10 Best (And Worst) Comic Book Movie Villains

10 Best (And Worst) Comic Book Movie Villains

A few people have posted lists like this limiting themselves to the villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But why stop there, when we have a whole world of comic book movie villains to draw from? Here are ten of my favorite -- and least favorite -- villains from comic book movies.

Editorial Opinion
By CombatWombat - May 30, 2015 01:05 PM EST
Filed Under: Comics
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A few days ago, fellow users DrDoom and GliderMan posted a couple of great articles listing their favorite villains of the Marvel Films. You can read them here and here.

 

But I thought to myself, why limit ourselves to just Marvel villains? So here are ten of the greatest — and ten of the not-so-greatest — villains from all sorts of comic book movies, from superheroes to crime dramas to Japanese manga.

Disclaimer: these choices simply reflect MY opinion. I'm not trying to state them as if this list is fact or anything like that ... 'cause it's not.

 


BEST OF THE BEST


wintersoldier

10.) The Winter Soldier
(Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Played By: Sebastian Stan

 

I might be biased here, since I’m a big admirer of Ed Brubaker’s Captain America run. Out of all the villains from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Winter Soldier is my favorite. Yeah, you could argue he’s not 100% a bad guy since he’s brainwashed, but in my eyes, he’s a villain.
 



zod

9.) General Zod
(Superman II)

Played By: Terence Stamp

 

Maybe I’m looking at this villain through rose colored glasses, since his motivation boils down to, “DIE AS YOU DESERVE TO!” He’s honestly got about as much depth as a petri dish. But still, Terence Stamp is so fun to watch in this role. It’s hard for me to overlook him.
 



kevin

8.) Kevin
(Sin City)

Played By: Elijah Wood

 

Who’d have thought Frodo Baggins could be so creepy? Frank Miller’s Sin City is chock full of disturbing, violent shit, but razor-nailed, cannibalistic Kevin is a definite standout for me.

 

“HE MADE ME WATCH.”
 



doc ock

7.) Doc Ock
(Spider-Man 2)

Played By: Alfred Molina

 

In the comics, Doc Ock is just an evil megalomaniac — so it’s kind of interesting that they chose to make Otto Octavius a sympathetic character in Spider-Man 2. It worked, though. Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock was a huge highlight of the film, and I think has set a standard for all Spidey villains to follow.
 



magneto

6.) Magneto
(X-Men)

Played By: Ian McKellen

 

This casting (along with Patrick Stewart as Professor X) was just straight up awesome. The most interesting thing about Magneto in these movies is that, well, you kind of get where he’s coming from.

 

I had trouble picking between Fassbender and McKellen, since they’re both pretty badass as Magneto. I had to go with Ian McKellen though … because it’s Ian McKellen.
 



veidt

5.) Adrien Veidt
(Watchmen)

Played By: Matthew Goode

 

Is he a villain? Is he a hero? Is he a good person who has done some terrible things, or is he a horrible person with some redeeming qualities? That’s kind of up to you to decide … and that’s why he’s such an amazing character.

 



joker1

4.) The Joker
(Batman)

Played By: Jack Nicholson

 

This one’s such a classic that I doubt it needs much explanation. It’d be a crime not to include Nicholson’s Joker somewhere on this list.

 



carl fogarty

3.) Carl Fogarty
(A History of Violence)

Played By: Ed Harris

 

William Hurt may have ended up being the big bad of this film, but Ed Harris’ performance as one-eyed mafia hitman Carl Fogarty was the thing that really stuck with me. I think that’s pretty impressive, given the character’s minimal screen-time.

 



tetsuo

2.) Tetsuo Shima
(Akira)

Voiced By: Nozomu Sasaki

 

This one might seem like an odd choice, but I really wanted to include at least one animated feature on this list. Throughout Akira, we watch Tetsuo develop from being meek and powerless to being a raging psychopath. It’s not just his godlike psionic powers that make him terrifying, but his utter lack of morality.

 

Fun fact: Tetsuo’s hairstyle inspired the appearance of DragonBall Z character Vegeta.

