After 11 years and 21 films everything has built to this: the Endgame. Endings are always the hardest part of a story. The longer the story, the harder the ending. I thought that with everything the people at Marvel Studios were saying about last year's AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR before its release, that film had an impossible task to accomplish. Yet, somehow, I came out of that movie thinking they had pulled off a miracle. I loved Infinity War, probably more than I should've. A significant reason why I loved it was the depiction of Thanos and the ending. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. I honestly didn't think they ever end a Marvel movie like that.
If I thought Infinity War had an impossible task, AVENGERS: ENDGAME had an even steeper mountain to climb. How does one even begin to top Infinity War? And, once again, Marvel Studios put themselves in an even tougher spot by announcing movies after Endgame like Spider-Man: Far From Home, which basically told everyone how Endgame was going to end. But even before that, as any comic reader knows, many figured that the "dusted" heroes and populace were coming back. It only came down to a matter of how.
Everyone was expecting time travel. Everyone was expecting deaths among the original Avengers line-up due to contracts coming to an end. And, once again, everyone was expecting "the snap" to be undone. It was because of these widespread preconceived expectations that "the how" became all the more important. Given the Russo Brothers propensity to surprise us and use our expectations against us, it had me thinking that the Russos wouldn't play into these all-prevailing theories. In interviews the Russo Brothers are always talking about how smart the audiences are and their efforts to stay ahead of the audience.
When your average audience member, who doesn't know a thing about comic books, is expecting time-travel you know Marvel Studios will play against those expectations. Right? This led me to hope that time-travel wouldn't be involved. This also led me to hope for something even crazier: the dusted heroes wouldn't return. Why did I hope for such an evil thing? Because I didn't want Infinity War to be diminished. If everything that occurred in Infinity War was reversed then the movie would lose the power and gravitas it has so miraculously attained. And on a macro level, I didn't want all the 21 movies before to be diminished.
Endgame's biggest challenge is paying off all 21 previous films. The worst case scenario if Endgame totally failed would be a ripple effect that would travel down all the previous films, in effect, diminishing the last ten years of films. Obviously certain movies would still be great, but the overall experiment that is the MCU would be somewhat of a failure. Imagine if Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 totally screwed up? There'd be less of a reason to go back to the franchise and we'd all forever wonder what things would've been like had they pulled off a great ending.
Needless to say, the stakes for this film extend beyond merely the narrative defeat of Thanos.
So how was it?
Well, for me, this movie landed in two different places at the same time. On one hand the movie was great and a worthy finale to the 22 film franchise. On the other hand it was kind of a let down. My feelings aren't conflicted, which is strange. I fully see the movie as great and as a let down at the same time. So let's get to it!
MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD!
THE PLOT
The Avengers lost. Thanos won. The universe is reeling from the effects of the Decimation. The heroes and the rest of the universe have to find a way to live with their defeat and move on in a world with half the life it once had. But when a hero who was presumed dead miraculously returns, hope is rekindled. Scott Lang, long thought dead, appears to the remaining Avengers with an idea for a second chance and a way to undo everything Thanos did. But it may be a one way trip for some of them... "Whatever it takes."
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
On One Hand...
This film is totally in service of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in that endeavor I feel it succeeded. It didn't feel beholden to the source material at all, but rather beholden to the films of the MCU. I especially enjoyed seeing love shown to the often vilified THOR: THE DARK WORLD (one of my favorite films in the MCU).
It's up to the original six Avengers once again to save the universe and it feels right that this is the case. Iron Man's big moment felt earned and appropriate to end everything on.
Robert Downey Jr as a whole was great in the movie and his character was
treated very well (when isn't it?). Similarly Chris Evans as Captain
America was well represented and wonderful throughout the movie. These
two received more of a hero's send off than any others in the film. I
also loved Scartlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner (although Black Widow
didn't receive quite the send off as Iron Man or Cap, which was weird).
Hawkeye's opening in the film was heart-wrenching and oh so dark.
I really liked Nebula (again, no surprise). Karen Gillan has done such
an amazing job with Nebula over the course of four films and naturally
developed the character into a three-dimensional person with sympathy,
heart, and unbridled rage and intensity. She may be my favorite
character in all of the MCU. I loved her interactions with everybody in
the film, especially Rocket and her surprising connection to War
Machine.
The tone of the film was dour and more serious than the usual MCU fare, which is more to my liking. And while the tone of the film was certainly darker than usual (for good reason), the filmmakers still managed to find plenty of moments of humor.
