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20. Mystique, X-Men series, 2000-2019
Comic origin: Ms. Marvel #16 (1978)
For all the good work of Rebecca Romijn in Bryan Singer’s first three X-Men films as the agile mutant Mystique, the character really came into her own once Jennifer Lawrence slipped on the scales to play a younger version of the blue-skinned shapeshifter. None more so than in Days Of Future Past, when the character also known as Raven Darkholme is front and centre. It’s her assassination of scientist Bolivar Trask that leads to, ultimately, the creation of the mutant-hunting Sentinels, forcing Wolverine to bounce back in time to stop her. With Lawrence perfectly embodying her athletic fighting skills, as Singer noted at the 2013 Comic-Con, “She’s split off from Eric and Charles and she’s kind of her own agent.” Lawrence added, “We’ve seen her in the future and what she becomes; this is kind of a turning point for her.” Indeed, her ability to transform into anyone makes her the perfect villain: you just never quite know where she is, who she is or what side she’s fighting on.
Article continues belowMost Dastardly Moment: Shooting Magneto… with a plastic gun.
Killer One-Liner: “I know exactly what I have to do.”
19. Winter Soldier Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2014; Captain America: Civil War, 2016
Comic origin: Captain America #1 (2005)
Played by Sebastian Stan
When Captain America’s childhood BFF, James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes, is captured by Hydra during World War 2, his body and mind are corrupted beyond recognition, leaving behind brainwashed super-assassin the Winter Soldier. With a cybernetic arm that can catch Cap’s vibranium shield like a frisbee, single-minded determination and an affinity for assault rifles, the Winter Soldier is a formidable adversary. But it’s Buck’s tragic bromance with Steve Rogers that elevates the Winter Soldier above the common crop of comic-book villains. Manipulated by Arnim Zola into brutally murdering Howard and Maria Stark – arguably the MCU’s biggest gut punch – and later by Helmut Zemo into bombing a meeting at the United Nations, killing King T’Chaka in the process, the Winter Soldier has so much red in his ledger that he makes Black Widow look like a girl scout. His actions, willing or not, left wounds that would fester for years to come.
Most Dastardly Moment: Beating Howard Stark to death before strangling Maria with his bare hand.
Killer One-Liner: “You’re my mission.”
18. Hela, Thor: Ragnarok, 2017
Comic origin: Journey into Mystery #102 (1964)
Played by Cate Blanchett
The secret sibling of Thor and Loki, Hela is the Goddess of Death and former Executioner of Asgard who has spent the last millennia in exile thanks to her dear old dad Odin. He’d realised the best way to rule the Nine Realms was through peace not destruction and Hela’s savage ambition didn’t quite fit with his new ideology, so he banished her to the underworld. Upon his death, she was freed and made it her mission to take the throne of Asgard from her brothers, by any brutal means necessary. The first major female supervillain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cate Blanchett brought both wit and gravitas to the role to make Hela one of the most badass Big Bads. “There’s a huge female fanbase and having a daughter myself, you want them to be able to identify with [the villains] as well as the heroes,” Blanchett said. Hela yeah to that.
Most Dastardly Moment: Decimating the entire Asgardian Army and the Warriors Three.
Killer One-Liner: “I’m the Goddess of Death! What were you the god of, again?”
17. The Penguin, Batman Returns, 1992
Comic origin: Detective Comics #58 (1941)
Played by Danny DeVito
Tim Burton shows us a deformed baby dumped in an icy river on Christmas night, rescued by penguins and raised in the sewers of Gotham City. He grows (not too much, mind) into the Penguin, the obese, hook-nosed ‘Gentleman of Crime’ that Bob Kane and Bill Finger based on the advertising mascot of Kool cigarettes and liked to kit out in a monocle, top hat and tux – plus, of course, an array of high-tech brollies. Burgess Meredith was ace in the ’60s TV series, but DeVito brings real pain, torment, sexual deviance and rage to the Penguin (you might say he’s the ultimate Burton outsider), without forsaking the humour. “We have something,” says Catwoman. “Naked sexual charisma?” he fires back.
Most Dastardly Moment: Biting the nose of his image consultant, Josh.
Killer One-Liner: “You gotta admit I played this stinkin’ city like a harp from hell.”
16. Kingpin, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, 2018
Comic origin: The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (1967)
Played by Liev Schreiber
Like most cinematic crims, Wilson Fisk is a family man. When his wife and son die in a car crash after witnessing him and Spidey scrapping, it hits hard. “Kingpin is motivated by the loss of his family,” explains Liev Schreiber. “He doesn’t care what havoc that wreaks on the rest of the planet: he’s gonna get them back.” That havoc involves booting up a dimension shredding super-collider, putting NYC and the very fabric of reality at risk: villainous for sure, but all in the name of love. This nuance gives the man-mountain emotional heft, so despite solid iterations by Vincent D’Onofrio (Netflix’s Daredevil) and Michael Clarke Duncan (who gained 40 pounds to play the role), Schreiber’s animated Kingpin packs the most punch as the definitive big-screen take.
Most Dastardly Moment: Killing Peter Parker.
Killer One-Liner: “You took my family, and now I’m gonna make sure you never see yours again.”