 



joker2

1.) The Joker
(The Dark Knight)

Played By: Heath Ledger

 

No surprises here, I guess. I know I already included Nicholson’s Joker above, but I honestly believe Heath Ledger’s performance helped redefine the character for modern audiences. Gone are the joy buzzers and chattering teeth, replaced with a knife and a grisly Glasgow smile. 


Honorable Mention: 

Harlen Maguire
(Road to Perdition)

Played By: Jude Law

 


WORST OF THE WORST


 

batman & robin

1.) Every Villain
(Batman & Robin)

Played By: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Jeep Swenson

 

These three are so horrid that I actually find them endearing. Between Arnie’s ice puns, Thurman dancing around in a gorilla suit, and BAAAAANE, these three helped make Batman & Robin one of those movies that’s so bad, it might actually be good.
 


 

nuclear man

2.) Nuclear Man
(Superman IV: The Quest for Peace)

Played By: Mark Pillow

 

I’ll just let this video speak for me…

 





Laurel Hedare

3.) Laurel Hedare
(Catwoman)

Played By: Sharon Stone

 

I had to look up this lady’s name, because to me she was just “Sharon Stone.” All I really remember is that she uses some kind of skin cream that … um … gives her super skin? Right…
 



octopus

4.) The Octopus
(The Spirit)

Played By: Samuel L. Jackson

 

One look at this guy says it all. He’s just a ludicrous cartoon through and through. How Frank Miller managed to convince Sam Jackson that this would be a worthwhile role is beyond me. It almost makes me want to demand you revoke that “Bad Mother[frick]er” wallet, Sam. Almost…

 



quentin turnbull

5.) Quentin Turnbull
(Jonah Hex)

Played By: John Malkovich

 

Like Sharon Stone, I didn’t even remember this character’s name until I looked it up. I think his ultimate plan involved using some kind of cannon to blow up Washington … for some reason. Oh, and apparently the massive death machine was created by Eli Whitney, because why not.
 



hector hammond

6.) Hector Hammond
(Green Lantern)

Played By: Peter Sarsgaard

 

Hector Hammond was undoubtedly the worst part of Green Lantern for me. The character was ridiculous enough with the giant nutsack growing off of his head — and when he started screaming like a two-year-old, I honestly wanted to laugh. What a shame, because Sarsgaard is actually a decent actor.

 



rico dredd

7.) Rico Dredd
(Judge Dredd)

Played By: Armand Assante

 

One thing I’ve always wondered: if Rico Dredd and Joe Dredd were cloned from identical DNA, then why on Earth don’t they look identical? Ultimately though, that’s a minor quibble compared to Armand Assante’s over-the-top scenery chewing.

 



blackheart

8.) Blackheart
(Ghost Rider)

Played By: Wes Bentley
 

Did he do ANYTHING threatening in this entire movie? I honestly don't think he did. 

 



bullseye

9.) Bullseye
(Daredevil)

Played By: Colin Farrell

 

Apparently the idea behind this iteration of Bullseye was to make him “Sid Vicious meets Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Sounds great on paper, right? Well, obviously something got lost in the translation to the screen, because between the snakeskin jacket, the piercings, and Farrel’s hammy performance, this character was a bit of a dud.

 



venom

10.) Venom
(Spider-Man 3)

Played By: Topher Grace

 

This one wasn’t so much “terrible” as it was “disappointing.” Like many fans, I was ecstatic to hear Venom would be popping up in Spider-Man 3 … but once I saw how horrid they portrayed him, I wished they never even tried. Venom (at least the Eddie Brock version) is a pretty complex character, and they didn’t give him nearly enough screentime in order to develop him properly.
 

Honorable Mention: 

The Riddler
(Batman Forever)

Played By: Jim Carrey

 


 

Well there you have it. Do you agree? Disagree? Think of anyone I may have left out? Whatever your thoughts, comment below and let me know. Thanks for reading!

 

Take care, people.
 