Did I like how they handled time-travel? Yes. It was quite nice to see
these "extended" sequences from previous films. And the great number of
actors and returning characters from previous films was a total delight.
I loved seeing Robert Redford, Tilda Swinton, Rene Russo, Frank Grillo, Agent Sitwell, and the so many other cameo guest stars. It felt like a wonderful celebration of the MCU, a look back at where
we were and how far we've come. And it also felt like a little bit of a
gratuitous "hits parade." And you all know how much I love my gratuity
(seriously, the gorier my horror movies the better and the more fighting
in my action movies the better. I am all about gratuity) even though it
is quite shameful most times.
And a major credit to the filmmakers is how they evoked an emotional response from me. Many of the emotional moments landed well with me. I loved Tony's reunion with his dad and Cap's reunion with Peggy. Nebula's confrontation with herself as well as her interactions with Gamora and Rocket tugged at the old heart-strings too. And of course Tony's near death experience at the beginning was striking and powerful. And his relationship with his daughter was touching too. And of course, when the dusted heroes return for the final fight, the
moment had the desired gravity and emotional weight to it (even with
someone who didn't want them brought back like myself). It's a testament to this film with the great number of emotional moments that connected.
Of everything in this film, I feel the greatest strengths were in the character interactions, relationships, and character beats. In these respects, the writing in this film is solid and you're reminded of why you love these characters and this franchise. All these emotional moments with much beloved characters grants the film a certain amount of forgiveness. Or at least makes it easier to turn a blind eye to Endgame's shortcomings.
As a result, this film exists in two separate places in my mind and heart at the same time. When I choose to ignore a great many things I really enjoy the film. On one hand I like this movie. On the other hand is a complete different reaction which has made this particular film hard to reconcile. As such, this review here is me choosing to ignore certain things, turn off my analytical brain, and just enjoy the experience. If I were to give a separate verdict and ranking for this view of the film it would be a 7 out of 10.
I'm reserving the final verdict for this film until I've revealed the "other hand" of my experience. MY EXPERIENCE! I am in no way saying anything absolute about this film, only my truths to my experience. You yourselves are entitled to your own opinions and feelings regarding this film and whether you feel my stances are justified or not.
So, for the other half of this review (the darker negative half) please check out part two linked below. Otherwise, if all you wish to read is the positives and one of the ways I feel about the film, DO NOT read part two. Just a word of warning.
For more of my thoughts and reviews on
the MCU and all things super hero cinema, check out the posts below. And
as always drop us a line on what you think in the comments below!
Sometimes you look in the mirror and see the positives. You see all of your accomplishments, your experiences, friends, and family and you feel good. You feel good about yourself and what you've done in your life. You're thankful for what you have and you look forward to the future. Then there are times when you look in the same mirror and see the same reflection but you can't see anything good at all. All you see are your failures, everything you're dissatisfied with in terms of your body and where you are in life. Some days you see one side of yourself and some days you see the other side. But its the same image.
This is a paradox of life, one that's very real. One thing can exist in two different states in your mind at the same time. This is how I feel about AVENGERS: ENDGAME.
Welcome to Part Two of my review of Avengers: Endgame. In part one I discussed what I enjoyed about the film and one way in which I see the film. Below are my feelings about the film also, as it exists in a different state. This will be decidedly negative but hopefully not in a derogatory way. This is the second half of the dual state in which this film exists in my head. Read on if you're intrigued. If you already have enough negativity in your life and don't need any more, please stop reading now or just scroll to the bottom for the final verdict.
And remember, these are just one person's opinions and nothing absolute or concrete. The great thing about all of these Marvel Studios films is that each one can be argued as to why it's good or why it's bad. Each film has its supporters and detractors. That even the worst of the MCU films are still far and away better than most of the competition out there is an incredible statement too. And at the end of twenty-two films, whether our preferences are polar opposites of each other, we can all agree that we love the MCU.
On The Other Hand...
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
So we're clear, I am well aware of how ridiculous my hopes
for this movie are and how unlikely it is that this movie will deliver
on my personal wants. I'm not that delusional and I am not expecting any of my hopes to be fulfilled. I actually went into this film a blank slate. If anything, my only real
hope was that they didn't kill Thanos in the first ten minutes and the
rest of the movie became the Avengers trying to reverse the snap. You
won't believe this but I had been saying this exact hope for months prior to the
film's release.
Well, crap... that's EXACTLY what happened. Ughh... speaking of expectations and that being exactly what happens...