15. The Mandarin, Iron Man 3, 2013
Comic origin: Tales Of Suspense #50 (1964)
Played by Ben Kingsley
The MCU has a long history of subverting comics canon, but the introduction of vintage Iron Man villain the Mandarin proved to be one of its finest rug-pulls. With the original incarnation’s racially problematic Fu Manchu overtones, it was understandable when Iron Man 3 unveiled Ben Kingsley as the US face of terrorist organisation the Ten Rings. But then comes the killer twist, as Tony Stark breaks into the Mandarin’s compound and discovers the kingpin is actually Trevor Slattery, a drug-addled British actor on Aldrich Killian’s payroll – and that he’s more likely to commit crimes against Hamlet than humanity. Just because Trev’s quit the role doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of the Mandarin, however – the real deal is still at large and will be seen, played by Tony Leung, in the MCU’s upcoming Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.
Most Dastardly Moment: Trev’s too inept to do anything truly evil, so his worst act is simply being complicit in the whole caper.
Killer One-Liner: “The guns are all fake because those wankers wouldn’t trust me with the real ones.”
14. William Stryker, X2, 2003
Comic origin: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (1982)
Played by Brian Cox
A religious fanatic with a military background, William Stryker’s incarnation in the comics as a mutant-hater set the tone for his rebirth in Bryan Singer’s X2 – still one of the deepest and darkest of the X-Men films. As portrayed by Brian Cox (well, if you’re looking for a villain, you might as well cast the original Hannibal Lecter), the US Army colonel’s relentless desire to eradicate all mutants is made all the more potent given his son Jason is one – and a powerful one at that. Crucially the man responsible for grafting those adamantium claws onto Wolverine’s bones, Stryker has something of the mad scientist about him. Others played him – including Danny Huston in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Josh Helman in Days Of Future Past and Apocalypse – but none boasted the sheer menace of Cox, who chose to give him a southern accent. “It hits the zeitgeist in a big way,” Cox said at the time. “That’s the uncanny thing about it.”
Most Dastardly Moment: Lobotomising his own son to make him more docile.
Killer One-Liner: “Sergeant, kill everyone that approaches; even if it is me.”
13. Scarecrow, Batman Begins, 2005
Comic origin: World’s Finest Comics #3 (1941)
Played by Cillian Murphy
Sadistic psychiatrist gone rogue Dr. Jonathan Crane uses his chilling intelligence and a shabbily constructed mask to become a master of fear and manipulation. Experimenting on Arkham Asylum’s inmates, he torments his victims by unleashing their worst nightmares using a frightening hallucinogenic drug. Appearing in all three films in The Dark Knight trilogy, Scarecrow can always be relied upon to provide creepy thrills with his piercing eyes and menacing presence. Murphy originally auditioned for the part of Batman, but when Christopher Nolan ended up casting Christian Bale, he offered Murphy the role of the deranged villain instead. Not that the Irish actor ever thought he was ready to don the cape. “I never felt I was the right material for Bruce Wayne,” he says. “But he obviously saw something in me.”
Most Dastardly Moment: Setting Batman on fire after dousing him with his fear toxin.
Killer One-Liner: “There’s nothing to fear, but fear itself.”
12. General Zod, Superman II, 1980
Comic origin: Adventure Comics #283 (1961)
Played by Terence Stamp
Released from imprisonment in the Phantom Zone by the shockwave of a hydrogen bomb that Superman slings into space, evil Kryptonian General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his hench-people Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O’Halloran) descend upon Earth to threaten genocide. A staple of comics since 1961, General Zod (full name: Dru-Zod) has appeared in Smallville, Supergirl, The Looney Tunes Show and more, and was potently portrayed by Michael Shannon in Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel. But it’s ’60s idol Stamp, returning from his own decade in the Phantom Zone, who’s iconic. “They did everything they could to make me look hideous,” he later said. “They lit me from below, they put green make-up on me, they gave me ridiculous costumes. But the camera was still my girl.” Quite.
Most Dastardly Moment: Forcing the president, on TV, to abdicate all power and authority to General Zod.
Killer One-Liner: “Kneel before Zod!”
11. Harley Quinn, Suicide Squad, 2016
Comic origin: The Batman Adventures #12 (1993) (Originally created for Batman: The Animated Series in 1992)
Played by Margot Robbie
Arkham Asylum shrink Harleen Quinzel isn’t just crazy in love, she’s downright murderous after falling for her patient the Joker. She’ll do anything for her emerald-haired “puddin’”, including willingly plunge herself into a vat of toxic chemicals to prove her twisted devotion. Reborn afterwards as Harley Quinn, she’s transformed into a devious, baseball bat-wielding maniac who injects some much-needed fun into the underwhelming blockbuster. Robbie has a blast playing around with her character’s mischievous side. “She doesn’t even have superpowers. She’s just a psychopath who runs around gleefully killing people – she finds joy in causing mayhem, which makes her weirdly endearing and fun to watch.” Quinn will get her chance to shine again in her solo Suicide Squad spin-off Birds Of Prey.
Most Dastardly Moment: Shooting at Batman and then tricking him into kissing her by playing dead so he’ll give her CPR.
Killer One-Liner: “I’m known to be quite vexing. I’m just forewarning you.”
Click through to Page 5 to continue our ranking of the best comic book villains of all time