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RockHard
RockHard - 5/30/2015, 3:44 PM
Loki? Not even as a honorable mentions.
NovaCorpsFan
NovaCorpsFan - 5/30/2015, 3:47 PM
Great lists, but I'm gonna be the Irish guy that corrects you on your spelling. It's Colin Farrell not Colin Ferrell.

Reading this, I think there are more shit villains than good when it comes to CBMs.
Bodwulf
Bodwulf - 5/30/2015, 4:04 PM
Move Loki in place of Tetsuo Shima. The shoehorning in of an animated character just does not seem to fit.
Also a big kudo for not including Malekith as a worst villian. While not a fan favorite he does not wander off into the land of camp or stupidity or just plain annoying.
neihofft
neihofft - 5/30/2015, 4:04 PM
I know its subjective and all, but terrible "best" list.
TheSuperguy
TheSuperguy - 5/30/2015, 4:04 PM
Great list! For me, it would be:

Best:
Honorable Mention: The Winter Soldier
10: Joker (Jack Nicholson)
9: Magneto (McKellan)
8: Scarecrow (Dark Knight Trilogy)
7: General Zod (Superman II)
6: Ras Al Ghul (Dark Knight Trilogy)
5: Bane (Dark Knight Trilogy)
4: Lex Luthor (Superman: The Movie and Superman II)
3: Green Goblin (The Spider-Man Trilogy)
2: Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man 2)
1: Joker (The Dark Knight)

Worst:
(Dis)-Honorable Mention:
10: Whiplash (Iron Man 2)
9: The Mandarin (Iron Man 3)
8: The Phoenix (X-Men: The Last Stand)
7: Venom (Spider-Man 3)
6: The Lizard (The Amazing Spider-Man)
5: General Stryker, Sabertooth, Deadpool (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
4: Hector Hammond (Green Lantern)
3: Green Goblin (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)
2: Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)
1: Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane (Batman & Robin)
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/30/2015, 4:09 PM
Thanks for the heads up @NovaCorpsFan
And yes, you're probably right about there being more bad than good.

I dunno about Loki though ... I mean he's a good character and all, but I guess I just don't see the same things in him a lot of other people do. I was also trying to at least be a LITTLE original with the choices...
TheSuperguy
TheSuperguy - 5/30/2015, 4:11 PM
(Dis)-Honorable Mention: Jigsaw (Punisher: War Zone)
freddyloops
freddyloops - 5/30/2015, 4:18 PM
@rockhard IKR?! I also feel like kingpin from Netflix's Daredevil - while not part of a film - is TOTALLY part of the MCU should also appear ...at least as an honorable mention.
Minty
Minty - 5/30/2015, 4:20 PM
Great article CombatWombat. My favourite of these lists so far (no disrespect to the others, I just like this more expansive approach).
gamecreatorjj
gamecreatorjj - 5/30/2015, 5:15 PM
No Ras? No Bane? No Shannon Zod? No Fassbender Magneto?! No Stryker?! No Two Face? No Sentinels?! My list of just supervillains is like:

Legder Joker (Nuff said)
William Stryker (Cox only)
Mckellen/Fassbender Magneto (Mckellen has the brain, Fassbender has the brawn)
Stamp/Shannon Zod (stamp is a classic, but Michael Shannon is probably a real killer)
Future Sentinels (how many villains actually get to murder all the heroes?)
Doc Ock (Obviously)
Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe, nuff said)
Prince Nuada (for the sake of diversity)
Yashida family (I mean Shingen and Yashida were both awesome villains)
Abomination (that scene where he solos Hulk on the campus was amazing)
Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges, nuff said)
gamecreatorjj
gamecreatorjj - 5/30/2015, 5:17 PM
The worst is like every villain Superman movie villain except Zod and Faora, every pre Nolan Batman movie villain except Pfieffer (latex HNGGGGH), and like every MCU villain post 2011.
staypuffed
staypuffed - 5/30/2015, 6:12 PM
Good stuff! You may have my thumb.
Tars
Tars - 5/30/2015, 7:03 PM
Disagree on Adrian from the Watchmen movie, he was my only gripe with that adaptation. Ozy in the book was much better.
Bearjew
Bearjew - 5/30/2015, 7:32 PM
Your opinions are wrong.
Gandosh
Gandosh - 5/30/2015, 11:06 PM
im pretty disappointed by Shannon Zod. He was awesome.
Carl
Carl - 5/31/2015, 11:08 AM
Nicholson > Ledger
Dingbat
Dingbat - 5/31/2015, 11:09 AM
There's too many to choose from to make a definitive top 10 list. This one is pretty good. And to be honest there are more than 10 villains better than Loki and that includes a few from the MCU.
Dingbat
Dingbat - 5/31/2015, 11:10 AM
Michael Shannon's General Zod is perhaps one of the most underrated villains in a cbm. Better than Terrence Stamp's although I love both.
PapaEmeritus
PapaEmeritus - 5/31/2015, 11:54 AM
You forgot to mention every single villain from TASM franchise. I'd put Malekith on that list too, and Killian... and Nathaniel Burke [Steel, LOL]
GreedoSarducci
GreedoSarducci - 5/31/2015, 12:10 PM
"8.) Blackheart
(Ghost Rider)
Played By: Wes Bentley

