge came in the form of a true catholic, Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil. Daredevil resisted Blackheart's temptations. But the demon prince would return again turning an entire town to the darkside. Wolverine, Punisher, and Ghost Rider joined forces to save the townspeople and battle Blackheart.
Again, I'm showing my age and peculiarity with this choice. Everything I love about Blackheart came about in the late 80's and early 1990's. I'm not that big of a John Romita Jr. fan but I love his Blackheart artwork. The character design alone had me terrified and intrigued as a child. And his eventual take over of Hell and machinations against Ghost Rider are among my favorite stories of his.
#7
THE WENDIGO
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #162 (April 1973)
Primary Nemesis: Hulk, Wolverine, Alpha Flight
Why I Like Him: This character really cuts to the core of my love for monsters and horror. Steeped in actual Algonquin myth, whoever consumes the flesh of another human being will be possessed with the evil spirit of the Wendigo. In short "Cannibalism is bad." Marvel took the Wendigo myth to a new level showcasing a literal bodily transformation into a giant ghost-white feral beast with size and strength even greater than the Hulk! The Wendigo makes both the Frankenstein Monster and a werewolf look puny and cuddly by comparison.
There's a primal power to the Wendigo, both in character and design that I just love. I don't always need my villains to be crafty or clever. Sometimes sheer raw power fits the bill perfectly for me. The Wendigo is one of my all-time favorites of this type of character. The fact that there's some real-world mythology surrounding the character only helps make him more intriguing to me.
#6
DORMAMMU
First Appearance: Strange Tales #126 (November 1964)
Primary Nemesis: Doctor Strange
Why I Like Them: Design isn't everything when it comes to creating a great character, but if one can manage an interesting character with a truly inspired design greatness will follow. Dormammu falls into this category for me. I am totally in love with his design and his character is unlike most others. Extra-dimensional evil entities can be vague and rather two-dimensional. Dormammu is far more than some formless spirit that lives to cause pain and torment.
The threat that Dormammu represents is multi-dimensional, his power is usually beyond imagination. It forces Doctor Strange to use clever and bizarre tactics to defeat Dormammu rather than face him head on. Dormammu himself is at war with his true nature, as a formless being of energy as opposed creatures made of matter. It's weird and esoteric. But totally cool!
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #162 (April 1973)
Primary Nemesis: Hulk, Wolverine, Alpha Flight
Why I Like Him: This character really cuts to the core of my love for monsters and horror. Steeped in actual Algonquin myth, whoever consumes the flesh of another human being will be possessed with the evil spirit of the Wendigo. In short "Cannibalism is bad." Marvel took the Wendigo myth to a new level showcasing a literal bodily transformation into a giant ghost-white feral beast with size and strength even greater than the Hulk! The Wendigo makes both the Frankenstein Monster and a werewolf look puny and cuddly by comparison.
There's a primal power to the Wendigo, both in character and design that I just love. I don't always need my villains to be crafty or clever. Sometimes sheer raw power fits the bill perfectly for me. The Wendigo is one of my all-time favorites of this type of character. The fact that there's some real-world mythology surrounding the character only helps make him more intriguing to me.
#6
DORMAMMU
First Appearance: Strange Tales #126 (November 1964)
Primary Nemesis: Doctor Strange
Why I Like Them: Design isn't everything when it comes to creating a great character, but if one can manage an interesting character with a truly inspired design greatness will follow. Dormammu falls into this category for me. I am totally in love with his design and his character is unlike most others. Extra-dimensional evil entities can be vague and rather two-dimensional. Dormammu is far more than some formless spirit that lives to cause pain and torment.
The threat that Dormammu represents is multi-dimensional, his power is usually beyond imagination. It forces Doctor Strange to use clever and bizarre tactics to defeat Dormammu rather than face him head on. Dormammu himself is at war with his true nature, as a formless being of energy as opposed creatures made of matter. It's weird and esoteric. But totally cool!
#5
NIGHTMARE
First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)
Primary Nemesis: Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Sleepwalker, Hulk
Why I Like Him: When I was just starting out reading comics, Nightmare was popping up everywhere I looked. First off, I love his simple yet frightening design, like some age-old witch or bargaining demon straight from a fairy tale (or our worst nightmares!). Then there's what he represents: the most frightening thing we can imagine. He is the literal lord of nightmares and a master of fear. You wouldn't know it unless you were well versed in Marvel's outer limits, but there is actually quite the complex hierarchy of "Fear Lords" in the Marvel Universe.