Everyone
expected time travel. EVERYONE! And that's exactly what they do. And
yes they undo the snap. Time travel is a common theme in comics,
especially Marvel comics. The Avengers and X-Men almost always have
some story going on involving time displacement at any given moment. Time
travel in this movie feels like something right out of the comic books
so it's not a bad thing at all that they do it in the movie. It actually
makes this film feel like a Marvel comics event, even resembling the comic
story Age of Ultron (the comic, not the movie) in many ways (for the record, that story is not one I enjoy).
But,
when time travel is introduced into a story it immediately erases any
gravity or stakes of the heroes losing or permanence of any event in the
previous films and the films going forward. It's different if the time
traveling mechanism is a one-time use or in the possession of an
insanely beyond powerful cosmic being. But Ant-Man and Wasp will always
be able to access the Quantum Realm and therefore time-travel will
always be an option. The heroes losing or someone dying becomes
pointless. This is just a general observation about the consequences of
introducing time-travel into a narrative. And the way it's set up in
this film, the prime timeline will never be effected adversely by the
use of time travel. So there's no reason for them not to abuse the crap
out of it. Sure, other realities are being effected but that's not their
immediate problem nor did they seem to care when they removed and
killed people from the time stream.
Time travel is an easy solution to fix all of the problems. The X-Men films already did it twice with X-Men: Days of Future Past and then again with last year's Deadpool 2. With the fun and goofy nature of some of the time travel sequences in Endgame, it almost seems like the filmmakers just took the post credits stinger from Deadpool 2 and stretched it out over two hours. The major difference here is with the X-Men they were literally erasing all the mistakes from the franchise. In Endgame they're erasing the greatest thing that's ever happened to the entire MCU. Now we can watch Infinity War and at the end, instead of a gut-wrenching feeling, we can say, "oh, they all get brought back. It's not a big deal. Even Gamora and Loki get a chance." The power of last year's Infinity War is completely undermined now.
The fact
that Marvel chose such an "easy out" and widely expected plot device to
execute this final film is disappointing. Marvel is usually aware of
these expectations, ahead of its audiences, and smarter in its writing.
And now Marvel Studios can undo anything they want that has already
happened and any bad things that happen going forward can be easily
undone as well. There are no stakes anymore or lasting effects. Black
Widow, dead? Nah, let's just go back to a previous point in time and
pluck her out of the time stream into our current time. That's how
Gamora's back. Loki, dead? Nah, he's got the Cosmic Cube now.
The filmmakers used time traveling to replay the MCU's greatest hits too. I talked about one way I viewed this in part one. Here's the other way I see it. The
"hit parading" appears narcissistic and self-indulgent. Hey, look at all the
actors that have graced our movies! And some of these sequences were lazily written too, replaying same old
events from previous films, even replaying events from Infinity War with the same music and dialog. And
apparently you need to return only the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir to
their proper time and place but not Thanos, Nebula, Gamora, the Black Order, or
literally the millions of lives from Thanos' troops. Yeah, that won't
cause a divergent timeline at all. What about the shenanigans of a
Tesseract wielding Loki in 2012? Or what about when Korath finds an
unconscious Peter Quill on Morag, steps over him to get the Power Stone
first, and gives it to Ronan before the Guardians of the Galaxy are even
formed? I'll talk about some more examples of this lazy writing further down too.
And
Thanos. I didn't care for how they treated him at the beginning of the
film. It was quick, anti-climactic, and not well thought out. With the
Infinity Gauntlet he too could've viewed any and all futures in which
his work could be undone (just as Doctor Strange did) and taken measures
to ensure those options be taken off the table. And, by removing the
stones from existence, wouldn't that destroy existence, you know, being as they're
the elements that the universe sprang from? Anyway, when Thanos came
back at the end of the movie I was mostly happy with it. I'm glad we finally got armored Thanos instead of "white-trash" Thanos in his wife-beater. He did make a
profound statement, that as long as there are those who remember what
once was, what could be won't have a chance. It says a lot about the times we're living in today. I wonder if Marvel will
continue with Thanos' prophecy in the films, that by undoing the snap
the Avengers have set in motion an even worse universal calamity for the
future. I guess we'll see.