Did he do ANYTHING threatening in this entire movie? I honestly don't think he did."

The only thing he did at the time was heroin.
Ghostyy
Ghostyy - 5/31/2015, 1:22 PM
Good job @CombatWombat. Great to see some quality stuff on the editorial section.
CallMeColossus
CallMeColossus - 5/31/2015, 1:52 PM
Nothing against Ian McKellen, but Fassbender > Mckellen
DarkAvengers09
DarkAvengers09 - 5/31/2015, 3:26 PM
Every marvel villian has been horrible. Not nod has seemed even remotely dangerous. Marvel needs to stop joking around and get serious with their villains. Thanos will be lame. Just wait.
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/31/2015, 3:30 PM
Holy crap, 2.1K shares?

Thanks for all the comments and shares and reads, everybody.
SigmaCenturion
SigmaCenturion - 5/31/2015, 4:28 PM
List invalidated by Ledger at the number one spot. XD
BillWonka
BillWonka - 5/31/2015, 4:36 PM
This list is missing Johnny from Karate Kid (1984). Besides Ledger he's the best villain ever.
darkraven
darkraven - 6/1/2015, 2:11 AM
I like the list and agree with your comments .I would like to add

Kind pin played by Vincent D’Onofrio
James Wesley played by Toby Leonard Moore
Eobard Thawne/ Harrison Wells (reverse flash) played by Tom Cavanagh
Penguin played by Danny DeVito
Catwoman Played by Michelle Pfeiffer

to the great villains list.

On the crap list I would add

Dr Doom fantastic four 1+2 played by Julian McMahon
Green goblin 2 played James Franco
and Hector Hammond (Green Lantern) played by Peter Sarsgaard
(I know you mentioned him already but he was so crap he needed to be mentioned twice.



slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 6/1/2015, 6:46 AM
2 things…
1. Loki is in top 3 best villains
2. # 7.) Rico Dredd (Judge Dredd) Played By: Armand Assante was good for the era that movie cam out. Fricken Scare Crow, Riddler, Two Face, PAralax, were worse.
CommanderCobra74
CommanderCobra74 - 6/1/2015, 8:03 AM
You forgot "Jigsaw" from Punisher War Zone. That had to be one of the cheesiest performances I've ever seen on film with his over the top, fake New York accent, and then the sequences where he's walking around trying to recruit gangbangers to kill the Punisher - well - go rewatch, it speaks for itself.
ClumsyToaster
ClumsyToaster - 6/1/2015, 11:26 PM
Thank Christ you had the brains not to put Loki on this list.
jevans67
jevans67 - 5/24/2016, 6:45 PM
@ClumsyToaster - its all b.s. the big 3 are joker, magneto, and loki...period, done deal and end of subject...anyone else besides red skull bane and winter soldier dont even come close....but mags and the joker are the top, mags is marvel, joker dc, the fundamental arc nemesis of the cornerstone books. these two are forever, there is no batman without the joker and there is no x-men without mags....the eternal bad guys, they are beyond time itself
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