To me Nightmare is (or should be) the scariest character in all of the Marvel Universe. He's also kinda like the Freddy Krueger of Marvel. He's tormented not only Doctor Strange, but Hulk, Danny Ketch Ghost Rider (my favorite Ghost Rider), Sleepwalker, Brother Voodoo, and more of my favorites, most of which happened right when I first started reading comics, endearing the lord of nightmares to me at an early age.
First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)
Primary Nemesis: Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Sleepwalker, Hulk
Why I Like Him: When I was just starting out reading comics, Nightmare was popping up everywhere I looked. First off, I love his simple yet frightening design, like some age-old witch or bargaining demon straight from a fairy tale (or our worst nightmares!). Then there's what he represents: the most frightening thing we can imagine. He is the literal lord of nightmares and a master of fear. You wouldn't know it unless you were well versed in Marvel's outer limits, but there is actually quite the complex hierarchy of "Fear Lords" in the Marvel Universe.
To me Nightmare is (or should be) the scariest character in all of the Marvel Universe. He's also kinda like the Freddy Krueger of Marvel. He's tormented not only Doctor Strange, but Hulk, Danny Ketch Ghost Rider (my favorite Ghost Rider), Sleepwalker, Brother Voodoo, and more of my favorites, most of which happened right when I first started reading comics, endearing the lord of nightmares to me at an early age.
#4
ANNIHILUS
First Appearance: Fantastic Four Annual #6 (November 1968)
Primary Nemesis: Fantastic Four, Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel
Why I Like Him: Another wonderful meld of design and character, in my opinion. As I write this, currently there is a popular trend of reader/audiences needing more nuances, complex, and sympathetic villains in their stories. People nowadays want villains they can relate to and understand. I like those aspects too and that's cool. Call me old fashioned though, but I still like my power hungry, world conquering, evil for evil's sake villains. Annihilus is one such megalomaniac who believes it his purpose to end all things. He rules a universe parallel to our own called The Negative Zone and seeks to rule the Positive Universe (our universe) as well.
Among my earlier super hero action figures was an Annihilus toy. As a kid I was instinctively drawn to his design (I guess I really like greens and purples). Then the story ANNIHILATION came out years later and Annihilus was showcased like never before, more powerful and terrifying than ever. Later during Jonathan Hickman's run on Avengers, Annihilus was further developed into a slightly more nuanced character. He became part of a council comprising the greatest powers of the universe alongside Ronan the Accuser, the Super Skrull, Gladiator, and others. So, yeah, he's still a crazy conquering alien villain that doesn't think like you or me, but he has potential to be more.
#3
DRACULA
First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #1 (April 1972)
Primary Nemesis: Blade, the Van Helsings, Doctor Strange
Why I Like Him: One of the most unique chapters in Marvel Comics' history is the 1970's series, TOMB OF DRACULA by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. The series features the villain as the lead and the heroes as the secondary cast. It's not the only Marvel comic to do it but it is the longest running series with the villain as the lead. Marv Wolfman's writing is dark, mature, and engrossing while Gene Colan's art is ethereal, violent, and haunting. It is one of the greatest hidden gems of all comicdom and one of the greatest horror comic book series ever made.
I first thought this was just Marvel making use of a well known property in public domain to make a quick buck. It took me a little while to realize but now I am of the mind that Tomb of Dracula is one of my favorite Marvel comics ever. Dracula is so well written, both vile and evil yet sympathetic and tragic. He's maybe one of the most well written villains in all Marvel. Dracula hasn't been as well showcased since Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan last teamed to writer and draw him, but he has maintained a constant figure in Marvel continuity. And without him we'd have never received BLADE ~ THE VAMPIRE HUNTER!
#2
THE ABOMINATION
First Appearance: Tales To Astonish #90 (April 1967)
Primary Nemesis: The Hulk
Why I Like Him: Going back to my love of dark mirror-images of heroes, the Abomination has always been my favorite Hulk villain since I was a kid (and for a time my all-time favorite Marvel villain). A villain who could go toe to toe, punch for punch, against my all-time favorite hero, the Hulk, was not something I could ignore. It also had something to do with his design being vaguely reminiscent of the Creature From the Black Lagoon (which I love!).