For as amazing as the Russo Brothers and
writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are, they kinda suck with
power levels. Characters power levels are fluctuating all over the
place. Example: Thanos with the full Infinity Gauntlet was no match for
Thor and Stormbreaker in Infinity War. Yet Thanos without the Infinity
Gauntlet was able to handle both Thor and Stormbreaker without nary a
problem in Endgame. Conversely Thanos handled Scarlet Witch easily with
the Gauntlet in Infinity War but now is nearly defeated by her in
Endgame even though he was just shown as being perfectly capable of
handling Stormbreaker which is stronger than the Infinity Gauntlet. If you recall Scarlet Witch was nearly killed by
Proxima Midnight in the previous film too and now she's stronger than Thanos. That, and I guess there is no
difference in Thanos' power with or without the Gauntlet. These are just
a few examples of this power inconsistency of which there are more.
Thanos
had to go the Nidavelir to the dwarves, who fashion the most powerful
weapons in existence, to create a gauntlet powerful enough to wield the
Infinity Stones. And Tony Stark can just make one? So, I thought it had to be a powerful gauntlet to wield the stones? What gives? The previous film made a big deal about the difficulty in acquiring tech and powerful weapons. Here Tony just instantly comes up with everything they need.
The
filmmakers are also experts at sidelining mega powerful characters such
as Vision in the previous films and Captain Marvel and Hulk in this film. Had
Captain Marvel been with the Avengers the entire time in this movie
everything would've been fine. Hulk gets sidelined by being
half-dead at the final fight, virtually unable to fight, yet still being
able to hold up all of Avengers Mansion by himself. This segues into a
bigger personal gripe with the film.
Hulk does
virtually no fighting at all. And he doesn't redeem himself in battle. Where was the epic rematch between Hulk and Thanos?! My overall feelings toward Hulk's cowardice in Infinity War
was contingent on him being redeemed in Endgame. Him bringing everybody
back via a "reverse snap" doesn't do it for me. He needed to redeem
himself in a very Hulk-like way i.e. smashing the hell out of something. "Professor" Hulk is one of my favorite stories in the Hulk's comics, but I
never dreamed of how unfulfilling Professor Hulk would actually be on
screen. In my opinion the Hulk hasn't been treated well since the first
Avengers movie. Hulk,
now more than ever, needs another movie where he's allowed to cut loose
fighting.
Thor went from being a show-stealer
in the last film to a punchline/joke in this film. I know Chris
Hemsworth is desperate to be the "favorite" Avenger among fans. I get
it, but I don't like it at the cost of being just another funny
character among the countless other funny characters in these movies. And while I really enjoyed revisiting Thor: The Dark World it presents another problem: a majority of Dark World's plot was the difficulty in extracting the Ether from Jane. Only Malekith could remove the Ether from Jane Foster, not Odin or the Asgardians. How the hell did Rocket's little "cosmic syringe" get the Ether out when his tech is arguably inferior to the Asgardians?
My last question about inconsistent power levels for this review is this: How is Cap still alive after receiving a full force punch from Thanos to the head? Thanos beat down the Hulk and All-Father Thor plus all the other Asgardians in Infinity War with his bare hands and without the Infinity Stones. Thanos' punch can lay out the Hulk but not Cap? And how is Cap able to harness Thor's lightning? Mjolnir was just a tool for focusing Thor's inherent lightning powers. Cap shouldn't be able to do that. This movie is from the same guys who did the Captain America films so obviously Cap is going to be treated far better than most, but this is going a little too far.
What
did Black Widow sacrifice to get the Soul Stone? Or Hawkeye had he jumped? They have to
sacrifice the thing they love most, right? A soul for a soul. This was a huge plot point in Infinity War. A self
sacrifice doesn't make sense to me. You mean they love themselves the most? One of them would've had to
willingly sacrifice someone else, yes? That's a worse choice than offering yourself and that's why the Soul Stone is so difficult to acquire. If it just had to be a soul why didn't Thanos toss Nebula over the side in the last film or any old warrior under his command? And it doesn't appear like Hawkeye willingly lets Black Widow drop. She rips her hand out of his grip. It's not sacrificing your soul that gets you the Soul Stone. Right?
And
how did Captain America get the Soul Stone back to Vormir anyway? Or the Power
Stone back to Morag? Or the Ether back to Asgard and back inside Jane
Foster? I mean, sure, it happens off screen and there's probably a great
explanation for all of it. But it still seems a far stretch of the
imagination that just Cap could return all six stones back to where they
were without any of the Guardians' help.
Also, this movie drove home that the Guardians of the Galaxy are basically useless. Nebula and Rocket are really the only exceptions. Drax, Groot, Star-Lord, and Mantis contribute nothing. I guess that's supposed to be the point? That's the great cosmic joke?
No Adam Warlock. This is perhaps Warlock's most iconic story and he's not in it. This is like adapting a Harry Potter book but leaving Hermione out completely. I knew Adam Warlock wasn't going to be in the film so it wasn't a shock, but still. Warlock is Thanos' primary antagonist and he doesn't even get a mention. Jim Starlin, months before the film came out, was still hoping that Warlock would be in the film. So, what's the point of even bringing Adam Warlock to the screen ever? This is like having Red Skull fight everybody but Cap and be defeated before Cap even arrives.
With the Infinity Gauntlet they could've done so many amazing things in addition to the snap but no. Thanos could've resurrected all of the dead villains from the previous films and had a massive brawl with the heroes. It would've been a great way to adapt that amazing sequence from the Infinity Gauntlet comic where the heroes attack Thanos' citadel. There's no
flashback of Xandar's destruction either, further rendering everything the Guardians fought for in the first Guardians film a mere throwaway line. And apparently there are no other heroes in the galaxy save
for Earth. Really? I thought we were supposed to be a part of a bigger universe according to Nick Fury. I guess that doesn't extend beyond Earth and the Guardians. This just leads to questions that will need to be addressed later when new cosmic or Earth-bound heroes arrive: "Where were you when Thanos nearly destroyed everything?"
I'm sad they killed Thanos. I knew it was very likely going to happen and that most audience members wanted him dead. But that's all the more reason not to do it. Thanos even has a line in the movie, "You couldn't live with your failure..." or something like that. Wouldn't it have been the perfect punishment to force Thanos to live with his failure? As arguably the best villain the MCU has created, killing him is a waste. Imagine an even worse threat down the road and the Avengers having no choice but to go to Thanos for help? Man, that would've been so cool. And lastly there's not even a tiny glimpse
of Mistress Death (at least a hint of her as it would've explained why, given
infinite options with the gauntlet, Thanos still chose annihilation
over an alternative). And as long as Captain Marvel is around there's no need to fear Thanos anymore.
This movie again drives home the feeling that the filmmakers were throwing the source material out the window and
not even trying to adapt the comic stories anymore. The movies are their own
entities, I understand that. The MCU has become its own narrative, free from the
constraints of the comics. I get all of that and am fine with that. But
that's just giving Marvel Studios a pass on changing things when they
adapt the comics. What makes adapting the Harry Potter books or the Game
Of Thrones books any different than adapting comic books? Basically
this movie definitively drove home a new mindset for MCU films. From now
on I'm not going to wonder what my favorite comics will look like on
screen, but rather what, if anything, will be faithful to the comics when
going forward. The cosmic material especially suffers the most changes versus other material.
In short, Endgame is a terrible adaptation of the Infinity Gauntlet, but a good finale for the MCU.
Okay, I think I'm done ranting now, which is exactly what this is. Maybe I'm way off base and these imagined "problems" I have will disappear after repeat viewings. Either way I can't change the movie. Maybe I'm missing things too that will clear up these questions and maybe through discussions with others I'll be swayed in different directions. Who knows? These are just my opinions and nothing concrete, remember that.
THE VERDICT
Avengers: Endgame exists in two separate states in my mind. On one hand I think it's a fine finale to the MCU and a very enjoyable film. It is fully in service of the films and not necessarily the comic books (and I knew going in that it wouldn't be anything like the comics). If this movie gets anything right it is the characters and their relationships with one another. Seeing the movie like this I feel it is pretty good. And if you somehow managed to get through the above quagmire of thoughts, rants, and ravings then you know the other way I perceive this film: predictable, narcissistic, haphazardly assembled, a terrible treatment of the source material, and kinda lazy.
Even so, Marvel Studios should be commended for this unprecedented achievement in major motion picture storytelling. Even if some like myself feel the movie is passable at best, it is a mind-boggling achievement that this film works at all. That it managed to take ten years and twenty-one films and bring it all together and to a satisfying close is beyond remarkable. As such I feel inclined to give this movie a major pass on those shortcomings I've imagined it has. And that's the beauty of the Marvel Studios films. Each film has its supporters and detractors. Each film can be argued in favor of or against. And after all of it is said and done we can all agree that this current era of comic book/super hero filmmaking is the greatest era for the genre.
Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
For more of my thoughts and reviews on the MCU and all things super hero cinema, check out the posts below. And as always drop us a line on what you think in the comments below!
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.
#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
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.
#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.
#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!
#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.
#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!