When I started reading comics the great Peter David was writing the Incredible Hulk and slowly reimagining and redesigning Hulk's rogues (but doing it naturally and keeping it within continuity. Doing it RIGHT, if you like). Gray Hulk tossed Abomination into some toxic waste giving him a disgusting half-melted countenance. Then he started living in the sewers of New York and actually became a protector of the homeless people living there. Peter David transformed Abomination into a sympathetic anti-hero. That era is my favorite chapter in Abomination's saga. Greg Pak later seemed to be on the way to doing some great things with Abomination but those plans never came to fruition sadly. As of the writing of this I am still waiting for the Abomination's big return since his unsanctimonious demise at the gun of the Red Hulk (arg! I hate that so much!)
#1
THANOS ~ THE MAD TITAN
First Appearance: Iron Man #55 (February 1973)
Primary Nemesis: Captain Marvel, Adam Warlock, Silver Surfer, Guardians of the Galaxy
Why I Like Him: Who else would it be? I'm just jumping on the Thanos bandwagon of late, like everyone else! That's what you're thinking, I'm sure.
For those of you who know me, I've loved Thanos for a long time. Like with Abomination, Thanos became a focal character not long after I started reading comics. The late 80's and early 90's era of Marvel comics was a very formative time for me. Silver Surfer was a character I took to very early on. And when Thanos appeared and started knocking the Silver Surfer around, it stopped me dead in my tracks. Anyone who could do that to one of the most powerful heroes in all of Marvel was worth taking note of. Then the Infinity Gauntlet happened and Thanos became a legendary character for me.
I had never read a story like The Infinity Gauntlet before and it completely blew my mind as to what comic books were capable of. I remember how excited I was at acquiring the very first Thanos figure in the early 90's (in the Fantastic Four TOYBIZ series). I played with that toy until it broke (his Infinity Gauntlet fist of all pieces was the first thing to break off. Admittedly I played pretty hard with the figures I loved).
But as a kid there was so much to Thanos' character and Jim Starlin's writing that was way over my head. As I grew older I discovered a whole other side to Thanos outside of his staggering power-level. Intelligent and calculating, cunning and clever, the further I delved into who Thanos was the more intriguing his character became to me. I always wondered what Thanos would be like in a movie but never imagined it would ever happen. It is truly amazing what has become of Thanos as of late. While his Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart isn't exactly like the comic books, his depth of character is still on display (as well as his power).
And there you have it! My personal favorite Marvel comics villains!
It's a strange and odd list to be sure but that's what makes it mine!
Who are your favorite Marvel comics villains?
Let us know and comment below!
And for more Top Ten lists check out the others below!
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES
TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS
TOP TEN ACTION MOVIE HEROES
TOP TEN GREATEST TURTLES
TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
First Appearance: Iron Man #55 (February 1973)
Primary Nemesis: Captain Marvel, Adam Warlock, Silver Surfer, Guardians of the Galaxy
Why I Like Him: Who else would it be? I'm just jumping on the Thanos bandwagon of late, like everyone else! That's what you're thinking, I'm sure.
For those of you who know me, I've loved Thanos for a long time. Like with Abomination, Thanos became a focal character not long after I started reading comics. The late 80's and early 90's era of Marvel comics was a very formative time for me. Silver Surfer was a character I took to very early on. And when Thanos appeared and started knocking the Silver Surfer around, it stopped me dead in my tracks. Anyone who could do that to one of the most powerful heroes in all of Marvel was worth taking note of. Then the Infinity Gauntlet happened and Thanos became a legendary character for me.
I had never read a story like The Infinity Gauntlet before and it completely blew my mind as to what comic books were capable of. I remember how excited I was at acquiring the very first Thanos figure in the early 90's (in the Fantastic Four TOYBIZ series). I played with that toy until it broke (his Infinity Gauntlet fist of all pieces was the first thing to break off. Admittedly I played pretty hard with the figures I loved).
But as a kid there was so much to Thanos' character and Jim Starlin's writing that was way over my head. As I grew older I discovered a whole other side to Thanos outside of his staggering power-level. Intelligent and calculating, cunning and clever, the further I delved into who Thanos was the more intriguing his character became to me. I always wondered what Thanos would be like in a movie but never imagined it would ever happen. It is truly amazing what has become of Thanos as of late. While his Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart isn't exactly like the comic books, his depth of character is still on display (as well as his power).
And there you have it! My personal favorite Marvel comics villains!
It's a strange and odd list to be sure but that's what makes it mine!
Who are your favorite Marvel comics villains?
Let us know and comment below!
And for more Top Ten lists check out the others below!
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES
TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS
TOP TEN GHOST RIDER VILLAINS
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC HEROES
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPERNATURAL HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL ROMANCES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL ROMANCES
TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
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